The Artists’ House Charrette with Studio Morison and Eastside Projects

WORKSHOP, 1–5pm.
OPEN STUDIO, 5.30–7.30pm.

Through model making and discussion, we explored what an artists’ house can be, what local artists need from a house, artists stories of their housing and studio spaces and what the role of the artist is in a community.

As well as sharing their ideas for Park Life, Studio Morison were joined by a small group of residents and experts who looked at this project in the context of current housing policy and new build housing developments. The outcomes of the charrette will contribute to the concepting and prototyping of the Artists’ House as well as models for other potential housing projects elsewhere.

The Artists’ House, an inhabitable public artwork by Studio Morison, is part of Park Life – a series of permanent public art projects for Longford Park curated by Eastside Projects and commissioned by Cherwell District Council. Believing that artists play a valuable role in communities, by bringing vitality and engendering positive change, Studio Morison and Eastside Projects are working to create tangible solutions in the area of housing.

“Artists and creative practices are often perceived as a driver for urban regeneration. Art and culture is seen as a marker for the progress and success of communities and cities. Artists are now working in a vastly expanded field, some directly addressing major societal questions of our time, and acting in collaboration with many other areas of creativity, thought and commerce.

Artists play an important role in injecting vitality into the world we live in. Being an artist is a job. The work of an artist is key to a healthy society. As a key worker an artist is well placed to find solutions to creating more equitable communities.

Artists are also citizens, have families, and very often struggle to make ends meet. Artists are often more nomadic; more willing and able to move around. However they also still require security. Like other key workers artists are suffering from a lack of suitable and affordable houses to rent or own. Housing is key to creating security, thus enabling creativity, building better communities and transforming cities into vital and diverse places. The unique ways in which artists approach problems, along with their intrinsic stake in this issue, may produce some unique solutions. Artists know that the way to solve a problem is to begin. With each action the next step will present itself.”

Studio Morison, 2017

Eastside Projects volunteer Zunaira Muzzafar, documented the Charrette through video and stills photography, as part of the ‘Black Box’ project. Black Box acts as supplementary and alternative interpretation material for our audiences and is devised and created by volunteers.

Watch her video below: