(ANDMADE(ERO$OCUMENTATIONINDD Arnolfini, Arts Council England, Bristol City Council, Dawn Chaloner, Colston Hall, The Crafts Council, CSF Wrestling, Liz Hickson, Relational, Manuel Vason & Dane Watkins. This project couldn’t have happened without the support of: RHIANNON CHALONER DOCUMENTATION CRAFTIVISM AT ARNOLFINI HANDMADE HERO Each particpant chose a meaningful location and decided upon their final image for the poster. Alex Hagues with photographer, Manuel Vason. It began to make sense that each wrestling accessory should incorporate other parts of the participant’s lives i.e day jobs or hobbies. Ian Hummel sewing a mask from pants and old toys. ORIGINAL PROJECT OUTLINE To work with six to eight participants with a pro-wrestling background or interest, to sew individual wrestling masks from underwear, including inventing a wrestler’s name, which reflects personal interests and politics. These masks will then be worn for a one off, group devised performance event at Craftivism, in Arnolfini. APPROACH I set out to find participants local to Bristol, who had a relationship to wrestling in all its forms, as well as a taste for sewing, dressing up and striking a pose. I did this by joining various wrestling Internet forums, placed ads in gyms, The Bristol Evening Post and Venue magazine. Through talking with various respondents, I realised that it was unrealistic with the time-scale, that people could design and sew a mask as well as devise a performance, in time for Craftivism. Most of the respondents I met, seemed quite nervous about appearing in costume, in front of an unfamliar audience. ARTIST & WRESTLING ENTHUSIAST LOOKING TO SPEAK TO PRO & AMATEUR WRESTLERS OF ANY STYLE, FANS OR FRIENDS FOR AN MYSTERIOUS & EXCITING NEW PARTICIPATORY PROJECT AT ARNOLFINI. Call Rhiannon: 07826 520 837 [email protected] This advert was placed in the 09.09.09 issue of Venue magazine DEVELOPMENT OF PROJECT OUTLINE Participants will now be photographed performing their new masked identities for camera, by Manuel Vason. These images will be transformed into wrestling posters, and then fly posted, marking a route between Arnolfini and The Colston Hall. One wall in Arnolfini will be covered with posters. The Colston Hall, once an incredibly important venue for British Wrestling will contain a small archive exhibition of wrestling memorabilia from Mad Eli’s collection and various handmade items made by ex-wrestlers and fans. The archive exhibition will also be an opportunity to view the objects made by the Handmade Hero participants. Finally, a member of CSF Wrestling, a pro-wrestling company with its own training school, contacted me. He and his colleagues were immediately very enthusiastic about the ideas behind Handmade Hero. Confirmed participants would be: Alex Hagues, Ian Hummel, Mark Rowell and David Youell. MAKING Each participant was asked a series of ice breaking questions and then we then talked over designs with a pencil and paper. It seemed that the participants didn’t all want to make masks, so we discussed the idea of wrestling accessories instead, whilst still appropriating material from other pieces of clothing. Most of our meetings were at home, with cups of coffee, a biscuit and once watching Eastenders. What was made: Gauntlets made out of an old mini skirt, a cape made from ties and two masks made from pants. Drawing by Ian Hummel Handmade Hero and the British Wrestling Legends archive at Colston Hall are commissioned as part of Craftivism, an Arnolfini/Relational project 12 Dec 2009 - 14 Feb 2010 (ANDMADE(ERO$OCUMENTATIONINDD