Session 3: On Reflection

Yesterday we had a lesson in reflective writing. It has made me reflect…

and I wonder if I have been doing it… on here and in my journal.

Get the impression perhaps we are having problems with a location, Julie seemed disappointed no one had many ideas about where we could hold it. We're still looking at The Closet and the PAD Gallery. I think The Closet could potntially be a problem size wise. Last year there were about 150 guests at the exhibition, but their class was a lot smaller than ours, so i expect we could fill out a larger space and overflow a small one quite easily.

We got into our teams again, for some planning. I think promotion team was the right choice after all. I'm going to be working on the design side, which is what i like doing most.

We were talking about names for the show. Originally we were trying to find a play on the word Closet - businesses coming out of their closet, coming out into the open, putting themselves forward - that kind of thing. Then we tried to relate it back to fashion - a wardrobe closet. But we all felt it sounded a little cheesy, and doesn't quite fit the photos, doesn't reflect them well - almost cheapens their quality in a way.

The original brief was about promoting local Preston businesses, so this is our new starting point…

We got into discussion and came up with the idea of maps, and a trail around Preston to all the local businesses we used in our photo shoots. I really like this as a theme. I think it's really appropriate. If we use a map in our promotional design, it is very in keeping with the idea of promoting our independent and niche Preston businesses, which probably get overlooked by many people. And it is transferable to any location we choose to hold the exhibition.

Then for the name we started talking about map co-ordinates and longitude and latitude lines, Preston is situated at : 53° 46' 0" N / 2° 43' 0" W

(I suppose hence the name of the 53 Degrees for the Student Union club)

We are going away to work on a 5 minute presentation of our group and our roles for next week, so we'll present our theme to see what everybody thinks.

Session Numero 2

Second session today.

We discussed locations, I was going to suggest Bambers - but then Julie had found somewhere much more suitable abd Beth suggested the PAD Gallery and Kate the Cocktail Factory - and they are all MUCH better locations - so no need!

I think the PAD Gallery would be great personally - so fingers crossed for that being possible - you can see above how good it would be.

We did some psychometric tests today too - One called a 'Belbin' test - to see how you work in a team and a Myers Briggs - just a basic version though - I think the real ones are super long. Was pretty interesting - surprisingly accurate! - I think I was a combination of 2 or 3 - but I think if you did the full version it would probably have me down to a t (is that saying 't' 'tea' or 'tee' I never know)

We also sorted out the teams of people too. I would have loved to be on installation - just to get some different experience, but everyone wanted to do that - so I am working on promotions - although debating whether that was a good idea - more work... eeek! But I think it is where my strengths lie, so I should be able to do my bit to help.

Location Location Location....

I was wandering into town the other day and almost

walked straight past Bambers of Preston.

They used to be a furniture store - and I think would fit the theme of promoting a local business in the sense they used to be one - so in a way shows the importance of promoting local independent businesses or this happens...

It has been abandoned for a while now I think. Looks like it would need a lot of cleaning up too

However i think it is certainly big enough - in fact perhaps too big. But there are a lot of us in our year - and probably could fill it. And lots of space to display the images, I hate it when exhibitions don't display the work with enough space to be able to take the work in - if it's too crowded it doesn't show the work to the best advantage.

I like the stable - esque room too - I think it would be an interesting area, for food and drink perhaps, or the work - each business with it's own section.

The brief has been set...

Our task: To put on an exhibition in Preston in February 2011, displaying our fashion photoshoots from the first project of the year.

The photo shoots were aimed at promoting local Preston businesses. My group were given the Golf Store on Marsh Lane. We played on the idea of golf terminology - green jackets, foursomes, teeing off, the dance floor, the sweet spot, and eagle. I managed to get a real life, fully grown eagle called Stella from Turbury Woods bird sanctuary on the day! She was the star of the day!

So... I will keep this updated with how things are coming along... thoughts, opinions, photos, the struggles and the successes, the tears and the laughter.

I think if we can pull it off it's going to be amazing. The photos look capital ACE!