Over 300 visitors to our first event!
First Cast Iron Pour Event to launch Metal Monkeys
at 12-6pm on Sunday 31st May 2009 at The Kiln,Badshot Lea Village Hall, St Georges Rd, Badshot Lea, Farnham.
Metal Monkeys involved the community in their first public iron pour and launched the group with a grant for £4,900 from the Lottery distributer Awards for All. Metal Monkeys worked with two local schools and arts organisation Creative Response, who work with vulnerable people and are based in Farnham.
As well as enabling people to see the spectacle of an iron pour there was a storytelling workshop, facepainting and Hog roast/BBQ to celebrate newly created art works and collaboration!
‘Iron Monkeys’ a professional development workshop for the group also took place from 18th to 24th May 2009, funded by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. This enabled Metal Monkeys to learn about a ‘continous pour’ cupola furnace under the instruction of Professor Daniel Hunt from Kansas State University, USA. Metal Monkeys have built one of only a handfull of continuous pour furnaces in the UK, the exciting advantage of this type of furnace being the production of multiple art works and artist collaboration.
Iron Monkeys has enabled the production of new art which was on show as part of Surrey Artists Open Studio Event in June 2009.
Metal Monkeys also hosted a workshop for 12 artists from 25th to 30th May. On application the artists wereinvited to a week of mould making and encouraged to take part in the Iron pour as crew on 31st May. The cost of this workshop was £400.
All these events took place at The Kiln, Badshot Lea, Farnham.
“Pouring iron is one of the only events that sculptors can do as a group. The entire process is extremely physical requiring a committed work force. This activity provides a unique format for the discussion of ideas, sharing of technical information and creates a strong sense of community among the participants.” Daniel W Hunt. Professor of Sculpture. Kansas State University.
For more information please contact:
Debi Retallick
Metal Monkeys
07970430561 / 01252 733572
redretallick@hotmail.com
Iron Monkeys is funded by:
Arts Council England,
the national development agency for the arts,
through it’s Grants for the arts programme for individuals and organisations.
Metal Monkeys is also funded by:
Awards for All
Awards for All is a lottery grants scheme for local community projects, bringing lottery funding into local neighbourhoods. Grants range from £300 to £10,000. For more information about this scheme or to obtain an application pack call 0845 600 2040 or visit www.awardsforall.org.uk
