Inspire. Support. Create.
Hannah Kershaw
Curatorial Fellowship
Kettles Yard
2015
In 2015, Kettle’s Yard and the Artisa Foundation created a Curatorial Fellowship designed to support the development of an individual in the early stages of their career. The fellowship offered curatorial, learning and community work experience as well as the opportunity to manage a project from concept to delivery. The nine-month Fellowship was awarded in March that year to Hannah Kershaw.
The challenge for Hannah was to take art works and objects from the Kettle’s Yard Collection to a venue in North Cambridge, near the Museum and work collaboratively with North Cambridge residents. The project was part of Open House – a programme funded by Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Arts Council England, Cambridge City Council and the University of Cambridge Museums, that aims to work with isolated older people, vulnerable children, young people and their families, people with English as an additional language and the long-term unemployed.
On Your Doorstep took inspiration from some of the found objects in the Kettle’s Yard House such as pebbles, shells and furniture. These play a key role in the Kettle’s Yard Collection and are displayed around the House in many different arrangements. The creator of Kettle’s Yard, Jim Ede, found beauty in them and his appreciation was enriched by his friends enthusiasm for collecting them. Hannah developed a creative programme inspired by this ‘found’ theme. Hannah expanded the ‘found’ theme to include furniture, domestic ware, locally sourced materials and food produce. This concept enabled a wide range of people to take part, provided a flexible framework for a series workshops that placed North Cambridge at the heart of the project.
Hannah devised five workshops related to this ‘found’ theme that ran between August and September that year. They were a way to build and engage audiences and create objects to be displayed in the final exhibition. Each offered different Open House target audiences, the opportunity to take part in a variety of creative activities, including jam making, soap carving and pebble decoupage.
Initially Hannah had the idea of curating an exhibition in a North Cambridge Show Home, but it became apparent this would be challenging to develop within the agreed timeframe. The exhibition was held at 37 Lawrence Way, a community house in King’s Hedges, on 27 September 2015. Free creative workshops also took place in the garden throughout the exhibition. Volunteers played a key role in the day. They welcomed visitors and supported the various activities. Two gallery attendants from Kettle’s Yard were employed to act as invigilators and conversationalists for interested visitors.
“I feel you are touching on the widest part of the community and giving a little introduction to a collection in a friendly way”
- Caroline Wendling, Artist
The exhibition and activities attracted over 120 visitors in just 5 hours many of whom had never visited Kettle’s Yard before. Visitors enjoyed learning about Kettle’s Yard and seeing a community centre being transformed into an exhibition space. A counsellor who uses the building regularly, felt that the change in atmosphere would be beneficial to those who regularly use the Centre. Artists whose works were exhibited responded positively to being involved with the project and the creative activities were very well received.
“It’s just so successful transferring the objects from Kettle’s Yard and into a different environment and giving them a different context.”
- Visitor
The On Your Doorstep event and exhibition introduced Kettle’s Yard volunteers and some curatorial staff to North Cambridge and acted as a test bed for transporting and displaying objects from Kettle’s Yard to a nongallery setting. The project also presented Kettle’s Yard with the chance to introduce the Collection in a friendly way to new audiences.
“This Fellowship ticked all the boxes (and more) for an early careers opportunity in the Arts. It offered such a rich experience and a truly rare chance to manage an exciting project. It has equipped me with concrete skills such as curating, budget management and creative programming and I’m really looking forward to seeing where this valuable experience will take me next.”
www.kettlesyard.co.uk/about/news/curatorial-fellow/
Inspire. Support. Create.
Hannah Kershaw
Curatorial Fellowship
Kettles Yard
2015
In 2015, Kettle’s Yard and the Artisa Foundation created a Curatorial Fellowship designed to support the development of an individual in the early stages of their career. The fellowship offered curatorial, learning and community work experience as well as the opportunity to manage a project from concept to delivery. The nine-month Fellowship was awarded in March that year to Hannah Kershaw.
The challenge for Hannah was to take art works and objects from the Kettle’s Yard Collection to a venue in North Cambridge, near the Museum and work collaboratively with North Cambridge residents. The project was part of Open House – a programme funded by Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Arts Council England, Cambridge City Council and the University of Cambridge Museums, that aims to work with isolated older people, vulnerable children, young people and their families, people with English as an additional language and the long-term unemployed.
On Your Doorstep took inspiration from some of the found objects in the Kettle’s Yard House such as pebbles, shells and furniture. These play a key role in the Kettle’s Yard Collection and are displayed around the House in many different arrangements. The creator of Kettle’s Yard, Jim Ede, found beauty in them and his appreciation was enriched by his friends enthusiasm for collecting them. Hannah developed a creative programme inspired by this ‘found’ theme. Hannah expanded the ‘found’ theme to include furniture, domestic ware, locally sourced materials and food produce. This concept enabled a wide range of people to take part, provided a flexible framework for a series workshops that placed North Cambridge at the heart of the project.
Hannah devised five workshops related to this ‘found’ theme that ran between August and September that year. They were a way to build and engage audiences and create objects to be displayed in the final exhibition. Each offered different Open House target audiences, the opportunity to take part in a variety of creative activities, including jam making, soap carving and pebble decoupage.
Initially Hannah had the idea of curating an exhibition in a North Cambridge Show Home, but it became apparent this would be challenging to develop within the agreed timeframe. The exhibition was held at 37 Lawrence Way, a community house in King’s Hedges, on 27 September 2015. Free creative workshops also took place in the garden throughout the exhibition. Volunteers played a key role in the day. They welcomed visitors and supported the various activities. Two gallery attendants from Kettle’s Yard were employed to act as invigilators and conversationalists for interested visitors.
“I feel you are touching on the widest part of the community and giving a little introduction to a collection in a friendly way”
- Caroline Wendling, Artist
The exhibition and activities attracted over 120 visitors in just 5 hours many of whom had never visited Kettle’s Yard before. Visitors enjoyed learning about Kettle’s Yard and seeing a community centre being transformed into an exhibition space. A counsellor who uses the building regularly, felt that the change in atmosphere would be beneficial to those who regularly use the Centre. Artists whose works were exhibited responded positively to being involved with the project and the creative activities were very well received.
“It’s just so successful transferring the objects from Kettle’s Yard and into a different environment and giving them a different context.”
- Visitor
The On Your Doorstep event and exhibition introduced Kettle’s Yard volunteers and some curatorial staff to North Cambridge and acted as a test bed for transporting and displaying objects from Kettle’s Yard to a nongallery setting. The project also presented Kettle’s Yard with the chance to introduce the Collection in a friendly way to new audiences.
“This Fellowship ticked all the boxes (and more) for an early careers opportunity in the Arts. It offered such a rich experience and a truly rare chance to manage an exciting project. It has equipped me with concrete skills such as curating, budget management and creative programming and I’m really looking forward to seeing where this valuable experience will take me next.”
www.kettlesyard.co.uk/about/news/curatorial-fellow/