I am an environmental artist based in Norwich, my artistic practice crosses between many disciplines, but my particular focus is on sculpture, drawing and printmaking.
As an extension of this I also create participatory projects which involve working with people, connecting them with nature through artistic activities. Before lockdown, this involved traveling across the country, working with audiences of all ages.
At the start of lockdown, all of the projects I had been working on got cancelled or postponed, within the matter of a few days, this was a scary state to be in as a freelancer!
Then, with more time on my hands, I had a chance to pause and reflect. I decided to use this time as a chance to teach myself some new skills; video recording and editing. I also taught myself how to use a series of digital design packages.
One of the first projects I was able to use these digital skills on was a commission from MarketPlace as part of their ‘Creative Conversations in Isolation’ programme. I created a four-part video series entitled ‘Art and the Fens’ exploring different environment aspects of the Fens and shared ideas for how to make different creative responses.
Activities included making a recording card for documenting a walk, how to make a pocket sketchbook to draw in, a video on anthotype printing using food and spices, and finally a video about using textiles to explore Fenland geology.
It was important to me that the videos felt relaxed and like a conversation between me and the viewer. I also decided I wanted to create a handy guide to each video for people or download or print, hopefully making the project even more accessible.
Working in lockdown has really made me miss connecting with the people, and even though I know the videos can’t replace the joy of being in the same room, they are an important way for people to connect with others in isolation and use creativity for its therapeutic and relaxing benefits.
Since the project, I have been incorporating my newfound video and digital design skills into all of the other projects I am working on. I’ve found that, even though it can take a little while to get the hang of, using videos can be a really helpful way to share your ideas and artwork with others.
Marion Leeper reflects on her experience as a storyteller during the period of lockdown, and how she adapted the interactive fun and learning of storytelling in a playgroup setting and transferring it to online, as part of MarketPlace’s commissions programme.
The folktale heroine Molly Whuppie succeeds in her quest because she is small: she can hide in the giant’s castle without him noticing, and she can get away from him because she is light enough to cross the Bridge of One Hair. As I embarked on the lockdown journey of bringing stories to a virtual audience, I had to take a leaf out of Mollie Whuppie’s book, and make a virtue of a small screen.
The Bridge of One Hair that I’ve had to cross, with help from MarketPlace as part of their Creative Conversations in Isolation commissions, was the big move to telling stories online: how to develop appropriate work that young children can engage with through a screen: finding out what was possible for a technically limited storyteller to offer as an online experience.
A photo of Marion in a glittering tent telling a story to a group of children.
Live storytelling in the early years is a conversation. Young children respond to stories with their whole bodies: not just joining in with actions and rhymes, but pointing, laughing, moving the props around, deciding how the characters are feeling and what they had for breakfast.
If I wanted to offer young children a valuable storytelling experience, I needed to design a story that gets children moving, away from the screen. Perhaps they could be more independent, more active, than in a live session.
(Left) A photo of Marion engaging with and telling a story to a group of children on a colourful mat at a playgroup. (Right) A photo of Marion’s makeshift set at home using household objects.
Developing An Idea
I planned a story in short episodes, with a challenge or adventure to explore between each session. For instance, Molly Whuppie runs away from the giant’s castle through trees, over rocks and across a bridge. I invited the children to make their own obstacle course through, under and across. The volunteer families who tried it out found that the game kept them busy outdoors all day.
I also wanted to offer children chances to play independently – to give locked-down children and adults a break from each other. I asked the children to find treasures and put them in a ‘treasure box’ for a guessing game: some of them carried on making their own collections for days.
Getting Started
I worked with the Oasis nursery in Wisbech to try out the show using a live video call. I was pleased that the children joined in with the story and enjoyed the guessing game with the ‘treasures’ they’d brought. One child who joined from home loved seeing her nursery friends.
A screenshot image of Marion Leeper in her adventure series “Molly Whuppie and the Bridge of One Hair.”
