Covid Book Project - Part of our Community Creations Series

by  marianne vincent

A small village in Worcestershire where friends and neighbours worked together throughout lockdowns created a unique way of staying connected to each other.

I, along with two other friends, Alison and Lorna had started running art workshops from my newly converted garage/studio when Covid-19 appeared.  In the early days of the pandemic, as was with many of the population, we didn’t have an idea of the implications the pandemic would have our lives.  Trying to maintain the early connections we had made with others through creativity, we set out plans to continue as much as we were legally allowed. 

And so, we developed our Covid Book Project, using the following guidelines:

• Creating a handmade paper and mixed media keepsake full of personal memories

• Designed and made by you, shared, and added to with the creativity of others. 

• Each book will be uniquely yours celebrating imagination, thoughts, inspirations, and recollections of what the next six months mean to us

• Collaborating with others can produce a feeling of inclusivity, encourage creativity. 

The Workshop:

• Make your book cover, choose the design and allow to dry

• Learn the folding processes creating the concertina pages of your book

• Mark and cut the folds

• Inserting the smaller pages and spine

• Choose ribbons and affix front and back covers to the book

•  There is no right way to tell your story as it is yours to tell, so share it in a way that is best suited for you.

• Sharing your experiences with others gives them the courage to share their stories too.

We made the books in 3 hour workshops in socially distancing from one another, wearing masks and limiting numbers.  The concentration was intense.  We watched demonstrations and folded, flipped and finalised our creased papers into the books.  Quiet deliberations replaced the usual chatty and colourful class, until we reached a point where we could BREATHE and take stock of our creations.  Had it not been for the enforced break of coffee and homemade cake (something not often done but I was determined to show off) we would have gone through the full three hours without catching up.

And so, at the end of the session our two groups of artists, had made 9 books, all of which went home with the owners to decide their topics – a few of which were,  ‘Tea & chats’, Old wives’ tales’ and ‘Whatever takes your fancy’.

Every month we swapped books, never receiving our own again so we had no idea of what they looked like. We used materials made in previous classes such as cyanotypes, collage and geliplates, along with a few Zoom sessions covering simple techniques.  These online sessions which, to some, were first experiences of Zoom proved a novelty.  Thrust into this new technology alongside the now common “You’ve muted yourself” mouthed to one another, we laughed together when realising what was on display in our backgrounds.  All these new skills enabled us to see one another and chat.

The project was a success, and we greatly enjoyed the experience.  The final exhibition of books, artist statements and canvases are at Worcester Art Gallery and Library on The Tything, Worcester along with the touring Titanic Exhibition until early September.  Each artist has visited the exhibition feeling proud and amazed with their contribution.

We are planning another such project, but this time the books will be a little larger as requested by the participants!

Thanks for reading,

Marianne, Alison & Lorna