TRADITIONAL ARTS

FOLLOW NEW DEVELOPMENTS

2009-09-17T00:34:00.005+01:00

In addition to these new developments, we are also creating exciting opportunities for teachers to participate more fully in our work programmes.

Teachers can:
Access new sites. Visit http://ephemeralarts-teachers.blogspot.com/ to examine a new support programme for teachers.
Join “Ephemeral Arts Innovators” a network on http://ephemeralarts.ning.com/ It can be accessed via a bloglink.
GOOD NEWS FOR TEACHERS

The new blogs also extend the scope for celebrating Ephemeral Arts to include other subject areas in the schools cirriculum.

Ephemeral Arts for Teachers is a continuation of Mirador Cuilture's support programme for teachers who are interested in integrating the use of Ephemeral Arts in the teachnign of Arts, Anthropology, Sociology and Geography.

Ephemeral Arts Teachers is designed to become a Networking Site for Teachers of Ephemeral Arts!

In addition:

Follow general debate and discussion on Culture and Arts in the United Kingdom by visiting DIVERSE VIEW at http://diverseview.wordpress.com

We look forward to hearing from you.

Mask The Message

2009-07-11T16:30:00.002+01:00

We are pleased to announce the continuation of this work programme! However, every idea has its day and new projects sometimes also help people to access current as well as old work. So, without going on and on about the changes, the concept of EPHEMERAL ARTS will be continued but new "interfaces" will be added!

The first of these interfaces is MASKS. We will be developing a new festival of Masks. People use a mask to acquire a new identity or to hide one! Sometimes, the only "mask" that a person has is their face! How many times have you failed to read someone's face?

Thank you so much!

2007-12-20T19:09:00.000Z

During the last few months, I have been distracted, actually very distracted, by an assignment and other work related issues. I am so, so sorry for not being able to keep up with this blog.

However, I have been thinking more about you, your school, your background, your own interests than about myself and my work!

Its time to bring you on board! Hurray! Its your time-based culture that I am going to be promoting for a few weeks.

How do you, your family or your community create artistic images that are connected to important cultural events in your life? If you are a Muslim, you will be celebrating Eid! If you are a Sikh, you will be celebrating religious events very soon. If your are a Hindu, what did you do for Diwali? If you are a Christian, how will you be celebrating Christmas?

If you are a child under 16, please let your parents and your teachers know that you are posting messages to this blog.

What creative work can we share today? Please contact me!

Calling ephemeral arts teachers, artists, writers and researchers

2006-08-08T01:24:00.000+01:00

Calling ephemeral arts teachers, writers and researchers from any part of the world!

I am interested in hearing from teachers, artists, writers and researchers who are interested in the ephemeral arts. Our definition of ephemeral arts is," Arts which are temporary or short-lived, based on a specific occasion or event and transitory in nature".

A Festival of Ephemeral Arts, which is held at various locations in the United Kingdom is our main public event. It has been running for over five years and now recognised as an innovative and successful community based festival. It has been run in over 50 schools, always in conjunction with the local authority and community groups in the areas where it has been held. It first projected a South Asian cultural focus but over the years, artists have been recruited from all cultural backgrounds to create and market work to combined and mainstream audiences.

Teachers and Artists are required to work on the festival as we plan our work for the next three years. A number of proposals are under development. Your area of specialisation is important but an ability to examine the linkages between ephemeral artforms is more critical! Teachers and artists should be able to produce original concepts, develop them for public presentation and be able to engage audiences. Currently, teachers, artists and practitioners are required for adding new dimensions to the programme.

Writers and researchers are required to work on publications and to contribute to this blog as approved members.

Further information on this vast range of projects in this unique area of work is also available from the festival website. It is also being updated.

New dimensions

The Ephemeral Arts Festival and its programme is being extensively revised. A number of announcements follow this posting.

Please contact, initially by email only, to introduce yourself and your work and to suggest what you do and how you may be able to influence the course of development of this highly original area of work through festivals, workshops, seminars and a proposed annual conference. You can suggest how you work as a teacher, artist, writer or researcher. An application form will be sent and interviews arranged within 4-6 weeks for immediate opportunities in the UK. All enquiries and applications will be acknowledged.

Contact: Kalwant Ajimal, Founder, A Festival of Ephemeral Arts
email: kalwant.ajimal@btinternet.com

Exploring Ephemeral Arts - the best blog on the subject?

2006-08-07T23:21:00.000+01:00

A few questions about the progress made so far..

This site has been exploring a number of areas connected with ephemeral arts. It would be useful to examine what has been achieved so far and to outline the scope for future development of the blog as a resource for students, teachers, librarians and parents.

Further work is to be presented to address the specific areas of interest that have been identified and inspired by the blog so far. A number of students, artists and teachers have responded by email or made verbal comments. These comments will be taken on board. The blog is intended for students at GCSE and 'A' Level standard, that is, for those who may be working on projects as a part of their secondary school education. More advanced students and also their teachers may also find that elements covered here will inspire them to look further at some of the themes outlined here.

The blog is also intended for the lay reader who may just want to look at artistic expression in a different way. The blog will also be of interest to younger children who can see, interpret and enjoy the pictures provided here.

So the questions we started to address are still valid-

what are the ephemeral arts?
How can we interpret these forms of expression?
What are the different ways of thinking about time-based culture?

People provide artistic expression to celebrate an event. They dress and present themselves for the occasion through artistic expression. They decorate the buildings or houses where the cultural events take place. They celebrate important events in the open air. Many of the ephemeral arts are connected to important dates in the cultural, religious, political and historical calendars of communities in different parts of the world.

Predicting future activities on this site...

I have also created some routes or pathways for investigating ephemeral arts in the future:

Entries related to "Exploring avenues for inspiration" will examine the work of artists whose work is dedicated to time-based cultural and artistic expression, or whose output is also ephemeral. A start has been made by looking at the work of Andy Goldsworthy. There is scope for looking at the work of other artists, some of whom may not be famous or even be known.
Further work is to be presented to address the theme," Exploring Avenues for Cultural Communication" where a range of entries will be produced to reflect the diversity of this area.
A third theme has been added. It explores ephemeral arts by linking them to geography and to various countries where these arts are most visible.
More themes will be added later.

Exploring sources of inspiration 2- Ephemeral arts as cultural communication

2006-08-07T17:46:00.000+01:00

How does hair inspire ephemeral outcomes?

Helen Coleman(1) writes," Hairstyling and hairdressing have great cultural significance in Africa. Coiffures have been regarded as diagnostic of ethnic origin, gender, phase of life cycle, as well as simply fashion; and have been related to power, age, religion, and politics. The transitory yet highly visible nature of hair ensures its suitability as a medium for personal and social expression. It is not just the domain of women; elaborate hair styling for men can be an equally important indicator of their place in society". Hairstyling for weddings must present interesting opportunities for self-expression.

The transitory nature of hair can also be explored also in relation to beards, especially where men dress for specific occasions.

In general to what extent does the use of ephemeral arts as cultural communication vary from the original definition used for this site where the transitory arts are created for a specific event or occasion? This aspect will be explored further.

Helen Coleman's comments are drawn from 'Artword', a University of East Anglia website. www.artworld.uea.ac.uk

'Sycamore Leaves Stitched together' by Andy Goldsworthy

2006-08-07T15:44:00.000+01:00

This is an example of work that is transient, with a defined 'life'. It was created in Yorkshire Sculpture Park on 23 October 1987. The picture is on display at the Springer & Winckler Gallery. Source http://www.artnet.com A search using any of the regular search engines is recommended.

I have selected this picture from many that are available because it shows how the artist has used brightly coloured leaves, stitched them together to form a hanging object and added it to the landscape. Many, if all, of Goldsworthy's works depict his additions to the natural environment. The blog will explore how various communities use such work to add to their environment. I see this as a form of celebration of nature.

Exploring Sources of Inspiration 1- Andy Goldsworthy

2006-08-07T15:33:00.000+01:00

The Sculptures of Andy Goldsworthy

Andy Goldsworthy is an environmental sculptor in which his use of the natural surroundings create an art form. He explores and experiments with various natural materiel such as leaves, grasses, stones, wood, sand, clay, ice, and snow. The seasons and weather determine the materials and the subject matter of his projects. With no preconceived ideas about what he will create, Goldsworthy relies on what nature will give him. Goldsworthy "feels" the energy from nature and transcends that energy into an art form. His transient sculptures contradict the permanence of art in its historical pretense.

Because of this mortality of nature, Goldsworthy uses the photograph as a form of documentation to capture the essence of his work. "Each work grows, stays, decays- integral parts of a cycle which the photograph shows at its height, marking the moment when the work is most alive. There is an intensity about a work at its peak that I hope is expressed in the image. Process and decay are implicit."-Andy Goldsworthy.

Source: www.arthistory.sbc.edu the site of Sweet Briar College. The site shows many examples of 'process and decay' the transient nature of work which this blog also covers.

Further Examples of Ephemeral Arts

2006-08-07T14:26:00.000+01:00

Further Examples of Ephemeral Arts

The most notable examples in this site are drawn from the Indian Subcontinent. These are mehndi, rangoli, masks, fancy festival dress, face painting and floral decorations.

Mehndi consists of decorations of hands, feet and face by using henna paste. Mehndi is used to celebrate weddings, cultural events and now, increasingly as a fashion statement. Examples of mehndi are shown in the Mehndi Gallery. Please see the website using the links given on the left.

Rangoli shown here is another example of ephemeral arts. Rangoli is the creation of images using grains, lentils, rice, leaves and seeds to celebrate various cultural events such as Diwali and the New Year. Rangolis are also created using coloured powders, petals, soils and coloured rice. The patterns are typically colourful and often geometric in design.

Masks. There is a long tradition of mask making in the Indian Sub-continent. Used ceremonially and in street performance, masks are generally made from paper pulp or tree fibre. In performances, men will often play female roles by wearing masks. Examples of masks are provided in the exhibition.

Flower decorations. A large number of ephemeral arts, such as masks and garlands use flowers due to their short-lived beauty. Certain types, such as marigold and rose, are used more commonly used since their colour or scent religious significance.

Alpana is a floor art that uses utilises a combination of coloured pastes and flower petals.

Dussehra (spelt differently by various communities) is an annual religious Festival that commemorates the victory of good over evil, the demon Ravan. Community members build work together to build the towering effigy of Ravan and act out a ceremonial battle between good and evil. The ritual climaxes with the triumphant burning of the demon against a night sky.

Face painting is perhaps the most widespread ephemeral art, being particularly popular with children around the world. However, in the Indian Sub-Continent it has a much greater spiritual significance. Various communities use face painting to express important messages relating to cultural events.

Further examples are to be added showing the ephemeral arts from countries in Africa, North and South America, Europe, the Far East, Australia and all island communities in the world.

Do you have pictures that could be published here? Please contact me by using the email address given on the left. This site follows copyright regulations before readers' pictures can be published.

Belgian Floral Carpet

2006-08-07T11:04:00.000+01:00

The Grand Palace in Brussels hosts a Floral Carpet

Christopher Stocks reports in The Independent on Sunday ( 6 August 2006) about the Belgian city of Brussels' annual floral carpet. This year from 12 to 15 August the city's famous Grand Palace, which is a UNESECO World Heritage site, plays host to a floral carpet which will be 77m by 24m and will include something like 300,000 begonia blooms, each of which will have been hand-stuffed into place by a team of 100 expertly trained gardeners. The carpet takes just four hours to complete. The carpet has always always been intended to be seen from a distance.

The creator of the Grand Palace carpet, according to Stocks, was a begonia-loving landscape architect Etienne Stautemans. He started making small floral carpets out of begonias in the 1950s. Sadly, he died in 1998, but since then the Brussels carpets have been designed by fellow landscape architect Mark Schauttet. Each design takes the best part of a year from planning to execution, with a different theme each time: in 1981, for example, the carpet illustrated the Belgian coat of arms in honour of the state's 150th anniversary and in 1994, it was dedicated to to the British regiments that liberated Brussels from the Germans, with their regimental badges recreated entirely in begonias.

This year's theme is compared by the organisers to the stained glass of cathedral rose-windows, "a giant kaleidoscope" and "the alchemy of the Middle Ages". To Christopher Stocks, " the patterns look like Islamic tiles or Indian fretwork screens coloured in with fluorescent felttip pens, but whatever the inspiration, it's certainly an eye-catching design.

In addition to the usual complexities of design, logistics and execution, Schauttet and his team 'begoniasts' have come up with a way of mechanising the nine sections of the overall design so that each, individually, rotates on its axis, thus- presumably the comparison with a kaleidoscope, according to Stocks.

18 Floor-based art creates an illusion

2006-07-13T02:06:00.000+01:00

A pattern created on the floor by joining stars

on a common background provides an illusion.

Take your time getting used to it!

It is the right way up.

17 Image from Mystic India- Another Rangoli

2006-07-13T01:48:00.000+01:00

This picture is taken from the Mystic India site mentioned earlier. Note the detail of rangoli patterns being out together by the women. They have to work on the floor for long hours possibly to complete the work in one day. Also try to assess the size of the rangoli by comparing the pattern with the people or the building in the background. Make sure that you visit the original Mystic India site to which this picture belongs. Please see post no 15.

16 The Victory of Good over Evil

2006-07-13T01:35:00.000+01:00

The effigy of Ravan, as made by a community group
in Slough, England. Do you know the story of Ravan?

15. Mystic India- an exciting photo gallery!

2006-07-07T08:22:00.000+01:00

This is the title of a film, which I have not seen but it is highly rated.
The film itself could be interest to teachers, students and researchers

One of the best and largest rangoli or floor paintings that I have seen can be found at
http://www.mysticindia.com

The photo gallery is well worth a visit!

14 Materials and sources for School Coursework

2006-06-15T23:51:00.000+01:00

Students Use the Ephemeral Arts for Coursework

The festival and its various resources have been successfully used by students for preparing high quality coursework.

Students working on GCSE coursework can use various aspects of the festival for independent research and study. Various thematic treatments can also be offered.

Some students may want to download materials from the website. Please see www.ephemeralarts.com Others may be interested in developing thematic links of their own but still connect with the website resources and this blog.

Students and teachers are welcome to contact the writer for further information and links. Please contact by email kalwant.ajimal@btinternet.com

13 Resources for Teachers and Librarians

2006-06-05T11:22:00.000+01:00

Resources now available for sale or loan

The Festival of Ephemeral Arts has been presented by using a combination of the following resources:

Practical workshops and supported learning experiences, working with senior artists, community arts practitioners and demonstrators with specific cultural backgrounds - one of our artists is a 78 year old Asian woman.
Information: Use of the website at www.ephemeralarts.com
A campaign: Use of a dedicated Touring Exhibition consisting of 18 boards
Publication: A Teacher's Resource Pack
Critical debate and information by using this web log.
Dedicated provision for schools, libraries and museums. Three major projects are to be announced soon.

The Teacher's Resource Pack, the Touring Exhibition and selected photographs are now available for sale and loan. Please email Kalwant Ajimal for details using the email address provided in the column on the left of this page.

12. Promoting Cross-Cultural Exchanges

2006-06-05T02:25:00.000+01:00

Creating a 'Westernised' Rangoli- inviting new readers

The creation of the Butterfly rangoli ( please see post 2) was based on the use of South Asian techniques and materials.

The 'rangoli' on the right was created by Sue Gande by using stones, twigs, coloured saw dust, sand, coloured woodchips and short grass cuttings to create her own abstract design. The top half of the picture shows the detail of the righthand side of the main work, where a 'v' shaped pattern is completed by two 'eyes'.

This is a large piece of work but shows common use of the floor as a base for the work, with careful use of a pattern which is then filled in with different materials than the Indian rangoli, on which this is based.

Other work created by our artists will show the use of grasses, sticks, stones, twigs and other materials found in a forest to create work that is similar to the work of the famous artist Andy Goldsworthy.

Further examples of floor based work can also be found in the website. Please see www.ephemeralarts.com Many communities use natural materials to create patterns on the floor. These designs are then used for a specific purpose and after the festival or celebration they are destroyed.

This is also a good time to add a few comments on how the other areas of ephemeral arts are equally exciting. The questions that I want to raise are:

How will further additions to to this site benefit the range of people for whom it is intended?
How can we help to develop networks and promote further information sharing?
How can we promote the work of other artists who are not known to us?
What specific input do teachers want from us to help them connect these ideas with the National Curriculum?

More about all these questions in the next few posts!

11 Creative Diversity

2006-05-20T01:11:00.000+01:00

Creative Diversity

A new website called Creative DIVERSITY, is soon to be launched as
www.creative-diversity.com

It is expected to become a major online resource, a service and a forum for people who are interested in the analysis, interpretation and application of artistic and cultural expression relating to diversity, leading to innovation and celebration for London 2102 and for the country as a whole. Creative Diversity expects to draw its material from a wide range of sources and to encourage active participation by teachers, students, librarians and parents.

A new blog, known as Creative Diversity Recruitment can now be accessed by using this link:
http://creativediversityrecruitment.wordpress.com The blog aims to help with the recruitment of

creative staff for arts and cultural organisations
trustees and professional advisers to join the boards of arts organisations
teachers and librarians seeking educational links with arts and cultural providers
students wishing to join study groups and projects offered by many arts organisations
any of the above who wish to propose projects and programmes to organisations working in the field of cultural diversity.

For further information and details please email Kalwant Ajimal using the address provided in the left column of this blog, listed under 'About me'.

10 Another Look at Diversity

2006-05-19T23:43:00.000+01:00

Cultural Diversity and Ephemeral Arts

The study of ephemeral arts provides very interesting pathways for the understanding of diversity. These arts are unique for several reasons. The study and celebration of time based culture links the student to communities, how their traditions relating to common events - birthdays, childhood, coming of age, weddings, childbearing, becoming old, buying a house and even the act of dying reflects different beliefs and values.

The celebration of major events in the religious and economic calendar further inspires community artists and lay members of the community to use various forms of expression in order to communicate their messages. They may also mix different artforms - music, dance and drama to create cultural entertainment for their audiences. The celebrations may be further enhanced with the making of special crafts and decorations that are connected with the events. In other cases masks and special cultural gifts such as jewellery and body decorations are also made and handed out to selected people in the audience to complete the interpretation and enjoyment of the event.

The main outcome of this process of study is that communities have more in common than they are different. If this was always true, the study of ephemeral arts would be quite narrow and basic! What makes the examination of ephemeral arts interesting is how some programmes, events and community functions can become 'distinctive' either because of the visual images created by the artists or how special meanings may be attached to the events.

Where cultures grow and develop in response to other cultures and the environment, there is a need to promote diversity.

9. You do not have to wait for Christmas!

2006-05-17T10:14:00.000+01:00

This is picture is taken from a Waitrose supermarkets advertisement promoting the sale fruit and vegetables around Christmas time!

I think it presents ideas for making a very clever use of common 'materials' and is also an excellent source of inspiration for students to create their own pictures. A possible project for classroom activity is, a) show the picture to students, b) ask them to collect whatever fruits they think they can use to create their own picture, c) depending on their age, supervise the cutting of fruit into slices, d) use a clean white board to assemble the items to create this face or another variation selected by the children and when the work has been photographed and recorded, encourage the children to eat the pieces provided it is safe for them to do so. Concerns for safety could include the need for care relating to hygiene but also ensuring that children do not suffer from any allergies connected to fruits and nuts.
The topics related to the project can vary from ephemeral art to healthy eating connected to properties of fruit and vegetable. If you can think of other options please write in using the email given on the left or leave a comment.

8 One of my favourite pictures!

2006-05-17T09:55:00.000+01:00

This is a photograph of a mousepad that I bought in a computer shop a few years ago!
I believe that it is an aboriginal art, created by putting together beads, slices of fruit, patterns and possibly ribbons made of fabric. But I could be wrong!

What do you think?
If you have seen this before or have a better description of the picture and its background, I would be very interested to hear from you. If you do not want to leave a comment but prefer to send me a private reply via email please do so. Please send your comment to kalwant.ajimal@btinternet.com

7. Investing in creative diversity

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Ephemeral Arts as an expression of 'creative diversity'

The cultural environment is segmented into three categories to celebrate diversity as a driver for the Ephemeral Arts:

The collective and civic forms of culture includes heritage, museums, cinema, concerts, performing and visual arts. These activities have implications for collective cultural celebration affecting regeneration and social policy. Ephemeral arts may be used to programme major festivals and attract community initiatives
The individual cultural activities are defined as artists-led work, practical workshops and use of television, video and multimedia to extend the audiences for ephemeral arts
Educational activities provide creative expression for the ephemeral arts. these activities are used selectively for learning, teaching, and research. School based Festivals also offer scope for integration into the national curriculum.
The scope and significance of Ephemeral Arts for audience development. How are the ephemeral arts defined and presented for linking them to annual fairs, events in the cultural calendar and school programmes.
How the arts differ depending on definitions and their operations
How audiences can participate.
How to create new audiences for more challenging work.

6. Ephemeral Arts for Timebased Cultural Celebrations

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Examples of Ephemeral Arts
Here is a wide range of ephemeral arts produced by many cultures. There are some fascinating pictures on the website. Please see www.ephemeralarts.com

WELL
DRESSING MEHNDI MASKS DOLLS ALPANA MURALS

WALL PAINTINGS RAKHI ARM BANDS MOSAICS

MIRROR ARTS

FACE PAINTING FLOOR ARTS FANCY Festival Dress

MASKS

CLAY ARTS HOUSE DECORATIONS

PICTURES Using Rangoli Patterns

FLOWER ARTS FESTIVAL COSTUMES POTTERY

HAND MADE GIFTS and CRAFTS for special celebrations

TREE DECORATIONS RANGOLI GARBA POTS

HANGING BASKETS

5. How the Festival is Created in Schools

2006-05-11T14:43:00.000+01:00

How the Festival is created in Schools and in the community?

Artists and community workers employed by Asian Arts Access create the Festival in your school and the community. This is done by:

Providing the background to ephemeral work and by offering an appreciation of cultural diversity and the environment
Encouraging culturally diverse children and teachers to work at school with people from different backgrounds
Encouraging community participation in the Festival and its schools programme
Encouraging partnerships with local communities, arts organisations, schools and libraries
Providing experienced artists and practitioners to work with children, teachers and parents
Creating access to research materials on the Festival website
Showing films, drawings and pictures of successfully developed arts
Encouraging children, teachers and parents to use library books, electronic media, websites and dedicated materials provided by Asian Arts Access

Practical sessions for children at school and at home

Participation in a wide range of ephemeral work, all created from natural materials and inspired by the cultural backgrounds of the artists, teachers and children
Working with expert community artists and guides to create ephemeral arts using a variety of traditional and modern techniques
Working with parents and community visitors to create various forms of outputs – mask making and painting, kite making, designing floor-based pasterns, origination of murals and development, face painting for traditional dancers, making of gifts.
Viewing dedicated films, TV programmes, films showing ephemeral arts in their story
Using the exhibition developed by Asian Arts Access to carry out course work
Taking pictures of artists at work to develop own project proposals and ideas
Exercises to connect the A Festival of Ephemeral Arts to folklore, modern day celebrations and experimentation.

Who would benefit?

School classes from different disciplines – art, sociology, geography, history and liberal studies
School children working on their own for important school projects, self study and group work
Teachers by seeing how expert artists create materials and use them to complete new works
Parents, teachers and communities who would benefit by interacting through the Festival. It brings the “school into the community” and “ the community into the school”.

Resources and presentation

Over one or two days, students, teachers and parents participate in and view a wide range of ephemeral artforms.
Community artists guide students and other participants in creating these arts by using a variety of techniques and materials.
A dedicated Festival creates opportunities to celebrate folklore, discuss cultural events and understand issues relating to identity.

4. How The Festival is Created in Libraries

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Working in Libraries

Artists and local community workers are supported by Asian Arts Access to create the Festival and access to its resources in school and public libraries. This is done by:

Providing the background to ephemeral work and by offering an appreciation of cultural diversity and the environment
Encouraging culturally diverse children and teachers to work at school with people from different backgrounds and to use the local Library Services
Encouraging creative use of various Festival resources
Encouraging partnerships with local communities, arts organisations and schools
Providing experienced artists and practitioners to work with children, teachers and parents
Creating further understanding of research materials on the Festival website
Showing films, drawings and pictures of successfully developed arts in libraries
Encouraging older children, teachers and parents to use library books, electronic media, websites and dedicated materials provided by Asian Arts Access and other suppliers.

Practical sessions for children at school and home

Participation in a wide range of ephemeral arts work, all created from natural materials and inspired by the cultural backgrounds of the artists, teachers and children.
Working with expert community artists and guides to create ephemeral arts using a variety of traditional and modern techniques. Their work will be featured on the website and this blog.
Working with parents and community visitors to create various forms of outputs – mask making and painting, kite making, designing floor-based pasterns, origination of murals and development, face painting for traditional dancers, making of gifts.
Viewing dedicated films, TV programmes, films showing ephemeral arts in their story.
Using the exhibition developed by Asian Arts Access to carry out course work
Taking pictures of artists at work to develop own project proposals and ideas
Completing exercises to connect the Ephemeral to folklore, modern day celebrations and experimentation.

Who would benefit?

School classes – mainly GCSE and A Levels - from different disciplines which require research skills ie art, sociology, geography, history and liberal studies.
School children working on their own for important school projects, self study and group work.
Teachers by seeing how expert artists create projects.
Parents, teachers and communities who would benefit by interacting through the Festival. It brings the “Library into the community” and “ the community into the Library”.

Resources and presentation

Over one or two days, students, teachers and parents participate in and view a wide range of ephemeral artform
Community artists guide students and other participants in creating these arts by using a variety of techniques and materials
A dedicated Festival creates opportunities to celebrate folklore, cultural events and issues relating to identity.

3. The Mayor of Guildford's Mural

2006-05-11T11:28:00.000+01:00

The above work shows what is known as The Mayor of Guildford's Inaugural Mural. The Mayor, Tamsy Baker has been interested in supporting a programme of diversity during her Mayoral term. This project was a collaboration between the Mayor, Guildford Borough Council and Culture South East, which also runs the Common Futures programme.

We decided to create a mural by using an Indian artform known as rangoli. Suzanne Akram, a well known artist, was commissioned to produce the mural for the Mayor's Inaugural Week. Suzanne worked on the brief provided to her and created a mural that depicts the history, traditions, landmarks and diversity of the town of Guildford, which is based in Surrey, England. It had to be expanded to a large size to involve a group of volunteers from the community, who also completed the mural.

The next task was to fill in the colours! This was achieved by using grains, seeds and coloured dust to fill the spaces in the mural and by attaching the materials to the mural boards with a glue. The volunteers and artists worked on the mural for a day and they completed the mural in time for the Mayor's Inaugural Reception. The Mayor was presented with the mural. It is essentially a large rangoli! It is a unique celebration of community input into ephemeral arts. An explanation of the mural's content is available on request. Please email me at kalwant.ajimal@btinternet.com

2. Do it yourself - Butterfly!

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This is one of the best images from an ephemeral arts project created during one of the festivals. Created by Madhumita Bose who used petals, small flowers, leaves, coloured rice, sawdusts and sand to fill in a large drawing of the butterfly. For better effect we could have given her a white board to work with! That would have also made the work very portable. Some artists use a thin colourless glue to stick the materials to the board, thereby creating a more longlasting work. But remember, if it lasts for ever it's not ephemeral! The work is a variation of an Indian artform known as Rangoli. But many communities use the floor as the 'medium for expression' and draw patterns which are then filled with colours and materials. Simple.
The website www.ephemeralarts.com provides further examples of rangoli. Do you have a description of a floor art or a picture that you would like to be featured in this blog or our website? Please contact me by email: kalwant.ajimal@btinternet.com

1. Introduction to Ephemeral Arts

2006-05-10T15:34:00.000+01:00

Definitions and the expression of Ephemeral arts

Ephemeral arts are temporary or short-lived, based on a specific occasion or event and transitory in nature.

Examples are arts related to the cultural calendar- marking New Year, harvest, change of seasons, religious festivals, events in people’s lives, major events in folk traditions.

Ephemeral arts can be expressed by using the simplest of means and materials to the most complicated designs. The artistic expression can involve a few people or thousands. Most Ephemeral arts are based on artistic expression involving drawing, painting, making things, decorating and dedicating peoples’ homes.

Ephemeral arts invariably use natural materials- sticks, grasses, shells, sand, leaves and petals, nuts, fruits, beans, lentils, rice and ground materials to make special powders.

Ephemeral Arts are celebrated internationally, and in all cultures. Many of the Asian arts described here have British, European, Far Eastern, African and South American equivalents! The blog and the related Festivals, and the website are aimed at celebrating commonalities between cultures.

My aim is to

help you to make use of our research and experience to develop your own projects
suggest how the website can be used to help with your study and enjoyment of the subject
attract proposals from you on further areas for collaborative projects
guide students and teachers to access resources for formal study linked with school projects
invite senior students and their teachers to consider working on the thematic aspects of the ephemeral arts and to develop new schemes of their own.
provide access to our resource packs and touring exhibition. Please also see www.ephemeralarts.com

A more formal programme for educational use will also follow. It is designed for universities, secondary school teachers, senior artists and communities.