Loudspeaker: Exploring Creative Ambitions
The Loudspeaker programme is delivered by Nottingham Contemporary as part of the Opportunity and Change project, which is funded by the European Social Fund and the National Lottery, through the Big Lottery Fund.
The programme is offered in 10 week projects of which there have been 11 so far. Women are offered a supportive, caring environment to help see things differently, feel positive about the future and move away from challenging circumstances.
Loudspeaker sessions are an opportunity to take a break, build confidence, become inspired, and meet new people.
This book presents the outcomes of creative explorations made by a group of eight women from the East Midlands in Winter and Spring 2021. Due to COVID-19, this Loudspeaker project was unable to take place at Nottingham Contemporary. All sessions took place though video meetings.
Through Virtual Reality, the women experienced the exhibitions Jimmy Robert: Akimbo and Grace Before Jones. Together they discussed their responses and experimented with a range of art materials and methods to make their own interpretations. Materials were sent out by post for the women to get creative with. They took photos of their work and shared them through a messaging app and email.
Through taking part, the women have discussed ideas about art, feminism, race and identity.
"I enjoyed the exhibitions of Grace Jones and Jimmy Robert. They made me realise that art can be very versatile and it does not only consist of painting and drawing. Art can mean different things to different people and it’s enjoyable to listen to what people think about certain art."