We promote printmaking as an accessible art form and this project demonstrates that assertion perfectly as the many of the participants had little or no prior experience in the arts. With Swansea providing the focus, inspiration and resources for the project, it substantiated our commitment to the city and our local community.
This community-focused project was open to residents of Castle Ward, the immediate locality where the Workshop is situated. Fourteen individuals participated in a series of workshops, exploring an aspect of Swansea’s changing landscape through the medium of printmaking.
The group was a diverse mix of participants from retired individuals to family groups, many of them had little or no prior experience in printmaking.
The participants were encouraged to think about their city from an artistic perspective as well as gathering source material around key historical settings such as the railway station, the old Weavers warehouse site, the beach, Kingsway and the market and local streets.
Activities under the project included field trips to the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery and the archive collection at Swansea Museum, introductory drawing from a range of source material and photography sessions using simple cameras. Participants were shown how to use their collected research material through two printmaking processes, collagraph and cyanotype.
One of the ambitions that the project realized was dialogue across the generations – the youngest participant was aged 7, the oldest, 78. By working together creatively, these conversations took place. Stories were swapped and personal experiences of living in Swansea were recounted.
By the end of the project, all the participants were able to work unsupervised in the two printmaking techniques. Each received a year’s free membership to encourage their continued connection with the Workshop and a final workshop was delivered to those participants interested in gaining experience in exhibiting artwork. The outline of this community-based project provided the blueprint for our larger project, Changing Swansea.
‘It was fantastic’ Afshin Tarat
‘I have loved Ever Changing Swansea because it can help me in art class in Olchfa and helped me learn different art ways’ ‘ We have done a lot of art things like sianatype and colagraph, I have enjoyed so much, and I like meeting new people!’ Helia Tarat
‘Made me more aware of historical surroundings all around us, going unnoticed’ Cherie Marshe
‘I have produced work that i can be proud of … It has given me a net of skills which i can build on. It has introduced me to a wide variety of people who have been fun and informative.’ Melvyn Williams
‘Caught up on old skills and learned new … Bettered my ability to work closely with a group of diverse people’ Terry O’Brian
Project Participants
An exhibition of the project work was held in the Arts Wing of the Grand Theatre, Swansea in 2008.
CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS: Pat Briggs | Bethan Hunt | Rosemary Ind | Christelle Legrand | Cherie Marsh | Terry O’Brien | Ronald Stanford | Sian Stanford | Afshin Tarat | Helia Tarat | Rachel Tarat | Melvyn Williams | Tanwen Thomas
PROJECT TEAM: Workshop Leader: Kara Seaman | Workshop Assistant: Adele Vye | Photo-documenter: Lee Falconer.
Abertawe Newidiol | 2008 | Cymunedau’n gyntaf, Cymhorthdal Castle Ward
Hyrwyddwn argraffu fel Celfyddyd sydd ar gael i bawb ac sydd o fewn cyrraedd pawb. Mae’r prosiect hwn yn enghreifftio’r honiad hwn yn berffaith achos roedd gan lawer o’r cyfranogwyr naill ai dim ond ychydig o brofiad neu dim profiad blaenorol o gwbl o weithio yn y celfyddydau.
This project took place in 2008 and was made possible through Communities First, Castle Ward funding.