'Black and White', Installation, Newry arts Centre
YouthWorks - YouthAction 2012-13
'I.D', Interactive Exhibition / Installation, Newry Library, 2013
YouthWorks, YouthAction N.I. 2013
YouthWorks, YouthAction N.I. 2013
This exhibition was collaborative project between groups of young people from The Newry and Mourne Area (Newry and Kilkeel) and two professional Artists.
The young people have been on the YouthWorks programme. This is a programme that helps young people aged 16-17 years old who are not in employment, education or training to gain experience and qualifications and to develop skills to aid in their return to education or to progress onto training or employment.
As part of this programme they took part in a suite of creative workshops which helped them to explore their Identity in a creative way. The young people developed ideas and thoughts on who they were through artistic workshops over a two and a half month period.
The outcome was to have an interactive exhibition /installation whereby the young people’s collaboration with each other and with the professional artists was to be brought to a public arena whereby the public, visiting groups and organisations could interact with the exhibition.
Through the various artistic workshops the I.D exhibition became an Installation of a campsite. A singular tent surrounded by elements of nature such as trees, grass, fire and a pond.
It was agreed that this setting was symbolic of being alone, in the wild, only ‘YOU’, and your thoughts! Thoughts of ‘Who am I?’ without the overwhelming buzz of our everyday hectic lives, here we can be alone and have time to reflect on what makes ‘us’ us?
Within the exhibition there are points where the viewer can get involved and interact with the exhibition.
There are other elements to the exhibition. The clothes hanging on the line play on the ‘Airing your dirty laundry in public’ saying. Here we have printed clothes items which make statements usually not stated in public by the young people. The mirrors in the pond are reflections of some of the young people, some good, some regretful. The kites symbolise hopes and aspirations for the future, hopes of reaching the heights of their dreams.
The tent is adorned by 13 boxed arm and hand casts with photos of some of the young people, screened by the plaster casts. The picture of them is actually how they look. The plaster cast arm and hands are how the young people see themselves. This is their ‘I.D – Identity’. The tent is
illuminated by projections of images and quotes taken from the young people’s everyday lives.
The young people have been on the YouthWorks programme. This is a programme that helps young people aged 16-17 years old who are not in employment, education or training to gain experience and qualifications and to develop skills to aid in their return to education or to progress onto training or employment.
As part of this programme they took part in a suite of creative workshops which helped them to explore their Identity in a creative way. The young people developed ideas and thoughts on who they were through artistic workshops over a two and a half month period.
The outcome was to have an interactive exhibition /installation whereby the young people’s collaboration with each other and with the professional artists was to be brought to a public arena whereby the public, visiting groups and organisations could interact with the exhibition.
Through the various artistic workshops the I.D exhibition became an Installation of a campsite. A singular tent surrounded by elements of nature such as trees, grass, fire and a pond.
It was agreed that this setting was symbolic of being alone, in the wild, only ‘YOU’, and your thoughts! Thoughts of ‘Who am I?’ without the overwhelming buzz of our everyday hectic lives, here we can be alone and have time to reflect on what makes ‘us’ us?
Within the exhibition there are points where the viewer can get involved and interact with the exhibition.
There are other elements to the exhibition. The clothes hanging on the line play on the ‘Airing your dirty laundry in public’ saying. Here we have printed clothes items which make statements usually not stated in public by the young people. The mirrors in the pond are reflections of some of the young people, some good, some regretful. The kites symbolise hopes and aspirations for the future, hopes of reaching the heights of their dreams.
The tent is adorned by 13 boxed arm and hand casts with photos of some of the young people, screened by the plaster casts. The picture of them is actually how they look. The plaster cast arm and hands are how the young people see themselves. This is their ‘I.D – Identity’. The tent is
illuminated by projections of images and quotes taken from the young people’s everyday lives.