LOCWS International is an artist-led charity based in the City of Swansea that has developed an exciting public art programme, ‘Art Across The City’, that sees international and UK-based artists create new contemporary artworks that respond to the culture and heritage of the city through a broad spectrum of art practice from sculpture and installation to performance and film.
The programme offers a very different way for people to engage with contemporary art with new and inspiring artworks created for popular public spaces such as shopping centres, bus stations and museums, giving everybody the chance to see and experience contemporary art without having to enter an art gallery.
LOCWS International’s vision is to consolidate its artistic programme into an ‘International Contemporary Art Biennial’ for Wales, to support visual artists to make innovative and challenging new work and to bring contemporary art to the general public in an open, meaningful and appealing way.
Locws International
Art On Show Today
Several LOCWS International artworks are now permanent and can be seen across the city today:
Bermingham & Robinson
‘The British Empire Panel Project’
Brangwyn Hall
Bristow Lloyd
‘Coming Soon’
232 High Street
Mark Folds
‘Dylan’s Pencil’
Cwmdonkin Park
Niamh McCann
‘Flock Of Ospreys Looking For The Old Blind Sea Captain Who Dreams Of His Deceased Sea Fellows Under A Visiting African Sun’
Dylan Thomas Theatre
Bedwyr Williams
‘Lionheart & Lightsout’
The Kingsway
Education
In conjunction with Arts in Education, City and County of Swansea, Locws International has established an ongoing educational programme called Locws Schools that sees schools from the Swansea area take part in site-specific arts projects. The projects are run by artist David Marchant and use Locws International events as inspiration.
Locws International events illustrate a broad range of contemporary artwork and are unique in that each of the artworks is made as a direct response to an aspect of Swansea’s culture, heritage, architecture or people. The artworks, created by international and Welsh artists using a variety of mediums, provide a unique educational opportunity and have inspired students to create some very interesting and exciting responses. Locws Schools starts with a guided tour of the artworks at which David Marchant presents some of the thinking behind the artworks and explains the ideas and processes of making the work. The second part of the project sees students create their own site specific art projects inspired by what they have seen and learned, presented at each school in Locws Schools exhibitions.
Locws Schools is open to all schools in the Swansea area. For more information please contact Administrative Support for the Arts on 01792 562667 or email locws@locwsinternational.com
Locws Schools: Guided Tours
The guided tours provide an educational and exciting visual stimuli for students to respond to and to question. Artist David Marchant encourages students‚ to make responses to the artworks while they attempt to unravel what the work means to themselves and what they think the artist is trying to achieve. Each work is carefully explained and the students are encouraged to think of how it could inpsire them to create a piece of their own work within their school or college environment. With the inspiration gained from the tours, the students are expected to produce a response to a particular artwork or artworks and during the course of the first day, students set themselves a brief which they research and investigate by day two of the project, David Marchant’s visit to their school or college.
Locws Schools: Artworks
On day two of Locws Schools, David Marchant works closely with the students to create their own site-specific projects at their school. These artworks are then displayed within the school and emulate the principles of the Locws International event that has inspired them.
Daniel James Community School
Penyrheol Primary School
Locws Schools artwork on show at Oriel Myrddin
A film made by artist David Marchant in conjunction with pupils from Parklands Primary School in Swansea, will be exhibited at Oriel Myrddin in Carmarthen in December.
The film called ‘Who Let The Dogs Out’ was made as part of Parklands Primary School’s participation in our Education Programme, Locws Schools, and in response to artist Richard Higlett’s 2008 project “A Song For Jack”. David Marchant developed and produced the film during workshops with the school.
‘Who Let The Dogs Out’ will be shown during a one day event at Oriel Myrddin on Friday 9th December between 10am-8pm. This one-day film event is centered around the theme of Coedwig (Forest).
Locws International is delighted that this film is being re-shown in a dynamic contemporary art venue alongside work by other artists Alison Hayes, Rebecca Spooner, Fern Thomas & Adele Vye and Gareth Hugh Davies.
The Parklands Primary School ‘Dog’ Choir
Locws Schools 2011: Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Gellionnen
Artworks inspired by Locws International Art Across The City 2011
On arrival at the school the children were sat quietly, ready to put their artistic concepts into practice. After an informal discussion our groups and the materials we needed were in place. The teacher was also very keen and we were ready for action.
Sion, Llinos, India and Nikki made a mini installation model of Helen Edling’s work. A beautiful version of “singing miners” was made accompanied by a stage with broken cages on. “I loved working as a team and putting everything together” said Llinos.
Other groups made different versions of Mark Folds’ “Dylan’s Pencil” bringing together a wide range of materials with plaster, clay, wood and paper. Nathan said, “I loved making this” and Sion said, “it’s loads of fun”.
Others were inspired by “Cove”, from the exhibition by Alex Duncan at the Mission Gallery, and created their own version from papier-mâché, shells and plaster.
A very sweet “stage set” model was made by Cerys, Rhiannon and Kayla of an idyllic setting inspired from Cwmdonkin Park. One of the girls was so dedicated by this project that she even went home and made her own version of “Dylan’s Pencil” which was excellent.
I must comment on the fact that the children really worked very hard and they were an extremely dedicated class – well done!
David Marchant 2011
Locws Schools 2011: Terrace Road Primary School
Artworks inspired by Locws International Art Across The City 2011
A mixed class of pupils made up from other year groups in the school came together to participate in this project. As usual, a wide range of ideas was taken forward into concept form, which is what ‘Locws Schools’ for me is all about. There was a lot of experimental work taking place and some great results were achieved.
One group of pupils spent many hours experimenting with taking photographs through water, inspired by Alex Duncan’s exhibition. “It was really fun as we all worked together as a group”, said Sophie.
Another group made a flag inspired by S Mark Gubb’s ‘Ambition Is Critical’. This was a colourful multi-media collage incorporating different languages & interpretations of the school motto. The group spent hours making this flag illustrating their dedication to the project. “I experienced new languages learning how to write them as our school motto”, said Victoria.
Two boys took on the arduous task of making a cave-like mine with a little light illuminating the interior of their model, which was inspired by Helen Edling’s work at the National Waterfront Museum. Small figurative models were also made and placed around the school much like Helen Edling had done in the museum.
Others were involved in model making inspired by Holley Davey’s work at Swansea Castle ‘We Speak Everywhere’ and created a mobile of a dove with an experimental film.
David Marchant 2011
From the Archive: A Song For Jack
‘A Song For Jack’ by Richard Higlett
The ‘canine choir’ at a musical concert to ‘Swansea Jack’ by artist Richard Higlett who took inspiration from the well-loved story of Swansea Jack, a black retriever who became a local hero in the 1930’s for rescuing drowning swimmers from Swansea’s docks. Richard auditioned a selection of dogs from the city to form a ‘canine choir’ to create and perform a new song in celebration of the hero. ‘A Song For Jack’ was then transcribed into a published piece of music
The ‘canine choir’ performed a special concert outside the National Waterfront Museum with accompaniment from local musicians. The whole project was recorded and an exhibition display was available to see at the National Waterfront Museum. The concert was held on Sunday 5 October 2008.
