Receate

Proposal

Initital Thoughts

Starting in 2007, Recreate has already been around for six years. What interests me is how the programme has developed over the years and the effect it has had on the local artists and creatives. Capturing people who are a part of Recreate is important to see the effect of the whole project and the reasoning behind it. Finding artists who use the studio spaces regularly and talking to them about there work and their thoughts on Recreate will be important in understanding the importance of the project and how much it can help the creative industry.

Locations 

After researching into different locations where Recreate have been working, I found the ones that interested me the most was places that hire there studios out and allow artists to work there. It would be interesting to speak to the different artists and to find out how the project has helped them and what it means to them. The locations I picked below all have studio's that they hire out and host different creative workshops they run for artists and local people. The websites of each location all include information about there current artist residents and what type of work they create which would be useful to find out who the best people will be to talk to.

Location Choices: 

Chatham: 

Sun Pier House, Medway St, Chatham, Kent,  ME4 4HF

Sun Pier House in Chatham stood out to me the most because of the amount of studio spaces they rent out so it would be interesting to speak to all the different artists who have used it. Finding out how transforming Sun Pier House into studios has helped the local community and area would also be very interesting as the town is run- down in some places. 

Hertfordshire:
Berkhamsted Town Hall, 196 High St, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire HP4 3AP

The Berkhamsted Town Hall in Hertfordshire stood out to me with how much the project has developed already and how it has extended into other areas. Five artists have spaces at the Town hall so talking to them to find out how the project has helped them and developed there work would be interesting.  On there website it talks about how some artists have gone on to there own projects and have even gone to top art schools, this would be interesting to document as it is evidence that the Recreate project is working.

Brighton: 

New England House , Brighton, BN1 4GH 

The Brighton Location would be a good area to document as they have extended the Recreate project to numerous locations throughout the town. They have named there space in the New England House 'The Fusebox' 

In Brighton Recreate hire out four different spaces for artists under the name 'we are po up'. which are listed below:

The different locations of each pop up spaces means the Recreate project is reaching out to many people and different areas in the community and captures the effect Recreate can have on a town. By Recreate hiring out unused shops and buildings means that the town is getting used to its full potential and creating pop up shops is building up the towns economy.  Photographing an artist or creative using a pop up shop for there work would capture the Recreate project in its most effective, and how other towns can use the same ideas. 

Site History 

Chatham: 

Sun Pier House is founded and managed by Heather Burgess and Edward Gransden who are both residents in Medway. They was both looking for empty buildings which they could house local artists in the location they chose was a former HSBC bank that was run down and  had been empty for over a year. The location was included in the EU Interreg funding bid as part of the councils Recreate project, Sun Pier house became the focus to regenerate the high street between Rochester and Chatham. The two founders wanted to create a space that can be enjoyed by the public, creatives and artists, they have succeeded in this and now have 11 studios spread across two floors. 

They currently have 14 residents at the moment, the seven below are all artists so it would interesting to speak to them bout the spaces they have used and how it has helped and developed them as an artist.

Hertfordshire:

Rose Scarborough is the founder at Berkhamsted Town Hall in Hertfordshire, her vision was to provide the local area with an arts and crafts centre that everyone could use and learn from. The space has developed and expanding after first taking over a pottery workshop in a room at the back to hosting workshops and hiring out the spaces to artists. As the project has expanded so much they hold the classes at the local school called Ashlyns. This project has helped many artists go on to start their own projects and businesses and many of the people have gone on to top art schools. The building was originally used for 80 years by the Mechanics Institute, since then the building has been expanded and the ground floor was made into restaurants  However none succeeded until the space was used as a craft centre, and it has now been renamed to 're:create'. 

Brighton:

In Brighton the council has made a space called 'the fuse box' for the Recreate project at the New England House. The idea for this project is to enhance the city's reputation for supporting creative talent and create learning spaces for creative entrepreneurs. 'The Fuse box' creative idea is to provide flexible and affordable spaces for creatives. The project is also extending to the city centre to hire out empty retail premises so artists can showcase and exhibit their work. Using the unused spaces is under a scheme called 'we are pop up' to make sure the spaces are well used.

