Category Archives: Personal histories

Art, Event, Joy C Martindale, Mental Health, Personal histories

Roma Oral Storyteller Open Call (January 2023)

Open Call! Apply Now!

Open call for an English speaking Roma arts practitioner, ideally of Slovak or Czech background (not essential), to deliver two storytelling sessions in person as part of a forthcoming community outreach, participatory artmaking project in southeast Kent. Roma storytellers from all backgrounds, including performers, dancers, writers, poets and musicians who use storytelling in their practice, are welcome to apply. This is a paid opportunity.

Painting by Jarmila Petrašova (2022)

About the Project

Mother Trees Connect The Forest


Mother Trees Connect the Forest will launch in February 2023 (Arts Council England grant funding depending). The participants will be Slovak and Czech Roma mums and their children who attend a community support group in Dover. Through conversation, story and paint, a series of artist-led artmaking workshops will provide an opportunity for participants to reflect on their own lived experiences. We will draw inspiration from Roma literature to explore telling our own stories Roma arts practitioner will join a workshop to deliver a storytelling session, working through their medium. The emphasis will be on promoting wellbeing and opening up a dialogue through spending time being creative together. We will share our discoveries with a public audience through a presentation, in conjunction with a further storytelling session for a community audience, at a public art gallery in Margate.

Project Theme

Mother Trees Connect the Forest is inspired by the work of ecologist, Suzanne Simard, whose work shows mother trees play a critical role in the survival of forests by channeling resources to seedlings. These trees are able to recognise and channel more resources to their own offspring when they are sick. Project outcomes will be shaped by the parallels that can be drawn between the life of the forest and the project’s themes, i.e. motherhood, collaboration between mother and child, harnessing talent, nurturing the creativity of the next generation, and exchanges of knowledge through art, writing and storytelling.

Project Aims

  • Increase representation of Roma voices in the arts
  • Celebrate the richness of Roma culture and specifically oral culture through storytelling and the portal of literature in translation
  • Challenge negative stereotypes and attitudes towards Roma in the UK
  • Highlight we are all citizens of the world and migration is central to human existence and life on Earth.

Timeline

Spring/early summer of 2023 (dates to be confirmed). It is expected that the first session in Dover will take place on a Wednesday afternoon (4-6pm) in March and the second session, in Margate, will be in May or June.

Fee

Total Fee for each session: £192 (based on 3 hrs planning + 3hrs workshop delivery at £32 per hour) plus up to £100 contribution to travel expenses.

How To Apply


Interested applicants are invited to submit a 1 page CV (including a personal statement + links to websites/social media/ workshop recordings etc) and a statement of application (300 words max) by 10th February at the latest.
Your statement should include your narrative strategy and show how your ideas for the sessions connect with the project’s themes. Your application should also demonstrate your ability to provide an empowering, engaging and inspiring experience and involve the active participation of the audience groups. If your application is successful, you will be working in collaboration with the lead artist in the project to develop your proposal, and plan and deliver the sessions. Please specify whether you have an enhanced DBS check certificate.

Email contact for submissions and enquiries: joycmartindale@hotmail.com

Application Deadline

10/02/2023 11:59pm (UK time) Don’t wait until the deadline to apply!

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Art, Auction, charity, Fundraising, Joy C Martindale, painting, Personal histories

Help Ukraine: Without Reserve

Buy this artwork and help raise money for humanitarian relief in Ukraine!

Go Where The Love Is (2021), acrylic on canvas, 3 pieces, each: 50.8 x40.8cm

Go Where The Love Is (2021) by Joy C Martindale

🇺🇦Go Where The Love Is is my entry to Help Ukraine: Without Reserve. Proceeds go to Disasters Emergency Committee.

Hurry, bidding closes in less than 24 hrs.

Bid at https://theauctioncollective.com/auctions/help-ukraine-without-reserve/ and scroll down to Go Where The Love Is (2021) by Joy C Martindale

Thank you and Good Luck!

