Drinking It All In / The Shock Of The New (Bottlers) (2019)

By

Zoe Toolan

A photograph collage of scenes from whisky workshops at the Alternative Art School Weekender, Ugly Duck, London

A series of whisky tastings at the Alternative Art School Weekender using whisky from Independent Bottlers as a metaphor and framework for discussion around art education: the mainstream university versus the lesser-known - but arguably more exciting and longer lasting - alternative art school 'spirit'.

In a nutshell, Independent Bottlers buy whisky from already established distilleries and bottle it under their own name; to my mind, a curation. The whisky from these indie bottlers is often very different in taste to the mainstream version of that distillery's output and are a pull for those searching for something a bit different to the usual (maybe because they've already tasted as much as it can offer?) Over time, these indie bottlers have forged a solid reputation on their ability to do what the big brands often can't: experiment. By taking risks and often encompassing ideas seemingly unrelated to whisky/their specific field of operation, these indie bottlers remain fresh, relevant and vital, creating weird and wonderful tastes that both interest those who aren't usually whisky drinkers as well as hardcore fans searching for something a little more personal. Taking place over the festival's duration, this series of sensory indie whisky tastings used the 'spirit’ of these whiskies as a starting point to open up conversation and raise questions that the alt. art education scene needs to (continue to) address by the people already involved and those who might be new to it: why is alternative art education needed? How different does it need to be to mainstream models of learning? Who is alt. art education for? Can alt. art education happen individually or only in a group? Is alt. art ed more about community than education? How does/could alt. art education find ways to engage non-artists and the wider community? Why would alt. art ed. need to engage non-artists and the wider community? What risks does alt. art education take? Does 'art education' need to be reframed again? What does a person do if they can't afford this alternative (that price being money, time, etc)? Any many more that will hopefully continue to resonate with the participants.

More information: https://www.zklt.co.uk/

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Zoe Toolan

Zoe is a precarious working, multidisciplinary artist from Yorkshire living in Brighton, with one foot in the conceptual, one foot in the visual and one foot in the everything in-between. Her work centres around live art and social practices with anything she creates having an inherent sense of unpredictability and ephemerality; as is life. Education underpins her work and she is passionate about radical pedagogy - especially through drawing and whisky - regarding any teaching role as a live, participatory happening and a vital part of her own practice and learning.

https://www.zklt.co.uk/