MAIA This May - Week 1 Highlights
So that’s Week 1 of our MAIA this May programme wrapped up; what a way to kick off the month! From our artists to our attendees, thank you to everyone who brought such energy to this week’s online workshops, talks and discussions. We can’t wait for Week 2 of #MAIAThisMay, however, in the meantime, here’s a round-up of this week’s highlights:
Workshop: Writing an Artist Manifesto with Paula Varjack | Image: Paula Varjack
Monday
Keep Keeping Fund & MAIA Commission
Monday saw the exciting launch of our two commission opportunities:
Keep Keeping Fund: For the gentle pursuit of your practice; 4 bursaries of £300 for Midlands-based artists. Apply: bit.ly/maia-keepkeeping
MAIA Commission: Looking for 2 artists working in any medium to respond to the theme of ‘joy’. Work can take place from June - Dec 2020, adhering to government social distancing guidelines. Fee: £500. Email: slg@maiagroup.co
Deadline for both opportunities: Sat 30 May, 12pm
Read more: bit.ly/maiamay-commissions
Tuesday
Artist Campus: Chadwick Jackson in Conversation with Dr Joy White
“We are an Afrofuturism story. Right now there is a Black conference taking place on an app called Zoom and the world outside has collapsed. If that’s not a story, I don’t know what is.”
On Tuesday, we kicked off Artist Campus, a series sharing the thought leadership of artists from around the world. A “meeting of minds”, we joined Chadwick Jackson in Conversation with Dr Joy White discussing urbanism, culture, grime archiving, art, entrepreneurship, and young people.
15 minutes in, we were already talking about Newham and Birmingham parallels, the entrepreneurs selling CDs in the playground, temporary accommodation, the mining of young creative thinkers' ideas and more.
@CJXCII & @JoyWhite2 - Q&A@amahra_ summing up points.
— Rita Gayle (@rita_gayle) May 5, 2020
Q) How do we preserve our culture?
'We are in the golden age of storytelling. We have to realise representation is important to our young people. Be curious! We are the future.' Chadwick Jackson
More on the artists:
Chadwick Jackson: @CJXCII and the recently launched @DeadhorsePR
Dr Joy White: Terraformed: Young Black Lives in the Inner City - book launching 12 May 2020.
Next Artist Campus:
With Amyra Leon | 12th May, 3pm | £5 or Pay-As-You-Can Donation | bit.ly/maia-artistcampus2
Wednesday
Writing an Artist Manifesto with Paula Varjack
“It’s all about setting intentions and declarations. ”
After selling-out on eventbrite, we upped the capacity of our Wednesday workshop with Paula Varjack to equip as many artists as we could around how to write an Artist Manifesto. A real force, Paula came with a whole arsenal of great resources as we reflected upon how individual and collective action can be in dialogue.
Energising, practical and powerful: it was amazing to see so many artists gain so much from the workshop: keep those Artist Manifestos coming!
A Group Manifesto:
— MAIA (@MAIA_Group) May 6, 2020
Collaboration not competition.
Do nothing without intention.
Artists on salaries in every organisation and sector.
Bravery with no bounds.
Listen to people who aren’t like you.
Small is beautiful, but make sure small thinks BIG.
Thank you @paulavarjack
More on the artist:
Paula Varjack: @paulavarjack | Manifesto for Artists in a Crumbling Economy | The New Artist Economy - MAIA Website
Next Up:
As it has proved so popular, watch this space if you’d be interested in this workshop running again.
Thursday
Artist Roundtable
“Artists are great survivors and often very flexible. It has been said that crisis can make us more creative; I am hopeful that this is true”
It was a full house on Thursday for our first Artist Roundtable, with artists, playwrights, producers, choreographers and curators gathering together online across the country, from Glasgow to Croydon!
We kicked off with some honest conversations about how we're all doing during this time. Experiences resonated across the board: from feeling overwhelmed & anxious on this ‘coronacoaster;’ to questioning: ‘Can I be a creative & continue a career?’; but also an appreciation of the present positive flexibility around patterns of creativity too.
Questions and provocations that came out of the session:
For art that is now made in these circumstances: is it right that reviews are business as normal at this time?
What will art spaces look like when they re-open? Should we focus less on asking audiences to come to art spaces and more about bringing our art to the spaces they already inhabit?
How do we survive the next few weeks? What are we hopeful for?
Artist Roundtable Discussions:
— MAIA (@MAIA_Group) May 7, 2020
On the role of criticism & reviews
'The best criticism has introduced new art forms to the world; but on the flip side, we see ‘cancel culture’ from those without any skin in the game, without any acknowledgement of the risk and process involved'
Next Artist Roundtable:
Artist Roundtable | 21st May, 1pm | Free | bit.ly/maia-artistroundtable2
Friday
Get to Know Nilupa: Weaving Workshop and Q+A with Nilupa Yasmin
“There is this joy in craft, learning something new and doing something with it”
Finishing the week on a high, we took to Instagram Live with Nilupa Yasmin for a weaving workshop, plus Q+A on artistic practise. The first in a series of fantastic events with Maslaha, this incredible session was both insightful and inspiring, discussing everything from craft as therapy, connecting to culture, and educating with arts practise.
Weaving Workshop: Top Tips
It's up to you what materials you use: magazines, photos, even scrap paper
Everything happens with the way you fold the paper together
The thicker the paper the better it holds, try 300 GSM
Q+A on Artistic Practise: Insights
On Weaving: “Weaving is versatile, universal, and for anyone. It’s a place I find that connects me to others”
On Cultural Heritage: “I have learnt about my culture through my own arts practise. I had a great grandmother who was incredible at weaving who I never knew or met, yet I can connect to her through weaving."
"You have the power to decide what people see in your work. It can be pretty and it can have purpose."
— MAIA (@MAIA_Group) May 8, 2020
"I always try to educate through my practise and it's what inspires me to keep making"
Reflections from Get to Know: @NilupaYasmin_ with @Maslaha on IG Live pic.twitter.com/sKeSyhJ23M
More on the artist:
Nilupa Yasmin: @NilupaYasmin_ | Nilupayasmin.com
Next Up with Maslaha:
Dreamcatcher Workshop with Glue Collective | 15th May, 12pm | Free | IGTV via MAIA
Coming Up
Week 2
Starting next week is our Work On workshop series, sessions which will bring insights from the worlds of visual art, theatre, journalism and film about routes for getting work put on. We also have our intriguing Art 30 live event taking place next week: 30 hours for 30 mysterious, limited edition pieces of artwork; watch this space for more details!
Monday - Work On: Managing and Funding Projects with Tobi Kyeremateng | 11th May, 2pm | Pay as You Can Donation | Eventbrite
Wednesday - Work On: in Galleries: With Kim McAleese, Grand Union | 13th May | Free | Eventbrite
Friday - Art 30 Live Event | Fri 15th May 10am to Sat 16th May 4pm
Get involved
Check out our full May Programme: bit.ly/maiamay-programme
Be part of the online conversation: @MAIA_Group | #MAIAThis May
Support the West Midlands Artists Coronavirus Emergency Fund: gf.me/u/xq4kgj
Stay in the loop with all things MAIA: bit.ly/maia-mailinglist
Take care and see you again online soon! x