Our crowd funder has nearly reached £500!
www.crowdfunder.co.uk/shallal-art-residency-back-lane-west
Last week we had 3 fun days in the studio with a gaggle of Shallal artists, artists from Express Yourself and the Liskeard group who had fun exploring the space with tape, dance, movement...
Some snaps from the time below and some film to be edited and watched.
In the studio this week, returning artists from last week finishing off some large paintings  and a few new faces while Barry settles in.

Great day yesterday in the studio!
Photos received from George this morning
Barry and i came with materials, Sam and Tina arrived followed by George and Zoe and Jonathan and Laura came, lovely to see her, and Toby. So old and new faces back in that space.
We had an inspiring and fun day, with conversation, preparation, intense focus and music to work by alongside cameras, film and recording played with. We may return for a shorter session next week.

Meanwhile pleased to introduce artists from Express Yourself to the space today, Yvonne came last year but Minnie, Alisia and Miles are new.
Hope to post film and more photos soon!

See how our crowdfunder is coming along and some of the Shallal history on http://shallal-arts.blogspot.com/2018/11/so-excited-and-pleased-about-this-years.htmlshallal-arts.blogspot.com/2018/11/so-excited-and-pleased-about-this-years.html
PS 
Spot new comfy supportive chair for Jonathan - thanks to Lou! and our funders for new equipment and furniture for Shallal Studios new venue, 2 rooms at ...St Peters Church Hall, Newlyn

Sam and i went for a walk to gain inspiration after lunch in the first residency and Sam returned to draw this superb view of the main street in Redruth. It was wonderful watching it unfold and recognising all the elements.

After adding up the number of artists involved this year, now 22 returning and 15 new, I had the nerve to try to make a crowdfunder.....as slightly less formal than grant applications - although last years Creation Space was fairly pain free, but only as i had done an Arts Council application already!

Please support it if you can and do share.

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/shallal-art-residency-back-lane-west

​Also please note that 
"Sharing' event on Saturday 24 November now 1- 3pm, ( not 2-4pm)

​This is our timetable so far:
 there are some ? tbc

1 - 3 Laura - visual artist 

4 - maybe 'Bryant and Lumber inc' cross art form?

5 - Sam Lawrence - dance artist 

6 - Shallal Studio artists with Jo and Barry

7 - Express Yourself Artists with Jo and Barry, Emily photography
      Debs after 2.30

8 - Out There group with Lois, Janice and Jo, Emily photography

9 - Sam Lawrence - 1pm

10 - Wheeler family  - multi media

11- Anna and Annis A&A ?

12 - Shallal Studio artists?

13 - Barry 

14 - Express Yourself (and Shallal studio artists?)

15 - 17 Barry

18 - Delpha?

19 - 21 Barry

22 - 23 A&A

24 - SHARING 2-4pm 
​
25 - 30 A&A


With 19 returning artists - Lou Brett will drop into film-
and 14 new artists
it looks like an exciting time full of potential.
We are so grateful to Back Lane west for providing this annual opportunity for us.
It's a real pleasure to hear artists talk about what they plan to do and how they look forward to being in the space again!

In line with our inclusive approach and ethos, we don't normally ask people to pay but to donate if they can, and this year we have no external funding so donations towards the rent and some behind the scenes organisation and travel costs would be very welcome!

At last a resting place, permanence or something like it! St Peters Hall Newlyn have offered us 2 spaces: a dry digital one and a messy making one! Something for everyone nearly, we would have loved a huge making space but this will do well for now.
Soon we hope to start procuring our shopping list of items, which will immensely help our artists development, opportunities and skills.
Internet access and a good imac are an almost essential tool for development and marketing these days.

Then we have hurrah! Back Lane West, I have been studying our potential timetable and am very pleased and excited by the use the studio will get and who is going in there.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhgzblVH7pe/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1vfb6zoh6qe9h

I hope to post our timetable soon.

