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Callout for photographs 2021:
Dear ‘Foreigners’…
Dear 'Foreigners’,
international, Windrush movement, EU Citizens in the UK - you name it, As a visual artist and having recently gone through the UK citizenship application process, I started making work around the subject of immigration, Britishness, citizenship and how that process actually feels to people involved.
All of you who have first-hand or intergenerational experiences of going through these application/legal processes, I wondered if you might be interested in contributing a passport image for me to paint from, to capture and bear painterly witness to people’s experiences in a humanising way and in the spirit of solidarity?
I'd like to create paintings from the anonymising, non-smiley passport photographs that people have to submit as part of their citizenship/residency applications.
If you are interested in taking part and perhaps having a painting of you shown in an online/physical exhibition, please send me an image of your passport photo by initially contacting me through this ‘Contact’ page. Please also comment in three words on how this process has felt for you or your relatives. I’d be immensely grateful and appreciative of your contributions. Thank you!
Please note contributing a photo involves permission for me to make a painting/drawing from it, to be displayed in dignified exhibition contexts and with the underlying value of promoting intercultural connection, inclusion and peace as well as equal rights to citizenship.
Feel free to share this callout with others and follow my Instagram page for updates: https://www.instagram.com/miraknocheart/
With thanks & solidarity,
Mira
(I’m a figurative artist, of a multicultural family background, born in Germany and living in Scotland, with an interest in people’s stories. I currently study at the Glasgow School of Art .)
John Byrne Award submission (Nov 2020)
Could women be better friends?
Klara
Acrylics on Canvas, 40 x 40 cm, 2020
If women were better friends and allies, could they crack open exclusive power glass ceilings to the benefit of all?
The philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft tried to mobilise women in the 1790s to become more educated and vocal. So did the suffragettes over 100 years later.
In 2020, following at least three waves of feminism, where are we at? Laws and views on women’s roles have changed. #MeToo movements have swept across the world. Environmentalist heroines like Greta Thunberg and politicians like Jacinda Ardern have inspired with their leadership. There are more female prime ministers in the world, and Kamala Harris is to be the first black woman US Vice President. A first sculpture of Wollstonecraft has just been erected amid heated debate. Discussions on gender are ablaze. The #BlackLivesMatter movement has rightly called for more ethnic diversity in feminist debates.
But how do women relate more personally? Could they be better allies? In my paintings, I often study and celebrate (underrepresented) female gazes on women – on how women look at each other, in solidarity, difference, rivalry and friendship. These gazes are complex and bear subversive power.
This painting is of Klara – mother, psychiatrist and my good childhood friend. In her daily life, she often listens to people and cares for them, her children and her patients. I tried to capture her alert serenity in this painting.
WENCH 'We Are Here' Winter Warmer Fundraiser - Sun 1st Dec 2019
WENCH are delighted to bring you their next event - a spicy winter warmer fundraiser for Greece-based activist centre 'We Are Here' - conjuring up fiery visions from the realms of punk (Voicex), poetry (Lisa Fannen & Suky Goodfellow Spoken Word), film (Glenda Rome), folk (Annie Booth & Amy Hill), visual art (Mira Knoche) plus tunes by the Needle Sistas dj collective (Teri Welsh et al). Join us at this cosy first advent night with friends, at the scrumptious Leith Depot.
We'll be raising funds for We Are Here - Community Centre in Greece who run a grassroots women's space for refugee women in the Nea Kavala refugee camp. Half the ticket profit goes to them, half to the performers.
For tickets go to: wenches.brownpapertickets.com
Date: Sunday 1st December, 7.30pm to 11pm
Location: Leith Depot, 138-140 Leith Walk, Edinburgh
Our glam lineup:
PUNK by VOICEX -
Cross-generational sci-fi glam-punk supergroup, Voicex are headed by punk poetry queen Suky Goodfellow (voice), Paul Research (lead guitar / synth), William Baird (guitar), Coco Whitson (bass), Colin Bendall (drums).
Expect "Perfect Punk Poptones from a melting pot of
Edinburgh's finest." (5 stars, Scottish Live Music Reviews)
facebook.com/voicex1/
POETRY by LISA FANNEN -
Lisa Fannen has been exploring sharing words both solo and in collaboration with musicians, and had a poetry collection, Faultline published in November 2018. Her writing is political and personal (and an examination of where these territories meet), observational and contemplative.
Lisa’s also a bodyworker and community herbalist, and is involved with dialogue and information exchange about health and healing in the context of movement for social justice. She has also collated a feminist health book called Threads.
lisafannen.uk
FOLK by ANNIE BOOTH -
Producing one of Vic Galloway's Best Albums of 2017 (BBC Radio Scotland), Annie Booth has been hailed as "a very special artist" (The Skinny) with a "gorgeous, expressive voice" (The List) whose "magical performance is nothing short of sublime" (Scottish Alternative Music Awards). With a five star "utterly gorgeous EP that has truly captured our imagination like nothing else" (Small Music Scene) and has been selected as Record of Note on The Roddy Hart Show (BBC Radio Scotland), she's a soaring talent to look out for.
