Atmospheric Forces tickets on sale!

Atmospheric Forces is a new art-work by Sheila and artist Sue Palmer, currently in development and opening in May 2025 in Reading.

A performance along a table

A show and talk

A long table

Underneath, an archaeology, of sorts

Objects are assembled, time and space fold

The sea rises, the sea falls

Vapour.

In this new art-work, artists Sheila Ghelani and Sue Palmer, turn over the interconnections between climate and geology, fuel and feelings, the strata and layers of atmospheres through performance and action.

Everything we make is from the earth and will go back to it

Performances in 2025:

Saturday 17 May | 2.00pm to 4.00pm | South Street Arts, Reading – Info and Book Tickets

Tuesday 17 June | 7.30pm – 9.30pm | Silk Mill Studios, Frome, Somerset – Book Tickets

Thursday 19 June | 7.00pm – 9.00pm | Customs House Exeter, as part of PILE UP! – Book tickets

Autumn – Loughborough, East Midlands hosted by Radar/LUArts

Modern Painters New Decorators Crowdfunder

Sheila is a studio holder at Modern Painters, New Decorators in Loughborough.

Modern Painters, New Decorators was started seven years ago by artists and makers with a connection to Loughborough. Based in Carillon Court since 2017 MPND has facilitated a free programme of workshops, exhibitions and community gatherings alongside running artist studios and a shop.

In 2025, the organisation will open the doors to a new public arts venue on Aumberry Gap in Loughborough, near Pinfold Gate. This new arts venue will include a public gallery, learning space, artist studios, community kitchen and resident micro-bakery (serving coffee and baked goods).

To make these plans possible MPND is currently running a Crowdfunder - aiming to raise 20K by 23rd November 2024.

Please consider donating!

There are lots of rewards on offer including a few from Sheila…

Find out more HERE

New work & Common Salt at Fierce Festival 24

Sheila is currently making new work Softly/Tenderly for premiere at Fierce Festival in October 2024.

The piece is a participatory art-work exploring the complicated history of gun-making within Birmingham, but, as the name suggests, does so with care.

Hosted in small groups, those that experience the work get to play a part in the creation and manufacturing of a small precious metal object that they then get to keep. A gift or totem to take away, acting (perhaps) as a gentle reminder of some of the better things industrious hands can get up to – many people making together being a nod towards some of Birmingham’s more celebrated workshop industries, such as jewellery and toys.

For those able to engage with the heavier aspects of history, a piece of print accompanies the work illuminating Birmingham’s role in its lesser talked about trade.

Attentive, pleasurable, gentle and bespoke, Softly/Tenderly is – with intention – the very opposite of everything weapons stand for and do.

Credits

Softly/Tenderly is supported by Arts Council England and commissioned by Fierce and performance, possession + automation, a three-year project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)

Details

Softly/Tenderly runs every hour from 12 pm to 6 pm from Thursday 17 October to Saturday 19 October and 1 pm to 4 pm on Sunday 20 October. The performance lasts 45 minutes.

Book Tickets HERE

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Sheila & Sue are also pleased to be sharing Common Salt at the festival too on Wednesday 16 October! Further Details HERE

Infinity Knot at Appetite's Big Feast this August

Sheila has been re-visiting Infinity Knot this summer (first made for South bank Centre’s ‘Pragma’ weekender in 2014) getting it ready to next share at Appetite’s Big Feast in Stoke on 23 & 24 August.

Further details below:

Learn how to tie an infinity knot whilst thinking about someone or something you are connected to always, then carefully package it up to keep. If you’d like, you can also record the tying of your knot in a special dedications book for all to see.  

Drop-in anytime to try out this simple but meaningful activity – both a reflective ritual and gentle challenge for your head, heart and hands. Who or what will you tie your infinity knot for? 

