Blog

Written on June 7, 2010 at 1:19 pm, by admin

Blog:http://leesimmons.livejournal.com/

Photography

Written on March 9, 2010 at 5:20 pm, by admin

Been taking lots of pictures lately. Lovely light everywhere day and night. Day time particularly colours are gorgeous. Think I’m going to start using a flickr site and put a bunch of them on there…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35187085@N06/

Next

Written on November 28, 2009 at 6:11 pm, by admin

A few things coming up include 4th December at Brighton Phoenix ‘AIRTIME’ I’ll be there with Aspex from 3-5pm

AIR TIME, an artists’ information and networking event due to take place at Phoenix Brighton, 3-5pm on Friday the 4th of December, aimed at artists in the South East.

On 8th December there will be an arc session at Ashford (artists surgeries) that I’m facilitating, for more info. see:
www.aspex.org.uk/arc.htm
follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/arcteam
and make friends with arc on facebook:
www.facebook.com/arc.centre

December 20th I’m making a temporary installation in Cold Blow Lane tunnel, New Cross SE14, will post a picture of the work here afterward.

Above is an image of the event/installation in December last year.

Tomorrow (Saturday 16th January) I’m giving 1>1 surgeries at South Hill Park, Bracknell, Berkshire. This is currently fully booked but if there is a cancellation there might be a chance to take that, there is also a networking event which has space and is free.

Next Thursday 21st January I’ll be at Turner Contemporary in Margate, Kent, also delivering arc surgeries. This still has a space.

‘One to one surgeries at Turner Contemporary with artist advisor, Lee Simmons Thursday 21st January

Artists can use these sessions to gain feedback on their work or to discuss any aspect of career development, fundraising, making proposals, or a particular project. Surgeries last 45 minutes and must be booked in advance.

To book a one to one surgery at Turner Contemporary email info@turnercontemporary.org or phone 01843 280261

There will be early February arc events in Canterbury and Rochester in Kent, the details of which I’ll post here when they are confirmed.

Friday 5th February 1>1 surgeries at Westgate Hall, Canterbury City Centre, Kent
Tuesday 23rd February 1>1’s/peer group critique at Rochester Art Gallery, Rochester City Centre, Kent
Friday 19th March, 1>1’s at Rochester Art Gallery, Rochester City Centre, Kent
20th April The Deaf Cat, Rochester High Street, launch of new programme of events and professional development in Medway with arc (5.30-8.30 if attending rsvp to arts@medway.gov.uk. For more information email caren.bland@medway.gov.uk)
Friday 4th June 1>1’s/peer group critique at Rochester Art Gallery, Rochester City Centre, Kent
Tuesday 3rd August Rochester Art Gallery, Rochester City Centre, Kent
Friday 10th September Rochester Art Gallery, Rochester City Centre, Kent
Friday 1st October Rochester Art Gallery, Rochester City Centre, Kent
+
Tuesday 23rd March, 1>1’s at Turner Contemporary, Margate, Kent
31st March 1>1’s at South Hill Park Art Centre, Bracknell, Berkshire

To book contact Phyl Payne at Aspex:
T +44 (0)23 9277 8080
E: resource@aspex.org.uk

A behind the scenes tour of South East London galleries and studios I was running for artists from De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill on Sea was postponed due to the snow. It should have run on 8th January around the Isle of Dogs, Deptford, New Cross and Peckham. That’s now to be Friday 16th April.

—————————
There will be a tour of Whitstable Biennale for Artists from Rochester on Friday 2nd July
To book contact Caren Bland caren.bland@medway.gov.uk
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Exhibitions and events, worth doing :-)

Written on November 28, 2009 at 5:14 pm, by admin

Unofficial Meetings 1, 2 & 3 at Sanford Housing Cooperative, London SE14 13, 18 & 19th June 2010

Discussion groups around a proposal to have Art and Culture Officers at Sanford Housing Cooperative, resulted in an agreement for an open community arts network instead. Notes from these meetings/discussions are available on request.

Pro>Cypher – A Hip-Hop discussion
Location: Lati Ri @ Rivington Place Gallery
Time: Sunday, 06 June 2010 19:30

Went to this after street parties celebrating the opening of a new train line that connects New Cross and Dalston – at last! North >< South. Live bands on the streets and swing dance in the station - also worth doing!

