A second Wednesday in Truro

Our second workshop this year at Penair School, Truro. Led by Jo Grace with Konrad, a Polish worker from St Ives.

Jo reports back:

"We had a good time, the students listened well. Some very sensible and mature questions were asked, and at times it became a debate, with students putting forward their points of view on why the Cornish can be resistent to migrants, and reflecting on the heritage of Cornwall, one boy suggested it was because we have such a strong cultural identity down here that we feel threatened by the presence of 'outsiders'. It was a really interesting session and students were very forthcoming despite the large group."

First workshop of the New Year

Getting ready for our first workshop of the New Year - at Penair School, Truro (a great venue for the exhibition last year). Photocopying worksheets etc - miss Ewa who helped last year!
But we have a great new team.
More later....

Exhibition comes down atPenair School

Exhibition comes down at Penair School, Truro. Mike Matthews, volunteer extraordinaire, helps me pack it. Brian Andrew and Craig Williams (pictured) load it up and take it home to Praze.

A photogallery of work at Penair School

All the photos in one place - with captions.  Taking I Packed This Myself to Penair School, Truro.

A private view at Penair and a world premiere

A Private View of I Packed This Myself at Penair School, Truro. Some nervousness beforehand. How many people would come? But sumptuous food. Lots of people. Students who greeted guests and gave informed and engaging guided tours of the exhibition. A tremendous atmosphere even before a bus arrived from Leedstown with workers from Southern England Farms (SEF) who had made a film of their lives, The Hidden Life of a Cornish Farm.
Quite an emotional moment - it seemed such a breakthrough that they were able to come and see the first screening of the film.  Inga Riaukaité, Andrius Riauka, Domantus Plusciauskis and Valius Icontrimas pose here by photos by Tom Pilston of migrant workers in west Cornwall.

And viewing the photos...













An old friend - Ross Tibbles of University College Falmouth with work created for I Packed This Myself when it opened in Camborne, March 2009.

And work created by students at Penair, using the flat pack suitcases we have created to go alongside the exhibition.

This only happened due to the work of a large number of people - too many to mention, as always, but Carmel Henry and Tanya Davies at Penair really took the project to heart. As did Ruth Morecock, Head of Art and Joan Smith, ESOL teacher at Southern England Farms, Leedstown. The film could not have been made without the backing of SEF and Jane Richards.  And of course nothing at all would have been possible without funding for all the materials and workshops from the Migration Impacts Fund.

Final touches at Penair and daffodil pickers working later

To Penair School, Truro, to put the final touches to I Packed This Myself, the exhibition opening there tomorrow night. We will be screening a film by four Lithuanian workers alongside work by artists on the theme of migration - as well as work by students.  Ewa and Waldek Cimochowscy help set everything out with Carmel Henry and Tanya Davies, the teachers who have worked so hard on the project. Their efforts have really borne fruit. Fantastic art  by students and very thought-provoking suitcases.

 

Ewa, Waldek and I have a meeting afterwards to discuss bookings for next term. We are keen to target schools with greatest needs and plan different strategies for different age groups. 

It is nearly dark by the time I near home - but the daffodil pickers are only just finishing. Can hear voices calling across the fields as the bus gets ready to drive everyone back to base.

A trip to Leedstown and the new film

Down to Cornwall again for the start of the week - and a trip to Leedstown to see the Lithuanian workers at Southern England Farms (SEF) who have made a film of their lives. We plan to show it at the launch of I Packed This Myself at Penair School, Truro, on Tuesday. The filmmakers (Inga Riaukaité, Andrius Riauka, Domantus Plusciauskis and Valius Icontrimas)  have done a brilliant job. Jane Richards of SEF who has kindly given permission for the filming comes to see it too.
Everyone is happy.

Installing the exhibition and long drive to Swansea

An early start at Penair School, Truro, where we install the exhibition. A new arrival is a very powerful Relic Box by Patrick Coleman. It's a 3D scrapbook in his late father's toolbox, a scrapbook of mementos and ephemera from his life. It is very powerful and at the same time very delicate - protected here by a perspex box created by Alex White, University College Falmouth.

Tanya Davies and Carmel Henry - the Citizenship team at Penair who have really thrown themselves behind the project. 

 And finally, a long drive north and west  - to Swansea, where am speaking at a seminar on migration tomorrow.

Paul Matosic and new show in Holland

Artist Paul Matosic, who is based in Nottingham, will be in Holland later this month doing a short residency and exhibition. Click here for details of the gallery.
Paul has loaned a suitcase to I Packed This Myself - which will next be on display when the show opens at Penair School, Truro.  It's a suitcase that his father took with him from Croatia up through Europe during the Second World War, using it as additional shelter in Dresden during the bombing. He carried it to England, where he eventually settled. He scratched the names of the places that he travelled through on the case.

Paul has made a short film, using old photographs and details of the journey, which we'll be showing at Penair.

Our first school assembly

Our first school assembly as we start to get things rolling. At Penair School, Truro, to launch the project in the school. Year 9 students will be working on related themes all term and - with other students - will be creating art work. Some, we hope, with migrant workers. The full I Packed This Myself exhibition will be on display there from 23 February 2010. And a formal launch party held on 23 March 2010. Watch this space for more details.

More than 1,000 children march into the gym with military precision. It is interesting that schools, like houses, have atmospheres. The atmosphere here is very positive, engaged and energetic. It's an impressive school. (I particularly like the way that they have photo albums in reception with pictures of different activities, Royal visits! and school trips.)
Ewa comes with me. She is originally from Gdansk, her father a Solidarity activist.  She has been in this country for four years, first working in a food processing factory in Dundee and then a medical supplies factory near Newquay. She tells the assembly about this work.
Later we sit in at a Citizenship class run by Carmel Henry, the driving force behind Penair's involvement with the project. Ewa is fascinated to learn that Cornwall has a long history of migration - that Cornish miners left the county to find work overseas. She says she'd like to go back to school.
Interesting to hear this - it's surprising. This is a major part of Cornish history and culture that Ewa didn't know about - and she's been here for four years.
Another indication, perhaps, of the way two communities - migrant worker and local communities - live side by side but don't necessarily interact socially and culturally.

Another trip to Truro

A planning meeting at Penair School with Carmel Henry, the Citizenship teacher who is throwing herself into the project.
Excitement ahead of Christmas and once again outside it is blowing a gale...

Torrential rain and meetings at schools

A stormy week - torrential rain and meetings this week at Penair School, Truro and Pool School with teachers rolling out a Citizenship and RE agenda. All inspiringly keen to be involved. We plan exhibitions for February and March and assembly sessions. Also meet Maureen Twose of Cornwall Libraries at Redruth (where it seemed to be raining the most!) and plan a migrant worker reading list. And Andrew Yates, Social Responsibility Officer at the Diocese of Truro, which funded the first suitcase in I Packed This Myself. Andrew is a fountain of knowledge with a very full contact book. Not to mention Bridging Arts volunteer Mike Matthews.