{Title} MOUNTAIN HUT
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{Outline}
Mountain Hut (or Hütte in German, Rifugio in Italian) offers a temporary refuge and base from which to explore mountains near and far. Through a series of events we gather descriptions of mountains worldwide and set-off on an exploration of Beckton Alp, a wild place on the Borough's doorstep.
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{Description}
In a recent article the National Trust suggest that urban dwellers in the UK are afraid of the countryside, unused to its ways and ways-of-being, away from the comfort zone afforded by the city.
In Mountain Hut, we presume the opposite - that in city such as London, and in Boroughs such as Newham in particular, some residents are more than familiar with types of landscape far more mountainous than those found in Britain. Turkey, Pakistan, Rumania for example easily rival those found in the UK.
Our project seeks to engage with people's experiences of these places and to bring the skills and knowledge of those places to bear on the everyday life and its places in the borough.
We will convert a shop-front in the market to become a Mountain Hut - decorated with a large mural, as well as reporting on the weather and conditions from mountains around the world and in places which may be familiar to local residents. We will out-fit the space with books and artifacts, (even food and drink) reminiscent of mountain cultures elsewhere. The feel of the space will be welcoming, open. It will be the hub for a number of events and excursions into the local area and beyond.
For example, we will work with local people to gather descriptions of familiar mountains. Based on our participatory performance Mountains & Lacunae at Danielle Arnaud (2009-10.) The door will be open for people to stop-by and record short descriptions of the hills and mountains that they remember - whether they have lived there worked there, or visited them on holiday. There will also be events where people will meet and share their memories through conversation.
We will organize walks to the Beckton Alp, a famous local landmark, as a means to gather information towards producing a guidebook of walks to and on the alp. Local people will have the opportunity to draw and photograph the area, to make video or sound recordings and to work-out new routes to the alp and on the site itself. We have made work with new technology in the past and are very conversant with GPS technology for example, which could form the basis of one of the workshops. We will organize workshops to introduce these practices and to give guidance where needed.
We have strong links with local walking group such as the Newham Striders and several independent walk-leaders in neighbouring boroughs. Mountain Hut would provide a temporary base for these groups to meet before or after their walks and would enable us to make direct links to a very enthusiastic community of walkers, many of whom are born and bred in the immediate area. The shop will be open for use by other groups, such as the Newham Striders, the Ramblers and other interested groups and would serve as both outpost and base for their activities.
We are also interested in the work of the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, who have a local office in Leyton. We would invite them to base workshops on path-clearing for example, which would again provide a strong and lasting legacy for the local area and its communities.
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{Position Statement}
Mountain Hut positions itself at the heart of several current discourses, namely participatory art practice, models of multiculturalism and environmentalism & sustainability. Like many Alpine Clubs, Mountain Hut proposes a "Fellowship of the mountains" as another model of 'togetherness' - a temporary community based on interest which transcends or is produced despite national identity.
We acknowledge that this project is implicitly bound to processes of regeneration and social inclusion and are keen to contribute to the ongoing conversations about how artists and their practices relate to these issues. Mountain Hut is keen to connect to organizations and individuals who live locally and who will remain invested in the area. Towards this, we will ensure that we link at a 'grassroots-level' to build an immediate legacy from the project.
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{Timescale}
Over a 2 month period, the shop-front will be open at regular times during the week with particular emphasis on specific slots in which events take place.
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{Our practice}
Mountain Hut is a collaboration between the artists Sarah Cullen and SImon Pope. Both of us have based our art practice on walking which has led us towards interests in mapping, processes of negotiation and landscape representation. Our recent work has taken the form of drawings, audio-recordings and film. It is often conversational and participatory which has allowed us to work with diverse individuals and groups. Our work always involves a high-level of organization and often an equally challenging outreach aspect. We are skilled at managing such projects, while still ensuring that projects are rewarding for individual participants. Primarily though, we are interested in making artwork of quality, recognized as such by our peers. Recent projects have included commissions for the ODA/ACE, solo-exhibitions and performances for Danielle Arnaud in London and workshops and seminars for art schools internationally.