During our time in Dartington, where Schumacher College and Dartington Arts School dwells, we became good friends with the UK-based artist and student, Claudia.
Her unique approach to being an artist and a change-maker uplifted and inspired us. We were so lucky to follow her process as a student of the MA 'Arts and Place' as well as journey out on fun creative missions and adventures with her. Here is a little photo-universe of some of the creative explorations and practices, we experienced Claudia share - and that we shared with her. Very exciting!
Claudia is an artist, who always carries lots of lovely, creative objects with her - whether in her mission-suitcase or normal bag - that invites for play and adventure. Ways of interacting with place in creative ways. With her golden bag full of coloured chalk, we joined her in the practice of Re-childing. Guided by the allies of joy, playfulness and curiosity, we spend the afternoon bringing colour, giving voices to plants and drains, enlivening the grey space outside the student accommodation.
Once again, the question of how to make a space come alive is present. The questions of how to playfully and gently invite for co-creation and how to bring a deepened sense of community in a fun way are being reflected upon over conversation - and an idea for a spontaneous, temporary exhibition is sparked! In the dark and unpersonal hallways of the student accommodation, an invitation to bring all one's red items for display is shared. Invitations are being printed from Claudia's allie, the small mobile panda-receipt printer, and hung on every door. And little by little, an exhibition is created!
We spend the day journeying out on a creative mission with Claudia, with the wish of getting a deeper insight into some of the practices, she used to engage with a place. Accompanied by a fun-bag full of fun materials, we journeyed to the nearest pub to explore ways of bringing more life, playfulness and conversation to the place. We created a little inter-active set-up, where the pub-visitors were invited to engage by sharing some of their memories lived at that particular place. The whole day was an adventure of being guided by the kindness of strangers, the courage to bring more colours and fun to public spaces and an inquiry into how art can be a practiced that can bring a sense of community. A sense of coming together and having conversations, we would not otherwise have had.
It was not unusual to get up for breakfast, close the door to our rooms and find a little spontaneously printed note from Claudia, once again setting the tone of playfulness. On other days, it could happen - as it did on the day of the big coronation in the UK - that we would meet Claudia in the dinner line dressed in a Burger King outfit, after having spend the day in town removing the g from Burger King - making it into Burger Kin. Always exploring the sense relationality and community in things - as well as seeing what might be familiar with new glasses.
And the list could continue... Whether it being writing from the perspective of a cider rather than a human, creating poetry from snippets of stranger's conversations, inviting for placing memories in bottles, and so forth. The playful linse, the linse of wonder, that the encounter with Claudia deepened in us, in one very essential quality, we bring with us in our own growing fun-bag. Alongside the braveness of interacting with places in new ways, the reminder of allowing joy to lead the way as well as the excitement of art's potential of bringing new conversations and a deepened sense of community. So much gratitude is held for this richness!
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