
Artist’s colony
An ongoing project in Wisbech is artist’s residencies at St Peter’s Lodge. I and my family enjoyed visiting the final exhibitions of the work put on by three artists who had spent a few weeks in the town and surrounding area. The residency gave them time to spend solely on their work, taking an influence from the area and its people. There is a video online of a short tour of the town, photos too (all linked from redbarncreative.org.uk/hiddengems). It really changes the way you see your town when you see it through a visitor’s eyes, especially an artist looking for new ways to describe what they see, with a skill and style in doing so. All the artists made me think, and I enjoyed meeting them. One of them was kind enough to send me one of her poems to share. I have put it online, but here is a part:
Outside there’s sun, a swan, a steeple climb,
some windmills, boats. We carve them on the door.
The clock stops at the door. We’re doing time.
Lois Williams wrote it while studying the gaol door that is in the museum. Rather than write about the wide open skies of Fenland, she saw a piece of history and imagined how the people carving on the door felt.
Keeping with the poetry theme, the Fenland Poet Laureate competition is back! It would be great to see who will be next, if the previous winners are anything to go by, we’re in for a treat! Enter via the museum or a local library, and watch the papers for the results.
The Wisbech Arts Festival (wisbechartsfestival.org.uk) in May has a “Poetry Promenade” evening – where anyone can stand up and recite something they’ve written, or quote from a favourite poet. It’s an enjoyable evening held in the Council Chambers, no less – so a good way to see inside this historic building as well as enjoy an evening of poetry – especially entertaining as there is usually more than one daft poem and/or poet!
Lorena Hodgson runs Red Barn Creative a not-for-profit social enterprise supporting creative people to do more online and everyone to be more creative. www.redbarncreative.org.uk