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 WEA learners are soon to see their own works of art on display in a touring arts exhibition thanks to their involvement in an arts project which they have just completed.
The students are all members of the WEA’s Birmingham Study Club and have just completed ‘Making Links’, a six month project in which they used photography and jewellery as a means to explore social themes like ‘belonging’ and ‘self’.
The project was set up by WEA Area Programme Manager, Madge Milligan-Green and Andy Horn of Craftspace Touring.
Craftspace approached the WEA after talking to their local Age Concern and requesting help in finding a group of older people who would be open to participating in the project. Age Concern recommended the Birmingham Study Club who agreed to have a go at developing their creative talents and learn more about themselves and each other in the process.
The project started in February this year with members of the group meeting photographer Hannah Phillips and jeweler Vannetta Seecharran to ask questions and discuss some ideas for the project. Hannah and Vannetta asked each member of the group to bring along jewellery and photographs that were of personal significance. The group used the items to help tell stories about themselves and share important memories, describing why the mementos were of such value to them.
 Each member of the group was given a camera and working with Hannah they learned different techniques of photography, taking portraits of each other and using words added to express what they felt about themselves.
The group used their cameras to take photographs about aspects of their lives that were important. Their printed photographs show images of home, church, local areas, Birmingham, gardens and allotments, buildings, shops and other objects.
During the project they learned how to print onto watercolour paper and fabric, and a group trip was made to London to visit the Tate Modern and National Portrait galleries where they were able to see a special exhibition of work by Cecil Beaton, one of the world’s most celebrated portrait photographers.
Using some of the skills they had learned with Hannah, the group ventured into a darkroom to print black and white photographs of their own hands wearing the jewellery which they had brought in at the beginning of the project. With Vannetta they made rings and wire forms, learning how to solder and use a rolling mill to make patterns onto metal. The group worked with silver and gold leaf as well as non-precious metals.
Towards the end of the project the group got together and talked about all the work they had produced on the course and then, developing one idea taken from themes in their photographs, they designed and produced a single piece of jewellery that represented their collective experience from the project.
Examples of the students’ photographs and jewellery produced are now on display at the Drum Arts Centre in Birmingham and will be on show until 6th September.
Members of the group will also be participating in and exhibiting their work in a touring exhibition entitled ‘Self’, which brings their work from ‘Making Links’ together with work from two other Craftspace projects. ‘Self’ opens at the Angel Row Gallery in Nottingham on 17th November and runs until January next year.
Further information on the work of the WEA in Birmingham and the surrounding area is available from WEA West Midland Region on 0121 666 6101.
Above, Birmingham Study Club members Mavis Alexander and Esme Patrick show off some of their work from 'Making Links' . The two women will join their fellow WEA students in the interactive exhibition of their work at Nottingham's Angel Gallery. Images reproduced by kind permission of Vivid, Birmingham.
Further information on Craftspace and Craftspace touring exhibitions is available on 0121 608 6444. or you can visit their web site at www.craftspace-touring.co.uk
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September News