© Babylon ARTS - ‘No Frost at Night’, Advertisement.
In September this year I began a year long developmental programme with Babylon ARTS named ‘Babylon Young Curators’. The programme has provided me with opportunity to curate a new exhibition for the Babylon Gallery, one which will explore how archival materials can be utilised within the context of contemporary art.
As part of this project, I am actively seeking proposals from East-Anglian based artists and creative practitioners for five new paid commissions of £500. These new commissioned works will be shown at the upcoming contemporary arts exhibition ‘No Frost at Night’. Curated during my time on the Babylon Young Curators programme; the exhibition will form part of Babylon ARTS’ 2021 gallery programme, open to the public from the 12th March - 5th April at the Babylon Gallery.
Five selected artists will be commissioned to create new work in response to a single weather diary from 1963, sourced from a collection of archival records known as ‘The Soham Weather Diaries’ which are currently held within the care of Heritage for All CIC.
‘The Soham Weather Diaries’ are a series of handwritten journals which span from December 1962 – February 2018. Within each diary is a daily temperature reading and a personal observation on the way the weather both felt and looked in the town of Soham, Cambridgeshire on each recorded day. The diary’s author, Betty Mann, was a lifelong resident of Soham who took these readings right up until her death on the 20th February 2018.
© Heritage for All CIC - Extract from ‘The Soham Weather Diaries’ by Betty Mann (January 1963).
The exhibition will present audiences with ideas on how archival materials can be utilised within the context of contemporary art. ‘The Soham Weather Diaries’ are a wonderfully eclectic source of inspiration, each a unique time-capsule in its own right. I believe that this single weather diary from 1963 will provide a wealth of inspiration for artists and creative practitioners and hope that submitted proposals will offer unique and inventive interpretations of Betty Mann’s weather records.
© Heritage for All CIC - Extract from ‘The Soham Weather Diaries’ by Betty Mann (November 1963).
The invitation to apply is open to both established and emerging East-Anglian based creative practitioners over the age of 18, including (but not limited to) artists, creators, designers, makers, performers and writers.
More details about this opportunity, including how to apply, can be found here on the Babylon Arts website.
Deadline for applications: Monday the 14th December 2020, 5pm.