Annie Booth on YouTube
FILMS by GLENDA ROME -
A selection of short films by Scottish film maker & photographer Glenda Rome. glendarome.com
FOLK by AMY HILL -
Folk musician from the Scottish borders, Amy Hill's songs reflect the landscapes in which she has grown up. In 2017 she released her debut EP, ‘Getting Ready for a Swim’, alongside fiddle-player Cameron Newell. The tracks on her most recent album are rooted in the nature and sounds of the East Neuk. She's been performing at gigs, folk nights and festivals all over Scotland. amyhill.bandcamp.com/releases
POETRY by SUKY GOODFELLOW -
Suky Goodfellow is a punk performance poet based in Edinburgh who writes queer, political, funny, sad-angry stuff. She debuted a choose-your-own-adventure poetry show, Political Acid Trip, at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2016. She performs regularly with Poetry Circus and has featured at Manchester Punk Festival, The National Library of Scotland, Belladrum Festival, Hidden Door, and Kelburn Garden Party. She is also part of post-punk band Voicex and riot grrrl punks Fistymuffs.
TUNES by THE NEEDLE SISTAS
The Needle Sistas, 3-headed dj collective & veterans of the Edinburgh club scene, will be playing an eclectic mix of all things punk ’n funk. Get a flavour: mixcloud.com/teriwelsh1/boogie-bites-2/?fbclid=IwAR0AUzGg-PPtrbF4cZulLT4owAzLvIgYzq6w-x3BB6y7dCOmmiSp-iExtNw
VISUAL ART by MIRA KNOCHE -
Mira is an Edinburgh/Glasgow based artist with an interest in people, art and community, focused around figurative painting, women's voices, installation, sculpture, and hosting creative platforms.
She's studied English/Aesthetics at the universities of Freiburg & Glasgow, Painting at Leith School of Art & currently at the Glasgow School of Art. She's exhibited as part of several group shows and had a solo exhibition at Edinburgh Central Art & Design library this July.
New Instagram: instagram.com/miraknocheart
FUNDRAISER:
We Are Here Community Centre founders "met volunteering on one of the arrival islands and decided to set up an educational project in mainland Greece when the borders were first closed, leaving thousands of refugees stranded, with children out of school, lives on hold, and futures unknown. ...Since then we have been providing a place for children and adults to access education and recreation, and feel a sense of routine, security and validation. With a library, study area and classrooms, a women’s space and an open community space, We Are Here creates an opportunity to learn, create, socialize, share, and build knowledge, confidence and connections."
Read more here: weareherecentre.org
Support them & join us for a spicy night.
Tickets: wenches.brownpapertickets.com
Painting: Mira Knoche
WENCH feast of punk, poetry, folk and electronic music on 25th August 2019, 7.30pm
Gather up for this special collective night of WENCH. A female-led feast of punk, poetry, art, folk and electronic music, drumming together sonic talent from Glasgow, Edinburgh and London. All in the heart of Leith, at the Old Dr. Bell's Bath.
Line-up includes Acolyte, Amy Hill, Lake Montgomery, The Twistettes, Xica aka Jess Aslan & more. Prepare to tremble...
Tickets are £5 and available on the door or via https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4286559
LOCATION: The Old Dr Bells Bath, 121 Great Junction Street, Edinburgh EH6 5JA
LINE-UP:
ACOLYTE – Acolyte is a multi-stranded show, incorporating elements of jazz, poetry, storytelling and the surreal. They are fronted by former Scottish slam champion Iona Lee.
https://www.facebook.com/Acolyte-1221902204620622/
AMY HILL – Amy is a 24 year old folk musician from the Scottish borders and her songs reflect the landscapes in which she has grown up. In 2017 she released her debut EP, ‘Getting Ready for a Swim’, alongside friend and fiddle-player Cameron Newell. The tracks on the album are rooted in the nature and sounds of the East Neuk.
https://amyhill.bandcamp.com/releases
LAKE MONTGOMERY – 'She makes songs that hurt your heart happy.'
Lake says about her music: 'I sing, play guitar, and write songs. I am a child of Paris Texas. My music and I grew up in old shanty negro church-house gospel; my mother's folk/soul collection, my grandmother's work songs, and the desolation of a hopeless town. When I came to Amsterdam, I was quickly invited and accepted into this singersongwriter scene, playing cafes all over Holland, playing the Noorderslag and other festivals and appearing on radio shows as that girl from New Orleans. After 7 years in the place, I'll say that New Orleans does flavor my songwriting style. So do all of my travels. But in the end, I'm a child of Paris Texas. Simple, really.'
https://www.facebook.com/LakeMontgomeryMusic/
THE TWISTETTES – The Twistettes are sisters Jo and Nicky D’arc. With their dirty, twisted bass sound, a hit of swinging flare and thumping driving drums, they are punk, riot grrrl, real-deal indie with a touch of psychobilly.
