Photography Walkshop, 10.30am,
LPAP | Space 24th May
Join Photographic artist Stephen Burke, on a ‘walkshop’ around Longbridge. Stephen hopes to explore with members of the public perceptions of what, and where Longbridge is through its reconstruction, architecture, boundaries and significant history.
Starting at the LPAP | SPACE at 10.30am the walk be taking in the sights and sounds of the Bristol Road. And a great opportunity to practice your photography skills too!
For more information about the walkshop please email Stephen at stephenpatrickburke@gmail.com
Cathy Wade
Nature could be seen as having little impact on the day to day of train stations and commuting, yet it’s presence reveals it’s powers of invention. Plants grow with little input or care and display a self sufficiency that is inspired, the banks of grass that grow on the verge by the platform erupt with the Spring and populate the banks with flowers. Moss grows on the areas of the platform that are closed to pedestrian access; and as we travel out of the city fields imprint themselves into our gaze before we arrive at the suburbs of our destination. New St Station holds a recognition of the value of nature in the everyday with the presence of a Green Wall outside the station, this space creates a vertical public field that reminds us of the how planting softens the concrete and scents the air.
Cathy Wade is continuing to research the role of Train Stations as public space and is tweeting about commuter experiences using the following hashtag #TheTrainStationAsPublicArt on @Cathy_Wade
Photography Workshop
© Denise Meredith
Photographic artist Stephen Burke led a photography walkshop a long the River Rea route, he was joined by members of the Longbridge community as they explored ideas of boundary and identity in Longbridge.
See more of the great photographs taken by the group here.
© Jonny Heeks
Photography Walkshop
© Sas Taylor
Leaving from the LPAP | SPACE at 11am photographic artist Stephen Burke will be leading a walkshop along the Rea Valley route, to continue exploring the infamous question of boundaries - where is Longbridge?
Please bring along any camera you have even your mobile phone is a great device to use.
To register your place and for more information please contact Stephen at stephenpatrickburke@gmail.com
Luke Perry
Pride of Longbridge
Artist-in-residence Luke Perry photographed visitors at the Pride of Longbridge event on the12th April, asking people to write down what Longbridge meant/means to them and what made people proud about Longbridge.
The resulting photographs are both funny and moving, they also show the important role Longbridge played, and still plays in people’s lives today.
See more of the photographs here.
Bournville College Art Week
Architecture goes Back to the Future
© Linda
From 7th to the 11th of April three hundred students from across the spectrum of Bournville Colleges art and design courses worked with EC Arts and LPAP artists-in-residence Cathy Wade, Antonio Roberts and Redhawk Logistica supported by Stephen Burke and Sarah Nokes on a cross college brief that explored the architecture of Longbridge and how it will be developed in the future.
Students work in progress is on display in the LPAP | SPACE and has responded to the way that architecture inspires the imagination and affects the environment. Working with digital medias, collage, drawing and painting.
Thanks to Cathy Wade, Sophia Tarr & Tamar Mcellan for bringing this together.
See more photographs of the week and the students work here.
Photographs by Stephen Burke
Redhawk Logisitca
We are planning to create another Collective Collage at the Pride of Longbridge event on Sat 12th April and it will be focussing on the ultimate Longbridge icon, the Mini, in all it’s variations. We are starting a campaign to ask people to send us a picture of their mini (past or present) so we can include them. They could be standard, restored, unrestored, customised or even unfinished projects!
Just email a photo of your mini to admin@redhawklogistica.com by Thursday 10th April with ‘Mini Photo’ in the subject line and we’ll print it off and add it to the montage on the day. Hope to see you there!
Jenny Peevers
© Jenny Peevers
I organised a Longbridge Lunch on Thursday 27th March at Longbridge Baptist Church, with help from Bournville College Pre-vocational students. Local residents and the students were buzzing with stories about what used to be known as the Longbridge Estate, now designated the Austin Village Conservation Area. We used the Longbridge and Bournville Tablecloth, made by artist Hannah Hull, which celebrates the interwoven histories of the Longbridge and Cadbury factories. This prompted lots of interesting conversations. We are now in a process of gathering all the stories to help us understand the strengths of the area and what that could mean to future possibilities for the new Longbridge development.
