Well here it is – a brand-new year, with new ideas, new projects and of course, the inevitable website overhaul … bear with us as we prune, rake and plant. We will be back soon with the latest from the edge of Brighton. Beware – may contain biodiversity, kites, beehives, wildlife corridors, happenings, wind and perfume! Happy 2012,
Your friendly Involuntary Park Rangers, CiCi & Johanna
White Night 2011 – what a fabulous night we’ve had here at Involuntary Park in Portslade – Where Fox and Hare say Goodnight to Each Other! Thank you thank you thank you to everybody who helped make it such a success and pull off the near-impossible!!! Full credits, thanks, pics etc coming up soon here on AntlerVision & on our Facebook pages. Meanwhile, from a happy audience member: “What a treat … Involuntary Park’s ‘Where Fox and Hare say Goodnight to Each Other’ Portslade has never been so magical.” What more could we ask? Greetings my Deers, your friendly Involuntary Park Rangers, CiCi & Johanna
White Night 2011 in Portslade - In the glow of the Deer Disco. Photo: Nicky Cambridge
We’ve been hard at work here at Involuntary Park over the last few months, and now it’s only 10 days to go before Utopia is upon us at White Night Brighton & Hove 2011 … Come join us at dusk on Saturday 29th October in Portslade – Where Fox and Hare say Goodnight to Each Other!
June 2011 – Involuntary Park is 1 year old and evolving … new directions, developments, projects & collaborations – keep an eye on AntlerVision for latest news.
Meanwhile, in July & August we’ll be taking a summer ‘break’ – Johanna is off to New York to present at an education conference & to check out NY’s urban involuntary landscapes, while CiCi is busy with project research and curating a whole month of Expanded Dance & Public Space programs for Movement 12. See you in September!
There is no rest for the busy! We spent last weekend mapping public spaces through movement, sound and installation, for an exciting new commission. A fabulous project & brilliant collaborators – full update & documentation coming up in early 2012, but here is a little preview …
Mapping journeys through urban space. Photo: CiCi Blumstein
Deer Feeding Station Cafe at THE EXCHANGE
Don’t miss the LAST weekend of THE EXCHANGE!
Have homemade delicious food in our Deer Feeding Station Cafe, and come and swap workshops for stuff.. something you can do? Because it’s the last weekend we are specially interested in people who can swap songs, dances, jokes, music! For our art? But anything is good with us… just tempt us..
Saturday workshops are:
11:00-15:00 (drop in)
Facilitator: Parliament of Feathers
Screen Printing workshop -Print your own t-shirt!
12:00-13:30
Facilitator: Veronica Walton
Dowsing for Health, Missing Objects & Geopathic Stress- have a go at dowsing!
12:00-14:00
Facilitator: Charlotte Hyde
Shoulder, hand & neck massages (short drop-in sessions)- a massage & a cup of tea?
14:00-15:00
Facilitator: Eva Weaver
Glass Walking- Could change your life!
15:30-16:30
Facilitator: Johanna Berger
Urban Deer Hunting-a workshop in drawing and watercolour sketching- Guided in-situ painting in Portslade.
Urban Deerstalking in Portslade. Map by Johanna Berger, Involuntary Park 2011
Peter Chrisp took part in the Involuntary Park stalk last week and has written about the experience in his blog for Artist Open Houses:
“Last Thursday, I had an intriguing invitation from CiCi Blumstein to go Urban Deerstalking in Portslade. As part of this year’s HOUSE festival, we would set off from Blank Studios on ‘a hunt to catch sight of the legendary Portslade deer.’
We got to the studios at 6pm and had a free glass of wine. CiCi, and her fellow deerstalkers, Joseph Young and Johanna Berger, told us that they’ve declared the whole of Portslade an ‘Involuntary Park‘ – an urban area reverting to an overgrown, feral state. We would be stalking metaphorical deer, emblems of wildness, regeneration and creativity. We would also have to develop an inquisitive, alert ‘deer sense’.” … Peter’s blog continued here …
Urban Deerstalking in Portlade – Deer Corner, Involuntary Park 2011.
Photo: Johanna Berger
Improvised Sleeping Shelf, Schiphol Airport Amsterdam, CiCi Blumstein 2009
What is Art Worth? A short symposium about value, art and exchange
As part of THE EXCHANGE at BLANK, Involuntary Park present a 90 minute symposium on the value of art in the age of austerity. Three short presentations looking at value and art from a personal and political perspective will stimulate debate and conversation as we unpick how art and artists operate in the global marketplace; look at alternative models of exchange as an art form in an historical context; and how improvisation in art acts as a model for equal exchange, posing a challenge to current value and power structures.
Presenters: Johanna Berger, CiCi Blumstein and Joseph Young.
Saturday 21 May, 18:00 – 19:30
£5 / £3 concs (including a complimentary glass of wine or juice).
Tickets available from:
This Thursday 12th May at 6pm, come on a short trip with us as we take you on a hunt to try and catch sight of the legendary Portslade Deer.
Meet at Blank studios, 108 North St Portslade. BN41 1DG
Tickets available from http://www.brightonticketshop.com £5 / £3 concs (inc a complimentary glass of wine)
THE EXCHANGE – poster design by the wonderful
Involuntary Park has curated THE EXCHANGE at BLANK Gallery & Studios in Portslade. Take advantage of the FREE workshops on offer and swap them for something you can offer in return. Just browse the list, choose a workshop, put your name down on the list and come to BLANK to register your exchange. THE EXCHANGE is open every weekend in May from 11 to 5 at BLANK, 108 North Street, Portslade, BN411DG
FOR A LIST OF WORKSHOPS ON OFFER SO FAR, DATES AND TIMES PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK: List of Workshops at THE EXCHANGE . More workshops are being added every day, so please check back frequently for the most up-to-date information.
You can sign up for workshops on this online list but will need to register at BLANK Studios too on the day.
How to ‘pay’ for a workshop at THE EXCHANGE:
Volunteering: Help in the cafe (manning the cafe, washing up, etc), invigilating the artists’ studios, etc
Performing: This one would be relevant to musicians, poets, theatre people, dancers, etc., to help animate the Deer Feeding Station cafe with short performances, interventions, readings, dances and more, sprinkled in liberally over the day – just let your imagination roam.
Facilitating a workshop, or giving a talk or demonstration: It can be anything from one-to-one to small or large groups, for whatever length of time you feel comfortable with. It doesn’t need to be ‘artistic’ – we welcome any skill that can be shared, particularly domestic or practical skills, special interests or knowledge from any field. Just run it by us and we’ll most likely say yes!
Or other: Contributing essential information or advice, donating or loaning us something we need, etc.
Money: You are more than welcome to make a donation as sponsorship for the project if you wish, but as a payment option we try to make it ‘the last resort’.
If you would like to offer a workshop or other skill at THE EXCHANGE, please first register your offer with us at involuntarypark3@gmail.com , and on the day, we will give you an ANTLERCARD plus a stamp for each skill offered. You can then redeem each stamp for a workshop of your choice during THE EXCHANGE.
