As part of the Kaleidoscope Network programme Primary is offering online 1-2-1s for residents / members with artist development leads from Spike Island, Eastside Projects and The NewBridge Project. 1-2-1s are a great opportunity to talk about work in progress and ideas at a critical stage of development. To book please contact colette@weareprimry.org.
Dan Russell (The NewBridge Project), Tuesday 5 July, 2pm
Saphi Abrahamovitch-Venner (Spike Island), Wednesday 6 July, 11.30am
Amelia Hawk (Eastside Projects), Friday 15 July, 11am
The Kaleidoscope Network is an artist development initiative and collaboration between Eastside Projects (Birmingham), Primary (Nottingham), Spike Island (Bristol), and The NewBridge Project (Newcastle).
Amelia:
Amelia Hawk (b.1986) is an artist based in Birmingham, exploring connections between art practice and counselling strategies, by making new spaces for conversation that isn’t afraid, and is happily political. Through conversation she make things that might be artworks, performances, spaces, publications, workshops, clothing, listening. Recently she has become interested in how art practice can hold space for others. Thinking about how conversation and listening can act as a support structure, and create new ways of listening and places to hear from. Amelia is training to be a councillor.
At Eastside Project Amelia is the Artist-Caretaker she supports artists through artist development and public programming. She has worked as a freelance curator running origanisations such as Kunst Vardo focusing on commissioning new work in public space that largely focuses on social engagment and performance. Amelia regularly performs and exhibits across the UK and Norway (where she studied her MA at Kunstakademiet in Oslo). Notably, she has exhibited at National Gallery, Prague; Intercultural Museum, Oslo; Helsinki Art Museum, Helsinki; Luda Gallery, St Petersburg; and performed in numerous international festivals such as SPILL Festival, The Festival of Northern Norway, Stockholm Fringe Festival.
Dan:
Dan Russell (b. Birkenhead, 1985) is an artist who works with people and doesn’t have a specific medium or discipline. He could be called a social practitioner or socially engaged artist. His favoured approach is working in an open, process-led and longer-term way and his favourite methods are bringing people together, developing ideas, not reinventing the wheel and dealing with the future.
He works part-time for the NewBridge Project as their Artist Development Programmer and outside this mixes up freelance community-based art commissions with moonlighting in the Architecture and Urban Planning department at Newcastle University.
Saphia:
Saphia Abrahamovitch-Venner is Assistant Curator at Spike Island in Bristol where she works on artist development and engagement programmes. Saphia manages Spike Island Associates, a membership network of artists, writers, curators, designers and creative practitioners, built on a culture of collaboration and experimentation. She also works on Spike Island’s public engagement activities, curating events for children, young people and local residents.
Before Spike Island, Saphia held positions at Bow Arts in east London and London College of Fashion, as well as working with organisations including East London Comics and Arts Festival (ELCAF), British Council, Culture 24 and Historic Royal Palaces. Saphia also volunteers for diversity, equity and inclusion organisations A New Direction and Creative Access, mentoring young people from diverse backgrounds and supporting them through the early stages of their arts careers.
With a degree in Illustration, Saphia’s artistic interests span the worlds of design, Illustration and architecture, through materials and processes including collage, sculpture and installation. Her curatorial interests focus on arts facilitation, and connecting people, places and spaces.