2010

This is the begining of Volume 1: 100 Answers to 100 Questions. Click here to read the questions and the answers so far.

Between the 1 January and the 31 December 2010 a Cake Circle consiting of 50 cakes will be constructed in London. Further details to follow and week-by-week updates.

The performance of Score 7: COLLABORATE at Kingswood school on 16 October 2009 was twinned with a performance of the same score on 15 December 2009 at  L'Ecole Guillaume Manigat, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

At Kingswood's morning assembly on 20 January 2010, John Hirst and Bill Drummond told the pupils about their experience with working with the pupils in Haiti. It was also the launch of the appeal to raise funds for the needs of the pupils and the rebuilding and furbishing  of L'Ecole Guillaume Manigat. Tracey Moberly the artist who took the photos at the school was also there to show the prints of these photos.

Ongoing information about the money raised and what use it is being put to will be documented on these EVENTS pages. As of the 20 January the fund is over £2,000.

An exhibition of photographs taken by Tracey Moberly of local members of The17 on 15 December 2009 in L'Ecole Guillaume Manigat, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The photographs are hung as large scale unframed prints around the school. They depict members of The17 in formal and casual poses. They are brilliant.

DROP OF THE HAT is an online publication based on a blog  that started in January 2009 and ended 12 months later. The blog documented and explored issues arising from a performance based on SCORE 320: CHOOSE. The score was performed by Emily & James Unknown. They also wrote the blog.

This Haiti fundraising event has been organised by John Hirst and Karen Reilly. As well as there being a raffle and performances by The Neutrinos, BK & Dad and Death of Death of Discoteque, Bill Drummond will be leading a short performance of The17 with everybody in the bar at that particular time. This event is twinned with another event at The Bicycle Shop, 17 St Bennedicts Street, Norwich.

Hackney Borough Council's planning sub-committee was in session to vote on planning permission be given to knock down the Foundry and have an Art Hotel built in its place. Bill Drummond was invited to make a statement on no longer than 90 seconds. The thrust of his statement being that Hackney Borough Council should value the contribution given by the Foundry to the cultural life of the Borough over the previous 11 years and they are more than honour bound to help find a new location for the Foundry within the Borough, if planning permission is given for the Art Hotel. Planning permission was given. The full transcript of Drummond's statement can be read at WORDS 59 in the Catalogue section of this site. 

Bill Drummond spent two days in Belfast recording a programme for BBC Radio 4 about his relationship with the city over the past 50 years and how it has influenced his art. The programme is entitled Belfast: Re-Imagining The City and was broadcast at 11:30am on 9 March 2010.

Drummond requested that the programmes producer Rachel Hooper, should pose four questions for him to answer in writing before they met up to record the programme. And that the answers to these four questions would be the four pillars for the programme to based upon.  The complete written answers to these four questions can be read on the 100 Questions page of this site

Tivoli's has been at the same location for over 100 years. In that time it has always been owned by the same family. If you are ever in Belfast get your haircut there. All the other shops in the street are boarded up. Tivolvi's has still some of its original fittings. Sadly the original sinks got smashed in the past few years by some lads that broke in. It is not a tourist attraction it is a barbers.

Bill Drummond will be giving a performance/lecture at this years by:Larm festival in Oslo.

Bill Drummond will be giving a performance/lecture at the Supermarket Art Fair in the Kulturhuset, Stockholm. His performance will be part of the Documentation / Non Documentation series of talks and discussions.

Bill Drummond was patron for the Haiti Earthquake Fundraiser @ The Roundhouse. His involvement in the event was undefined. What is known is that he wrote a piece for the events website - to read it click here. On the night he said a few words and lead the world premier of Score 357: LOUDER & LOUDER

A drive from Bethnal Green, London to Overstones Farm in the Dark Peak and back to Bethnal Green, London.

A photography session was done with Bill Drummond and Tracey Moberly on the Dark Peak. The photographs taken at this session were to be used to promote the book $20,000 and as one of the photographs for 25 Paintings.

The recording of a radio proagramme entitled On The Map for BBC Radio 4. To be broadcast on 22 March 2010.

Belfast: Reimagining A City is a programme first broadcast by BBC Radio 4 on 9 March 2010.
The programme was written and presented by Bill Drummond and produced by Rachel Hooper. It was chosen to be Radio 4's podcast of the week and was also featured on the station's Pick Of The Week programme. A podcast of the programme may be made available via this site at a later date.

