Stuff Happens Here is a project by artist Esther Collins, working with young people aged 18 to 24 on the Isle of Sheppey to develop practical skills and creative ideas.
The project included a series of creative sessions, including; artist Hannah Lees introducing her practice and taking the group around Sheerness in search of old-fashioned graffiti (carved into benches and brick walls) to take rubbings; artist and fishmonger Sam Curtis joining to explore his unique way of working, introduce his Centre for Innovative and Radical Fishmongery, and make prints using squid ink and fish scales; working with London-based graphic design studio work-form, using collected objects from the streets and parks of Sheerness to make monoprints of letterforms for a new typeface – Sheppey Sans; illustrator, printmaker and antique dealer Jo Waterhouse speaking about balancing her creative work with antique dealing and exploring methods for creating powerful displays of objects; and artist, writer and filmmaker Andrew Kötting sharing a selection of his favourite films on the theme of ‘Fairground’ and talking to the group about making and curating film.
Building up to the groups project for Tate Exchange, Put your face in the hole, Esther and curator Matthew de Pulford introduced the British Film Institute’s Britain Online archive, with the group mading their own selections, and artist Dylan Shipton visited to consider how artworks can create a space for viewing and collaborate on the design and construction of the walls for their show.
Stuff Happens Here is suppoerted by Ideas Test, The National Lottery, University of Kent, Kent County Council, Screen Archive South East, and Sheppey Matters. With thanks to Lux, Guy Sherwin, Peter Gidal, and Mr Mantle.