Documentation of the R&D process for The Common Line project March-September 2018. A partnership project between Blind Ditch, Controlled Frenzy, and Geography at University of Exeter with support from Rural Recreation. Funded by AHRC-EPSRC this R&D was kindly supported by University of Cumbria.

The Common Line - AHRC-EPSRC R&D

The Common Line

The Common Line R&D process

A participatory arts project developed from crowd-sourced creative writings by bus passengers about their journies on the D bus in Exeter. Commissioned by University of Exeter, Arts and Culture 2018 in partnership with Stagecoach.

D-tour: thoughts looking sidewards

D-Tour: thoughts looking sidewards

D-Tour: thoughts looking sidewards – single channel video

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Colourful interactive map of Buckland estate in Newton Abbot

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Happening Here!

An interactive map of Buckland

Culture & Review On Phonic Fm: August 2015: Culture Hour – O-B-A-F-G Special

O-B-A-F-G

Collaborative audio work and radio documentary

A short edit of This City's Centre, 3. Here Now, a performance incorporating live video streaming, staged between a third-floor office space in Princesshay, Exeter and the streets and homes of the city. This City's Centre was a digital triptych for Exeter. Developed by Blind Ditch in 2013 in partnership with Exeter Phoenix, RAMM, Exeter College and funded by Arts Council England, Exeter City Council and Arts and Culture at University of Exeter.

Performers in order of appearance: Phil Smith, Katy Villa, Jonny Rowden, Students from Exeter College, Jane Mason, Lizzy Humber. Music is from Consort of Fower Parts composed by Matthew Locke in Exeter 1660 ca. played by Cat Radford on accordian outside Exeter Cathedral. Camera by Philibert Patricot. Edit Volkhardt Müller.

This City's Centre 3. Here,Now

This City’s Centre

This City’s Centre 3. Here, Now – video trailer

Volkhardt Müller (Blind Ditch) and John Wylie (Cultural Geography, University of Exeter) discuss This City's Centre 1. Window

Private Views and Public Art

A long journey through the city centre shopping centre livens up the morning (August, 2008).

Global Player - the long play

Global Player

Global Player – the long play

A 24 minute documentary on the process and impact of the project including interviews with partners and collaborators. Filmed in 2007 in PAL!

VANLAND Documentary

VANLAND

VANLAND documentary about our working process 2004-07

Short video work using 'home movie' footage created to be used in the performance and installation 'Who Wants to be a Hero Now' in 2006. Edit Volkhardt Mueller, sound John Levack Drever, words Natalie Mcgrath performed by Cat Radford. Child Lena Mueller.

Divine

Who Wants to be a Hero Now?

Divine – video used in the 2006 installation

Young graffiti artist Spike gives our caravan a face-lift. Too many people on country fairs have been suspecting we're selling caravans. No more of that from now on!

VANLAND Trailer 2006

VANLAND trailer 2006

A collection of documents and media produced over the course of 20+ years.


<p><strong>Mobile media project exploring rural places &amp; identities</strong> through the eyes of young people &amp; their wider communities.</p>


Social practice

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<p>We started out in on this creative journey with the young people of Teignbridge, Devon in 2004. We explored village hangouts, boundaries, local stories and hidden dens, without wifi, mobile phone technology or social media.</p>


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<p>Mapping ideas on big pieces of newsprint in village halls and youth centres. We made PAL videos on mini dv tapes with garage band soundtracks. We edited slowly and collaboratively on an i-book G4 with a projector.</p>


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<p>The young people led on the creative content, filming and editing the work, with help from us and team of associate film makers. Each film took around 4-6 days to complete from meeting the young people to delivering the DVD.</p>


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<p>These are crazy visions of rural life, dreamed up from the young people’s experiences, frustrations and love of their home places. They roped in any adult willing to help them achieve the finished short. Each village project had it’s own distinct feel, from the grannies illegally trading Cheese in Dunsford, to the search for <a href="https://vimeo.com/200577789" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Perfect Hole </a>in Moretonhampstead, <a href="https://vimeo.com/200466332" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Mystery of the Moor Mower </a>in Widecombe, to the dystopian world of <a href="https://vimeo.com/200570004" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Milk Boy</a> in Chudleigh. DIY props and a passion for the absurd made these worlds come alive in ways that we never anticipated.</p>


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<p>To share this work with the wider community we transformed a 1980’s touring caravan into a mobile cinema space. For three short years between 2004-06 the VANLAND caravan became an iconic visitor to the fields, fetes and parks of South Devon throughout the summer season. We bumped and scraped around country lanes and into fields that no tourist would dare to attempt – often helped by a man with a tractor.</p>


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Interviewing the older generation about their life in rural Teignbridge as part of VisionSwitch 2005. Background footage courtesy of the Devon Film Archive. 

