Great Bow Wharf Exhibtion

I've been down in sunny Langport again to set up another exhibition of those fantastic Hunky Punks created throughout this project.

SPAEDA, Somerset’s Arts Education Charity are proud to be working with local students on ‘ALCHEMY’, a regional Gold Arts Award project that supports Young Creative Leaders. 5 students from Huish Episcopi Academy exhibit works from their Silver Arts Award and the beginnings of their Gold Arts Award Journey where they have been working in partnership with SAW artists. The students and tutors work includes paper, painting, photography, illustration, graffiti and more and are be exhibited alongside work from Somerset Art Works’ Hunky Punks project.

The exhibition is part of Somerset Art Weeks and is displayed at Great Bow Wharf. Hunky Punks from all the schools that took part in the workshops are being displayed: Huish Episcopi Academy, Huish Episcopi Primary School, Curry Mallet Primary School and the local community too. I think they look fantastic against the white walls but make sure you pop in and see them for yourselves, there's a great riverside cafe there too! Its open  9.30 am – 4pm daily with Hunky Punks displayed until 6th October. For more info visit: http://www.somersetartworks.org.uk/venues/alchemy

Final Showcase at All Saints Church, Langport

All the finished Hunky Punks made by the young people of Langport were displayed at All saints Church during the Langport festival in the first week of June 2013.

Julie and Penny two of the project artists along with Mark from CCT (Churches Conservation Trust) spent most of the day finding place to suspend, or display the fantastic display of monsters, it was great fun watching it all come together. 

Sarah and Penny also ran a workshop on the day for more people to come and make Hunky Punks, so we got a few new additions then as well!

 We also had some prizes for the most gruesome Hunky Punks, which were presented by local Hunky Punk expert Peter Poyntz Wright, who gave 3 prizes to the winning recipients.

Next, look out for more displays of these wonderful Hunky Punks in and around Langport. So if you missed them this time, they will be reappearing very soon....particularly look out for them at Great Bow Wharf during Somerset Art weeks. 

Installation at All Saints Church

We all had fun installing the Hunky Punks made by the local Langport community; There were so many Hunky Punks, it was a challenge finding space for them all! 

We would love to see you along at Langport Festival to make your own Hunky Punk, on 8th June between 2 and 4.30pm at The All Saints Church. Free event. Or if you can't make then do come and visit the display open all week. 

Walter the Giant Hunky Punk is doing a good job of guarding the 'make your own Hunky Punk kits' He'll let you have one for £3.50, if you can get it done by Saturday lunchtime, bring it to the church and we'll include it in the competition for the most gruesome Hunky Punk as judged by local author and Hunky Punk expert Peter Poynzt-Wright at 4.30pm. 

Come and see the Hunky Punks to get some inspiration to make your own!

Hunky Punk exhibition and workshop in Langport

‘HUNKY PUNK’ EXHIBITION AND WORKSHOP AT THE LANGPORT FESTIVAL

Somerset Art Works (SAW) and the Churches Conservation Trust’s ‘Hunky Punk’ Project culminates with an exhibition at the Langport Festival 1-8 June 2013. The Langport Festival is a community annual arts festival which creates a hive of activity throughout the town. The event includes several art exhibitions, a short story competition, music from local bands, guided history walks and even horse drawn carriage rides around the town!

The ‘Hunky Punk’ project has been led by professional artists and is inspired by the grotesque rooftop carvings (the hunky punks*)of All Saints Church in Langport. Workshops with participants from the Huish Academy, Langport Youth Group, Curry Mallet School, Huish Episcopi Primary School, as well as the wider community, have produced a whole new generation of weird and wonderful creatures, created out of fabrics and recycled materials.

During the Langport Festival you can make your own ‘Hunky Punk’ at a free, open workshop on Saturday 8th June , from 2pm – 4.30pm at All Saints Church in the town. Prizes will be awarded for the best Hunky Punk as judged by local author Peter Poyntz-Wright. The creations from all the workshops will contribute to a dramatic display showcased in the Church during the festival, so pop along, make a Hunky Punk and see the fantastic work of the local community in this wonderful church building! See you there.

