Creative Egremont Blog
A blog about Creative Egremont and related stuff: a year-long programme of public art with a difference, in Egremont in West Cumbria.
Getting going
Well, now that we are a couple of months into the project, things are shaping up somewhat. We’ve been planning the
Folk Art Fair on June 16 at Egremont Market Hall
and the Public Art Conference the day before - an innovative ‘webinar’ facilitated by the Cumbria Institute of the Arts, where our speakers come to Egremont but the audience don’t: They stay in the comfort of their armchairs / office chairs and watch the proceedings online. We’ll show an archive of the day to the public during the Fair on the Saturday too.
We have also had some great chats with Ralph and Rob Merrett regarding the plans for a permanent Folk Archive in the town, combining some of artist Jeremy Deller’s collection (of the same name), and the vast local archive.....all we need to do is get them onto paper and out to potential funders! We want to highlight the towns ‘now’ scene too though, creating a venue where artists-in-residence can work, and where the young people of the town can be part of an ongoing archive of their culture.
Other good contacts have been made with many local people who want to get involved, with the Friends of Egremont Castle, Wyndham School Gardening Club and the local youth clubs.....
Posted by: Admin
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Hear, hear
”Art lets you be brave, do things differently, do things that are strange, do things that are not conventional and do conventional things in a different way.“
Robert Merrett
Read more about what Robert and his father Ralph had to say on the Channel 4 Big Art Project, for which Egremont was shortlisted here.
Posted by: Admin
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Creative Egremont wants you!
Creative Egremont is an exciting new project encouraging creativity and get-up-and-go in local people.
As part of the project we’re doing a survey of everybody in the area who is doing anything creative already!
Perhaps you paint portraits; take photos; customize bikes; make music; do interior design; collect things; style hair; play an instrument; write stories; sew, knit or embroider; bake; grow or arrange flowers; upholster furniture; make models, greetings cards, films, rugs or sculptures......?
It doesn’t matter if you have never shown your work to anyone before - we are not looking for ‘professionals’, just local people doing interesting things.
What to do if you want to take part:
Please jot your contact details and a few lines about yourself down either in a letter or an email, together with a few photos or examples of what you do.
You can either email us:
info@creative-egremont.org
Post to us:
Karen Storr, Creative Egremont Public & Community Arts Officer, c/o Lowes Court Gallery, 2 Main Street, Egremont, Cumbria CA22 2DW
or deliver to the above address by hand
(We’re sorry but we cannot return any original materials or photos)
Deadline:
Ongoing, but we would like to hear from you as soon as possible.
If you want to chat about the project, or unsure about what we’re after, then please contact our Public & Community Arts Officer Karen Storr on info@creative-egremont.com
We hope to hear from you!
Posted by: Admin
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Your Creative Egremont team!
Creative Egremont is our working title for a new 12 month public & community arts project in Egremont, West Cumbria, England.
It’s been initiated by West Lakes Renaissance & Egremont and Area Regeneraton Partnership, who invited Grizedale Arts (based in the South Lakes) to provide a strategy for engaging the local community in arts activity that could reach places most public art never could. Grizedale agreed that rather than another paper consultancy, a programme of actual projects on the ground would make the most difference to the town - so that’s what we’re doing!
Here’s our team (pictured):
From left to right, Karen Guthrie (Project Director); Karen Storr (Coordinator) and Alistair Hudson (Grizedale Arts Deputy Director & Lead Project Officer)
So - watch this space for more, and if you have any questions about what we’re up to then please contact us
Thanks to Regeneration Officer Simon Walker for the photo 
Posted by: Admin
Sunday, April 09, 2006