Brexshit – the art of reverting to type

(This may not be appropriate for my arts producer website, but it is creative writing borne out of my frustration and a [bruised] sense of humour)

revert to type. phrase [VERB inflects] If you say that someone has reverted to type, you mean that they are now behaving as you would expect them to, after having behaved in an unexpected and better way.

With Brexit in gridlock, all parties are reverting to type – literally. The party PR companies that represent them have been underground somewhere for some time, their heads hidden under the covers. All that work on creating key messages lost in the sea of swirling shifts, changes and blatant lies. Sadly the period of behaving in an unexpected and ‘better’ way is not the case. They have all behaved in an abhorrent and unexpected way, not better. They just threw aside the straplines and became immersed in a bun fight that can clearly never end until they calm down and an adult bangs theirs heads together.

A strange twist is that, I suspect, it is the PR companies that have used their whips:

“Remember your key messages” thwhack!

“Reiterate them at every opportunity” thwhack!

“Jeremy – recite after me – ‘we have more in common than divides us’ and ‘for the many, not the few’” – thwack!

“Come on Theresa, I know it’s hard to say anything much now, because no-one is listening, but have you forgotten yours? Repeat after me ‘strong and stable leadership’ is your big one – use it”.

It’s all Trump’s PR’s fault. Whoever they are, they have trained Trump to repeat, repeat and repeat again. In an endless loop of straplines, regurgitating the same words again and again. Does this make them stick, or make us sick?

In a playful way, I find myself reflecting on the term reverting to type. In this digital age, it could refer to getting the old typewriter out, going back to the good old days. You couldn’t rub out the words you spoke when they were typed. You could try and cover them up with Tippex, but it often didn’t obscure them completely. Compared to digital, they were pretty fixed things, so you stuck to them when everything else in our world was feeling wobbly.

As everyone in the UK gets more wobbly, twitchy and, let’s be honest, scared witless, we too are resorting to simple expletives. Brexshit must be the most common word in social media now (not researched or verified, sorry).

So back to the politics – let’s hope the parties can deliver on their key messages, because they are not delivering on anything else. Sadly, the strapline ‘strong and stable leadership’ turned out to be the biggest lie. They would be wise not to use it any more, to prevent the majority of the uk from rolling around on the floor laughing and potentially causing accidents.

TM refers to the opposition as if it is only labour opposing her. But her own party members, and all other parties oppose her. It’s as if she thinks the ‘opposition’ holds the power and the responsibility. Bizarre. She did this, the tories did it. Clear as day.

The old adage two wrongs don’t make a right comes to mind. They have ALL messed up and it appears it is too late to change Brexshit.

 

HAVE YOU READ MY BOOK SEVERNSIDE – AN ARTIST’S VIEW OF THE SEVERN? IF SO I’D LIKE YOUR FEEDBACK PLEASE….

As well as being a producer, I am a writer and artist too! Go here to find out more about my recent publication Severnside – An Artist’s View Of The River Severn

new commission opportunities for artists

I am currently working with b-side to provide Creative Producer support to 6 new art commissions for a public art trail in Weymouth town centre. The commissions are for Weymouth & Portland Borough Council.  They include the potential to create work in association with water refill units – to our knowledge the first time public art has embraced promoting the use of units, as a trail,  to reduce single-use plastics. Wessex Water are supporting the project.

Full details about the commissions and to apply, visit Curator Space.

Restricting access to creative art courses – is it too late to consider, now the damage has been done? Have arts students been mis-sold to?

According to this article on the inews website “Creative arts courses are ‘not economically worthwhile’ – universities should restrict access to them, think tank argues”.

The articles states that ‘Creative writing, drama and music are among university courses deemed ‘low value’ – which most certainly needs a bit of unpicking. The gist of the article is that creative courses do not churn out people who will earn high salaries, therefore will never pay back their student loans, which is a strain on tax payers. Clearly their only measure of ‘value’ is economic, which is deeply depressing. But I can see their point, we shouldn’t be wasting anyones money, and if our economy does not respect creatives or pay them fairly, as compared with other professions, we should consider why that might be.

