These are a few changes, through both research and methodology development, I need to make to the manifesto.
Community Spaces
-The overarching use of an allotment to hold all projects and show a form of community has brought up confusion. It has such a strong visual identity which overshadows and gives ideas of eg, growing etc. The original idea to use an allotment was because it is a strong form of community and is very open in that it doesn't show class eg, but by bringing in different forms of community to the overall project this will even out both visually and conceptually.
-My idea is to keep the main hub at an allotment, I will hopefully have my own allotment soon, in which I can set up a small print studio within a shed space. This will be great for imagery and primary research and will then be a big part of the main hub in which printed materials can be made from. I still have access to an allotment site at present and it means all of the prints I have pasted up before winter can still be used and be relevant.
-The smaller 'plot projects' will be now set at different forms of community whether it be a row of houses, a religious space or a working mens club.
-This will hopefully make the idea of community shine, without being focused too much on one specific aspect of community.
-My idea is that the projects and spaces may be joined and visualised on a map of an imagined town such as Jonny Hannahs Darktown or the maps you find in children's illustration books to visualise the space you are entering as a reader with the main hub being the largest.
Milly-Molly-Mandy, written and illustrated by Joyce Lankester Brisley
The Main Hub - Rename Walter and Edith Hub
The main hub, the holder of the tools for individuals to use their voice and start conversations, as stated above will be located in visual terms at an allotment. Im going to rename/rebrand the main hub as Walter and Edith Hub. This is the name I go under for all of my print fayres and I had disregarded it during the MA project as I didn't think it tied into my work and thought I would keep it separate. Whilst researching the most common words within protests, WE was the top word and it seemed fitting to bring it back. I have always thought of Walter and Edith (WE) having community connections and I think the main hub is a perfect place to sit it. This will also give the main hub a stronger brand and pull it away from the current strong visual of solely an allotment space.
Create Smaller Projects From The Walter and Edith Main Hub
Initially to start the themes around the small plot projects, I wanted to speak to allotment owners and see if they had any passions or issues they wanted to convey. Due to lockdown and the allotment being quieter over the winter period I'm going to develop smaller projects to try and develop themes for the small plot projects that way. The first is the WeView, for individuals to use to photograph through a viewfinder space ideas of community or proaction.
Rename The Protest Pack
Within the main, Walter and Edith Hub lies the Protest pack. This was an idea from the start to have a pack of moveable type to allow individuals to create posters and use their voice. Because of my research into where I want this form of activism to sit, it has pulled away from protest and more towards a middle ground in between gentle protest and protest which I have called proaction. Im going to rename the protest pack, the Voice Maker to give it more ambiguity toward a certain form of protest.
Alongside the new name I am going to look at the set word blocks used in the pack. Using frequently used works in protest goes against the idea of the activism within my MA sitting in a middle ground between protest and gentle protest (ProAction). Im going to look at words frequently used in gentle protest and also in community work to see if I can make a collective pack of words
Research Local Charities
So far my research has looked at protest, gentle protest and community charities in the UK. Next I want to focus on local charities and community hubs within this area to reflect of this part of my manifesto and make it connected to the area.
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