Spike Island Bursary Winner Christopher Childs Q&A
One of our recent BA graduates, Christopher won Spike Associates Membership Bursary, which consists of a 16-month membership to the Spike Island Associates network. He was one of ten UWE Bristol graduates to win the bursary.
Spike Island Associates is a network of artists, curators, designers, writers and thinkers who are keen to collaborate and experiment with all forms of art. Members support one another with ambitious projects, working individually or together to develop their creative practice.
The network is based at Spike Island, a dynamic arts centre in Bristol that supports, produces, and presents contemporary art and culture. It does this by engaging audiences through an exceptional artistic programme of large-scale exhibitions and interdisciplinary events. They are passionate about supporting local and international artists and artist-led organisations through major new commissions, subsidised studio provision and artist development opportunities.
Please introduce yourself and tell us how you discovered animation?
Hi there! I’m Christopher Childs, an animation filmmaker, and artist graduating from the Bristol School of Animation. I started making my own animations when my dad bought a digital camera and showed me how to use it to make stop-motion films. Another big moment was seeing the films of Czech animator Jan Svankmajer, which was the first time I saw animation that felt like it was being zapped into my brain. Also, watching a VHS tape of ‘Pingu’, which I think was the first moving image I saw onscreen. Hypnotising!
Why did you choose UWE?
I went on a tour through the animation department a few years before applying, as part of an animation workshop, and remember being really interested. It seemed as if every animator I had met lived in Bristol, so there were a mystery and significance to the area. Because it’s such a niche art form, it’s exciting when there’s somewhere like Bristol that actually has a thriving animation culture.
Your art style and choice of mixed media really stand out – what started this?
I really love using physical materials in animation. I really don’t want that clean and corporate look some short films can have. Even though I’m making things with the help of a computer and a scanner, my first passion is stop-motion, and I still love that hands-on approach. For my graduate film, I was taking lots of inspiration from animators who have a very gross, textural quality to their work: Peter Millard, Phil Mulloy, Amy Lockart etc. That’s the group I draw from a lot. They have this spontaneous and punky approach to making things, so I’m trying to move my art towards that place.
What is the Spike Island Bursary, and what was it like to apply for?
As far as I understand it, the bursary means I can access a shared working space inside the Spike Island studios, and become involved with the other artists there through workshops and group feedback sessions. The application process involved writing about why the bursary would be beneficial to my practice, and also how I could expand my work to include others in this collective space.
Now that you have the bursary, what are you going to use the membership to do?
Hopefully, meet lots of artists! I also think it will be useful to have a space. I can go where other creatives are working on their projects. I like the feeling of being in that collective atmosphere, as it always adds so much to the work, and gives lots of opportunity for feedback and collaborations.
You can find more of Chris’s work at the upcoming UWE Showcase, or on our UWE Degree Graduate Website and directly here
