Category: Residency

Anisah Wood’s Residency – Week 4 Blog Post

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Barbadian artist Anisah Wood, recipient of the 2016 ‘My Time’ Local Residency at Fresh Milk, shares her final blog post. The last week was hectic, including public presentations, the conclusion of her Quid Pro Quo skills-exchange programme and interactions with fellow creatives on the platform, but the experience and the material sourced in the Colleen Lewis Reading Room during her residency is sure to have left a significant and ongoing impression on Anisah’s practice moving forward. Read more below:

Monday – the FRESH MILK XIX public event.
Tuesday – the final Quid Pro Quo session hosted by Torika.
Wednesday – the presentation for participants in a UNESCO Workshop.
Thursday – positioned myself in front of Torika’s camera as part of her project in response to her time in Barbados

Yup, clearly the final week of this residency was eventful, hectic, yet enjoyable. These events allowed for an expansion in my network, an interchange of thoughts and ideas, and collaborations with a fellow artist.

During the in-between moments I decided to peruse the text Caribbean: Art at the Crossroads of the World. Within this comprehensive book I stumbled across a work by Dominic Serres entitled The Capture of Havana, 1762. The English Battery Before Morro Castle, c. 1775. This painting pays homage to the epic battle between Spain and Britain towards the end of the Seven Years’ War. In fact this was the last major episode of the Seven Years’ War, which so happened to be meted out in Caribbean waters and involved the capture of Havana.

Caribbean Crossroads

The Islands as a battleground. The site of Euro-American conflicts and ambitions. Colonialism and territoriality.

Continually I am amazed at the fact that global contemporary issues involving borders, territory and migration are concerns that have affected the Caribbean for centuries, indelibly shaping the region’s identity. So then what are the effects of these events on the contemporary Caribbean? And how can this territorial history and the current manifestation of this history and concerns within the region add to the global debate regarding borders?

On a lighter note, I crocheted a small bag as a parting gift to the Bolatagici family. I also got a chance to observe Renelde take charge as she directed the actors for the play she had taken on board for her residency. It was actually quite riveting to observe the methods of production within another artistic field. I also commenced on a small project in response to the thoughts I have been reading, and enjoyed small eats with fellow Quid Pro Quo participants.

Now My Time at Fresh Milk as a resident is up. It is a bitter sweet moment knowing that those who were residents with me, along with those who willingly volunteered to be part of the Quid Pro Quo programme, will be parting ways. But how wonderful it was to have been able to make the acquaintance of such interesting and passionate people. And as I pack my Georgie bundle and contemplate on my time spent here, I feel satisfied and grateful for this experience. Now it’s time for my next step towards the deep end of the art world.

Thank you to the Fresh Milk team, Torika Bolatagici and her family, Sheena Weekes, Akhaji Zakiya, all those who came out and supported the FRESH MILK XIX public event, and all others who consistently demonstrated their support during my time at Fresh Milk.

Renelde Headley’s Emerging Director Residency – Week 2 Blog Post

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Renelde Headley, who was on the Fresh Milk platform as part of the first Emerging Directors Residency hosted in collaboration with the National Cultural Foundation (NCF), writes about her second week in the studio. This week saw her becoming more accustomed to her surroundings and continuing her interactions with the other creatives sharing the space, as well as the introduction of the two actors she is working with to develop the style of the play ‘Yellowman‘ during her residency. Read more from Renelde below:

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My second and sad to say final week at Fresh Milk brought me outside a lot more. As I got more comfortable in the space I’d walk about and play with the puppies or eat snacks out on the deck as well as talk to Katherine, Anisah and Torika, when I needed to step away from the monotony of thinking. This week’s conversations included my hope that I’d hear a monkey on the roof, just once. At the same time, the studio was a hive of activity this week with presentations to UNESCO representatives being made by Katherine, Torika and Anisah and myself.

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I spent most of my time delving into the script, conceptualising the work and all-round prepping to meet the actors, Shea Best and Teila Williams. When I met with them, we were off to a strong start discussing character development and the over-all themes and concept. We also were able to experiment with movement and investigate how that impacts/ strengthens a theatre piece.