Local Amenities

Chatham: University for the creative arts, Historic Dock Yard, Rochester Cathedral and High street, Nuclues Arts Centre

Hertfordshire: Country Parks, Hertfordshire University, Nature Reserves, 

Brighton: Tourism, Beach , Brighton University,

Creative Visuals 

Inspiration

After researching the different locations of Recreate and looking at the different artists who use the studios there I started to think of different ways I could photograph the artists. Capturing the artist in the space created by Recreate is important to show the client and the public how the spaces are being used and what effect is has had on the artist. I was inspired by the pictures below with how artists have been photographed in their own homes or workshops amongst there own work. Having the artists work all around them captures glimpses of their personality, and in my photographs will show how Recreate has helped to produce this. 

'Artists at Home: Artifice and Presence ' 

John Ballantyne, Thomas Faed, 1865    

Horst for Vogue in 1966

Pablo Picasso in his Cannes studio, 1965, Arnold Newman

Lucien Freud

Andy Warhol at The Factory

Ed Bereal in His Studio by Jerry McMillan, 1961

Irving Penn's studio 

Maison Martin Margiela's studio

The pictures that appealed to me is the one's where the artists look very natural and are working on there artwork, as it as if you are getting glimpses in to there lifestyle. 

Text and Image

Capturing the artists thoughts as well as the artists in the space provided by Recreate is important to me in being able to understand the way Recreate has helped them. By looking into artists and photographers who use text and images in there work inspired me with how I can capture the artists own thoughts, the idea of having the artists hand write the way the project has helped them on to a bit of card adds a more personal view to the work and allows the viewer to read and see how the project has helped so many people. 

Dalia Estrada 

Bruno Kurru

Jim Goldberg

Karen Knorr

Lorna Simpson

Research: What artists think of Recreate?

Christopher Thompson : ' Sun Pier House is in a great location, has a wonderful community of people working there and is within easy walking distance from home. Since my projects rely almost exclusively on the effect of light passing through glass, the studio provides near-perfect conditions'

Jocelyn Leigh: Sun Pier House is not only the ideal location for investigating the Medway, but also a wonderful retreat to sit, think and work. It is exciting to be part of a growing creative community with all the benefits that will bring.

Media

Camera: Canon 7D (Digital)

Lens: ?

File: RAW 

Inkjet print mounted on white card with handwritten message at the bottom

Potential Outcomes

Portraits of artists and creatives who use the spaces provided by Recreate to capture the effect the project has had on the local community and on the people who use it's services. Contact past artists who have used the space and how there work has developed since starting at the project and how it has helped them further there career. Capturing the artists shows the client how the project has transformed peoples lives and how Recreate has achieved what it set out to do. By considering the people who are directly involved in Recreate shows other town and city's the effect the project can have on the local community and on the creative industry and by including the artists own words adds a personal feel to the work and makes you understand the project from a personal level. 

Travel & Transport 

Hertfordshire:

By Car

By Train

8 minute walk from train station to the venue

Brighton:

By Car

Contacts

Chatham: 07545 642 581 or email: info@sunpierhouse.co.uk

Hertfordshire: 01442 879 602 or email recreateoffice@gmail.com (The office is open 10am to 12pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday)

Brighton: Tel: (01273) 293451, E-mail: mpt@brighton-hove.gov.uk

Plan

Chatham: Look around the open studios, and speak to artists who are currently working there to get ideas on how I could photograph them.

Hertfordshire: Once a week an artist support group gets together to provide advice, support and encouragement attending this would be interesting as I could speak to the artists and see them use the services. 

Brighton:

On Wednesdays and Fridays Brighton runs a collaborative work day for businesses' and entrepreneurs in the creative industry, it allows artists to discuss their projects, experiences and skills with others. This work day event would be interesting to attend to meet artists who are directly involved in Recreate and use it's services. 

Schedule

Thursday 28th- Proposal

Friday 29th- Visit Sun Pier in Chatham to see studio spaces and to take snapshots

Saturday 7th December- Visit Brighton

Equipment List

- Camera

- Lens

- Tripod

- Light meter

- External Flash

- Diffuser

- Memory cards 

- Spare battery

- White Card & Pen