Project Tag: UK

The Weather Report

Screen shot from The Weather Report film 2021

In this project artist Jill Impey curated a creative space (online or live) in which people from coastal and immigrant communities (in England in 2021 and New Zealand in 2018) reflected on relationships with heritage. They explored feelings about the weather, the sea, immigration, colonisation and notions of connection and took part in recording sessions that contributed to a film. The project was funded by Arts Council England in 2020 . In post Brexit, mid-pandemic England, the host was Lucida Impey, a mental health nurse just returned in 1948, from New Zealand. She provided resource packs and led creative activities. By setting the scene post-war, participants were released from their day to day lives to converse and connect with their creativity. Before and after the workshops, they gave their own ‘internal weather reports’ The full film is 14 mins duration, with subtitled spoken reflections.

The Weather Report : 2022-2023 Inclusion, Collaboration, Connection

The installation photograph shows 3TV screens attached to a white wall. The first screen shows an old white painted shelter against a blue sky. The second is of a large white conch shell being held by a white woman's hands against a turquoise green sea background. The third a turquoise sea with a rusty chain and boat parts above and to the right hand side. Black wires dangled from the screens down to a box of electrical points. On top of the box is the large white conch shell that appears to be connecting and communicating with the screens via the black wires. In front of the installation are the arms of 2 grey sofa's seen from behind.
The Weather Report exhibition at The Hive in Shrewsbury July to August 2022

The Weather Report tour (National Lottery funded and supported by Art’s Council England in 2022) offers visitors the opportunity to take inspiration from the film and engage with a creative process of gathering and sharing wisdom and understanding.

Lucida in the UK and Jasmine Teei in New Zealand will guide participants through a range of creative activities, inviting them to:

• Explore seashells and other natural objects through touch and drawing.

• Consider how you connect to the world by sharing thoughts and feelings.

• Make postcards, poems and collage

• Find new ways of connecting and considering what it is to be ‘A Good Ancestor’.

Jill’s working process is to make new recordings in response to her films and workshops. These in-turn create new artworks to be shared. 

The Weather Report is currently touring the UK and New Zealand starting with The Hive, Shrewsbury, Prince Rock School Plymouth, The Dragon Theatre Barmouth and The Old Art School Raglan New Zealand in 2022, followed by Wolverhampton Arena Theatre with a BSL signed performance in spring 2023. The final exhibition and events will be shown between April and May 2023 at Theatre Severn in Shrewsbury. 

The Weather Report : Inclusion, Collaboration, Connection Post 3

Jill Impey’s Arts Council England funded Project, “The Weather Report” is Touring to The Dragon Theatre Barmouth for 2 performances, on Tuesday 25th October. Followed by Raglan, New Zealand for 2 performances, on Friday 28th October. 

The Weather Report event includes a 14 minute film screening in a two hour creative engagement with the film maker and artist, performing as her fictional historical character “Lucida” in the UK . While in New Zealand, Jasmine Teei founder of Black Flax and one of the original contributors to the film. will deliver the project at The Old School Arts Centre in Raglan.

The poster has a green background. Black text at the top reads a film and participatory workshops touring England, Wales and New Zealand. Underneath large text in black and white reads The Weather Report. The image beneath this text is of white woman's hands cradleing a large white conch shell. A calm turquoise sea is in the background. The fingers have gold jewelled rings on them. The fingers have swollen knuckles. The hand supporting the base of the shell is bent backwards. Text beneath the image reads What does it mean to be a ‘good ancestor’ ? The Weather Report is a powerful and moving short film by artist Jill Impey. The film records the voices of women from coastal, immigrant and creative communities in New Zealand and England. The women reflect on their relationships with heritage and feelings about the weather, the sea, migration and colonisation. Post-screening workshops with Lucida (Jill’s fictional character) invite you to take inspiration from the film and use creative processes to explore what being a good ancestor means to you. Booking at www.dragontheatre.co.uk Take part in a project about connection www.jillimpey.com column to the left reads 25th Oct. 2022 10am-12pm, 1pm-3pm £5 adult £2.50 conc. The Dragon Theatre, Jubilee Road, Barmouth LL42 1EF Tel: 01341 281697 Bottom line logos Arts Council England and National Lottery Logos: Cartoon crossed fingers with eyes and a smile, far left . Arts Council England written in a circle format to the right. Text below says Lottery Funded. Text top right says: 'Supported using public funding by' in small letters then 'Arts Council England' in Large Capitals below. Logo, The Dragon Theatre in White Celtic style text next to a white dragon on a dark red background with a maroon dragon shadow behind the text.
Poster for the event at The Dragon Theatre in Barmouth
by Jill Impey

