A Sunday Memorial

A large screen illuminated the room, with an image of a girl climbing a Cedar of Lebanon whilst attached to thirty multi coloured balloons. Purple and blue cast a cloud of colour over the audience as they witnessed the video documentation of me leaping from the tree at Cathays Cemetery in July. Sounds of drumming and thudding came from the bright balloons, and echoed through level 3 of St. David’s Hall. This was the day that the Balloon Girl team and myself had been gearing towards for nearly a year. From the moment Id approached a talented filmmaker, writer, photographer and graphic designer with my idea’s and visual aims. We were all extremely proud and I’m so happy to have shared this work with everyone. It has expanded from detailed sketches and notes I made (this is an integral part of the performance process for me) into the live work, and then the film installation and publication.

Thank you to everyone who came along and supported this project.

For more details of the launch, please visit:

www.inmemoryofballoongirl.blogspot.com

Diolch x

Invitation

I am very excited and nervous about the launch of publication and film installation, which takes place at st.David's Hall in two weeks time. Please join me to celebrate the finale of this project and to witness the film installation of video documentation from the live performance that took place in july of this year.

Please refer to the project blog and facebook page or further details:

http://www.inmemoryofballoongirl.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/groups/188857767834906/?refid=52

An Experimental Autumn

I am so grateful to all the artists who took time and energy to make beautiful artworks for Cardiff and Experimentica 1.1. Discussion and learning were the key ingredients for the weeklong art festival. A strong sense of community developed through the regular breakfast meeting; a chance to eat breckie and talk over the previous days art making. A contextual library became a supportive artist hub, where people could congregate between making and seeing. Sleeping overnight at Chapter Arts Centre was such a fun and unique way to spend time alongside the other artists. During the night we consumed lots of Lambrini, sweets, popcorn and dodgy horror movies. The experience of witnessing the new and exciting work taking place by international artist was overwhelming and inspiring. Thank you to my volunteer team who worked so hard and supported me throughout the festival. Thank you to Cathy Boyce and James Tyson for giving me the opportunity to help shape the festival. Most importantly, a big thank you to the artist’s who showed complete dedication to their work and Experimentica.

A complete archive of the weeks activities is available online at Culture Colony and on the Live Art Live Blog by Random People. Please follow the bellow links for further information:

http://www.culturecolony.com/videos?id=7348

http://liveartliveblog.net/

Green Eyed Monster Documentation

Her green eyed gaze flickered angrily.

Wildly fanning herself to cool down the rage of jealousy.

Jealousy towards the yummy mummies with the promise of family and love,

Jealousy towards the young beautiful ladies promenading along the lagoon,

Jealousy towards loved up couples romancing.

With her fan and her goggles she takes on my fury.

Fury at everything I am not.

Replacing me at my performance post

Replicating

Reinterpreting

Exorcising my Green Eyed Monster.

On October 3rd 2011, Nia Metcalfe stood on my behalf at Via Garibaldi and made my performance for me. Nia, who is one part of the public art organisation Elbow Room, curated four artists (Sean Edwards, Mark Gubb, Molly Rooke and myself) to show in Venice whilst she was invigilating for the Welsh Pavilion. The artists were invited to give Nia the project that they wished for her to make on their behalf. Thus blurring the typical roles of artist and curator.

It was difficult for me, as the immediacy and directness I gain from making performance art was lost. On the other hand I have passed on my vision to her, and she created exactly what was in my minds eye.

Having had the performance idea for Green Eyed Monster brewing for a considerable length of time it felt fitting to pass it onto Nia, a trusted friend and someone that I admire creatively.

The performance lasted for three hours. No food or drink was consumed and Nia remained barefoot throughout. These are important rules I follow when making my durational work.

Thank you to Tom Goddard for documenting the work for me.

Id like to thank Nia for taking on the responsibility of making this work for me, and for being brave in inviting people to gaze.

Green Eyed Monster

Green Eyed Monster is a new performance work that explores the madness of jealousy. Its a project I have been developing for a while. Chapter 3 of John Burger' The Ways of Seeing has contributed to the themes behind this work, and I aim to look at the notion of the surveyed women, trained from an early age to objectify other women and see their potential threat. This project has been realised with the curatorial vision of Nia Metcalfe, and I am very grateful for her mentoring and support.