As always so excited for our annual residency. This year i didn't have time to apply for funding and so we are free to do as we please and i am urging folk to use it for their own CPD..
Get in there and enjoy this creative wonderful spatial blank canvas, already Anna and Annis and others lined up.
We hope to have some Sharings and we have art materials, film camera and digital camera artists can use!
More soon and contact me if you are interested in booking space and time.
joannawillis357@gmail.com
Something some people might want to work towards is an Illustration opportunity, an exhibition in Falmouth Art Gallery community space in December.
We hope to have our first draft Shallal Poetry book there.
Films under 5 minutes are still part of our explorations.

We are having a meeting about a studio next week.
Not perfect but potentially a good resting space for now.

Really pleased to have the input of Barry Cooper in Express Yourself and now also as a trustee.
 more news soon....

We are still searching for new studio home. We are grateful for forward thinking suggestions and support from Bob Egherton and Tamsin Daniel at Cornwall Council and dear Lou promptly trying to help out as well, so watch this space, and the reason for this blog is to share the stories that came in when i made a request for testimonies/support...they are in unedited note form

Shallal's work has been hugely significant in enabling creative endeavour to flourish within the group and to reach out and connect with the community. When they have had the opportunity to work in studios, the quality of the work and the growth in self esteem has been a joy to see. Sam began to think of himself as a real artist after working at Porthmeor, and went on to have his own exhibition. It would be such a positive outcome if there was a permanent space where creative and artistic talents could develop and grow


“My name is George Bradley-Peer I am a musician and performing member of Shallal Dance Theatre. Shallal produces high quality life affirming work that consistently receives praise from its audiences. All of our work and shows are  created and  performed by our members, diverse in both age and ability. We continually struggle to produce our visual art, written word, music, dance and theatre without a permanent studio. As many of our members have unique and special needs, a studio would be especially valuable as a safe, stable and familiar home for creating, building and storing our future work. With such a space we could further develop our physical props, visual art and costuming to a much higher degree.”

 A studio of our own would
provide wonderful opportunities to encourage and develop the creative
talents of Shallal participants. A place where we could immerse
ourselves in our chosen discipline, or explore new art forms, and
where we don't have to pack everything away in cupboards but instead
pick up where we left off, would allow us to delve deeper and progress
as creative human beings.
Shallal is a special gathering of people,
from all walks of life, with differing mental, physical and emotional
needs. As individuals we bond through a need to express ourselves,
through dance, music, movement, word, sound, making through all kinds
visual art. We collaborate and work on solo pieces, and we learn from
each other. A space for Shallal would give time for individuals to
create work in solitude and for groups of to collaborate in different
mediums and discipline, making exciting cross- art.
Our residences at
Back Lane West Studio have been hugely beneficial for me as a Shallal
writer and performer. I produced 'Studio' for Shallal 2, a recorded
voice piece created by observing Shallal painters in action. 'Pink and
Red' for Ladders and Footprints was developed in the studio, having
solo time and space in which to read and research, to move and speak
aloud, stick words onto walls, all with no distraction of the humdrum
and clutter of life. An empty studio is like a blank sheet of paper.
It may look clean and pure but it is crying out to be used, covered
and decorated, however flamboyant or minimal. Groups of us, ranging in
age from two years to fifties have made new music, spoken word,
painting and film together.
I cannot think of any other organisation
where such creative opportunities would  be available. In addition to
supporting the creative needs of Shallal participants our work brings
enjoyment to others, our audiences. This all helps provide a sense of
belonging and inclusion, helping with our emotional well being. A
studio for Shallal would be a haven for mind, body and soul. Skills
developed would aid confidence  and self-expression. I stand by my
slogan 'Shallal makes life better'.

Better Together showed a years work focused on Portraits and a wonderful film we hope to share sometime, of different groups engaging with The Tretyakov Galleries stunning art collection and then returning to their studio space to make art in many mediums. We were so impressed by the work and the people and do hope we can continue to share and work together ( and not let politics affect how we meet through Art and our common humanity).
Some behind the scenes photos on http://shallal-arts.blogspot.co.uk/2018/05/jonathan-and-star-held-stage-as-both.hshallal-arts.blogspot.co.uk/2018/05/jonathan-and-star-held-stage-as-both.html