Bloom98 Arts and Allotments Project |

Bloom98

BLOOM98

THE LIVE TRANSFORMATION OF TWO ALLOTMENT SITES IN THE UK (1998).

A touring allotment site, illumination show (daytime into night)

Over 20 artists / groups involved…

Over 200 allotment gardeners and cooperators involved…

Over 40 acres of special land…

Two years in the making…

One-off event at two allotment site with over 2,500 audience visitors…

Never been seen before documentation below…

Martin Burton’s Umbrella Garden installation at Eastrop Allotment site, Basingstoke (above).

Top picture: Blissbody’s installation at Uplands Allotment site, Handsworth, Birmingham - final preperations prior to public performance.

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BLOOM98 HANDSWORTH ALLOTMENTS BIRMINGHAM (UPLANDS):

Bloom98 Children's shed

6 Photos

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Bloom98 – The National Touring Arts and Allotments Project

Art Director and Curator: Harry Palmer.

Bloom98 happened along time ago. The idea was inspired by my friendship with the UK’s National Allotment Champion, Mr Bernard Ostler (1992-1996) in Hull, East Yorkshire where we both lived at the time. In 1997, I became good friends with Bernard and following a pilot event on his site in which I altered his allotment via light illumination (day into night), I was then fully supported by the Arts Council of England and many inter-regional agencies to make and develop a touring artwork show / event. What followed were two large-scale touring evening events, involving many artists, on two allotment sites in the UK.

The first site, in Birmingham, took place at the Uplands Allotments (the largest multicultural allotment site in the UK celebrating its 50th birthday). The second - in Basingstoke (Eastrop Allotments). Each event varied due to community logistics, special requests and site considerations.

After 12 months of detailed planning, negotiations with allotment committees, allotment owners, supporting organisations and art agencies, Bloom98 finally took place in August 1998.

Over 20 artists were commissioned to explore their artwork on site, in-situ, in which I served as Artist Director and Curator. Of course, such an event, with technical and logistical challenges, would not have happened without willing managers, technicians and volunteers - committed to making the event happen to a roving 3000 audience crowd. A special thanks to Sandra Hall and Lee Griffiths (www.frictionarts.com).

Shortly before Bloom98, Bernard Ostler passed away. Having had no formal celebration of his 40 years of his allotmenteering, Bloom98 was dedicated to our friendship and to the man himself.

: Bloom98 dedicated to Bernard Ostler, National Alloment Champion (1992-1996).

Above: A small fragment of some of the documentation from the two events.

The first album concerns the event in Basingstoke. The remaining albums are taken from Birmingham Uplands Allotments (the largest multi-cultural allotment site in the UK).