I look forward to sharing the imagery with you.

Experimentica 1.1

As part of this year's Experimentica festival (Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, UK) I am taking on the role of Hostess with the Mostess. I will be there to provide a warm Welsh welcome. Community and a sense of belonging are an enormous part of a festival's presence and being. My aim for Experimentica 1.1 is to strengthen this and to create a feeling of collectivism for both the participating artists and audience members. This may stem for my desire to belong, I am forever searching for that sense of family. I long for those student days spent at the studio discussing your work at length and moving together towards the final goal of a show.

I am not an artist who thrives well on being alone at the studio.

My ideas and work often stem from discussion, debate and an understanding which is gained through social interaction.

Please join me in creating an artist hub that will fuel the hearth of Experimentica 1.1.

N.B The previous post is a call out to those who would like to support me in the endeavour of creating this sense of community throughout the live/visual art festival.

WE NEED YOU!

EXPERIMENTICA 1.1 team are calling for enthusiastic and friendly people to volunteer for the live art festival’s Welcome Point and Reading Room.

The Welcome Point will function as a hospitable and informative space for participating artists, the Experimentica audience, and the wider public. The Reading Room will keep a variety of texts relevant to the history, theories and context of performance art. We aim to have a constant presence throughout the festival’s activity. Both spaces will enforce a strong sense of community to Experimentica and the foyer area of Chapter Arts Centre.

Your role as part of the Experimentica Family will involve answering questions, greeting people, and providing information on performances and the artists. Whilst taking care of the Reading Room your responsibilities will include looking after the books, reading and greeting people. Shifts are between 3-4 hours in length and both areas will be open from 10am- 9pm throughout the festival (Weds 12th- Sun 16th of October 2011.) Training for the volunteer post will be informal and will take place a week before Experimentica 1.1’s start date.

In return for your valuable time you will receive a free Experimentica 1.1 festival pass and refreshments during your shift. Whatever time you can offer will be greatly appreciated.

If you are interested please email Kathryn Ashill at info@kathrynashill.com, with a short introduction to yourself and state why you would like to be part of the Welcome Point/Reading Room by 1st of October 2011.

Thank You. Diolch Yn Fawr.

For more information on the festival please visit: http://www.chapter.org/24305.html

Cwtch-Stori, Milton Keynes Gallery

Performance: Kathryn Ashill from MK Gallery on Vimeo.

Mk Gallery have been archiving their videos and have recently added documentation of a performance I did in summer 2010. In Cwtch- Stori I invited strangers to sit on my lap whilst I read them Snow white and the seven dwarfs in Welsh. Sharing my bilingualism is important to me and underpins much of my practice. As a result of this I wanted to test my ability to communicate a narrative to a non Welsh speaking audience. The motherly nature of the performance was also central to the piece and participants adopted a very childlike pose.

Thank you to Luke Williams (an amazing video artist and technician at MK Gallery,) and to Mk Gallery for their support.

Pitch

Pitch is a radio programme set up by Good Cop Bad Cop, which airs every Tuesday on Cardiff Radio 98.7FM. Tune in for this Tuesdays programme as I will be discussing my latest projects and ideas on the show.

In Memory of Balloon Girl : Phase II

Preparations are well underway for the November launch of a publication and a film representation of the July performance. Please refer to the project blog for detailed updates.

Breaking the summer silence

Arriving home from my travels in late August has left me slightly disorientated. It is only now I feel I am now fully operational. Visiting the Venice Biennale this year provided me with much inspiration and I was blown away by some of the pavilions. Once back in the UK, I had to collect suitcase number two for holiday number two on the Greek Island of Santorini. The Venetians once occupied the island and there was a definite architectural link. Both were jewel like and hailed from the same pastel orientated colour palette. Belissimo!

