The theme for Making A Mark 2020, now postponed until 2021, was Changing World. Who could have guessed just how relevant that would prove to be? The world has changed in so many different ways over the past few months for every one of us – we are all living by different rules, in different ways, some in different places.
When Oxheys artist Tim Saunders took delivery of the 250 trees he had ordered pre-lockdown for his Changing World installation, he started re-imagining some alternative options. The result was an intervention that took place on Sunday 31st May 2020 on the deserted Flag Market, all in full compliance with lockdown guidance and regulations.
The Artful Line exhibition opened at the Harris Museum & Gallery in Preston on 14th February this year, featuring drawings on loan from Courtauld’s alongside those commissioned from Preston artists Gavin Renshaw, Kathryn Poole (who have both previously exhibited at Oxheys) and Anita George. Oxheys’ artists Bernie Velvick and Robin Fanner delivered workshops to encourage exhibition visitors to try drawing using materials provided by the Harris. These proved popular and more activities were planned but sadly, due to lockdown, these had to be cancelled.
The Harris however were determined to ensure that activities continued, by providing a virtual tour of the exhibition and asked us to prepare some online drawing exercises which anyone can do in their own homes with whatever they can find to draw with and on. These have now been launched so catch the virtual tour, artworks and all three drawing presentations by Oxheys’ artist Bernie Velvick on the Harris’ website here.
We have maintained contact during the past few weeks with both Preston City Council and the Arts Council and now sadly, must advise that our Making A Mark event, planned for July 11th 2020 in Preston city centre, has had to be postponed. It is an unfortunate but inevitable consequence of the current situation regarding coronavirus.
It is a great shame as it was set to be an exciting event with a number of artists planning a diverse variety of activities. By postponing the event until next summer however, we can continue with developing and planning, so aim to bring an even better event then. We are pleased to say that artists who had been commissioned or who were preparing work or activities, will be able to carry that forward and the Arts Council have confirmed that we can use the funding received to pay artists for any work already done or materials purchased, up until postponement date. This is important as we fully support artists being treated fairly in these difficult times and thank the Arts Council for taking this approach.
We would also like to thank Preston City Council for their ongoing support during a very difficult time and for taking steps to pledge further support for the postponed event in 2021.
As soon as we have confirmed date for 2021 we will advise.
A quick update regarding our Making A Mark event due to take place in Preston City Centre on July 11th. We are monitoring the current situation closely and liaising with Preston City Council and also following advice provided by the Arts Council.
We are very aware of the impact on artists if we have to cancel the event, so we are hopeful that the current situation concerning the virus will ease by then. We are however trying to find an alternative date later in the year that may be held in reserve. If it becomes necessary, we will then postpone so that the planned activities can still go ahead and artists still get paid.
Please bear with us – we’ll update further over the next week or so as more becomes known.
Saturday 22nd February 2020 – after a week of torrential rain which flooded Avenham Park and surrounding area, we were uncertain it would go ahead but on the day the rain finally let up and the very first Preston Mardi Gras parade took place.
Huge thanks to all of the members of Worldwise Samba Drummers for their support as they played their socks off in the absolute freezing cold marching through Preston city centre and down to the Pavilion in Avenham Park where freshly made delicious pancakes were served. Thanks also to Preston City Council for allowing us to stage the event and to the Pavilion for such delicious pancakes! And not forgetting those who joined the parade and followed us all the way – thank you!
Come and join in the fun on Saturday February 22nd to celebrate Mardi Gras with a parade through Preston city centre, down to Avenham Park. Led by Worldwise Samba Drummers, the parade is open to anyone to join in and wearing of costumes is encouraged. Musicians, dancers and performers – you are all invited to just come along and join in the fun. On arrival at the Pavilion in Avenham there will be further performances before pancakes are served.
Mardi Gras, literally meaning Fat Tuesday, marks the day before Lent when tradition in many countries and religions is to eat as much as possible before fasting begins. In Britain and many Commonwealth countries that became Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day, the day before Ash Wednesday. Elsewhere, the day became more celebratory and carnival-like, so in the Deep South of Louisiana in the US for example, thousands take to the streets in parades led by jazz bands from all across the state, ending up in the French Quarter of New Orleans.
Whilst Shrove Tuesday is actually on Tuesday 25th, it was felt that in Preston a Saturday was more practical for a parade as families would be free/able to take part and whilst not on the same scale perhaps, this is our opportunity in Preston to celebrate and just have fun.
The parade starts at 11am Saturday 22nd February from the Mobility Centre Car Park. Meet there or join at any point along the route up Cheapside, along Fishergate, in Winckley Square or in Avenham Park.
Costume-making workshop – run by Preston City Council and led by our Evelyn, is free to go along to at the Pavilion in Avenham Park on Saturday 8th Feb 10am-1pm. Everyone and all ages welcome. Take any old clothes or fabrics along and make a fantastic costume to wear in the Mardi Gras parade.
