Another Collaboration – But Online With @Gerryhayes March 15, 2013

I’ve been working on a thing, yeah another thing. Because I like being busy, but also because I like exploring different avenues of creativity. And I’m a sucker for coaxing people into a collaboration to make them think differently. And one of my victims/co-collaborators is the delightfully grumpy yet loveable Gerry Hayes. Gerry and I got chatting to each other on Twitter many years back now, and were also contributors to an online magazine called Metazen. Whether we found out about each other on there or vice versa has yet to be remembered. We shared mutual writers that we spoke to online and also a sense of humour, which is what Twitter used to be about (!) and since then we’ve embarked on a project that has kept us tinkering away the last couple of years. It’s not a whole wealth of work we admit, but the idea is that the work actually exists. If we hadn’t created this project then nothing that is held within it would come to fruition. So there. Check out the link below for the work that’s been done so far (and obviously keep checking back, we’re both very proud of each one of our nuggets.)
 

The Beloved Box – an online collaboration between Gerry Hayes & Katie McCullough

 

The photograph that kicked it all off and gave the project its name.

 
But excuses aside, that’s the very point of this project. It’s unfurling at a deliberate pace because that’s how the project works. These projects never have an end goal of a timeline, it’s meant to breathe and wheeze in and around real life. The Beloved Box was pitched to Gerry by email in March 2011 and as you’ll see by the time stamps on the website, sometimes we’re flowing quickly and other times we’re taking our time. It’s about creating the time and space to fail but also flourish. It’s a creative exercise to keep the brain ticking knowing that there will always be a response but an unpredictable one.
 
Gerry is a brilliant photographer and has a keen eye for capturing visuals that I find exciting, lyrical almost. After email discussion we decided on keeping the theme open so we didn’t restrict ourselves and also really explored the content we could create. The idea was that we would respond to the other’s piece of work and it could be in any medium – photograph, film, sound, text – but each offering had to have a title and this was as important to the project as the content itself. The title comes from the first photograph that kicked the project off, taken by Gerry.
 
So this has become The Beloved Box which is a fluxing sprawling narrative based on what has been offered up before. A creative tag-team, a more inventive wordplay game passing on the creative beacon. With Gerry based in Ireland and myself in Hertfordshire, we’ve been in contact by email passing on our creative responses. Gerry kindly created the website and updates it as and when our new works are finished.
 
What I personally enjoy about this project is that it’s not demanding, it’s a creative stimulus that pops into my inbox every so often and I have the urge to reply. It’s part of a bigger project but I’m focused on the pebble sized chunks and it’s keeping my brain ticking over. This is the main reason why I start these projects with other people – you have the incentive and necessity of not letting someone down and in return produce new work. Everyone’s a winner.
 
[The above has also been posted by the author Emily Benet on the Mslexia blog here.]

Ship Notes March 27, 2012

I’ve managed to flex my writing muscle in several ways on different projects, each beneficial in their own way. Twitter, whether you like it or not, features heavily in this flexing. It anchors me down to be as precise and clear cut about what I want to say due to the character restriction. Regardless of content it’s a great way to coerce yourself to be more aware of editing. Plus you can see how other people do it too. It’s not for everyone, but I love it. It’s a case of doing things together, en force.
 

This has hung in my dentist since I can remember. And I've been going to him as long as I can remember.

 

This also ties in neatly with Ship Notes. I approached a good friend and fellow creative, Neil Fox, about embarking on a collaboration. It was decided that we would do this. And then the project came about very organically. Myself and Neil have created a fictional relationship out of post-it notes left for one another on a fictional fridge. We’ve conversed in short pithy and poignant post-it notes for an entire year. The relationship we’ve crafted has had glorious moments of beauty and also shitty pockets of malaise through the text. And nothing has been planned. The only thing we were certain on was the fact each note was going to be written on a post-it note so therefore couldn’t be too long, and that we would do it for a year. No stress on how many we had to do, both Neil and myself are busy folks, just await the email in the inbox and respond when you can. The importance on what we wrote was significant. One moment one would be the crutch, the other the victim of selfishness. It really was quite powerful to experience. And when you read the thread back it kicks you around because they are glimmers of a relationship, part of a bigger picture. Things are mentioned that never resurface, recurring moments weedle their way when you least expect it. And all in all it’s a collage of a relationship that both myself and Neil have collectively and instinctively explored. And wow it’s been a real kick to the gut sometimes. The power of a few sentences or even a few words has really made me hone into the language I use in other areas. It’s made me boil down the essence of my long-winded conversations and made me pin it to the mast to act as someone else’s springboard.
 