The Music Party

The Music Party, Performance Still, Dawn Woolly

I sat still for twenty minutes. I sat still, balancing a knife in a red glass. My concentration focused on not letting the clinking sound of metal on glass become obvious. A man to my left is holding a sea salt oyster. He is offering it to me. The offer of sea salt sexuality becomes overwhelming as time passes by. He is concentrating on his stillness. I am his focus. The second man to my left towers above us. He is about to pluck the strings of his instrument. He is about to pluck for the whole twenty minutes of anticipated action. He is concentrating on his stillness. I am his focus.

The viewers anticipate our animation. You could cut the tension with a knife. Not the knife in my hand though, that has to remain still.

The creator of this elaborate tableau turns the light on to release us from the stillness.

The Music Party was a one off live action created by Dawn Woolly for her current exhibition Visual Pleasures at Turnerhouse, Ffotogallery, Penarth, July 20th 2011. Myself and two other performance artist’s John Rowley (aka Good Cop Bad Cop, holding instrument) and Richard Huw Morgan (aka Good Cop Bad Cop, holding oyster) sat still, in the photographic installation for a twenty-minute period. It was a joy to take part in someone else’s work, and enjoy the moment. It’s very hard to do this when you’re creating your own live work, as there are all sorts of factors that cause worry. I often worry about the audience/participant and my duty to them. I’m always honoured that people turn up to see my work and feel a responsibility to them. When taking part in another artist’s work, those elements become their concern, thus alleviating the pressure for me.

In Memory of Balloon Girl Performance,Cathays Cemetery, July 24th 2011

Thank you to all those who attended the performance. It was a brilliant afternoon. Please visit the blog set up specifically for this project for more images and context on this new body of work.

I am looking forward to the documentation launch on Sunday November 20th at St. David's Hall. Hope to ee you all there.

www.inmemoryofballoongirl.blogspot.com

A Tribute to Sue Griffith

It is with deep sadness that I say goodbye to my dear friend, mentor and former lecturer, Sue Griffith, who peacefully passed away at Ty Olwen hospice in the early hours of Saturday morning. I am honoured to have been her friend. Whilst at Uni our dissertation sessions would go on forever, and I would look forward to telling Sue of my latest reading and research. Much of my aesthetic and practice is attributed to the variety of artist's and movements Sue introduced to me. Sue became a mentor to me after graduating, providing constant support. I will always cherish the essay she wrote 'Home Sweet Home', which contextualises my practice, for my Craig Y Nos publication. Most importantly, I will never forget everything she taught me. The above image is of Sue on Antony Gormley's third Plinth giving a lecture on the history of cats.

Two weeks ago Sue had told me how loved she felt because her friends were rallying around her. This gives me great comfort. My thoughts are with her other close friends and her cousin.

Hwyl Fawr Sue, Cariad mawr xxx

In Memory of Balloon Girl Performance

One hundred helium balloons have arrived for my latest work, which takes place on Sunday, July 24^th, 2011 at Cathays Cemetery. 2pm-4pm. It will be great to see you there. After the short action is performed there will be light refreshments and lots of cake to enjoy. Come and celebrate this brave girls life with me.

Hope to see you there.

BBC Radio Cymru Interview

Please follow the below link to BBC iPlayer to listen to the radio discussion about my latest project In Memory of Balloon Girl. It was exciting in the Radio Cymru studio, and I really enjoyed the interview. Its a Welsh language interview, but feel free to listen, Im about 45 minutes into the programme.

Mae’r rhaglen yn Cymraeg, felly dwy’n awgrymu bod pobl sy’n gallu darllen y neges yma yn gwrando.

Mwynhewch x

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b012mbrn/Nia_Roberts_22_07_2011/

Please note: this link will expire after 7 days

In Honour of Polly Garter Images

The images of the performance In Honour of Polly Garter, created specifically for the G39 closing event on July 2^nd 2011 take you through a series of simple rituals I performed. The pictures were taken by Maura Hazelden, (aka Fflo Fflach), who happened to be observing the performance that day.

