This Is My Statement
Explore this collection of work by children and young people considering identity over lockdown. This Is My Statement has been created by BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art.
This is my statement (2020-09-23) by BALTIC Centre for Contemporary ArtArts Council England
Young people explored how we understand identity: what we think about ourselves inside, what we say out loud, the actions that help us feel well and our affirmations for our future selves.
Pinkhoodieperserverancepoem (2020-07-28) by Ted (Pink hoodie boy)Arts Council England
"PinkHoodiePerserverancePoem" by Ted (Pink Hoodie Boy)
Boys will be Boys (2020-03-17) by BALTIC Centre for Contemporary ArtArts Council England
Working with artist Richard Bliss, boys from Heworth Grange School took part in a group called Boys Will Be Boys? Together they explored gender identity politics and shared their experiences of what it’s like to be young and male. During lockdown, Richard encouraged them to keep a journal to give them a space to document their thoughts and feelings.
An Alphabet of Feelings (2020-08-28) by RiversArts Council England
"Lockdown feelings" by Rivers
Rivers, one of the participants in the group, responded with these two works.
The Music That Helps (2020-09-02) by RiversArts Council England
"The Music That Helps" by Rivers
“Wearing a mask on the bus or metro makes me feel safe, but irritated. When I go into a shop, I think about how many people there are. It makes me nervous. Working in a bubble at school will be...difficult. This is the music that helps.”
Quinn and his Mum (2020-08-17) by QuinnArts Council England
"Quinn and his Mum" by Quinn, BALTIC Art Lab“
The best thing about lockdown has been finding places we didn’t know existed.”
Happiness (2020-09-05) by KikaArts Council England
"Happiness" by Kika, BALTIC Foundation Club Collective“
Lockdown has taught me the importance of happiness, being kind to each other, and finding happiness in small things."
Me and these things lead (2020-09-09) by BALTIC Centre for Contemporary ArtArts Council England
The next clip shows young people exploring questions surrounding the subject of play: what it looks like, how it's changed, what you need for play to happen, how it soothes and the perils of taking it away.
Inspired by play-led exhibitions at BALTIC, this film examines what it is to play and its differences at the varying stages of adulthood.
Play by BALTIC ArtMix (2020-08-05) by BALTIC ArtMixArts Council England
"Play" by ArtMix and Foundation Club Collective
Me and these things lead (2020-09-09) by BALTIC Centre for Contemporary ArtArts Council England
Teenagers play differently.
Growing vegetables and making happy.
That’s a hard one, I really don’t know.
We sing and we dance,
You spend all your day at work.
When you’re home, it’s your own little world, isn’t it?
Isn’t it?
Parents spend time, wanting more and more
To live like children.
To live with their children.
To have no inhibitions.
A Dad and a daughter, happy and carefree, careful!
Careful.
This is what time is about.
Time flies when you’re having fun.
Routines take time away, away.
Sometimes you have to take time away.
Away, away to the beach.
All the people in the sand, I’m looking at the sea, they’re looking at screens.
Colours, noises, shapes, voices, voices of children.
Happy screams in the sea, time to go home.
Time moves slower.
Adults in routines.
Brains don’t register anything new, where has the time gone?
Gone, gone away with lost ambitions.
Can you blame society?
Say no. No to being free. No to being childish.
No fun, fun. Fun is forgotten.
Is it a child that brings it out?
Do adults with no children have fun too?
Do they use technology?
Is it grown-up happiness?
Is it escape from reality?
Does everyone feel the same?
Maybe we’re not the same?
It might not be the same.
The Future will be... (2020-08-24) by BALTIC Foundation ClubArts Council England
"The Future will be..." by BALTIC Foundation Club Collective
This piece of writing was created by Beck, Betsy, Eilidh, Ted and Theresa with artists Zoe Murtagh and Laura Stutter Garcia, alongside BALTIC's Learning team.Zoe challenged the group to take a moment away from the screen to move and dance to music, before writing freely in response to prompts:
'I am...'
'You are...'
'The world is...'
'The future will be...'
This free writing technique helped the group come up with lots of answers quickly without filtering any thoughts. Everyone chose their favourite answers, they were then compiled to create a piece of writing inspired by manifesto poetry.
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art
BALTIC’s mission is to create greater understanding of the world through outstanding, experimental and inspiring contemporary art which has power, relevance and meaning for individuals and communities.
Situated on the south bank of the River Tyne in Gateshead, England, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art consists of 2,600 square metres of art space, making it the UK’s largest dedicated contemporary art institution.
Keep up to date with all the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Play inspired by exhibitions at BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, including group show The Playground Project, 2016, Pester & Rossi’s Infinity Pitch: Play By Your Own Rules, 2018, Simon & Tom Bloor’s The City is Where We’re Going Next 2019 and Play Rebellion by Pippa Hale, 2020.
