ART, CULTURE and BUSINESS: INTERNATIONAL, NATIONAL, LOCAL, HYPERLOCAL
What I love about working for Eden Arts is every day is different, I mean genuinely different, here is a snapshot of what the 5 of us at Eden Arts got up to a few weeks ago…
MONDAY
Return from Cyprus – the Eden Arts team has been on an EU ERASMUS programme through Grampus Heritage learning about rural culture and heritage of Cyprus, which included icon painting, meeting local lace makers, halloumi makers, goat farmers, silversmiths, seeing how they are trying to keep local crafts alive through up-cycling, modernising the offer through a ‘green village’ project. We explored the capital Nicosia and the wonderful, awe-inspiring Neolithic museum. Stella Hall from Festival of Thrift and artist Julia Parks joined us on our Cyprus adventure.
TUESDAY
Talk to artists based in Cataluña and the Netherlands about bringing exciting outdoor performance work to Winter Droving
Picnic Cinema – preparations for the finest cinema experience known to humanity, WITHNAIL AND I at Uncle Monty’s House aka, Sleddale Hall. Why, oh why, did we think putting an outdoor cinema half way up a fell would be a good idea? 8 years later we are still doing it, turns out it’s a bloody brilliant idea. 8 years on logistics are still a pain in the arse….
Winter Droving Stakeholder meeting, Eden District Council, Penrith Town Council, Penrith BID, Penrith Chamber of Trade thinking about the future of Winter Droving and how it is funded.
Adrian, Director chairs a Q & A on Appleby fair at the Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal following a screening of filmmaker Tom Lloyd's Romany Rai, which Eden Arts supported Tom to create.
WEDNESDAY
Early start – business breakfast hosted by Eden District Council and Penrith Chamber of Trade in conjunction with the University of Lancaster on eco systems and their relevance to business. We talk about how Winter Droving is an example of an ecosystem bringing together community, business, social and economic benefits.
Premise licence application in for Winter Droving… boring but necessary
Year end finance meeting - accruals, spreadsheets, pie charts etc……
Van gets stuck on side of fell…. Empty van of load, try again…
THURSDAY
Heather, Bryoney and Adrian head to theidol.com, a fin-tech company leading in insurance comparison to facilitate their Hackathon – all 50 staff form teams to work up a business idea/proposition to improve the business and develop a 5-minute pitch. We facilitate the groups to think creatively, avoid death by power point and develop their confidence in presentation.
the idol.com are title sponsors of the Winter Droving and over the last two years we have developed an exciting partnership of knowledge sharing and exchange.
Picnic Cinema – final preparations, the beer kegs are resting on the side of the fell. Van loaded ready to go.
FRIDAY
Hackathon presentation day.
Heather heads off on a coach tour of West Cumbria, part of a book launch of “WEST CUMBRIA: On the Edge” by John Scanlan in partnership with UCLAN. All part of The 66 research…
Adrian heads off to London to the Mela Partnership planning meeting and to attend Greenwich and Docklands International Festival (GDIF)
Bryoney and Simon head up the fell and welcome, entertain, and look after Picknickers, Withnail fanatics, unprepared for camping in the wilds of Wet Sleddale for the weekend.
SATURDAY
Day 2 of Picnic Cinema Withnail and I Weekender. The sun is shining, the punters are happy and all quoting the film… Good Times.
Adrian meets up with Belgian artists, Captain Boomer Collective who we worked with a couple of years ago and watches their new show.
SUNDAY
Pack up the cinema and put our feet up…
Okay, so maybe not all weeks are this diverse, but not far off. The 66 project is all about breaking and avoiding working in silos and we are trying to live by this mission ourselves.
Working outside of the arts bubble does bring new perspectives, connections and approaches and unexpected collaborations.
Heather Walker, Deputy Director