The piece began by myself sweeping and scrubbing the pavement in front of the gallery. The smell of the Dettol disinfectant used was intoxicating as I carried out this task. For me the connotations of motherhood, grazed knees and nursing are very strongly linked to the amber coloured disinfectant. After discarding the dirty water, I proceeded to hang a bunch of bright yellow roses above the threshold. Yellow roses are given as a sign of friendship, but more relevant to this work, are also given as a fond farewell. Early that morning I had used two urine sample pots to piss in. It was brightly coloured early morning pee, made stronger by the salty Chinese curry Id eaten the night before. Marked on the urine samples was “Hwyl Fawr G39’.

I blessed the doorstep by unscrewing the caps off the sample bottles, releasing the urine, and gestured to piss like the drunken men who regularly do this on a boozy Mill Lane night out.

The performance ended with me pulling my garter down which had the front door key on it, and opening the space for the crowd to enter.

G39’s threshold was officially blessed.

Miss Ashill is leaving the building

Yr Hugan Fach Goch (mural painting K.Ashill, Dec 09)

After two amazing year’s in my role as a Welsh language teaching assistant, I will be leaving to become a full time Artist. Its time to take the plunge and commit to making Art full time. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff at Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Eirwg for their continued support. Hwyl Fawr Miss Ashill …..

Performance Collaboration

Myself, Richard Huw Morgan and John Rowley, will be taking part in Dawn Woolley’s new installation performance at Ffotogallery this coming Wednesday. It will be a real joy to work with these artist’s, and I will relish being part of Dawn’s creation. After experiencing her excellent G39 Installation performance for her if… exhibition, I have no doubt that it will truly be a visual pleasure.

In Memory of Balloon Girl

I will be making a new site-specific performance, whcih takes place at Cathays Cemetery on Sunday July the 24th, 2011 at 2pm-4pm.

The performance will explore the tragic death of 14-year-old Louisa Maud Evans and the fear she must have felt in having to jump from the doomed balloon into the Bristol Channel.

This new live work forms Phase 1 of the memorial project. I hav commissioned a creative writer, a filmmaker and photographer to document and respond to the piece. The performance residue will then be collated and a film and publication launch will take place at St. David’s Hall in November 2011.

Please join me in honouring this brave girl. Refreshments will be available to enjoy at the end of the event.

This project has been fully funded by the Arts Council of Wales.

Adain Avion Promo Video

http://vimeo.com/celfyddydau/adainavionlaunch

Adain Avion

I will be flying the flag for Wales along side 34 other Artist's that have been selected to make work for Adain Avion. This project is curated by Marc Rees and is a Cultural Olympiad 2012 project for Wales. A silver, wingless airplane will be transformed into a mobile contemporary art space that will showcase visual and performing artist's around our nation.

My work will be included in the Swansea docking of the plane. I am working on a site-specific, socially engaging piece that will begin in the heart of the city, and will culminate in a new performance piece to take place inside the aircraft in June 2012.

Caroline Sheen - UNDER MILK WOOD - Polly Garter

In Honour of Polly Garter Preparations

Things are well underway for my new performance, which begins at 2.30pm, outside G39 gallery on 2nd of July (tomorrow).

It will be an amazing day with plenty of work to see by some great artists. After 13 years of occupying the same space, everyone will be excited to find out the galleries new location.

This is an exciting time for the Welsh Capitol.

Lets welcome in a new era for contemporary art practice within Cardiff City centre, its borders and across South Wales.

Here's a video clip that will provide some context to tomorrows performance.

Hope to see you there!

Lovebite showing at This Is My Body

The film documentation of Lovebite will be exhibited at Birkbeck College University of London, as part of a conference which explores peoples responses to medical procedure. The show has been curated by the Irish Museum of Contemporary Art and features artists from Ireland and the UK.

Opening Reception Friday, July 1st, 4 – 7pm

Wine reception and music by Les Keye Sunday, July 3, 6pm

Show open 10-5 daily through July 10

For more information please visit:

http://imoca.ie/imoca2/wordpress/

This is My Body

In Honour of Polly Garter, G39

In Honour of Polly Garter will be a ritualistic performance, which will see me bless the space. This blessing will prepare the site for its new future, whilst honouring its past. I will also remember Polly Garter whilst performing the action outside the Gallerie's main entrance. Poor Polly Garter from Dylan Thomas's Undermilk Wood who has a love of being loved and making babies.

