Lots of unexpected things have happened in the last two weeks with GTC. A whirlwind of inspiration and collaboration on the values of co-operatives, taking a sound walk around the West End, filming in Rochdale and making ‘zines’ (self-published magazines) to name a few. So far I have also been developing a portraiture project to be exhibited in the Morecambe alleyways. Having settled into a routine I also settled on an idea: to connect with Morecambe (and Morecambe residents) through portraiture. In part, this is because portraiture can act as a wonderful way of making friendships, where conversations take on a lively and deeply-felt quality. For example, Jim, the founder of the Nib Crib writers' group in Morecambe, kindly sat for a portrait and I learnt so much about his history, from the inception of Nib Crib to his time in the merchant navy. One day, I went out to the Morecambe promenade to sketch passers-by, and met a gentleman who is the director of a moving theatre company. Starting with a brief sketch of him eating an ice cream, this led to a whole series of sketches of his group's performances in Carnforth and Ulverston. In this sense, Morecambe has become a magical cross-roads into spontaneous artistic projects and fresh connections with other artists, both in Good Things Collective and in the outer community. I look forward to seeing how things will all come together in the next week and a half! Thanks for reading and stay creative, Jared
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