The TIMELINE PROJECT :
Extending the Past into the Future.

Timeline was a year long arts and education project centred on Sherborne House. The project is using the House's unique past and the memories of the people who have passed through its doors to inspire artists and involve local people in creating new art work. Timeline includes three exhibitions, two commissions plus workshops for adults and young people in making films and creating artists books.

 

THE FILM:

During August 2003, Dorset film makers Dave Young and Joe Stevens ran workshops with eight young people who made a series of four films on the theme of 'time'.

Dave Young was also commissioned by Timeline to create his own film on the same theme.

'Time Lines' documents, with wit and affection, the routine of several Dorset people as they live through just one day in their very different lives.

"Time Lines gave me the opportunity to direct for the first time" says Dave Young "usually I respond to a situation rather than direct it. Working as a one man crew is very hard but I'm pleased with the results. My idea was to go through a working day through the eyes of a variety of people all of whom have a different take on 'time'."

'Time Lines' and the four workshop films were screened at the Powell Theatre in Sherborne on FRIDAY 23RD APRIL, at 7pm. The film director KEN LOACH introduced the films and give a short talk.

 

THE BOOK:
Somerset poet Wesley White and book artist Kate Farley were commissioned to collaborate on a unique hand-made book inspired by Sherborne House.

"Kate and I quickly identified aspects of the House and stories we both wanted to address. We have worked largely independently of each other but with regular contact to keep the project moving in the same direction." Wesley White.

"I felt like a detective gathering evidence to remind us of the House - seeing each room, with some containing old school books, writing on the blackboard and furniture and fittings from the past." Kate Farley.

The Workshops
The starting point for the book was the series of workshops Kate and Wesley ran in October 2003 at the House with adults, most of whom had been pupils at the House when it was a girls school. Wesley ran a creative writing weekend which produced over 50 different stories and reminiscences. Kate ran two weekend workshops which were designed to give participants the skills needed to create their own unique art book to 'contain' their memories.

In addition to the adult workshops at the House, Timeline collaborated with ArtsLink to run book-making workshops in local schools. Artist Andrew Morrison ran an excellent workshop for Sixth Formers at Gillingham School and illustrator Paul Stickland was enthusiastically received by year 4 pupils at Yetminster Primary.

The Timeline Book and the workshop books were displayed during the 'Reading Room' exhibition in April 2004. Some of the paper used during the workshops and to make the commissioned book has been donated by the TWO RIVERS PAPER COMPANY in Roadwater near Minehead in Somerset.

 

THE EXHIBITIONS:

TIME BEING:
14 February - 14 March 2004
This show was the result of a collaborative project between twelve artists from two artist-lead groups - Sherborne Contemporary Arts and Frome Artists Network. The show explored the idea and experience of time.

The artists involved are:

John Bartholomew
Liz Clay
Lynda Connolly
Sue Conrad
Andrew Crane
Helen Felton
Richard Hutton
Helen Langford
Crysse Morrison
Rachel Sargent
Judy Tinsley
Fiona Winning

Time Being was curated by John Bartholomew and Fiona Winning.

 

THE READING ROOM:
3rd April - 2nd May 2004.
This exhibition featured over 80 contemporary Art Books made by about 40 different book-artists from all over the UK, plus others from the USA and Ireland. The books were displayed in an old fashioned library setting, with the room 'dressed' to resemble a Victorian reading room, where visitors will be encouraged to sit and read the books.
The exhibition also included the commissioned book by Wes White and Kate Farley and books made during the adult and children's workshops.

The Reading Room exhibition includes artists books from: Louise Altman Best, Sarah Bodman, Bronwen Bradshaw, Tozzy Bridger, Clare Bryan, Anne Constantine, Marion Cronin, Margaret Diamond, Manya Donaque, Paul Eames, Andrew Eason, Vicky Falconer, Kate Farley, David Gray, Lauren Healey, Ingrid Hesling, Fiona Hingston, Ursula Leach, Conor Lucey, Alison Marchant, Rachel Morgan, Andrew Morrison, Simon Morse, Leah Oates, Susan Porteous, Alison Rouse, Mark Samsworth, Ruth Shaw-Williams, Catriona Stamp, David Stamp, Jennifer Stoddart, Louise Summers, Alix Swan, Christine Tacq, Norma Louise Thallon, Anna Walsh, Helen Ward, Sarah Waring, Wesley White, Julie Winsor, Liz Workman.

Furniture and fittings for The Reading Room were loaned by Sherborne antiques dealer PATRICK MACINTOSH.

The Reading Room was curated by Amanda Wallwork, Ros Marchant and Liz Workman.

There were also two other exhibitions on show alongside the Reading Room -

TIME PASSING
Sequential black and white photographs by Karen Hitchlock exploring the cyclic passages of light and shadow that travel in and around Sherborne House.

PASSING TIME
A small exhibition of artist made games and pastimes all playable by the public.

The show featured work by

Steven Barrett
Jo Goddard
Janet Laird
Marilyn Rathbone
Michael Seal
Cally Trench
Heather Tweed

 

HAUNT:
22 May - 20 June 2004.
An exhibition of work by artists from all over the UK who are inspired by the emotional or physical presence of the past imprinted on a place or object. HAUNT included painting, sculpture, installation, mixed media, photography and ceramics and featured the work of:

Ellen Bell
Steve Royston Brown
Deborah Gardner
Paula Chambers
Brian Graham
Philippa Karakashian
Rosie Leventon
Susie Needham
Brian Rice
Sue Ridge and Julia Dwyer
Amanda Wallwork
Sally Waterman
Joy White

HAUNT was curated by the Timeline projects artist-in-residence Amanda Wallwork. Amanda's work is influenced by archaeology and childhood memories of visits to museums with glass cases full of ancient and curious objects - trapped moments in time behind glass. She is fascinated by the marks left behind by people on objects or places - traces that tell stories of their lives.

"My recent work has concentrated on interpreting the marks visible in the landscape when viewed from the air and the way these represent a 'map' of time. My time at Sherborne House has meant a departure from this and an opportunity to concentrate on the layers of history in a specific building. The House is currently painted in Magnolia gloss throughout - a legacy of its most recent past as a girls school. Beneath this are layers of wallpaper and paint in vibrant reds, greens and blues, dating back to the 1720's. It is these layers and the contrast between these colours and the present blandness that is forming the basis for a new body of work to be exhibited in HAUNT."

The Timeline project was co ordinated by Ros Marchant and curated by Amanda Wallwork.

For more information on the Timeline project contact
Ros or Amanda on 01935 816426
admin@sherbornehouse.org.uk

The Timeline project was supported by:
Arts Council England (South West), West Dorset District Council, Dorset County Council, Sherborne Town Council, South Somerset District Council, The Simon Digby (Sherborne) Memorial Trust, The Sherborne House Trust, The Friends of Sherborne House, Porter Dodson, Baker Tilly, Prestige Properties, Rose of Jericho, Artslink and SCA.

Rose of Jericho Ltd and Sherborne House have received an investment from Arts & Business to further develop their creative partnership. www.rose-of-jericho.demon.co.uk Rose of Jericho create and supply materials for traditional buildings - beautiful hand-made paints, lime products and conservation materials. Historic buildings consultants.   Prestige Property Group www.prestigeproperty.co.uk Prestige Property Group specialise in marketing all types of residencial properties in the most popular areas of Spain, Portugal, France and Italy, the Balearics and Canary Islands.

 

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RESTORATION 2004