We're still collecting donations
On the 1st August 2021 we'd raised £1,298 with 17 supporters in 38 days. But as every pound matters, we're continuing to collect donations from supporters.
A filmic study on the nature of grief in our times made through the lens of deep time, slow cinema and earth-engaged performance.
On the 1st August 2021 we'd raised £1,298 with 17 supporters in 38 days. But as every pound matters, we're continuing to collect donations from supporters.
In total, we are aiming for overall figure of £15,000 to cover a mid-budget for A PECULIAR SHADE OF BLUE / Phase 1.
We have raised £8,000 through a combination of Crowdfunder #1 and The Oppenheim John-Downes Memorial Trust, while Crowdfunder #2 has been match funded by Creative Cornwall Calling, is into its stretch target and stands at the current figure shown on this page.
This means we've raised an amazing £9,000 + and exceeds 60% of the overall project cost at mid-budget.
Crowdfunder #2 stays open until 1.8.21 and your contributions are, of course, so welcome.
BUDGET NOTES: £15,000 as a mid-budget makes the creative process much more breathable.
Everything within our stretch target is considered as a blessing and enhancement.
We cannot thank you enough for your support.
Seeded during lockdown for Covid-19 in May 2020, A PECULIAR SHADE OF BLUE is a sequence of 6 short films to chart a spacious and rhythmic journey through the nature of grief in our times.
They carry intent to open out its language as an essential and natural part of the human experience, to dissolve taboo around its expression - so we can better understand its role in renewal.
Through the lens of DEEP TIME, the human form in motion against the achingly beautiful landscape of the Cornish coast casts a stark mirror up to the intimate, yet forgotten connection between human and earth.
Dance movement theatre practitioner, ROWAN JACQUELINE entwines earth-engaged performance with the land, poetry and music as each film works in isolation, yet together combine as a complete experience.
Here, the audience are invited to enter a process of exploration within a structure that hopes to create enough space between SLOW CINEMA and the rough hands of sorrow to find connection beyond isolation.
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A PECULIAR SHADE OF BLUE is intended to work as an experimental piece with potential to combine with live inter-disciplinary performance at a later stage.
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In addition to the film sequence, the momentum of the project also supports the development and creation of:
During the UK's initial lockdown, I embarked on an intense process of artistic reflection around my own practice, along with all we, as a species, face at this time A PECULIAR SHADE OF BLUE was conceived.
While Spiderflower works on an international basis, our home has been rooted in Cornwall for a number of years. A PECULIAR SHADE OF BLUE makes an important contribution to the arts in Cornwall as it is site specific to Loe Bar, Penrose.
This is a place of wonder. Considered as a classic geological conservation review site, Loe Bar and the surrounding area are administered by the NATIONAL TRUST who are currently supporting this project. A PECULIAR SHADE OF BLUE shines a light on some of the many stories held within this unique landscape, along with detailing the rich biodiversity found within the flora and fauna Loe Bar is home to.
PHASE 1: From Feb 2021, a course has been set for an entire years work within the context of research and development (R+D) where focus falls intensively on writing and film-making, while Book of Poems and CEEPR are natural by-products and their creation weaves easily over the course of the year. PHASE 1 expects to complete Feb 2022 when films are due to release for work-share in Cornwall, the UK and we hope Sweden.
PHASE 2: Moves into a further years work with focus on actualisation, production and will concentrate on the placement of music once a strong canvas is in place. PHASE 2 will be met with a separate budget for composers alongside cover for all production and post-production costs. Music plays an incredibly important role within the piece. The music of Nils Frahm, Johann Johannsson, Ben Lukas Boysen along with Max Richter has been mooted for A PECULIAR SHADE OF BLUE. Exquisite in every way, we are working to a high bar with the standard these genii bring to the work.
To date, Spiderflower has been mostly self-sufficient as an organisation, this being the first time in a number of years significant funding has been sought.
Our initial Crowdfunding campaign launched back in Dec 2020 successfully reached our baseline target of £7,500, with £2,400 raised online and £5,100 pledged offline.
Take a look at our original Crowdfunding film:
Out of the 6 stanzas belonging to A PECULIAR SHADE OF BLUE, we have completed substantial drafts in film, each resting at around 15 mins for both HOLLOW (Stanza 1), THRESHOLD (Stanza 2) and are about to roll into the Stanza 3.
