The Story Pavilion

Aim

A free touring summer programme taking storytelling to residential neighbourhoods and parks in Walthamstow.

Project aim

A free touring summer programme taking storytelling to residential neighbourhoods and parks in Walthamstow.

About our Story Pavilion 

This summer Artillery (the creative team behind the E17 Art Trail) plans to offer an extended summer programme inspired by the E17 Art Trail 2015: The Inside Story. The Story Pavilion will ensure even more residents will have the opportunity to enjoy stories infused by the places and voices of Walthamstow.

We have always enjoyed the stories people have shared on the E17 Art Trail. This year we are especially celebrating storytelling in its many guises. Storytelling is integrated into every culture, sometimes reinforcing our traditions and identities, and at the same time crossing cultures and generations. As Laura Kerry, Director of Artillery puts it, "Storytelling is in our DNA." The Story Pavilion creates the space and time for Walthamstow to enjoy artful, mesmerising and sincere story telling in local parks and estates.

What we will do

The Story Pavilion will host a rolling programme of performances and workshops over the two days of the Garden Party with some renowned local writers and performers enthusiastically committed to the project including Joelle Taylor and Rob Auton. This is a new destination as part of Artillery Island, creating a discreet space for story telling and story making in which Pavilion performers can truly enchant audiences.

So why crowdfund?

Just like the E17 Art Trail we want the Story Pavilion to be free to all audiences at the point of access. Your donation ensures our performers are paid for their time and talent enabling everyone to enjoy a superb programme.

We have been invited to use the Hy-pavilion created by Price & Myers for the London Festival of Architecture in order to take our story telling programme to one or more residential neighbourhoods this summer. Together with business sponsorship, your donation could support the Story Pavilion's tour. Our summer tour marks an important new development in our outreach strategy and will build links with neighbourhoods for future participation in the E17 Art Trail.

Testimonials

"This continues to be amazing and I'd love to be involved in whatever way I can!"

Joelle Taylor: Poet, Playwright, Novelist

"I'm always impressed by the quality of thought and ingenuity that goes into Artillery's delivery of public engagement. You only have to look at the E17 Art Trail to see just how public engagement in the arts has grown exponentially over the years, and I suspect it will continue to do so. Artillery are also adept at making money go further, something that is absolutely necessary at local level. They are good partners and inspire local people to get involved in the arts for life."

Lorraine Cox: Cultural Services Manager, Enfield and Walthamstow resident

Will you be our Champion, Friend or Ally?

Our Trail Guide cover artist, Linda Hughes, is so determined to see the Story Pavilion happen in Walthamstow that she is offering limited edition prints of the cover art (without all our text) to up to 50 people donating £100.

We're delighted Linda has agreed to be our cover artist this year. She is well known locally for her distinctive and playful illustrations affectionately re-imagining Walthamstow's landmarks. These have proved to be best sellers at Penny Fielding Gallery and Interiors. Having trained as an illustrator at Edinburgh School of Art and in animation at the Royal College of Art, visualising a story is at the heart of her work.

Rewards 

Donate £100 to be an E17 Art Trail Champion and receive an A3 limited edition print of Linda Hughes cover art. 

Donate £30 to be an E17 Art Trail Friend and receive an E17 Art Trail 2015 tote bag. 

Donate £10 to be an E17 Art Trail Ally.  You will receive invites and updates on all events.

We welcome your support at whatever level you might be able to offer. All supporters, whether an ally, friend or champion will receive invites to Artillery events and updates on the Story Pavilion project.

Supporters will all be acknowledged in the Story Pavilion's publicity materials.

About us 

Artillery is an arts development organisation based in Walthamstow, North East London, established by the creative team behind the E17 Art Trail. Artillery is a not for profit, community interest company led by Directors, Laura Kerry and Morag McGuire, working with a collective of freelance creative professionals and dedicated volunteers.

The Story Pavilion is the latest in a succession of initiatives seeking to include writers and performers in the E17 Art Trail and associated projects. In 2011 we invited Penny Rutterford (local poet and then Communications Manager for Spread the Word) to curate the E17 Art Trail poetry trail. Her vision brought together local poets and illustrators in exhibitions, a publication and performances affirming that the E17 Art Trail welcomes all creative disciplines. In 2013 Artillery with Penny partnered with Waltham Forest Libraries and Cultural Services to create Words over Waltham Forest, a three week festival of language and literature hosted on the street, in libraries, cafes, bookshops, pubs and galleries.

FAQs

 How big is the Story Pavilion?

The Story Pavilion will accommodate 20-30 people seated for a spoken word performance.

What is planned for the programme?

Alongside spoken word, book and poetry readings, and one-person plays we are planning workshops for aspiring writers, drop-in reminiscence workshops and creative workshops exploring story telling with visual arts. We plan a minimum of four programmed events per day in the Pavilion.

Why is the Story Pavilion not happening during the E17 Art Trail?

There is an abundance of story telling in all its forms planned for the E17 Art Trail this year. We're excited about seeing what is already being offered by the 4000 artists and creative contributors to the programme. By no means do we want to limit the time that the Artillery team have to get to know more about local creative practitioners. It is our responsibility to promote the whole E17 Art Trail programme, the Story Pavilion would be a distraction to this commitment. With this new initiative to have an extended summer programme arising from the E17 Art Trail, Artillery will curate programmes of performance and workshops resonating with local talent adapted to each setting.

How will Story Pavilion impact on the E17 Art Trail's outreach strategy?

The Story Pavilion ensures that we make it easy for audiences to enjoy our programme. After all, it will happen where people live and play. We conservatively estimate 25,000 attenders at the E17 Art Trail, but we'd always love to see even more local residents enjoy the buzz and pride of having this festival in their town. The Story Pavilion helps introduce the E17 Art Trail brand to residents who don't yet know it.

The Story Pavilion also helps us to extend the appetite amongst local residents to contribute creatively to future Artillery projects. From time to time we have had the resources to initiate participative projects in neighbourhood settings, projects like Bird Box Avenue, How to Catch a Star, Re-arranging the Deck Chairs and Welcome to Frederick Street. These are all projects which we have conceived and invited people to take part in. The Story Pavilion will trigger a lot of conversation, and it invites residents to tell us about what they might imagine for future E17 Art Trails and Artillery initiatives in their neighbourhood. We're looking forward to grassroots creative thinking influencing our collective future projects.

Why have you not got a film to promote your pitch?

Artillery does not have any in-house film makers. As an organisation that promotes access to visual and performance art we strive to represent the work of our contributing artists with the best quality images and audio. One of our commitments is to support local talent and in doing to make their projects sustainable, and so we like to pay people for their time and talent, money which would have to come from our crowdfunding pot. On this occasion we hope that the experience of visiting the E17 Art Trail between 28th May and 14th June will encourage you to support extending the E17 Art Trail programme.

This project closed unsuccessfully on 4th July 2015