Thanks go to the Longbridge Baptist church for the generous use of the space; the Austin Village Preservation Society, especially Margery Hodgkiss, and the students of Bournville College for their support and enthusiasm.
The next event is Longbridge Supper Club on 5th April at Reaside Centre, Rubery, from 6.00 – 8.00pm – there are still a few places left!
To book a place please email Jenny Peevers: mail@jennypeevers.co.uk
Cathy Wade
Network Rail Environment Research.
Cathy Wade has been traversing the railway networks of the Midlands to investigate the potential for Longbridge Train Station to become a destination that gives a sense of welcome to it’s daily commuters. She has become fascinated by daily patterns of rail stations and the paradox that they are both places that we need to be in yet want to leave as quickly as possible. Cathy has been absorbing how the station moves from it’s frantic morning rush, to the stillness of the early afternoon and the blurred conversations that echo on around the platform during the wait for the last train.
She will be posting live responses to commuting on the West Midlands Railways on Twitter at @Cathy_Wade that consider the potential for the environment of the Rail networks to be a communal not isolating space.
Nikki Pugh
Free Longbridge Art Service
Hannah Hull and Nikki Pugh spent some time offering bespoke creative solutions to Longbridge businesses as part of their Free Longbridge Art Service.
© Hannah Hull
They chatted with shop staff to discuss their art requirements, and in 50% of cases were able to accept commissions for art services, to be completed that same day.
Working with the tools and materials they had brought with them, Hannah and Nikki made and installed shop signage; submitted designs for a mural; and proposed early stage design approaches for a decorated shop door. You can find out more about what happened at http://npugh.co.uk/blog/longbridge_art_service/
Redhawk Logistica
Update and ‘Send us your Mini Photo’
March started with a Collective Collage workshop at Northfield Library as part of a Northfield Arts Forum event. Lots of people got stuck in and created a fantastic montage based on the 'Metro’ era which also featured some cultural and social icons of the day, such as the Rubric's cube and Lady Diana.
Photograph from Northfield Arts Forum event at Northfield Library (c) Redhawk Logistica
We are creating a series of these Collective Collages featuring different eras and themes that are emerging from our research on Longbridge, the Car Factory and the Company. They will be displayed together at the LPAP | SPACE later this Spring.
Photograph from Collective Collage event at the LPAP | SPACCE by Stephen Burke
The next in the series was created at the LPAP | SPACE on Sat 22nd March. This one concentrated on a slightly earlier period, with lots of images of Allegros, Marinas, Austin 1100’s and of course the Princess, as well as things like the ever changing corporate logos. It was a great day to socialise, discuss and reminisce.
Detail of Collective Collage created at the LPAP | SPACE © Redhawk Logistica
We are planning to create another Collective Collage at the Pride of Longbridge event on Sat 12th April and it will be focussing on the ultimate Longbridge icon, the Mini, in all it’s variations. We are starting a campaign to ask people to send us a picture of their mini (past or present) so we can include them. They could be standard, restored, unrestored, customised or even unfinished projects!
Just email a photo of your mini to admin@redhawklogistica.com by Thursday 10th April with 'Mini Photo’ in the subject line and we’ll print it off and add it to the montage on the day. Hope to see you there!
Collective Collage & Longbridge History Event At Lpap | Space, 22nd March
Poster designed by Sarah Nokes, image courtesy of Redhawk Logistica Collective Collage ‘The Metro Era’ created by Redhawk Logistica & visitors to Northfield Library on 01.03.14.
Between 12-5pm, you can visit the space (directions here) and join Redhawk Logistica in creating a large-scale collaborative collage reflecting different aspects of Longbridge, it’s social history and the car factory - one of a number created at workshops locally which will soon be on display in the public art space. Redhawk Logistica also invite you to bring along your own photos, clippings and memorabilia to be scanned or copied – they may become part of the art!
