My proposal comes from the beginning of discussions with the African and Caribbean Society for the Blind about workshops and art activities. We have thought of a series of possible projects together. These include : walks together, visiting the Music Museum, making our own instruments together, frottages, visiting the SOAS museum.
The output of these activities could be : the instruments made together with a possible concert or showing the recording, artwork made on the walks, frottaged sketches (rubbings of textures), or other. This would depend on further discussions with the blind/visually impaired.
Helen Cammock also ran a project with the same association, and produced photographs from it. I am also interested in turning the photographs into photo-etchings. Photo-etchings have a haptic quality to them, so the different colors have different densities and this can be felt by touching the images. Thus, it would also be a way of working together not only with the blind/visually impaired, but also with an artist who has previously worked with the same group and produced an output.
Another output would be my recordings of the blind/visually impaired talking about how they became blind, as well as them talking about what exactly they see. They are all visually impaired in different ways. One person has begun to see everything extremely blurry, in an uncorrectable way, ever since a random moment in the middle of the night one day. Another person sees ex-rays better than common sight. Yet another experiences sight differently.
As an artist, I am interested in exploring different ways of seeing and working with blind/ visually impaired people is a way to explore this as well as create some kind of activity that would be a meaningful exchange for them.
I have had discussions with the Society for the Blind, and they are very open to and welcome these exchanges. They are checking to see which particular activity would be most popular with their members, and we will then start from there. A strong preference seems to be the make your own instruments workshop. I am also in touch with Helen Cammock.
The activity that would be presented would be : displaying of the instruments for them to be used together with the audience, displaying of the artwork, or another activity that will be jointly discussed with the group and Five Years.
List materials and equipment (Five Years cannot guarantee either) Wood, guitar strings, regular wire, glass, water, nails, paint, paint brushes, plastic, and general other materials to you’re your instruments. If possible, a lunch budget and museum/transportation tickets.
* Ways of Seeing referers to the title of John Berger's book.
Ceyda Oskay is currently an MA student at the Royal College of Art.
She has worked on social projects with the United Nations for over ten years.
www.obac.org.uk | www.ceydaoskay.com | instagram: ceydaoskayart |
58
Saturday 26 May 2018
1-2pm
Ways of Seeing*:
Ceyda Oskay & The African And Caribbean Society For The Blind
............................................................................................................................