ABOUT A IS FOR APPLE
Our project looks at how Brexit will affect apple farming in England. Even though Brexit is getting a lot of media coverage, the crisis that farming finds itself in because of Brexit is scarcely mentioned. People will be affected by this change including farmers, workers and us as consumers. We want to open up a conversation, to understand the effects of the impending policies and to question food production. READ MORE about why we chose apples, the urgency of the project and what current concerns are for affected farmers.
We will be sending 4 resident artists to conduct research at different apple farms to uncover personal stories and lived experiences. They will take into account the diverse types of farming and the challenges unique to each. The four farms include a commercial farm, a community orchard, a cider farm and a conservation farm. READ MORE about the artists and their proposed projects at the farms.
WHY WE ARE FUNDRAISING
We received an incredible 81 applications with proposals from artists around the UK interested in participating in our project as resident artists, however, we were only able to select 4 candidates to send to the designated farms. We have also chosen 10 other artists that have previously done extensive research, work or projects that are relevant to the explorations and themes of A is for Apple. We want to invite them to the London exhibition commissioning them to carry out the work they were hoping to do in a different capacity or showcasing their previous work that already relates to our topic. The participating artists will include Alle Dowska, Lily Green, John Hinton, Jane Lawson, Derek Man and Markus Hugo Rohtla & Hanna Rohtla. Each artist will receive £100 as artist fee. The rest of the funding will go to material costs and venue hiring for the exhibition.
We believe artists should be paid for their work.
This is why we are raising funds. We want to ensure that our artists will have access to the materials they need and will have the possibility of participating in the London exhibition along with the 4 resident artists.
We aim for the outcome from the residencies and the commissioned works shown at a weeklong London exhibition to put local and global perspectives in dialogue. The opening reception of the exhibition will be on 21st of October to coincide with National Apple Day. The exhibition will conversations on English identity, economically and environmentally sustainable practices and the effects of Brexit on our day to day lives.