DIY: 2019 – Beverly Thomas: The Silence

A 4 day residential workshop for artists of Colour to explore silence and revitalise their creativity.

Deadline for applications: Thursday 4 July 2019 
This DIY is supported by LADA and the Library of Performing Rights

Project summary

Since September 2018, Beverley has been leading workshops exploring The Silence – its brilliance and the need for everyone to do more of this practice.

For the next phase of her ongoing Silence Exploration, Beverley will be guiding participants through a 4-day artists’ workshop retreat, titled – The Silence, combining both directed and independent research. This DIY will centre around the idea of being in silence in order for the participants to learn the sound of their own soul, to tap into wisdom and creativity from within, to listen to the precious voice of our own internal self, it will therefore consist of daily meditations, activities that can be done silently, physical and writing practices, and the potential to bring personal narratives to the surface.

As well as the directed sessions, participants will have opportunities to eat together, spend time reading, and enjoy visits to the surrounding Sheffield landscape, where will experience the surroundings in silence. We will be in dialogue about:

• Experiences of people of colour around exotification, isolation, safety
• Stories and experiences, where being silent is a powerful tool. This will be a space designed to cultivate and share these ideas with one another, as comfort and as important artistic investigations
• Creating transformative narratives, including both movement and verbal expressions what hold or embody the silence

All meals will be provided.

How to apply

This workshop is open to practicing artists of colour.

We are seeking applicants who are interested in making work through being in the silence, and who have a project in mind for development during the retreat. This can be a tiny seed of an idea or something for which significant progress has been made. The venue is a big space setting to accommodate thinking, writing, drawing time, with some break out spaces, but there are no designated artist studio spaces.

The application form requests a short biography and a statement on your interest in the retreat, including information on the project or research question you would like to work on during this time. This DIY opportunity will be for approximately 6 artists.

Dates, times and location

Dates: 8 – 11 October (arrive 10am, finish 5pm)
Location: Sheffield, contributions towards travel are available for each participant, including parking.

The artist

Beverley Thomas is a director, writer, producer making work that aims to reflect her identity as a Black British woman who engages with the various political and spiritual frameworks on her own terms. She is a polymath who uses art/creativity in education and political settings. Beverley has produced work for the award winning Melissa Brown, the Director and Writer of the Web Series “Neffy”. Her poetry writing can be found in the Dream Catcher’s Magazine.

She is part of a Spiritual Community, where she uses her art in dance, writing and workshops. In Primary Schools she has produced work, such as; Anansi Play, Macbeth, Easter Story and the Pied Piper. The Macbeth Play was part of a Children’s Drama Festival in Birmingham, where it received high praise. Beverley is currently researching new writing as part of a doctorate on The Windrush Generation.