But it was harder work keeping the children engaged and looking at a screen than live storytelling has ever been. It was also hard for families to watch live from home at a fixed time, so I set about making another change – filming a video of the story.
This was harder than it seemed. The production values that were fine for live sessions were not good enough for recorded film. Young children, used to incredibly talented film-making, from Sarah and Duck to Disney’s Frozen have such great visual literacy now, the language of close-up and long shot, soundtrack and image: they aren’t impressed by a talking head on a screen.
I struggled to learn so many skills – lighting, set-building, framing. Then my film-buddy and mentor, Inés Alvarez Villa, came on the scene. Working remotely, she patiently taught me how to focus a shot, how to film close-up sequences of props and many other skills
She edited the story, which we are launching into the world for families once more in lockdown. Perhaps it will offer them, like Molly Whuppie, a chance for a while to escape their Covid castle.
Final Thoughts
I’ve been developing my early years practice in storytelling for half a lifetime. Learning ways of telling stories online has been particularly hard for me because it felt like starting again from the beginning. But it has been a worthwhile journey. I know that online work is here to stay, I can do more things online, and they don’t take me so long, I know the limits of what I can and can’t do on my own. I’ve had to forge new ways of working with children and their parents too: what will be realistic for parents to do at home? What will make their time with their children easier and more fun, without making too much work for them?
Mollie Whuppie has gone out to many nurseries in the Fenland area, and children all over the place have been busy filling treasure boxes and building obstacle courses. One educator said: ‘The story was amazing, perfectly paced and the interactive parts just made it all the more special – so much learning available in each one!’
I feel like I’ve got safely across the bridge with my box of treasure. Now, like Molly Whuppie, I need to put on my adventure shoes and set off on the next part of the story.
This case study is part of our project evaluation for 2019/2020
Writer Bel Greenwood was commissioned as part of our Creative Conversations in Isolation programme to bring together a group who were interested in creative writing with a landscape and environmental theme. Everyone had to get used to being on Zoom rather than meeting in person, but the group enjoyed getting to know each other and experimenting with their writing guided by Bel. People were finding new connections to their local environment and nature through lockdown, this group were no different, giving them lots to write about. They produced a blog to share their work and have continued to meet and write.
Recognising an increase in people’s connections to their local environment, this commission was a way to develop interest and community audiences connected to this theme.
Images reads “It’s about generating a sense of imaginative connection with the landscape – they have a very strong relationship with the landscape and I want them to generate a successful collection of work. I hope I’m building confidence in people in their own stories and starting them off on an adventure.” – Bel Greenwood, writer.
The group had mixed previous writing experience from academic papers and books to one creative writer. Their passion for the natural environment unified the group.
Each workshop consisted of a combination of surprising writing challenges and the opportunity to collaborate and share. As well as the experience of having a professional writer critique and support edits in work produced.
Key outcomes for the group were to improve their skills in writing creatively through their connection to the landscape. Also to support them to increase their confidence in sharing their work publicly.
Graphic showing participation and audience numbers. Facebook: 1191, Participants: 9, Twitter: 4417Pictured: A photo of a robin singing. Text on the image reads: “Dear Robin. If I’d only sat up and taken the time to smell the damp earth and appreciated the beauty of my garden instead of considering my work a trial to endure, things could have been different. By Jaqui Fairfax”.
Developed with support from public funding by Department of Culture, Media and Sport. We spent March, April and May 2021 exploring creative ways to address loneliness and social isolation resulting from the impact of Covid-19.
We threw the obvious title “The Loneliness Project” out the window. After a year of near-constant lockdown we felt it was important to offer people a more positive outlook. How could we help people break out of their ‘bubbles’ in a fun, colourful and positive manner?
After not been able to see or touch their families and friends for a year people needed a sense of real connection. What better way to make meaningful contact than with the simple forgotten Art of Writing? In a world of mobile phones, email, text and WhatsApp, how many of us take the time to put a pen to paper?