Was a great debate, many similar concerns to visual artists, though probably more to the point.

Was funny having been in that same bar for the opening of ‘Whose Map Is It? new mapping by artists’ - with Iniva, earlier in the week, which was also pretty good but a very different crowd and free drinks. I was glad that the Hip-Hop debate was self-organised by the artists and not a gallery trying to cash in on the scene and their work- without supplying anything – like Tate Modern with their recent birthday party!

At her balcony; Mohamad Hafeda
Slade Research Center, UCL, Woburn Square, London WC1H 0AB
6th / 7th May – more to come no doubt.

‘The exhibit explores two female residents living in the same neighbourhood, and their different and contradictory readings of current urban elements, practices and memory events, that could be both actual and/or mythical. The project accesses the neighbourhood from their balconies. It employs photography as a medium of documentation and a device for measuring the limits – geographical and emotional – between the two women, their interior settings, and the elements around them. The limit, the blind spot, in one’s realm is revealed in that of the other. The work reveals hidden spatial practices of confrontation and threat, particular to the current political-sectarian conflict in Beirut, as well as strategies of claiming urban space by its different users-controllers.’

This was part of a wider show:

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/urbanlab/en2/index.php?page=3.1.1

‘Cities Methodologies 2010 presents recent innovations in urban methods from current researchers at UCL. Through the juxtaposition of installations, films, maps, models, objects, performances, photographs, poems, talks, texts, walks, websites and workshops, visitors will encounter a diverse array of cities and urban conditions – from literature in London, to flyovers in Mumbai, from movement and spatial organisation in Jeddah, to fear in New York City, and housing in Lisbon seen through cinema. The exhibition and events programme promise a unique experience for urban practitioners, researchers, and others interested in contemporary cities. They will provide insights into emerging and experimental methods in the urban field, looking right across the full spectrum of disciplines in which the city is predominant, including distinctive perspectives and interdisciplinary collaborations from the built environment, the arts and humanities and the social and historical sciences.’

Artangel Interaction’s new commission ‘Smother’.

WEDNESDAY 5 & THURSDAY 6 MAY 6-8pm feedback preview – the exhibition is 13th May – 5th June http://www.artangel.org.uk/projects/2010/smother

‘Developed through an intensive collaborative process over the past year Smother occupies the unexpected frame of 101 Kings Cross Road.
Smother is an evolving piece, ever changing and developing through new levels of input and collaboration.

Developed by artist Sarah Cole with Coram Young Parents Project and composer Jules Maxwell, Smother shows us a glimpse of a world where young parents navigate their own adulthood amidst the complexities of raising a child.’

The preview involved being collected by a young mother and invited to her house. This was tall and thin on Kings Cross Road with a great view and interesting architecture, yet incredibly claustrophobic. Actresses hung out in the house involving you in their routines. Installations embedded throughout the property raised questions and heightened emotions: by the end I felt dazed and sick yet could not reason why.

Mat Collishaw, Tracey Emin and Paula Rego, The Foundling Museum, London

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/reviews/mat-collishaw-tracey-emin-and-paula-rego-the-foundling-museum-london-1909733.html

The above link is to a review of an exhibition at Coram’s Museum www.coram.org.uk. I like the idea but am not sure how well the pieces work in the museum – to have them integrated – or not. Good additional reason to visit the impressive and thought provoking permanent collection / exhibition though. And I think Tracey Emin has done some sensitive outdoor work, bit more with it than usual. Turner are opening a new commission of hers in Margate at the end of the month as well which looks promising:
www.turnercontemporary.org/whatson/?p=192

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot at The Barbican, The Curve gallery 27 February 2010 – 23 May 2010, Free
www.barbican.org.uk/artgallery/event-detail.asp?id=9713
Birds flying about, landing on drums, cymbals, guitars all wired up and making their own music. Visitors to the space encouraging this movement as well as being moved about themselves by it. Lots of complaints of cruelty to animals of course, though the birds are happy as Larry, even nesting in there. You can see a clip of them here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89Kz8Nxb-Bg
It’s worth a visit, fun, lovely idea; being The Barbican really well presented etc. but – somehow a bit thin considering what a strong idea it is. I stayed in there for much less time than I expected to.

