A SMALL SPACE ‘ON TOUR’
When I first decided to go travelling with my family earlier this year, a creative idea started to bloom. My thinking derived from two fundamental areas: one out of fear of losing the all-important connections I had made with the artist collective “A Small Space” (A Manchester based artist collective, formed in 2022); and secondly from the fact that it’s so hard to exhibit and make creative connections outside of your home country, without actually living in another country for a sustained period of time. From figuring out how to overcome these nervous feelings, “A Small Space – On Tour” was born.
The concept is simple – A Travelling Group Show. Each artist (19 members) from the northern collective would create small work that I could carry around the world with me, with the aim of showing them in each country I visited. And whilst the works were travelling the world, I thought postcard-sized pieces could tie all the work together under the travel umbrella.
Who knew if it would work? I wasn’t convinced anything like this had been done, and I was going to countries that I didn’t know the art scene and landscape of – let alone know anyone there in the art world. Thankfully I ignored the nagging doubt and mentioned it to “A Small Space” members Jen Orpin and Julie Cassel, who jumped straight on board and their enthusiasm steered the idea into full fruition.
Jen put out a call out to all other members, to produce up to two pieces each, to be ready just before I left the UK on the 13th April.
Everyone thankfully saw the vision and jumped on board and the work began to flood in – a total of 31 pieces which I collected from Jen’s studio at Rogue Studio, Manchester. It was such a joy to see all the work laid out and see each artists piece, all varying in detail, theme and colour. It felt an honour to be in possession of all their work, if not a little daunting too.
We had all agreed that the work wouldn’t have any monetary value and if it was to go missing, as these things can do whilst travelling, then so be it! This show was going to be about connection above all else….
Speaking of connections, I now needed to make some! But how? The worst fear would be travelling with this beautiful show in my blue portfolio from country to country with no place to show them off. And whilst there was no pressure at all from any of the Small Space members, thankfully, this was something I wanted to do, for me and for them.
So off we went. Me, my partner, 2 kids, and a blue portfolio full of 31 beautiful works of art. First stop Bali…..( Bali blog coming soon….)
Artists exhibiting in ‘A Small Space On Tour’ (above): Laura Pedley, Rachel Addis, Jude Wainwright, Peter Davis, Laura Nathan, Jen Orpin, Julie Cassel, Sophie Nixon, Ruth Fildes, Hannah Wooll, Sam Owen Hull, Sarah Feinmann, Margaret Cahill, Nan Collantine, Sandra Robinson.