In addition, between 11am-3pm, local residents and historians John Baker and Keith Woodfield will be talking to visitors about the history of Longbridge.
This is a free event and we hope to see as many people there as possible!
Address:
LPAP | SPACE, 20 High St, Longbridge Town Centre, B31 2TW.
Contact EC Arts at info@ec-arts.com
Nikki Pugh
Austin Park, with Bournville College in the background, Photograph courtesy of Nikki Pugh
I’ve been working with cultural planner Jenny Peevers to find a way to harness the Road Trip I’ve been developing as part of my Longbridge Public Art Project commission so that the conversations catalysed though it can be more effectively turned into actions.
As a result, we’ve linked two of the Road Trip events to two Supper Club meals that Jenny’s organised as part of a larger series.
Here’s how she describes the Supper Clubs:
…an exchange of food, stories and future possibilities. We bring the food, you bring the stories.
Through your stories we will map collective hopes and aspirations, getting more local voices heard as the new Longbridge grows.
So, on the 5th and 26th of April, you can spend the afternoon with me touring different corners of Longbridge and the surrounding areas looking for new angles on the theme of community, and then segue smoothly into a meal and some activities designed to identify what changes people would like to see taking place in Longbridge over the next few years.
Both events are free, but you will need to sign up in advance via these eventbrite pages (NB ticketing closes the Monday before each event so Jenny has time to prepare all the food!):
Road Trip + Supper Club combination, 5th of April, starting from Reaside Community Centre.
Road Trip + Supper Club combination, 26th of April, starting from Longbridge Methodist Church Hall.
For those of you who would like to take part in the Road Trip but not the Supper Club events, there is a Road Trip only taking place on the 29th of March. Sign up for your place on the minibus here.
Our conversation (although not necessarily the journey itself – check the sign-up pages for starting locations!) will start at Austin Park where the River Rea has been ‘realigned’ to look more natural. Our effect on our surroundings and our surroundings’ effect on us will be a recurring theme throughout the day.
Join us and add your feet and your voice.
Redhawk Logistica
Calling creative people of all ages…what are you doing this Saturday?
There is a Collective Collage session taking place with Redhawk Logistica on Sat 1st March at Northfield Library 11am-3pm.
It’s free and suitable for all ages, so come on down..lots more things will be happening as LPAP team’s up with Northfield Arts Forum for this event!
Research image by Redhawk Logistica
Project Space
Last week Heavy Object and EC Arts began to convert a retail unit in the new Longbridge Town Centre into a project space with support from St Modwen.
Ian Richards, Curator, Artist and Designer is transforming the unit into an evolving reflection of work in progress and platform for discussion between artists and residents.
More information for the project space can be found here.
Ian Richards, Heavy Object has created a new piece of work responding to research and an old image of Longbridge Factory internal roof structure, this work will be accompanied by ongoing research from LPAP artists-in-residence.
With thanks to St Modwen for donating the retail unit and Morgan Sindall Plc for painting the space.
Heavy Object and Sarah Nokes installing Heavy Objects piece, Photograph by Stephen Burke
Elizabeth Rowe & Chis Poolman
COMMUTER SAYS NO
Are you a cyclist? Do you commute into the city centre from Longbridge? Do you use the Rea Valley Route or the Bristol Road?
If you are a Longbridge-based cyclist, we would really like to hear from you. As part of the EC Arts Longbridge Public Art Project, we are keen to hear about experiences of people who use the Rea Valley cycle route. We are hoping to make some improvements to the route as part of the project and we are keen to hear people’s views.
info@ec-arts.com
Nikki Pugh
Nikki Pugh started her exploration of how people move through Longbridge by mapping Galvanic Skin Response as she walked around the area.
Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) measures very small changes in electrical conductivity caused by emotional and physiological reactions to different types of stimulus. Nikki was curious to see if she could build a device that would register different affects in her body caused by the built environment around her.
* What do you feel as you walk alongside the busy roads?
* Does walking through a more natural environment really have a calming effect?
