24

Like lt. Lump lt. We Are All Connected

f LILIWAAC discoveredP
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a

a
Performative walk
through Barons
Northulffi t
t
Quay. as
arlist Beth,/ /
Barlow teists the
limits of unauthorized
cre6tive activitv T.
TPhotograph
Simon Birdsey )

A."N.pw Way Of Interactittg

Enliused by tlle general electior campaign tiat took place in Jwle 2017, artist Beth Bartow fowrd herselfbecoming hcreashgly politicatty ergaged ard activated.

in the wet and cold alongside facts like this give some sincerity to the work.

connected.

particular work. Some are robust and bind the circ1es together tighdy whilst other seem more fi"gile ald tertative.

she was told that she couldn't place the smatt "Steet Studio"sign on the table and help passeN by to crcchet without booking the space first.
goveming body or a body of watel to name but a few.

Read more on page 5

$*p"h"fiting
Is Spra\ryling
2018 saw LILIWAAC grow to 5 times its original size through an Arts Council England and Cheshire
Community Foundation funded project. During 2018 the work toured to 5 Iocations. At each Iocation
new pieces were created under a different title; "Hope And Despair ln A Changing World", "Storm
Season", "What Now?" "Down River" and "ln Temporary Conclusion". Alongside the growing work
there were a series of participatory events. There was chance for people to create their own crocheted
circle for inclusion in the work at public events or on their own.
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LILIWAAG 2018
I ikeitl u mpitweareal lconnected.
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Art Gives Power Over Sad News
Safe Space For
A To Learn
In spring 2018 an open invite was circulated through facebook. People were
asked to come along to Northwich based community center, "The Venue" to
learn how to crochet and find out about the LILIWAAC project. Artist Beth
Barlow set out her packed lunch, crochet hook and yarn ready for a quiet
afternoon. These unbooked free events are risky and she was prepared to
crochet alone if it turned out to be a no show. Ever the optimist she put the
kettle on and began to line up a row of mugs. People started to come even
before the water boiled, before sugar was placed in a bowl or milk poured into
a jug. One of the more experienced crocheters offered to take over brew duties
so that Beth could get started on teaching. Twenty three people ranging from 6
months to 80 sat in a circle whilst Beth talked them through the basics. People
were encouraged to look to either side of them if they finished a step and help
anybody who was struggling. Through a combined effort
everybody but the 6 month year old learnt to create a circle..
Random Str
ichi-e
Simon kennedy
This Japanese phrase means; "One time, one meeting". It indicates that we should cherish each moment and meeting as it may never
occur again. In many ways this is a curious pkase to apply to a funded project. Success within alt projects is often dehned when we
hook people in as long telm audience members or participants. How might our need for this affect our daily intEractions with people we
meet momentarily on the steet but might never see again? How does it affect the sincerity of our interactions? How do we avoid be-
coming
artistic chuggeN, only noting an interaction as a success when we add to our mailing list? Do objectives to hook people in actually tum
people off and make it less likely that they will stay and have a mutually pleasing interaction? During 2018 Beth Barlow has been trying
to enjoy each meeting no matter how fleeting or seemingly offproject brief. She will gently answer people's questions about the
project and listen to their stories too. For this project she has tried to avoid a set script or expectations about who she will meet or how
it will go. This may seem simple and natual but going to a place with no set plan often takes some justification. In every avenue of life
c."",i""n"-"diesMember
There was a certain amount of intrepidation at the thought of
crocheting sad news with a group of people who already felt battered
by the realties of life. There was talk of triggers and things which
might set group members off into a further spiral of depression or a
bout of anxiety. But as we journeyed through the LILIWAAC project
we realised that there was one big difference between an
afternoon with our heads in the paper or a half glance at TV news.
We looked at the papers, We saw news of the Florida shootings and
news that men aren't taking up their entitled paternity leave. To have
left it there may well have left us feeling powerless or bereft.
Making art about sad stories is the key difference. Art is a tool for
quiet contemplation. It allows us to sit with a subject without it
hurting too much. It allows us to articulate our internal monologue,
to get it out of our head. It is also a tool for communication. It can
bebrazen and blatant or it can be subtle and allow us to hide behind
ambiguity. One of the more blatant piece figuratively described a
struggle with personal independence payments. The maker is
described as ANON. Through art we can say all those things we
might fear to say in person. The depiction of the Florida shooting
was at once figurative and abstract. Holes outlined in red with shot
coloured grey and various skin colours denoting those who were
killed. 17 knotted tightly but stuffily together. Once paired with its
description this scruffy little piece brings strong emotions. The other
unexpected positive which came about with the need to fulfill a brief
was the need for comradeship. Those who were more practiced
helped those who were new to the craft. Concepts developed by one
took a group to realise. All the while we found ourselves smiling and
laughing, not at the pain but despite it.
Back To
University
Beth Barlow
Said MMU Lecturer Hazel Jones about the
LILIWAAC lecture and workshop which her
"Interactive Arts" students took part in.
It has been a long time since I left University with
my gleaming 1:1 degree in 1997.I put part of my
success down to the lecturers interest in my work
and their ability to sit down and chat with me about
it as they passed through the studio. One particularly
scarey but fine lecturer stopped me on my way into
the building one day and told me how he liked ,my
performative would and would like to be one of my
tutors. These impromptu and unexpected boosts both
in knowledge and confidence really helped me to
progress from a pretty poor A level result to a top
degree. During the time I was there, all those moons
ago, I saw a change. The lecturers became more time
stretched, more restricted by systems, more
With university budgets slashed it appears to be
students and towards the end of my degree you
getting harder to find the cash to pay visiting
weren't getting a tutorial unless you booked it. First
lecturers.
years struggled to get a studio space. I was lucky
"Once I did actually get the green light to invite
