Animal Spirits by Juneau Projects

About

‘Animal Spirits’ is a book and exhibition by Juneau Projects commissioned by Berwick Visual Arts.

The book, written and designed by the artists, tells the story of a group of survivors who, following a global technological disaster, have founded an arts and craft community within the walled town of Berwick-upon-Tweed. With the internet, television and other media no longer dominating people's time, the community member’s work together to find creative methods and means of surviving using the skills they each have. The story chronicles the arrival of a curator from Coniston in the Lake District, whose ideas and ambitions create disturbances in the apparent harmony of the community.

To bring the story to life, Juneau Projects invited local residents from Berwick-upon-Tweed and Coniston to take part in illustration workshops, in which participants produced hand-painted images of scenes from the narrative. A selection of these images feature in the printed book, and a wider selection of these images are presented at the Gymnasium Gallery.

'Animal Spirits' is an ambitious project that looks at the importance of creativity and the manner in which artists and crafts people’s roles and positions shift in tandem with technological development.

The project has been made possible with support from Berwick Visual Arts, Arts Council England, and Grizedale Arts.

Following the exhibition and book launch at the Gymnasium Gallery, the exhibition will tour to various venues in the Lake District. The artists will also undertake a book launch tour throughout April and May, with events at Mima, Middlesbrough; Matt's Gallery, London; Primary, Nottingham; and Eastside Projects, Birmingham.