Drummond requested that Rachel Hooper, should pose four questions for him to answer in writing before they met up to record the programme. And that the answers to these four questions would be the four pillars for the programme to based upon.  The complete written answers to these four questions can be read on the 100 Questions page of this site

In 1995 Bill Drummond bought a  work of art by the artist Richard Long. It was a photography & text work called A Smell of Sulphur In The Wind. It cost him $20,000. Richard Long was his favourite artist. The photographic element to the work was a photo of a stone circle created by Richard Long while walking across Iceland from top to bottom in 1994. 24 years earlier in 1970, the 17 year old Drummond and his sister attempted and failed to walk the same route across Iceland. Bill Drummond hung the the newly bought work on his bedroom wall. He was happy.  In 1998 Drummond realised he never noticed the Richard Long work anymore, so decided to sell it for $20,000. And once sold take the money in 20,000 one dollar bills to Iceland, start walking across it from top to bottom, burying the $20,000 in what remained of the stone circle made by Richard Long, take a photo of the now enriched circle, then complete the walk he failed to do in 1970. And on his return to the UK have the photograph framed in an identical frame to the Richard Long work and title the new work A Smell Of Money Underground and hang it on his bedroom wall.

He was going to sell the work to an individual, but then changed his mind. instead he gridded the work up into 20,000 small rectangles (11.2mm X 4.05mm) and started to give performance sales pitches where he would explore his relationship with art and then cut up with a Stanley knife fractions of the work to sell at a dollar a throw. Between 2002 and 2005 he gave 86 of these performance. By then he had only sold off just over half of the work. He decided to take a break and get on with The17. The break is now over. To coincide with the publication of the book $20,000 he is going to be setting up his stall in the 'wine bar' of this years Affordable Art Fair in Battersea Park and be open for business and interrogation.

This was the eigth annual giving of 40 bunches of daffodils to total strangers by Bill Drummond. Documentation photographs of the Hungerford giving can be viewed at the PHOTOGRAPHS section of the CATALOGUE.

The back cover blurb of $20,000 reads:

THIS BOOK IS ABOUT:

UNCERTAINTY, MOTORWAYS, MONEY, MEETING STRANGERS, MISSING THE POINT, A DRIVE UP BRITIAN, A WALK ACROSS ICELAND, BILL DRUMMOND, SITTING IN CAFES, STARING OUR OF WINDOWS, THE UNKNOWN, FINDING OUT, CONFUSION, MUSIC, DOING THINGS, RICHARD LONG, CUTTING UP & MAKING A SALES PITCH.

AND IT IS ALSO ABOUT:

Why we make art. And what we want from it. And what it is worth. And why we think about it. And where it is going. And is it ever too big? And is it getting better? And why we buy it. And why it can make us angry. And why do people have to write about it? And what it is for. And is it important? And why sometimes we want to destroy it. And is my art better that your art?

WARNING: To avoid disappointment read the following words before purchase:

This is the second edition of this book, the paperback version. The first edition was titled How To Be An Artist. It was hardback, clothbound and landscape in proportion. It had 90 colour plates and the paper was of superiour quality. it was an object of desire and indulgence. It was also only available in specialist art bookshops and it was published in 2002. This edition is cheaper and easier to hold, shelve and use. It has no colour plates and the paper is pulp. three paragraphs that appeared in the hardback have been deleted, as they are now irrelevant, some factual mistakes have been corrected. it also brings the story up to date, wiith 15,304 brand new words. The third edition will have yet another title, lots of photographs, more words and be vastly more expensive. The third edition will not be published for some years.

On The Map is a series of 10, 15-minute programmes for BBC Radio 4. The programme is presented by Mike Parker, author of the book Map Addict. The programmes will be (or were) broadcast between Monday to Friday at 4.45pm in the weeks beginning 22nd and 29th March 2010. And to quote the blurb:

‘The series looks at maps and map-making since the beginning of the twentieth century and will cover the use of maps for everything from leisure and motoring to propaganda and story-telling. It will also include the different approaches which have been taken to the mapping of cities, the use of maps during war, the creation of atlases and the political agendas behind different maps. And it looks at the future of cartography as digital technology opens up mapping to everyone.’ 

Bill Drummond is Mike Parker’s guest for the first of these programmes. Drummond requested that Parker and the programmes producer Jeremy Grange, should pose four questions for him to answer in writing before they met up to record the programme on the 5 March 2010. Drummond hoped that in answering these questions it would focus his mind on what maps have meant to him.  The answers to these four questions can be read on the 100 Questions page of this site

This is a very intimate weekend literary festival. The performance that Bill Drummond is/was to give is even more intimate. The Boat House in question was the home of Dylan Thomas and Drummond's performance is on the top floor of this house. It being so intimate tickets for this performance sold out immediately and thus tickets bought for the whole weekend would not give access to this particular event. Thus Drummond's name had to be taken off the posters and flyers and published line up. This is a link to what else is/was available to be taken in at the Laugharne Weekend 2010. 