enough to experience a few years oftrue lecturers
someone I was shocked at how hard it was to get
colours. Flashing in new ideas with, able to spend
payment for visiting lecturers." said one
time with students whose work resonated with them.
anonymous lecturer.
"The system does seem to make is harder than it
During my short tour around 3 universities I've been
used to."
impressed with how lecturers are keeping up their
Even when just looking for small expenses to cover
side as systems appear to make their jobs more
things like travel the hoops which visiting artists or
difficult year on year. I talked with one lecturer who
lecturers have to go through can be many and
was working l2how days most days just to keep the
varied.
paperwork and proper student contact going. Is
"It was brilliant when you got the grant and could
pressure to have everything written down in
come in as it allowed us to have a talk that wasn't
duplicate more important than the health of our
part of the curriculum but was a brilliant flash of .
lecturers or the education ofour young people?
some new ideas,fresh face and alternative way of
Would it be too apocalyptic to bin the filing cabinet,
doing."
wipe the spread sheet and get on with inspiring?
22
LILIWAAG 2018
I ikeitl u mpitweareal lconnected.
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Insta ation Art. Different I
George Erans
Urban Planning Student
and LILIWAAC gallery assistant
"I've followed Like it. Lump It. We Are A11 Connected. To all but one venue. Gallery, Lower Kersal, Salford
It looks so different in every space." says Christine Westwell.
When asked to describe what an art installation is LILIWAAC artist Beth
Barlow tells people it is a work of art which isn't confined to a frame or a
pedestal. During the course of the LILIWAAC project those new to the idea
have asked questions like "What wallwill it be on?." Beth's reply is "A11 The
walls and maybe the ceiling and the floor too.". The thought of this can be a
troublesome prospect. People might wonder how the artists taking over of a
space might affect the usual running of the place. People may find the vague
dimensions and logistics worrying. Each space throws up different problems
and opportunities. The question "How does it hang?" isn't easily answered
either. The amount of hanging points, the listing of a building, the spaces Cornerstone Gallery, Hope University
function and the aesthetic all affect the answer. With multi functional spaces
and even dedicated gallery spaces there is rarely time or budget to try the
work in the space prior to its installation. There is a certain nerve to be held
when leaving decisions and practical resolutions until the day of a hang. A lot
The Wlliamson Museum And Art Gallery
of thinking and planning goes on in the head but real life hangs can be a
whole different ball game. The time needed to hang must allow for things to
go wrong, for problems to be solved. When hanging the work in the listed
Mary and A11 Saints Church the work could only be hung from the hooks
installed in the war for black out blinds and around the columns and lights.
Maneuvering oneself up a 30 ft ladder is a daunting prospect. A long stick
found in the vestry and a bull dog clip helped to fish the work into place
without the scary climb. One sleep later and one of the supporting threads
had come unhooked bringing the work down several feet. A generous
hanging schedule allowed for the work to be restrung and it stayed put for the
span of the exhibition.
challenges ofthe space, by the things which sit aroutrd the work and the meanings we associate $ritl
the work was like a spiders web. A church is a space for cortemptatior. Pews irvited people to sit
tle spaces.
atrd potrder the
At Hope udversity where the work was displayed in two tit
work. Those who manage "The Shed Gallery" have a history of
comes down in a matter ofminutes. The space is physicatty unchanged but perceptio$ about the spaces poteftial and possibitities may well be altered.
s Found
ToBeA
Simon Kennedy
Conceptual Artist
We may seek truth through a book of stats, an intuition, art or a pie chart. A diagram
may be seen to be transparent, easily read and scientific too. Those who enjoy their
facts as visuals might look to this form.
During the course of LILIWAAC it became clear that diagrams are not all that perfect.
The main discovery about diagrams is that they are specific to a certain moment in time.
They only tell the truth temporarlly. Consider a well loved road map from the 1960's.
Its owner finds it useful and then nostalgic. Confuse the two and the map book could
get one into all kinds of trouble. Forget that it has become obsolete and the roads may
be found to be blocked or built over many more roads may not be mentioned. Your
modern road trip with this map would be frustrating or funny, depending on your
perspective. So it was with the diagrams Beth Barlow endeavored to create for
LILIWAAC. Even as the first exhibition was hung Beth began to sense that the
diagramwould quickly become useless. Each time a new crocheted circle was created
Beth would add a corresponding circle on the diagram.It would note the news topic,
any extra text a contributor wanted and the contributors name. The circles links and
location within the work would be clumsily noted. Clumsily because the new circles
had to be squeezed in between the existing ones with less and less regard for their true
scale or position. To keep the diagram functioning in its own right it had to retain a
certain neatness which led it further away from truth. At its outset a diagram on paper
isn't future proof. As time moves on either changes have to be ignored or they make
things messy. For a few hangs Beth aimed to keep things neat and readable but by the
time the work had got to exhibition number 4 the diagram was cluttered and largely
useless. All this gets one thinking. Why did people think the earth was flat for so long?
Was it purely because those in power had spent an awful long time making some very
lovely maps? Beth was liberated when she decided that the first brown paper diagram
was no longer functioning as a way of interpreting the work. She developed some site
specific diagrams, drawing on the floor of one space and creating separate tracing paper
circles for another. The owner of the 1960's map, no doubt foiled once too often by the
racing on of road building, bought a new map. The old map could take on a new
position. So it was with the big brown LILIWAAC map. Now it could be explored as a
comment on its own inadequacies. The first manifesto of this is pictured here. The next
will use the diagram pages in this paper to further understand not just diagrams but how
things may resist change simply because the information depicted at a set point might
be too cumbersome to re depict. Those who place down the first facts may have a huge
amount of power to shape current perceptions and future actions.
See several diagrams on page
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20