Storm Thorgerson, ‘Right But Wrong’ Extended album art of StormStudios and Hipgnosis at Idea Generation Gallery 2nd April – 2nd May 2010, Free
http://ideageneration.co.uk/generationgallery.php
Loads of work related to album covers that includes land art, performance, sculpture… coming from the visual artists and the musicians. Thoughtful and visually stunning. This show is really enjoyable.

Erik Rydeman, has been working away on this DEATHGAME free game lately – www.deathgame.org along with other interested geeks. I mean, coders… ? Whatever.

It was previously based in Sweden but now has made an international launch so it will be interesting to see how it takes off over here.

What I like about it, is that this game takes place in real space – you track down other players in real space and time and bomb them with apples etc. Erik has been killed when having a quiet meal with friends before – someone ran in and shot him with a banana!

Apparently the players become quite obsessed for the duration of each game – always on guard when walking down the street, in a bar…

It’s great that they are getting out and about anyway. Apparently after killing another player, relationships have sprouted offline too… real friends! That breathe and smell and things!

I’m looking forward to the introductory video that will be online soon and explains more, and to the next round when more players can join.

Am going to his birthday drinks in a minute, I think there are 3 game designers birthdays sharing the party, so am hoping they don’t all talk in code. I don’t know geek speak

Exhibitions I like from the last week or so (from 28/11/09) include the LCC photography ma show, mainly I was interested in Simona Koch’s work – she has been a resident at Sanford Cooperative for a decade and photographs a lot. It’s wonderful to catch her catching. She is also currently in New Contemporaries and I think many great shows to come…

Art by Offenders at The Royal Festival Hall (spirit level) a free exhibition from the 2009 Koestler awards. Some really interesting and poignant stuff. I actually dreamed of the new media work that night, a labyrinth of blue light and 2D cardboard moving people. It’s on until 6th Dec

Talking to Strangers by Sophie Calle at Whitechapel Art Gallery: socially engaged art that is unquestionably high quality and successful. Entertains you whilst making you think. And it’s beautiful. Free (donation) and on for a while I think.

Art Psychotherapy

Written on November 28, 2009 at 2:53 pm, by admin

During the second year as a part time student on this Masters course I mainly worked with Coram www.coram.org.uk amid Music Therapy. This is the oldest childrens’ charity in the country; I’m glad to have been part of bringing Art Therapy to it. During the third and final year I am working in adult mental health from an established NHS Art Therapy team.

The training course uses a psychodynamic model that draws largely from Freud. It’s fairly strict regarding the method whilst training, though once working most therapists adapt according to the circumstances and individual patients or client group.

Anyone interested in finding out more about this go to www.baat.org The British Association of Art Therapists and/or look up the course www.goldsmiths.ac.uk

Recent Workshop (notes)

Written on November 14, 2009 at 5:49 pm, by admin

FABRICA-Artist as Educator –

Lee Simmons Tues 27 October 10.30-4.30pm
Free Booking essential

This day long event for artists working in educational contexts is led by ARC adviser Lee Simmons. Drawing on case studies of past projects it will involve practical tips for structuring workshops and the opportunity to talk about your own experiences and current projects. Email caitlin.heffernan@artistresource.org.uk

Caitlin Heffernan
Artist Resource Manager
Fabrica
40 Duke Street
Brighton BN1 1AG

00 44 (0) 1273 778646

http://www.fabrica.org.uk

http://www.artistresource.org.uk

The Artist Resource
Artist Professional Development library, services and events since 1998
Part financed by the Arts Council South East and Brighton & Hove City Council
Part of the Artist Professional Development Network (APD) http://www.apd-network.info
Partner in the arc programme http://www.aspex.org.uk/arc.htm

Notes for attendees (and anyone else who may be interested)

You can now download the project books under ‘Publications’ on my website. The ones we discussed were Oxted Quarry Project and Q:2

Attendees:

Tina Neil (looking for paid art projects)

Annemieke Goldswain (photographer with funding proposal)

Daniel Fawcett (filmmaker)

Alex Sutton (working largely in arts education, not primarily as an artist)

Nina Brazzo (photographer)

Rowena Park (jeweller)

Lee Campbel (performance artist and curator)

Jo Shepland (varied visual art forms, frequently dance and choreography)

Helen Cann (artist and English teacher with migrants)

Lee Simmons (fine art with educational elements)

Introductions – we all discussed what we do and what we hope to get out of the session. I adjusted the plan to allow the entire afternoon for attendees presentations as we were such a mixed group and had a lot of content brought by participants.

