Reel Around the Fountain!

Phil Milston is making progress with the fountain - yesterday he trialled putting lights into the lower star-shaped wall. This is going to be one of the centre-pieces for the Whitaker exhibition, which opens on November 15th. 

Remember we've got a stall at Haslingden Street Fair tomorrow. Please come along and say hello...

Working on the fountain

Yesterday I travelled back after a couple of weeks holiday in France. On the train I suddenly became very aware that the Different Moons exhibition at the Whitaker, which seemed ages away when I left, is now going to open in only 8 or 9 weeks time! I checked my diary and reminded myself that work on the fountain, which is one of the larger elements that go to make up the exhibition, should start next week. Time enough, but tight in my estimation...especially when there's so much else to be done.

Today I'm back in the Horse + Bamboo workshop and find that Phil Milston has made amazing progress already! The fountain 'pool' area has been made, and we've had the decorative side panels laser cut to his design. Phil is now busy assembling the structure - and it's already beginning to look very special indeed. 

I'm now going through the 700 plus emails in my in-tray. Most - of course - are destined for the Trash folder, but there are plenty from Shamshad Khan who has been working with Habiba Shenza on workshops for the Girls Group led by Lisa Amin on Saturday mornings at Haslingden Library. Plenty of planning work has also been done on sorting a poem for the paper-cuts by Maryam Golbeva, as well as the next round of workshops at the Supplementary School. 

So, all in all, a very pleasant welcome for me after a great break. 

A Ramadan fountain

Ramadan, and things have slowed down a little, such as in visiting people at their homes and recording interviews, but work on the Different Moons project continues nevertheless. Habiba Shenza has been coming along in the afternoons and is working on her animated film, using Mazhar Hussain's story of his voyage by ship to England in the 1950s as its' starting point. 

Another thing that is being worked on is the fountain. We want to create a traditional Islamic fountain as the centrepiece in the installation at the Whitaker Museum and Art Gallery in November. More, we would love to donate the finished fountain to a local mosque, or another suitable organisation, at the end of the exhibition. 

Phil Milston, who as our Technical Director will be leading on this, has created these visualisations. Phil, in another life, worked on fountain design and installation so we're fortunate to have an expert to hand. 

We think they look wonderful - so we now need to find a place willing to give a home to a beautiful, contemplative, Islamic inspired fountain. Any ideas!

moon room, fountain room

We're beginning the serious business of fundraising for Different Moons. There's now a programme of 80 workshops being planned with local organisations and groups, and involving both local and national artists working with all ages across the Asian heritage community in Rossendale. 

These workshops will focus on people's stories - stories of families, memories of Asia, and of the first generation who arrived in England. The poet Shamshad Khan will lead these workshops over a period of two years starting in April 2014. The first phase of Different Moons will culminate in a celebration of the south Asian community with an exhibition at the Whitaker, in Rawtenstall, plus a special festival of events. 

The exhibition will take place in the upstairs galleries, featuring a Moon Room and a Fountain Room. The second phase will be the creation of a book, website and CD of the collected stories, and many will be made into films and animations. This will be the focus of our work in 2015 and into 2016.