Play & Process Summer Workshops

UK / Korea, Castlefield Gallery’s story continues

Want to know more, interested in getting involved? Read on!

This summer, Castlefield Gallery invites you to join Manchester-based artist-maker Joe Hartley, and Korean contemporary artist Eunji Briller Kim accompanied by Curator Min Hyung Kang of Barim in Gwangju, (Castlefield Gallery’s Korean project partner) at PLANT, NOMA, to explore, collaborate and make.

On Tuesday 10 July, a special guest Shin Hyun Min, son of Shin Gyung-Kyun and Lim Gae-Hwa, Korean master craftspeople – National Living Treasures In Waiting, (specialists in, pottery – in particular the venerated Moon Vase and Korean cuisine), and whom led a public workshop at PLANT in August 2017, will join the team leading the workshops.

No pre-existing skills are required!

Joe Hartley, lead artist says: The emphasis, the direction the project is taking, is all about ‘stripping back’ processes to their most simple form. Since undertaking the UK / Korea residency I have been concentrating on developing products where the ease of making is integrated into the design of the item.  

Take part in one, or all workshops, and best of all they are free!

Dates and details:

(Session 1) WEDNESDAY 27 JUNE , 6pm – 9pm

A session that invites people to get up to speed with what Sam and Joe have been up to since they got back from Korea. Engage with your mouths and your hands and learn simple, slow processes that respond purely to material and ingredient with minimal tools. This session will open up the conversation with Min and Kim and yourselves about how the following sessions will unfold.

(Session 2) SATURDAY 30 JUNE – choose from either 11am – 12noon, 1-2pm, 2-3pm or 3-4pm

A second opportunity to take part in similar activity that happened on Wednesday evening which will be further developed based on learning from Session 1. This session will offer a more family friendly approach with a series of short 1 hour sessions and out in Sadler’s Yard, so children are welcome!*

*Children must be supervised by their parent or carer at all times.

(Session 3) TUESDAY 3 JULY, 6pm – 9pm

This session will explore ‘unpredictability’ in material and allow for participants to really direct the line of enquiry for the artists by making discoveries of their own. Clay will be on offer in a range of states.

(Session 4) SATURDAY 7 JULY  – choose from either 11am – 12noon, 1-2pm, 2-3pm or 3-4pm

This session will offer the opportunity to return to material or ingredients already worked over the previous 3 dates. Part of working with clay, and indeed food, is being able to bide your time and this session focuses on simple processes that benefit from material that has been left alone for 3 days. These exercises, in part, will focus on minimising the use of tools and the range of materials available to make with. This session will offer a more family friendly approach a series of short 1 hour sessions and out in Sadler’s Yard, so children are welcome!*

*Children must be supervised by their parent or carer at all times.

(Session 5) Tuesday 10 JULY, 6pm – 9pm

A closing session that uses the previous sessions and activity, to create a form of factory/ kitchen, a space to interpret findings into a feast of sorts.

Whilst the sessions are free, booking is essential, places are limited. We expect these sessions to be popular, so don’t delay, book today!

Book tickets for one or more sessions at eventbrite.co.uk

All sessions will take place in and around PLANT, NOMA and participants should meet at PLANT (Redfern, Dantzic Street, NOMA, M60 0AE MAP).

Context and future exhibition plans:

Over 2017-18, as part of an international network of projects in England and South Korea designed to complement the UK/Korea 2017–18 season, Castlefield Gallery has developed a UK / Korea artist residency exchange programme.

In August 2017, collaborating with Grizedale Arts on Treasure, Castlefield Gallery hosted three Korean Master craftspeople, National Living Treasures in Waiting (Shin Gyung-Kyun, Lim Gae-Hwa and Choe Seon-Hui specialists in, pottery – in particular the venerated Moon Vase, Korean cuisine, and black bamboo), whom exchanged with their UK counterparts, including Joe Hartley and Sam Buckley. Makers, artists and community members alike gathered at PLANT, NOMA, to take part in a workshop with the international team, – to learn, produce and contribute towards the development of ideas to create well designed and made products that essentially ‘anyone can make’.

Since then the team have built on this process, and Joe Hartley and Sam Buckley have spent time with the Masters in Busan, Korea. After their time in Busan, the artists travelled to Gwangju to join Barim, and were hosted there by contemporary artist Eunji Briller Kim and Curator Min Hyung Kang, and a Korean public workshop was delivered for artists, makers and community members in Gwangju.

Now we are pleased to welcome Eunji Briller Kim and Min Hyung Kang to the city of Manchester, where they will be in residence. During their stay they wish to work with Joe Hartley and Sam Buckley to further share and exchange with one another, but also with the people of Manchester. Their aim will be to generate a body of artist and community produce items that could be multiplied and that ‘anyone can make’.

In September 2018 Castlefield Gallery and Manchester Craft and Design Centre will launch a UK / Korea exhibition showcase, this running alongside a special display of Korean ceramics at Manchester Art Gallery. The ambition is to include some of the products from the workshops this summer, in the exhibition.

Treasure, is supported Arts Council Korea, Arts Council England Joint Fund.