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<p>In 2005 we were approached by Teignbridge Rural Regeneration Partnership to run an exchange project with a young people’s media organisation in County Kildare, Eire. We made <em>Thin Air</em> with the young people of Ballitore, toured the caravan to Ireland, ran a music video making exchange with Irish young people on Dartmoor, and organised a celebratory sharing event with bands, live mixing, video screenings, and Devon archive footage sharing at Christow Village Hall.  The success of VisionSwitch and its impact on the young people involved earned us a Brussels Observatory Best Practice Award from the EU.</p>


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<p>In 2006 were were invited to expand our workshops to include work with women and people aged 55+ as part of Framing the Forest with the Centre for Contemporary Art and the Natural World at Haldon Forest Park. You can have a look at the work we made together on our <a href="https://vimeo.com/showcase/1712745" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VANLAND vimeo channel. </a></p>
<p>After the initial funding ended in 2007,  Blind Ditch continued to collaborate with a range of communities and organisations across Devon and Cornwall on projects exploring art film, documentary &amp; video consultancy, issue based fiction and animation.</p>
<p>The VANLAND caravan is long retired, but you can still take a trip to <a href="http://www.organicarts.org.uk/projects/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Organic Arts</a> at West Town Farm, Ide to see the it recycled into its new life as a workspace for Woofers.</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s a 24 minute documentary which captures our early VANLAND experience, and the views of the many people who contributed to its success.</p>
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<div class="content_boxes"><strong>VANLAND 2004-07</strong> young people&#8217;s media project was produced by Blind Ditch and run with partnership support from Teignbridge District Council and Coombeshead College. It was funded and supported by the EAGGF of the EU, DEFRA, Arts Council England, Teignbridge Rural Regeneration Partnership &amp; Teignbridge District Council.</div>
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<div class="content_boxes"><strong>Other funders and partners include:</strong> Village Screen &#8211; funded by Mediabox &amp; The Department for Education and Skills Training,  Framing The Forest &#8211; in partnership with CCANW funded by TRRP and DEFRA.</div>
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<div class="content_boxes"><strong>Further VANLAND projects include:</strong></div>
<div class="content_boxes"><em>BIAS &#8211; Seaton youth action consultancy</em> &#8211; working with young people to  gather community views on a potential new skate park, commissioned by East Devon District Council.</div>
<div class="content_boxes"><em>The Pottery Films</em> &#8211; commissioned by Bovey Youth Action funded by Heritage Lottery Young Roots.</div>
<div class="content_boxes"><em>Me,  Myself, I &#8211; A Young Persons&#8217;s Guide to the Care System</em> &#8211; collaborating with looked after young people  to create an animated DVD guide for young people just entering the system, commissioned by The Children&#8217;s Society and Take Part Torbay.</div>
<div class="content_boxes"><em>Relay!</em> &#8211; made in partnership with Plymouth Music Zone commissioned by Zest Health Arts &amp; Devonport Regeneration Community Partnership.</div>
<div class="content_boxes"><em>Dream It Large!</em> commissioned by The House in St Austell funded by Groundwork and the Terrance Higgins Trust.</div>
<div class="content_boxes"><em>The Woodland</em> &#8211;  in partnership with Broadhempston Community Woodland and Devon Integration Support Services. Funded by First Light and nominated for a First Light best drama award 2012.</div>
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<div><strong>VANLAND awards and nominations include:</strong></div>
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<p><strong>2012</strong> <em>The Woodland</em> &#8211; shortlisted for a First Light award for Best Drama with a screening at Leicester Square, Odeon.<br />
<strong>2008</strong> <em>Crossed Lines</em> &#8211; wins Audience Award for Best Young Person&#8217;s Film at Two Short Nights Film Festival.<br />
<strong>2007</strong> <em>VisionSwitch</em> &#8211; wins Brussels Observatory Best Practice project as partners on the transnational exchange.<br />
<strong>2007</strong> <em>The Perfect Hole</em> &#8211; wins Best Young Person&#8217;s Film from Appledore Visual Arts Festival.<br />
<strong>2007</strong> <em>VANLAND</em> project &#8211; shortlisted for the Devon and Cornwall Media Innovation Awards.</p>
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<div class="content_boxes"><strong>Devised and delivered by</strong> Cat Radford, Paula Crutchlow, Volkhardt Müller and Daniel Harris from <a href="http://www.blindditch.org/people/">Blind Ditch</a> with associate artist Tim Dollimore from <a href="http://www.themediaworkshop.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Media Workshop </a>and many visiting workshop faciliators.</div>
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<div class="content_boxes">The project would not have been possible without the help and support of Doff Pollard Arts Officer at Teignbridge District Council, Rae Hoole, Community Arts Officer at Coombeshead College and Phil Aubrey at Leader+ TRRP.</div>


