Wednesday, 4 August 2010
The tribe
The pied piper effect has hit, we are a tribe now , many of us
Guiltily I wonder if it us too many and our campspot hosts groan when
they see us.
The success/ problem is so many children under the age of 8 .
We have a strict rota for who can ride on the cart and for how long .
This has caused some screaming tantrums but I think we are managing.
We have a few young people with special needs , a few on the autistic
spectrum .
I feel chuffed (most of the time) that it works, we all pitch in, and
at times we create a space that I hope Is really inclusive .
Instead of an online community , an on road community .
We camped at Huntley village hall in the playing field.
Again brought gifts and made to feel welcome apart from one man who
shouted " the audacity " and then almost hit me with his stick when I
tried to explain what we are doing
Our artist arrived ,deborah, she is walking with a chair strapped to
her back as a representation of home I think!
Anyway ended up having very heated discussions about travellers,
race , identity
A lush journey the day before , stopped in a good lunch spot, brought
tea by one lovely lady and great conversations with john
My quote of the week:
" there wasn't enough hairy men around , the ones that were were
useless , luckily he had a hairy wife!"
We had a family join us from Huntley and walk with us, some other
villagers as well , perfect
Guiltily I wonder if it us too many and our campspot hosts groan when
they see us.
The success/ problem is so many children under the age of 8 .
We have a strict rota for who can ride on the cart and for how long .
This has caused some screaming tantrums but I think we are managing.
We have a few young people with special needs , a few on the autistic
spectrum .
I feel chuffed (most of the time) that it works, we all pitch in, and
at times we create a space that I hope Is really inclusive .
Instead of an online community , an on road community .
We camped at Huntley village hall in the playing field.
Again brought gifts and made to feel welcome apart from one man who
shouted " the audacity " and then almost hit me with his stick when I
tried to explain what we are doing
Our artist arrived ,deborah, she is walking with a chair strapped to
her back as a representation of home I think!
Anyway ended up having very heated discussions about travellers,
race , identity
A lush journey the day before , stopped in a good lunch spot, brought
tea by one lovely lady and great conversations with john
My quote of the week:
" there wasn't enough hairy men around , the ones that were were
useless , luckily he had a hairy wife!"
We had a family join us from Huntley and walk with us, some other
villagers as well , perfect
Manic walk, in and out of the cart , laughter , screams ,
Then the dreaded call that our campspot hadn't been sorted
Shit
More mad calls , sorted
Got here
Then almost moment of the trip a walk up may hill
Awesome awesome
Wild horses , views , bracken, will spend my life going back there
when I can
Long walk today
Nine days walking left
I know that the tribe will continue to grow
Gulp
Hurray
( will never get back to starting weight let alone target )
Sent from my iPhone
Sunday, 1 August 2010
Week six and getting political
Week six was challenging :
We lost two of our staff members(due to end of contract not walking
out) so the pressure has really been on for myself and piers to manage
the whole circus ( not necessarily the best thing for ones marriage !)
Louisa Fairclough has been our artist this week , she has been making
pinhole cameras and taking many pictures by the light of the full
moon.she has taken some beautiful images and run great workshops.
I have really enjoyed the countryside around hartbury, ashleworth and
highnam. It has a really old feel and the landscape feels worked and
real.
We have had lots of visitors walking with us and news of the outside
world has started to filter through and burst our bubble community .
Cuts, cuts, cuts , is what I hear and it feels that the world has
changed even within the short time we have been on our journey.
I have also heard rumours that this project has caused a certain
amount of discussion "donkeys and art ,what a luxury, over the top "
It makes me feel sad , the value of art , nature , animals and I hope
what we are doing is hard to measure and evaluate in purely monetary
terms but in a world where the future can seem uncertain and bleak
there has to be a place for the arts, a value on a project that
encorages the public to walk in their own landscape and a recognition
of the therapeutic value of what we are trying to achieve. In a
nutshell ( I have said this so many times now !) we are delivering a
public arts project , a continous 8 week journey through the six
districts of the county on foot with four donkeys who carry our kit.
We have a cart with a solar panel so we make our own energy . Our
artists run free public art workshops based on their experiences of
the landscape . We endeveour to leave no trace when we leave our
camspots each morning . we welcome anyone to join us at any time and
walk.
In hard statistical terms we have provided employment for 18 people
over the course of the project , delivered workshops in 8 primary
schools , run 8 public workshops and 6 public camps , walked into
Cirencester Gloucester Cheltenham Tewkesbury with four donkeys and
reminded people of how we used to live and travel and how we could
still if we took some time.
I cannot even begin to quantify the people who have stopped us ,
followed us to find out what we are doing, walked with us, waved at
us, brought us water , carrots, pies , pints , tea , kind words or
stories of their own donkeys and childhoods. This project has no
social boundaries , we have met and walked with people from all
backgrounds and ages.
I understand that we are living in financially difficult times and
that hard decisions have to be made, I don't know how you decide what
to cut or what is worthy nor would I want too..... But ....... Without
sounding pretentious art, animals, landscape , walking are worth
funding and the more of us that do it maybe our emotional well being ,
not to mention our physical well being might be considerably better.
Back to more daily issues
We head off to the forest tomorrow . Our gang is growing , people are
joining us and the word is spreading .
The stars of the show are still the donkeys
All the donkeys have seen a farrier last week and they are all ready
for the last district.
