Thematic focus for 2017 and 2018

Working together with farmers, fishermen, seasonal workers, politicians, chefs, retailers and consumers, artists are asked to investigate and respond to the locally grown, caught, gathered and reared food chain. They will explore the past, present and future implications of agricultural practices in Jersey. They will interact with and respond to existing infrastructures, farming practices, social structures, economic conditions and the products themselves.

Farming may no longer be the largest economic sector of the island economy, but it is the oldest. Farming and fishing have been an integral part of island life for hundreds of years, repeatedly reinventing themselves in response to market changes or political upheaval; from cider and sheep farming, to potatoes and dairy, oysters and lobsters.

As the islands demographic and economy has changed, an increasing proportion of the population are less connected with the rural economy. The morning boat hopes to bring the community together to engage with the lives of individuals involved in local production and the complex interconnected issues that affect, or are affected by, their work.

Methodology

The morning boat aims to be an arts residency that takes place in the heart of the local community, from the research that is undertaken, through to the public presentation of the work.

At the start of each residency artists will be paired with local experts and employees, to conduct first-hand research and develop an understanding towards industry practices, working environments, concerns and challenges. This experience provides the starting point and inspiration for continued research and the creation of new work that interacts with existing infrastructures and re-imagines daily routines.

The morning boat aims to generate a broad debate representing a range of different positions, to create a common language and mutual understanding that has a sustained impact on future decision making within the community. Our audience will not be confined to those with an interest in contemporary art, as we take projects into farm sheds, supermarket aisles, fields, on board boats, or on beaches – to engage, challenge and inspire all parts of society.

The core of the programme presents work developed by artists invited to Jersey. This will be accompanied by a series of smaller events conceived by local artists and the curatorial team. Where appropriate we will offer educational institutions an opportunity to engage with the process, while a series of public talks accompany the programme.

Susanne Kudielka and Kaspar Wimberley

The morning boat is produced by ArtHouse Jersey and curated by Susanne Kudielka and Kaspar Wimberley.

Susanne and Kaspar work internationally as artists, producers and curators, specialising in site responsive public-art practices. The common thread that runs through their work is an attempt to sensitise an audience to existing social, political or cultural conditions, exposing, negating or interrogating the hierarchy of the moment. Projects are quietly subversive, playfully readjusting the narrative and appreciation of a particular activity or a given site, to act as a catalyst for dialogue and exchange.

ArtHouse Jersey

ArtHouse Jersey is a cross-arts developmental production company committed to nurturing bold new work by artists from Jersey, the UK and elsewhere in the world. Based in the Island of Jersey, we offer residencies and professionally facilitated programmes that enable artists to develop their ideas, meet new people, try different ways of working and ultimately create new work that can reach wider audiences and communities.

With a strong focus on play and collaboration, our programme offers artists and creative thinkers the time and space they need, along with some extra catalysts for taking their work in new and exciting directions.

Whilst we predominantly work to develop the practice and ideas of those working professionally within the Arts, we fundamentally believe that creativity is for everyone and therefore aim to ensure that the work we support and the practices we develop are as widely shared as possible.