Eve Robinson ‘Lock down Art Post Cards from the Edge’ June 2020
The contextual information around the ‘Lockdown Art Postcards from the ‘Edge’ project started in the first week of March in response to the Governments lockdown rules and regulations. I knew from conversations with my students that they were finding it tough and were showing signs of anxiety which worsened as the lockdown period went on.
Students talked about paranoia, disturbed sleep patterns [often sending me work while I was logging on at 5 am]. I set the project to enable them to deal with some of the negative issues they were dealing with. Students said the project helped them to work through the many mental health issues that they were experiencing and that the act of researching, designing and creating a visual response to these issues helped them to come to terms with how they were feeling. 
By the end of March, from conversations with friends and family members, I also realised that many of the general public were experiencing similar feelings and symptoms. To this end, I have extended the project to include family and friends. Consequently, the ages of the people who took part ranged from 4 years to 86 years old. 
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The set themes across the 18 weeks include:-
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My Visions from isolation joy/mayhem?
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Confinement & Escapism
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Planting & Growing
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Families & Friends
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What are you baking? Art cakes inspired by your favourite artist
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Visitors welcome & not
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Music torments or soothes the soul?
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Nature, city & landscapes
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I’m Bored?
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How are you coping?
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Key workers & lack of PPE & it’s effects on the BAME community
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BLM & racism [on going throughout the summer]
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Collage Mashup The restrictions are easing? How is it for you?
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BLM Jamaican Windrush and Ska Reggae
Above, are the initial instructions sent to all the students, family, friends and the general public. Also, each participant was assigned a personal card to form a thread of dialogue thread between us. Furthermore, the postcards were returned by post. The importance of posting is for many reasons. First, the franking of the cards gives a time, date and place. Second, to revive the joy of receiving personal cards, especially to the younger generation who have little or no real concept of this method of communication. 
The responses varied and took the form of photographs, paintings/drawings, poetry, collages including personal messages on the back of the cards illuminating how the situation was different for different people and depending on location, personal space, individual mindsets, family size, family key workers, access to IT equipment and Wi-Fi. The later was evident through many of my most disadvantaged students who had either limited access or none at all and at the time of writing this have still not received Laptops or dongles.
My personal experience was one of isolation; even my daily walks on the Moors rarely resulted in meeting another human being. On my own, all day, working on the computer and plunged into a new digital method of teaching. As you can imagine, I went through a very steep learning curve as I learnt how to use TEAMs, Zoom, Skype, Office 365, One drive to name but a few of the digital platforms I now need to master to support and communicate with my students. My sleep patterns like my students became very much effected often wide awake between the hours of 3 am, and 5 am, then practically falling asleep in my dinner. In the end, I, like my students realised there was no point fighting it and just went with my natural body clock and started to enjoy this early rising when everything was quiet and serene, it seemed a good time to get creative and gave me a deeper purpose in life. 
Instructions for Postcards
Hi everyone, some students and I were talking this morning and talked about sending their art experiments to me by post. What a great idea How will it work?
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Subject: My Lock down experience.
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Size: This is to be approximately 10cm by 15cm
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Postcard: in card not paper Cut out from card cereal boxes are good.
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Medium: Any 2D – pencil, crayons, sharpies, paint, pencil, photography, collage, etc. printing
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Image: goes on the front.
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On back: divide into two vertically. 
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Address and stamp on the right-hand side. 
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Message or one word or little explanation or quotation on the left-hand side.
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Photograph front & back before you post and email to erobinson@tmc.ac.uk
Check out 
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This project is ongoing so if you would like to participate please send your ‘Art post cards from the Edge to me at the address below. Thank you.
Eve Robinson
UAL Level 3 Lecturer Art & Design
The Manchester College
Openshaw Campus