Wednesday 20 February 2013

A NuSpeak Publication Written by Children




"WHAT FOLLOWS IS ENTIRELY THE WORK OF A GROUP WHO VISITED THE GLASGOW CENTRE OF THE SCOTTISH ARTS COUNCIL ON JULY 4, 1973.

The group was composed mainly of children from Belfast with a few others from Gorbals and Glasgow Housing Estates, and the group leaders participating.

No pressure was put on the children to draw, and no suggestions were made about subject. The only extraneous stimulus which affected the final result was a copy of a colour supplement with a bulldog on the cover - the image seems to have caught at least a couple of imaginations"

- The Scottish Arts Council
5 Blythswood Square

Blogger's note: The last names have been removed to protect the artists' identity.


(images courtesy of the CCA and the Third Eye Centre Archives)


It's unclear if this was actually put together as a NuSpeak edition or if it was meant to be in the style of the NuSpeak publications which would have been most likely been in the process of being put together at Blythswood Square. These are a selection of drawings that were all stapled together within the archives amongst other general information about community art. The words and thoughts of children give an unfiltered look at the state of the times as well perhaps the role that Blythswood would have played as a community center.

Just to put it out there again, from what I understand no one has a comprehensive collection of all of the NuSpeak issues in Glasgow (but they are in the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh), but it would be fascinating to compare the issues more in depth with the contents of the archives.

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