Maybe we should look back to the late 1980’s/early 90’s, when the government began to charge fees, as well as double annual intake onto university courses. I know this well, because I applied and secured a place on a degree course and was delighted to be selected. However, during the summer before my first year began, the university was advised to double its intake – resulting in many people who had been turned down for selection being invited to join the course anyway. Worth mentioning that no extra space was provided, and no extra staff. Just double the students. Studio space was reduced massively, indeed my studio in the 2nd year was in the caretakers bungalow near the gate – there simply was not enough provision for so many students at such short notice. The fine art degree course admission numbers doubled again the following year. And so it went on……resulting in the market being flooded with arts graduates very fast.

So education became monetised, just like every other valuable aspect of the welfare state. I shan’t go on about all those things here,  because we have watched the NHS, the rail network, the education system being brought to their knees, the evidence is all around us.

Which is why I feel motivated to write this. How can they now turn around and say that arts graduates aren’t an efficient part of the system, because they don’t earn sufficient money to justify their education? Who is guilty of what here?

Ironically, the issue of limiting numbers IS something I would agree with, if it means that students get more tutor time and studio space on their courses, more teaching, more lectures. Because at present there is not enough money in the semi-privatised FE system to deliver as well as the lecturers would like to. And not enough space for fine art students to rotate an easel!

We certainly have been mis-sold creative degrees, maybe there should be a pay-back scheme for all those students, equivalent to PPI. I’m sure that artists would greatly appreciate that – they could even pay back their student loans, which will never happen unless they are helped, due to most having below minimum wage status.

The article suggests that  “Institutions that rely on the provision of such courses are exploiting taxpayers who are ultimately liable”.

My concern is that they are exploiting creative young people who are skilled, talented and worth nurturing, who are core to civilisation. Our government is exploiting everyone by making education, particularly creativity, a commodity and not a necessity.

next year WILL be better – seasonal greetings & optimism!

Interesting looking back five years. Wow, so many exciting things have happened during them. Am not up to writing about it now as have other things to get on with. But by far the BIGGEST change is me returning to my own practice. So if I’ve been quiet on the Flow website it’s because I’ve been working on carolynblackart.com. I’m still producing and doing consultancy work, but it has mostly been on non-public-facing contracts. Am intrigued what may occur in 2019!

Flow Contemporary Arts

The last missive of a good year and next year will be better (even, much, lots?)

Despite the cuts, the recession and the constant fight to keep the arts on the government agenda, it’s been a  good one. Starting Flow in this economic climate was never going to be easy but the time is always now, so why wait?

Something that lingers in my mind as the year closes is that the more brutal the cuts became, the more resilient and empathic people have become. No-one can sit on their laurels any more (not that anyone ever does in the arts…they can’t, being one of the lowest paid professions).

This years card is for everyone –  many friends, family and colleagues have found it a very tough year for various reasons, so I hope it is empowering for them. And for those that it’s been good, or even brilliant –…

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First stage of the project is completed of Newnham Bells

via First stage of the project is completed

I’m not exactly sure what ‘press it’ means with WordPress, but am hoping this is a way of amplifying the Church Bells blog, because the new interior for the bell ringers is wonderful! go-see!

And you may spot that the header photo is one of mine and was the starting point for the Newnham Church drawing I did. I love this place.

I’ve finished my book! Drawing, writing, organising launches – am in my element…

I have been writing more and more in recent years, not just for projects, but also for pleasure and research, including publication. I have written for Four Seasons Magazine , a-n, Visual Arts South West and many other publications. I was writer in residence at Double Elephant Print Studio and attnded an Arvon Course about arts writing.

This is, however, my first book, and it’s been a challenge indeed. All the drawings took over a year to do, the writing just as long. Paul Manning is the person that shaped it visually and I’m delighted by the outcome.

So here is info about the launch. Art.earth have taken it on as part of their imprint, which is exciting and puts it in context. That is not an easy task. Part autobiography, a bit of psychogeography, a tour guide, a picture book, peppered with facts and garnished with poetic license.

Only 100 copies in first edition.