Out and About #4
Jack of all trades… Master of Arts
Here I am on my first day on my MA!
Today I started my master’s degree in Creative Practice. I met my classmates and our course lead, Frances, introduced us to the course contents. I’m so excited to be in academia for the next two years, the class is small (especially compared the BA History course I left in 2022) with attendance marked through a simple name-call register, unlike my previous Uni with its access codes, dual authentications and so on.
A university course means university facilities! I bounded down the library aisle with my mouth agog, doing all I could not to squeal and drill my feet into the floor like a Seagull tapping for worms. I feel so spoilt having the access to a university library once more, as I walked through the library titles including Curatorial Activism: Towards An Ethics of Curating (Reilly, 2019) and Queer Formalism: The Return (Simmons, 2021) flew off the shelf and into my bag. Despite my excitement for my course, this hasn’t come without its due amount of paperwork, forgotten logins and walking into the wrong rooms.
I’m typically one to downplay my successes (like most people) but I’ll confess I’m proud of my hard work hawking myself out for the past three years, gaining experience through my freelance work and signing on to artist courses. I had planned to apply to Leeds Arts for a BA course, but upon the suggestion of the course leader my application was elevated to an MA, acknowledging my acquired skills and developing portfolio without holding a BA. My place on the MA was given through the Recognition of Prior Learning Pathway.
The Turner Prize (almost)
I was delighted to be offered tickets to the preview of The Turner Prize in Bradford, booking my tickets well in advance and not knowing whether it’d clash with my course. I went over to Cartwright Hall with photographer friend Lizzie, I spotted some familiar faces in the crowd: some from UNBOUND and others from the Leeds arts circles. The Beacon, City of Culture’s temporary venue space, was crammed ahead of the panel talk. The panel (Shanaz: BD25 Creative Director, Micheal: Curator at Yorkshire Contemporary and Elizabeth: 2012 Turner Prize Winner) talked us through curatorial issues, the importance of supporting the arts outside of London and how heritage can be interpreted through artistic output. After the discussion Lizzie and I spoke with mutual friends Niaomi and Phil at the bar, with conversations flowing as freely as the prosecco, leading us to neglect the fact that the exhibition closes at 5pm.
Well, what I lacked in industry leading artwork, I certainly made up for in good conversation (hic)!
Lucy and yap
The Collier, sketched by George Walker in 1819.
After visiting my family on the Yorkshire coast earlier this week, I made a pit stop to see my friend Lucy, a fashion historian, author and maker of a good brew. We laid back in her garden and put the world to rights over cake and cordial, surrounding ourselves with hungry farm cats in the process. For the past few weeks I’ve been ruminating over a publication from the 1810s, The Costume of Yorkshire (Walker, 1814), known by antiquarians and historical costumers alike. While documenting work, pastimes and clothing this publication also shows a vanishing culture of folklore torn away by industry and city living. Being a costume historian, in Yorkshire, Lucy presented me with her 1880s reprint to photograph and take references from. I know it is ripe for adaptation, with a follow-up long overdue, it’s just the project I could sink my teeth into. Watch this space!
Loonies left, right and centre…
The launch gig for Run of The Mill’s archiving project on Wild Willi Beckett at the 1in12 went down well with all those who attended. We’ve had great feedback, expect a full write up on RoTM website shortly.
Aside:
I’ve been commissioned! I have work to be busying myself with, for an installation soon to be announced. I’ve also been hired as costumer/ dresser/ finder-of-period-costume for a series of photoshoots set between 1847 and 1890 for photographer and friend Jonathan. I’m looking forward to sharing more work with you as it is announced! I’ll also be sharing extracts from my sketchbooks and insights into my process, being a student ‘n’ all that!
Jude xx
