all travel bursaries have now been sent out and should be with you shortly.

We'll be putting up more images shortly.
Photographs: Margherita Gramegna www.margheritagramegna.co.uk

Ideas from last Friday, discussion with all our cloths of thoughts at Art Council London, 27th December 2009

How do we want Figure Ground to be? What do we want it to do?

Summary

We need to keep it simple

There is a will to make things happen

Further days to develop in 2010

Starting with a picnic for all spring 2010

*********

Exposing your own processes to others

Exposed to other peoples processes

Fire

Other peoples’ process

We and the local

Creative generosity

To test

Provocative

Process not product

it is the meeting that counts - not constructing an institution

Time and space to have fun and be together

Water

Vague pin

Challenge parameters and definitions of public art

Discussion beyond artists – not just artists

Space to rejuvenate

Town as grey canvas

Umbrella needs anchor

Artists taking control, as awareness campaign

Adopting social work

Not admin/boring things

Questions not answers

Manifesto – structure

Continuity

Earth

Practical

Support

Initiating

Repeat

Breakdown barriers

Time to talk

Money to play

Remove politics

We want others to invite us

State of mind not institution

Invitations to play

Situations to play

Calling people to play

Nebulous

State of mind

Having a clean slate

No legacy

No history

Air

Repeat annual

Taking to different place

Creating network

Revisiting people

Value and sustain focus

Not so much an endpoint

Document process – this is practise led research – contributing to current knowledge

What we learn on the way rather than being its’ own

Let it grow, flow

Grow into its’ own thing

Physically meeting

Commitment to

Picnic next spring

(details to follow)

to share names and who came from where.

to develop further occasions in 2010

Those there all made various commitments to help carry this project forward.

Katy, Jon and myself are meeting up soon and will be in touch.

Our promise to develop a tool kit – information of how... from the evaluation of the project so far

Participant Review day

Friday 27th November at the Arts Council England offices in London
starts 11.30am for 12, and finishes at 4pm.
The purpose of the day will be to share experiences, expand on our personal responses to issues/ideas raised, and think about next steps..
If you didn't attend one of the figure ground events but are interested in coming along, please email us at figuregroundprojects@gmail.com

if you haven't already

if you haven't already seen the images at facebook and other comments emerging - have a look..figureground

Bracknell

what is the place of the public in the public art

passing of time
transforming underpass
becoming another

portable places
calling attention to
seeing others seeing

performance leading discussion
forensic attitude
narrative

thoughtful intriguing day, awareness of that there are many approaches to public art, art in the public realm. different contrasting.

Brighton

thanks to everyone who survived the weather and made the most of everything to hand.

edges of public interventions in places occupied by public

temporary fleeting
public private

experiential

play being

historic noticing
a dipper, an actress and a soldier

by the end of the day one group had set up a blog of their activities and had already created a series of work http://youhavewonapieceofart.blogspot.com/

There are some superb images - we are still absorbing - will be posting some soon.... now
preparing for Bracknell.

what is art in the public realm ?

In the run up to the Brighton event tomorrow, how do we define ourselves as public artists in the public realm?

documentor

We are delighted to let you know that Margherita Gramegna will be documenting all the events.
She is an artist-filmmaker based in Rochester. Her ongoing project Artists Don't Bite combines filmmaking with public art.

www.margheritagramegna.co.uk

milton keynes event

We were planning an event in Milton Keynes = as only a few artists applied there we decided to cancel the event. There was excellent support from Artworks MK and most artists who were going to join us MK are now going to Brighton or Bracknell.

starting points

The discussion is beginning already. Bring some of your questions to the events or add them here first.

Where is the public art?
Who is the main audience for your work?
Why do you choose to make work in public places?

How long does public art last?

What is temporary?
What is permanent?

Do you initiate work?
What haunts you that you haven't bought to reality yet?

Application Deadline extended

If you have not applied to come along to one of the 4 figure ground events, it's not too late. The deadline for applications has been extended to 1st October 2009. (see application details below)
The events are open to artists working in the public realm from the UK and elsewhere, this can include practice such as public art, sculpture, installation, performance, screenings, actions and interventions. Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions:
figuregroundprojects@googlemail.com

opportunity to produce documentation

Opportunity to produce documentation of FIgure Ground Events this Autumn is open to artists/filmmakers/photographers/sound artists.

We are offering a fee of £200 per event including all materials/equipment costs and travel.

Applications can be for one or more of the events. All documentation must be completed by 13th Dec 2009. We ask that any proposed documentation compliments rather than disrupts the events.
Brighton: Saturday 24th October
Bracknell: Thursday 29th October
MK:Friday 6th November
Chatham: Friday 13th November

How to apply: please email figuregroundprojects@googlemail.com or down load an application form and further information.
Deadline: Friday 18th September.

fig-1 contacts

If you have any queries about the figure ground events please let us know.