* Do impersonal edifices cause your body to react with different stress levels?
* What are the types of public space that feel comfortable to you?
To find out more about Nikki’s experiment, you can read about it on her blog post here:
http://npugh.co.uk/blog/of_sweat_and_shops_a_project_in_longbridge/
antonio roberts
For my residency as part of the Longbridge Public Art Project I will, amongst other things, work with young people based in the area - including students at Bounville College - to find ways of reflecting Longbridge’s industrial history in experimental, bright and colourful ways.
During the development of the site this has already been reflected.
This could also be reflected with designs that go on the in or outside of buildings.
Illuminating the area for safety is also important. Taking inspiration from a scheme in Oxford, the paths around Longbridge could be illuminated using either UV or glow in the dark paint.
www.digitallongbridge.tumblr.com
Antonio’s Flickr
Jenny Peevers
‘Ive spent my first couple of days in Longbridge walking around and chatting to people, getting an initial sense of the place. I also joined artist Luke Perry last Sunday at the Austin Sports and Leisure Club. I will do a lot more walking (it’s big isn’t it?!) and a lot more chatting to get a comprehensive picture of what you feel it’s like to live in Longbridge. I’m interested in finding out your favourite places; where you go to meet your friends; what hobbies and interests you have……anything that’s important to you about Longbridge.
So, I’ll be busy knocking on some doors to meet residents and dropping into social clubs, community venues and local businesses, as well as listening to stories the other artists have gathered. I will then have a series of supper clubs at different venues to bring people in Longbridge together who want to get more involved in the Longbridge Public Art Project and other activities you feel are important.
Myself and Luke Perry spent some time with Art and Design students at Bournville College who were great. I’m looking forward to some of them getting involved in the project.
If you have half an hour to talk about Longbridge I would love to hear from you. There are also great opportunities to volunteer on the project if you have the time and enthusiasm! Please email me: mail@jennypeevers.co.uk
Redhawk Logistica
We have been creating a scrapbook of found images and clippings during our on going research project into Longbridge and the car factory. The creation of a scrapbook seemed appropriate when documenting this project, as they are commonly used as a method of collating and recording personal ideas and special interests. The chronological aspect of a scrapbook means we are able to see images and text which are pertinent and relevant to the creator in the order which they discovered them. The chronological approach as opposed to a thematic allows the scrapbook to be a vehicle for storytelling as well as existing as a private journey of research.
We have been making a series of large scale collages with different community groups as part of Longbridge Public Art Project. We have deliberately structured them to focussing on different historical era’s. However the scrapbook is where anything can be found next to anything else. It is more like a sketchbook, in that things can be tried out without the need for explanation. In our scrapbook segments of newspaper headlines find new meanings, scraps of paper and bits of colour butt up to long lost photographs and car crashes from a 1960's Highway Code look almost quaint!
Nikki Pugh, A Cycle Road Trip For Longbridge
Radical psychoanalysts; a medieval corn mill; a stairless Paradise; and more hairdressing salons than you can shake a freshly-cut daffodil at.
A Road Trip for Longbridge starts and finishes with the regeneration works on Longbridge Lane but in between goes on a journey to a variety of locations in Hollymoor, Frankley, Rubery and Rednal that pose questions about ideas – and ideals – about the places we want to live in.
Part guided tour and part guided conversation, it is an invitation for you to share your stories about your experiences of community and the changes in the area.
For more information and to book a place on the trip see here.
Check out the Birmingham Art Map, listings of great events, exhibitions and workshops happening across Birmingham.
Cathy Wade
‘What does Longbridge Look Like’, Throughout May, LPAP | SPACE.
© Cathy Wade, A Longbridge Horse, Digital Photograph, 2014.
What does Longbridge look like? What stories does this place hold for us and what form do they take? Longbridge Public Art Project resident artist Cathy Wade invites you to share the memories you have of Longbridge, to see how we shape the place that we live in. You are welcome to bring in your objects big, small or somewhere in-between, slides, ceramic figurines, postcards, books, train tickets, letters, you name it. Your memento will be recorded and with your permission displayed for a short time as a living monument to the creativity and resilience of Longbridge.
