Norton Rose Collection
HS Projects was invited by Norton Rose in 2005 to evaluate their existing art collection, assess its relevance and help in re-structuring it. The collection had been amassed over many decades without any vision or structure, consequently many of the works did not reflect Norton Rose, an international law partnership whose average age was under 30. Through close consultation with our clients, we drew out themes that expressed the company as it had evolved over the years.
Following a detailed report and a number of recommendations, we acquired a number of works on behalf of Norton Rose that reflected the ethos of the organisation. We acquired work by exciting emerging artist Grazia Toderi, a Golden Lion award recipient at the Venice Biennale as well as promising emerging artists Sharon Hall and Ed Hodgkinson. We also sold works at auction that were no longer relevant to the collection, with the proceeds re-invested into purchasing works for the new collection.
‘Journeys Through Sight’, Judy Price
HS Projects commissioned ‘Journeys Through Sight’ a collaborative project between Judy Price and Toynbee Hall. ‘Journeys Through Sight’ was a digital photography project working with women from the Deesha (Bangladeshi) community that combined photography and English learning. The project participants produced images that relay the colours, tones, environment and people that live in their surrounding neighbourhood of Aldgate East and Brick Lane. The images give an insider’s view of an area that is increasingly objectified through the gaze of the city worker, tourist, night clubber or even the artist and enabled the women to communicate new representations of their community and daily lives.
A presentation of artists working with photography and a visit to local galleries INIVA and Autograph (specialists in photography and art collections focused on contemporary art from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the work of British artists from different cultural backgrounds) gave the women a starting point for the project. It enabled the women to think about the power and potential of an image and different ways of portraying communities and their environments, as well as connecting with public spaces in their area that they might not usually consider.
For many of the women this was the first time they had used a camera or taken photographs in the public space. They responded to the project with great enthusiasm and, as their technical abilities, in terms of composition and interest in subject matter, developed, so did their confidence and relationships with each other and the surrounding area.
The project encouraged the women to think imaginatively about their environment, both internally and externally exploring both their domestic and external environments at the heart of the Bangladeshi community here in London. It enabled them to communicate their representation of their community and daily lives.
‘Journeys Through Sight’ was funded by the Insight Community Arts Programme (2002 – 2015).
The project ran from July to December 2009.
‘Song Vessels’, Julie Myers
‘Song Vessels’ was a collaboration between the Jagonari Women’s Centre and artist Julie Myers. ‘Song Vessels’ investigated the role of song in the development of memory that is shared between all cultures and encouraged the celebration of parenting, diversity, heritage and aural tradition.
Working with a group of Bengali women, ‘Song Vessels’ highlighted the significance of song in children’s early years and investigated the role of song in the development of memory. Its process involved making audio recordings of parents’ or grandparents’ voices; and saving them for their children to listen to in the future. We all have photographs of our parents and grandparents and ‘Song Vessels’ provided family members with a similarly evocative mnemonic through recorded voices in song. ‘Song Vessels’ encouraged the celebration of parenting, persity, heritage and aural tradition though song.
Babies can hear sounds from around the twenty fourth week of pregnancy. The mother’s voice is described by Russian Pediatrician Michael Lazarey as an ‘acoustic bridge’ between the cocoon of the womb and the outside world. The English word ‘Lullaby’ comes from the late 1500s and combines two words ‘lulla’ and ‘bye’, two words specifically used to calm children. Source: Lory Stamper, Marriam-Webster.
‘Many lullabies are very basic, with just a few words repeated again and again. Wherever you go in the world, parents use similar tones and the same sort of way of singing to their babies. As well as helping a baby to sleep, lullabies have an educational purpose and serve as a comfort to children and parent.’ Sally Goddard Blyth, Director of the Institute for Neuro-Physiological Psychology, interview with Nina Perry, BBC world service (2013).
Workshop participants were encouraged to bring songs, photographs and objects that reflect parenting and childhood experiences. In the workshops session the group learned and exchanged songs and poems in English and Bengali, working with Roshi Nasehi, a professional singer-songwriter, and made audio recordings of individual and group singing sessions. The workshops offered training in the use of digital cameras and sound recording equipment and an experience of how a contemporary artist works within a community.
‘Song Vessels’ was commissioned by HS Projects and funded by the Insight Community Arts Programme (2002 – 2015).
The project ran from April to September 2013.