The Arts in our Lives...

Over the last several months during my ‘Arts Within Society’ module have I truly learned to appreciate and recognise the variety and depth of the Arts in our lives. Up until I began this class I only really acknowledged ‘art’ as a painting hung in a gallery somewhere, whereas now, I have learned that in fact art is all around us and can so many times go un-noticed ranging from a sculpture you might walk past everyday to a street performer.The various workshops that the class took part in really enhanced my understanding of just how broad art is.For instance, how taking a simple story book you would read to children can be turned it into a performance and taking different body  parts of animals and can be used to create and draw an amazing fictional dragon! Also, another realisation I have made is that you don’t need to travel to exotic  destinations to experience great forms of art but that in fact there are a staggering amount of examples of the arts right here in Scotland.

In addition, I believe as well as enhancing my appreciation of the arts, I think that it is also a positive and significant part to play in my role to becoming a teacher. At one point, art was considered as being an ‘extra curricular’ activity for school children whereas now it is recognised as being an essential and valued part of the curriculum. In their ‘Curriculum for Excellence – Expressive Arts: Principles and Practises’ report, Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS) recognise that the expressive arts, especially art and design, dance, drama and music, not only are important for developing skills for creative arts but that these skills are also transferrable and have a positive impact on other parts of the curriculum. For instance, as a child learns to become more expressive through the arts this can help them with skills such as story writing and using their imagination in writing in the classroom. However, perhaps even more important is that expressive arts has been found to have a huge impact on children and young people’s mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing. It is also a great way of enjoying themselves, enriching their lives and getting in touch with their cultural identities whist still learning something new.

I hope in the future I can use what I have learned through this module in my own teaching career and instil the same appreciation and understanding in my own students. I know now that to appreciate, enjoy and interpret art, you don’t necessarily need to be outstanding at drawing or be able to play a musical instrument brilliantly – all you need is a bit of passion and willingness to try and understand the arts. In my opinion too, expressing your emotions and feelings through art is more important than how great a picture looks or how professional a performance is. I am very grateful for the new appreciation I have of art thanks to this module and through my blog as I went out to find and explore the different examples of art that I am lucky enough to be surrounded by.

The Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art

A few weeks ago, I visited The Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) which is located in the heart of Glasgow. The building has been there for over 100 years and was originally used for business and commercial exchange. However, it is now known as being a hugely popular and renowned venue for people to gather, discuss, learn and be inspired by the astounding and varied collections of art featured in the 4 floor gallery inside. The gallery is best known for mainly showcasing Scottish talent yet there are still many other pieces featured from throughout the world.  Initially, I was not sure if I would enjoy my visit very much, as I am not much of an ‘art lover’ myself to be honest. However, this was just not like most art galleries I had visited in the past which mainly consisted of long halls with painting after painting (which after some time I would find a little boring).In contrast, I found  the art works featured inside the GoMA to be absolutely captivating, beautiful and extremely interesting. Most of all it definitely changed how I see, appreciate and interpret art.

                                (A picture of the building beautifully lit up at night)

                                                            

Inside the gallery there are various exhibitions which display pieces of modern art which are based on human experiences and powerful ideas about life. My favourite was definitely the ‘Hertie Querty’ exhibition situated on the ground floor. As I previously mentioned, not being a particularly ‘arty’ person myself, in the sense that I don’t know a great deal about art and how it is created, this exhibition was perfect for me! The title ‘Hertie Querty’ is from old Scots language with ‘Hertie’ meaning a person fond of fun and ‘Querty’ meaning in good spirits, full of fun and mischief. The pieces are also described as being “Art to make you smile”. This particular part of the gallery definitely influenced my view on Art and how I see it. Making me able to understand that art comes in all different shapes and form and that it is understood and appreciated by people in different ways. It made me understand ‘art’ isn’t necessarily just a pretty picture which is painted and hung on a canvas.

                                                    (Gobstopper by Roderick Buchanan)   

This piece of work by Roderick Buchanan was a favourite of mine as I had never really seen anything like it before, or ever imagined such a thing would be featured in an art gallery. Described as one of Buchanan’s most playful works, ‘Gobstopper’ documents different children as they are driven through Glasgow’s Clyde tunnel in the back of a camper van, in which the children each play a game where they try to hold their breath (lasting about a minute) whilst they are going through the tunnel . Buchanan was inspired to create this piece by thinking back to his childhood as this was a game he would often play as a young boy.

I also particularly enjoyed David Shrigley's work which was part of the ‘Hertie Querty’ exhibit. His ‘Drawing Instiallation' pictures could probably be described as being downright absurd yet very comical and intriguing.

