top of page

A haven of art

I was out shopping in Banbury on Wednesday, with no great urgency to get home, when I ambled into Church Lane, part of the affectionately named Old Town of Banbury. It was immediately obvious that something was amiss. Haven, the large glass fronted shop that has been an empty eyesore for many years was lit within, and there were pink backed A-boards in the windows with blue bubble wording mysteriously declaring 'Make our event'.

I was most intrigued and approached the door to learn more. A lady was seated behind a table replete with various leaflets, and a few curious artefacts could be seen on the floor and on the walls. Yet it seemed strangely sparse, bereft of any obvious signs that it was a new retail outlet.

I made my way in, the puzzle too tempting to leave unsolved.

The explanation was immediately clear upon closer inspection. The signage showed that this was a Banbury and Bicester college creative arts festival which is due to run from the 19th May through to the 29th June. The large empty space of Haven had been co-opted as a gallery for students to display their artistic efforts.

I made my way to the left, pulled in by a cartoon representation of Beauty and the Beast, done as if the beast were a prospective suitor meeting beauty's parents for the first time.

I moved on to discover that each section was wildly different from the last, with distinct creative visions, many of which were challenging and thought provoking. One moment I was in a sensory chamber filled with plastic jellyfish, the next I had headphones on, watching and listening to a powerful video presentation on mental health.

Two installations really grabbed my attention. The first was an impressive play on visual perception using numerous lenses strung together in front of printed images and a slideshow, that were already 'distorted' in a similar fashion. It struck me that there were infinite ways to view this, and every person, depending on their own visual clarity, height, and perception, will see something different. The second acted as a wake-up call for the fashion industry, using human skin and hair sewn into clothing to represent the human and environmental damage caused by the clothing and fashion. The fact that even washing your man-made material clothes can causes billions of microfibers to be released into the ocean was a huge shock, and made me realise I needed to consider every aspect of modern life and do my best to decrease waste and pollution.

Both installations did precisely what I believe good art should do; it made me think. There is art that makes you feel good because you appreciate its beauty, and there is art that challenges your perception.

I didn't even count how many artists were represented in this first wave of artistry, but I found the space was extremely well-used and even when one installation didn't grip me, another around the corner did. The leaflet I picked up explains that there are 4 parts to 'Make Our Event'. Part 1 was in 38 Parsons Street, Part 2 is the current Haven display until the 4th June, Part 3 will take over in the Haven from the 11th June, and Part 4 will start on the 22nd June at the Creative Arts & Media Centre at the college.

What I found refreshing was the way the empty shops in Banbury were put to good use. Church Lane is looking bereft of retailers at present and anything that creates a buzz and makes good use of available space is a great idea.

Thank you to all involved, I wish you all well. If you've yet to visit, please do so, because we should encourage such creative activity in our town, and you may find something inspiring!


Who's Behind The Blog
Recommended Reading
Search By Tags
No tags yet.
Follow Michael
  • Facebook Social Icon
  • LinkedIn Social Icon
  • Google+ Social Icon
  • Pinterest Social Icon
  • Twitter Social Icon
RSS Feed
bottom of page