HAT: Here and There

CHATWIN : MARTIN

Residency at Beaconhouse National University

Farewells/New Beginnings

Posted by Johnny Magee on 2nd February 2007

Friday, 15th December 2006, and the last week of our residency:

Leaving Pamela in bed to recover from pneumonia (pneumonia, for God’s sake!) Peter strode out into the early morning light to tie up, alone, our major (of several) loose end. Finally, this was to be the bee pollination project meeting of minds - and we had managed to engage many more minds than we had previously thought possible. These belonged not only to the ‘aforeblogmentioned’ Dr. Nasreen Muzaffar, Bee Consultant at Punjab University and the Salman farming family, but also to Prof. Salima Hashmi, Dean of the School of Visual Arts at Beaconhouse National University; Haroon Rahin of the British Council; and three representatives of the WWF - Species Focal Officer, Usma Khan, Programme Development Officer, Amna Shahab, and The Director General, Ali Hassan Habib, who generously hosted the meeting in the boardroom of the WWF Pakistan Head Office.

Pollination, using the ‘nier’ bee nests developed by Dr. Muzaffar, was the main topic for discussion, and by bringing together representatives of so many varying bodies it is hoped that interconnections will have been made and enough interest generated for a bee pollination project to be initiated. The first signs are positive. The meeting was also reported by a journalist from one of Pakistan’s national newspapers:


- click to see article

From our 5,000 mile distance back home in the UK we remain in touch with all the protagonists involved in this meeting. By request our scientist friend, Chris O’Toole, has sent off factual information regarding the importance of indigenous bees and wild flowers to our ‘every third mouthful’ of food supply, and the subsequent importance of Nasreen’s nier nests to this imperative. Wheels are turning slowly, yet with forward motion. We feel compelled to ask in all this, ‘Who needs artists?’

Saturday, 16 December, and our last weekend at the Guest House:

We, the house guests, Tabitha, Liz, Bev, Peter and Pamela (flat out throughout), decided to hold a party in thanks to all those who had helped to make our respective residencies and work placements such a real pleasure to treasure. As the HAT team had descended on us in Pakistan earlier that week, and as the previous parties we had been invited to in Lahore had tended to have themes, we all decided that everyone should wear a hat - a hat party - not overly imaginative as themes go, but in fact a real success as an ice-breaker. Hats of every way shape and form emerged from the darkness, and we’re assuming all partygoers returned home with the hat with which they arrived. If not, please refer to... whom? We’ve all gone...

Hats off to Malcolm, Sophie, Gwen, Rashid and Huma - Thank you all

Click on image to open QuickTime movie

"ARTIST'S TALK"

Peter Chatwin and Pamela Martin talk to conference during cHAT week at Sanskriti, Delhi, India. March 2007