The #See You Soon pack of postcards was designed to encourage people to send creative messages and ideas to family members, friends and neighbours.
We took time to have our now familiar “creative conversations” with a diverse range of contacts who are working with families, seniors, young people and people who are experiencing isolation across Fenland and West Suffolk. We worked with community leaders and creative practitioners who understood how their localities and neighbourhoods had been affected by the pandemic.
Connecting is what #See You Soon was all about – making a move to do something positive. Smile, Reach Out & Say Hello! Our new See You Soon section of the website is coming soon!
This case study is part of our project evaluation for 2019/2020.
Art in the Fens with artist Kaitlin Ferguson was one of the first Creative Conversations in Isolation commissions. With Kaitlin, we trialled new ways to use digital creative activity to encourage connection with the green spaces on our doorsteps.
We’ve worked with Kaitlin before on the Brandon Tales and Trails event so this was an opportunity to respond to the changes we all faced in the pandemic through different creative activity. People were finding connections or reconnecting with nature on their daily walks during lockdown and Kaitlin’s project showed simple art projects and interesting techniques to make a creative response to the Fenland landscape.
Kaitlin was commissioned to deliver four online ‘make along’ tutorials to be shared through IGTV on Instagram and promoted through new environmental partner networks that align with current strategic activity in Fenland.
The videos were shared through our social media channels over four weeks. The launch of the project coincided with ‘Celebrate the Fens‘ Day on 20th June 2020, which was hosted by @FascinatingFens.
Pictured above: Two screenshots of Kaitlin’s video workshops – On the left, drawing plant materials from observation, and on the right using felt to create a textural representation of the soft strata of the Fenland landscape.
Watch the Spell for Understanding video presented by Centre 33.
A SPELL FOR STANDING IN ANOTHER’S SHOES
Stir with a spoon and drink in the first light of dawn.
Take the sight of an owl on a long-distance flight
The sound of Gorillas, chest-beating at night
The companionship of one hundred dogs
The patience of badgers who cross roads in the fog
Inside this spell is the shape of our days
All that we are, not all that we say,
This spell must include all that is true,
So stir in a unicorn’s miracle horn,
the noble heart of a lion, the smile of a snake
A giraffe’s dream of the stars
And make no mistake,
Most important of all, hidden away,
a spider’s web, broken, and mended again.
Drink our potion, hear our spell, look us in the eye
Put on our shoes and walk by our side.
These screenshots from the video show the young carers taking part in art activities during these Zoom sessions with the artists.
We commissioned artist Hilary Cox Condron to collaborate with a group of young carers and Centre 33, Cambridgeshire charity supporting young people. Together they did creative activities and tried different artforms with guest artists Bel Greenwood, Dan Donovan and MarketPlace Creative Agent Colin Stevens. Their responses became a poem, expressive paintings and a short film that was shared as part of Young Carers Action Day on 16 March 2021.
Amanda at Centre 33 said about the project:
“The art project has been amazing and having the opportunity to work with some amazing talented people has been really inspiring for the Young Carers. We can’t thank Hilary, Colin, Bel and Dan enough for their great work in putting together the film clip for Young Carers Action Day. The reaction to the clip from parents and the Young Carers was “wonderful”. The clip has also been shown in school by some Young Carers Champions. Thank you to everyone involved.
The Young Carers wanted their voices heard about what it is like for them, what their life is like and what qualities they have which they carry forward into their day to day work.
The Young Carers produced some wonderful art work, drawing and painting. They got to look at animation, putting clips together with sound effects as well as working with a writer to put together a spell/poem to get their voices heard. Hilary, Colin, Bel and Dan were so good with the Young People, they engaged them, gave them confidence and really inspired them to continue with Art in its different forms. I am feeling so proud with what they have achieved, that they worked so hard and we’re really pleased with the end results – their engagement has been brilliant.