                                                              ( Drawing Installation)

Also, his ‘The Door’ piece was extremely funny and refreshing! The 3 minute mini movie is about a child trying to discover where he came from. His parent’s awkward responses and his elaborate dream are exceptionally witty and funny!

                                                         (The Door)

However, I would probably say my favourite piece of art was part of the ‘Blueprint for Bogey’ exhibition displayed on the third floor. The intention of this display was to convey the shift from how as children people play naturally, to how as adults we sometimes lose confidence and neglect to play.

                      (‘Attention!’ by Corin Sworn, Nicolas Party and Ciara Phillips)

‘Attention!’ was created by 3 artists; Corin Sworn, Nicolas Party and Ciara Phillips. This was my favourite work of art in the gallery. The main reason I liked it so much was I felt like the piece really ‘spoke to me’ and I could relate well to it. I liked all the little messages which were written throughout the piece, as I felt like I could really identify with them. The messages reminded me of a difficult period that happened in my life where I really found it hard to communicate with others and these were some of the things that I wish I could have said or shown people. I found it almost strangely comforting to see that these are thoughts other people may deal with from time to time.

Also not to be forgotten is that as well as the marvellous artists’ creations inside the GoMA,  the building and structure is a work of art in itself. On the outside of the building there are attractive Doric columns arranged at the entrance which make the building extremely eye –catching and memorable. Not to mention the architecture inside the building which is phenomenal!

After my experience, I wouldn't hesitate in saying that the Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art in my opinion is top of any list of one of Glasgow’s ‘must see’ venues. With its unique, quirky and stunning artwork there is something for everyone. The GoMa actually mention that, “Our aim is to make art and contemporary culture accessible to all our visitors.” There are also helpful guides on each floor to really explain in detail each piece as well as plaques beside each creation to explain to the viewer exactly what it was that inspired this piece. It is also a place for the family and has interactive and educational workshops for children. For example, children can showcase their own work in the Gallery on “The Great GoMA portrait wall”. 

                                                       (The Great GoMA Portrait wall)

Lastly, another very attractive feature of the gallery (especially if you are a student like me) is that entry is free of charge. So in my opinion there is no reason why someone should not take the time to visit this! It is definitely a place I will be recommending to people in the future and I myself will definetely be returning to visit during my summer holidays this year.

127 Hours.

 

When I saw that writing about a production we had seen in the cinema was one of the criteria for our 'Arts within Society' assignment, I immediately knew exactly what film I would be writing about. I was extremely excited to go and see Danny Boyle's new film '127 Hours' on it's first showing at Cineworld, Fountain Park in Edinburgh with my boyfriend. This was mainly because I already had high expectations since I loved English filmmaker and producer Danny Boyle's work, with his film 'Trainspotting' being my all time favourite movie.

The film is based on a true story, to which Danny Boyle out of respect only adds a few minor enhancements as he wanted to keep the movie as true to the original account of events as possible. The film, is based on the story of climber Aron Ralston who, in 2003, decided to go hiking in the beautiful and remote area of Blue John canyon in Utah. Ralston however, had not told anyone where he was going and he also had no mobile phone with him as there would be no signal anyway where he was.

                                          (dare-devil climber Aron Ralston)

The character of Aron is played by actor James Franco, who does a brilliant job of portraying Aron Ralston as a funny, charismatic, outgoing and self confident guy. Infact at the beginning of the  film it is actually quite humorous and it leaves the audience wondering how the change of events are going to occur, (as just about everyone who went to see this movie had likely already been informed of the gruesome main event!) However, when Aron decides to take a very dangerous canyon climb and gets his arm completely jammed underneath an enormous boulder he finds himself trapped. With only a knife, a camcorder and a sparse amount of food and water with him he is left with a tough choice on how much pain he is willing to endure to survive. From that point on I can guarantee the film will leave you gobsmacked and your eyes glued to the screen.

(Actor James Franco playing the character of Aron)

James Franco then puts on an unbelievably fantastic and realistic performance of Aron's mental and physical struggle to escape. To keep himself sane, Aron records himself on his camcorder and you find yourself empathising greatly with his struggle to stay alive as well as appreciating his extremely likeable personality,willpower and intelligence. Aron documents on his camera stories from his past reminiscing on experiences and how if he gets out alive he vows that he will learn from past mistakes and become a better person. He also realises how lonely he really is and that he has for too long shut out the people who loved him the most. In addition, he learns he is not invincible and that 'no man is an island', accepting that sometimes it is necessary to reach out to others for help.

