Open Door and Lippfest

Dead as a Doorknob

It's in between life

NOT dead!

It's full of life.

Slowly growing.

It looked dead

But isn't dead.

It's only kidding.

Those trees have been

Growing for a while.

This lone one not growing

The same.

I'm gone, but I'm here.

This poem was produced by David, one of our participants on the Open Door Project and scribed by his support worker.  He wrote it in response to a painting of a wintry tree by Milan, which was painted under the project theme of 'the view from the window', after a session exploring metaphors for the self. 

Six weeks in to the project and everyone is immersed in what they are doing.  Yesterday's session began with some voice exercises, after which participants moved on to their own visual art and poetry projects, trying to be quiet so we didn't disturb Barney who was recording participants reading their poems in the downstairs office (these recordings will form part of the installation piece at Lippfest)!  The session culminated in a reading of some of the wonderful poetry that has been produced so far and when Clare read her poem to the group, the hush over the room was palpable - somewhat like listening to a female Dylan Thomas for the 21st Century!  Jill (Studio 3's resident artist and the other lead facilitator on the project) and I are delighted to see people dipping their toes into areas they haven't tried since school and finding new talents and passions.  

The spectrum of creativity we are witnessing each week is vast and it is fantastic to see the individual style of each artist/writer emerging through the work they do and the artistic choices they make.  For me, in addition to the quality of the work being produced, what is so important is that the people involved are finding their own artistic directions, their own 'view through the window'.  Whatever medium they are choosing, be it painting, pastels, felt making, writing and re-writing or simply voice exercises, there is no doubt in my mind that they are taking the right ones and they are approaching both the art and the poetry with a professionalism that is commendable.  

And what a lovely group!  

Becky Cherriman (Writer, Facilitator, Spoken Word Artist)