Found this and various other cues glued into a book on the shelf in The Arcola.

 
It’s a project that has left me smarting at times and also completely enamoured. Many times I’ve opened the email to find myself breathless at the next chapter or laughing incredulously. It really has felt like a relationship that I’ve been on call for when the email pops up, an emotional rollercoaster in every way. And I cannot wait to show them off, but we’re not ready yet. We have two brilliant photographers, Laura Wood and Ben Woodall, who are embarking on a similar journey using our notes. But when we’re ready, you’ll be the first to know.

 

Collaboration March 19, 2012

I’ve been asked a lot over the last few months about how I can be so busy with different projects. My response is that I actively seek collaborative partners so I keep creatively stimulated. The other major influence for me wanting to delve into the collaborative process with projects like Ship Notes, Simone, Nascent Collage .etc. is because it makes me do work. By including other people you’re actively spurring them on to do work and therefore creating an environment where you too have to respond. In essence you’re not wanting to let anyone down. So you do the work. If only for that reason alone, it makes me work hard. Some people may not like that approach, but it works for me. It keeps it simple transaction.
 

“If you don’t do the work you will let someone down. So do the work.”

 
And voila! I do the work. It actively engages your brain with the notion that if I do A then B happens. It’s something we already know but it’s putting it in a different context. I apply it to all areas of my work. In my own theatre work I’ve gone out of my way to avoid doing what I need to do, we all do it. For me a lot of my work is off my own back which means there are no enforced deadlines or definite productions so I meander through the weeks and come up with excuses. But because I’m juggling different projects it makes me focus in on what I need to do. It crafts its own work schedule.
 

 
Binshit is not a word. But it’s part of the creative process of elimination…
 

“I’ve got to respond to so-and-so’s part of the project and then I want to do some brainstorming on my play, oh and by that time the other so-and-so might have got back to me with their next chunk of the project so I’ll look at that…”

 
Overall it makes me aware I’m generating work for myself. And that’s how it should be. It makes me feel like I’m doing something and keeps me busy. And when I say busy I don’t mean it just in the literal sense, but I mean creatively busy. I’ve been lucky in that so far two collaborative projects have worked so well that the end fruition will be displayed to the public. But that should never be the end goal essentially – if you embark on something only because of the end result you’ve got your perspective all wrong. Fair enough you may have a project you want to release into the world, but the thought has to be put into it otherwise it’s a hollow shell of what it could be. And that ‘thought’ translates as work. It should be an area of your life devoted to keeping yourself creatively fresh and bouncing off ideas with people, helping someone else out of a creative funk and being a support but through your work. The idea should always be, “let’s create an environment where we can fail and it doesn’t matter”. Nothing should be sacred, nothing should be too polished otherwise you’re not really listening to each other. It should be one big experiment, nothing is concrete. Not only will it allow you to explore areas that you might not have pondered on before, but it will also heighten your awareness of working with other people either in the same medium or a different one.
 

I’m not saying that everyone reading this should instantly fire off an email to a whole bunch of people demanding they work on a collaborative project. But I do suggest mulling over if there’s someone you know in a different creative field who might be open to the suggestion of ping-ponging some ideas. You never know where it will lead, but I bet you anything you’ll learn something from it. Whether it’s never to do it again or not is another thing. The absolute worst that could happen is that it doesn’t work for you. It’s just an idea. 

Can You Spare a Story For Nascent Collage? February 18, 2012

I’ve been involved with a project called Nascent Collage for roughly about 2 years now. There are three of us involved: Mary-Anne Pennington and Natalia Wilkoszewska. It’s how I met illustrator Natalia who I’ve worked with on Simone and our newly started project, David. Nascent Collage is something that’s been bubbling under the surface as it’s more of a longer project which will result in a book. You can find out more about my co-collaborators on the blog: http://nascentcollage.wordpress.com/
 
Nascent Collage is about recapturing the stories of childbirth and making them more than just a time and a location. Sharing these stories allows us to engage with the concept of motherhood as not only an individual experience, but a universal connection. By illuminating the diverse cultural stories in one collection we’re allowing our stories to carry on being told and remembered. Unlike other childbirth books and projects, our focus is on the emotional response rather than the scientific. We’re listening to mothers tell us their stories and passing them on to other mothers around the world.
 
