New Experiences #16 + #17
W/C 20th February 2012
This week saw my creative side come out through two art forms; African masks and poetry.
New Experience #16: Seeing My Artwork At An Exhibition
Back in the heady days of completing my Art GCSE coursework, I spent many a lunchtime with beads and a glue gun. That’s right, as I covered my African-style mask with the little beasts in what was the fiddliest thing I’ve ever experienced. However, time and effort paid off. Not only did I get a good grade in August, but more recently the mask was sent off to the Go Zambia exhibition held at Butetown History and Arts Centre down Cardiff Bay. Go Zambia is “an exhibition showcasing Africa-inspired art by young people and professional artists to kick-start new medical links between Cardiff and Zambia” and was a lot better than that description suggests.
The mix of the professional and amateur work, which had all been made to celebrate and honour such an amazing continent, was genuinely inspiring and to have my mask hanging on display was genuinely odd. Going to see the exhibit in its closing week, I approached my mask expecting a teary, slow-motion reunion as I hadn’t seen it since the summer, but alas two men were standing in the way blocking such a spectacle. The two men happened to be the gallery owner and an African mask dealer and both were discussing my work using, thankfully, very complimentary language.
So, my mother stepped in to introduce l’artiste, that’s me, and we all talked art (well, they talked art and I nodded along ‘knowingly’). The owner of the gallery then gave my family and me a guided tour of the beautiful building, which is soon to be extended, and it was clear he really loves his job which was very refreshing.
Rating: 5/5. Full marks for a positive reaction to my work and knowing that the glue gun burns weren’t in vain.
New Experience #17: Reading At An Open Mic Poetry Night
After a day of cross-country running and Six Nations watching, I headed down to the Gate Arts Centre in Roath ready to strut my lyrical stuff at an open mic poetry night, co-organised by theSprout. When I got to said venue, I could hear some sort of house music oozing out of its doors and it was clear that there was a party going on, but not one that involved much metaphor. And sure enough, the lady on the desk informed me that there was “no poetry here sorry” with one of those slightly baffled expressions which seemed to both question my sanity and laugh at my ignorance. Anyway, I made a few calls and was soon at the reception of Chapter Arts Centre on the other side of Cardiff ready to explain my tardiness and voice some verse.
The evening that followed was a delightful mix of prose, poetry, improv and musings on life from young Cardiffians aged 25 and under and I had a thoroughly enjoyable couple of hours hearing other young people’s views. So enjoyable in fact that by the time I came up to read my poems I was feeling so relaxed that the earlier venue mishap was but a distant memory. I talked about the joy of swallows, being middle class, homelessness, equality and white guilt for slavery and I put on my best reading voice at that. I’m a pretty confident person but nonetheless, standing in front of a room half filled with strangers with just my typed up poetry wasn’t easy.
However, I got a decent clap at the end, which was a relief.
Rating: 4/5. It’s events like this that make poetry and creative writing more accessible and I had a great evening. I also received some positive feedback for my own writing, but the rookie error of mixing up The Gate and Chapter deserves a mark off.
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IMAGE: New by chrisinplymouth
1 Comment – Postiwch sylw
SamuelPatterson
Rhoddwyd sylw 51 mis yn ôl - 5th March 2012 - 21:43pm
You were amazing at the Open Mic night dude! Top notch! =)