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Victoria (Tory) Forbes Adam raised £1,421 from 22 supporters
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Closed 31/03/2020
Weʼve raised £1,421 to Support the Bath Arts Workshop Book Group.
- Funded on Tuesday, 31st March 2020
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Story
We are creating a book to celebrate the work of Bath Arts Workshop (BAW) from 1969-79. This wildly adventurous and irreverent project included alternative summer festivals that took over the city of Bath with daring street theatre, music, poetry, and alternative technology. And this was only part of it!. There was Rocky Ricketts (the legendary aging rock star and his fabulous Rockettes); the 'Smart Party of Great Britain' led by Sir Rafe Oswick; the 'Normals' - in dinner suits, bowler hats and silver lurex face masks; as well as the occasional weeping brides (see above)! They were all part of a theatre company that was both subversive and inclusive and broke many a boundary in the streets of Bath and Europe.
But there was much more: there were sumptuous Christmas dinners for the old and homeless; an adventure playground; a printshop; fantastical mystery tours for old people, and drama workshops for kids. There was a charity shop and a community transport service. There were geodesic domes and solar panels - the first stirrings of alternative technology. We challenged the status quo in the public domain but also in our working lives. We worked collaboratively with equal pay (when we had the money) and we were all involved in all aspects of the project - lugging furniture up and down Georgian stairways by day, and on stage as glittering rock stars by night (albeit outrageously over the top spoof rock stars!). Massive amounts of work were involved in staging city-wide festivals involving hundreds of performers, rigging lights, building stages and so on; and in the daily routine of running our events and activities. Our book will tell this story - not just a pageant of amazing things that appeared in an unsuspecting landscape, but of the infrastructure that made it all possible and the obstacles we faced along the way.
We have gathered hundreds of fantastic evocative photographs, newspaper cuttings and other materials, and we are writing a narrative account of those times that were so full of optimism and a desire for change. Please support us to document the work of Bath Arts Workshop.
Updates
3
5 years ago
Victoria (Tory) Forbes Adam
5 years agoHello dear supporters. Thank you so much or all the recent donations - hugely appreciated - we can begin to dry our tears! Getting near the half way mark now. For everyone's information we have made great progress in identifying photos we can use (and the photographers - that was a crucial part of the process). Also many other fascinating materials like BAW diaries and message books. Its like an excavation of the '70s. Cheers! and Thank You. Tory
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6 years ago
Victoria (Tory) Forbes Adam
6 years agoHello everyone - things are going well with the project - focusing on writing the story line over the next couple of months. Lots of people have contributed thoughts and memories of events and life in BAW. Some by ex-workers and others from adults and children who lived in the Walcot area of Bath during the 1970s. Thanks to everyone who has donated so far, which is brilliant. Nearly half way to our target! Any gifts large or small will be very gratefully received. Cheers! From the BAW Book Group.
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6 years ago
Victoria (Tory) Forbes Adam
6 years agoShare this update to help us raise more
Victoria (Tory) Forbes Adam started crowdfunding
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Supporters
22
Jo Todd
Oct 21, 2018
Looking forward to seeing the book. Hope it goes well.Jo.
£30.00
John Wood
Oct 11, 2018
You're the only Tory I would ever consider voting for.
£10.00
Sonny Hayes
Oct 5, 2018
Hello Tory! Had to give mother's postcode, as it wont accept Berlin.
£50.00
Paul Lawrence
Oct 3, 2018
Good luck with the project, looking forward to seeing the results.Spider!!!
£20.00
Jacqueline Popay
Oct 2, 2018
£10.00
Anonymous
Sep 19, 2018
£50.00
Val
Aug 20, 2018
£20.00
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Victoria (Tory) Forbes Adam
I worked for Bath Arts Workshop (BAW) for 4 years in the 1970s and have joined a group of about 20 fellow ex-BAW members to create and write a book to tell the story of the workshop: How we worked, how we lived and what we were striving to change.