Read PB Poster 217 40 Posters In Stockholm to know what this event is. It is also one half of a performance of Score 358: TRANSLATE. The other half of this performance is/was  happening in a small area of North East London. It is also part of The17's Coast-to-Coast world tour.

Bill Drummond is/has performed Score 358: TRANSLATE in central Stockholm and a small part of Noth East London. This performance is considered part of The17's Coast-to-Coast world tour. Further information and documentation elsewhere.

This performance has been rescheduled from its original date on 17 April. This was because of the closure of air space due to the volcanic ash from Iceland, preventing Drummond from flying to Gothenburg.

Bill Drummond will be constructing The Göteborg/Gothenburg Cake Circle during the Live Action Göteborg - International Performance Art Festival. The ten cakes that he will be baking to construct this Cake Circle, will be baked in open air in a public square in the centre of Gothenburg. Drummond will attempt to answer any question posed by passers by, while he is baking the cakes.

Bill Drummond has been invited to give a talk and lead a performance by The17 at the 2010 European Broadcasting Union (EBU) Radio Drama Workshop. The EBU is based in Geneva and its Radio Drama Workshop is held in a different European state, every second year. In 2010 it is being hosted by HRT/Croatia in Zagreb. The Workshop is between 9 - 11 June. The overall title for 2010 is "Listen Again: The Power of Sounds"

The shave was prepared using foam. It was not satisfactory. But the shop was what you would want from a back street barber's shop in Zagreb.

Bill Drummond will be giving an hour long Performance/Lecture at An Lanntair, the evening before the performance of Score 8: TAKE.

An Lanntair is "a beacon for the Arts in the Highlands and Islands. Bringing you the very best in Arts, Events, Music and Cinema, Food, Shopping and Relaxation all day from 10am until late - Monday to Saturday."

This will be the annual performance of Score 8: TAKE. The Callanish Stones are an ancient stone circle in the middle of the Isle-of-Lewis. This performance is also part of The17's Coast-to-Coast world tour and will be twinned with a performance of the same score, to be performed near Almendres Cromlech, Evora, Portugal in June 2011.  If you want to take part in this performance contact admin@the17.org. Or turn up at the Stones at 7am on the 19 June.

This is one of the 40 graffiti being done as part of The17's Coast-to-Coast world tour. To view all graffiti done to date click here.

This is one of the 40 graffiti being done as part of The17's Coast-to-Coast world tour. To view all graffiti done to date click here.

This is one of the 40 graffiti being done as part of The17's Coast-to-Coast world tour. To view all graffiti done to date click here.

This is one of the 40 graffiti being done as part of The17's Coast-to-Coast world tour. To view all graffiti done to date click here.

This was the third in the ongoing photographic and performance work The Life & Death Of An Artist by Tracey Moberly and Bill Drummond.

This was the fourth in the ongoing photographic and performance work The Life & Death Of An Artist by Tracey Moberly and Bill Drummond.

Bill Drummond will be building a large bed out of wood over the weekend. If anybody wants to ask him any questions about carpentry while he is doing this, he will attempt to oblige. The bed is for a member of his family. Although Drummond by and large earnt his living throughout the 1970s a joiner on building sites and in theatres, he is not contemplating in moving professionally back into it as a trade. He is only doing this as Tom Hodgkinson asked him to do something for The Idler’s Academy of Philosophy, Husbandry and Merriment section of the festival and this is what Drummond suggested he could do.

Bill Drummond will be leading The17 through a performance of the UK premier of the score NIGHTCLUBBING at Camp Bestival 2010. The performance will include ten sessions with groups of 17 individuals. Each session will last up to 30 minutes and will take place through out Saturday 31 July, at an as yet undisclosed location on the festival site. The combined performance/recording will be played back through the main PA on the Sunday evening. Tickets can be bought from the Camp Bestival site here.

This performance is part of The17 City-to-City world tour.

Further information to follow.

This is the annual open day at the Curfew Tower, where all can vote for the best piece of work produced by an artist-in-residence over the previous 12 months. In the evening there will be a bonfire in the back garden and a free bowl of curry and glass of wine for all comers. The winner is announced at 11pm.

