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

July 8, 2016October 6, 2016Leave a comment

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:

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.

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.

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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This project is a collaborative initiative, funded by the NCF Barbados

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

July 5, 2016October 6, 2016Leave a comment

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!

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.

Material in the Colleen Lewis Reading Room

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This project is a collaborative initiative, funded by the NCF Barbados

Anisah Wood’s Residency – Week 3 Blog Post

July 4, 2016July 4, 2016Leave a comment

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.

Torika Bolatagici’s Residency – Week 3 Blog Post

July 1, 2016July 1, 2016Leave a comment

Fijian-Australian artist Torika Bolatagici writes about the third week of her Fresh Milk residency. Things become increasingly busy as her time in Barbados goes on, with a number of studio visits, presentations and general research of the island’s history and environment providing her with a wealth of information – but leaving her with the feeling there will be much more to discover beyond the residency period! Read more below:

A gift from Ayesha Gibson-Gill at the NCF

The pace really started to intensify last week and I started to feel the pressure of being half way through the residency as I juggled writing, presentation preparation meetings with artists and other appointments around the island.. I am really feeling like I will be leaving with unfinished business…

Monday was a full day that started with a press launch for the ‘Emerging Directors Programme’ which is an initiative between the National Cultural Foundation Barbados and Fresh Milk. It was wonderful to see all Barbadian print and TV media covering the launch and to hear the inaugural recipients, Matthew Murrell and Renelde Headley discussing their projects. I also loved meeting Andrea Wells (Chief Cultural Officer, NCF) and Amanda Cumberbatch (Cultural Officer, Theatre Arts, NCF). I have loved getting to know Renelde this week and look forward to seeing her project unfold.

Natalie McGuire, Torika Bolatagici and Kevin Farmer

Following the NCF launch, I met with Barbadian curator and scholar Natalie McGuire to discuss a forthcoming collaborative project and to visit the Barbados Museum. At the museum I was interested to discover more about Barbados history and botany and was surprised to see that Fiji was mentioned in the section about Sea Island cotton. This visit sparked my interest in visiting the last remaining sugar factory here, but I hear that visiting hours can be a bit haphazard, so we’ll see how we go.

Monday afternoon was perhaps one of the most surreal experiences I have had so far, as we were lucky enough to visit Frank Rickwood’s collection of Papua New Guinean artifacts at his Colleton Estate. I am still processing the breadth and significance of his collection and what it means to find such culturally important items so hidden away and so far from Papua New Guinea. The impact of visiting the Colleton Great House has not yet left me, especially having learned of John Colleton’s role in the movement of African slaves from Barbados to Carolina in the 17^th Century.

Anisah Wood, Torika Bolatagici and Versia Harris

The remainder of week 3 was filled with inspiring meetings with Barbadian artists and scholars Versia Harris, Katherine Kennedy, Llanor Alleyne, Mark King and Therese Hadchity – each of them giving me an insight into their research, practice and artistic journey and the broader creative culture of Barbados. An enriching way to finish my third week here.

The old Empire Theatre building in Bridgetown

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This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.

Torika Bolatagici’s Residency – Week 2 Blog Post

June 21, 2016Leave a comment

Pacific artist Torika Bolatagici shares her second blog post reflecting on her Fresh Milk residency. Highlights of the week included attending a lecture by Dr. Matthew C. Reilly at the Barbados Museum and Historical Society and discovering more about both the arts ecology and environmental ecology of the island through fruitful conversations, and by exploring the island armed with her new understanding of the space. Read more below:

One of the highlights of my 2^nd week was attending Dr. Matthew C. Reilly’s lecture at the Barbados Museum and Historical Society titled “Contesting the ‘White Slavery’ Narrative: Repositioning the “Redlegs” in Barbadian History and Society.” While I was aware of the history of African slavery in Barbados, I was not aware of the simultaneous history of white indentured servants, and the legacy that this has left for their descendants. I get the impression that the evidence-based research that Matthew presents is not convenient for those who cling to the Barbadian ‘white slave’ mythology that has become a reference point for many right-wing movements outside of Barbados.

Matthew’s subjectivity as an Irish-American is important and I found his work to be incredibly complex and nuanced, but presented in a clear and fascinating format. His lecture really opened my eyes to seeing the Barbadian landscape in a different way, and is helping me to understand this idea of ‘territoriality’ that Anisah Wood addresses in her work. I was particularly intrigued by the research he has been conducting in the area referred to as “Below Cliff” in the parish of St John on the rugged east coast of the island and I was humbled by the way Matthew’s work has reconnected communities that had been estranged for many years. I look forward to reading Matthew’s forthcoming publication and following his research as it unfolds.

The other highlight of Week 2 was sitting down with the Founder and Director of Fresh Milk, Annalee Davis and finding out more about the origins of the arts ecology here in Barbados, from tertiary arts education, to artist spaces, the positioning of contemporary Barbadian art within the Caribbean, to the reason she set up Fresh Milk and the Colleen Lewis Reading Room. Most importantly we were able to chat about her practice, which with all her competing responsibilities, I’m amazed she has time to nurture.

Unlike Jamaica, the Bahamas and Bermuda – Barbados does not have a National Gallery. So it’s clear that spaces like Fresh Milk are crucial for providing the physical space and intellectual context for critical thinking about contemporary art and building the capacity for local art writers. Fresh Milk is a space where socially engaged practice and connection to the community is welcomed and the role of art in society is valued. But it’s also very outward looking, and a lot of work has gone in to connecting with institutions like Videobrasil and the Pérez Art Museum Miami for their Tilting Axis conference. I look at a space like Fresh Milk and I wish that someone would be able to set up a space like this in Fiji (I’m looking at you Ema Tavola).

During my weekend downtime, I continue to explore the island, and after a week of thinking about race, plantations, slavery and identity – the politics of space, visibility and invisibility are becoming more evident. The contrast between the chattels and fenced resorts remind me of the village/resort dichotomy of the Pacific. And as I look at the imported flora of the island, I’m thinking about what it means to explant botanical matter and what it means for a space to ex-plantation.

As I sat on the boardwalk in Bridgetown one evening and watched planes pass overhead, I was reminded of the proximity of Barbados to the other Islands in the Caribbean, South America, Europe and the United States – and I really felt the geographic isolation of Australia. Next week I’m looking forward to meeting with some local artist and curators!