LILIWAAC 2018 LILIWAAC 2018

likeitlumpitweareallconnected. likeitlumpitweareallconnected.
blogspot.com blogspot.com

erchandise The Origins of and Despair

Hgpe
A set of postcards yet to be made

LILIWAAC The United nations has recently conducted

a study
Great
into the affects of austerity in
Britian.The UN envoy found
policies which have grown"great misery"
and are "punitive, mean-spirited, and often

discoYered cal1ous".

During the course of LILIWAAC I

Continued from Page 1 encountered many stories of people
Simon Kennedy struggling. Pieces crocheted by them or

I will try to be I am no more On the morning that the artist sat down to begin working, the news was awash with images of the
tragedy that had befallen Grenfell Tower. One large circle was then crocheted in the colours of
inspired by their stories are within the
work.

inte re s ted in the cladding and burnt in the centre. T2black stitches were then added to denote the number of
people first thought missing. Watching the news unfold brought tears of connection, empathy,
Sat in Warrington library I was

BEAUTY than sadness and anger. "How must that feel?" "What must they be going through?" The task taken on
meant that the news must stay on even if it felt wrong to be so constantly immersed in the tragedy
approached by a homeless man who sat
with me and expertly recited some of the

Iam of others. The news grew in what the artist felt was a scary and curious way over the next few
poems he had written over the years. His
friend told me of failed suicide attempts
weeks.
and his current catch22 situation. As an
ex prisoner he didn't hold much hope for
This one location with 600 residents became the epicenter of further fears. Each day the artist sat
employment or a place beyond the night
to crochet, further tower blocks with cladding failing safety tests continued to grow, first it was
hostel. I created a piece provoked by these
1 1, then 27 ,32, and then 60. The artist crocheted for twelve hours at atime to try and keep up
conversations and a report into the level of
with the numbers. What was anticipated as being one small segment of news and one small
state support for needy babies compared to
segment of work, grew and grew. Then it seemed that a response to the growing political debate
care as we age and find ourselves unable
was needed.
to care for ourselves or thrive in society.

The second piece created which alludes to the above displays boil like protrusions representing
financial markets and those who's choices and decisions are grounded in money rather than
welfare and those who's only responsibility is to their shareholders. Stitched into this are
representations of law and government. These are in-fact stitched so closely that they become one
body. This one body (which may be tolerable if it stayed within it's own box), has tentacles which
spread, sprawl and extend uneasily across the work and as they do so, dragging in the third news
My art may be story; The ongoing refugee crisis and those displaced by war.
beautiful or ugly.
I give up control The blue, grey and black which littered our thoughts of Grenfell, the tastefully beige yet blood
of that to the raw stained fiscal markets, the jumbled colours of the refugees as they perilously set off across land
material which the and sea and finally the bleached and charred buildings of Mosul, Damascus and other war torn
world puts into the lands.
grinder.
The afore mentioned are presented to us via the rolling media as distinct and separate stories,
Within the piece are several works created by a lady who was slowly and painfully working her
way through the "Personal lndependence Payments" (PPS) system with the help of her family.
Within the work there is a crocheted version of a letter she received which says "We will write to
you soon". The funny side of a letter to inform one of a letter is measured against the frustration of
thinking your waiting is over and having hopes of good news dashed. I wanted to create a piece on
PIPS from my own perspective. My Dad, who recently passed away as a result of asbestos
exposure, was in receipt of PIPs. I wanted to create a piece which looked at how by giving the
money direct to him, rather than supporting services which he could access for free, he had to
indirectly take on the role of a service commissioner. I am no expert but it seemed to me that whilst
giving money direct to individuals may give them more control it could equally leave them
insolated and undeserved. Both pieces on PIPS were rather frttingly first shown in a gallery below
the PIPS offices.
So lots of despair, where is hope in all this? During the course of the project we worked with people