If you see us do slow down , wave , don't beep your horn , even better
get out and walk with us for a bit.
.
T
We lost two of our staff members(due to end of contract not walking
out) so the pressure has really been on for myself and piers to manage
the whole circus ( not necessarily the best thing for ones marriage !)
Louisa Fairclough has been our artist this week , she has been making
pinhole cameras and taking many pictures by the light of the full
moon.she has taken some beautiful images and run great workshops.
I have really enjoyed the countryside around hartbury, ashleworth and
highnam. It has a really old feel and the landscape feels worked and
real.
We have had lots of visitors walking with us and news of the outside
world has started to filter through and burst our bubble community .
Cuts, cuts, cuts , is what I hear and it feels that the world has
changed even within the short time we have been on our journey.
I have also heard rumours that this project has caused a certain
amount of discussion "donkeys and art ,what a luxury, over the top "
It makes me feel sad , the value of art , nature , animals and I hope
what we are doing is hard to measure and evaluate in purely monetary
terms but in a world where the future can seem uncertain and bleak
there has to be a place for the arts, a value on a project that
encorages the public to walk in their own landscape and a recognition
of the therapeutic value of what we are trying to achieve. In a
nutshell ( I have said this so many times now !) we are delivering a
public arts project , a continous 8 week journey through the six
districts of the county on foot with four donkeys who carry our kit.
We have a cart with a solar panel so we make our own energy . Our
artists run free public art workshops based on their experiences of
the landscape . We endeveour to leave no trace when we leave our
camspots each morning . we welcome anyone to join us at any time and
walk.
In hard statistical terms we have provided employment for 18 people
over the course of the project , delivered workshops in 8 primary
schools , run 8 public workshops and 6 public camps , walked into
Cirencester Gloucester Cheltenham Tewkesbury with four donkeys and
reminded people of how we used to live and travel and how we could
still if we took some time.
I cannot even begin to quantify the people who have stopped us ,
followed us to find out what we are doing, walked with us, waved at
us, brought us water , carrots, pies , pints , tea , kind words or
stories of their own donkeys and childhoods. This project has no
social boundaries , we have met and walked with people from all
backgrounds and ages.
I understand that we are living in financially difficult times and
that hard decisions have to be made, I don't know how you decide what
to cut or what is worthy nor would I want too..... But ....... Without
sounding pretentious art, animals, landscape , walking are worth
funding and the more of us that do it maybe our emotional well being ,
not to mention our physical well being might be considerably better.
Back to more daily issues
We head off to the forest tomorrow . Our gang is growing , people are
joining us and the word is spreading .
The stars of the show are still the donkeys
All the donkeys have seen a farrier last week and they are all ready
for the last district.
If you see us do slow down , wave , don't beep your horn , even better
get out and walk with us for a bit.
.
T
Sent from my iPhone
Sitting in car
I feel a bit melancholy and cabin fevered
We have been at over farm for too long now and I want to move off
We have had acreally good few days here ( sort of)
I am feeling weary of being the hostess at all times,
Someone said that it
Was a bit like the Katie price and peter Andre programme , out walking
with a family aaaaaagh
Piers and I agreed this morning to not disagree publically !
So many things to report , will have to bullet point
Walked into gloucester park via the dual carriageway , donkeys
exempleary
Workshops in the park , a bit fraught but donkeys success
Walked back , nearly bad accident , lot of swearing
Public camp supposed to be that evening
No one arrives
Realise that molly can now drive , piers has taught her, watch my 14
year old daughter driving very well around the field
Not sure how I feel about this
Pat Roberts and friends turn up to do music
Very good !
Wake up again , groundhog day feeling
People turn up early from kingfisher care home for workshops,
I am still in my pyjamas
Donald turns up to give a walk
I am still in my pyjamas , what is going on, no one here for anything ,
Group of cyclists turn up
Realise that we are advertised in the Gloucester festival brochure and
people are going to drop in all day
I get dressed
Lots of people drop in
Pinhole camera workshops very good
We leave for the night to see giffords circus
It is great
Full length mirrors not so great
Return to camp
The next two weeks are going to be really busy , many people walking
We have been at over farm for too long now and I want to move off
We have had acreally good few days here ( sort of)
I am feeling weary of being the hostess at all times,
Someone said that it
Was a bit like the Katie price and peter Andre programme , out walking
with a family aaaaaagh
Piers and I agreed this morning to not disagree publically !
So many things to report , will have to bullet point
Walked into gloucester park via the dual carriageway , donkeys
exempleary
Workshops in the park , a bit fraught but donkeys success
Walked back , nearly bad accident , lot of swearing
Public camp supposed to be that evening
No one arrives
Realise that molly can now drive , piers has taught her, watch my 14
year old daughter driving very well around the field
Not sure how I feel about this
Pat Roberts and friends turn up to do music
Very good !
Wake up again , groundhog day feeling
People turn up early from kingfisher care home for workshops,
I am still in my pyjamas
Donald turns up to give a walk
I am still in my pyjamas , what is going on, no one here for anything ,
Group of cyclists turn up
Realise that we are advertised in the Gloucester festival brochure and
people are going to drop in all day
I get dressed
Lots of people drop in
Pinhole camera workshops very good
We leave for the night to see giffords circus
It is great
Full length mirrors not so great
Return to camp
The next two weeks are going to be really busy , many people walking
Sent from my iPhone
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