We presented a paper as part of Resilience: Just do it?! Governing for resilience in vulnerable places in Groningen (Netherlands). This paper’s title is “Socially engaged art practice for a living landscape” in which some:when is the core of its content. By collaborating together, Jethro and I have developed a complex approach to art which is applied and develop in some:when, and articulating it in this paper (and presentation) has given us more learnings and challenges. The abstract of this paper is the following:

Abstract

The changing climate and increasingly frequent extreme weather events have brought a new urgency both to hydrological debate and to questions of social preparedness and resilience (Adger, 2000). The current interest in resilience and community engagement merits a new attention to the creative and experimental methods devised by socially-engaged arts practitioners, during almost a century of critical, innovative engagement with (and in) community settings.

We identify two distinct registers at which resilience and socially engaged art intersect. Firstly, creative practice and engagement with the unfamiliar offer new skills and expanded frames of reference, to support increased resourcefulness and adaptability. Secondly, through building meaningful relations across perceived boundaries, artists offer routes to both greater cohesion and critical engagement, thus addressing wider questions of power, equality and visibility, that can be seen as key factors in the resilience of particular communities in responding to extreme weather events.

This paper reviews the current collaborative practices of two socially- and hydrologically- engaged artists, asking how critical frameworks can be applied to support these concerns, in working with flood-affected communities in South West England. Artists Jethro Brice and Seila Fernandez Arconada reflect on some of the historical and contemporary models which inform and guide their practice.

Thanks to the all participants, speakers and in special to the organisers, the Coastal Resilience Research Group at the University of Groningen.

 

 

On the Tuesday 7th of October, Somerset Levels and Moors was the context for the first session of the Dutch-UK exchange conference organised by Aquae/ Aqua-δ BV & Fidai PROFLO, Nijmegen & London in which some:when project was presented. Conversations around Somerset flooding are happening and some:when is part of it. This project aims to be part of this current discourse as this project essence is collaborating with other participants and experts both local and international in order to make it happening. The complexities of Somerset Levels and Moors as a landscape, its particular relationship with the tide, the special weather pattern, etc. makes the research of this project more profound and exciting.

During this conference, different perspectives about the flooding were presented opening up new ways of understanding the relationship between water, human being and landscape.

Thanks to all speakers and organisers, specially to Dr. Marnix de Vriend.

Prof. Dr. Toine Smits

Prof. Dr. Steve Pooles

Langport Mummers

Drs. Marnix de Vriend

During the last few weeks, Some:when has been the core of our work both by learning for and from it. Some:when workshops during Somerset Arts Weeks was a fascinating experience, thanks to everyone who came.

The sail of the Flatner is already started! A number of participants both young and adults looked at their experiences of the flooding by locating themselves in the relationship between human being, land and water in the Somerset Levels and Moors. During the process of converting the plastic bags into the sail patchworks, many ideas and interesting conversations happened. Some ideas about how Somerset Levels and Moors could be in the future or representations from memory, were the focus of the participants, a mix of interesting stories where imagination was the key.

In addition, it was very interesting to hear stories about people related with the Flatner personally in one way or another, when memories are still there and some people still remember this boat being around their lives in the past or even knowing people who still have one. We are still in the track to find more information about it, fascinating.

Thanks in special to the Youth Club and Somerset Art Works for such a great support.

Here there are some images of the workshops.

We will be running some workshops in the short future in order to continue making the sail of the Flatner, keep an eye in our agenda.

Thank you!

 

This weekend we will be running a number of workshops and talks as part of Somerset Art Weeks Family Weekend in Langport Somerset Art Works in which we will be making the sail for the Flatner! Come along! We would like to see you all!