The grinder IF YOU ARE ONLY Like it. Lump It. We are all connected. attempts to visually demonstrate how in reality all things, from mental health charity "Creative Minds". At first we woried that the depressing nature of most
news would trigger mental health issues. In actual fact the ability to comment through art seemed to
is the process of the work. either at a gross or imperceptibly subtle level are in one way or another connected.
This includes the rules, my LOOKING FOR add a tone ofjoy and hope. It seems empowering to have a voice on shared troubles.

own skills and manual

dexterity, people
who join the journey
with me etc.
PLEASURE THERE
IS A CAFE AND A
Comme
GIFT SHOP
The
raw materials are things Iike
news in ' LILIWAAC ' /
personal emotions in
Debate
There was an interesting set of comments written whilst the work were in St Mary And A11
'Knit A Year' or objects found in
Saints Church. The top one reads;
'Beautiful Things' .
"Sorry to 'rain on your parade' but this 'artwork' just looks a mess bordering on an eyesore. This
To alter lovely church would be better off without it."
the rules because of a preoccupation The second says;
with the final object is deceitful. "We don't want our churches to become a museum. Art is a visual expression of our world."
This got me thinking. I am not that interested in creating a piece which is beautiful or ugly.
Instead I want to create a piece which is true to the info which filters in through news stories and
sticks to the rules I set at the outset. Rules which state that it is to be in crochet, each piece
roughly round, the colours and yarns chosen as fitting rather than nice and the joining of each
piece determined by its conceptual connection not aesthetic concerns. The first comment in the

