Sticky Tape Figures from History
Working with the Heritage Lottery Fund's Young Roots programme Letchworth Arts Centre is launching 'Sticky Tape Figures from History', an ambitious venture that combines local history, investigative research and the creation of original works of art.
Take part in the project and you'll make a life-size sculpted person – out of sticky tape!
The project's aim is to engage local people in making a journey of discovery about the town and people connected to it who have had an impact on the nation.
Up to 20 groups will be able to join in with the project. Their 20 sculptures will be exhibited in September 2010 as part of an outdoor heritage trail throughout the town. This will allow the public to learn about the history of Letchworth and the people associated with the town.
There will also be a month long exhibition of the sculptures in the Main Gallery at the Arts Centre in 2011.
Historical figures: Who to choose
This is where knowledge of the town and its history will come in handy. There are many people, both living and deceased, who are significant to the history of the country and have a connection with Letchworth Garden City.
Groups taking part should use their local contacts to select a figure to investigate. Word of mouth research, involving interviewing long-term residents of the town, would be an excellent starting-point.
We want the groups to uncover facts about their chosen person's relationship with Letchworth Garden City. We want to be surprised and delighted by what is brought to light during the research.
The staff at the First Garden City Heritage Museum will be able to provide information and possible leads to follow for groups researching people closely associated with the town.
Here are a few examples to act as a starting point. Laurence Olivier made his acting debut in 1924 at St Christopher School’s Theatre, appearing as Lennox in a production of Macbeth. Ebenezer Howard, pioneer of the Garden City movement, invented a shorthand-typing machine, but sadly, it was never put into production. You can see two prototypes at the Heritage Museum. George Orwell, who was uncomplimentary about Letchworth in his novel The Road to Wigan Pier, lived nearby and visited the town in the 1930s.
Creating your sticky tape figure
Groups will choose a person with a connection to Letchworth Garden City who also has a national significance.
They will carry out research into that person, leading them on a journey of discovery, uncovering little known facts about the heritage of Letchworth Garden City.
Inspired by the work of the American artist Mark Jenkins (see right and below), the sticky tape sculptures are made by casting objects in sticky tape, just like a cast on a broken arm. The Arts Centre will be providing workshops run by experienced artists where groups will learn the art of sticky tape modelling. We will also provide the sticky tape!
We want groups to find innovative ways of communicating what they learn about their chosen figure into the sculpture itself. This could be by incorporating text into the body of the sculpture or using props or accessories also sculpted from sticky tape. There could be accompanying text in the form of a book or leaflet, or even accompanying sound or video. Also consider the pose of the figure and how it would look on the trail -- would it be sitting, standing or in mid-action?
Things to Remember
Application Forms can be downloaded below or picked up at The Arts Centre. The deadline for applications to reach The Arts Centre is July 30 and the figure will need to be finished ready for the trail around Letchworth by September. Remember your historical person can be alive or dead but must have a national significance as well as a connection to Letchworth Garden City. The groups will claim their historic figure on a first come first serve basis. We will let you know when you apply whether your chosen person has already been appointed to a group.If this all sounds a bit complicated, fear not. The Arts Centre will be there to support you throughout the project, offering help and advice whenever it is needed.
Keep up to date with the project by checking the website and our Twitter and Facebook pages.
External Link:
Letchworth Arts on Facebook Attachments:
