Life’s a pitch!

Posted on April 11, 2016

A couple of weeks ago my project bid was selected as one of the final 6 in a very competitive field. I was given a half hour slot to present our bid to three of the Trust’s board that came to visit The Thrive Archive project. The Thrive Archive works with diverse communities to help them tell their story in innovative ways.

Songbirds from Newhaven Community Choir

Songbirds from Newhaven Community Choir

The story goes that there was once a willow tree in Fishermen’s park. It supplied the raw materials for creels, skulls, crans and crab pots all used in the fishing industry. If the tree were to be lost the fishing would leave the village. The tree is gone and only one boat remains.

A Creel of Stories

A Creel of Stories

The bid title A Nest of Songbirds comes from a description of Newhaven village in the 19th century that hosted 2 famous choirs. The bid is to enable a collaborative art project to effectively plan and develop a multi site specific performance to build community and to re-establish Willow as a sculptural resource in Newhaven.

Willow fishing creel woven by Liz Balfour

Willow fishing creel woven by Liz Balfour

Working across the arts the project would include, design, new music, willow sculpture, a giant drawing, basket making and song and dance with local schools with the community and naturally the Newhaven Community Choir.

Credit goes to Sheila Masson who kindly recorded our bid by taking these photographs, thanks again to members of the choir who flash mobbed us around the village, the Trustee’s got a goody bag of kippers – thanks to Welchs’ Fishmongers and a song from Victoria School’s fantastic junior choir. So keep everything crossed for us – we will hear more later in May.

Welch's fishmongers

Welch’s fishmongers