The events are open to all artists working in the public realm / public art / art in public / outside art - in all its rich diversity. It may be one aspect of your practise or your main focus.

Contact: figuregroundprojects@googlemail.com or fig-1 phone: 07766 593 480

please note: some information had the incorrect telephone number. Apologies if you were trying to get through.

visit to chatham on 14th Aug

We were meeting Michelle Chorley from Dada South, artists Paivi Seppala and Steven Turner for a picnic in the Commissioners Gardens in the Historic Dockyard at Chatham to discuss possibilities for a Figure Ground Event. It turned out to be in some gorgeous surroundings.

The dockyard is like a town (walled) within the town, a fascinating place with theme park attractions alongside arts and crafts of high quality and ambition operating in a community that looks out to the Medway and towards Europe as much as to the rest of the South East. We visited the Joiners Shop and wandered through studios and creative businesses with no sign of a Tescos or Costas.
How do you respond to places so rich in history? Paivi is developing Light Vessel 21. http://www.lv21.co.uk

Figure Ground Events: call for applications

Figure Ground Events:
for artists working in the public realm

Brighton: Saturday 24^th October

Bracknell: Thursday 29^th October

Milton Keynes: Friday 6^th November

Chatham: Friday 13^th November

Figure Ground* is an artist led organisation which has developed these events around the South East region to encourage creative debate on what it means to practice in the public realm.

Applications are invited from artists who consider their work to come under the broad umbrella of public art to participate in one of the four events.

Artists are asked to bring elements of their own practice and thinking to the events. Artists will be collaborating with each other and responding to sites, with the aim of exploring issues around practice, sparking networks and ideas, and contributing to critical debate about the role of public art.

There are 50 places available for each event and priority will be given to artists based in the South-East, but others are welcome to apply. Tickets cost £10 and include lunch and refreshments. There are 10 bursary places per event which cover the ticket cost (£10) and offer a travel bursary of £25.

How to apply:

Download the application form:

http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AYdsz3iuuBKmZGdzNXJxZ3ZfMGQyN2o3dnI1&hl=en

fill in and email to: figuregroundprojects@googlemail.com

Or post to:

Figure Ground

c/o OVADA
21 Gloucester Green,
Oxford,
OX1 2AQ

by Friday 11^th September 2009.

If you have any queries about making an application please email us or phone (Fridays are best): 07766 593 480.

We also welcome applications in other formats, including by phone, text, or any other way as long as you answer all the questions on the application form.

Supported by

ACE, SEEDA, Artpoint, ARC, NAN, OVADA, Fabrica, Bracknell Forest Council, Artworks MK, Dada South.

NAN article on AN website

Figure Ground is featured in this months NAN news..
http://www.a-n.co.uk/nan/article/553779

Fabrica, Brighton

Last night we met about 16 artists working in and around Brighton at Fabrica and began discussing how the Figure Ground event in Brighton may emerge . We heard about some of the particularities of the place itself and a little of what it's like to be an artist working in public here.



Thanks to all of you who came on. If you were unable to come along and are interested, please get in touch.

On the way we looked after this shopping for a passer by.

Milton Keynes 3rd July

Jo and Katy visited Milton Keynes on Friday to investigate locations for Figure Ground to work. Starting in Great Linford, they took a meandering walk back into the centre of town, and attempted not to follow straight lines.

Minutes:
A section of a map
A line

Bracknell 30th June

We are getting a clear idea how an event aimed at and for artists will feed into the arts here and the surrounding area as well - thanks to discussion with Lynne Dick and Kerry Lemon at Bracknell Forest Council.









minutes 30/6/09

reverse dictionary
jam pan
pink hat.

Fabrica Brighton 30th July

Thurs 30 July 6.30-8pm 2009
Katy Beinart, Jo Thomas, Jon Adams

This initial event at Fabrica will act as an introduction to the project and provides an opportunity for artists based in Brighton and the surrounding area to get involved.

To book email: caitlin.heffernan@artistresource.org.uk

further information

further information will be posted here and on our new facebook pages

if you have a specific queries you can get in touch through: figuregroundprojects@googlemail.com

Excellent News - We have been awarded funding to organise a series of events for artists working in the public realm across the southeast this autumn. The events will be about artists working in the public realm getting together and debating key issues relating to their practice, in a format that is open, participatory and creative.

Locations: Bracknell, Brighton, Chatham and Milton Keynes.

We are being supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

A small celebration with cake at picnic in Reading.

This project is being produced thanks to help from all the artists we met through the NAN bursary (AN Magazine); SEEDA, Bracknell Forest Council, Fabrica, ARC, Artpoint and more.