“Knot – a complex symbol embracing several important meanings all of which are related to the central idea of a tightly closed link.” – A Dictionary of Symbols, J.E Cirlot 

Where to see it

Create your Infinity Knot on both days at Airspace Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent centre (Hanley)

Friday 23: 12pm to 1.30pm, and 2.30pm to 5pm

Saturday 24: 11am to 1.30pm, and 2.30pm to 4pm

Click HERE for full festival programme

Atmospheric Forces RADAR residency in July

Sheila & Sue are in residence at RADAR in Loughborough this July continuing to work on their new work Atmospheric Forces:

Atmospheric Forces Artist Residency

Tues 23 – Fri 26 July

Drop-in session: Fri 26 July, 10am – 12pm

Meet artists Sheila Ghelani & Sue Palmer during their residency at Martin Hall Gallery and hear about their work in progress, Atmospheric Forces. 

If you can’t make the drop-in session and would like to learn more about this project then please email Radar curator Lucy Lopez at L.Lopez@lboro.ac.uk

In residence at Reading University in April 24 - photo credit Amie Cliffen

On Reflection at Timber festival this weekend

Sheila is pleased to be sharing On Reflection - a wander with a black mirror at Timber Festival this weekend, at 11am on both Saturday & Sunday:

Hold a black mirror carefully in the palm of your hand and look, listen and think about who you are in relation to the natural world around you on this participatory wander led by artist Sheila Ghelani.

What do you see and what remains just off to the side – hidden, overlooked, forgotten, unnoticed?

Popular in the 1800s with landscape painters and tourists, black mirrors were used to ‘tint’ views - a bit like the instagram filters we use today.

During this activity you'll learn more about black mirrors and their use through time and will be given the chance to sketch like a landscape painter, write like a poet and look like a tourist - amongst other things.

Suitable for adults.

If you’re interested in taking part you will find her at the Shivelight meeting point (spaces available for up to x15 people).

Sheila is sharing the wander as part of her research towards On Rock & Air supported by a National Forest Arts Grant.

Further details on Timber Festival can be found HERE

Photo credit Sheila Ghelani

On Reflection at Bradgate Park's Old John

On Reflection - A wander with a black mirror

Sunday 23rd June, 11.00-12.30

Old John Bradgate Park (Hunt's Hill entrance & car park), Charnwood, Leicestershire

Hold a black mirror carefully in the palm of your hand and look, listen and think about who you are in relation to the natural world around you on this participatory wander led by artist Sheila Ghelani.

What do you see and what remains just off to the side – hidden, overlooked, forgotten, unnoticed?

Popular in the 1800s with landscape painters and tourists, black mirrors were used to ‘tint’ views - a bit like the instagram filters we use today.

During this activity you'll learn more about black mirrors and their use through time and will be given the chance to sketch like a landscape painter, write like a poet and look like a tourist - amongst other things.

A unique and interesting way to experience the beautiful surroundings of the park.

Suitable for adults.

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Meet Sheila at Bradgate Park (Hunts Hill Entrance) at 11.00AM just inside the wooden gate at the foot of the hill leading up to Old John.

(What3words: Small.Sings.Tulip)

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Booking

Booking tickets is free.

As spaces for this activity are limited (10-15 people max), please let Sheila know if you cannot attend, so your place can be released for someone else.

BOOK via EVENTBRITE HERE

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Additional information:

All equipment will be provided and those that attend will leave with their own Claude glass (aka a small handheld Black mirror).

Dress for the weather. This is an outdoor session that will go ahead in most weather conditions, except in the case of extreme weather or heavy rain.

Accessibility. The wander will not be physically demanding and will aim to accommodate the needs of the group on the day but may involve some uphill walking and be unsuitable for wheelchairs. Please contact Sheila in advance if you have any specific needs or questions about accessibility.

The wander is participatory in that you will be invited to try some activities out during it, but you will be free to drop-in and out of these as you like.

Parking / Travel. It costs £4 to park at Hunt's Hill Car Park on Sundays. Please contact Sheila if getting to the park will be difficult or the cost of parking a barrier to participation.

