Halsway Manor Coleridge Convention

As blogs go this one is more of a call to action as there is a very interesting week of events planned at the wonderful Halsway Manor, nestled in the Quantock hills of Somerset. The event celebrates the unique cultural heritage that West Somerset has, as a source of inspiration for the Romantic Poets Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth.

Ralph Hoyte - Christobel

The programme combines guided walks along the Coleridge Way, plus shorter routes of special relevance to the Romantics. There are evening talks, lectures and performances plus a visual arts exhibition. With a range of onsite accommodation you may want to stay for the week, or come along to individual events, the choice is yours.

These events are to be held between 11th and 15th August 2014 and tickets for the whole or just parts are available through Halsway Manor, type in Coleridge to their search bar, or check out their whats-on page for August 2014. There is also a leaflet which reveals more still and is available for download from the Halsway site.

The event is also supported by ARTlife somerset.

Frances Harrison's Dark Starry Skies

Frances Harrison's exhibition at All Saints Church Dulverton was a culmination of a broad spectrum of work under the blanket title of Dark Starry Skies. Works displayed encompassed film, print, and a story telling cafe, along side flower displays from the Church wardens, and even a dress sequinned with constellations. Members of the local community had also produced tapestries depicting their personal take on what dark starry skies meant to them.

Starry Flower Displays

The church itself is a hard act to follow in respect to grandeur and shear space to fill, but the work nestled in well amongst the arches and pillars. The film on show was made in conjunction with the Engine Room of Bridgwater, and Ignite Somerset, and celebrates the textures and feel of Exmoor's combes and rivers. The screen sat in the pulpit echoing the magical words of Kubla Khan, linking in Coleridge with the Exmoor Dark Skies Reserve.

Throughout the church quotes and text were printed on large banners, hanging from the stone pillars adding visual depth and rhythm to the exhibition, hosting quotes from Coleridge and Galileo along side the more contemporary words of Brian Cox.

Starry dress reflected in an acrylic print which are stills from the film.

Poetry on the pillars

The week came to a peak with France's illustrated talk on 'The Sublime and the Beautiful' which married art, literature and landscape alongside romanticism and its influences of the time before and after Coleridge. Over the week the venue had over a hundred visitors a day, which included local school children who came along to listen to stories about starry skies.

Romantic events on Exmoor

Here are three dates for your calendar to drink in the Coleridge Culture. Firstly Ralph Hoyte, who has been working on his Coleridge Conversations App, will be reading his poem Christabel Released at Binham Grange during their annual Gallery4art exhibition. This is how they describe this year's summer exhibition -

Imagine art as a box of chocolates, some highly coloured and decorated, some plain and elegant, some are your favourites, others provoke new experiences and sensations. For the contemporary Summer Exhibition at Binham Grange this year Gallery4Art will present a spacious barn full of art to engage and intrigue the visitor. Each artist will have space to tell a story, to add a fresh dimension to the exhibition where they can display new work and old favourites for people to enjoy. There will be a range of work to suit all budgets from small prints to wall size artworks, delicate ceramics to large animal sculptures. 

Ralph Hoyte in Watchet testing his audio ghost

Tickets are priced at £8/£6, bring a picnic or order from the Binham restaurant. Ralph's epic poem will be performed by him on the evening of 28th August, the art and artists will also be open for you to view and meet during the evening. If you are unable to attend on the night snippets of Ralph's sound installation ‘Romantic Litscape’ will be accessible throughout the exhibition duration.

Christopher Jelley - Frances Harrison - Ralhp Hoyte

During Somerset Art Week in Dulverton Frances Harrision has an Illustrated Talk -  'the Sublime and the Beautiful' which is about art, literature, Romanticism and it's influences. The event is to be held at Dulverton All Saints Church, on September 27th starting at 7pm, with tickets £5 purchased from SAW or on the door. Wine and refreshments will be available. Frances is also Venue 24 for Somerset Art Week, so have a look here for more details.

And finally also in Dulverton at Somerset Art Week's Venue 23 is Christopher Jelley's Coleridge works, much of which has been blogged about here so do enjoy reading previous posts to get a feel for the work that will be on show - Number Seven will be hosting this event.

Christopher's Storywalk in Dulverton
asks you to make clock faces as part of the story line
and leave them for other walkers to find.