(A still of Franco displying his emotional turmoil)

As I previously mentioned I already had high expectations of director Danny Boyle's work but '127 Hours' greatly exceeded my expectations. It really was one of the most touching,captivating and thought provoking movies I had seen in a long time. Despite the film being approximately 2 hours the time seemed to fly in as I was utterly engrossed in the story. Evidence of this is that since the trailers both myself and my boyfriend had not touched a sip of juice or eaten a piece of popcorn - and I know that only a brilliant movie would make us forget about our popcorn!

(James Franco and Danny Boyle discussing the making of the film '127 Hours')

The Scottish, Art, Craft and Design Centre

On the 1st of April 2011 The Scottish, Art, Craft and Design Centre opened its doors for the very first time and I was lucky enough to be there for the opening day.

The aim of the event was to showcase just how much artistic talent exists right here in Scotland. The organisers of the event felt that sometimes Scotland's artistic capability is sadly left undiscovered. It seemed that many Scottish artists and designers simply did not have the funds or the means to allow them to display and promote their unique creations. This is why this centre was put in place in order to showcase these hidden treasures of work not only to Scotland but to the rest of the world.

                                                                       (the centre)

Several months were spent on trying to find the perfect location for the event before it was finally decided that South Lanarkshire's Valley International Park in Crossford would be the venue. Situated on the banks of the River Clyde, Valley International Park hosts many events and has many facilities that are visited regularly by thousands of visitors. In addition, it is set in 90 acres of stunning Scottish scenery

                                       (views of the centre's stunning surroundings) 

However, I soon realised inside that the centre held as much beauty as its surroundings outside. I was amazed by the beauty and uniqueness of the artwork and designs on show and was even more surprised that these works were produced by artists  pretty much on my doorstep!

The paintings above were designed by Sheena Christie, a local Scottish designer who I was able to talk to at the centre. Sheena whom initially trained as a Graphic Designer, currently works as an Art Specialist locally and has also in the past worked with children and disadvantaged children, teaching them how to enjoy and express themselves through art. This I felt was very useful information for me as I know how important Art is within the curriculum. For instance, on Learning and Teaching Scotland website, they mention that
"The inspiration and power of the arts play a vital role in enabling our children and young people to enhance their creative talent and develop their artistic skills"
She also mentioned that although she feels she has her own personal style, she is deeply inspired by the Scottish Colourists.


Another artist who particularly caught my eye was Susan Kerr. Susan, who lives in the village of Law in South Lanarkshire, studied graphic design at Glasgow School of Art and has since set up her own business producing a vast amount of commissioned textile, collage and encaustic art as well as fine art pictures. On top of this, she also enjoys designing both wedding stationary and accessories. The thing I liked most about this artist's works was the 3D effect she used in her designs as I thought this would perhaps be a good idea to adapt for an art lesson in the classroom, as it would bring in that bit of extra originality and creativity to a standard art lesson.

                                                ( Stunning creations by Susan Kerr )

After this event, I was certain I wanted to feature it on my blog, as I felt that it embodied what my 'Arts Within Society Module' is all about. Mainly because not only was I surrounded by fabulous works of Art, but all of which were created uniquely here in Scotland. A really important part of our module was about learning about our own Scottish heritage and to be aware of the various arts surrounding us in our lives. For example, at the beginning of the module the class attended the Celtic Connections festival which featured unique Scottish talents through Music. This was very similar to the idea although instead of music a different medium of creativity was featured - art and design.

           (An example of the unique one of a kind designs featured at the event)

Katy Perry - Glasgow SECC - California Dreams 2011 tour.

"Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life".  - Berthold Auerbach     

The above quote certainly came to mind after witnessing the stunning performance of the 26 year old US star Katy Perry at Glasgow's SECC. The young starlet first shot to fame with her controvesial hit single in 2008 'I kissed a girl' and has been a raging success ever since.  So I was overjoyed when I managed to get a ticket to her concert in Glasgow.

The SECC, located on the north bank of the River Clyde where Perry held the concert is Scotland's largest exhibition centre and is known for holding spectacular concerts, so I was thrilled when I found out this was going to be the venue for her Scottish show for the tour. 

I was immediately blown away by Perry's fairytale like set and her 'Willy Wonka's Chocolate factory' theme. Surrounded by an array of cupcakes, candyfloss and glitter I was certain an amazing performance was going to take place. However, despite the child-like fairy tale surroundings Katy Perry stayed true to her  controversial ways by singing about "getting pissed" and pretending to get high on her 'special brownie'.

