Day 4 – Jubilee Gardens
What a difference the sunshine makes to a project such as this one. Tucked in between a cross section of houses lies the oasis that is Jubilee Gardens. When we arrive there are only two dedicated students in the park, revising and soaking up the rays. We’ve met these two friendly GSCE candidates before and in this close community we meet many others today that we have had contact with or who have spotted us around the area. The ‘two’ talk openly of gossip, gangs, marriage and expectations. A good introduction to an area that is bathed in happiness on a day like today but has, to many, a shadier underbelly.
We witness aspects of street life, elements of integration and moments of pure joy. Children on their release from school flood the sun drenched park and do what kids do best. We are inundated with willing artists creating colour and harmony. They sit, draw and collectively sing for what feels like hours. If regeneration is a human commodity then ship this posse in and let them fill the bleak forgotten landscape with their energy and abundant creative joy. These are the new wave of park users who compliment the casual afternoon couples who mill around with toddlers and prams. The energy changes and is easily noted in this intimate area.
As the transition continues through the afternoon teenagers appear with a football, with questions, with bravado and denial. Some of the words spoken lead to clues as to their experiences. Not very cryptic codes establish a connection, even if distant, to illicit dealings. They are young but already searching for clarification of their status, reputation or standing in the community. From around the edges of the park we become aware that we are being watched.
Once again at the heart of this day lies those that want to be involved with their community. Those that speak of searching for work but wanting to do something that generates empowerment as opposed to profit. We take some email addresses… feel an empathy and a distance. A distance from those that use cliches to lead directly to outright racism. How does our sense of reality form? All of our experiences are different and I have to remind myself of this but it is hard not to confront views that seem so utterly and cruelly to condemn others.
At the end of the day we remind ourselves of those children and think of their combined contentment at providing colour to our encampment, to the three young Slovakian ladies that join us to draw unabashed and of some of the teenage lads who cannot help but come over and leave their own artistic mark on the page.
Finding Maindee continues into the Maindee Festival on Saturday and then onto a page and into the hands of those that make decisions. We have ideas, some are more formed than others, but more importantly we have a greater sense of what Maindee is and what it means to some of the people who live and work here.
Gareth
Finding Maindee is a commission by Maindee Festival, supported by Arts Council of Wales.