Walkspace exists to support artists and art-adjacent people in the West Midlands in their art-walking practices. This could be as simple as helping spread the word about their work, or it could be something more involved.
One thing we're particularly interested in is how work is documented and reported upon, whether it's by the creator or by a participant. The walk is always the thing, but how that thing is then communicated is a conundrum many artists have to work hard on.
We're also interested in how projects develop through sharing ideas. Nothing is made in a vacuum and while solitude can be a powerful thing, articulating your thoughts is a very useful way to make sense of them, while inspiring others to think differently.
This website is open to submissions from people, ideally West Mids people with an interest in some definition of art/walking, who feel this venue would benefit, and benefit from, their words.*
This doesn't mean we will publish anything you send in. The core membership has a fairly clear idea of what we're interested in and, while it is broad in scope, it probably has limits.
But we are interested in helping people develop their writing and find their voice. If needed, we'll provide a fresh eye on your writing, helping to smooth the rough edges and make it flow, while allowing you to develop your own style. And if you want a more rigorous copy-edit for coherence and readability we can help with that too.
Here's some of the sorts of things we know we want:
- Walk reports.
Tell us about a walk you just went on, either by yourself or run by others. (example) - Walk outputs.
Something written or created in response to a walk. (example) - Reviews.
Books, films, magazines, etc on the subject of walking. (example) - Ideas.
Have you come across something that got you thinking? Tell us about it! (example) - Archives.
There's a whole history of walking practices out there. Do you know any of it? (example)
But we're also interested in things we're not already doing, because that's what makes them interesting! So don't feel tied to what's already been done.
Of course, you don't need to publish on this site. If you have your own website or blog and it's working for you, then great! Let us know about it and we'll link to any major pieces from here.
But if you don't, or feel writing on a website that's dedicated to art/walking would help, please get in touch. Pete and Fiona are the members mainly dealing with this and they're keen to hear from you!
* Or photos, video, 3D models, anything which can be put on a web page.