Key Festival Dates:

Langport Festival 2013 – 1st – 9th June (Website: https://sites.google.com/site/langportfestival/programme)

Hunky Punks Exhibition in All Saints Church, Langport – 1st-8th June

Hunky Punks Open Workshop: Create your own Hunky Punk, Sat 8th June at All Saints Church, Langport. Drop in anytime between 2 -4.30pm

For full details go to hunkypunksproject.blogspot.co.uk

*Hunky Punk is Somerset dialect for the grotesque carvings found on the side of buildings especially churches. They look a bit like gargoyles, however they are only decorative, whereas gargoyles drain water!

Artist Profile: Julie Roberts

You've met Penny and myself, so now it's time for, last but not least...

JULIE ROBERTS
EDUCATION: BA(Hons) Textile Crafts

OCCUPATION: Designer maker - Textiles, and artist educator
WEBSITE: www.julieroberts.co.uk
FACEBOOK: Julie-Roberts-Textiles
TWITTER: @the_crafty_hen 


BIO: I am a textile maker based in Bristol, but working across the South West and parts of the South East. I deliver community art projects, art workshops and anything else that involves sharing skills and teaching people new crafty things. 
I have worked as lead artist on a number of large projects over the last 8 or 9 years as well as a number of smaller workshops and projects. I work with anyone and everyone and particularly enjoy working on projects that have creativity at their core. I love to share skills and watch people create and make. It's great seeing people proud of what they have made.

MY INVOLVEMENT IN THE HUNKY PUNKS PROJECT:

My role in this project is to mentor 2 emerging artists, Sarah and Penny,  to develop their careers in community arts, but also as artists themselves. I will be taking a mainly supportive role in the project in terms of delivery, but will act as support to both artists in their delivery, planning and every other stage of the project. I will be co-ordinating the artists, sessions, monitoring and evaluation etc. I will also be delivering the sessions to primary schools. I'll also be installing the showcase at the church, which I can't wait to see.

Primary Hunky Punk Sessions

Well my first blog post on here, thanks to sarah for doing such a great job so far.

I have run 2 of the primary sessions as part of the Hunky Punk project with Huish Episcopi Primary School and Curry Mallet school, as well as assisting Sarah at a couple of sessions.

Both primary schools did an amazing job using their imagination to create their Hunky Punks.

We created designs for our Hunky Punks first by combining our favourite and last favourite animals and sometime adding bits of others to make it more interesting. 

Once pupils had created the designs, we helped them with how to turn their design into a real life soft Hunky Punk.

Here are Curry Mallet school proudly showing off their Hunky Punks!

...and here are Huish Episcopi Primary's, they look like they are all about ready to be tucked up in bed!

I'm looking forward to having all the Hunky Punks together on display at the Church, it will be great to see them all together!

Hunky Punk Facts!

As part of the project we are developing Toy Kits to sell so that anyone who isn't able to attend the workshops can make their own Hunky Punk at home!

As part of this, Sarah has created fact sheets about the Hunky Punks to inspire the character of you Hunky Punk.

Please click here to view the Hunky Punk Factsheets

More info about Toy Kits and where you will be able to buy them coming soon!

Finale to Huish Hunky Punks 3/3

Very sad to be leaving Huish Episcopi Academy as the Year 7 students I've been working with were so much fun and so incredibly talented! Have a look at the Hunky Punks they designed, drafted patterns for and then constructed using recycled fabrics! Works of art each and every one!
See them displayed as part of the Langport Festival 1st - 8th June (more details here) and even make your own Hunky Punk!

Huish 2/3

Yesterday's Hunky Punk workshop in Huish Episcopi Academy was so much fun I forgot to take any photos! The Year 7 students took their paper patterns from the first session and transformed them into 3D hunkypunks! Next time we'll be decorating them and I'll be sure to take lots of photos!!!

Final Youth Group 3/3

Sadly last night was our last youth group workshop! We had a lot of fun and have now produced an enormous amount of Hunky Punks - all of which are incredible!
They will all be on display at the All Saints Church in Langport during the Langport Festival. Click here for more details.