THE FIRST TIME. Bill Drummond did a short interview (15 Minutes) with the BBC earlier in 2010. He had no idea this interview was to form the basis of an hour long programme. Thus unaware when this programme was to be broadcast until two days before it was aired. And as yet (ten days after broadcast) to hear it. We understand numerous people recorded the programme and have made it available on the net.

This was the first of 25 Paintings each displayed in 25 different Turkish barbers within the London Circle.

The Institute of Music of Oldenburg University has invited Bill Drummond to lead a performance by The17 in Oldenburg as part of the Sounding D festival. Sounding D is organised by Netwerk Neue Musik. Sounding D is happeing at various cities across Germany including Oldenburg. In Oldenburg the festival is based at the city's railway station and takes on the name Bahnklang (Train Sound). Drummond will be leading a performance of Score 328: SURROUND

If you are a German speaker and want to know more or take part in this performance please click please visit:

http://www.musik.uni-oldenburg.de/medien/47863.html

http://www.klangpol.de/

This is The17's premier performance in Germany.

Kofomi#15 - KOMPONISTENFORUM Mittersill (Mittersill Composers' Forum) is a nine day forum for contemporary composers and musicians. It is situated in the small Austrian town of Mittersill.  Webern, one of the greatest composers of the 20th-century, lived and worked in the town for the last few years of his life before he was shot.

The first Mittersill Composers' Forum was in 1996. Bill Drummond is to be the composer in residence for this years forum. He will give lectures and lead workshops. While there he will also work on a new score that will be performed at the end of the week with The17. A 17 made up of everyone attending the Forum. Further information to follow

Bill Drummond will be one of the guest lecturers at the Do Lectures 2010. He will also be leading the performance of three scores by The17. To know what the Do Lectures are visit their site: http://www.dolectures.com/about-do/

As part of The17's world tour Bill Drummond will be launching a performance of Score 321: SHOW in Milton Keynes, England. On Wednesday 22 September 2010 he will be eliciting the 100 responses needed for this score, in bars and cafes across the city. 

This performance is twinned with another performance of the same score that John Hirst will be leading in Anchorage, Alaska at the same time (weather permitting).

The 200 collected response will then be used as text on 200 different editions of beer mats. These beer mats will then be distributed throughout bars in both Milton Keynes and Anchorage.  Written and photographic documentation of these two performances of SHOW may be added to the TOUR section of The17 site.

This score was originally scheduled to be performed in Milton Keynes and Anchorage in July but got postponed due to the unforeseen urge to commit graffiti.

Un-Conventions are "international music conferences for the grass roots of the industry". Drummond will be giving a performance/lecture in Salford Station's underpass at noon on Friday I October. He will be leading a large scale performance of SURROUND across the city starting at noon on Saturday 2 October. He will also be leading a performance of TWO TRIBES at the Salford Lad's Club at noon on Sunday 3 October. The performance of TWO TRIBES is part of The17's Coast-toCoast world tour.

Times of performance may alter. If they do this entry will be updated. Further information will follow.

This will be a performance of Score 4: AGE. The17 for this performance will include 85 of the residence of Cushendall. It is part of The17's Coast-to-Coast world tour and will be twinned with a performance of the same score in the city of La Antigua, Guatemala. Further information to follow.

This will be a performance of Score 4: AGE. The17 for this performance will include 85 of the citizens  of the city La Antigua Guatemal in Central America. It is part of The17's Coast-to-Coast world tour. This performance is twinned with a performance of the same score in the small town of Cushendall, N. Ireland. Further information to follow.

This will be a performance on the Isle-of-Man will be of Score 3: DRIVE. This performance is part of The17's Coast-to-Coast world tour and is twinned with a performance of the same score performed in Hong Kong in December 2010

There will be a handfull of Soup Makings on the Soup Line as it passes through the Isle-of-Man in November 2010. If you consider that you live on the Manx section of Soup Line and would like to host an evening, contact soup@penkiln-burn.com

There will be numerous performances given by The17 in this time in Kolkata/Calcutta. This will include performances of Scores 9 WELCOME, 13 CELEBRATE and 16 COMPLEMENT, versions of which will be translated into Bengali and there will be links to them in this section. These three performances in particular will be twinned with the performances of the same scores in Derry, N. Ireland in October and November 2008. They are also part of The17's Coast-to-Coast world tour.

Further information to follow.

Bill Drummond will be leading a performance by The17 at Guangzhou Live - International Action Art Festival in the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, Guangzhou, China. Further detail to follow.

This will be a performance in Hong Kong will be of Score 3: DRIVE. This performance is part of The17's Coast-to-Coast world tour and is twinned with a performance of the same score performed on the Isle-of-Man in November 2010