'Behind the gaol door, in the room beyond, Christopher Jelley will have a curious mix of work that defies simple classification'

Amidst these projects will be his Coleridge Way QR Code Poetry Slates, many of which now installed along the Coleridge Way, and also the story boxes which have been out along the trail throughout the summer. Other pieces of his including the site specific Storywalk 'The Watching Way' which starts in the town and finishes out in the hills somewhere! The exhibition is a mix of high and low tech, with an interactive twist so do pop along and step behind the gaol door...

I am sure I will be reporting on these events, so if you don't get a chance to attend then check back here later on.

Calling all Romantics!

Ignite Somerset along with ARTlife had invited Somerset artist's working on projects associated with the Romantic poets to talk in front of a green screen at the Engine Room Bridgwater. The premise was simple, Richard Thomlinson (of Ignite Somerset pictured above with Lynn Mowat) had prepped the Engine Rooms studio with a floor to ceiling green screen, camera, microphone, lights etc and artist's were asked to book a slot and then talk about their projects straight to camera.

Amongst other artists attending were Alice Crane, pictured above amidst filming, she was talking and sewing at the same time, a task which was harder than expected - even after years of practice. Ralph Hoyte (geolocated sound-scapes, Satsymph - pictured below) and Frances Harrison (storyteller and visual artist also below) have major projects in respect to the Coleridge Way. In many ways Frances, Ralph and myself are the three corners of the current Coleridge Way projects and the meeting was for me an essential piece of networking. Touching base and choreographing (in the loosest sense) how our works fit together in a wider scheme.

Christopher Jelley, Frances Harrison, Ralph Hoyte
The Colridgeons!

At lunch time Richard screened three short films to the Artists present, one about each of The Colridgeons (I know, there is no such word) which we had made with Richard in the last few months. I always feel very self conscious about this kind of thing even in good company, but there was nothing to worry about, and it was brilliant to catch up with others, many of which are working in parallel towards the ever present yearly event of Somerset Art Week.

The Engine Room is a stunning facility and in this age of media where we are surrounded by screens at every turn, it makes the essential bridge between the artist and the technology, something which always seems to be shifting, never solid and simple like a canvas or a book. I have always tried to embrace the new but there is a point where you try to take stock and ask simple fundamental questions like, does this effort actually add to my creative practice, is it worth the hassle, toil and energy? What is the life span, who am I connecting to, will it be gone in a moment like twitter, or around for decades? and am I happy with that, is there another way?

Gordon Field

These are impossible questions to answer, and only in hindsight will we know truly the longevity of energies spent and where possible economies were to be had. In the mean time we have to embrace every opportunity on offer, give a little of our time and enjoy the simple things like chatting over coffee, and connecting to others who have climbed a different tree of craft to your own. Build connections, collaborations, try and be at the centre, and catch those opportunities right now whilst the camera's are running.

These works will be posted through the Ignite Somerset site.

Calling all Artist's

Ignite on a story walk in Dunster with Christopher Jelley

As a practising artist are you passionate about landscape and the environment? Are you inspired by the Romantic poets that trod the Somerset landscape, do you share their vision of the sublime in nature? If so you are invited to join fellow artists who too are inspired by this rich heritage and who also wish to keep the spirit of these visionaries very much alive. 

Somerset Film and ARTlife are hosting a green screen film shoot for artists. This event is your opportunity to create a short film about your work, your inspiration and your ideas. Supported by Arts Council England and delivered by Somerset Film, the event is free. 

Participating artists are invited to a light lunch and networking session between 12pm and 1pm at The Engine Room Cafe in Bridgwater. During lunch there will be a screening of three short films recently made by Ignite Somerset, featuring three artists currently working in West Somerset and inspired by the Romantic Poets: 

Frances Harrison

Christopher Jelley

Ralph Hoyte

If you wish to attend you must book your twenty minute slot beforehand, so preparation is the key. You will then be filmed in front of the green screen, describing or performing your work - the green screen will then be replaced with an image sequence or video of your choice. Each artist will then be provided with a DVD and a link to their film on line. 

This is a fantastic opportunity which will help promote your individual practice, a great resource for sharing your identity on line whether it be via your blog, Face Book page or Twitter feed. It may also come in handy when applying for future those all important funding streams.

For bookings and further information contact:

richard@somersetfilm.com

For all you true romantics, some you may also be interested in a very special outdoor screening of Pandemonium at Fyne Court this summer on the 6th July. 

Pandaemonium, tells the turbulent tale of Samuel Coleridge and William Wordsworth's friendship, an addiction and a devastating betrayal during the French Revolution.

Julien Temple will be speaking about the film, his life as a film director and answering questions before the screening, you can then watch this fantastic film, spotting all the locations in the Quantocks where filming took place.