We were excited to hear our Arts Council bid for 2020 had been successful as this meant our ideas for expanding Making A Mark could be realised. This will be our 4th Making A Mark so we wanted to both extend and expand it’s reach whilst enabling more of Preston’s artists and creatives to be part of it. In turn this would help reach a wider audience and offer even more opportunities for visitors to take part in a broader range of activities.
Are you an artist, musician, poet, performer or other creative practitioner based in or near Preston? Would you like to be part of Making A Mark in 2020? If so, send us your proposal by 21st February and we’ll select those we feel show creativity, that best reflect the spirit of the event and which will best complement the other activities planned. The theme this year is Changing World which is open to wide interpretation.
Download further information and a proposal form here:
Oxheys in the Community Gallery at the Harris Museum
This last weekend, Saturday 30th November and Sunday 1st December 2019 saw the Harris Christmas Fair at the Harris Museum & Art Gallery in Preston. It was a lively event, which saw the Harris packed full of artists, makers and traders with a wide variety of stalls offering all kinds of products making ideal Christmas gifts.
Oxheys was there of course, on the first floor in the Community Gallery. Four of our member artists, Caroline Finnegan, Evelyn Rose, Bernie Velvick and Denise Swanson provided the items and took it in turns to man the stall. We had pretty little table and tree decorations from Bernie, beautifully hand-made crocheted scarves with hand-dyed wool from Caroline, delightful hand-made reindeer greeting cards from Evelyn and a selection of photographic prints and greeting cards from Denise taken in local nature spots. It was a busy couple of days in which we saw a lot of people including many old friends from our days at t’mill, making a lovely opportunity to catch up.
We had a steady stream of visitors and sales throughout the event, although Saturday seemed to be the busiest day – most popular were probably the Diversity Elves from Bernie, all of which were sold, bar one. Caroline’s Nail Binding kits also proved very popular as did Denise’s small prints.
Huge thanks to everyone who stopped by to say hello or to buy something. We do appreciate your support, as always.
The past few months have been somewhat busy so apologies for the lack of recent updates. After the success of this year’s event we wanted to ensure that Making A Mark in 2020 could be bigger and better than ever, so almost as soon as this year’s was complete we started planning ahead for next. We wanted to get an early bid in to the Arts Council for funding so that if successful, it would allow us more time for actual planning.
We took the time to look back at previous events, at what worked well and what not so well and the outcome was a decision to radically change the way this event would work. We decided to do away with a stage and performance area and instead concentrate on activities that encouraged engagement. We also wanted to open up participation to a broader range with an open call to artists and performers working locally and change the format previously used. This allowed us more scope for ideas and so our biggest funding bid yet was finally agreed, completed and submitted.
We are delighted to announce we have now heard that this bid has been successful and are thrilled that we can start working on these ideas. Look out for our Open Call which will go out soon. And be sure to put July 11th 2020 in your diaries – it is slightly later than past years.
Alongside the planning, our artists have also been busy on their own projects and with other activities:
Robin curated and has work featured in the exhibition Concomitant at UCLan Hanover Building in Preston. Denise has continued developing the project for which she received a CVAN Bursary, investigating what happens to the plastic we recycle. Bernie has been busy with various ArtFull events and activities, Caroline has been busy making, whilst Tim and Denise have been making a lot of noise with the Worldwise Samba Drummers at various events in and around Preston. We also continue to run the monthly Life Drawing sessions at the Harris Museum and have a number of other projects on the go!
We’ll also be a the Harris Christmas Fair this weekend, Saturday 30th November and Sunday 1st December on the first floor – do come along and see us. We’ll have a variety of hand-made Christmas decorations and cards for sale as well as some lovely unique items that make ideal gifts.
Oxheys were at Preston Mela on Saturday July 6th 2019, with a stall demonstrating how wool from locally bred sheep had been hand-dyed using locally found wild plants to create a beautifully diverse range of natural, organic coloured yarns suitable for weaving or knitting.
Specially designed frames, produced on a 3D printer, were made available for visitors to select a yarn and then start weaving a square. The squares will then be combined to create a large artwork that will hopefully appear in the Harris Open exhibition later in the year.
Visitors were fascinated by the process of both dyeing and weaving and over one hundred squares were added to the artwork during the few hours that Preston Mela was on. Our Caroline and Evelyn were literally rushed off their feet coping with the interest being shown as visitors were fascinated by the process, as well as by the end results. Many, who initially declined joining in, suddenly found themselves putting down their bags, picking up a frame and starting to weave a square.
We were also pleased to assure those who asked that no sheep were harmed during the process as only their wool was used and in the summer heat, the sheep were probably quite pleased to be relieved of it!
This was Dyeversity in action – it was a multi-generational, multi-gender activity that everyone who took part enjoyed!
The sharp-eyed amongst you may recognise the backdrop in the photos – it was the hand-woven fishing net, made by Caroline, that recently appeared as the Ghost Net in Making A Mark with Preston Youth Theatre.
