The Micro Gala Day was the first of many workshops and events held on the estate. I decided very early on that where possible, all events should take place directly on the housing estate. To this end, a marquee was purchased for the community and the project. The marquee acted as the focal point and physical shelter for the majority of activities that took place throughout, allowing the project to evolve, literally on the residents’ doorstep.
The intention of this first event was primarily to meet the larger community, begin to introduce ideas and potential ways of working and to start conversations.
The Micro Gala Day allowed the community to get involved in several activities including stop-frame animation, poetry, storytelling, badge making and metal casting. The residents were also invited to model their own ideas and aspirations for the community.
Using plasticine modelling, participants built up a map of the housing estate filling it up with ideas, solutions and aspirations. Suggestions were many and varied ranging from gates to stop cars driving fast through the estate, to the construction of swimming pools and fountains, to the planting of new trees to the use of rollercoasters as a transportation system.
The day was a great success and laid the foundation for the development of the project.
Lead artist
Jason Nelson
Participating artists
Bunty and Bella AKA:
Jude Gove and Suzie Scott
Mickey Mallett
Derek Lodge
Kevin Blackwell
Gus Colvin
Jacqueline Shortland