Author: AshG

This Girl Codes Curiosity Academy

| AshG

Recently, I was really excited to be asked to participate in the Curiosity Academy project run as part of Junction Arts This Girl Codes project.

This Girl Codes is based around a “series of taster sessions, pop-up heritage STEAM labs in historic houses, castles and caves as well as festivals, trips and events during school holidays.“

Bad plants!

I was asked to run a Bitsy game session around the theme of Creswell Crags, and the witch marks they’d found there a few years ago. Since submitting a Bitsy game to Creswell Crags Winter Folklore Festival in 2020, I’d wanted to follow up and do something more with them. So, it was great to be asked to participate in this programme of events. Similar to a session I ran at Feral Vector, I thought it would be a nice idea to get everyone to collaborate on a game, and it worked so well. I really wanted to see what story and characters they would come up with themselves, and the end result was a lot of fun. The participants created their own characters, game narrative and settings based on the folklore and history of Creswell Crags. And after that (proving that Bitsy is really easy to get to grips with), one of the participants was inspired to make her own game, and I helped finish it off. I wasn’t able to travel to Creswell Crags, so I did this all virtually with the support of the project co-ordinator and artist, Amy and Cora.

You can play the game, Mother Grundy’s Protection, on the This Girl Codes site. It’s “based around the myth of Mother Grundy, rescuing a local boy from poisoning, with the help of herbs, animal guardians and tree spirits.”

You can also read more about how the game was created in this blog post.

Looking at the rest of the activities during the Curiosity Academy, I was very inspired by the focus on the overlap between physical and digital art made by local communities, and also the making process itself. Also tied in with the strong folklore and nature theme, it was a project that was right up my street and I loved being involved in it.

Off the back of this, projects created as part of this programme of events are on display in the interactive exhibition, Sweep Away The Silence, at Creswell Crags until 5th October (closed Monday 19th September). It includes “light paintings, spell poems, audio recordings, incredible artefacts found within the caves and much more.“

Get down there if you can. 🙂

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I’m in the Queer Games Bundle

| AshG

Last year, The Queer Games Bundle ran during June for Pride Month. It’s back again for Pride in June 2022.

As the organisers behind it say, “This is an initiative to collaboratively support as many queer indie/micro/art devs and makers as possible.” and to “celebrate the diversity of their games!“

The bundle includes over 500 games, zines, and creative projects, made by over 400 queer artists, and is available to buy for $60 or a Pay What You Can Edition between 1st June 1 and 6th July, 2022.

My most recent 3D retro style game, Sister Spring, Brother Winter, is included as part of the bundle as well.

It’s a great initiative, and I’m really pleased to be a small part of it. And it’s been great to see how well-received the bundle has been – nearly 3,000 people have bought either the $60 or Pay What You Can Edition already.

You can find out more about the Queer Games Bundle here, and buy it here.

Take a look at @akaxiri’s great trailer below featuring some of the games in the bundle. 🙂

New game: a 3D interactive folktale

| AshG

Every year, when winter is almost at its peak, a house grows in a clearing in the old wood. Fuelled by the frost and sun, the tangle of branches sprouting from its roof glisten in the cold air. And every year, a spirit of the wood grows within it too. A creature whose responsibility it is to ensure that the guardian of winter is able to rest well for the following seasons, and that his sister has all she needs for her period of guardianship over the coming spring.

I’ve released another free to play browser game on itch.io, called Sister Spring, Brother Winter. It’s a 3D interactive winter folktale about the changing of the seasons – collect pieces of the fallen sun to help Sister Spring wake the world.

It features a 3D style that gives a nod to the ZX-Spectrum of the early 1980s, including games such as Jepac and Atic Atac.

I used 3D Bitsy to create it – I just find it so fun and easy to create little narrative games using this game making tool. 3D Bitsy is made by aloelazoe, which is built on Adam Le Doux’s Bitsy.

You can play it at https://ashg.itch.io/sister-spring-brother-winter

New ice line drift track

| AshG

Circling a Drifting Vessel is another ambient rhythmic but beatless electronic instrumental I’ve released for the Ice Line Drift music project. It’s on Spotify, Deezer, iTunes, Soundcloud, Amazon, etc etc. Links to most major streaming services here: https://artists.landr.com/692531199515

Link to Bandcamp page here: https://icelinedrift.bandcamp.com/

There’s also a video for the track on Youtube.

Original footage from Cottonbro and Zlatin Georgiev on Pexels.com, manipulated and edited by myself.

NINABYRON #2 – a non-binary art e-magazine

| AshG

I’ve recently contributed to NINABYRON: a non-binary stable #2, which is an art magazine co-ordinated by artists AnimaeNoctis, who are Silvia Marcantoni Taddei and Massimo Sannelli. You may recognise their names, as they also contributed the PRIDEPRIDEPRIDE video piece to the LGBTQ+ Positive Voices exhibition.

I’ve contributed non-Binniry flags 1 & 2, which features one of my best friends in digital art form, and also The Midnight Detective Club book cover.

NINABYRON #2 features Daniel Rothbart, Natalia Fernandez Diaz-Cabal, Nurdwi Subagyo Katong, Klaus Lutz, Giussepe Chiari, Daisuke Tsukuda, AnimaeNoctis and myself.

It’s fantastic to be able to contribute to this e-magazine, especially with its gender non-conforming focus, and also to be alongside a lot of great and original art pieces.

You can find NINABYRON #2 here.

NINABYRON #1 can be found here.

