In Birmingham, UK
Laundry is an association of artists based in the West Midlands of the UK. They develop projects both as individual practitioners and in collaboration with each other; utilising a wide range of artistic disciplines, working creatively in community contexts and with a diversity of Members use a wide range of artistic practices and methodologies - photography and film, visual arts, oral history, performance, writing and digital media - working creatively in community contexts and with a diversity of cultures.
As an artist group our key aims are to; explore the nature of collaborative work, and how we utilise different styles of participatory practice, engaging with audiences and communities; provide a supportive environment to collaborate and experiment, seeking opportunities to developing artistic practice through shared knowledge and experience; through skills exchange, mentoring and practical actions; develop international partnerships which are of benefit to our locality.
Artists from Laundry have recently been working with The Institute of Polish Culture at Warsaw University, Poland; The Art Institute at Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania; and two arts organisations Spolek Richelieu in Prague, Czech Republic, and Stowarzyszenie Katedra Kultury in Warsaw, on an 18th month programme of local cultural animation and artist exchanges. This work is documented at www.culturalanimation.com
The Place
Our creative laboratory will be located Birmingham and the Black Country, part of the West Midlands of the UK. Birmingham prides itself on being a multicultural city. The 2001 census records 641,000 White British, 104000 Pakistani, 56000 Indian, 48000 African Caribbean, 31000 White Irish, 21000 Bangladeshi, 28000 from mixed backgrounds (Chinese, Black African, East Europe.) Since then there has also been a large influx of migrants from Poland. Birmingham is at the centre of the largest urban conurbation in the UK, with Coventry on its southern border, and the Black Country boroughs of Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Dudley and Walsall to the North and West, all of which have high migrant populations. In total this metropolitan area has over 2.5 million people.
This project is being undertaken in the context of an increasingly backlash in the UK against the concept of multiculturalism, negative views of increasing migration to the UK, divisions brought about by both the rise of ‘Islamophobia’ and Islamic fundamentalism in inner city areas, and youth gang violence. The issues being raised about national identity, about community loyalty and the impact of globalisation and migration are extremely delicate issues in the UK at this present time. We are working with youth groups and agencies with a remit to reduce inequality and intolerance.
Contact: Beverley Harvey
Email: beverleyharv@gmail.com
www.laundryline.co.uk
