Monday 18 January 2010

PIONEERING PARTNERSHIP WILL SPREAD A GREEN MESSAGE ACROSS DARTMOOR

Two leading organisations involved in the creative arts, operating on either side of Dartmoor, are collaborating on a major exhibition and forum programme putting sustainability, as well as the current economic crisis, in the spotlight.

The project ‘Art, Ecology and the Economy’ takes the form of an exhibition, displayed simultaneously from 23 January-28 March, and a series of forums, at the Centre for Contemporary Art and the Natural World in Haldon Forest Park near Exeter, and the Duchy Square Centre for Creativity, Princetown.

Artists will trial products or work closely in the design and delivery of a service focussed on sustainability as part of the project, which has the fundamental aim of encouraging businesses to find innovative solutions to environmental challenges. The main focus will be on tackling climate change and the artists and businesses will work closely to develop ideas into sustainable business opportunities that will primarily be for the benefit of local communities in the Dartmoor area.

One public launch of the exhibition will be in Princetown on Saturday 23 January, 2-4pm, and another at Haldon on Sunday 24 January, 2-4pm. All are welcome to attend. CCANW is also holding a special launch by invite only for local businesses on the evening of Thursday 21 January, 6-8pm.

Tracy Hill - South West Regional Manager for Integria Ltd – said the collaboration between Duchy Square and CCANW would enable artists, designers, environmentalists and the wider business community to share ideas and expertise in pursuit of common goals.Integria Ltd- the creative consultancy company which manages and operates the Princetown centre – wants artists to collaborate with the companies to develop new products and initiatives around the sustainability agenda.“One of the fundamental aims of this project is that it brings about wide ranging benefits for the local community by significantly increasing demand for local services and local products,” said Tracy.“This will be achieved by artists and designers at CCANW and Duchy Square, as well as elsewhere on Dartmoor, promoting creative work that utilises natural resources from local sources increasing awareness of local cultural and recreational assets.”

Both exhibitions will explore how environmentally friendly approaches to manufacture and collaboration can make creative industries more profitable, and it turn, how this creative sector impacts on other regional industries.CCANW and Duchy Square will be hosting four forums that form part of the programme. The forums will bring together all the interested parties to take part in presentations, discussion groups and networking opportunities.

The forums are as follows: Wood Culture at CCANW (Thursday 28 January, 10am-4pm) is aimed at promoting the environmental benefits of using local, sustainably grown woods, using new technologies and traditional skills in the production of buildings, furniture and utility objects. Wool Culture at Duchy Square (Thursday 11 February, 10am-4pm) will explore ways in which the creative sector can utilise and add value to the natural products of local agriculture, with the focus on wool.

Water Culture at CCANW (Thursday 25 February, 10am-4pm) will explore ways in which the arts can encourage new visitors to the countryside and enhance the quality of that experience, with a focus on cultural activity associated with the rivers, lakes, and reservoirs of Greater Dartmoor and other parts of the UK. Duchy Square will also host the final forum, entitled Establishing Cultures (Thursday 18 March 10am -4pm) which will draw together all the ideas that have emerged from the exhibitions and all forum dates to build new partnerships between, artists and creative practitioners, environmentalists and business.

For full details of the ‘Art, Ecology and the Economy’ programme, visit www.ccanw.co.uk of contact CCANW on (01392) 832277. The details can also be found on the Duchy Square website, www.duchysquare.org, or contact the gallery on (01822) 890828.‘Art, Ecology and the Economy’ is financially supported by Greater Dartmoor LEAF (incorporating funds from the EU, Defra, SWRDA, LEADER), Arts Council England and Ernest Cook Trust.

CONTACT: For more information, please contact Anthony Abbott TxT Communications (07799) 888512 or Chris Lewis, Marketing and Development Manager at CCANW (01392) 832277 or Tracy Hill SW Regional Manager, Integria (07947) 348363.

EDITOR'S NOTES:

ABOUT CCANW:
• CCANW is an educational charity which uses the Arts to explore our place within Nature.
• It operates from a Project Space in Haldon Forest Park where it presents a year-round programme of exhibitions and other activities.
• It opened in 2006 by converting a previously redundant building and since then has been financially supported by Arts Council England and other grant aid. The Forestry Commission provides other visitor facilities at Haldon including a cafĂ©, cycle trail and adventure course.
• It is situated adjacent to the main car park of Haldon Forest Park, off the A38, and between Exeter Racecourse and Haldon Belvedere.

