Page 127 of The Examiner

Can we have a portfolio of photographs that show the installation before the materials leave the studio, then in situ at RD8, before the event. If you are able to photograph people at the event – or film them experiencing the installation, that would work well.

The deadline appears to be the day before the actual event: can you confirm? Please let me know any ideas you have that will enable the examiner to evaluate the final project and do justice to all the hard work you and your MA group have put in over the last year.

All the best, Hannah

To: MMAM(FTP)

From: Gela Nathaniel

Date: 6 May 2024

Subject: The long essay

Dear all,

Do not run screaming at the subject line of this email. It’s time to start pulling together your long essays. By ‘long’ we mean 5,000–6,000 words.

Of course as you’ve all been keeping copious diaries of your work on the final project, these will be a cinch. They are basically your chance to evaluate the whole project, start to finish, from your point of view. Imagine you are giving your line manager an idea of what went right and wrong, and in particular what learnings can be taken from the experience, so that the next project will be better still. This form of post-mortem is how we all ensure we move on from past mistakes towards a bigger, brighter future!

We’ll discuss potential formats and headings, etc. at our next meet-up in the studio. The format is flexible, so long as you clearly communicate:

Who you are as an artist

A project overview

What went right

What went wrong

Learnings going forward

How you format and structure the essay is up to you.

Best,

Gela

Doodle message group MMAM(FTP), 6 May 2024:

Jem Badhuri

OMG, I can’t believe we have to start the long essay before we’ve finished the installation. I’ve been keeping a Doodle diary, so hope to get it over with quickly. What’s everyone else doing?

Patrick Bright

Feels like two minutes ago we were getting our welcome packs and registering for the print room. I’ve been keeping a diary too, but don’t think it’ll be very useful.

Jem Badhuri

The diaries are chronological, so we can do a chronological account, right?

Patrick Bright

That would be the logical thing.

Ludya Parak

It’s our opportunity to throw shit around, folks. Point fingers. Lay blame. The worse you can make everyone else look, the less you’ll come under the gaze of the man. Tips from the coalface of corporate survival.