<div class="content_boxes"><strong>VANLAND 2004-07</strong> young people’s media project was produced in partnership with Teignbridge District Council and Coombeshead College. It was funded and supported by the EAGGF of the EU, DEFRA, Arts Council England, Teignbridge Rural Regeneration Partnership &amp; Teignbridge District Council.</div>


<p><strong>2004-06 VANLAND workshops held in: </strong>Buckfastleigh, Newton Abbot, Moretonhampstead, Christow, Chudleigh, Dawlish, Dunsford, Exminster, Kingsteignton, Chudleigh Knighton.</p>
<p><strong>2004-06</strong> <strong>VANLAND caravan screening tour visited:</strong> TR2 Community Arts Conference in Plymouth, Lamb Pie Day in Buckfastleigh, Litfest Port Eliot, Moretonhampstead Carnival, Rixey Park Tractor and Machinery Country Fair, Hennock Country Fair, Bovey Tracey Carnival, Party in the Park in Chudleigh, Kingsteignton Youth Club, CCANW in Haldon Forest, Chudleigh Knighton Summer Fayre, Exminster School Fete, Airfusion Newton Abbott, Maker Festival Plymouth, Manaton Show &amp; Fair, Big Picnic in Haldon Forest, Dawlish Carnival, Christow Show, Lustleigh Show, 9 Days of Art at Organic Arts in Ide, Anti-static Festival – Taunton, Motion Plymouth Festival.</p>
<p><strong>2005-06 VISIONSWITCH events: </strong>Ballitore 24th – 31st July 2005 Blind Ditch VANLAND workshops with young people in Ballitore, County Kildare, Eire to make Thin Air. Oct 27th 2005 Time Trip, Christow Village Hall, Dartmoor. County Kildare Caravan Screening Tour 8th-10th February half term exchange trip – Young people from Teignbridge visit Ballitore in County Kildare for film making workshops and general fun. 8-11 Feb 2006 Old Town Hall car park, Newbridge, Clane<strong>, </strong>Athy Dominican Hall<strong>, </strong>Outside the library, Ballitore. 17 Feb 2006 7pm VisionSwitch Red Carpet Screening at the Shaftesbury Theatre, Dawlish.</p>
<p><strong>2006 Framing the Forest:</strong> Film making workshops and events with women, older people and young people at the Centre for Contemporary Art and the Natural World, Haldon Forest Park</p>
<p><strong>Cinema and event screenings of VANLAND films: </strong>5 Sept. 2005 Teignmouth Film and Cine Club, 19 Sept. 2006 Manhatton Short Film Festival, Exeter Phoenix. 19 Nov 2006 Vanland Wrap Party, Shaftesbury Theatre, Dawlish. 21 Nov 2006 Framing the Forest screening <a href="http://www.ccanw.co.uk/">CCANW </a>Haldon Forest Park. 6 Dec 2006 Two Short Nights, Exeter <i>Crossed Lines, Funkenstein, The Bridesmaid</i> and more showing at the Young Film-makers Screening, 15 Dec. 2006 Bovey Tracey <i>The Potter’s Key </i>and the <i>Heritage Pottery Project Documentary </i>showing as part of an evening exhibition hosted by Bovey Youth Action at 7pm, Bovey Tracey Town Hall, Bovey Tracey. 1 Dec. 2008 <em>My House</em> showing as part of View From Here young people’s screening. 7pm, Carlton Theatre, Teignmouth. 29-31 May. 2008 screening of Funkenstein, Appledore Visual Art’s Festival, North Devon.</p>
<p><strong>Presentations and sharings: </strong></p>
<p>13 Oct 2004 <em>All Aboard</em>, Community Council of Devon, Social Inclusion Conference, Okehampton.</p>
<p>25 October 2004 <em>Quality of Life Conference</em>, Leader+ Observatory Contact Point, Brussels.</p>
<p>9 Feb 2005 <em>Getting into Film and TV symposium</em>, Exeter Phoenix Media Centre.</p>
<p>21 April 2005 Presentation at the Viewing in Alternative Spaces Panel,<em> Interfaces Between Theory and Practice </em>Film Symposium organised by the University of Exeter.</p>
<p>22 September 2005 NALGAO Arts Workers Conference, The Quay, Exeter. 17 Feb 2006<em> Devon Arts Forum</em>, Dartington College of Arts, Totnes.</p>