Workshops are going strong! Youth Group 2/3

Last night we had our second Youth Group workshop. This week Sarah was joined by Penny to run it and it was lovely to see some of the same faces from last week making more Hunky Punks but we also welcomed a whole new group of creative makers!
Here's what we got up to...

Penny with her creation!

This is Grant and his creation, Grant is a New Saint from All Saints Church who helped create The Hunky Punk Project in the beginning. Glad to see him enjoying the fruits of his labour!

Sarah getting stuck in.

A collection of Hunky Punks created this week!

Our first workshops! Youth Group 1/3

Not only did we have our first Secondary School Hunky Punk Workshop yesterday, we also had our first Youth Group workshop, which was a whole lot of fun!
These Hunky Punks we made from brightly coloured socks, stuffing them and decorating them. There was a great turn out and some very creative and unique Hunky Punks created - Can't wait to go back next week and make some more!

Here's Julie with her creation!

Our first workshops! Huish Secondary 1/3

We had our first workshops yesterday- and they were a great success! Sarah and Julie ran the first at Huish Secondary School with a group of 20 Year 7's. After an introduction to Hunky Punks and what they are, the students designed their own Hunky Punk. Some based theirs on things they are scared of, others combined featured from multiple animals but all looked suitably scary!

Then we took the first step to making their designs a reality by drafting a paper pattern from sugar paper.

Students also began on sewing scales from fabric which will become part of a huge communal Hunky Punk!

Next time the students will be using their paper patterns to cut the fabric and make the bodies of their own Hunky Punk designs - I'm very excited to see how they turn out!

And the workshops begin!

We're working hard putting the finishing touches on the workshop materials for our first two workshops tomorrow! First in Huish Academy and then onto the Youth Group at Langport Community Centre. Check back here to see how we got on later in the week.

Artist Profile: Sarah Dicks

Before we make a start on the project I'd like to introduce the three artists who will be running the workshops in both schools and the community and thought I might as well start with myself!


SARAH DICKS
AGE: 24
EDUCATION: MA Costume, BA(Hons) Costume with Performance Design
OCCUPATION: Visual Artist
WEBSITE: www.sarahdicks.com
FACEBOOK: Sarah Dicks
TWITTER: @sarah_dicks


BIO: Hello! I am the lead artist working on The Hunky Punks Project and I am a Visual Artist based in Bristol. I specialise in Costume, Set and Puppetry design for Theatre.

As a costume designer I decide what the actors in a performance will wear, first by drawing designs and then either making or buying clothes to make the design a reality. Sometimes I work by myself with the Director, but often I work with a team of Costume Supervisors and Costume Makers.

Costume designs for the Dorset Wind Gatherers for Battle for the Winds (Opening Celebrations of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Events in Weymouth and Portland) Photo: Sarah Dicks

Costumes in Performance at Battle for the Winds (Opening Celebrations of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Events in Weymouth and Portland) Photo: Bill Bradshaw

As well as costume design for theatre, circus and events, I like to try my hand at a lot of things! I design and make puppets, and have been working as a Puppetry Assistant on the UK Tour of Disney's The Lion King. I was recently the Art Director of a BBC TV Pilot, I am a visiting tutor at the Arts University Bournemouth and I also run workshops in Carnival Costume and Puppetry, Working with Willow and various other craft workshops.
I live in Bristol with two friends and two kittens, love surf pop/garage rock, collecting vinyl, owls and 1950s clothing.

MY INVOLVEMENT IN THE HUNKY PUNKS PROJECT:

I will be leading the workshops to create the Hunk Punk monsters in the schools and community alongside Julie and Penny. I'm very excited to get started and see what the participants create using the recycled fabrics and materials. I will be managing the blog and curating the Hunky Punk showcase exhibition at the Langport Festival. 

I have also been awarded a bursary by Somerset Art Works (SAW) to develop a piece of my own artwork to accompany the exhibition. I'll keep you updated of how it is developing, also on this blog.