New arts group the Silke Collective held its first meeting at the Little Civic in Wolverhampton on Saturday afternoon, 26th of May 2007. At the launch event there was art on display, short films and poetry recitals. Among those who attended were visual artists Emily Stokes, Sian MacFarlane and Eva Hertz, poets Ian Henery and Garry Carr, and filmmaker Christopher Bates.  | | Poet on the stage |
The three people behind the first meeting were Phil Turner and Kelly Duguid from the Civic Halls, and Al Dutton, artist. Al came up with the Mr Silke concept, but more of that later. Al, why start an arts group?I think the Midlands doesn't get as much exposure as other areas, say Liverpool, Manchester or London. We were just thinking that if people got a bit more proactive. They could probably get a bit more exposure working together than trying to do it on their own. It’s really for anyone who is creative. Musicians, writers, poets and artists etc. Is it just for the Midlands? | | Artist Eva Hertz |
The plan is obviously to grow and to try and become national. But we are still building the foundations. Anyone can exhibit with us, but of course they’d have to be prepared to travel. Goals for the future?Well we want to get the website up and running and make it look more professional. We want to do fanzines and maybe start promoting gig nights and do larger exhibitions, but keep this as a regular drop-in event. We're looking to get writers involved, and maybe publish collected works. Just on the principle that if you've got 100 people working to get one book published it is less risk.  | | Phil, Kelly and Al at the Little Civic |
We're waiting to see who joins the collective and what ideas people bring to it. Me and a couple of people have set the ball rolling, but it's not about us. For anyone who joins, it immediately becomes their collective as well. Ideas for the future include; We'd like to raise money for rent for a studio space, so that people have room to work when they want to, and maybe get some dark room and printing facilities. It's early days at the moment. Is this born out of frustration? From trying to promote your own work?Yes, sort of. In the Midlands there are lot of people who are artistic, but because there isn't an artistic community that is as visible as say in Liverpool or Manchester they struggle, and eventually end up giving up. Most artists can't afford to put on a one-man show in London. Why call it the Silke Collective? | | Poets on the stage |
I’d been in a band, The Open. When when we split up I went to France and started painting again. I was staying at a youth hostel for three months in Nimes, France. I just started drawing people around me, from memory. There was this one fella and I created a Mr Silke painting based on him. I can't remember where the name came from to be honest! I think some art projects can be a little bit pretentious. The Silke Collective is just a name to get us going. We won't use the Mr Silke name if we’re doing a major art event or something.  | | Art for sale at the Little Civic |
We could even change the name of the collective… I just thought that it is better to do something rather than nothing. The Mr Silke picture seemed to have something about it. I couldn't quite work out what it was. He is a kind of inspiration. Your experience in France spurred you into action?In Nimes I was doing a lot of painting in the hostel and selling them in the streets. I was drawing postcards of the monuments and trying to sell them. There must be about 30 art galleries in Nimes, which is about the same size as the Wolverhampton.  | | Sian MacFarlane exhibited her work |
But the whole city seems to thrive on culture. Every Thursday they have a street market for crafts people and artists and musicians. It was the response of those people to my art that made me enthusiastic about doing it again. It gave me a bit of self belief. I think that's what people need around this area - the kind of self belief that if they do something there will be a reward for it. If people think that it is possible and get involved it will happen. A date for the next arts group meeting? | | Detail from a painting by Emily Joy |
The date is not confirmed, but I imagine it'll be at the end of June at the Little Civic. Do come along. Take a look at the website and see what ideas you can bring to it. You don't have to have a degree, there’s no age limit. There are no restrictions whatsoever.
It's a collective and the people who put the most effort in will get the most reward. For more information click the Silke Collective weblinks on the right of this page>> | 
