Cultivating spaces for extraordinary artists
In Conversation with the Past
IN CONVERSATION WITH THE PAST, Artist filmmaker Nicola Lane’s 2015 film portrait of Clun’s famous ‘character’ Bill Lock will be hosted by Clun Museum.
Where: Memorial Hall, Clun
When: Sunday 22 March at 2pm
Share your memories, anecdotes and chat!
FREE ENTRY. Donations welcome.Tea & cakes.
Take a step back in time and explore the life of Romany man, Bill Lock, born deaf in 1910 into a well-known Romany family who travelled throughout the Borders and Shropshire.
The Lock family settled in Clun in the 1950s and Bill became an important part of the community. To discover Bill’s world, disabled artist Nicola Lane interviewed some of the many people who remember him - including members of his family and 92 year old Clunton farmer Harry Collins who employed Bill and knew him well.
In 2015 memories of Bill were still strong; but as Mr Collins said, it will be ‘all gone’ after his generation have passed. Nicola’s film aims to celebrate Bill’s long life and the vanished world in which he lived and worked.Bill died in 2000 and is buried at St. George’s Church in Clun. Clun Museum has a bronze bust of Bill by artist Jemma Pearson and the Lock family caravan is an important part of Hartlebury Museum’s collection.
Back in April 2014 DASH in partnership with Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery commissioned Nicola Lane to explore Bill's life. As a disabled artist herself, Nicola was happy to be part of DASH’s ‘IN’ programme of projects committed to Deaf and Disabled artists working within mainstream museums and galleries.
Read more: In Conversation With the Past
About DASH
DASH is a disabled led visual arts organisation, now working regionally, nationally and internationally with disabled artists and in partnership with arts and cultural organisations to develop Disability Arts practice.
http://www.dasharts.org/projects.html
About the artist: Born in San Francisco in 1949, Nicola lived in 7 countries before the age of 16. She has worked continuously as a fine artist since 1972, her practice evolving from painting into sculpture, installation and film-making.
