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Visual
Dialogues is a project initiated
and managed by Tate in partnership
with art galleries around England.
Working in collaboration with artists
and museum staff, groups of young
people aged 16 – 18 have
developed a range of interpretative
resources and audience engagement
programmes.
Partners included Manchester
Art Gallery, Birmingham Museum & Art
Gallery, Sheffield Galleries & Museums
Trust, Tyne & Wear Museums
(Laing Art Gallery) and the Tate
Britain, London.
To find out more
information about the Visual Dialogues
Project, please visit the Tate
website.
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Cultural
Fusion (2005 – 2006)
This first year of the project
involved working with seven young
people studying art 'A' level from
Small Heath School.
This group had a marked interest
in cultural identity and the contemporary
politics of war and religion. The
students chose three works to interpret
from Tate Britain’s collection
these were: Rasheed Araeen’s ‘Bismullah’,
Mona Hatoum’s ‘Incommunicado’ and ‘Bursting
Shell’ by Nevinson.
The students went on to develop
a ‘cultural’ interactive
installation, which has now been
permanently housed within BMAG’s
Learning Zone.
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“Before
there was a barrier… but
now we feel like we know the
pieces, know the rooms – we
wanted to break the silence with
Visual Dialogues… I feel
like it’s happened”.
Amina, 19, Small Heath School
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Kaleidoscope
(2006 – 2007)
This group looked at themes around
'the rules of art' and 'manifestos'
and worked with Birmingham-based
artists Ming de Nasty and Sarah
Wilson, the group took a lead from
pieces from the British Vorticist
movement, specifically Vision of
Ezekiel, 1912, by David Bomberg,
and Portrait of Iris Beerbohm Tree,
1915, by Jacob Epstein.
The project resulted in the production
of an interactive learning resource
that included elements of projection
and sound. As visitors moved around
the artworks they triggered sensors
that set off a series of images
and audio sound bites that informed
them further about the display.
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“This project gave
us the opportunity to think ‘outside
of the box’, to accept other
people’s ideas and to be
open minded. We were not limited
by intended meaning and started
the project with a blank canvas”.
Rhianne
and Chanel 17
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Essence
(2007 – 2008)
For this phase participants explored
work from the Orientalist art movement
within BM&AG’s permanent
collections. The artworks selected
to work with were; Prayers in the
Desert by William J Muller and
The Harem and Lilium Auratum, both
by John Frederick Lewis.
Working with artist’s Juneau
Projects participants studied the
meaning of the paintings to distinguish
what was fact and what they felt
was the artist’s interpretation
of the Middle East, helping them
create their own adaptation of
the works.
The students created a special ‘Middle
Eastern’ inspired area within
the gallery, consisting of an audio
visual interactive - made up of
music from the Middle East, narrative
about the paintings and soundscapes
inspired by the artworks.
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“Interpretation
is trying to find out the message,
the truth, meaning or story about
it. People interpret things differently
to each other. Depending on experiences,
understanding of things and their
background are all factors which
make people look at things differently.” Sara
19 (Art Degree Student)
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Picturing
Birmingham (2008 – 2009)
For this year’s project
creative sessions focussed on Birmingham,
concentrating on common themes
which could be developed for the
project. Young people chose the
theme of Birmingham’s past,
present and future and the concept
of movement through time.
Experimenting with techniques
of animation and sound editing,
they used handmade and recycled
materials to create scenery, sets
and props.
Inspiration came from their visit
to Tate, London, and tours of Birmingham
Museum’s historical collection.
The outcome was an animated film
exploring their own interpretation
of Birmingham and an account of
contemporary life for young people,
with links to past styles and imagined
futures.
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“Never
before had I walked around an art
gallery and actually been interested
in what they were displaying -
the workshops and the talks with
the artists and the evening last
night. It has been amazing …THANKS!!!!”
Ainsley,
17
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