$,gll, Sell, Sell
LILIWAAC is a strange work in thatit has a very solid, large and domineering object at its
heart yet there is nothing to buy. The conceptual artists of the 2lst C left us with a legacy
of art which we just can't sell. The conceptual artists had the de-consumerisation of art as
one of its most up front goals. Most gave up, seeing that no matter how de-mateialized
their art manifest itself it would be assimilated into the art market of the time and become a
salable item.
As artists who followed on in their shadow we know that art can be made of anything or
made of nothing at all. We know that art can be expansive in scale it can climb down off
the wall and wave goodbye to the plinth. This is a double edged sword. On one side we are
liberated but our freedom comes at the cost of our own ability to sell work even if we
thought selling it was a good idea. Of course we can't blame the conceptualists for all this.
Automistion, world markets, changing desires and so much more may well be at home in
this melting pot.
Perhaps all this explains why I can only bring myself to make what might be called "merchandise"
if it was an motive other than sales. My LILIWAAC postcards served more as a free give away to
store the blog address. The badges with their provocative titles might not find their way into the
book frustrates me as I feel that I have failed to communicate my intent. I've not had the chance
to speak with the writer but it seems that they were looking for beauty and thinkingthat I was
too. I would be in agreement that the work is an eye soar to some, indeed many parts of it are to
me. The apology and the worry that the comment will rain on my parade seems to indicate that
politer Christmas stockings. I try to curb my mischief, bag my politics but its just not possible. I'd disagree with their analysis of it as a mess and and eyesore. If the world and its news seems
confusing, messy and ugly and the one of the roles of an artist is to highlight and reflect back the
world as they see it artists might have to make ugly art. With all this bubbling in my head I
began an online discussion and invited some artist and non artist friends to comment. One strand
which grew in this conversation was a debate about skill. One commenter says;
"There is however, amearr, austere aesthetic that has emerged in much contemporary visual art
in recent years which I feel relates to the dumbing down (and loss) of skills in painting and
drawing" he goes on to say in later posts that "My preferences usually have an edgy, visceral
quality that communicate contemporary issues (of their day). I frnd middle of the road,
superficially pretty stuff boring (and because of this, to me, it's ugly!)."
Pondering this I realise againwhy LILIWAAC and other works I've done are difficult. In a way
its all upside down. The form of crochet might be said to be pretty, cosy, nostalgic and maybe
mediocre and low brow. In choosing this form I may firstly attract those who are into pretty
things but then the work repulses them as it is not quiet right, not pretty enough. It is a
misappropriation of their loved form. Those who don't like pretty things might presume it has as-
pirations to be pretty. They may not see how it can be radical. I was talking to a friend who said
that he wouldn't engage with art unless it was political. I wonder if this is why despite it being
right up his street conceptually he hasn't been to see LILIWAAC yet.
Another strand of the conversation explored how ugly and beauty might not be opposites. Ugly
isn't a lack of beauty or vice versa. Both ugliness and beauty can exist in the same thing at the
same time. I think that LILIWAAC contains both beauty and ugliness. See it from a certain angle
and there is even a kind of order growing. Another commented pointed me in the direction of the
book "Aesthetic Theory" by Theodor Adorno. Its heavy going but a few bits which popped out
for me were: in Hitler's Germany the more beautiful a building was the more torture went on in
its basement and an argument that there is enough ugliness in the world so art should be a balm
for that. A11 of this thought and debate has sparked up a passion in me and led me to generate a
series of statements. I'm set to refine them and you can see them as postcards on page 20. I hope
that they will help me communicate my intent more clearly.
Continued on Page 20
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What Is It About?
Isolation
This is the on piece which is
disconnected from the rest of the
installation. It also features a different
more 3 dimensional style. The piece
comprises of 3 grey pot like structures
which are sometimes lit from within.
These were created by Beth Barlow in
response to a story about
compensation given to the victims of
crime. Compensation is not given
when a crime takes place in a person's
home. Beth created pieces which look
mimic shelter. Whilst Individual
shelter may provide refuge they also
create a shield behind which crime can
remain unseen and uncompensated.
This cluster of work also features a
lilac and white lacy piece which was
created by Yuko Evans. Yuko is from
Japan and is pafty to the news from
her homeland. She created this piece
to represent a Japanese child,Yua
Funato who at the age of 5 had died of
neglect and whose death was featured
on Japanese news channels. Yua had
been isolated in a cold room and had
written pages of apologies to her
parents before dying of pneumonia
Yuko was saddened to think that a
child had died in such a lonesome
way. Yuko also talked about how this
news had shocked Japan but not even
featured on British news. It brings
home how provincial our knowledge
of the world can be.
Florida Shootings and Knife crime In
London
The mental health group "Creative
Remedies" worked on the LILIWAAC
project in March 2018. After looking
through the paper some of the groups
members focused on the recent shootings in
Florida. l7 school students were shot. They
worked as a group to create l7 circles, one
for each victim. Red to represent the blood
was circled by a gun shot of grey and then a
circle to represent the victims skin colour.
Artist Beth Barlow was impressed by how
the ideas were realised and the way that the
group worked together to get the piece
completed. As her contribution to the work
Beth looked up photos of the victims to
determine the yam needed to create the skin
sections. It was a grisly and emotional task
but it also brought about questions. Most of
these victims were white, at least to the eye.
She began a journey into the statistics behind
violent black deaths in America. They are
measured in hours rather than days, weeks or
years.
Later in the year the news was full of stories
of increases in knife crime in London and
Beth created a work inspired by the form of
the Florida shooting piece. The knife piece
features 52 circles. Those stabbed in London
in the first 100 days of 2018.
Grenfell I Year On
On l4th June 2017 Grenfell Tower was on fire. The
same day Beth Barlow began to crochet the news. In
2018 the news streams revisited the story. Many
living victims of the blaze were found to be in
temporary accommodation and the community was
still living in the shadow of the tower. The tower