Art History and Contemporary Art

We can learn a lot about our world through art history and contemporary art by putting things into context.

I’m looking forward to running these 4 Art History and Contemporary Art sessions at Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery starting with 
SAT 1 OCT, 2022
Portraits Art History Workshop with Jill Impey
Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM Cost: £20/ session
booking at https://www.shropshiremuseums.org.uk/…/portraits-art…/

A portrait of a white woman in Tudor costume and text that says 'SM&AG SAT 1 OCT 2022 ART HISTORY With Jillmpey Portraits Courses 合 Shropshire Council'
by Jill Impey

The Weather Report : Inclusion, Collaboration, Connection Post 2

This week I have been reflecting on accessibility and inclusion.

In July for The Weather Report programme I took part in Accessible Marketing training by Paula Dower from DASH. I have started to implement some of the really important changes that I need to make in my communications.

I have also started to recognise some of my own accessibility needs as a neurodiverse artist.

I have always struggled with giving talks and decided to use visual notes with drawings and annotations. This enabled me to remember key points when I gave a talk to fellow artists: Andrew Howe, Jean Atkin, Emma Plover and Jamila Walker Thomas; Olivia Hames from the Hive and Kate Green from Meadow Arts.

A crumpled piece of paper with drawings and written notes on it. There is a lighthouse drawn on the left with the Dates 1620 and 2020 written on it. Some railings and the letters T-A-P and the name Kim Wide. On the right there is a drawing of New Zealand flax some wavy lines to represent the sea, 2019 NZ and the name Jasmine Teei are written. In the centre ACE is circled and underneath it SSR with a picture of clasped hands beneath. At the bottom the word PLYM-SEPT , T Severn + Hive Shrewsbury; Dragon Barmouth, Old Art School Raglan NZ. ( BSL) Wolverhampton Arena Theatre. Meadow : Share
My visual notes for a talk about The Weather Report. They include important dates, images and tour venues.

In other news:

I attended The Body as Vessel: Priya Mistry AKA What’s the Big Mistery, provoking, evoking and amplifying. (Axis Web)

I Visited British Columbia and was inspired by indigenous knowledge. I found affinity with Raven who teaches us to be creative, playful and curious.

A black stone carving of a dancing raven figure with human legs and feet mounted on a cedar tree trunk base.
Raven Dancer- Contemporary Blackstone Carving. Koskas ( Billy Dan ) Lilwat Nation, 2004

I’ve just booked a course in Mental Health First Aid with St John’s Ambulance. This will help deal with any issues that come up during workshops. It will help create a safer space.

This new knowledge will be embraced and disseminated in The Weather Report Inclusion Tool- Kit.

by Jill Impey

Jill Impey’s practice combines artefacts, found objects, curation, sound and video. Her focus is on communication and connectedness. Exhibited as audiovisual installations on themes of heritage and nature, Impey as artist and Reiki practitioner, seeks to engage observers in discussions and workshops.

The combination of installation and focus upon the response of the observer is at the heart of my practice, which is committed to opening up vitally needed channels of communication to heal the fractures in our modern society. The Weather Report seeks to  engage a broader national and international audience in discussions around heritage, migration and interconnectedness….. sometimes its easier to talk about the weather.

Jill Impey

This Primeval Infant Earth/ Liminal, audio visual collaboration, Jill Impey and Ted Eames, filmed in NewZealand (Aotearoa)
Objects from the sea, Iceland 2016
Objects from the sea, New Zealand 2019