On Saturday 7th August we’ll be inviting you to come and see the opening of exciting new space at Tŷ Pawb.
The Useful Art Space (Lle Celf Defnyddiol) is a gallery space with a difference. It’s not only a space for display and contemplation but also a place for engagement, play, dialogue and learning.
It is a place for generating artful ideas together in response to shared challenges, and a place to reimagine our individual and collective futures.
The unique furniture and structures within the space have been designed and made by Tim Denton, in dialogue with playwork experts Ludicology.
These have been designed to flexibly support a range of activity within the space, including weekly playwork sessions facilitated by local playworkers.
How we’ll be using the space
We have created Lle Celf Ddefnyddiol / the Useful Art Space because we believe art can be much more than something to look at or watch, we believe art can be a tool for social change.
We already have some exciting projects lined up, including:
- A project led by Ibukun Baldwin, who will be working with refugees and asylum seekers.
- ‘Bom Dia Cymru’ – a development of creative project with the Portuguese Elder community.
- Regular play-work sessions with the Play Team.
- Working with Glyndwr University Students from the School of Creative Arts, who will be partially based in Tŷ Pawb and engaging with the useful art archive.
- Working with National Theatre Wales, who will be running a series of spoken-word workshops for young people.
Introducing Arte Útil
As we develop this space and the projects within it, we are linking with like-minded colleagues internationally, and the Association of Arte Útil.
Arte Útil roughly translates into English as ‘useful art’ but it goes further suggesting art as a tool or device. Arte Útil draws on artistic thinking to imagine, create and implement tactics that change how we act in society.
A key feature of the space is the Arte Útil Archive, which platforms case studies of Useful Art projects from around the world. We have involved our communities in the launch of this space by featuring a number of arts projects that are useful and locally beneficial. These have been included in the Arte Útil international archive, part of which appears here in several languages and it is also available online at www.arte-util.org.
Come and participate in our opening event
As part of the launch event we’re inviting visitors of all ages to come and participate in a drop-in activity led by Creative Practitioner Noemi Santos.
We’d like you to help us answer the questions ‘Is art useful?’ and ‘What is art for?’
You’ll be through using stitching and drawing techniques on postcard’s that will be displayed in the space.
The activity is suitable for all ages! It’s an ideal chance to come and see the space for the first time.
Come and join us on Saturday 7th August from 12pm-2pm.
Free online talk with Alessandra Saviotti
At 6pm on Saturday 7th August, curator and educator Alessandra Saviotti will give a free online zoom presentation about the international Arte Útil archive which features in the space.
Alessandra will then take questions from the audience.
Alessandra Saviotti is a co-curator and archivist of the Arte Util Archive, and was part of the curatorial team for the Museum of Arte Util which was initiated by artist Tania Bruguera at the Van Abbe Museum, Eindhoven in 2014.
Alessandra works as a curator and educator and is currently a PhD candidate at Liverpool John Moores University. Current projects include Decentralising Political Economies (www.dpe.tools) a research strand on the uses of art and economy, developed in collaboration with the Whitworth Gallery, Liverpool John Moores University and the Asociacion de Arte Util. Alessandra is a regular guest teacher at the iMAE & MKE at ArtEZ – University of the Arts (Arnhem, NL)
To register for your free place for this event, visit our eventbrite page
Why we’ve created the Useful Art Space
The space reflects our ethos of working collaboratively with local communities to address common themes through artistic means.
The transformation of this space builds on the Useful Art approach that has underpinned Tŷ Pawb since opening in 2018 and is at the very heart of our work.
Central to Lle Celf Ddefnyddiol is the interaction between arts and markets: we want to harness the innate creativity of market trading, exploring commonalities between what is happening in the market hall and the work of artists at Tŷ Pawb.
Cllr Hugh Jones, Wrexham Council’s Lead Member for Communities, Partnerships, Public Protection and Community Safety, “The creation of Lle Celf Ddefnyddiol -the Useful Art Space is a significant milestone in Tŷ Pawb’s short history. We are re-imagining the way a gallery can work, encouraging more interaction with our communities and developing new projects with groups and organisations from across Wrexham and beyond.
“At the heart of this new project is the goal of using art to create positive social change.
“We are tremendously excited to see how the space will be used by the various groups who will be working with us over the next few months.
“Something very special is being created here and I would urge everyone to come and take a look when the space open for the first time on Saturday 7th August.”
Want to find out more?
Come along to our opening event from 12pm-2pm on Saturday 7th August.
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