Virtual Exhibition
Friday 17th, Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th September 2021 – Interactive Weaves: An Exhibition on the Parade Ground and The Round Tower at Hotwalls Studios
An opportunity to see the final outcomes of Interactive Weaves exhibited together for the very first time. Explore the journey of this project and hear the stories of those involved through film, photography, and painted art works.
Nearly 900 people visited the exhibition
Exhibition Curated by Lauren Nicoll
Film and photography by Alex Fountain
Materials
Branches - Jan Griffiths, Little Forest Land Art
Home grown Bamboo poles - Allan Brown and Rebecca Robinson
Rope - Boathouse 4, Historic Dockyard
Fishing Line - Anglers NLRS
Sail for projector - Donated from Kim Edith, Hotwalls Artist
“It was such a joy and privilege to be able to see and take part in your wonderful project! I think it will be a long while before I can think about it all without welling up! It has touched my heart so much. I feel so much pain for this incredible planet and the things us crazy humans are doing to it - seeing what you have birthed with this project has brought me such hope and inspiration. Your project touches so many different levels of benefit, some of which you may not even be aware of yet, and it is truly awe-inspiring! Thank you for gifting this to the world and for all the joy it has brought”
“Beautiful project with so many amazing aspects - from the community involvement to the sustainability of the materials, this was a fantastic way to combine amazing works of art with a much larger, important message”
“Every town needs an ‘Alice Hume’ to ignite joy, togetherness, awareness and compassion into their community!”
“The partnership working between many of the Hotwalls makers, and the community involvement were two of the most important elements. The overall concept and its delivery were stunning. Many congrats Alice. this is the start of something amazing!”
“I absolutely loved this exhibition - it was so unusual and the way it combined the sights of the artwork with the scent of the plants and rope, and the sound of the music was such a unique experience. Really interesting and immersive”
“the exhibition highlighted the importance of community and how strengthening community bonds can create positive change. Art and textiles play a vital role in broadening perspectives, creating mental and physical well being and communication and connection.”
“This type of community engagement is essential in the crumbling world we are currently living in. The more community events like this that people are able to actually take part in, the more opportunity there is to provide alternative activities to consumerism, to educate people in sustainable practice and build stronger and more resilient communities”
“These textile skills have been passed down generations and need to be kept alive. Society in general has lost touch with our environment and the importance of self-expression. Being present in the moment in a mindful way by being creative is so good for mental health and meditation is not everyone’s cup of tea, so these creative practices are another way to tap into that state of mind”
“I particularly enjoyed how the project was able to reimagine the spaces within old portsmouth, by having the artist workshops outside on the parade ground with passers by able to see what was being created; the artist talk held at the cathedral & the exhibition within the round tower which used the space so beautifully. It felt charged with creative energy. I have always enjoyed visiting the artists studios at Hotwalls, but the community engagement and space for members of the public to get involved felt particularly exciting and I feel like it breathed new life into Old Portsmouth & set it up for an exciting future”
“I was very interested in the way that what might be considered as uninteresting can be made into a beautiful event when combined with other things. Diversity works!”
“It was amazing to see what can be achieved by a group of people doing similar things many times over. The texture and depth of the resulting artwork and the personal expressions was wonderful to behold. The ‘whole’ can definitely be said to be greater than the sum of its parts in this case!”
“The power of community, bringing all the artists at Hotwalls together, plus all the individuals taking part and being part of something bigger than the individual parts”
“It has really inspired me to see how this project by Alice has taken shape, and the scale at which crafts can be celebrated. It has really shown how textiles is a powerful tool both for creativity and connection, and I feel it opened up space for discussions around sustainability and mental health within the local community. It is especially inspiring to see the amount of people this project has touched & inspired!”
“I love the spirit that Alice brought to this project and it’s inspired me to invest more energy into collaborative work!”
“Trying something new and the sense of community, common purpose creatively and ecologically. Also as a therapist/counsellor seeing how people were encouraged to tap into their creativity without fear of being judged for not getting it right or being rubbish at ‘art’. Also how people wrote down and shared their amazing experiences on these days. Particularly seeing the young at Victorious engaging”
“I love how much it has engaged the local community, not only in the workshops but also capturing it through the other artists doing live paintings and photographs. It feels especially significant in times like these when we’re not able to have contact. So it really made me feel good to see a project that has been able to build connections”
“It was brilliant to see how this project brought together so many strangers to connect in a mindful activity after a year of so much isolation and distance”
“The exhibition is absolutely stunning and captures the community spirit of the project beautifully. It was so lovely to chat with people doing the workshops and it really helped me to feel a greater sense of connection as I’ve recently moved to the area. Having had this experience, I’d definitely take part in similar projects”
“This whole experience has brought the community together. I’ve made new friends, learnt about different people and gained self confidence”
“I would love to see more of these interactive projects throughout the country (world if possible!). I especially love how other people’s waste has heart-fully been donated and then the community have woven magic to create the wonderful final pieces. The whole project has touched the hearts of and brought joy to so many. The benefits of this project have extended to so many levels!”
“Thanks to Alice Hume for an opportunity to be part of a wonderful art project. This exhibition showed the strength, love, unity of the people of Portsmouth!”
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