About the Artwork

The title of this work is a quote from the writer Salena Godden whose mother always told her to go where the love is. By this she meant surround yourself with positivity and spend time with people who believe in you and what you are trying to do.

When I heard these words I took them into my heart – I thought these words can help me as I try to find my way as an artist and a painter.

I think the advice is particularly good because it is also saying in life there will be many moments when you might not be understood or valued and when this happens don’t waste time, move on and seek others who will help you to be your best self.

Instagram links:

@disastersemergencycommittee
@rabotarussianart
@theauctioncollective

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Art, Joy C Martindale, New Work, painting, Personal histories

Sing To Me (2021)

Sing To Me II (2021)
Sing To Me I (2021)

In my current practice I am exploring the act of making art as a liberating gesture. The title ‘Sing To Me‘ refers to the essential escapism music has provided me during the Covid-19 lockdowns. The various positive sensations of pleasure, calm, elation and catharsis listening to music gives me, as I paint and draw in my studio collide and combine with all the other sensations I am experiencing at that moment and are translated directly into my painting. From music – to my body and mind’s response – to the painting, to the viewer experiencing the work, is a chain of sensations. These chains of sensations connect us to each other and help us make sense of our realities, as Haruki Murakami explains so eloquently here:

“Because memory and sensations are so uncertain, so biased, we always rely on a certain reality-call it an alternate reality-to prove the reality of events. To what extent facts we recognize as such really are as they seem, and to what extent these are facts merely because we label them as such, is an impossible distinction to draw. Therefore, in order to pin down reality as reality, we need another reality to relativize the first. Yet that other reality requires a third reality to serve as its grounding. An endless chain is created within our consciousness, and it is the very maintenance of this chain that produces the sensation that we are actually here, that we ourselves exist.”Haruki Murakami, South of the Border, West of the Sun

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Discussion, Joy C Martindale, New Work, Personal histories

Happy International Women’s Day

Happy International Women’s Day to everyone!

Untitled (November 2020) by Joy C Martindale, acrylic and gouache on paper, 38x27cm


Growing up I was conditioned to think that the only role models worth looking up to were male. It wasn’t until my early thirties, when I had a baby and was trying to figure out how it might be possible to be both a mother and build a career as an artist, that I really began to seriously question this way of thinking. All my treasured novels were written by men and my favourite art books were about men. I was shocked to see how deeply I had absorbed this message. I began to consciously seek out female role models who had strived to follow their ambitions no matter what obstacles came their way. 

One brilliant artist whose story has guided me as an artist since I became a mother is Rose Wylie. At Folkestone and Dover College of Art, Rose Wylie was told women couldn’t become great artists: “[Being an artist] was considered a stupid idea, women were just there for a bit of culture, like a finishing school, something to do until they got married. All the teachers were men, there were no women.”* 

Rose Wylie married a fellow artist, Roy Oxlade, when she was 21 and the first of their three children came a year later: “We decided it was not a good idea for two parents to paint, because painting is very isolating and you do tend to focus on yourself and children then become an irritation. I don’t think it works, and I think the bringing up of children is hugely important. So, I brought up the children and I think that was a good idea.”* She started painting again after about 20 years and today has earned international recognition for her work and is a hugely celebrated British artist. 

I like the way Rose Wylie takes ownership of her decision to wait until her children had grown up to return to painting. I believe that women should be able to choose for themselves how they want to approach balancing career aspirations with earning a living and bringing up children.

Whatever we decide to do it isn’t easy and I am still trying to work many things out. Finding positive role models to take inspiration from can help us navigate through challenges and hard times, such as the Covid-19 pandemic when the lockdowns have added insecurity and upheaval to our lives and it has been difficult or impossible to live, work, think and act in the ways that we are used to.

Quotes taken from an interview with Rose Wylie for the Guardian by Emine Saner: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2012/feb/13/rose-wylie-painter

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Art, Award, charity, Community, contemporary use of textiles, exhibition, fabric, Joy C Martindale, Personal histories, Textiles, Workshop

Success for Anti-Slavery Art Project, ‘Lilacs in Bloom’

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Lilacs In Bloom by Joy C Martindale  (2019) Detail showing a sectioned created by a participant in the project.

