CURRENT PROJECTS
Sharrow / Venice/ Sharrow - Exhibition
Encounters Shop
16 Wostenholm Rd, Sheffield S7
Open Tuesdays & Thursdays from 1.00 - 7.00pm until 30 September 2008
We have re-opened the first dis-used shop that we inhabited five years ago, with an exhibition of hundreds of small photo collages created by visitors to the Encounters Room in the British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale of Architecture 06. The photographs used in Venice were of people and places in Sharrow, Sheffield taken of or by visitors to Encounters shops. This unique exhibition closes a circle by bringing this multi-authored artwork back to its initial source.
Photography by Matt Simpson
See more info about the Venice Biennale Exhibition
What’s Your Wybourn Way?
We are working with residents and other partners on the Wybourn estate in Sheffield, to deliver a creative project that unearths and reveals personal legacies and histories of the area and involves people in mapping and sharing their everyday lives and experiences. The project will also kick start a process of creative community involvement in the developments and improvements planned for the estate over the next ten years.
The project has two distinct phases and during the first phase of the project June – August 08, residents of all ages were invited to take Encounters artists on a 1:1 walk down memory lane pointing out personal landmarks around Wybourn. Using a set of questions as prompts residents told stories and shared memories attached to specific places. Prompts included invitations to; Take me to your favourite view, take me to somewhere you have been romantic, take me to a place you have heard stories about, take me to a place that’s not there any more, take me to a place you fear, take me to a place where you have cried, take me to a place where you’ve had a great party, take me to a place where you’ve played a childhood game, take me to a place you feel safe, take me to a place you think could be different. Walks lasted on average two hours, and Forty three residents took part. The walks were recorded thorough photography, writing and the mapping of the route on a map. Up to a hundred other residents in their front gardens, on the street, outside shops, answered the question If you could put one place in Wybourn on the map that has personal meaning for you where would you choose and why.
Phase two of the project will take place in September – November 08 and will feedback stories, maps and images to the wider community in a temporary installation/event that will animate different areas on the estate. The second phase of the project will also see the introduction of a group of year Six architecture students from the University of Sheffield Architecture department, to the project team. The focus of the architects live project will be to devise and deliver participatory methods and approaches that involve residents of all ages in both long term visioning, and short – term design solutions for imminent environmental improvement works on both estates. The cross over between art and architecture practice will be explored in the collaboration between Encounters and the team of Architects.
Artist Sorrel Muggridge has joined the Encounters team for the project.
The project is commissioned by Parkways, Great Places Housing Group who are the new social landlord for Wybourn, Richmond Park and Park Hill in Sheffield (www.greatplaces.org.uk).
Encounters to launch new project @ Cornershop in Winchester
Cornershop have invited us to develop a 3-week interactive installation in their base, a Corner shop in Winchester. Starting Empty the Cornershop will change and transform over time as visitors add to evolving interactive artworks that will map and reveal traces of everyday life. Large Maps of Winchesters will fill as personal stories are linked to significant places, and journeys of arrival and departure are shared. Walls will be covered with individually created mini photographic worlds of Winchester. Daily questions, evolving collections of lost objects, playful interventions and performative engagements out of the shop, will all add to this process of forensic art that will be investigating and peeling back the layers of Winchester taking a snapshot in time. We will be working with performing arts students from University of Winchester to deliver the project and animate both the shop and town centre locations.
Sacha Lee and Jane Watson in association with The Point are curating Cornershop, a season of intimate performance events at 27 Thomas Street, Winchester. All events are free to the public.
Opening times 10 - 4pm
3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th October 2008
Final weekend with special events
17th & 18th October 2008 10 - 4pm