could not be knocked down until the forensic teams
had finished their work. Alongside all this an inquest
had begun and the community commemorated the
anniversary with a silent walk. The building was
noted to have contained asbestos alongside other
toxins and people were commenting on the "Grenfell
Cough".
In June 2018 Beth created a piece which echoed the
original work she had created on the dawn of the
tragedy. Blues and greys to represent the tower but
this time littered with holes and a strand which
dragged the whole thing down. The reports at the
time said that the tower would be demolished
towards the end of 2018 and that the community
would have their say in a fitting memorial. Beth
created a long strand to represent the silent march
and a number of dislocated circles which would be
scattered to represent this now fractured and
dislocated community.
During the exhibiting of the work at St Mary And
A11 Saints Church Beth spoke to some men who
were fitting a new boiler. One workman told her that
he had worked on building a new school to replace
the physically untouched but emotionally charged
school beneath the tower. He commented that it was
amazing how quickly the replacement school was
built. A news paper report of July 2018 told of the
pupils retum to the original school. Window decals
would mask off to still looming tower.
What Is It About?
The Grenfell Tower Disaster And Other Towers Looked after less as we age Suffrage
l4th June 2017 dawned to the images of the 24 storey building on blaze. Beth Barlow can't unpack if the apocalyptic and Whilst crocheting in a library Beth met a 2018 was the anniver-
shocking nature of that news influenced her artistic commitment or the decision to crochet news was brewing before that. She had homeless man who had just been released from sary of some women
been working on the idea of connectivity and her modern western life which encouraged an emphasis on the individual. The news prison. He was in a catch 22 silnration free but not winning
and its emphasis on individual stories left unconnected echoed her more abstract thoughts. She sat all day with the TV on and free. An adult but not in a position to care for the right to vote. The
stitched its content. Alongside the making she cried. Making aft about this distressing event helped her to resist the urge to look himself. During her time crocheting on the streets centenary was
away. She completed the first circle that day, stitched a black stitch in its centre for each of its victims. She later took the work Beth met him a number of times. His stories left afticulated in marches
and burnt the yam at its cenffe. The yam took a while to catch but once ignited its fluffy plastic content left the centre of the work an impression and resonated with a reporl which aft works and more. It
black and melted. talked about how we are looked after if in need at left an impression on a
By the 23rd June I I further towers had been found to feature the same flammable cladding. Beth crocheted 12 hour days to keep birth but as we age less so. In a perfect world church parishioner who
up with the influx on new towers. As she worked she considered the people once remote now connected by a common fear. It where everyone's aptitudes and resources are equal chose the rosette colours
must have been temible to go to bed in one of the affected towers with those images fresh in your head. this might be the natural order of things, to move to create her work. The
24thJune there were 27 towers then32 on the 25th. The scale of Beth's circles grew smaller, firstly as apractical necessity to gradually from dependence to independence. As work was stitched
keep up with the growing numbers but also to reflect the lessening interest demonstrated by the newspapers and TV. It was a LILIWAAC grew it demonstrated that all issues alongside a sea horse
story which was sticking around. 27th June and as the death toll in the Grenfell Tower stabilised at around 7l the towers affected are related and in turn all individuals are which was created by a
rose to 60. It was then that the figures about new towers stopped coming and Beth stopped crocheting about Grenfell.
dependant. Policies made on high affect member of "Creative
Recent reports state that over 400 buildings might be made vulnerable by similar cladding. Whilst councils at the time may have everybody. No matter how much an individual Remedies" who looked
rushed to remove cladding the pace of removal seems to have slowed down. When Beth asked why the cladding on a series of decides to live off the grid, defy the rules and into news about
Salford flats was only removed on the bottom floors her taxi driver told her that it was because they didn't have a crane big
alienate themselves from society they are linked to patemity leave not being
enough. This begs the question about how the cladding got up there in the first place. The answers about why cladding still
it. If there was true in de pen dance there would be taken up. Maybe the
remains might be more closely related to the financially complicated deals which have everybody passing the buck and tied in
no such thing as society, trade, family, tribe, journey, began in 1918,
knots. The end of the tower crocheting saw Beth look more deeply into the financial players which weigh the safety of people's nation, money etc.
lives with the profits.
Syria The Refugee Crisis
Social Media My Outer And The Inner Self
Artists often put a proposition into the world and
people experience it or get involved and find
their own personal use for it. Beth's invite to get
involved was sometimes picked up via social
media by those whose mental health or personal
tragedy had led them towards isolation.
Breaking from work due to ill health led one
LILIWAAC contributor to live part of her life
through social media. She was well aware that
this was a double edged sword. She decided to
create a piece which looked at the way she often
felt compared with the image that she and others
portray via social media. This was also peeked
by the news about facebook and its handling of
personal data. The work features a bright and
frilly edge. The outer side which we show, all
singing and dancing, to the world. Inside is
riddled with cross confused stitches. The work
acts as a cautionary note to us when comparing
our own life the lives of others through these
social media filters.
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was accompanied by a year of plastics was peaked when a David Another in the Middle pictured placing a
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rd.4d.E 6r4d&3turoEolibyru. r rry,*orh,sturtud4tuk,n.q m,req.,dRi.. m&.d6edd!6r,@6ffiiad.divbr,of ;;;;;;;4,;;.,;;,ir" are parl of natural process but in damage plastics are doing to BBC barely touched on where Palestinian
2018 it wasn't the amount of fires but oceans. LILIWAAC features 4 the ongoing disputes fighters were buried.
k,"n|ll#iE!.Ln,,fueMlsmkEdFd fires in new places that hit the news. pieces on this theme. The things between Palestinians and The news stated that it
@fl,dld@ls!rl@d.E!!.fuUnryhn'u'Ed&jl!l4dryr As well as fires in remote people take the time to crochet Israel the aljazeera news was a sign of his