The book will be a collection of stories from around the world and each will have their own illustration. We’re in the process of collating stories from all over the world so we can capture as many different cultures and experiences of birth as we can. This is where we’re asking you if you can help. Are you a mother reading this that would like to take part? Do you know of anyone who would be willing to share their story with us? We’re after the further flung places rather than in the UK at the moment. We’ve got a brilliant story from a woman who was a surrogate mother for a gay couple who has written a letter to her daughter. We’ve also covered Russia, some areas of the US and are in the process of securing a story from Africa.
 
Our goal is to create and publish the collection as a book. If anyone would like to offer their services with regards to that or lend their support we would happily listen and welcome your thoughts.
 
For an example of a story and matching illustration please click here.

 

 
Our Objectives
- To connect people by providing a collection of intimate stories that detail the one unique primary event each human shares in common.
- To illuminate the diversity of different backgrounds and cultures with a collection of stories from around the world.
- To provide the opportunity for people to appreciate the uniqueness of each birth.
 
Our Unique selling proposition
Unlike other childbirth books and projects, our focus is on the emotional and whimsical aspects as opposed to the scientific and physical. It is our humanity that makes us equal and yet unique, and there is nothing so human as being born. Listening to mothers tell the beginning of our stories is an out of body experience that allows us to see something that carries absolute value regardless of what we believe or know about it. By collecting stories from around the world we are providing an opportunity for people to connect worldwide in an emotional and personal way.
 
I’m not a mother myself, but I do think the conversation of how we came to be very important. No matter how old you are, you are always someone’s child. If you think you can help out please contact us on the blog: http://nascentcollage.wordpress.com/contact/
 

Simone Workshop January 19, 2012

Natalia and I will be presenting a creative writing workshop in tandem with the Simone exhibition that’s at Oxford House. Do feel free to come along as,
 

a) it’s free

b) it would be nice to see you
 

and
 

c) we’re wanting to get people collaborating, like we have, in different mediums.

 

So if you’re a shy writer who doesn’t feel like they have what it takes to write a full length story… Come and see if there’s a photographer who could help you collate one. Or if you’re a painter who has dabbled but only does it behind closed doors… Maybe see if there’s a fellow painter who wants a stimulus from month to month. The main objective of the workshop is to discuss and experiment with responses to different mediums and how to generate ideas. Not only is it free, but it’s in a nice place and you’ll get to see the exhibition too as it will take place in the cafe. Give us a shout if you’re coming along and if you can’t make it, feel free to pass it on the someone who can. Here’s the blurb:
 

‘Consequences’

Creative Writing Workshop

by Katie McCullough & Natka Studio

Café Gallery, Oxford House

Wednesday 25th January 2012

7.30 – 8.45pm

All Welcome!

Katie McCullough and Natka Studio collaborated in a creative version of

‘Consequences’ to create their project, ‘Simone’, which is currently displaying

in the cafe at Oxford House.
 

Merging the written word and illustration they have forged a unique

collaboration. Using simple exercises and exploring their approach to the

project they will be discussing how you too can forge creative relationships.

Materials will be provided and the workshop will be free of charge.

Exhibition takes place till the 31.01.2012, in the Oxford House cafe.

 
Katie Mccullough – Writer

www.katiemccullough.co.uk

 
Natka Studio – Illustrator

www.natkastudio.com 

Simone Exhibition News January 14, 2012

The exhibition was a success! And because I was so busy shoving wine into people’s hands and urging people to eat I didn’t manage to get any photos of the folks walking around looking at Simone. But I took one before it got busy and, because I’m chuffed with all the canapés I made, mostly of the spread. Because I know you want to see what I made.
 

 

 

 

 
Limited Edition prints are now available online. We’ve already made two sales with our Limited Edition prints, one on the night and one the very next day. This pleases myself and Natalia a whole load of lot. I thought I’d take the opportunity to say thanks to those who came (about 40 over the whole night) and to urge those who couldn’t make it to go see it now. It’s on at Oxford House till 31st January and it’s in the cafe so you can grab yourself a nice cuppa/java and stroll around. It’s a great building tucked away off the main road and it’s always got stuff going on in there as well as other artwork.
 
