Looking back and moving forward

I've been in a bit of hibernation this summer and I've had a break in doing any blogging so this post comes some time after our last workshop. 

So, Brenda Ann Kenneally came to stay at the yurts. Brenda + a yurt + the cold + Rufus and a load of photographers staying on a farm for a week. It was inspiring, stressful, tiring, but ultimately as always a fantastic experience. Brenda was a bright spark at a difficult time and I hope I know her for a very long time to come.

We also met some other very nice photographers who made it all the way down to Devon, including David Hurn from Magnum, Matt Cardy from Getty and Jocelyn Bain Hogg from VII. David Hurn had the best end to a talk I have ever heard, was extremely cool AND I got a cuddle from him.

Lessons have been learnt from organising The Hinterlands over the past two years. We've made mistakes, had fun, learnt a lot, grown up a bit and became a team when it mattered most - despite our difficulties and differences.

Thanks to everyone who came to the Hinterlands this summer and supported the workshops online and in person, making each week a unique experience.

Marking time

At the end of the last Hinterlands workshop we tried and failed to leave Devon. Busy planning and then running the workshop I'd forgotten to make plans for the Jubilee and it kind of crept up on me. So Mike and I decided we would stay and not make the mass exodus to London. On the Monday, me, Mike, Big Tom and my family all went up to Blackborough Beacon to see it set alight. John Tizehurst who featured in my piece Memories of a house (playing the accordion) is one of the oldest residents in the village and he set the Beacon ablaze. 

We all stood and watched the pile of wood burn. There's something very comforting and wild about watching fire and as we watched ours we looked out on the horizon to see all the other beacons blazing. It felt we were part of the history of these beacons being burned throughout time, firstly as a tool of communication to alert people to the approach of the Spanish Armada and now part of the spirit of smaller rural communities. It marked our own ending to our time in Devon and the next day we packed our things and headed back to Bristol to plan for the next workshop. All good things must come to an end.

The Hinterlands final day

Its been a very busy and engaging week and has passed very quickly. We've been extremely lucky with the weather and it's been so nice to sit out and eat dinner outside every evening with everyone. It makes all the hard work in the run up to the week seem worthwhile. 

We've been lucky enough to have Pascal Wyse, multimedia producer for the Guardian down from London to talk about his work with soundscapes and images and last night we had one of last year's participants Alice Carfrae back to talk about her work Tin Girls. There was silence in the room while she talked about the women she met who were survivors of trafficking. She showed the multimedia work she produced after last year's workshop which included performance, theatre, images and sound. The group at The Hinterlands raised several hundred pounds to help her put on an exhibition of her work and duckrabbit matched the money raised, making a total of around £900.00.  

We also heard from John MacPherson speaking about the land, the sea, woodland and belief. He showed some beautiful work and gave everyone even more to think about. It's always a treat to have speakers along for the week and although it's hard for everyone to take a break and drag themselves away from their laptops and audio editing, it provides a breathing space for inspiration and re-energises the group.

Last year was the first workshop and it's been tempting to compare the two years, but there really is no comparison. As with all groups when you bring people together and build a community over a week  all sorts of energy flies around and I've found this year every bit as enjoyable as last. It will seem very strange when everyone packs their things and leaves the site. Tonight though is the final night where the local community gather together to watch the films the teams produce. There is a real sense of fulfilment from the participants, the crowd and the people who've taken time to share their stories and it will be a very special event.

It's all go

I'm off to my sisters wedding in Cornwall and not taking the pictures, duckrabbit workshop happening in a week and The Hinterlands featured in Hungry Eye Magazine today. All we need now is a bit of sun again.