Dean Leivers

I’m incredibly happy to announce that I was the recent recipient of funding from Arts Council England to develop and deliver a photographic arts project across selected schools in Leicester and Leicestershire, alongside community activites.

The project ‘Dependent Origination’ was born from reading scientific, fictional & spiritual texts that fed into the idea that we are all aiming to discover our place & purpose. Dependent Origination is a phrase in Buddhist teaching which recognises that all things arise dependent on the conditions present, be that emotional states, physical situations/experiences even life itself.

Just as our place in the world may not be fixed the project will relocate and take place in a pop-up dome, acting as a studio & workshop. This moveable studio will then tour between schools and community settings providing participatory workshop oppportunities. The transparent dome complements the chosen photographic process and an aim: offering sight lines into artistic practice for groups who don’t usually access the arts. The project utilises the Cyanotype process; creating light sensitive surfaces by coating materials with chemicals that change colour when exposed to UV light. Placing materials on the surface (EG dust, earth, plants) leaves behind an impression of the object.

Project strands will research & develop my personal work in progress and pilot an outreach touring model for underserved groups & developing audiences. It tests a paid-for model, accessibility & the impact it can have on practice & participation. A short film will document the work, alongside project blog and social media updates.

As stated above the project has been made possible thanks to funding from Arts Council England, for which I’m incredibly grateful. Huge thanks also to Sam and Jodie at Platform Thirty1 who provided support during the application stage and who will also be providing project support around the delivery and evaluation stages.