Why must you hold your breath at the instance of a sun setting?

So Somerset Art Week is in full swing now and I have not just one offering but two, the first and more formal is at Venue 23, Number Seven, Dulverton, which houses the fruits of my Coleridge Way projects along with my Tell Tale cards, and also being the base for the storywalk 'The Watching Way'.

This tale is an art trail of kinds, not only can it be read through your smart phone in the usual way with my digital storywalks, but it asks you to create art along the walk into Burridge Woods. But best of all other walkers who have trodden the path and read the tale will have added their little organic sculptures too, all left to decay in the natural way.

  

My other offering is a labyrinth at Westcott Farm, here there are ten artists exhibiting for the duration of Art Week, with sculpture and paintings alongside my coiled path and Gordon Field's 'Tree Aura Project'. I've blogged a little about this before here, so I won't cover that ground again.

So on Friday the finishing touches were put into place with Davina and myself wrapping the central focal tree, which is the one the labyrinth ends at, or more accurately centers around, and where walkers will hang their offerings. When I originally suggested I would mow a maze in the Westcott Orchard, it was a simple proposition, I survey then draw up, plot it, and then cut it early so that over the summer it will become tight and established. But every time I visited to mow, or thought about the labyrinth I would have another idea, and then another. So what started out as a rather simple offering has become a little fuller and more considered.

So what were these epiphanies? Well the first added element were the teasing tags, I felt I needed to ground the project and inject a little humour somehow, enabling the whole to become more accessible and engaging. Tags are the feedback medium of the now, gone are the comment or visitors book, it's write your words on a tag and hang it on a well placed branch or bundle of willow, Barrington Court has one for their SAW offering, and they are in my opinion, a great addition.

So I set about writing lots of odd questions to challenge the walker to interact, rather than just enjoy, at first I thought just a couple of questions would do but over a hundred and twenty later they still keep coming.

Here are a few examples

'Where will you hide the badgers?'

'What would you place in a strangers pocket without them noticing?'

'On the Kings table there is room for one dish made by you, what is it?'

'Why is it important to hold ones breath at the instance of a setting sun?'

With a box of teasing tags you need a vestibule to gather the tags and prepare your journey along the coiled path, and what about the tree at the heart of the labyrinth surly it needs a little magic? We must wrap it like we used to in projects of old!

So all these elements have come together, they are parts which create a greater whole, and I am really excited to get back and see what tags have been chosen and what words written.

The labyrinth is open during Somerset Art Week only, as Westcott Farm is a private space, so grab the opportunity now, and see the other artist's as well, including Gordon Field's 'Tree Aura's' which are also in the Westcott Orchard. 

The venue number 28 is open 10 - 6 every day except Tuesdays.

And one last idea, which in itself has snowballed to quite an event! This is the Westcott Fire Walk on Saturday 2nd November 2013. The orchard is on a steep valley side and the idea is to pop cameras with long exposure lengths on the adjacent valley. At 4pm gates open and when it's dark we will process along the labyrinth path with lit torches and create light trails. Everyone who holds a torch is really holding a paint brush and will be part of the art. 

Tickets are £5 on the gate, to include processional candle, with additional candles available on the night at £3.

Accompanied children are free although we stipulate a 1:1 adult child ratio for obvious reasons.

This is a 'Friends of SAW' event so if you buy your annual membership on the night (from £25) then the entrance fee will be refunded. We will need help too, so get in touch and become part of the art.

PS do you know anyone who can play the fiddle? just an idea I had whilst I was resting!

And shortlisted for the British Awards for Storytelling Excellence is . . .

I received a phone call one evening last week from the British Awards for Storytelling Excellence, BASE, explaining that I had been nominated for an award - the short list to be announced the next day...

Friday morning arrived and I tentatively checked their website to see if my name appeared on the list and there it was! Short listed in the Trailblazer category - an award to celebrate someone, not necessarily a storyteller who has pushed the boundaries of storytelling, reaching new audiences by embracing the new technologies available today.

Also short listed are publishers The History Press and the current Storytelling Laureate -  Katrice Horsley. So some stiff, well established, highly respected competition there then - no pressure!

I am absolutely thrilled that my work has been recognised on a national level and feel highly honoured to be placed along side these elite.

BASE aims to highlight and promote the diverse range of exceptional performers currently working within the UK and the awards, now in their second year, are the perfect way to celebrate this traditional profession that has deep roots within our society and yet still remains relevant today.

The final decision is made by public vote so it would be wonderful if you could spare a little time and vote for me on their website, you will need to register to do this; do enjoy discovering the other performers and artists short listed.

To vote click on the link here

I recently collaborated with the first story teller laureate Taffy Thomas who kindly started a tale in a Storyboxes for The Coleridge Way. Taffy Thomas is short listed this year  for Outstanding Male Storyteller. Other categories (amongst others) include Outstanding Community Project, Outstanding Female Storyteller, Outstanding New Comer and Outstanding Multi Arts Performance.

This short film explains how Storywalks work and was made as a taster for possible new walks on the Saltway in Kent.

The closing date for voting is the 1st October. There is to be an awards ceremony later that month which also promises to include a diverse selection of enthralling storytelling performances. I am really looking forward to attending this prestigious event - which in itself is reward enough.

As part of the forthcoming Porlock Literary Festival I will be at the Authors Day at Porlock village hall. The day starts at 11 am this Friday and closes at 3pm, which is a warm up for my Somerset Art Works festival, venue 23 at Number Seven, Dulverton. 

Hope to catch up with you all there, and don't forget to vote, thanks.