If you’d like to buy a Limited Edition print the information is below:
 
Style – Giclée print
Paper – Hahnemühle Photo Rag (308)
Size – 420mm x 520mm
Limited Edition Run – 50 of each image
 
They are for sale for £90 (which includes p&p) and you can browse them here.
 
And we’ll be doing a workshop in conjunction with the exhibition in the next week or so and we’ll have more news on that soon. No doubt I’ll be hollering on Facebook/Twitter/this blog here nearer the time.

No One Writes (Them) Like That Anymore January 2, 2012

This is the name of the short play I’ve been asked to write for the YARNfest night as part of the London Short Film Festival. And the great news is that it’s been cast!   

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

The role of Terry (the half-hearted suicidal man) will be played by James Pellow, Gareth (the hen-pecked argumentative husband of Suzie) will be played by Trevor Murphy and Suzie (slightly bored housewive of Gareth) will be played by Shamaya Blake.

 

 

The film above is the piece I’ve written my response to. What I like about Alex’s visual and aural representation of the letter written by Vittorio Gassman is that we can subconsciously relate glimmers of what we see to a narrative we are being fed. It’s a psychological dot-to-dot for me and further underlines the power of the written word and how fertile the human imagination is. So I’ve approached my response in a very surreal fashion, but I’m quite proud of it. Lifting the idea of how we treat silence and noise within relationships I’ve set the piece in a grotty B&B where the walls are thin. I’ve also explored the influence of popular culture through the TV set and how we relate this to memories subconsciously. And how nobody writes letters anymore and the influence of technology having an effect on something as straightforward, such as the suicide note. As I said, it’s a whole collection of surreal ideas presented in a bizarre manner.

 

Wednesday 11th Jan

YARN presents… An Evening of Cinematic Soliloquies
Starts 7pm
£6 tickets, available in advance here

 

‘Simone’ Exhibition December 21, 2011

As this year comes to and end it also signals the fruitful passing of time for the Simone project. Just a quick recap for those who don’t know… I’ve been collaborating with a fantastic illustrator called Natalia Wilkoszewska throughout the year on a variation of the games of ‘Consequences‘. And Simone is the culmination of it all. I write a piece of flash fiction and Natalia would illustrate it, then she’d illustrate the next part of the story and then it was up to me to write the response, then the next part of the story… And so on. We never forced each other’s hand to bend the story, we simply gave each other cliffhangers and free reign. And now we have a year’s worth of Simone’s life documented for all to see. It’s been an adventure.

 

 

I cannot believe a year has passed on this. Each month we did one image and one text and in January 2012 the entire collection will have it’s first public viewing at Oxford House in Bethnal Green. We’re chuffed, thrilled and ecstatic to be able to have the opportunity to let it unfurl in a public forum, especially in a building like Oxford House where they’re keen to exhibit upcoming artists.

 

This is something new for me (I’m going to be ‘exhibiting some work’ – odd!) and the idea of having work up for people to see for a prolonged period of time is a good kind of crazy. What initially started as an exercise to keep each other creatively exercising, has turned into a beautiful project and we’re keen to get people to go along and see not only our work, but the others on show.

 

 

Simone will be displayed from 12th January till 31st January 2012 in the Oxford House cafe which is open from 9am till 4pm. We’re hoping this won’t be the only outing for the project, so I’ll blog about any future developments about other exhibits. Do let us know if you go along and more importantly, enjoy it!

November Interrobang, See You There? October 26, 2011

So once again, myself and Natka The Great have been speeding through our ‘Simone’ series. I cannot believe that it’s nearly been a year since we started this project. We started it in January (ish) and we’re tying up the ends of Simone’s narrative this December. We won’t have the entire finished current series to show you in November, but we will have one last showing of it as work-in-progress at Interrobang next month. And when I say next month I mean next week.
 

Myself and Natka have really loved the creative juices this project has sparked. We’ve enjoyed giving each other those cliffhangers only to find more at every turn. Simone is someone we’ve both grown to love and explore. As much as her story will end in December, her character will live on, it’s inevitable. And we’re talking of doing other characters… I’ll keep you in the loop about that.
 

To get those who aren’t in the know up to speed, it’s like a game of consequences but with the exchange being between an illustrator and a writer. We don’t tell each other where we want the story to head, we just put our creative thoughts and interpretations down on to paper and then let the other pick up where we’ve left off.
 

