Engaging Empathy Through Creativity Conference
A big thank you from myself and Lucy English to the very thought-provoking Engaging Empathy Through Creativity Conference organisers: Professor Maggie Gee, Dr Kylie Fitzpatrick and Dr Tanvir Bush and everyone else who made the day so worthwhile.
It was impossible not to feel enriched and wanting to learn more, with fascinating presentations that ranged from the ‘I’, neuropsychology and creativity; empathy, personal trauma and art as therapy; the ethics of creating narratives around non-fictional subjects and political climates changing what we call ‘home’ and a way of life. It was also a meaningful moment for Lucy and I since Liberated Words had its first screening at the first Mix at Pound Arts Centre in 2012. Setting aside the time for lengthy personal projects (The Book of Hours and The Poetics of Video Poetry Film) I feel as if we have steadily built on our aim to host screenings combining international poetry filmmakers with workshops by others whose voices are less heard, and we will be developing this aspect in 2019.
At Engaging Empathy Lucy and I gave presentations about our latest touring screening – Uprooted – comprised of a collection of searing and arresting films by international poetry filmmakers on the refugee crisis. Films are divided into those centred on war zones, in transition and accounts of their experiences trying to build new homes in a strange country. It is interesting to see how an empathetic approach to poetry filmmaking has combined with different approaches and levels of first-hand experience by the filmmakers and poets taking part. Lucy’s films included in the main screening were Numbers by Maciej Piatek and The Last Days by Marie Craven, and I screened my latest film Night Bus. It was interesting to hear writers such as Nathan Filer (and his upcoming new book The Heartland) discussing the questions surrounding creative writing and non-fiction, particularly relating to the delicate topic of interviewing subjects and how they are then portrayed.
Athens Video Poetry Festival December 2018
Congratulations to everyone exhibiting; Lucy has a number of films in the festival which includes my film (and poetry) Solstice Sol Invictus and I also have Night Bus, so I wish I could be there but it isn’t possible this year :(( Have a really good time everyone who can manage to get there. Thinking of you, and many exciting new projects.
Valerie LeBlanc and Daniel Dugas New Book on Videopoetry
Valerie LeBlanc and Daniel H. Dugas have been creating videopoems since the mid and later 1980’s. Their individual and collaborative works are comprised of stand-alone works, i.e. for one-channel screening; as well as multi-channel selections intended for gallery installation. This videopoetry collection will feature still images and texts from 120 works as well as essays outlining the authors’ philosophies within the genre of this creative medium. Most of the works featured have been shown in festivals and galleries in various locations around the world but the publication will be the first document to contextualize the content of these works as a whole.
Videopoets and scholars, Lucy English and Sarah Tremlett, have authored an introduction to the collection and a breakdown of several aspects of this body of work.
This project is supported by the New Brunswick Arts Board
Ce projet est soutenu par le Conseil des arts du Nouveau-Brunswick
Projected publication date: Spring 2019
Autumn Update
THE BOOK OF HOURS AND UPROOTED AT NORTH CORNWALL BOOK FESTIVAL
The Book of Hours –the mammoth 48-strong poetry film collaboration between Lucy English and a talented collection of international poetry filmmakers, is now printing as we speak. Published by Somerset-based performance poetry publishers Burning Eye Books, copies may be available for North Cornwall Book Festival!!! in early October.
As you might imagine Lucy has had a number of her collaborations accepted in poetry film festivals worldwide. I collaborated with Lucy on three films for her book: Summer Solstice, which I have just finished, Solstice Sol Invictus which I am really proud to say was selected for Zebra this year! – where I wrote the first verse (read by Helmie Stil) and Lucy the second – and Mr Sky (about a couple’s relationship) which also has lovely news from Sou at Rabbit Heart ‘It is with great pleasure that I write to inform you that your film, Mr. Sky, was chosen as a finalist in the Best Valentine category, and so is also in the running for the grand jury prize for Best Overall Production!’
https://vimeo.com/sarahtremlett
https://vimeo.com/thebookofhours
From my point of view these films were also experiments with natural (sun) light through form and colour, but also aiming to show how the sun is an often forgotten but powerful force in our lives. I know Lucy and I are just really pleased to have had a chance to get them out there around the world – finding their feet.
UPROOTED project at North Cornwall Book Festival 4-7 October
Developed as part of our Home from Home ongoing workshop initiative, Lucy and I will be giving a talk and screening centred on different artistic interpretations of civil unrest and refugee or migrant status through poetry film. It will be screened as a collection in three sections with Lucy reading from The Book of Hours inbetween – with films centred on life in a war zone, those ‘in transition’ and when ‘settling’ in a new country, trying to build a new life. We have films from artists such as: Ghayath Almadhoun and Marie Silkeberg, Jan Baeke, Alfred Marseille, Maciej Piatek and poet Hollie McNish, as well as our own work.
Our aim to is show how artists can bring another view of the refugee crisis beyond how it is portrayed in the media, hopefully expanding understanding and also showing how the role of the artist can be developed as a tool for an empathetic approach.
https://www.ncornbookfest.org/ for the festival website.
https://www.ncornbookfest.org/product/thursday-4th-october-uprooted/ for your event.
your event as bit.ly for twitter. If tweeting please use our twitter handle @ncornbookfest.org.uk so we can pick it up and retweet.
Mr Sky Rabbity news!
We have heard that Mr Sky – https://vimeo.com/251826023 by Lucy and myself, from The Book of Hours, and about a couple’s relationship as played out through the changing sky, is a finalist in the Best Valentine category for Rabbit Heart Poetry Film Festival! This also means it is in the running for the grand jury prize for Best Overall Production! We are really happy to have come this far and congratulations to everyone who entered and the other Book of Hours films being screened.
