Simon Poulter, Summerhill, Hawkshead Hill, Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 0PP Dear Cliff, Crossing Lake Windermere, via the car ferry - four artists on their way to begin a residency at Grizedale. Anna Best, an artist working between the cracks, Nina Pope and Karen Guthrie - a team and two of Britain's leading digital media artists and Simon Poulter, also a media artist. Grizedale Sculpture Park has a proud history of developing site specific artworks, mainly constructed from local materials. People visit from all over the world to see the work. In January 1999 Adam Sutherland was appointed as the new Director. In a short space of time he has begun to re-establish the sculpture park as 'Grizedale' and has set about a 'new directions' policy, developing and commissioning artists who work across a variety of media, including video, performance and computers. Artists who come on residencies are offered full board at the Summerhill guest house on the hill above Hawkshead towards Tarn Hows. This is to be sold and a new residence will be developed in the middle of the forest, subject to lottery money being awarded. The house called 'Lawson Park' has been empty for some time and has fantastic views overlooking Lake Coniston. On their first day, Adam Sutherland took the artists up to Lawson Park and shared his vision of the new residence, complete with computer suite and facilities. The artists, seeing the remoteness of the location, were obviously less sure of its merit. How far was it to the pub? What if something terrible happened? In an emergency, how would you be rescued? What if somebody went mad? (Artists have a reputation for sudden attacks of depression or worse.) All four of the artists have worked with people or in public places. Their work is in essence the opposite of the popular myth of the artist in his/her studio. Their work is about the interaction of people, places and ideas. So its not surprising that they became interested in the people of the lakes and the surrounding area. A number of local personalities came to their attention. These were Mr Atkinson, Mr Shuttleworth (a forestman/rally driver), Mr Spours (the estate agent), Mr Honeyman (the singer) and Mr Harrison (an odd-jobbing Santa). A visit to Mr Atkinson, revealed a wealth of local stories and his expertise on myths and legends of the lakes. Mr Atkinson has won the local lying competition on three occasions. He gave a rendering of his story about the 'Tizzy Wizzy' a mysterious lakeland creature. Mr Shuttleworth is an up and coming rally driver. During the day he works in the forest for the commission, the rest of the time is devoted to rally driving and the preparations to race. David Shuttleworth is 26 and in his own words said: "We all want to get to the top, don't we?" Mr Spours is a local estate agent in Ulverston, trading under his own name 'Ralph Spours'. He sells 'up market' property and says that he had to choose between becoming a bookmaker or an estate agent. He is an urbane, sharp talking man who obviously sees the well being of the local community to lie in successful business and commerce. Mr Honeyman is a classically trained singer of some repute. He spends most of his time abroad and occasionally visits his home town of Barrow. Mr Honeyman owns, and is trying to sell, a rather unusual property on Roa Island. He was interviewed in absentia, through his neighbour and friend Bob Turner. Mr Harrison, a true native of the area, has spent his later years dressing up as Santa, telling stories in pubs and enjoying his retirement. He is a mine of information on the area and naturally entertains and informs. At Christmas he has a long list of engagements as Santa and is known as 'slow Santa' at Grizedale because he spends more time with the children than other Santas. Mr Sutherland, the Director of Grizedale, has followed the whole process of the artists engaging with the community with some delight. Before his time, artists would spend long periods in the woods constructing their ambitious monoliths in wood, slate or stone. The idea of placing the art and ideas 'in the community' deals both with the idea of audiences for the 'new' Grizedale and the notion of what art is in the surrounding locale. It is apparent that these artists don't work in oils or pen and ink. The tools of their trade are video cameras, laptop computers and the situations that they find themselves in. And thereีs no wood, slate or stone... Yours sincerely, Simon P.S. I have enclosed a collage of images as well.