Interrobang

 

You can see our collection so far in person at Interrobang at The Book Club on Tuesday 1st along with some fantastic acts. The doors open at 7pm and kicks off at 7:55pm at 100 Leonard Street EC2 (nearest Tube: Old Street). I’ll be there if you want to come along and say howdy, but also if you want to ask me any questions about this project. Here’s a reminder of our first two months work to whet your appetite… 
 

Clicky clicky here!

 

And a sneak peek at a newer one… 

 

It would be a pleasure to see a big crowd for the last Interrobang of the year, it’s bound to be a goodun. See below for other acts on the night:
 

Interrobang
Tuesday 1st November
Comedy~Music~Stories~Food~Cabaret~Literature
Exactly the same…yet slightly different!
Doors 7pm
Show Starts 7.55pm
Entry £5/£3 concs.
@ The Bookclub
100 Leonard Street
EC2
www.interrobangtime.co.uk/ www.wearetbc.com 

 

Do not miss us this November! Come and get cosy Downstairs at the Bookclub for this specially themed Interrobang. As many of you know, in the summer I teamed up with Welsh Theatre-Maker Aimee Corbett to walk from Mid-Wales to London collecting stories. This month we will be presenting an exhibition of some of the stories we have collected; as well as inviting a line-up of very special guest-performers to offer their own responses to the theme of Storytelling and Collecting. Come along at 7pm so you have time to see and interact with the exhibits before the show begins at 7.55pm. And remember, the Bookclub serves a great evening menu and we have tables downstairs so you can dine in comfort while enjoying the show. After it is all finished, anyone who wants to can stay on for a story-collecting session with Aimee and I; and I can guarantee you will be inspired to tell some stories of your own! 

 

Now if that’s not enough to whet your appetite; have a look at the line up: 

 

Bret Goldstein
Bret ss an incredible Stand Up Comedian and a natural Story teller. He recieved rave reviews this year for his Edinburgh show ‘Bret Goldstein Grew Up In A Strip Club’, described by the Guardian as a thoughtful reflection on fathers and sons, men and women and the nature of fantasy’ and recieving the review “Goldstein has filtered the funniest moments of that formative experience into an expertly told hour-long story, bringing out the mordant wit of what must have been a tough time..in the telling, he has great timing, pace and sense of dramatic storytelling that keeps the action moving – as well as the ability to really create a sense of mood and of place….” from Chortle. Not to be missed. 

 

Camilla Fiori
In between performing at Latitude and the Southbank Centre the utterly charming Camilla Fiori finds time to write really funny, intelligent and genuine poetry. She gave a gutsy, sincere and well-measured performance last year at Interrobang, so I am thrilled to have her back. 

 

Jamie Doe
Singer & Guitarist of Magic Lantern (“pretty special I think you’ll agree-outstanding acoustic song writing!”-tom Robinson, BBC 6 Music) Jamie Doe will be telling us stories and singing us songs! Check out the Magic Lantern page for a taster of what to expect http://www.myspace.com/themagiclantern . 

 

Camille Delean
Lovely Canadian folk singer Camille Delean has not been in London long, but she has already had the sense to hook up with excellent guitarist Ben Walker. This will be a sweet and glorious performance for sure. 

 

Drawn To Stars
On their journey from Mid Wales to London Aimee Corbett and Vanessa Hammick collected over 200 stories. They have begun to turn these stories into various performances and exhibits. See them employ film, puppetry and installation to bring the stories of their journey to life, as part of an ongoing process. And of course, share some stories of your own! 

 

Interrobang: Intimate AND Simone September 23, 2011

It’s that time again where Interrobang takes over The Book Club and a whole array of art, literature, music, photography, installation, theatre gubbins happen in the downstairs light-bulbed room.
 

Interrobang

 

This time I’ve got two things happening (again). First up you’ll be able to see the Simone project so far, there will be 8 installments for you to gander at. And secondly I’ll be there with the one-on-one theatre experience called, ‘Intimate‘ with Papercut Theatre.
 

 

Do come along not only because I will be there (that may put you off), but because it’s all kinds of ace. There’s lots of different things happening on the night so there will be something to tickle your fancy. And all that for under a fiver. Niceness. 
 
Tuesday 27th September
Time: 7.30pm – 9.30pm
Door: £5, £3 concession
(Nearest Tube: Old Street)