ABOUT DUCHY SQUARE:
• Duchy Square for Creativity offers low cost workshop space for Creative,Cultural, Arts and Media based businesses
• The aim of the project is to regenerate the area by supporting local businesses across several key sectors.
• It is a brand new centre created in 2009 with the South West Regional Development Agency, government Office South West, Devon County Council and the Duchy of Cornwall.
• It is situated in the centre of Princetown on Tavistock Road at the crossroads for the B3212 and B3357.

ABOUT INTEGRIA:Integria Ltd is a specialist management consultancy supporting the creative and cultural sectors throughout the United Kingdom, helping them to develop to their full potential to create new opportunities and stimulate economic growth.

Monday 11 January 2010

FREE WORKSHOP SESSIONS FOR A CREATIVE RESOLUTION



Make a New Year’s resolution to tap into your creative talents at a series of taster workshop sessions at Duchy Square Centre for Creativity – and they are all absolutely FREE!

Find out where your particular skills lie by trying out dyeing or weaving, felt making or creating new items from recycled material, all with the help of the Princetown centre’s talented team of resident artists.

Duchy Square is working with Learn Devon, The Devon Community Learning Partnership, to deliver the free taster sessions, which are the perfect introduction to a whole new world of creativity.

Gallery Manager Philippa Smith said the free sessions were designed to help people discover which creative discipline they would like to pursue further at other workshop session held throughout the year.

“We want to give as many people as possible the chance to try out a varied selection of creative processes so they can find out both what interests them and best suits their skills,” said Philippa.

“This really is a unique opportunity to start the New Year by learning a new creative skill free of charge and we are already getting a lot of interest in the sessions”

In The New Items from Old sessions with Amanda Pellatt (11 March 9.30am -1pm and 16 March 5pm-8pm) , people can work alongside a Duchy Square creative practitioner to create new items from a whole host of recycled materials.

Dyeing Naturally workshops with Jane Deane (17 January 10am-1pm and 5 March 10am -1pm) offer the chance to be environmentally friendly and dye fabrics using local plants for dye extracts.

Then there is Wild Weaving (4, 9 and 23 February 9.30am-1pm)) with Amanda Pellatt and Jillian Morris– three sessions that begin with a foraging walk in the wild and an introduction to the weaving process, followed by two sessions to weave a finished product. You will find out about all the different products used for weaving and some that you would never have thought could be used!

For felt enthusiasts, Mary Toon’s Felt Revived! (22 January 10am-1pm and 6 March 1pm-4pm)- Learn to make a beautiful scarf or bag by adding "ecofriendly" fleece to recycled fabrics. These sessions will show how an old craft has now been reborn in a new direction and the techniques adapted to become an environmentally friendly way of producing garments.

For details on how to book places on the free taster sessions workshops, contact Duchy Square on (01822) 890828 or visit the website www.duchysquare.org where contact details for all the artists can also be found.

Opened in March and supported by a number of organisations, including The Duchy of Cornwall and Devon County Council, the Duchy Square Centre for Creativity offers low cost workshop space on two floors and is helping boost the local economy by connecting local businesses with other key industry sectors.

The artists and creative practitioners take part in workshops organised by the centre, but also stage their own sessions with smaller groups in their own studios.

WEBSITES:

www.duchysquare.org

www.integria.net

CONTACT: For more information, please contact Anthony Abbott TxT Communications (07799) 888512 or Tracy Hill SW Regional Manager, Integria (07947) 348363.

ABOUT DUCHY SQUARE:

• Duchy Square for Creativity offers low cost workshop space for Creative,

Cultural, Arts and Media based businesses

• The aim of the project is to regenerate the area by supporting local businesses across several key sectors.

• It is a brand new centre created in 2009 with the South West Regional Development Agency, government Office South West, Devon County Council and the Duchy of Cornwall.

• It is situated in the centre of Princetown on Tavistock Road at the crossroads for the B3212 and B3357.

ABOUT INTEGRIA:

Integria Ltd is a specialist management consultancy supporting the creative and cultural sectors throughout the United Kingdom, helping them to develop to their full potential to create new opportunities and stimulate economic growth.