Slow Boat Journeys

Slow Boat began its Year 2 tour of Birmingham and the West Midlands in Walsall, moored up outside The New Art Gallery Walsall.  

In early March, artist Larissa Shaw began a series of workshops with groups from Walsall College. These sessions combined zine-making and printing, following methods of exquisite corpse and inspired by contemporary publishing. Later that month IYP visited the The Art Schools of the West Midlands exhibition at TNAGW. The group met with artists John Beck and Matthew Cornford to discuss Slow Boat as an alternative art school.   

March also marked the start of a series of flag workshops, inspired by artist Mali Morris (who exhibits at Ikon in Autumn 2023) and facilitated by artist-educators Tom Hicks (Black Country Type) and Laura Onions (Gathering Press). 

In April, Slow Boat was moored up in Wolverhampton where tutors Simon Harris, Gavin Rogers and Laura Onions hosted workshops for their students at the School of Art. Gathering Press hosted a public event on the boat for young people aged 16-25 as well as a flag-making working for the University’s Print Club. IYP and ArtForum, Wolverhampton Art Gallery’s youth group, met with Exodus Crooks for a painting and writing workshop.  

In May, Slow Boat spent a few weeks in Tipton, moored up outside Malthouse Stables Activity Centre. Here Black Country Type delivered two photography workshops for groups from Sandwell Youth Services, specifically exploring the site on the canal.  

Slow Boat delivered boat trips for groups of Year 1 students from Brierley Hill, who used the journey to draw objects they noticed along the way. IYP visited the boat in Tipton for a workshop with artist Will Kew, who explored traditional canal sign painting with the group. 

About Slow Boat 

With the support of Freelands Foundation, over three years (2021-24) Ikon Youth Programme (IYP) navigates the waterways on board Slow Boat, a converted narrow boat. IYP are collaborating with creative thinkers and makers to reimagine Slow Boat as a local art school.