The AccessArt Village started with a gift to AccessArt, from Appletons Wool, of a huge box of wool, which arrived on our doorstep in February 2016.
In a spontaneous moment, Paula Briggs, co-director of AccessArt, invited followers of AccessArt to join in the creation of an artwork celebrating the diversity of the AccessArt community.
Paula invited participants to draw a simple image of their own home and to sew the image on a 20cm square of fabric before sending it back to AccessArt. The individual houses were then brought together by a textile artist into one amazing artwork. And that was how the AccessArt Village began.
Little did Paula know that her email invite would lead to a project spanning almost three years and the sparking of creative responses from almost 700 individuals, from all walks of life and ages. A true celebration of individuality, community and creativity.
The AccessArt Village was run by #TeamAccessArt, host galleries and participants on a voluntary basis with no renumeration for time and effort.
Explore the AccessArt Village Resources…
Creating your sewn square
Make a Stitched home in under an hour
Make a model stitched house
Draw your home: Collage, Stitch and Fabric Crayons
Collagraph, collage and stitch: Make an image of your home on fabric
Creating the AccessArt Village…
The AccessArt Village came to life when sewn houses started to arrive back. The magnitude of the response to the call was incredible, with almost 700 houses arriving back to AccessArt from a broad spectrum of venues including schools, hospitals, libraries, Brownie groups, Art clubs, Art groups and galleries from all around the United Kingdom and as far as South Africa.
Andrea Butler, from #TeamAccessArt, donated vast amounts of time, ingenuity and creativity to the project. Over the course of a year, she lovingly and painstakingly mounted the houses. Every house was given its own time and great attention was paid to detail. Andrea used her creative sensitivity to respond to the originality of each piece and all the houses were treated equally and with great and equal respect, whether made by a young child or established artist. Andrea was joined by Paula and Sheila Ceccarelli over the summer of 2017 to complete the task of mounting the houses.
The result of all this hard work and participation was an installation of over 700 3D models which juxtaposed work by children at the start of their creative lives next to that of accomplished artists and older generations. Whilst highlighting the character and individually of each piece, the project celebrated diversity and reminded us of the universal sanctity of “home”. Most poignant were those houses contributed by individuals who, for reasons of health or vulnerability, were away from home when they made their creations.
Finding Venues to Host the Village…
Seeing how enthusiastically the project was being received by the AccessArt community, in January 2016, Paula sent out another email calling for ‘Host Partners’ to exhibit the AccessArt Village. The call was met with an enthusiastic response from schools and galleries across the county. The variety venues to respond to the call demonstrated the breadth of AccessArt’s engagement with its community and also the geographical span of its reach.
Since it was first exhibited in September 2017, the AccessArt Village Tour has brought joy to many people.
The Village began its journey in the rural setting of Farfield Mill, in the Cumbrian hills, before travelling to Mansfield Central Library and then to Brentwood Road Gallery at Frances Bardsley School in Romford, a suburban setting east of London.
In 2018, the Village continued its journey, visiting the seaside town of Whitley Bay in the North East, followed by Old Gala House in Galashiels, before finally returning home to Cambridge on 24 November.
The AccessArt Village Tour Workshops…
Making an Ink and Wax Village with Pupils in Mansfield
This was a very special day for Sheila Ceccarelli from AccessArt, as she got to meet and work with sixty, year five pupils from Berry Hill Primary School in Mansfield Central Library, with colleagues from Inspire Arts Service, who had previously facilitated the development of the AccessArt Village across Nottinghamshire.
The AccessArt Village and How a Small Idea can be Big
This AccessArt workshop was led by Sheila Ceccarelli for year nine students at Frances Bardsley Academy in Romford, where the The AccessArt Village was displayed in the school’s adjacent Brentwood Road Gallery, in January 2018.
Making the Gift of Home this Winter
The AccessArt Village completed its year long AccessArt Village Tour of the UK and was seen, for one day, as a pop-up exhibition, ‘Cambridge Welcomes the AccessArt Village,’ in the Ruskin Gallery in November 2018.
The very special homes, handmade by children in schools and hospitals, artists, young people and community groups, were exhibited and sold, in collaboration with Emmaus, Homeless Charity, Cambridge.
Special Thanks
Rachel Hurcomb & 1st Stretton St Mary’s Brownies, Sarah Williams & 1S, St John’s College School, Pupils from King’s Worcester School, Amber Smith, Chailey School, Jean Goodall, Barbara Latham, Jill McDermott, Julie Ashfield, Evonne Bixter & pupils from St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic High School, Natti Russell & members of Art4Space, Sharon Gale & The Art Cabin at Northaw C of E Primary School, Morgain Murrey Williams & students from Chesterton Community College, Jo Evans & Yr 2, Southbank International School, Victoria Lowe & pupils from Eyemouth High School, Helen Walsh & The Heathlands Project, Tullie Textiles, Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, Beth Shearing, Louise Shenstone & “Making It’, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Kate Gwen Jones & Yrs 9, 10 and 11 Art Textiles, Stanley Park High School, Megan Stallworthy & pupils from Sticklepath Community School, Liz Cook & children from Great Ormand Street Hospital, Heather Wilson, Isabel Brown, Rosie James & pupils at Dent C of E Primary School, Annabel Johnson & the Children’s Art School Wimbledon, Helen Jones & Yr 8 textile students, George Salter Academy, Sam Downer & pupils from St John’s College School, K Sellens & pupils from Lansbury Lawrence Primary School, Andrea Butler, Craft and textile groups, Inspire: Culture, Learning and Libraries, Notts, Yr Four pupils, Berry Hill Primary School, Morag Thomson Merriman, Sandy Wright & pupils from All Saints Anglican/Methodist Primary School C Wimberley & The Art Club, Poppleton Rd Primary School, Jacqui Stewart & the Cotton Candy Art Group, Helena Malan & pupils from Eureka Primary Grade Eight, Burgersdorp, Reg. Charity No: 1105049 South Africa.
