TRAVELLING SUITCASE EXHIBITION PUTS CAMBORNE ON THE MAP
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
IMAGES AVAILABLE
An exhibition of suitcases throwing a spotlight on the journeys made by people travelling long distances in search of work and a new life opens this March in DMT Galleries, a brand new art space in a former commercial garage in Camborne, Cornwall.
I Packed This Myself has been created by the cultural arts organisation Bridging Arts in partnership with University College Falmouth (UCF). It presents new work by 3D design students at the college with input from migrant workers from as far afield as Bugle and Denmark, a suitcase and film by Nottingham-based artist Paul Matosic, and photography by award winning photojournalist Tom Pilston.
“We all make journeys in life and many of us travel a long way to find work,” says Bridging Arts director Susan Roberts. “We all face similar difficulties. Earning a living in a new place, whether in this country or abroad, can be a huge challenge. It’s tough creating a new life, making new friends and dealing with cultural differences and language barriers.
“This is a big question for Cornwall and the Cornish. Workers from overseas travel here to work in many sectors of the economy, particularly agriculture. And over the years many people from Cornwall have left home to find jobs, from the miners who travelled to America when the tin industry collapsed in the 19th century to all those more recently who left in search of jobs.”
UCF students Joe Bennett, Francesca Cooling, Jack Seal and Ross Tibbles have looked closely at these issues, creating work in liaison with migrant workers and local artists Gareth Bale and Trystan Marshall of DMT Galleries.
“This is an exciting chance for us to link our practice with a highly topical subject,” says Bennett. “We’ve looked in particular at the pressures faced by migrant workers and found ways of giving these physical expression.”
Artist Paul Matosic presents a suitcase brought to this country by his father in the late 1940s after he carried it with him from Zagreb, Yugoslavia, to Dresden, Germany, where he sheltered under it during the bombing. Matosic’s film A Journey Round My Suitcase will be screened.
The photographs of migrant workers by Tom Pilson were commissioned by Bridging Arts for an Education Pack on Citizenship issues, funded by the Local Network Fund administered by Cornwall Community Foundation.
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. The exhibition will be on display at DMT Galleries, Camborne, Cornwall from Saturday 7 March – Saturday 21 March. Open daily, noon to 4pm. DMT Galleries, The Camborne Centre, No 1 Wesley Street, Camborne, Cornwall, TR14 8DP. A launch party will be held from 630pm to 930pm on 7 March 2009. For more information, please call Susan Roberts on 020 8749 9010 or 0794 12 52 444 or email info@bridging-arts.com.
2. The undergraduate 3D design degree course at University College Falmouth encourages students to design new products that not only inspire and empower people but also reduce impacts on the environment.
3. School visits to I PACKED THIS MYSELF are welcome and art workshops are available for schools. An Education Pack is available for use with the suitcases, downloadable from www.bridging-arts.com.
4. DMT Galleries, Camborne, is a new art gallery run by local artists Gareth Bale and Trystan Marshall, in partnership with DMT Business Services. For more information, call Gareth Bale on 07800 740 708.
5. Bridging Arts works with migrant workers in Cornwall in partnership with the Diocese of Truro through the Let’s Talk project, which forges links between migrant workers and local communities. More details on www.bridging-arts.com or call Susan Roberts 0794 12 52 444.
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