Under a New Sun

17 September  – 2  October  •  Wednesday – Sunday • 11am – 6pm

Under a New Sun is part of Somerset Art Weeks 2011 and will showcase eight emerging and established artists living and working in Somerset.

The exhibition’s title Under a New Sun relates to the Anglo-Saxon naming of Somerset – Sumorsaete – as ‘the people of the summer lands’, when farmers would bring their livestock down to the peat rich levels to graze, only to retreat to the hills during the flooded winter months. Although still a predominantly rural county, with flooding and extreme weather high in the public consciousness, this exhibition reveals how contemporary artists make connections with, and are connected to, the world around us now.

Alongside the exhibition located across two venues, the Old School Room and The Lanes Hotel, both in West Coker, there will be a series of events and opportunities to get involved so to keep up with the latest news please visit the home page, become a friend of the Old School Room on facebook and sign up to receive information via Twitter.


UNDER A NEW SUN EVENT PROGRAMME

(1) Tinkers Bubble Open: 24 September 10.00am – 4.00pm

Tinkers Bubble, founded in 1993 is a woodland community on Ham Hill which bans the use of fossil fuels within its boundaries, with a few exceptions such as paraffin lamps. Here people live from the land producing much of their own food by growing crops and foraging. Here they build their own dwellings from the natural materials available using a mixture of cob and milled timber. Their meagre livelihoods come from generating income through producing organic apple juice, timber from their forest, using a steam powered saw mill, organic vegetables, wood work and facilitating experiences for young people and adults.

Tinkers Bubble are inviting you to an open day offering several activities to give an insight into the lives of the community and its goings on as well as share the philosophy behind its conception and the lessons learnt in the last 18 years of its existence.

Activities:
10am – 4pm: Drop in workshop: Collecting and pressing limited edition discovery and grenadier apples using an antique hand press and crusher.  (Come and lend a hand and learn about the art of pressing at any time during the day.)  FREE

10.30 am – 12.30pm: Foraging Workshop Led by Patch Tucker includes an introduction into wild food and herbs for medicine. £6 per adult, kids go free

2.30- 4.00 pm: Tour of the site and some dwellings led by founding member Michael Zair, with question and answer time
at the end over a cuppa! £5 per adult kids go free

All day: Drop in workshop: Children can come and make their very own labels to go onto their juice to take home with them!
£2 per bottle of juice. AND – with any luck there will be pick your own raspberries as well! £1.50 per punnet.

You are welcome to bring a picnic and there will be tea and cake on sale. We are encouraging people to walk or take public transport. Or alternatively you can park on Ham Hill and walk down. (15 minute walk)

(2) An evening of Sonic Electronic Experimentation with Michael Fairfax & Friends: 2 October at the Old School Room 6pm – 8pm

Michael Fairfax is a public artist, sculptor and sound artist. For the past 30 years predominantly a public artist but more recently working with sound/music. In 1972 Michael studied ‘Musique Concrete’ in London with Ernest Berk. Later Michael created sound pieces for the Greenham Common Camera Obscura installation and during Year of the Artist a sound installation at Hestercombe House, Somerset.

Michael has been working solo under the guise of ‘Lepus’ and ‘Michael Fairfax’ most recently on a project with the composer Jessica Curry, Jo Fairfax brother, artist and film maker and Welsh National Opera on a project called ‘Electroclassic’.

This event at the Old School Room brings together a selection of Michaels sonic collaborators including Jessica Curry, Tim Hill, Jules Bushel, Rupert Green, Barry Witherden and Philip Heyman the principal viola player from the Welsh National Opera.
An event not to be missed!

FREE ADMISSION – Booking essential
Old School Room, Church Street, West Coker, Somerset BA22 9BD

These events are run in partnership with the Old School Room and are part of ‘Under a New Sun’, contemporary art in West Coker, Somerset.  For more info visit http://www.underanewsun.wordpress.com