Discussion of general practicalities.
Presentations of self initiated and run public art projects – Oxted Quarry Project and Q:2 – described in detail with PDF’s of books that show the entire projects. These books will be available online from the week of 16th November. If not I will post DVD’s to participants though hopefully can add downloadable versions of them to my website by then.

Feedback was that it was helpful to see from the inside out. I was very honest describing the design of the projects, the fundraising, how I wrote the budget etc. realistically. This was an example of what happened, as opposed to what to do; demystifying the process as much as possible.

After lunch we looked further at practicalities

CRB
- criminal records bureau check, general discussion of how and why we need them and how to obtain them (from employer or through local arts development officer -council ado).

Insurance
- AIR with a-n covers public liability brilliantly as part of the annual publication subscription fee.

Health and Safety
- we had a discussion about the general practicalities of running workshops, risk assessments, giving examples of how this has been managed in previous projects.

Assistance
– making sure that you have enough help; the artist’s role is to facilitate an art project not to control behaviour. It’s important to ensure before the date of the workshop that there will be adequate staff to help run the workshop (preferably who have already worked with / know the group).

When working with children there should always be enough assistants that no one is left alone with members of the group. Even with a crb and insurance this is important to protect participants from risk and for artists and staff from false accusations.

Duration
– discussion around workshop length identifying group needs, concentration of participants, subject matter and content, methods of presentation / work tools.

Fees
– these are at the discretion of the employer and employee. Guidelines can be found at a-n and arts council web pages. We discussed working for free to gain experience – and working for free when holding experience. Agreement was that in some circumstances voluntary work is relevant but generally to adhere to professional self employed guidelines is crucial for covering preparation and follow up time, research, holiday and sick pay.

At present a days work is ‘on paper’ around £150.00 – £350.00 pending experience.

Opportunities
- we discussed varied methods for working in education, such as approaching schools directly, working through charities, organisations (agents) such as DAISI and Creative Partnerships. Contacting your local ADO about mailing lists / adding you to their database of artists, axis and arts jobs (arts council website) as starting points.

We also recognised that whilst it is competitive to gain such work, there is no valid reason for taking on too much and facing burn out; or not having time to adequately develop ideas and maintain an art practice.

There was also a debate about when it is relevant to work in educational settings.
If an artist is not really interested in this he / she should find another way to earn a living…

———————————————–

Presentations from each participant of a project they are working on or developing was met with lively and generous discussion from the group.

———————————————–

Contacts:

http://www.creative-partnerships.com/

http://www.daisi.org.uk/

http://www.a-n.co.uk/air/topic/437351

http://www.axisweb.org/

http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/

http://www.ace-ed.org.uk/

Tina Neal tinaneal1@hotmail.co.uk
Rowena Park rowenapark@talktalk.net
Nina Brazzo ninaalexiabrazzo@yahoo.com
Annemieke Goldswain-Hein info@goldswain-hein.com
Daniel Fawcett d.j.fawcett@googlemail.com
Alex Sutton workshops@tiscali.co.uk
Helen Cann helen@cann1.fsnet.co.uk
Jo Shapland joshapland@yahoo.co.uk
Lee Campbell leecampbellprojects@yahoo.co.uk

Website

Written on November 14, 2009 at 5:10 pm, by admin

My website was set up with Dan Fone www.hammerheadrabbits.com using WordPress Whiteboard theme http://plainbeta.com/2008/05/20/whiteboard-a-free-wordpress-theme-framework/ by Brian Purkiss

Having trawled the internet for over a month, navigating much confusing crap about how to build my website this has been a great solution.

A simple site that has the flexibility to develop how I like, pending how the skill building goes…