Migrant Help have positively reviewed my recent Arts Council England funded project:

 “Migrant Help had been looking to re-introduce artistic activities for our clients and Joy’s sessions were nothing short of excellent. We noticed a big difference in terms of confidence and artistic expression from our clients during these workshops. Joy brought such enthusiasm and dedication to the workshops. Migrant Help attended the launch of the exhibition in Dover and it was fantastic to see the artwork displayed and to hear the conversations it brought about.” 

Follow this link to read Migrant Help’s blog post on the project that led to the creation of Lilacs In Bloom (2019).

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Art, Award, charity, Community, contemporary use of textiles, exhibition, fabric, Joy C Martindale, Personal histories, Textiles, Workshop

Lilacs In Bloom Launch Party

Lilacs In Bloom (2019) by Joy C Martindale
Lilacs In Bloom (2019) by Joy C Martindale
Musician, Ferco Kovac plays live Chardos at the exhibition opening.
Musician, Ferco Kovac plays live Chardos at the exhibition opening.
Syrian chef, Isam Moussa Agha presents a Syrian feast at the exhibition launch party.
Syrian chef, Isam Moussa Agha presents a Syrian feast at the exhibition launch party.
Lilacs In Bloom by Joy C Martindale on display at My Gallery, Dover Smart Project in February 2019
Lilacs In Bloom by Joy C Martindale on display at My Gallery, Dover Smart Project in February 2019

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joy work on wall

Lilacs In Bloom (2019) by Joy C Martindale

We had an incredible launch party for Lilacs In Bloom. A massive thank you to everyone who joined us and special thanks to Syrian chef Isam Moussa Agha @zzekzek for creating such a delicious Syrian feast. And to Roma musician, Ferco Kovac, thank you for providing a lovely soundtrack to the evening.

LILACS IN BLOOM is an exhibition of a new artwork made in collaboration with survivors of modern-day slavery and human trafficking who are supported by the charity Migrant Help. The last chance to see the exhibition will be on Saturday 23rd February (1-4pm).

LILACS IN BLOOM is funded by a National Lottery Arts Council England grant and a Dover Town Council grant.

Photos credit: @dannyburrowsphoto

Click here to find out more about the project.

Follow the story on Instagram: @joycmartindale

GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/antislaveryrefugeeartproject 

Migrant Help: Migrant Help is a UK charity, which provides support and guidance to vulnerable migrants and assists victims of human trafficking and modern-day slavery on their path to recovery. It also helps asylum seekers and refugees navigate the complex asylum process.  https://www.migranthelpuk.org

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Art, Award, charity, Community, contemporary use of textiles, exhibition, Joy C Martindale, Mental Health, Personal histories, Textiles, Workshop

Exhibition Coming Up!

lilacs-in-bloom-e-invite

Please join us on for the launch of Lilacs In Bloom, on Friday 15th February 2019 (6-8pm), at My Gallery in Dover, Kent. The evening will be a celebratory occasion with live instrumental Roma music and a Syrian buffet feast to enjoy.

Lilacs in Bloom is an exhibition of a new artwork made in collaboration with survivors of modern-day slavery and human trafficking who are supported by the charity Migrant Help.

Click here to find out more about the project.

Lilacs In Bloom is funded by crowdfunding support and a National Lottery Arts Council England grant.

Follow the story on Instagram: @joycmartindale

GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/antislaveryrefugeeartproject 

Migrant Help: Migrant Help is a UK charity, which provides support and guidance to vulnerable migrants and assists victims of human trafficking and modern-day slavery on their path to recovery. It also helps asylum seekers and refugees navigate the complex asylum process.  https://www.migranthelpuk.org

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Art, Award, charity, Community, contemporary use of textiles, Joy C Martindale, Mental Health, Personal histories, Textiles, Workshop

Crowdfunding Appeal

COLLAGE

Anti-Slavery Refugee Art Project 2018-19

Can you help?

