Soup Talk: Andy Abbott

‘Doing It Together’: Reflections on Embedded Practice in Arts and Community Spaces

Artist, musician, arts organiser and newly appointed Project Director of The Farmers Arms, Andy Abbott reflects on his creative journey to Lowick from the Highlands of Scotland and valleys of rural Derbyshire, through post-industrial towns and cities of West Yorkshire and East Lancashire, and with a few detours to warmer and drier climes in Europe, East Asia and North America.

Over the last twenty five years Andy has developed an embedded approach to celebrating and developing culture in unusual places – honing a hands-on ‘low intervention’ method that harnesses the existing, everyday creativity of the places in which he lives and works.

As a socially-engaged artist he has undertaken commissions for Tate Modern, NHS, Calderdale Borough Council, Luton Borough Council, Museum of Oxford, Pist Istanbul, and Yorkshire Forward. As a musician he has toured internationally on the Do-It-Yourself underground circuit, as well as performing at Alexander Palace and Leeds and Reading Festivals. His recent work as an arts organiser includes being Lead Artist for Nelson Town Deal in East Lancashire, and Visiting Research Curator for the UNIDEE Residency Programmes at Cittadellarte Fondazione- Pistoletto in Biella, Italy. Prior to this he produced programmes as Environment Programme Co-ordinator for In-Situ, and piloted a Centre for Socially Applied Arts for University of Bradford.

In this talk Andy will share some of the experiences and learning from this journey with a focus on the alternative spaces and organisations he has been involved in – including Black Dogs artist collective and The Brudenell Social Club in Leeds; The 1in12 Club and Wharf Chambers co-operatively members-run social centres; Cittadellarte ‘Centre for Art and Social Transformation’ in a former textiles mill in Northern Italy; and the 400-year old Puzzle Hall Inn Community pub and grassroots music venue in Sowerby Bridge.

The talk will also act as the first step in Andy’s action research to think together with the communities of The Farmers Arms about what approaches could be applied and developed to create a sustainable future for this reimagined pub and rural arts centre.

www.andyabbott.co.uk / www.adraprojects.org
@andrewdrabbott (Instagram)