Beating the drum for AWB in Eden Shopping Centre
Combining a drum workshop and artist’s talks, Art Works for Business hosted an evening of entertainment for local retailers and artists as part of Wycombe Arts festival in May. Organised by Mike Watson, director of Arts4Every1, the event took place at the Open Arts Exhibition in a retail unit at Eden Shopping Centre and was generously supported by Nick Warren, Head of Marketing for Eden. Surrounded by the work of local artists, the audience heard from four speakers: artists Gina Martin and Zoe Eaton; Alistair Wills, founder of Outdoor Culture (a business engaged in reintroducing children and adults to the great outdoors through art) and Dave Quinton, Marketing Manager for John Lewis High Wycombe. Gina Martin spoke about her work as a sculptor and her collaborative projects, including a residency supported by AWB at Iver Nature Study Centre.
Zoe Eaton and Dave Quinton worked together as part of an ongoing
series of four AWB events hosted by John Lewis High Wycombe. Zoe
spent two days on the shop floor demonstrating and exhibiting and
both she and Dave were able to give their different perspectives on
the event. Dave, speaking as the business side of the partnership,
commented on how the John Lewis/AWB events are inspiring both staff
and shoppers to get involved in the arts, as well as encouraging
the sale of local art.
Alistair Will struck a common nerve with his company’s mission to
help people re-engage with the outdoors. He described his
residency, supported by AWB, at Great Missenden’s primary school.
Working with Buckinghamshire artist Pippa North and the local
children, the workshop explored outdoor sculpture as a tool for
regenerating Great Missenden and will form the basis of a funding
application for Missenden’s revitalisation in the
future.
Mike Watson then led the speakers and audience in a madly noisy and
exciting drum workshop. With huge talent and enthusiasm he
encouraged the circle of drummers, many of us first timers, into a
series of songs and rhythm pieces, collaborating with Dave Quinton
and Nick Warren, both talented drummers in their own right, who
took turns to lead the group. The drum circle gave us all an
insight into the power of participating in an arts workshop and it
was with real reluctance that the party broke up and the drums were
packed away.
The evening was a great success for AWB: we were able to give
concrete examples of how we work with artists and business across
the county and the successes those partnerships bring. Through
Mike’s superb workshop, we were able to show first hand how working
with an artist or performer can bring inspiration and
change.