Non-Binniry flag 2

It’s Alive! LGBTQ+ Positive Voices Has Launched

| AshG

Today’s the day. The LGBTQ+ Positive Voices online exhibition has launched in time for Pride Month. I’m so pleased to be able to open it up and share all the inspiring and wonderful contributions from the 26 artists and creators from around the world who chose to get involved. đź’–

The following pages feature on the site:

  • About – list of creators, thanks, background to the exhibition.
  • Exhibition Entrance – go here to explore all the artworks and details about them.
  • Comments Book – leave your positive comments here.
  • Support Page – I realise some of the pieces in the exhibition may generate difficult feelings for some people. So, it was important for me to direct them to professional organisations who can give them support and advice if they need it.
  • Artists pages – an individual page for each of the wonderful contributions from each of the artists and creators.

You can also find out more about the artists and creators pieces via Twitter.

Here’s a teaser trailer for the exhibition.

All shares of the exhibition site are greatly appreciated: https://www.lgbtqpositivevoices.org/

LGBTQ+ Positive Voices Exhibition Launch (19th June)

| AshG

Earlier this year, I put out a call for LGBTQ+ artists and creatives, inviting them to contribute to an online exhibition, which would be a celebration of their positive experiences, lives and perspectives. Thanks to everyone who shared this open call, the response was inspirational, and as a result the LGBTQ+ Positive Voices online exhibition has been created.

The creators included in this exhibition are Ana Iribas RudĂ­n; AnimaeNoctis (Silvia Marcantoni Taddei & Massimo Sannelli); April Winter; ​Bryony Mair; ​Caren Jo Shapiro; ​Charmaine Chapman; ​Ethan Moss; ​Frankie; ​Geoffrey Doig-Marx (GDM); ​Giridhar Raghunathan; ​Guillermo “Wildo” Zayas IV; ​Jeremy Martin; Anonymous; Konrad Natthagel; Kryštof NovotnĂ˝; Leon Clowes; Linhtropy; Naomi; Paty RodrĂ­guez; Poppy Ash; Rik Versteeg; Robin Swift; Rufus Isabel Elliot; Salome Zhvania; Stefani J Alvarez; Terry Gregoraschuk.

This celebratory exhibition includes videos, dance performance pieces, paintings, digital artworks, audio pieces and games. They represent a broad spectrum of sexual and gender identities from 26 fantastic artists and creative contributors from around the world. I am very proud to be able to share these unique personal perspectives. The range of creative pieces and art in the exhibition is wonderful. And each share a short unique thought-provoking and often emotional personal story alongside them that is a positive reflection of being an LGBTQ+ person.

The exhibition site will launch on 19th June (12 noon, BST) at: www.lgbtqpositivevoices.org.

You can follow the launch on Twitter and other social media, and help spread the word by using the hashtag combination #pridemonth #positivevoices .

You can also find out more about the exhibition at the online launch event on 23rd June (6.30 pm BST). This will be held as part of the Festival of Pride and Knowledge 2021, and will feature content from the exhibition. Free tickets can be booked via: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/festival-of-pride-and-knowledge-2021-tickets-155920447255 

See you there.

The LGBTQ+ Art Exhibition Showcasing The Joy Of Queer Lives: Q and A With Organiser Ash Green

| AshG

Really happy to have been featured on Queer Creatives UK site, where I talk about the upcoming LGBTQ+ Positive Voices Exhibition alongside my own creative projects.

Queer Creatives

What better time to be inspired by the work of our fellow LGBTQ+ community than during Pride Month? If you’re seeking your latest queer art fix, you need look no further – there’s a new exhibition heading your way.

The LGBTQ+ Positive Voices exhibition launches online this month, celebrating the positive experiences, lives and perspectives of queer artists and creatives. The exhibition promises an exciting range of creative work, mixing image, video and audio art. We spoke to exhibition organiser Ash Green about their own work as an artist, why they set up Positive Voices, and why dedicated queer spaces like this matter.

Hi Ash!Tell us about your work as an artist.

I mainly create electronic music, small digital games and interactive narratives. They often have a nod to early 1980s music and pop culture, folklore and superstition, and autobiographical elements. My game and narrative art can be hand-drawn…

View original post 915 more words

LGBTQ+ Positive Voices Submissions So Far

| AshG

I just wanted to post a short update about the online LGBTQ+ Positive Voices exhibition. I’ve had a fantastic response and steady submission of creative pieces from people around the world. And every time I see a new submission appear in my in-box I’m excited that someone else wants to contribute to this project, and I’m excited to find out what that contribution might be and why it represents a positive experience to them. And when I see the submission piece and read their words it always moves me, simply because all the pieces are so personal, beautiful, unique and positive. I’ve received performance pieces, digital artworks, digital copies of paintings, audio pieces and games, representing asexual, bisexual, gay, gender non-conforming, non-binary, polysexual and trans perspectives. Thank you to everyone who has contributed already. It is wonderful to know that this idea has struck a chord with so many people.

Even if I don’t receive any more submissions, I will be extremely happy to have only these creative pieces in the exhibition launch. But I am also happy to welcome even more submissions representing more voices within the LGBTQ+ community. And those submissions can be anything creative that can be hosted online (eg visual, audio, creative writing, videos, interactive pieces, whatever). I want to emphasise again (and again and again) that contributions from amateur, hobby, DIY artists, crafters and creatives, those who do not consider themselves to be artists or creatives, and those who have never submitted to an exhibition before are especially welcome. And if you aren’t open about your sexuality or gender identity you can also submit your piece anonymously.

There’s more information about the exhibition here, along with the submission form.

The call for submissions closes on 31st May 2021.

The exhibition will go live on 19th June 2021.

Photo by Polina Kovaleva from Pexels