Yesterday was a spare day between two busy days. I decided to plan the next live ArtSwarm event a bit, some ideas for Felines, practice guitar, and record a song and make a video for the next ArtSwarm programme which is very probably the end of the show itself. I needed to do more. I'm anxious to create and finish work as soon as possible. I have, at least, a plan for Burn of God. I can't allow myself to rest, sleep, stagnate.
Here's a clip from my ArtSwarm video, When The Time Is Done:
and the world is only shadows
the echoes of our actions, our lives and loves
live on
When the time is done
we continue through our impact
we can never be erased
for we are part of all things
Only Andrew Williams has submitted anything for ArtSwarm so far, and it seems that ArtSwarm has gradually wound down. Over the run, one or two people had submitted one video once, people who stumbled across the programme perhaps, or saw my call in the Arts News newsletter, but they didn't seem to want to send more, or really get involved with the show. Is making an interactive show not really possible? Perhaps this is the limit of creativity.
Perhaps the idea will resurrect one day, it is a worthy successor to ArtsLab on RedShift, and always more popular, but that was partly because of the way RedShift did things; ArtsLab was for a long time the most popular show on the station because the format included so many people, and even if only the contributors listened that would break a few records. The RedShift producers always seemed to dodge the question when asked how many people listen, the actual answer was usually nobody at all, and when I was there the majority of the station's full-time output had less than ten listeners. I learned that the station didn't exist for the listeners, or to produce good programmes, it was there as a community scheme for the presenters who wanted to play their favourite records. In learning to present live radio and becoming part of that family, my experiences at the station were valuable, enjoyable, and life transforming. Everyone there was there because they were doing something they loved, and every person and experience I've had with RedShift has been positive.
Off to London today to sign books in the Virgin 1st Class Passenger Lounge in Euston Station. I'll be showing off a painting, and a poem by Martin Elder from the Write Out Loud poetry group, the biggest poetry collective in Britain and perhaps the world! This makes the event a spectacle. So, this little stall can be a participatory art show in itself.
