2008

Working with Young People from the inner city

The Jammia Community Association (JMA) {Informal Education}

Working with Communities

Neighbouring Metropolitan Areas

Ulfah Arts is an innovative organisation recently established in Birmingham whose mission is to engage groups from different cultural backgrounds and give them a chance to participate in mainstream wider society hence enable them to have a chance to contribute to British culture. ‘Ulfah’ is the Arabic word for ‘harmony’ and is one of the Islamic qualities that forms the basis of Ulfah’s work. The first project developed with Ulfah was called ‘Inspired by Nature’.

Working with schools, including Royal National College for the Blind Hereford{Formal Education}

The Jammia Community Association (JMA) {Informal Education}

Professional Development for Practising Artists

Weekend Workshops

The first Workshop for practising artists ‘Sculpture and the Great Outdoors’ took place in April 2008. This was led by Rod Bugg and was set up in such a way as to engage individuals at their own level and enable them to develop through peer group discussion and individual tutoring, their ideas and skills. The second major workshop - a master class in environmental sculpture for professional development - was led by distinguished sculptor Richard Harris.

Day Events

Following discussion between the Lead Artist Rod Bugg and David Nash, a one day visit to David Nash’s studio and workshop in Blaenau Ffestiniog was arranged. The first part of the day took place in the chapel where much of his work is stored. David introduced his work and his approach talking in detail about how his sculpture had developed. The second part of the visit was devoted to his drawing studio where participants were introduced to his drawings in smaller groups (because of the size of the studio). Finally David took the group to the hillside where he has been growing trees experimentally to create various sculptural forms for over 35 years.

Undergraduate, Post Graduate and Emerging Artists

The Sidney Nolan Trust has established links with higher education colleges in the region. Hereford College of Art (HCA) has held two sculpture projects at The Rodd this year. In the first of these Rod Bugg and Anthony Plant devised an innovative approach to flying sculptures and organised with the college an exciting day of individual and group work resulting in a series of airborne structures successfully launched over the site.

Summer School including International Artists Residencies

The first International Artist Residency took place in early September, organised by Rod Bugg, this drew together a core group of sculptors in a programme of activity. It provided an opportunity for sculptors from Europe to work with sculptors from the region – thinking, designing and making.

Symposium and Public Talks

With guest speakers, Mel Gooding, Sjeord Buisman and Richard Wentworth, introduced and chaired by Rod Bugg the final (and biggest) events “In Conversation” were held in November. This was a critical and highly important finale for the 2008 programme.

Symposium

In Conversation: Nature, Landscape and Sculpture

The first session, an afternoon discussion held in the Rodd library, was aimed at a professional audience of practising artists/sculptors, critics/writers, curators, theoreticians and arts professionals. The format was a high level discussion focused on sculpture in a rural context.

Open Lecture

In Conversation: Art, Objects and Places

The second part of the day was an evening event for the general public which took a more formal pattern than the afternoon. Welcomed by Trustee Professor Tony Collier, Professor Rod Bugg undertook the introductory remarks. Mel Gooding presented a short paper on the typologies of art in the landscape and set the scene for the sculptors by outlining the way sculpture is evolving and its role in the environment. He drew from his book Song of the Earth as a source for his remarks. This was followed by two in depth contributions from Sjoerd Buisman and Richard Wentworth.