¿AreWeNotDrawnOnwardToNewEra?

preview 2 July 2011

On 2 July g39 will close its doors on 13 years of history in advance of our imminent relocation. Before that happens we have one last exhibition and one final special event to say goodbye to number 39. Please join us to welcome in the new era.

After 12 years in its three-storey townhouse, g39 as we know it is coming to a momentous end. The organisation must relocate to new premises and the space will be given back. In a parting gesture, we have invited a selection of artists to contribute to a final grand exhibition. They will be making work that marks the end of the building’s use as a cultural hub and a centre for artistic development in Wales.

Over the last twelve years the building has seen extensive renovation work and temporary conversions in order to display artists’ work. Walls and doorways have been built and unbuilt, apertures have been sliced into ceilings and floors, windows have disappeared and reappeared. These conversions are being entirely undone in preparation for our departure. The space is back to its bare, undecorated state. It is this environment that the artists have been invited to work with, and they will be responding to this de-purposed building with a meaningful gesture that marks their time here.
Throughout the duration of exhibition they will contribute to an accumulation of works and ideas, culminating in a final closing event thoughout the day and night on 2 July 2011, the eve of the gallery’s thirteenth anniversary.

This special event will give audiences and artists alike a chance to say one final goodbye to the building, and possibly to announce the latest developments in our relocation.

Long Live the Website!

Finally, after months of lovingly labouring over my website it is complete and ready for you all to see. Building it was a brilliant process in which I had the chance to reflect chronologically on my practice.

Please visit it for context on my artwork- both old and new. It will be regularly updated as I have a lot of exciting projects coming up. However, I will still be a committed blogger as I find addressing people through this direct medium very liberating.

www.kathrynashill.com

A Series of Uncertainties (A new series of performances, Chapter Arts Centre 27-29.04.2011)

Three new performances were created over the three-day Perfformiad event at Chapter. The event was a brilliant success, and myself and the other two artists were humbled by the amount of support we had from our audience. They showed great patience and commitment to the developing work.

Threshold was my first performance at the Arts Centre, during which I placed myself in front of the main entrance and invited people to carry me across the threshold. Participants struggled with my weight as they tried to walk the short distance with me in their arms. The act fostered a real sense of trust between the carrier and myself, as I often had to sense their strength whilst also taking into account their physical safety (the last thing I wanted was to injure someone’s back!) Overall this action was very enjoyable and created a very festive atmosphere- people clapped, whistled and cheered as people succeeded in the task. It felt like a village wedding.

The second performance lasted five hours, without a break from 2pm until 7pm. Curiad/Beat was an invitation for people to come and find my heartbeat using a stethoscope. The intimacy this action prompted was intense as people had to concentrate and move in closely. People smiled with delight once they had located the heartbeat, and regularly commented on how steady and calm it was.

The final performance Home is where the heart is, lasted five hours and forty-four minutes. During this work I aimed to fill the front courtyard with small house shaped cardboard structures, which had a red heart inside. My intentions for making the work were to stress the importance of belonging, and my frustration at not being able to afford property. Much like the other two pieces, this work focused on my desires to settle. I laboured over these houses for three hours, carved the shapes from the cardboard, and painted red hearts. I felt trapped in this making process, it was too focused and I found it difficult to engage with onlookers. After a while I felt that I needed to change tack and began building myself a home. The structure was solid and provided good shelter from the wind. I sat in my new found home for two hours and forty-four minutes. People began to join me to discuss the series of performances they had seen me undertake. The work became far more socially engaging than the previous action.

Having the opportunity to change the course of a work whilst making it publicly was liberating and stems from the freedom of making new work over three days. Often artists working in the realm of performance have to prove themselves within a two-hour slot. Perfformiad’s structure allowed all three artists to establish a bond with the audience, whilst allowing the work to grow more organically over a period of time.