If you missed out on supporting this project the first time around, it’s not too late to add your support by making a donation. I am fundraising to raise a further £682 to hold a community event on 15th February 2019 at Dover Smart Project in Dover, Kent.

Thanks to the support of a National Lottery Arts Council England grant and crowdfunding support already received Anti-Slavery Refugee Art Project is now up and running and I have successfully run 7 participatory art workshops with the charity Migrant Help UK.

The free to attend community event in February 2019 will conclude the project. Local residents, community groups, and NGOs and charities working with refugees and vulnerable migrants will be invited to come along. It will be a celebratory event with live Roma music, an exhibition of the artwork produced as part of the project and a Syrian buffet feast to enjoy.

Would you like to help pay for a Roma musician with a story to tell about migration to play Slovakian Gypsy Blues on the evening? Or would you like to help pay for a Syrian refugee chef to cook a delicious Syrian buffet? The £682 I aim to raise will cover the costs of hiring the gallery and will support these individuals to earn a living from their profession, in the UK.

The event will be open to all and it will be an opportunity to reflect on the powerful, positive impact creative expression can have on health and wellbeing, whilst also raising awareness about the human and social consequences of human trafficking and modern slavery in the UK.

Read on to learn more about the project or click here to make a donation. Thank you!

Community Event at Dover Smart Project

On 15th February 2019 at Dover Smart Project, from 6-8pm, I will launch an exhibition to share an artwork that will celebrate the creative journey that the participants have embarked on through the course of the project. Alongside the exhibition there will be live Roma music and a Syrian buffet feast.

The story

Anti-Slavery Refugee Art Project is a participatory art project for asylum seekers and survivors of modern day slavery and human trafficking in Kent who are supported by the charity Migrant Help UK. Human trafficking and modern day slavery are two of the fastest growing international crimes.

I generated this project to provide participants an opportunity to express their individuality and feel a sense of community through engaging in a collective experience. Over the course of seven workshops participants have experimented with paint directly onto artist’s linen and canvas and with collaging and sewing found fabrics. The workshops have proven to be lively, productive and enjoyable. Five participants have attended the project: a man from Lithuania, who introduced us all to the duduk and the folk music of the Caucusus, and a single mother and her three young children from West Africa. Together we have created a series of vibrant, expressive visual works. For example, in the images above, you can see a beautiful hand sewn fabric collage made by one of the participants which depicts the sun setting over the sea. We have been working with colourful scraps of fabric that I have found washed up on my local beach. These potent yet anonymous scraps of cloth have made a good starting point for experimentation and exploration working from the imagination.

Anti-Slavery Refugee Art Project is funded by a National Lottery Arts Council England grant.

Follow the story on Instagram: @joycmartindale

GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/antislaveryrefugeeartproject 

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Art, Award, charity, Community, contemporary use of textiles, Joy C Martindale, Mental Health, Personal histories, Textiles, Workshop

Arts Council Funding Award Success

JOY_I DID IT

I am over the moon to announce that I have been awarded Arts Council funding for Anti-Slavery Refugee Art Project. This was made possible thanks to the kind support of the 22 people who helped kickstart the project by donating to my crowdfunding appeal.

It’s down to you! Thank you!

Follow the story on Instagram: @joycmartindale

GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/antislaveryrefugeeartproject 

 

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Art, charity, Community, contemporary use of textiles, Fundraising, Joy C Martindale, Mental Health, Personal histories, Textiles, Workshop

Open Call for Aprons

web joy in apron

APRON APPEAL!! I’m launching the first workshop for Anti-Slavery Refugee Art Project tomorrow and I’m a bit short on aprons. If anyone local has a spare apron lying around that you don’t need, would you like to donate it for the workshops? I can return them at the end but they may get paint on them! Thanks!!

I’m still crowdfunding and I’m just £150 short of my goal, so it’s not too late to donate at http://www.gofundme.com/antislaveryrefugeeartproject (or in person if you want to avoid the online hassle) if you would like to back this community project.

Follow the story on Instagram: @joycmartindale

GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/antislaveryrefugeeartproject 

 

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