essay writing
Exceptional Achievemen
Title- How do artists work with or within a landscape to affect change?
How are art interventions in Digbeth rebuilding a community?
Examining Eastside projects
impact
Introduction
This essay will be focusing on Eastside Projects, which is based in Digbeth.
I examined Eastside Projects because it gave an insight on the political circumstances relating to housing. The main purpose of the writing is to give the reader a clear Insight to how Eastside have developed their projects. I will examine two of their most successful projects that have been created over the last three years Eastside Projects has been operating over the past 10 years attracting influential artist over the years
Policy Show, offers a verity of techniques such as workshops and seminars to engage with the local community (helping a whole community to pull together.
Birmingham Big Art Project. Creating big scale models of everyday objects. Such as architectural building, landscapes
I will analyse both projects and reflect on their overall impact as models for public engagement and outreach
I gathered this information by heading down into Digbeth and speaking face to face with the 10 artists from Eastside projects who took part in the project. The information they gave me was really helpful I came across Eastside Projects by exploring the area and followed up my enquiry by speaking to the management team of Eastside Project Thematically, my interest in Eastside Projects public outreach also links to my current project: an insight into Eastside campaign.
Policy show 15th September to 16th December 2017
Eastside Projects have recently been working on a project unspoken polices of housing in Birmingham. Which is based around housing polices, they are a group of local artists; Gavin Ward, Lucy Lopez, Christian Nyampeta, Ciara Phillips, Rehana Zaman and Teresa Cisneros have developed policies centred around social housing. I will be reflecting on three of these. Each policy is based around art, where they use their artistic ability to create something that would get the word out to everyone in the form of a message. The second policy, is a written piece which talks about the artist viewpoints. Finally, the third policy will look at the materials and the process they went through in order to create their art work (Policy show meeting, 2018).
When Eastside first began this project, the policy show, they did not use verbal speech their alternative was to use visual art to consider the types of answers to these questions; what the lifespan of an art organisation is, could non-heteronormativity be a design code and are artists special. Then they decided to work with a school, Ormiston Academy on the 1st December 2017. Both students and members of staff took part in discussions and workshops based on art. Eastside proposed questions such as, what is missing in art. What works in art? (Eastside projects 2017).
While exploring solutions on how to make the community more of a social area, Eastside Projects organised this project to help those who struggle in the local area with finance such as paying their rent or their household bills but where there is a responsive community spirit. Alan Kay, has stated:
‘The arts have an important role to play in the regeneration of areas whose residents are disadvantaged economically, socially, culturally and environmentally’ (Kay, 2000 page 10)
Eastside Projects created a campaign to gather awareness about housing policies. They used all forms of art, t-shirts, tote bags and also graffiti to create an awareness to people from Digbeth and neighbouring counties.
While working with the local community, Eastside was working alongside Birmingham City Council to make their first land trust. Within Digbeth the houses that are offered for rent are currently leased for up to 5 years, all that has been developed was a small model of the land and the planning and the constriction of the building has not been carried out, it is still in the first initial stage of creation, the completion of this projects is due to be in 2019 That has been agreed by Birmingham City Council and is currently awaiting further steps for the future. Once all clarified and created the model could then be used all around the world (Eastside projects.org2018)
Birmingham Big Art Project 4th June 2016 to June 2017
Between 2016-2018, Eastside projects have had various artists come to their workshop to create several pieces of art work. Showing new myths about Birmingham in the future. All the artists involved were split into groups to come up with a single object. This object would represent something new that would exist in Birmingham in the near future. Before they started creating, each group would make a proposal of their plan and a small model to show where the objects would be placed and how It would be installed. They would also outline its individual purpose and how it would affect Birmingham. The artist thought about how individuals would interact with the pieces of art work, for example, would they make something that people could walk in and use it for their own purposes, or would they create something that people could use for sitting in or as a shelter. The art work that was most popular when shown to the public was a magnet for cultural tourism, pulling the whole community from different backgrounds together as one (Eastside Projects, 2018.)
This work would be placed around by Eastside City Park, and the future Curzon train station opposite the Woodman Pub although the width and length are still to be negotiated with the planning department (HS2). Currently they are looking at a budget of around £100,000 of the total artist fees and £2 million as a rough figure the production of the pieces (Androulla Vassiliou 2018).
The difference between both projects
Both projects shared the same community spirit, getting people around the area involved in creating and acknowledging the changes using visual art can bring to a community
The financial circumstances with both of these projects were completely different. For example, Policy Show was created to bring the community together and create a more visual public space. Whereas the Big Art Project was funded by Birmingham City Council and the planning department to create a building people could live in and would take a duration of over 2 years to create.
The Policy Show had a big impact on the local community because it brought awareness to people about the effects of social housing and how individual people suffer on their own. Eastside pulled together to create and acknowledge certain aspects that needed to be politically stated, the main concern around Digbeth was that people were scared to leave their houses or scared where their next bill money is coming from. Eastside thought of a project that would get people out if their homes into a caring community where they were free to create pieces of art work that represented how they feel about these issues.
Conclusion
Since the two projects ‘THE POLICY SHOW AND THE BIG ART PROJECT ‘ran by Eastside Projects have started, the community feel more able to communicate with each other and feel more accepting of peoples believes and religion. Whereas before some of the residents were scared to even look at other people
I love how Eastside have used their Projects to engage people in all areas of the community, especially people undergoing mental health issues, helping them feel safe and able to express their emotions and to feel part of the community without feeling judged. Helping them express themselves in the form of any art and by allowing them to feel proud that they have achieved something positive Eastside has made a big impact on the community. Eastside Projects continue to work to help those people in their future projects. You can see the massive impact between the areas and how each company works differently in order to get their project finished with in a timeframe conclusion for example Big art project done by Eastside had a time scale to complete several models that could be places around Birmingham. Within that time frame they had to create make and show this model as well as show case the model and get it clarified before the HS2 see the plan
Looking back on how each project has been reflected. They all have their own purpose, making the community a better and safe place for all people in the community.
I think the Arts have a big impact on people’s ambitions. Creating projects to engage all people and the feeling it leaves going through that experiences of taking part in an arts project. People being happy together, start enjoying social engagement and changes their complete view of the art culture.