Photocredit to Cathy Boyce

Images of Threshold will follow shortly

Perfformiad

From April 27th-29th I will be creating three new durational works outside the main entrance of Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. ‘A Series of Uncertainties’ is a new body of work, which will aim to articulate my current experiences of having an uncertain future, and the need for security as a young woman entering her late twenties. Perfformiad is a three-day event that will showcase new work by myself, Sam Hasler and Iwan Morgan. The work has been commissioned by ‘What’s Welsh for Performance’ and Chapter Arts Centre.

Please follow the link below for the April issue of the Chapter guide which includes further information about the work.

http://www.chapter.org/22271.html

St.David’s Day Celebration’s

Thanks to all those who took part in my St. David’s day performance. The participants wholeheartedly took part in the welsh language story session. Most of the audience were not Welsh speakers, but I was very impressed with how quickly the adult group began to recognise the repetition in the language patterns, and could repeat the words perfectly. There was singing, the story of St David was told and Miss Ashill introduced the Welsh words ‘Cenhinen’ (Leek) and ‘Cenyn’ (Daffodil). We all enjoyed the bara brith, Welsh Cakes and tea at the Welsh tea party which followed the 20 minute performance.

St. David's day Celebrations

Most of my attention is focused towards a new performance I am making for St. David's day. 'An Evening with Miss Ashill' will involve me presenting a nursery carpet session. At present I work as a teachers assistant in a Welsh Language primary school. Having to teach the three year olds a basic understanding of the language is a huge responsibility (98% of the children come from English speaking only homes). You are invited to witness how it is we coax the children to adopt our Bilingual ways through stories, food and memory games.

Im very nervous and excited about this and hope I have enough Welsh Cakes for everyone!

Artemisia

St David’s Hall Exhibition Space

You are cordially invited to the private view of

Artemisia

An Exhibition of contemporary Women Artists who practice in Wales, celebrating the ideas they have in 2011

Featuring Sue Williams, Rozanne Hawksley, Catrin Webster, Di Setch, Dilys Jackson, Virginia Head,Rebecca Spooner, Adele Vye, Fern Thomas, Amanda Roderick, Gemma Copp, Anna Barrett,Jacqueline Alkema, Corrie Chiswell, Becky Adams, Susan Adams, Kathryn Ashill, Kathryn Cambell Dodd, Heather Eastes, Annie Giles Hobbs, Ruth Harries, Penny Hallas, Mary Husted, Daphne Hurn, Ann Jordon, Tiff Oben, Luned Rhys Parri, Jane Taylor, Miranda Whall, Dawn Woolley, Sue Hunt, Rebecca Gould, Eirian Llwyd, Lisa Jones, Nicola O’Neill, Ruth McLees, Bella Kerr, Helen Booth, Jean Walcot, Jo Alexander, Wendy Couling, Su Roberts, Janet Walters and Lisa Tann

Friday February 25th 2011

5pm - 7pm

St David’s Hall

The Hayes

Cardiff

CF10 1AH

For more information call - Ruth Cayford T: 029 20878706

or E: rcayford@cardiff.gov.uk

Image: Miranda Whall - Untitled

The exhibition is displayed on Level 1, 2 and 4

From February 25th - April 9th

Please call for opening times

Admission Free

It is an honour to be showing alongside such talented female artist's. I am very encouraged by how many of us there are in Wales with active and vibrant practices. For the exhibition I have included photographic documentation from the Craig Y Nos performance 'Open Door', Jul 2010, alongside two drawings ('Estyniad' and 'Home Sweet Home') which originated from this live work. During the Open Door performance I invited visitors to come to my room at the castle, watch me make site responsive drawings, have a cup of tea and listen to stories of the castle's legendary owner: Madam Adelina Patti.

Copies of the catalogue from the Craig Y Nos exhibition will be available for free at this show.

Hope to see you there.

Purpose

The purpose for this blog is to keep you all updated on any new performances, events or exhibitions I am involved with. Please use this as a reference point for information on developments within my practice. As I am currently in the laborious process of creating a website (I’m only trying to create something simple, but generally struggling!) I feel that this will be a useful substitute for now.

Photographic documentation from the perforamance 'Nythu' 2010