Several TFSW members met with the Exhibitions Committee earlier this week to "brain storm" ideas for the next exhibition. The members present were, Amy Houghton, Brenda Miler, Alison Harper, Susi Bancroft, Wendy Allen, Anna Glasbrook, Alicia Merrett, Natasha Pedersen, Julie Bowyer Liz Hewitt, Jane Barker and Janet Haigh and all members contributed to the discussion.

The next conference in March 2011 will be themed as "Mapping/Networking" and we will take this as the broad theme for the exhibition, scheduled for 2012. Several ideas were aired and I would like to take this opportunity to put them before you all for FEEDBACK - any and all feedback is welcome.

First and foremost it was felt strongly that this exhibition should be open to MEMBERS ONLY and all members be encouraged to participate - this is the start of the encouragement!
Below are several things to get all of us thinking - here are some of the ideas we considered about how we do and might use maps.

POLITICALLY BIASED MAPS - It was stressed by several people how much Maps, are currently being reassessed for their traditional use for political purposes - how they are not often geographically truthful but can be about how the Mapmaker or rather the Map commissioner wants the world to be viewed.

MIND MAPS - it is common practice now to start creative projects by Mapping thoughts and developing a picture of the links between ideas.

MAPS ACADEMIC - 2 major ideas are circulating.
1, societies/countries/trading nations are so infused by other cultures' commodities that nowhere on earth can be thought to be totally unconnected to anywhere else,e.g. the idea of a farmer in Devon driving a tractor made in China and exporting his produce to Iceland.
Linked to this is the artist's fusing of different cultures; this is evident in the way that modern western artists will claim and use any ready made tribal idea or image just because they find it attractive, not paying respects to the beliefs of the original makers.

2 People can separate themselves from within a larger community by everyday activities e.g.precise religious practice or food laws, which will make for special "territories" within a secular society,

NETWORKING MAPS. Although Maps can be just one person's view of a place, they can link many people of like minds together - this is the idea behind TFSW's current Mapping project.

TRAVELING BY MAPS , Do we only need Maps for when we start/plan a journey; for when we get lost; or does just reading them make our imaginations wander?

PHYSICALITY OF MAPS - do we only see flat 2D Maps, are they just rolled up, pages in a book? Maps were printed on silk for scarves for pilots in the 2nd world war - but what about 3D Maps like globes? what new shapes could Maps become? what are they made of? how long can they be relevant for and can we build them so they never outlive their usefulness?

IMAGINARY MAPS, "here there be dragons" is seen on ancient Maps when they ran out of information. What sort of Maps would we like to imagine and make? What will future Maps look like - how will they look to tell of our use of the world's resources?


HOW WILL WE START TO MAKE?
Several people thought it a good idea to start by giving every member a piece of a Map of the region and ask them to respond to it in their own way, This could be sent prior to the exhibition, it was even thought that we could all be sent a piece prior to the conference and we made out own regional Map together on the conference day. ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS?

WORKING TITLES
We know that a provocative title can really get us going on an idea, here are several for you to consider.
IMAGINATIVE MAPS.
HERE THERE BE TYGERS / DRAGONS.
MAPPING GAPS
WE HAVE TO MAKE PLACE
MAPS ARE NOT WHAT THEY SEEM
THE OTHER MEANINGS OF MAPS
MAPPING THE UNEXPLORED

ANY OTHER IDEAS FOR A WORKING TITLE?

any ideas we all have should be received by the end of June as the exhibitions committee is meeting in the first week of July to start the planning.

Janet Haigh.