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

I'm sitting here at nearly midnight trying to organise slides for final edit tomorrow ( which will rely heavily on Anna's patience and skills) and oh dear i wish i was an archivist or could do efficient filing! I do have files of old work but my dear old macbook might have finally given up in exhaustion as i 'mined' iphoto for images today.
I'm about to moan on but no-one needs to hear about my computer illiteracy so why am i sitting here trying to sort through 1000's of old photos.
Well, many years ago a Russian icon painter visiting London wanted to go to stay near the sea, and as we lived in Newlyn we had a phonecall asking for advice about a visit, we said we would be happy to have her to stay and from that a long and wonderful friendship evolved.
Olga has seen Shallal's work over the years and after her last visit said a friend of hers Alla who works at the Tretyakov Gallery Moscow in outreach programmes was interested in having Shallal visit. Time was too short to organise a group to go so i was invited to give a presentation.
The Tretyakov is a really major art gallery.... it has a very nice vision statement. https://www.tretyakovgallery.ru/en/about/mission/
Very pleased, very nervous of doing it well enough, but i love to share what we do and a trip to Moscow sounded fun, (in the light of current world events we pray for peace) and for art to continue to do that wonderful bridge building humanity inspiring, sharing role it can be.

So the title is: 
Shallal, an overview of an inclusive arts charity based in Cornwall UK.

My name is Sofia Petrikova-Agafonova and   I am head of Education Department of the Tretyakov Gallery.
At the current moment we are working on the program for ...... (autists and people with Down’s syndrome). We are planning to have your lecture in the framework of this project in April.
We are very much interested in the work of your Art Center, all aspects of its activities. Could you include in your lecture and presentation detailed information about its set up, administration, staff, programs, even equipment and furniture. It will set an example for us. We are thinking about organising a similar centre.
Please make a presentation for us about programs...... After your presentation we will have a discussion with you and a small group of my colleagues (art historians and art therapists).........
We are looking forward to seeing you in Moscow and working together.


Thank you for your email. It helps me to know what to speak about. Shallal became a charity in 2005, however we have no core funding and are always seeking financial support so we can continue.
We have no Art Centre as such although we are preparing to use a Studio in the next month or so and create a permanent base for visual art.
We are in Cornwall which is an area of outstanding natural beauty but also an area of rural poverty and so we work in church halls and community centres for our regular dance groups.
We have a relationship with the local university http://www.amata.org.uk/doorways and a small independent modern art studio http://www.backlanewest.org/index.php?/2017/shallal-studios-creation-space/ where we have had residencies/performances etc.
I hope sharing our experience will still be of interest to you, as we are not a centre in a city.

Title of presentation
Shallal, an overview of an inclusive arts charity based in Cornwall UK

Look forward to coming to Moscow and meeting you and learning about your program.


So heres hoping....if i had a functioning laptop i might not be so worried as could work on it on the journey but as it is i need it all on a memory stick before we go.
Hoping tomorrows session with Anna will boost me along.
Anna is coming too ( our 17yr old daughter) she has been in Shallal since 7 or younger so she is a real help having been in Open House, Shallal Dance Theatre, Shallal 2 and the Art residencies, and had to listen to me...i was also for some years infuriatingly not a mobile phone user so she was my unofficial PA while we drove to and from work, taking calls etc!
Any way back to the point.....

GOOD NEWS
Thank you to Lou Brett who has successfully fundraised for some new studio equipment, coming soon! and we have access to our new studio asap.
It is beautiful, a converted modern cow barn, tall and light and an inspiring space and place, on a clear day you can see the sea in 3 directions.
Planning residencies and summer studio days and events.
Lou will run 2 printmaking workshops beginning and end of summer holidays.

George asked us to take photos of installing the exhibition and so we did.....
Oli Raymond Barker was our technician ( & curator ) Anna was there as she chose the Steve Tanner photographs and helped hang the show, she also took the better photos in this batch!  
Thank you to Colin for sorting out the yellow wall! and mounting all the drawings, to Oli for his patience and expertise, and to Simon for helpful conversations and much needed end of the day cake.
We send much love to Victoria who was unable to be with us. 
It was nice to see Tim Shaw whose installation at The Exchange opens this  Thursday and to bump into friends in Penzance. We saw Bob Bourne's recent exhibition at Tremenheere Gallery and it was lovely to see Margaret ( his wife) and hear that at 86 he goes into his studio 3 times a week for a few hours!

So hope you can come to the Opening and Book launch
on Saturday 10 February 3-5pm.

I am off to try to loop films for the monitor! 

Sometimes its hard to know where to store images and information, so today i choose to celebrate Shallal Doorways exhibition here. 
Tea party and celebration on Saturday 13 January 2-4pm, music tbc

It shares the space with sister project from Shallal Studios, Shallal Sketchbooks which goes from strength to strength there are now 93 wonderful different and intriguing sketchbooks from across the community, a visual feast!
Along with a chance to see work made from both shows and sites of the Cornish Doorways Project now coming to its finale! with a performance of both shows on Friday and then indoor short shows in libraries and a final larger art exhibition and book launch at The Exchange Gallery Penzance, 10-24 February
I spent a lovely day with Victoria (Sketchbooks) and Belinda (Photographs) yesterday.
​Thank you Belinda for images: