As we move towards the end of 2019, we wanted to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone we have worked with this year, as participants, volunteers, co-creators, supporters and partners. There have been some challenges of course, but we wanted to round up the year by celebrating ALL OF YOU! and everything we have done together.
The Portland Inn Project – Our 2019 achievements! January – Anna and Rebecca developed a new resource for Socially Engaged Artists, commissioned by Artist Newsletter ‘Rules of Engagement.’ The Creative Civic Change (CCC) development programme began, where we involved our community in a 3 year plan for our project. We were shortlisted for a RIBA MacEwen Award (the award which recognises Architecture for the Common Good) February – A community fact finding trip to Liverpool took place to inform the CCC plan. Our Project featured on the front cover of the RIBA Magazine! March – The Spring Day event; A chance to share the CCC plan and look to the future. April – We completed our proposal for the 3 year plan to CCC. May – We were delighted to announce we were one of 16 nationwide organisations successfully selected for the CCC Programme. May 18th; A community party to celebrate the great news! June – Our weekly boxing programme started, with Jamal, special thanks to YMCA GO for funding this! We had a Portland Picnic Party, which included a community clean up, and a chance to plant some lovely flowers on the green space. We submitted a planning application for our temporary space: The Shipping Container. Anna, Kerry and Rebecca took part in training with the British Ceramics Biennial, in how to make a Staffordshire Flatback, learning some brilliant new clay skills. July – A funding application was submitted to the EU Social Fund, to provide training in ceramics and community organising (to become known as The Fellowship). A brilliant Portland Social took place, The Portland Pamper. Our architect Godson Egbo finalised the plans for the Portland Inn pub, based on the work we did with our community last summer, on what the building needs to do and be. We commissioned a model maker to turn these plans into a scale model of our building. We took part in training with Mould Maker Extraordinaire Ed Bentley, to make a new Portland Pigeon Flatback. We held a Celebratory meal at the end of the month to show our newly formed Community Decision Making Panel the model, and shared the plans for the building and our up-coming summer programme. August – The EU Social Fund confirmed their support, and we launched a call for The Portland Fellowship. We launched our summer programme, and then delivered a month of activity on the Green Space. Then on 27th August the shipping container arrived! And we launched it on Saturday, 1st September the newly Christened ‘Pippin’ with a community celebration event. September – Rebecca and Anna led a weekend for social artists, sharing the ethos of The Portland Inn Project as part of the Potteries Thinkbelt Retreat, in collaboration with Collective Matter at Contemporary Sculpture Fulmer, Slough. We had a Tapas night with our Community Decision Making Panel from the Pippin. The Portland Pigeon Flatback Display was unveiled at The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, as part of the British Ceramics Biennial Cultural Icons project, and works made by our community this summer went on display. (By the way, PMAG loved the display so much, they are keeping it up until next Feb!) 21st September – Kerry and Anna took part in a panel discussion, with artists and academics to talk about our involvement in the Flatbacks project, and social art projects matter to communities. Also that day, as part of the BCB Hanley Focus events, Anna and Rebecca hosted the world’s first ever Potteraoke! On 23rd September as part of the WEARESTOKE BBC initiative, Radio Stoke broadcast Live from the Pippin all morning, and Tina and Kerry starred in a brand new film, made about our area and the project. Also this month, we announced the new Portland Fellowship, and had a brilliant social evening at the Pippin, where Melanie Griffiths’ ‘Working Girl’ was shown. October – We launched our weekly YOUTH CLUB! We were delighted to be shortlisted for and then WON! Cultural Champions of the Year in the BBC Stoke Make a Difference Awards. We submitted a funding application to Red Industries, for phase one of the Portland Inn building works – which was successful! Our 3 brand new fellows got started on their 6 month Fellowship with us. November – We had a raku and bonfire night! With our brand new Raku Kiln, built by Andy! We took our Fellows on a trip to Liverpool, to see some excellent examples of social art projects there. The Portland Inn Project and AirSpace Gallery hosted the A-N Assembly here in Stoke! The Youth Club created a music track and video with Jamal and Zahra, funded by Councillor Khan, and filmed the video at our November Social, which was also attended by a group of visitors from Nottingham, visiting our project to get some ideas for things they can do in their area. We also submitted a Pre-Application to the Planning office for the Portland Inn Pub, and await their feedback. December – The First Ever PORTLAND PANTO! Happened. Phew…. People in Progress! See You ALL in 2020.