our day out

What a lovely looking bunch.....


So to kick start the project we went off for a day in Manchester city centre. I wanted to get the staff to take some 'breathing space' or some time out. Time to slow down, look, and think, and not have to make connections (necessarily) to their own teaching practice. As teachers and other professionals who work with students facilitating, teaching, enabling, and encouraging, we need to give ourselves some of this back from time to time. As an artist I find it essential to take time to look at others' work however connected, or otherwise to my own.


After a brief intro. to Grayson Perry's current project at Manchester Art Gallery, I asked the staff to take some time on their own and choose a piece of work which 'spoke' to them in some way - positive or negative. People then introduced their choice to the rest of the group, and why. An exercise which I think proved really interesting for all of us.


Following lunch at Croma we had a guided tour of the Royal Exchange theatre, looking not only at its function as a theatre, but the building and its past life.


A final stop to visit Andrew Brooks photography exhibition 'New Worlds' in a temporary space in The Hive finished off the day.


I got a lot out of the day, particularly seeing the way in which the staff were prepared to engage with work, sometimes out of their comfort zone. 


Looking forward to seeing where we go next......