Having received funding from the National Lottery and Arts Council England, Dab Hands is launching, like much of the world’s current activities, from a quieter, more domestic setting than was originally envisioned! Rather than surrounded by the myriad of wonders housed at Manchester Museum, and chatting with its visitors as I work, plans are instead being hatched from my sofa, with more input from the skinny dogs than from the general public.

Take a look at the project’s intro page to get an overview of the variety of activities that are planned. In the meantime, I will be working at home to create the first portraits - I have some wonderful sitters lined up and can’t wait to share the portraits with you as they get underway!

Despite the quiet start, I feel incredibly lucky to be well and embarking on a funded project when so many artists and craftspeople find their work and worlds upended by the whirlwind that is coronavirus. Barry Bate, a wonderful woodworker and spoon carver, who will be Dab Hands’ first portraiture subject, reminded me when we chatted on the phone late last week, that for many artists and craftspeople, it should be now that work is picking up after the post-Christmas lull, and a summer without craft-fairs and festivals doesn’t bear thinking about. If you want to help, it may be worth considering sending gifts, or buying home-ware and even face masks from local makers on sites like Etsy.

I am having some fascinating conversations with the museum’s curators and project collaborators to make sure that, when the project does take up residence in Manchester Museum, there will be loads to share with you and its visitors. I’m really looking forward to talking with Deputy Head of Collections and Curator of Living Cultures, Stephen Welsh next week. When I first started working with Manchester Museum it was Stephen who gave me a fascinating tour of the stored collection. His passion for the objects, respect for the craftspeople who made them and willingness to ask difficult questions relating to the morality of owning a ‘post-colonial’ collection really struck a chord. He will be telling me about the Nigerian spoons that are in the museum’s collection, relating to Barry the spoon-maker’s participation as a portraiture subject. Stephen has also suggested that we look at North American and South African bead-work which requires a great deal of manual skill to create. I think that some of the project’s take-away dexterity challenges might end up a bit beady!

When the museum reopens, Dab Hands will be setting up studio on the third floor, just opposite the cafe, so please pop by to say hello!

Yesterday I kicked off the Dab Hands outreach programme with a really enjoyable question and answer session conducted online with Manchester University post graduate students who are taking a health communication module lead by medical historian, Elizabeth Toon. Most of the group were from the Science Communication MSc, while others are studying medical humanities. They were a lively group with lots of questions and it was a pleasure to talk to them about communicating medical narratives through art. One of them even offered to help me with learning how to suture- what a bonus! If this experience was anything to go by, Dab Hands is going to be a full of fascinating chats and exciting surprises. Can’t wait to crack on. Next up, directing a remote photo-shoot online!