Dudley Creates supports Do Fest 2021
Last weekend Dudley Creates supported the Dudley Time Rebels and their activities at this year’s Do Fest.
Dudley’s Time Rebels are mostly local people; doers and creatives of all kinds, from students to grandparents. Alongside CoLab Dudley they have taken up the challenge to nurture imagination and long-term thinking in Dudley.
For the last 9 months the Time Rebels have been gathering on Dudley’s ‘Virtual High Street’ where they have been sharing ideas, collaborating on experiment designs and sharing insights and learning.
Through the summer they have started to bring their experiments to life in Dudley town centre; inviting the people who live, work and play on and around the High Street to imagine new futures for Dudley.
DO FEST 2021
During the 30th July - 1st August the Time Rebels were part of a 3-day open festival curated by CoLab Dudley that invited the people of the town to get involved in some hands on doing and making.
Our Dudley Creates team were excited to support the project and some of the ongoing experiments which will be continuing into the Autumn.
Here’s what they got up to…
The More Than Human High Street
Social artists Helen and Bill invited people to explore a more-than-human High Street in a practical way through a series of art-based activities and interventions. Over the weekend they recorded sounds from the High Street as well asking people to make their own sounds including Bees and running water.
People could also discover how nature grows and behaves in unusual places and ‘frame’ their findings for others to discover.
GET INVOLVED: Helen and Bill will be hosting more workshops during August on the High Street on the 12th, 19 and 26th August. You can get involved by phoning Helen’s number 07527 034662 or emailing bill@goodlifecic.org.
Street Detectorism
Visitors to Do Fest were asked to use their senses to find out more about the High Street. By using different tools and activities the Street Detectorists can find out what effects creativity has on people who use and interact with the High Street.
Detectorists shared their findings in the observatory - now they will be collated to help us understand what people might want of their High Street. What happens when fun things pop-up? Does it change how people feel about and use the High Street? Will it help shape things to come?
Pop-Up Poetry
Rick (Willis the Poet) created a Poetry Pop-Up writing space for anyone to come along and have a go at writing a poem about the Dudley of the future. He asked people to use their imagination to ask questions about what it might be like in the future by exploring and examining Dudley in a completely different way.
Rick has been collating a poetry paper chain, that has been growing for some weeks, to build a collective imagining that has taken us from the present to the Dudley of 2031.
Learn / Play
Architect Juliet asked children and grown-ups to learn, play and help design spaces and activities for the High Street. Juliet wants to discover more ways people can have fun and keep active with others on the High Street.
People were able to try out a fun activity then share their ideas on how they think the High Street could be more fun in the future.
Juneau Projects - Do Fest Activity Pack
Ben and Phil of Juneau Projects invited shoppers to pick up a Time Rebel Activity pack (made especially for Do Fest) and investigate the High Street in new ways. People could learn how to become a Dudley Time Rebel by taking on a series of tasks, have a go at making some artwork and receive a special ‘gift’ in return.
GET INVOLVED: Juneau Projects will be hosting more workshops in the Autumn helping people delve into more Time Rebel activities.
Growing Up In Dudley
Dudley People’s Archive captured over 40 stories of life growing up in Dudley from the Market with the help of Roger from Sgt Peppers Friends. The stories will go towards an exhibition that tells the story of Growing Up In Dudley later in the year.
Black Country Collage Club
The Collage Club team invited artists Barbara Gibson and Mark Murphy to host 2 very different workshops. Barbara hosted a mixed media collage workshop using images from the Dudley People’s Archive and off-cuts of wood, paint and coloured string to make unique pieces of art.
Mark looked at the theme of ‘locative collage’ after a talk from artist Miss Printed the week before. Workshop attendees headed outside to use the High Street as their canvas and look at its use in a completely new way.
Follow the Time Rebels and their journeys at https://dudleyhighstreet.uk
Dudley Creates will be supporting the Time Rebel’s work to continue later in the year - we’ll share what they get up to.
Images courtesy of Patrick Garrington and Thom Bartley.
Video by Thom Bartley.