ARTIST ROOMS: Lawrence Weiner – Young People’s Projects

As we welcomed the month of November, we also welcomed our newest temporary exhibition ARTIST ROOMS: Lawrence Weiner to the McManus. Influential conceptual artist Lawrence Weiner uses language as his medium and his text work can take many forms, including written word, spoken word, songs and his work has even been tattooed! Although Weiner’s work has been translated into other languages around the world, for the McManus, the artists’ work has been translated into Scots for the very first time by Scottish author James Robertson.

ARTIST ROOMS was established in 2008 and is a touring collection of over 1,600 works of modern and contemporary art, jointly owned by the National Galleries of Scotland and Tate. It’s collections have toured to museums and galleries throughout the UK, through a programme of solo exhibitions that have showcased the work of over 40 major international artists.

As part of our learning programme between November 2018 and February 2019, our McManus Youth Action Group (YAG) are taking their inspiration from ARTIST ROOMS: Lawrence Weiner as they develop their own creative learning project. The group are working with text, language and printmaking to write, develop and produce their creative project as they respond and take inspiration from the work of one of the world’s most influential conceptual artists.

Lili Bartholomew intorducing our Youth Action Group to the ARTIST ROOMS: Lawrence Weiner.

Contemplating text work in the Landscapes & Lives 2 gallery.

As well as working with our Youth Action Group, we’re delighted to welcome The Wednesday Writers back to the museum for their own creative learning project with the team. The Wednesday Writers are a group of creative writers who have a learning and/or a physical disability and are supported by the NHS Tayside Occupational Health team. The group will be exploring ARTIST ROOMS: Lawrence Weiner through creative writing and will be working towards developing a series of written pieces that will be shared through a poetry and creative writing recital early next year.

Preparing our Learning Studio for an afternoon of creative writing!

Exploring text and different wiring shapes with our Youth Action Group.

Over the next few months, we will be writing and reflecting on both of our projects through our Creative Learning blog so keep reading to find out how the work of YAG and The Wednesday Writers develops as both groups explore ARTIST ROOMS: Lawrence Weiner.

 

 

Making History!

This week we’re jumping up and down with excitement here at Creative Learning HQ as Dundee celebrates the latest addition to our cultural landscape with the grand opening of the fabulous V&A Dundee!

From ancient history to our civic life; fascinating objects and the everyday stories; Victorian masterpieces to ground breaking contemporary art; Dundee really does have it all and lots more to create and share in the future. In our Learning Team, this is what we are passionate about and why we are so excited about Dundee’s changing cultural landscape and our shared, creative futures.

What is fantastic about working in Dundee and Dundee’s cultural sector is that each day is different, there is always something new to learn and inspire us. We love having a closer look at our favourite museum objects, artefacts and artworks from our collections and discovering new things about them. As The People’s Museum, we learn every day, with and from our audiences, and sharing this with others is one of the most important aspects of our work.

As well as their V&A Opening performance (which we are very excited about), our cultural partners Shaper/Caper are leading our regular dance workshop for children and their families this weekend here in the museum. A Day to Play is on this Sunday 2:00 – 3:15pm. For further information and to book visit www.shapercaper.com! We also have our amazing exhibition Bash Street’s Back at the McMenace; make sure you visit before we say farewell to Dennis, Gnasher and the Bash Street Kids on the 21st of October.

Dundee is the place to be this weekend as there is loads and loads happening! Keep a look out for us in the town as we are getting our party hats on to celebrate Dundee and this historic weekend!

Dundee, enjoy this historic moment!

#Dundee2018 #LoveDundee #SunnyDundee # mcmenace #Beanotown #Beano80 #YOYP2018

 

McManus Youth Action – Re-launch!

Fish Screen Print by Kerry McAlpine

We are getting ready to welcome all of our budding young creatives back to our next block of McManus Youth Action!

YAG will run on Monday evening’s from 6-8pm, on 10th, 17th, 24th of September and the 01st of October 2018. YAG is part of our museum-wide Creative Campus evenings and here is a little bit more about what you can expect!

McManus Youth Action (YAG) is the museum’s programme for young people aged 14 -19. The programme offers lots of fun and exciting opportunities for young people who are interested in developing new experiences in art, heritage and culture and who want to help shape and improve services for young people at The McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery & Museum.

As a Youth Action member, you’ll be invited to come along to regular drop-in evenings at the museum, take part in discussion groups, creative workshops and projects – you’ll also be the first to find out about exhibition previews, events and receive 10% off in The McManus Shop and Café.

Our first block will focus on our current exhibition ‘Revealing Characters’ and we will explore a variety of art techniques and approaches to portraiture, working with the Creative Learning team and our freelance artists.

To sign up and join us, please complete and return the application form available here. To return your forms, either hand in your paper form to our museum reception or email us a scanned copy to creativelearning@leisureandculturedundee.com.

 

Bash Street Summer S’kool – Comic Capers, Marvellous Music and Funny Business!

Our Bash Street Summer Skool is in full swing as we enter our final Skool week at Creative Learning HQ! Here is a run down of our Bash Street and Beano inspired Skool Departments and get a flavour of the projects that our star pupils have been working on! WHIZZ BANGS at the ready!

Our Department of Arty Capers focused on exploring the art of comic book making, working with the amazing Dundee Creative Comic Space. Our Summer Skool class firstly learned about how comics are created and constructed using drawing, speech bubbles and movement to tell the story of a character. Then our group developed their own characters, before creating their own story and drawings. Our Comic Space tutors followed this by teaching about the ‘inking up’ process, where the drawings get outlined and completed, before the comics were collated for printing.

Next up, our Department of Makin’ A Din have been learning about music, Beano-inspired sounds and instrument creation and construction. With a big SPLAT, WHACK and BOP, everyday materials have been transformed into music and sound makers! We’ve made panpipes, drum kits, maracas, rain sticks and even our own kazoos! Our class then combined their instruments and using their new construction skills to make collaborative ‘Beano Music Boxes’, with their own take on the sounds of the Bash Street Skool!

As well as making some great comics, stories and music boxes in our Arty Capers and Makin’ A Din Departments, our Department of Actin’ Up class have been learning how to tell the perfect joke, perfect their comedy timing, the art of improvisation and have learned techniques to use when developing characters for theatre. Our class have learned how actors can combine their voice and facial expressions to tell their stories and how physical theatre and movements can add another element to acting. There have also been lots of Beano and Bash Street pranks and high jinks added in there as well!

OurActin’ Up class have also had an opportunity to be involved in developing and leading our gallery drop in activity ‘When The Bell Rings’, which takes place in our Bash Street’s Back Exhibition. This is on each day during the school holidays; listen out for our school bell and head to our gallery classroom to take part!

#mcmenace #Beano80 #beanotown #YOYP2018 #Dundee2018 #LoveDundee #SunnyDundee #creativelearning