Who Am I? (2020)
By
Sandra Bouguerch
Photo description: a screenshot from the video piece ‘Chant for a Pandemic’ by Dee Hood, which was shown as part of Who Am I?. In the background, a quiet street with houses and a crossroads. In the foreground a vignette of a person wearing protective clothing in a kitchen. Photo credit: Sandra Bouguerch / Dee Hood.
A micro-commission for Axis’s Social ARTery, in collaboration with Breakdown Bolton.
‘Who Am I’ by Bolton-based Interdisciplinary artist Sandra Bouguerch began development in November 2020 as part of the Social ARTery Pioneers programme.
The invitation addressed building content and new ways of evolving an ethical artist-led new online media platform and was classed as a social activity trial on the new Axis ARTery site. Sandra’s first step was to create an account on the ARTery online platform and start exploring its functions, giving feedback as to whether the site was intuitive, engaging or enjoyable to navigate.
There was continued support from the organisers of the ARTery who explained the site’s main functions including technical support if and when required via a live forum. Furthermore, Zoom meetups were attended where she interacted giving feedback on various aspects of the site alongside the other Pioneer awardees and organisers. Examples were, how easy or difficult it was to use, any glitches or difficulties in uploading different forms of content, photographs, video links, word documents, posters etc.
During these meetings the group discussed the vision of the ARTery, progress of Sandra’s proposed three ‘Who Am I’ workshops and how she planned to use the Artery platform now and in the future. Additionally, she created a private group profile portal (Breakdown Bolton) inviting administrative access to Breakdown Bolton directors as well as her own (Creative Companions). This was new learning and an opportunity to share knowledge, ask and answer questions which enabled Sandra confidence to grow. She had the opportunity through the commission to encounter other creatives and gained insight into socially engaged proposed projects. The developing platform provided an awareness and support regarding rules and guidelines, safer online spaces policies and codes of conduct when interacting with others.
Originally Sandra’s aim was to invite creative participants with mental health difficulties including vulnerable persons stuck at home or living with private carers. Due to the current restrictive situation, carers and those being cared for are unable to access their allocated respite breaks. Sandra is a carer and has an understanding of how functioning with ongoing uncertainty due to Covid-19 can be detrimental to health and wellbeing. Moreover, service users who would usually be attending social network groups within their community were at the time not allowed to do so, with no sign of when they will be able to access physical activities.
Since the initial proposal, the sessions were then tailored to work with ‘Breakdown Bolton’ and their local community members, who may or may not be carers or cared for but have mental health circumstances. The invited participants were offered three ‘moving image’ workshop vis Zoom due to Covid-19 restrictions as a way to express themselves. At this time Bolton had been in continual lockdown apart from a small window of ‘Eat out to Help out’ initiative.
The first session was an insight into Sandra’s art practice alongside other current video artists, exploring how she initially became interested in the medium of video. Sandra provided video examples her work and associates’ videos which could be further viewed at their own pace in their own time. A task was actioned by Sandra and the Breakdown Bolton group using mobile phones or any other devices they could use, and it was confirmed that all participants did have computer access. Subsequent videos and photographs were then to be uploaded with an explanation of why and how they were created, if they so wished. Support was offered in regard to any writing, questions or ways for participants to express with using limited resources.
A flier for the Breakdown Bolton video screening event, including work by Dee Hood, held in December 2020.
The aim was for the group to discuss any limitations and new ways of working via new connections and further develop an interest in video art. Breakdown Bolton which was established in 2016 as a community interest company. The enterprise runs creative workshops for those with mental health issues, currently via the platform of Zoom, with the aim of giving people an opportunity to express themselves without judgement. This was Sandra first professional interaction with the organisation.
The moving image work included short video pieces or a slideshow of images, which with consent from participants were shown on the ARTery platform . The workshops were intended to support self-advocacy, empower and provide professional development for greater flexible opportunities to work within the creative sector and were three Zoom sessions delivered in December 2020, each lasting approximately 1.5 hours. It is worth noting that planning is currently taking place for 2021 in which a conference is being developed by ‘Breakdown Bolton’ to address discrimination within mental health service and evidence how the arts support mental health.
Breakdown Bolton commissioned a total of 5 films in which 3 were funded by the European Social Fund. The organisation provided a pot of seed funding to help people whose lives have been affected by poor mental health or substance misuse to create a short video and commissioned Sandra to provide training on how to incorporate conceptual ideas within moving image to tie-in with Bolton International Film Festival. Festival tickets were purchased for use by their members, including three follow up workshops with Adrian Barber for behind the scenes advise and training with the intention to support people to submit their work to future festivals and how to create an audience for their work.
Jasmine Keifer is one of the artists we commissioned for the project. Jasmine’s film reflects her experience of living with Autism using stop-motion video and shared her experience whilst attending Sandra’s workshops. Tom Thacker's video is a reflection on the ‘life of an artist’, isolation and the creative process using creative writing to create the narrative.
Breakdown Bolton are very proud of the videos that were made for the project and will be showing them at an exhibition in Bolton town centre, on our website and part of a series of talks which were prepared for an in-person conference which will now be available for viewing on our website.
The video workshops and film commissions are part of a wider project providing training in the creative industries. There were other types of training including joinery and sculpture. The end of project exhibition and online talks will also include academic papers from Laura Salmon and Jean Haslam. Jennifer Gilmour will be giving an artist talk about her own experiences while training and working in the arts. This talk will include asking for accommodations, when to disclose and when not to disclose personal narrative in her artwork and other relevant topics. We will also have a specialist in disability law who will shed light on what is and is not covered in the Disability Act and how it relates to mental illness.
Sandra would like to thank everyone involved from the start to the end of this experience which was gratefully received by her.
To read the Project Information sheet produced as part of ‘Who Am I?’, you can scroll through the PDF below:
“The feedback from those who took part in Sandra’s workshops was brilliant. One person who made to short videos during the workshops, who did not apply for the video commissions, was very surprised by the ones she made. She had never work with video before and did not think she could create anything decent, especially on her phone. Sandra’s approach was very focused on experimentation working with ideas and objects in our own homes due to lockdown. We were encouraged to “capture an experience” rather than on technical editing skills. This was a freeing and fun experience for us all”
About Breakdown Bolton
Founded in 2016, Breakdown Bolton is a community interest company which is lead by highly qualified and experienced artists who have had experience of mental health issues. We work in many different art forms and aim to offer our participants high quality arts classes, exhibition, and cultural opportunities. We do this by promoting high level creativity, individual expression, and empowerment through art, in a safe and positive environment for those across the Greater Manchester region.
At Breakdown Bolton we focus on increasing accessibility to art for those with lived experience of mental health and substance misuse issues. We are passionate about breaking down the barriers, stigma and prejudice and raising awareness of these issues. Breakdown Bolton can provide a stepping-stone towards further artistic development for a person whose education, employment, and creative practices have been interrupted by poor mental health or substance misuse issues.
At Breakdown Bolton we have a diverse range of skills within the team which we use to develop and deliver projects of the highest quality. We are professional artists educated at university level, having had visual artwork and writing published and commissioned. Our members have been awarded both individual and collective grants from bodies such as the Arts Council and are Unltd Alumni. In 2017, Breakdown Bolton was nominated for a National Diversity Award. Since then, we have been recipients of a New Art Space through Castlefield Gallery, worked closely with Neo:Artists in Bolton, and have forged strong working partnerships with regional arts education organisations such as theatres, galleries, and local community services.
More information: https://www.breakdownbolton.com/