Antonio Roberts
Antonio Roberts created these GIF’s out of Bournville College Students work created during the Art Week.
Photography Walkshop
Photography Walkshop lead by photographic artist Stephen Burke
The group explored the new Longbridge town centre and went for a walk around the surrounding area looking at ideas of the boundry & identity of Longbridge.
We are planning on running further Photography Walkshops soon exploring the surrounding areas of Northfield, Rubbery, Frankley etc and where they border on to Longbridge.
See more of the great photographs taken by the group over on the LPAP Facebook here.
Please contact Stephen for more information about future Walkshops at
stephenpatrickburke@gmail.com
Hannah Hull
Detail of tablecloth © Hannah Hull
Longbridge and Bournville Table Cloth
This tablecloth celebrates the interwoven histories of Longbridge Car Factory, Bournville College, Cadbury Factory and Bournville Village. Featuring a selection of poignant, political and humorous archive materials, the purpose of the cloth is to stimulate memories and musings that interconnect these histories.
The cloth will be predominantly used by Jenny Peevers during her community Supper Clubs, held across Longbridge. With special thanks to Redhawk Logistica for Austin-related imagery.
Digital Longbridge workshop
Students from Bournville College at Digital Longbridge workshop, photograph by Stephen Burke
On Thursday 20th Jenny Peevers and I hosted a workshop at the LPAP | SPACE with students from Bournville College. The aim of the day was to explore exactly what people thought of the idea of a Digital Longbridge. After a short demonstration of digital art the students began to record their ideas and responses to six key questions: (see video below)
- How are you using digital things in your life?
- What digital technology have you used today?
- What did you get out of it?
- When you go out is WiFi important?
- What new digital things have you heard about that you want?
- What does “Digital Longbridge” mean to you?
- How could digital technology improve things in Longbridge?
- How could digital things make life more fun?
Students responses, © Antonio Roberts
The answers are still being looked over and will be presented in full soon, but in the meantime please also share your thoughts around what a Digital Longbridge means to you.
Antonio Roberts
Luke Perry
I recently completed a series of 4 days with Bournville College including live brief artwork responses, vocational courses and a site tour of our factory where some of them had a go at welding! I think the students got a lot from the course and now really appreciate what we are trying to do, what they can do and their position in the Longbridge Story.
Photograph of Luke putting together his hand drawn map of the factory by Stephen Burke
As part of the Residency at Austin, which is in its sixth week I have had the opportunity to talk one to one with dozens of members who have all been part of the community or workforce of Longbridge. This has helped me to compile their stories which as well as aiding our understanding of the site has contributed to the memory map to which they take great pleasure in commenting on, remembering over and arguing between themselves as to where they used to hide from the gaffers.
Detail of Luke’s map by Stephen Burke
With much help from John Baker I have managed to interpret the many aerial photo’s of the site, photo’s of the interior and of each works. This has enabled me to create a very large birds eye view map of the site which is both on paper for laying out on the floor and getting responses from and also as a more intelligible aid to interpretation in the LPAP | SPACE. It is my intention to keep adding to this map and for others to do the same. It is a catalyst to conversation, reminiscence and thought about the general story of Longbridge and its future.
Finally last night (26th March) Hannah Hull and myself conducted a successful storytelling event with Graham Langley which I am sure she will write about in greater detail.
Photograph of Luke’s map in the LPAP | SPACE by Stephen Burke
Luke Perry
Photography Walkshop
Photography Walkshop, Saturday 29th March, 11am - 2pm
Photographic artist and recent winner of the Some Cities bursary Stephen Burke will be leading a photographic walk around Longbridge as part of Longbridge Public Art Project (LPAP) conceived by EC Arts for and on behalf of Bournville College,
Leaving from the LPAP | SPACE at 11am, you will be exploring with Stephen the infamous question of boundaries - where & what is Longbridge? Please bring along any camera you have even your mobile phone is a great device to use. Everyone is invited and it is a free event!
