Dartington Arts School - A new beginning.
Emerging from lockdown and flying with the Dartington Spirit...
Social restriction or ‘lockdown’ during the Covid-19 pandemic is an experience that is shared by people across the entire globe. Imposed restrictions on movement, social engagement and travel have imposed both welcome and unwelcome periods of reflection, contemplation and solitude. A re-focussing has been happening globally and shifts in attitude towards economic and social structures, alongside escalating environmental change are paving the way to a new world era.
As this liminal space unfolds, it has been interesting to spend time on the Dartington Estate as it awakens to human visitors again, and to witness the opening of the new Dartington Arts School, in tandem with my personal journey of stepping out of the domestic and local sphere I’ve been used to and onto a new path of learning and creativity.
What will this experience unlock within me and how will the new Art School carry the founding principles of Dartington’s spirit forwards, in a way that allows creativity to play a greater role in the conversations and solutions to the challenges faced everywhere?
A visit to the archive, as part of my quest to understand why Dartington has beckoned to the hearts of so many creatives throughout history, revealed this:
Captured during my visit to the Devon Heritage Centre 11/05/2021, from a report by Victor Bonham Carter in 1956.
It was affirming to read the sentiments of Dorothy Elmhirst, founder of the Dartington Experiment, in a report I unearthed during my visit to the Devon Heritage Centre archive as part of my research into the essential spirit of Dartington. Clearly, the Elmhirsts valued the Arts and recognised the importance of creative expression as part of the lived experience. For me, the moment I read her words a huge sense of validation filled me and it was at this moment that i truly felt that my decision to step onto a creative path through enrolling onto the MA at Dartington was the right one. She mentions the senses as fundamental to the human experience and this lead me to consider the sensory experience of the Dartington site. As a result, I will be taking the sensory accessibility of my work into account during future residencies. The lecture we had early in the course, delivered by curator Oswaldo Macia, was a definite inspiration for how smell can be used as an important part of an exhibition experience .
Further gems were to be discovered during this archive visit - including a high quality exhibition catalogue from Robert Rauschenburg and letters of correspondence between him and the Trust in preparation for his exhibition “Pages and Fuses and other prints by Robert Rauschenberg” which ran from 22/10 - 15/11 1975. Discovering a file jam-packed with interesting programmes, information and letters relating to Rauscheneberg’s time at Dartington, including his involvement with the Merce Cunningham Dance company, was a gold seam in the mountainous archive. Learning about his approach has inspired me develop ideas I have had this year to create nomadic ‘scene-setters’ that could be used to create outdoor gathering spaces using biodegradeable and found materials. I envision these spaces to serve as places to experience the wellbeing effects of meeting with others, alongside marking and celebrating the seasons and cycles of our natural world.
Another artist who’s work i admire and who’s style resonated with me was Cecil Collins. He made a great impact at Dartington and lived in the part of the East Wing where i stayed for part of the residency. This sense of embodiment, dwelling in the same physical space as another person but decades apart is interesting and i definitely felt a sense of ‘spirit of place‘ through this which helped me connect to his paintings. At the time he was considered marginal in his approach to the visual arts, because of his obsesssion with the spiritual value of art and its role as sacred. This sense of sacredness is of great interest to me and I bore this idea in mind throughout my residency, especially after reading a book in the Elmhirst library - by Phillip Marsdon.
A selection of images from the Devon Heritage Centre, taken with permission and purchase of a photographic pass on 19th May 2021:
During week 3 we engaged in a free-style ‘Wander’ around the estate. This is a practice I do regularly but it was fascinating to observe the responses of others, possibly as a gauge for risk-taking/curiosity personality styles! I reflected deeply on this, especially in light of a family member being diagnosed formally with ASD recently and knowing the distress that the mere suggestion of uncertain outcomes can cause to some people. In light of increasingly variable weather and environmental patterns, the emotional responses to uncertainty in general are something I’d like to explore further through future residencies and research.
Q: How could Artworks be used to encourage the curious to cross boundaries and explore, to release creative flow, and pass through the threshold into the unknown?
The Dartington site is full of portals for the curious, i have found. The treasures of trespass have, in the last 6 weeks, thrown up some lush gems. The wonder of wandering is a theme I’d like to explore further, sparked by the Earth Talk given by Nick Hayes in Dartington’s Great Hall last week. He is launching a campaign to promote the ‘Right To Roam’ in England and Wales and this could be a great opportunity to collaborate with other artists on the issue of land rights.
From a personal perspective, this module has been an incredible journey. I feel I’ve gained great insights through the Arts and Place MA programme and been pushed to new limits in terms of imagining a future as a working artist. I faced multiple challenges in order to attend Dartington during this module, alongside work and managing a family and a chronic pain condition but, as i know too well, sometimes being broken allows new light to come in! Doing the full time module as a part time student is something i will consider more carefully in the future, in terms of wellbeing and having time to fully engage with course materials. It has been a privilege to be part of this co-hort and I look forward to staying connected and supporting each other online during the next 2 years. The pandemic has brought new ways of connecting and as a new era unfolds it has been fantastic to be part of this diverse learning community, made possible through the online/offline model. One learning curve for me is to make sure I build in time to select ideas as i go though a residency, letting go of some so as not to spread my energy too thinly - especially where a final piece of work is required. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the students at schumacher and sharing meals with them, talking over issues relating to ecology, arts and social justice. Coming to the site has allowed me to have some great conversations with resident members of the creative community at Dartington, although due to social restrictions on visitors to the site I’ve found myself more often in the company of birds, bugs and hedgehogs! Doing the course has sparked my curiosity and i am feeling excited about immersing myself in the culture of Artist Residencies and Public Events and installations. I feel deeply inspired by the Key Texts and am looking forward to reading, researching and exploring further. The last 6 weeks have opened my perspective and I look forward to throwing my mind wide open to the experiences that this MA programme offers.