Although most of the singer's performances were of an up- beat and up-tempo nature in which a lot of dancing took place on stage and also by the crowd, for instance, during her performance of the chart topping song "Hot N Cold" there were also more intimate moments,for examle when Perry sat on a swing singing "Not like the movies".This showcased just how varied Katy Perry’s talents are as she is able to adapt to both types of genres with equal enthusiasm and awe from the audience.

 The show which lasted just over 2 hours seemed to fly in not only with Katy Perry's fantastic performances but also because of her infectious, funny and friendly personality. The singer definitely kept the crowd going and embraced her Glasgow surroundings by making references to "The Rangers" and "The Celtics" and also giving a 'shout-out' to "Weegies" and described them as "very proud people". 

    (Here's a clip of Katy Perry having a 'wee banter' with the crowd at the SECC)


Sadly the show had to come to a close as Katy Perry gave a spectacular finale singing her No 1 hit song 'California Gurls" while Beach balls were thrown throughout the crowd and glitter and steamers fell from the ceiling. It was a perfect end to a superb night and Perry left her fans ecstatic screaming and cheering. I certainly had a night I will never forget and which had also exceeded my high expectations - and going from the reaction of the crowd it seemed I was definitely not the only one!

(What a way to finish! Here's a short clip of the last few minutes of the show)

Body Gossip at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

On a small, stark, square stage, with a sold out audience of only 250, centred in a rather steep stepped auditorium, actress Ruth Rodgers explains the purpose of tonight’s Body Gossip performance and how she came up with the idea of the production after witnessing at first hand what a skewed perception of body image the media and the world in general have. Ruth was appalled when she was told to lose weight if she ever wanted to succeed in her acting career, despite being at a perfectly normal and healthy weight.  It was then that she decided to take action and after almost 3 years of hard work and determination, Body Gossip was launched.

The production has taken place in various theatre venues around the UK, but the one I was lucky enough to attend was their only show taking place in the whole of Scotland at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The event took place in the Assembly Rooms , a beautiful venue which is used on a yearly basis to celebrate various performances for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

After a brief yet detailed introduction from Ruth, the performance began. The spotlight drew in on Nikki Graham, a well known former contestant from the hit TV show 'Big Brother', who herself has had a long hard 11 year battle of overcoming severe anorexia nervosa. Nikki read a touching passage detailing the experience of another young woman who had also fought this illness. Immediately the audience were captivated by the moving and tragic story performed by Nikki. As well as Nikki Graham, other male and female celebrities of all ages from around the world of television including Eastenders actress Natalie Cassidy and TV presenter Anne Diamond (to name but 2) also read and performed members of the public's stories describing their negative experiences around  body image that had been written and sent to Body Gossip. 

The whole audience, myself included, seemed moved and captivated throughout the whole production by each of the raw and touching monologues told by each performer. The narrators successfully made each story told believable and relatable to the audience, and the performance was most definitely heartfelt and clearly a subject which held a lot of meaning and importance to them. Each of these celebrities themselves had suffered from body image problems throughout their lives ranging from general unhappiness leading to crash dieting or surgery, to extreme cases of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa. They talked about their struggles to the audience in the question and answer session that was held straight after the performance. However, although the majority of the stories told were of a serious nature there were also moments of comic relief where a more light-hearted and humorous tone was adapted. Therefore, the performances were self-depracating without losing sight of the seriousness of the subject matter.

Also, sadly a lot of body image problems begin to develop at a young age, which was highlighted in the monologues throughout the show.  For instance, a survey carried out by Ofsted of 150,000 children in 2008 found that by the age of 10 a third of girls and 22 per cent of boys cited their bodies as their main source of worry. In addition, recently a survey of over 1,000 girls by Girlguiding UK showed that nearly three-quarters of seven to 11 year olds would change something about their appearance. By the ages of 10 and 11, one in eight wanted to be thinner. I myself, as a teacher in training, am glad to see that body image is an area of high priority as stated in the health and wellbeing module of Curriculum for Excellence, which recognises children's self-esteem and self image as being crucial in order for children to develop and become a confident and succesful individuals and learners. For instance, an example of one of the outcomes covered in the module include:

'I understand the importance of mental wellbeing and that this can be fostered and strengthened through personal coping skills and positive relationships. I know that it is not always possible to enjoy good mental health and that if this happens there is support available'

HWB 0-06a / HWB 1-06a / HWB 2-06a / HWB 3-06a / HWB 4-06a

To finish up this post, here is a example of a video by actors featured in Body Gossip performances, which display just how powerful and compelling the type of performance I witnessed was.