To register your place and for more information please contact Stephen at
stephenpatrickburke@gmail.com
www.lpap.co.uk
LPAP | SPACE address: 20 High St, Longbridge, Birmingham, B31 2TW (next to costa)
© Stephen Burke, Balsall Heath, Some Cities project
Bournville College Students Visit The LPAP | Space , 18th March
Photograph’s by Stephen Burke
Over 50 students from Bournville College visited the LPAP | SPACE today to learn about the project and potential opportunities to get involved with LPAP.
It was great to meet some of the student’s and hopefully we will see more of them over the coming weeks and months.
Take a look at what is happening in the LPAP | SPACE over the next couple of weeks here.
Cathy Wade
Photograph’s by Cathy Wade exploring Longbridge.
LPAP | SPACE
LPAP | SPACE, Photograph by Stephen Burke
The artists-in-residence research, and work in progress will be exhibited in the space throughout 2014, please do pop in to see the work and find out more about the project.
Archive Film
We are currently showing compilation films made from original archive footage which belongs to the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust. The films were put together for a traveling exhibition which the Trust took to various venues around Longbridge and has been kindly lent to the project by John Baker an Austin Ex-Apprentice and Gillian Bardsley from the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust.
John Baker describes the films as “a compilation of official Austin films taken over many years, which shows the diverse nature of the company and the contribution it made in both World Wars,”
For more information about the history of Longbridge please visit www.austinmemories.com
Photograph by Stephen BurkeAbove image, site-specific work created by Heavy Object in response to the space and Longbridge site, the abstract image produced by Heavy Object has been taken from an old photograph of one of the original buildings rafters, within Longbridge car factory.
Find the LPAP | SPACE here.
Nikki Pugh
I’m developing a guided tour taking in various locations around Longbridge and surrounding areas – you can read more about it at http://npugh.co.uk/blog/a_road_trip_for_longbridge/
As I develop the content for it, I’m keen to hear from anyone who has stories, insights, anecdotes or unusual facts relating to the places we’ll be stopping at. To start off with I’m curious about Frankley Services on the M5 and St Leonard’s church near Frankley reservoir. If you’ve something interesting to share, please add a comment to this blog post: http://npugh.co.uk/blog/tell_me_something_about_frankley_services_and_st_leonards_church/
Jenny Peeves
After meeting and listening to several groups, chatting to local businesses and knocking on some doors, I’m getting a feel of some of the things local people find important. I’m reflecting on what people are telling me through the filter of David Engwicht’s description of neighbourhoods, which in my mind is the most comprehensive I’ve come across.
“Neighbourhoods, towns and cities were invented to facilitate exchange. Exchanges of information, friendship, material goods, culture, insights, skills and also the exchange of emotional, psychological and spiritual support. For a truly sustainable environment we must maximise this exchange while minimising the travel necessary to do it”
David Engwicht, Towards an Eco-City.
I’m looking forward to having more conversations and starting the supper clubs in the coming weeks to bring people together to get involved and shape future activity in the Longbridge Public Art Project.
mail@jennypeevers.co.uk
Hannah Hull
I have become interested in how Longbridge does not have a history, but multiple histories. It is not a real place, a town. In literal terms, is an historic factory site… now a building site, a ‘development’ site. When people refer to Longbridge, they mean 'their’ Longbridge, the one that weaves into their personal stories. Tasked with researching the archives that relate to the area and the college - Austin, Cadbury, Bournville Village, Bournville College - I has discovered several different versions of the local history, told from each of these key stakeholders perspectives. My suspicion is that the individual stories of those in the area are much less clearly defined and more fluid. I am interested in working with these stories.
Antonio Roberts
In September 2012 Birmingham City Council unveiled its plans for six economic zones that span the city www.birmingham.gov.uk/economiczones, with each being tailored to attract companies working within the software and computing industries.
This presents an opportunity to discuss and define what exactly ITEC means to the community and how current developments will influence the technological future of the area.