The Twistettes have a strong DIY ethos which has lead to them connecting with other like minds and becoming involved in a variety of eclectic gigs, festivals and parties. Through this, they have performed at various venues ranging from the legendary Glasgow Barrowlands to secret underground parties across the UK and beyond. Debut album, ‘Jilt the Jive’ was released 2016 with a sold-out launch night and a string of tour dates. This took them across the UK followed by a run of appearances in East Asia.
www.facebook.com/thetwistettes
https://thetwistettes.bandcamp.com/
https://soundcloud.com/thetwistettes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVFLOMwY1n0
XICA (aka Jess Aslan) – electronic music maverick from London, Xica (Dr. Jessica Aslan, Sonic Art & MAX/MSP) is a musician working with synths, computers and all the bits in between. She loves collaboration, working with lots of different musicians from varying genres/communities/spaces and experiments with performance using instruments combined with computers, algorithmic composition, practicalities of computer music and music tech education for all. You can look forward to a unique set of sonic brilliance.
https://xica.bandcamp.com/
Plus DJ SET & further gems to be confirmed.
Tickets are £5 and available on the door or via https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4286559
WENCH Exhibition at Central Art Library, Edinburgh (July 2019)
WENCH is an exhibit about sisterhood. The drawings and paintings on display at Central Art Library, in July, spin around female friendships, rivalries, solidarity, and heroes worth remembering.
It’s a visual manifesto and warm invitation for women to see, curate, and celebrate each other’s stories. Here’s to championing the female gaze on women and women becoming loud and visible. It's also a love letter to all libraries - places for all to mingle, grow and be.
Come along to the informal opening on Tuesday, 3rd July 2019, 5.30 - 7.30pm! Love to see you there, please share and feel free to bring friends.
Central Art Library
George IV Bridge, Edinburgh (upstairs, right)
Collaboration with photographer Lucas Chi-Peng Kao, Scottish Portrait Award 2018, 1st Prize - Richard Coward Photography Award
Callout for dance or physical theatre artist, for clothed ‘movement modelling’ in art class on Fri 2 Nov
Apply by 5pm on Wed 10 Oct
Inspired by the collaboration between choreographer Margaret Morris and her husband and painter JD Fergusson, we plan to create a special General Drawing & Painting painting class at Leith School of Art (Edinburgh), in which dance/physical performance meets visual art in playful investigation.
For this one-day visual art/movement experiment, we are looking for 1-2 movement artists who would be interested in collaborating.
What it involves:
Ideally, the class would begin with the dance artist leading a simple, gentle warm-up for the painting students, to bring body/mind awareness to their painting process as well as establishing a connection between students and artist. (Please note, students have different physical abilities in class.)
The warm-up would then be followed by a combination of improvised and choreographed movement sequences and still poses, for the students to paint, and with music chosen by the dance/movement artist.
This can be planned together in advance. The main aim is to create an atmosphere of creative flow that is fresh, experimental, enjoyable and alive to the dance artist, tutors and the painting students.
Music, movement, clothes and lighting: We would like to invite the dance artist to playfully think around and prepare for how they wish to pose and move, and to bring music that they like and perhaps dress in a way that is visually interesting (for example, combining colours / dark, light, mid-tone / textured, patterned, transparent, oversized, industrial, unusual or reconfigured material / make-up / or any other ways the artist wishes to explore and express themselves, a visual idea or concept). This does not need to be linked to the Margaret Morris movement.
It’s possible to use dramatic lighting and reduce natural lighting in studio.
Two time slots are available:
Friday, 2 November
9.45 - 12.45 (incl. 30 min and some shorter breaks) and/or
14.00-16.15 (incl 30 min and some shorter breaks)
Desirable:
Professional background in dance, physical theatre or related field
Experience in guiding warm-up for adult beginners with different physical abilities and comfort zones
Enjoyment of performance/modelling and collaboration
Fee: GBP 22.30/hour
To apply: Please send a note of interest (one page) indicating:
your professional background and relevant experience
which time-slot(s) you would be interested in
why you wish to take part
which music and visual/movement idea you wish to explore and would be able to bring to the class(es)
to both Mira Knoche (Tutor Support) at mira.knoche@hotmail.co.uk and Val McLean (Course Tutor) at tuvablue@gmail.com by 5pm on Sunday, 14th October.
Read more:
Leith School of Art - General Drawing & Painting classes with Val McLean
Painting of Margaret Morris by John Duncan Fergusson - National Galleries Scotland
Margaret Morris (1891-1980), Dancer, teacher, choreographer and painter - National Portrait Gallery
Along these Lines...
Exhibition: 3-5 Nov 2017
*** Fri 3rd Nov 6-9 pm: Opening Night ***
Sat 4th & Sun 5th Nov: Open 11am – 4pm
Along these lines is a show by four visual artists, with a background in figurative work, coming together to share their exploration of what’s uncertain.
Undefined margins, dissolving edges and flowing borders – edgelands where ideas can breathe, and creativity can breed.
The group show invites you to share this venture and celebrate the ‘inbetween’, presenting drawings, paintings, prints, and installations by Elise Ashby, Deirdre Fergusson, Mira Knoche and Wilson Russell.
Join us for a drink and some music on the opening night. All Welcome!
Find us at:
Facebook event
www.eliseashbyart.com
www.wilsondrawings.co.uk
www.DSFergussonCAP.tumblr.com