We have Young Carers that have grown in confidence thanks to everyone. Young Carers that at first wouldn’t have their cameras on as they were shy and then they completed sessions with the camera on and enjoyed showing their art pieces. We had a Young Carer that was so quiet she didn’t speak to them by the end of the sessions she was chatting most of the time in the session and putting across her views more in speech.
Excellent Project, amazing people I look forward to the next one.”
Thanks to Emily, Erin, Pheobe, Lennon, Paige, Kezia, Amber and Sophie
Supported byCentre 33 Amanda Cawthorne and Richard Cross
Project fee: £5,400 (equivalent of £180 per day for 30 days)
Location: We envisage a combination of remote online working and, government restrictions-permitting, delivery in locations in Fenland and the Forest Heath area of West Suffolk.
Deadline: Please apply by 10am, Friday 9 April 2021.
The Project
We have commissioned Dance Theatre Company Casson & Friends for a community engagement and audience development project as part of our programme for 2021.
Originally scheduled for 2020, this project was postponed due to Covid-19. As a result, we have an opportunity to learn from the ways Casson & Friends have developed their work in response to the pandemic, and produce a participatory choreography and dance project with local communities in Fenland and the Forest Heath area of West Suffolk.
The Producer will work with the MarketPlace team and Casson & Friends to manage the following planning and delivery schedule phases:
1) Planning – logistics, creative planning, engaging community members and artists
2) Creation – the activity itself, practical engagement with the community, live performance and filming
3) Post-Production – premiere and promotion of any filmed elements, follow up activity, signposting and evaluation
FenScapers- Writers inspired by landscape. A groups of people with umbrellas to protect from the bright sun, make their way through “Madeleine’s Patch” – an open field of natural wild Fenland flowers.
The FenScapers writing group are currently preparing to launch their first venture into the world of podcasts. Reading their own writing with original music composed by Chris Ellis.
Originally called ‘Writing the Landscape’, the group has continued to meet online throughout 2020 and has explored poetry, short stories and dialogues, sharing their thoughts and experiences of nature during the first Lockdown and the ongoing pandemic situation.
During 2020 many people rediscovered a connection with the landscape and environment around them. Daily walks and gardening began to become the “new norm” for many people. It was this that inspired the writing group
As part of our Creative Conversations in Isolation commissions programme, writer Bel Greenwood facilitated an online space for people to share their discoveries through writing and to be inspired by the Fenland landscape. Using her wide range of experience, Bel encouraged writers of all levels to find and celebrate their voice.
“Fen. One New Year’s Day, in deep frost, teasels shining in the watery light of early morning, I scrunched my way along the bank, revelling in the crispness of the air, the sunlight filtering through the rising mist.” Paul
“Dear Robin. If I’d only sat up and taken the time to smell the damp earth and appreciated the beauty of my garden instead of considering my work a trial to endure, things could have been different.” Jacqui Fairfax
The writers are continuing to explore their ‘writing voices’ and are considering where the body of work that they create will lead them. MarketPlace has been pleased to watch the writing group develop their writing skills but also their ability to think about how to reach out to others across the region.
You can read some of the writing on the groups new blogsite – Leaping The Lockdown – which is all about nature, our relationship with it and the changes the writers have noticed in themselves and the world around them.
As part of our Creative Conversations in Isolation commissions programme, we commissioned artist Kaitlin Ferguson to make a series of ‘make along’ videos showing simple creative ideas to try at home, all inspired by the unique landscape and environment of the Fenland region.
We were delighted to support the first “Celebrate the Fens” Day on 20th June 2020, which was hosted by @FascinatingFens by sharing the first video.
If you live in or near the Fens, take a walk, follow Kaitlin’s suggestions and when you’ve got something to share post it online with the hashtag #ArtAndTheFens. We’ll be hosting pictures and artworks in the growing Fascinating Fens online gallery.
If you don’t live in or near the Fens, then explore the landscape near you, take a walk, look out your window or find some lovely landscape pictures online and ‘make along’ with Kaitlin.