Each turn of the wheel is incredibly thorough. A stanza takes around 6 - 8 weeks to complete, spending around 4 - 5 weeks on the land, a further 2 - 3 weeks editing to complete with presentation to our critique circle who provide crucial feedback.
Importantly, we are not out of money, we are keeping to budget and there is no danger the project will not complete for PHASE 1. All is good.
To achieve the quality of A PECULIAR SHADE OF BLUE as we really want it, the total budget for PHASE 1 sits at £15,000 as a mid-budget.
Funding raised through both Crowdfunder #1 + #2 go to support PHASE 1.
The budget for filming is quite low as the team is small and work is shot on the land. The most precious resource is the time needed to authentically follow Spiderflower's creative process. Most money raised goes to support creative artists along with necessary insurances, venue hire, costume, equipment and running costs.
Here are breakdowns of how funds from Crowdfunder #1 has been or Crowdfunder #2 will be distributed.
Crowdfunder #2 will prioritise camera equipment, then venue hire specifically for the development of outreach programmes and work-share along with marketing, then post production and Rowan Jacqueline.
The ultimate intent of A PECULIAR SHADE OF BLUE is to open out a conversation and creative space of artistic reflection around the nature of grief in context with the human / earth relationship and deep time.
Audience inclusion has always been a vital part of the development and creative process for any piece of work within Spiderflower. Ongoing with dialogue with our audience / participants while the work is in progress creates a real, progressive and rich environment that always greatly influences and grounds the creation of any body of work. A PECULIAR SHADE OF BLUE is no different in this sense.
A small audience has stepped inside a years experiential journey within the project through MEMBERSHIP, and are currently travelling alongside the creative process as A PECULIAR SHADE OF BLUE develops. A tiered Membership Programme offers blogs, talks, hangouts and online classes and courses.
Spiderflower always prefers to work in-person, on the ground and live wherever it can. Theatre possesses a profound magic, and in these days where it is so threatened as an art form we're holding out for the moment where A PECULIAR SHADE OF BLUE can move into live inter-disciplinary performance. When the time comes to take it on the road, we will be looking to develop ways where the audience are further included in an experiential way in the piece.
WRITER / DIRECTOR / PERFORMER
Trained at Rose Bruford College (BA Hons Theatre Arts), Rowan Jacqueline has worked as an actor with particular focus on classical and physical / laboratory theatre, director, writer and fledgling filmmaker.
As founder and director of SPIDERFLOWER, the essence of her independent work sees the fusion between two disciplines. That of theatre, with emphasis on the body as an instrument through movement and dance. Secondly, the profound life-ways and art forms of the worlds earth-wise peoples inspire her work greatly.
CREATIVE FACILITATOR
Henry McGrath, has been devoted to the investigation of personal practice for 11 years.
Henry is an actor, director, solo film maker and physical performance artist who has worked within a wide-web of performance worlds, from collaborating with experimental avant-garde theatre groups to working in mainstream TV and film.
CAMERA + DETAIL
Matilda Butler is a filmmaker and artist from South East Cornwall. Her work binds the fantastical and real. Greatly inspired by European folklore, it carries intent to tell in-depth multifaceted stories within their own distinct atmospheres. After mentoring for the BFI in 2017, Matilda was inspired to study at Falmouth University, graduating with a Film BA in 2020. She shot and directed RAW, which screened at the FIRST TIME FILMMAKER SESSIONS FESTIVAL and OFFSHOOT GALLERY, London. BLUE COCOON her 16mm graduate project was awarded first class honours, while her most recent screenplay VOYAGER was awarded semi-finalist at the GIRLS IN FILM FESTIVAL with Dr. Martens, which was awarded funding from Screen Cornwall and is in the making!
The most important element of enabling A PECULIAR SHADE OF BLUE to progress is your help.
Whatever you are able to contribute makes a great difference and we offer a thousand thank you's.
It is our hope to deliver to the world something that is as necessary, as it is beautiful, as it is thought provoking - as it is progressive in artistic terms.
An adventure awaits, we truly hope you will be part of it.
To follow the journey - join the dedicated FACEBOOK GROUP for A PECULIAR SHADE OF BLUE.
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