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like the UK were unusually affected.
may indicate the level of
concerrr in the general population.
was focused on it. Beth's
main inspiration for the
anti- Semitic views.

dd, e 6",i.@dd;;,&i,i"*,8u6;
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Ed m This piece ofcrochet is attached Syria two circles which
r-,dh..d6.;dtuq-."',F-"i* drry,- "*dtu,ryeprybsoM tuhe!-Eq.halsiDddr'@ h*$* *H-;kn"iii beneath several rain pieces which Each of the pieces created in the represent Israel and The
Saudi Arabia
The world was largely
were made in response to a news autumn of 2018 about the Middle Gazza strip was aZionist quiet on Saudi Arabia
.gh.b.tdEQ"nh'.t.p6of@.!*dftd':t,.h@-dn"fudltdrdoldlh.uoflha6rtR-4l!didhj!b',*1i]ll article about weather getting stuck. East feature a doily. Despite the website which showed an for most of 2018. It
Small fires and quick storms may not wars going on around them there aerial shot ofthe land on
was included within
,i.uqq,@,"dbrl"-.. indddy EjshLbdn tu td. m'of.h.im c1jr sin oirda"d-"sDE ,hi be a problem but throughout the is a will to preserve normality. both side a of the border. the LILIWAAC
tdti.dbFi',1,iltsEdd.oie,udqofd(Mtd'Jhrfud@ftfr4]J)LJwM(|h.NdGd6Id.P6ld pieces on weather there is a question The walls may be crumbling but On one was dense Middle East Series
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b, iE hl'ntueFiem'x, @mtr€r,giL ftr".h-*;"d,tu*b ,i.*.hdi-,ra,d d..",s"e arising; are weather events getting the table is cleared of dust and urbanization or shrub because of its size and
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q6ispnicte4uldE!@rhErr4Edrft. ituuGbpnyddhturyrj4Eb iMe€d bud.ddortuFjd n odrdnEid! o more extreme, lasting longer and this doily, a sign of comfort and land on the other lush
iqrdylFtad.oDfuilrt43bq4hh. edb{rBtu tqrfn*nr.6 'Imdrx*dll'li1l
dlnlidroityrilaoltubhLrdlDd becoming more damaging. If finer things, is mounted on it. A green fields. The picture
economic sway in the
region. It was also
rbdc@6'ttlEo.durErtor4qrr*ltdc bbylE DrytHrhdt&dd&d urrsddof ir{Fdirnr!@b everything is connected how do we detail representing a smear of was quietly reporled that
d36'!.'.11.&didhru.oritM4orin.otd@EddDd@fuhtc@ldful,i..lllsm'mddld walk lightly and use our human blood, inspired by a photo of a included to show how
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with its bombings and
6edmsi$.*!dEcro.vb!.db updFturtd&n&botr consciousness to respond well? Syrian doorstep, brings horor close the Palestinian
blockades it was
Iran into the home. population are to the growing the worlds
In the interest of balance Beth began to Israeli kibbutz. To Beth it
The Beast From The East largest humanitarian
watch different news channels including served as a demonstration
^BfuI4MffiToIbmffitt,lruI@dl,6En&ldiI@lMl.ln4h.,d,.nbll46
rtuMqdd.LfursNcfficfutuqtuL".-tuqb.;dytudh,e"i@'."rddlmii.d-".@-Irqolrr'Irdtr'trl@'dEbF Allazeera and Russia Today. This led to
This storm hit the UK in February
of an unfair distribution
disaster, in The Yemen.
eddcfu.@dftlc.tututuntu.ffitldruldr,tutu"nbt'*E*nd-d"@AB'ird"' tus-buMdntPdhd Fpr.r."d-.6@.n6dr,b, more focus on the Middle East. A chart
2018. Inspired by Ai Weiwei's On the piece are yellow
|ld,ei@Lje,mFsdtur&.ddr she drew up to try and understand who
"Sunflower Seeds" Beth was keen to The Yemen bombs. First origin the
hsFee.llryfudd'Eplgdfue*si-bfu^;fu&&b.ddnlb,Fdj.dmegnitsird6o..bodBGd'!.9d&c,.tenruy was fighting with whom proved
explore the idea of paying people for A tiny country with USA, stockpiled in
fu.m.'fufultFddl,ddutfuF.d4dn.h.ditdEd.lyi4beie confusing. Several of the countries which
more advanced pieces within the strategic sea ports The Saudi Arabia and
dydbu&&dDmfudmrbd.dryful.flrjr.*IfuEfl}rlgn.ff@l[.os.EE. featured on this new mix of news
installation. She put out a call for War in The Yemen was dropped on The
bdddmn.Ghdiqbeu.ru&inry6lrfulr!Pttdh&!4fu}4trEb[mEfuld@d@ltdecqdqlrydb&k&u*ffi channels were created. Iran is represented
people to crochet a snowflake at f5 strangely under reported
Yemen.
@m.1ffi*bicnt@mivtuftn drb.ortcrlil drqkru9qddn rktl&lktu@dd&pddEutudturytu Bryddkt@Fd by the orange brick of many of its
per flake. This brought in a new until late in 2018. Beth
h6loiedt..l63.idi!rllo@id.dd.DiGPiln buildings which punctuate the cream of
group of people alongside some has come to be as
interesting debates around payment interested in what we
its dusty landscape. Iran was brought into

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and how this affects motivation and
perception of a task.
don't get to hear.
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I ikeitl u mpitweareal lconnected. I ikeitl u mpitweareal lconnected.
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The Limits Of News