I will be working with local poet laureate Giovanni Esposito (Spoz) www.spoz.net to develop audio sculptures to be placed around Longbridge that capture people’s hopes, dreams and fears surrounding the redevelopment of the area, and hopefully define exactly what ITEC is.
www.digitallongbridge.tumblr.com
Antonio’s flickr
Cathy Wade
Vic’s 20th Anniversary Landrover, Memento, Photographed at Greenlands Social Club.
My journeys into Longbridge happen by train, as a passenger the buildings and spaces pass by & condense into a succession of views from a window. The markers that define the landscape and become part of our daily experience fleet (yet. you always notice when you pass Bournville, it must be the purple paint), and on arrival at Longbridge station I have dashed through the site into the evolving new spaces that are defining the redevelopment of the new town centre.
The patterns of commuting and the daily journey into work are poignant, as the station is a space to be passed through than a space to linger in. As you leave you face the Greenlands Social Club, having left a site that feels underused and emptied outside commuting times, Greenlands has a warm welcome that opens up so many personal stories and histories, that each reanimate the histories that have formed the area. This currently leaves me with a desire to bring the human interaction that exists in the social club into the train station, to connect with something that makes you want to stop and directly engage with your environment and not blankly pass through.“
I am using my residency to look at how Longbridge is remembered through conservation and memories, and am keen to hear much more about the experiences that have informed the place, from photographs, snapshots, family slides, postcards and letters.
Hannah Hull
I have been spending time in the Bournville College and Village Trust archives, and researching Austin and Cadbury. I am focusing on issues around around gender, socio-economic background and education, and whether the progressive political seeds sewn in the early 20th Century are visible in the local community today. In collaboration with the younger and older generations in Longbridge today, I will be looking to create an artwork or series of artworks that appropriate the principles of the original college, making them both relevant and visible today. Rather than an historical monument, this artwork will be a participatory installation or intervention, temporary or permanent, that brings the ethos of the college to life in the actions and words of the local community.
Redhawk Logistica
I started researching the Longbridge site during the summer of 2013, including the history of the Austin car factory and its subsequent incarnations. This has included visiting the Heritage Motor Centre at Gaydon, which was an opportunity to find out about the dramatic story of the car plant, spanning two wars and it’s changing fortunes in later years. The research is ongoing and includes learning about the development of the site today and the social history of the area.
Redhawk Logistica and Luke Perry will be Artists in Residence at MG Motor UK during Spring 2014. This will provide a platform for collaboration between us and we will be generating opportunities to engage with people as part of a creative process that we hope will do justice to the incredible legacy of the site and to the potential future of it. This process will inform a series of artwork proposals, both temporary and permanent.
Research image by Redhawk Logistica for Longbridge Public Art Project (2014)
Longbridge Collective Collage
Redhawk Logistica carried out a day long workshop at Bournville College’s Open day in June 2013. This was a great opportunity to talk to local people, including families and young people. Selecting black and white images from a supply we had sourced and printed out was a good way to see what aspects interested people and it enabled visitors to contribute to a communal artwork that became a visual record of the conversations we had with them.
Redhawk Logistica’s collective collage created at Bournville College Open Day, Longbridge (June 2013) with visitors to the event, commissioned by Longbridge Public Art Project/EC Arts.
luke perry
To inform our concept development for the Roundabout commission, Rob Hewitt AKA Redhawk Logistica and I are spending the next few months based at MG Motor (UK) Ltd, exploring Longbridge’s rich heritage and getting to know residents. The below photographs are from a recent day at the Austin Social Club where over 50 local residents, many of whom worked at Longbridge got involved in a process of storytelling, sharing their memories with me. Each person wrote anonymously in chalk on slate their memories, hopes, fears or ruminations. Such as: “You were an assembler, a small part in a large machine”, “As a boy I slept to the sound of the hammers”, “You have to understand the enormity of the place” and “Often in the history of Longbridge it is the workforce that gets neglected and forgotten”. I found the day illuminating, and also inspiring, for all of the strange and confused political history of the site, it is the ordinary working people that are remembered with most strength and fondness.