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Over-all the experience, though short, has been extremely rewarding. Having the chance to experience a programme that supports and allows you to investigate your art without the pressure of deadlines or “production” makes me feel like I’ll be a much stronger artist because of it.

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ncf mark rgb2This project is a collaborative initiative, funded by the NCF Barbados

Fresh Milk XIX Photos

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Fresh Milk invites you to take a look at some photos from our recent public event FRESH MILK XIX, which took place on Monday, June 27, 2016.

The event featured Fijian-Australian artist Torika Bolatagici and Barbadian artist Anisah Wood, who were in residence at Fresh Milk for the month of June. Torika spoke about both her own work and that of a selection of Pacific artists in a talk titled ‘Seeing the Black Pacific‘. Anisah – the winner of the 2016 ‘My Time’ Local Artist Residency – made a presentation about her practice and residency experience, as well engaging in an open discussion with Torika about her work.

Thanks so much to our photographer Dondré Trotman for these images!

Renelde Headley’s Emerging Director Residency – Week 1 Blog Post

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The first resident in the inaugural Emerging Directors Residency – a collaboration between Fresh Milk and the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) – Renelde Headley writes about her first week on the platform. She has begun her stint in this programme by taking in her new surroundings, exploring the material in the Colleen Lewis Reading Room, and enjoying being in the company of creative practitioners from other fields. Read more below:

My first week at Fresh Milk has been a welcomed respite from the hustle and bustle of the everyday. It was extremely encouraging to be in the company of fellow artists doing their art while, most importantly, doing my own. My view this week has been mostly of the Colleen Lewis Reading Room, which I must say is a very “bad” view to have, as I spent most of the week reading and perusing the library!

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As I would sit and read a sampling of the books on culture and race as well as on theatre practice and directing styles, I’d often be able to look up and see Torika reading or tapping away at her computer and Anisah bent over her drawings and spy Katherine through the window working on the deck. Amidst working on our individual projects, the four of us would stop to have little conversations where we’d pick each other’s brains about various topics or just get to know each other a little better. This was very encouraging for me because it allowed me to think outside the confines of my field since they are all visual/fine artists.

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ncf mark rgb2This project is a collaborative initiative, funded by the NCF Barbados

Anisah Wood’s Residency – Week 3 Blog Post

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Resident artist in the 2016 ‘My Time’ Local Residency Programme, Anisah Wood, writes about her third week on the Fresh Milk platform. While questioning her future as a working artist and being faced with professional decisions, Anisah was able to gain inspiration from a session of her Quid Pro Quo skills exchange programme led by Akhaji Zakiya about creative business practices, as well as observing the current resident in the collaborative National Cultural Foundation & Fresh Milk Emerging Directors Residency programme, Renelde Headley. Read more below:

Week 3 flew by leaving only fragments for contemplation. Much of these scattered pieces revolved around the possibilities for my next step. It could be that it finally dawned upon me that I have only one week remaining in this residency, or maybe it was the looming deadline to apply for a teaching position. But then again, do I really want to teach within the governmental system? Furthermore, how will I balance a productive artistic career while working any 9-5 job? Or will my young artistic career fall onto the back-burner and be reduced to a thing of the past? Nah, I don’t think so. I’m determined to continue. And if I don’t, I humbly ask you, reader, to kindly remind me of this testimonial.

Sheena Weekes, Akhaji Zakiya, Anisah Wood and Torika Bolatagici (and baby Kamasi!), participants in the Quid Pro Quo Skills Exchange Programme
Launch of the NCF and Fresh Milk collaborative Emerging Directors Residency

Moreover Akhaji provided some timely suggestions during her Quid Pro Quo session. She kindly gave us the opportunity to list our concerns and potential challenges and provided ways in which these can be countered. It was definitely the encouragement that I needed to go forth and conquer. I also received further encouragement observing Renelde, a recent addition to the residents, take on the 2 week Emerging Directors Residency. It was so great being able to converse with someone within another aspect of the artistic sector and to observe their process.

Renelde Headley, Katherine Kennedy and Anisah Wood

Now I’m about to enter my final week. I can already tell its going to be hectic with a public presentation in addition to the final Quid Pro Quo experience back to back. Nevertheless I will savor these last days at Fresh Milk.