Simon Kennedy
During the course of the LI1IWAAC project it has become clear that our world view is often limited.
Those not engaged in a year long project looking at news can't find the time to watch several news
channels. Instead most will settle on one channel. This might be a preferred newspaper, a TV
channel or it could be a trusted friend, website or social media. Whilst the facilities to find information
are prolific the time to understand each issue is rarely enough. Other people may stop taking in news
because it brings their mood down and comrpts their world view. There is certainly a tendency in main
stream news to focus on more negative news which could lead one to the idea that the world is full of
nothing but danger, ill meaning people, incompetence and comrption. There is probably also a human
tendency to demand pathos in our stories. Loretta Breuning puts our tendency to focus on bad news
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down to our survival instincts which encourages us to focus on threats and ignore non
threatning things. Graham Davey warns that as news is checked more often it can cause stress. We I
In20l9 LILIWAAC is set to show at "Buxton Musuem and Art Gallery" and "Stockport Museum And Art
might also have a tendency to latch on to salacious gossip. When Beth asked a gentleman in a cafe for One of5.0 cards ) I
Gallery". Whilst 2018 has seen the works versatility in less traditional spaces 2019 will see it is more usual
the news story which had most struck him in his paper he pointed to a story about Donald Trumps created bt+eth art spaces. This will create new opportunities. Whilst the footfall in a gallery may be smaller than that of a
strange shaped male member. That piece of crochet featured in the later exhibition. Its unusual shape , to help groups .nil busy church or a gallery cafe those going there are going solely to see art. Rather than sharing a chat and a
brew or praying seeing the art is the activity. Beth Barlow started her work in curating when she curated an
certainly drew the eye.
One lady told Beth that she doesn't look at any news but asks hel friends to explain what is happening.
talk about news
\
C rot ao il rr,.o .,d b 33C Nau:
l;k ) installation art exhibition in Chester called "Install". The exhibition included 19 artists and was set in and
Social media provides an interesting new insight into the world, filtered tkough friends and around the streets of Chester. Beth's aspiration was to take contemporary art and put in the line of people's
acquaintances, national news stories, predominantly bad mixed with personal ones, predominantly every day activities. Whilst this remains a theme within her work she acknowledges its difficulties;
good. "When putting art in everyday places it has to compete with a lot of clutter." said Beth
"A work has to compete with physical clutter which distracts the eye and can create aesthetic confusion. A
Could this mix provide more balaace? Does it make us feel better or wolse about the world?Media professor Cbris Pete6 says that ttre effect ofnews varies ftom one pe6on to the
work also competes with the tasks people have originally come to do."
next. Afer crocheting the news for two years an audience membq at one ofher talks asked "Don't you feel depressed?" Beth considered this and said 'No, I think its because I have
Beth relishes the challenge but is keen to see how siting the work in more white cube spaces affects both its
an outlet for all this negative news, art gives me a voice and a reason to thiDk. I'm not just a passive
aesthetic and its look. Beth has been pleased with how the work has stopped people in their every day tracks
observer."
but acknowledges that siting the work in spaces with non art functions creates issues. One such issue is the

Different Di ability to take a good photo. The things around a main object or event within a piece of art are called the mise
en scdne. On the set of a film or within the box of a theatre stage every thing around the action is selected to
add to the action. In non art spaces and indeed in some art spaces there is clutter which is part of its everyday
functioning or animates the space. There are also systems and rules which whilst often invisible need to be
discussed. Who opens up a church and who will turn the exhibition TV on?
In the 2018 tour of LILIWAAC garden tools were relocated, window decals had to be tolerated, work had to
hang high to avoid dinner's heads and children's hands and new ways of connecting the work had to be
thought up. "Ever exhibition provides new opportunities and challenges." Said Beth "by running a touring
exhibition over several years we get to mix it up and try new things. Its always interesting. Some of our
audience have followed the work to several venues. As its installation and flexible they know to expect the
unexpected and something new in each space."

PerformatiYe C oak
Simon Birdsey
During the 2018 street sessions Beth transported the growing work on her back like a cloak.
What started as a the most practical means of getting the work from one crocheting site to the
next turned into a thought for the future. These thoughts were paired with thoughts generated by
the work with mental health group "Creative Remedies". Their piece on the Florida shootings
had direct links to the body. The circles they crocheted represented gun shots and were
surrounded by yarn to represent skin. A pairing of performance and the static works seems to be
naturally growing. Should funds become available Beth would like to work alongside a
Diagrams created in performance artist to create a piece which explores these themes through crochet and
20r8 performance. "Working Title Artists Collective" have previously secured funds for
Photographs: Beth LILIWAAC and other arts projects. They are decimated to ensuring fair artists pay for those they
Barlow and George
work with. This sometimes means that ideas have to stay on a back burner until the right funders
Evans.
or commissioners and an idea coincide. The group have learnt not to get too frustrated about this
and just hope that when the stars aline a great new piece of art will be created or a new project
will be born. The group are encouraging those who want to be part of this new piece as a
performative artist or a financial or audience supporter to get in touch. Details of how to get in
touch are on the LILIWAAC blog here :www.likeitlumpitweareallconnected.blogspot.com

Good News
Community
Foundation
2019 will see LILIWAAC supported by a grant from Cheshire
Community Foundation. Working Title Artists Collective have been
working with the foundation over several years now. CCF aim is to
connect those who want to give back with grassroots organiastions
who are helping those most in need. This latest collaboration
between WTAC and CCF will see the LILIWAAC artists working
with an over 55's group and2 mental health groups to explore good
news. The groups are interested in exploring if exposure to,
discussing and crocheting good news can alter our view of the world
and grow a sense of positive wellbeing. Interested participants from
each of the groups will also be able to travel to the idyllic village of
Great Budworth which sits just outside the post industrial town of
Northwich. Here they will enjoy the delights of The Old School
House as their artists studio and explore the peaceful suroundings.
At the start and end of the project there will be a qu;iz which
explores their view of the world. Will it alter? The participants will
also make work to go into the two 2019 exhibitions. Giving voice to
their ideas which will be exhibited around the North West in 2019
and maybe beyond in future years.
Artists co]-].ective
Follow the projects progress at Iikeitlumpitweareallconnected.blogspot.co.uk/
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