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Credits

On Reflection is being shared here as part of Sheila's research towards making 'On Rock and Air', supported by a National Forest Arts Grant.

On the 23rd Sheila will be joined by artist Mandeep Dhadialla as 'workshop companion', who will help host the wander with Sheila.

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Hope to see you there!

Photo credit: Lucy Cash for Rambles with Nature Ramble 1

Atmospheric Forces - Reading Making Residency

Sheila & Sue will be in residence at University of Reading’s Film & Theatre Department from Monday 27 until Friday 31 May, continuing to work on Atmospheric Forces - a performance / event which explores atmosphere and the environment in a variety of ways.

The pair will be trying out their ideas in practice, and researching and developing this new work, with a work-in-progress sharing at 4pm on Thursday. Do come along! As part of the sharing artist & academic Dr Florian Roithmayer will also share a small atmospheric experiment…

Sheila & Sue are also looking forward to attending the Meterology department’s weekly weather meeting on Friday.

This is the third of four residencies they are doing in 2024.

Atmospheric Forces was first developed in 2020 with support from University of Reading’s 'Work in Progress’ a joint project between Reading’s Department of Film, Theatre & Television and South Street Arts. This second and final stage of making of the work is funded by Arts Council England.

Sue at the Atmospheric Forces table during a work in progress sharing at Wimbledon UAL

Some Hands to Hold You - Tessa Jowell Centre

Sheila is sharing her updated table-top version of Some Hands To Hold You at the Tessa Jowell Health Centre, 72H East Dulwich Grove, London, SE22 8EY on 23rd May between 2-5pm.

The event is part Creativity & Wellbeing Week, arranged by Clod Ensembles’ Performing Medicine Project with Dulwich Picture Gallery for Primary Health Care Staff.

Sheila is happy to be sharing work alongside Amy Shelton, Tim Spooner & Performing Medicine.

Further details HERE

Unsealed ampoules for Some Hands To Hold You

Common Salt at Norfolk & Norwich Festival in May

Common Salt is at Norfolk & Norwich Festival this May, being performed at Norwich Castle & Art Gallery twice over two days - 14th & 15th at 6pm.

On May 15th for the first ever time Sue & Sheila will also be doing a Live Feed broadcast of the show too. A chance to see the piece if you can’t get there in person.

Further Information & booking HERE

Image credit: Paul Samuel White

On Reflection part of Appetite's Earth Day events in April

Sheila is getting an updated version of On Reflection out and about again over the next few months - her wander with a black mirror.

The piece was first commissioned by Wellcome Collection as part of their On Nature season in July 2017. Back then the walk followed a pre-determined & carefully researched circular route around Bloomsbury. Sheila is now trying the work out with a looser structure, more exploratory & discursive in style.

As before anyone who attends gets to keep their mirror (if they’d like).

The piece can first be found at Keele University as part of a weekend of Earth Day themed activities programmed by Appetite on:

Sunday 21 April at 11am or 1pm or 3pm

Book your FREE place via Eventbrite HERE (15 places available per slot)

Each wander will last around an hour

Image by Lucy Cash, taken as part of Ramble 1, Rambles with Nature research (2013)

Earth Sciences Centre Residency

Sheila & Sue will be in residence at Somerset Earth Sciences Centre from Monday 8 until Friday 12 April, working on their next collaborative 'show & tell' art-work, Atmospheric Forces - currently imagined as a performance / event which explores atmosphere and the environment in a variety of ways.

The pair will be spending time getting to know the local Quarries represented by the Centre, and spending time with U3A volunteers and local Geology experts.

This is the second of four residencies they are doing in 2024.

Atmospheric Forces was first developed in 2020 with support from University of Reading’s 'Work in Progress’ a joint project between Reading’s Department of Film, Theatre & Television and South Street Arts. This second and final stage of making of the work is funded by Arts Council England.