TRANSPORTED: Creative Producer
As Artistic Director for SpareParts Festival, I was delighted to conceive, co-create and be Creative Producer on TRANSPORTED.
TRANSPORTED was a 3-day outdoor arts event in Fleetwood from 16 - 18 July, 2021. The event centred around the people of Fleetwood, with a focus on the gains, losses and intentions of the community across the pandemic.
With support from partners, volunteers and staff we welcomed 3000+ visitors to the installation across the event.
Jodie Gibson in front of In Memoriam by Luke Jerram.
The event featured three artworks curated across the impressive Fleetwood coastline, including Marine Hall Gardens and The Mount.
Photo by Mark McNeil Photography
Artwork 1: In Memoriam, by Luke Jerram
In Memoriam offered Fleetwood residents and communities a temporary, safe place to visit, gather and reflect. The artwork, created from over 100 NHS bed sheets, also served as a tribute to all the NHS staff members and volunteers who have risked their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Artwork 2: Unchartered by Anthony Davey
Sound Artist, Anthony Davey, was commissioned to create an audio artwork, to be played from up high across the grassy banks of The Mount, where visitors were invited to sit and listen to the work, while experiencing the installation pieces at Marine Hall Gardens from a fresh perspective.
Playing daily during the hours of 11-4pm, the audio included conversations, stories and quotes from Fleetwood residents on their recent experiences connected to loss, gains and future intentions.
Artwork 3: Flag-Up by Fleetwood Community & Visitors
Fleetwood residents were invited to share their experiences of the past year via our Flag Up participation project. Along with our SpareParts partners, LeftCoast, we asked residents to consider their gains, losses and intentions from the past year to share with us. These entries were included in our Flag Up participatory artwork installed in Marine Hall Gardens.
Visitors to TRANSPORTED were invited to add to the evolving artwork by contributing their own flag; white for loss, yellow for gains and orange to represent their hopes for the future. As the 3-day event progressed the installation grew and became a powerful interaction point for many moving and inspirational conversations between visitors. There was a real sense from many people, an urgent need to share their recent experiences, valuing the opportunity to connect with others in their community.
Openings & Closings
TRANSPORTED was opened and closed each day by a local resident who we invited to parade a red flag through the event site, accompanied by Anthony Davey’s soundscape Unchartered and followed by the LeftCoast ‘Save our Stories’ vehicle. The inclusion of the red flag and the vehicle, connected the event back to our links with our local Festival partner who were unable to run their event in 2021, Fleetwood Festival of Transport.
For more insight on our community links and the meaning of the red flag, see my blog post here.
“Following so much isolation, Transported creates a collective event and opportunity for people to gather safely together, whilst giving time and space for people to reflect upon the diverse experiences within the community”