Monday. Two lovers  had been searching hopelessly for a poem to read at their wedding. On Saturday strolling along the South Bank they came across a poet shouting from the rooftops of the phsyco building (me) reading a poem called Invisible Kisses . They knew they had found the poem.  They called on Monday.

A box of chocolates from hotel chocolat arrived  on my desk on Tuesday as a gift from The Director Maggie Atkinson of ADCS for the  work I did at the Association of Directors of Childrens Services Conference last week. They are eaten  in the artist in residence office over the following two days, into the mouths of shlomo, his parents and the cape farewell team. 

Later the same day   I was asked to introduce Leonard Cohen  on stage at The Big Chill. That kind of request doesn’t happen every week.  But  I couldn’t do it as I don’t have the time to stay the weekend.  Will I live to regret turning this down. No. Am I sure about my decision.  No.  

Cycling  to the south bank, which I’ve done every day this week, I came across poet Fran Landesman whom I guess knew (and I think may have had a liason with)  Leonard Cohen. The NY London based octagonarian invited  me to her party on Sunday.  I know Bob Dylan liked Fran a lot.    Considering I am a fan of Fran this is the coolest invite of the year.

On Wednesday someone whom I respect and worked with at the south bank sent me an email “Before our project  I had decided I was going to leave but working with you reminded  me of why I do what i do. I am staying. And I just wanted to let you know about this, and to thank you”  How do you put that into an evaluation form regarding my residency. I  received an invite to the houses of parliament for lunch too, but missed
out cause I haven’t replied and the person who made the invite will by now be in LA.  Doh! 

 On Wednesday   I attended  a  talk at The Southbank centre. It was   inspirational. It was about the power to make change.  Goosepimples arrived as Aaron Dworkin of  Sphinx  began his talk “I was brought up with white adoptive parents”. He was explaining about how to get minorities into classical music.   

 Afterwards  with Lucy Macnab and Rachel Holmes  I met the directors of the  film Black Gold.  It is about the exploitation of the coffee industry in Ethiopia.  “Everyone should see it” says the daily Mirror. We shall be putting it on here at the south bank as part of the autumn
programming, alongside a Night of  Ethiopian and Eritrean novelists.    The Southbank is an INCREDIBLE place to develop as an artist.  

On the Thursday  I have a great meeting with Gillian Moore to discuss a music project with Gary Crosby.  I meet Melanie Abrahams to discuss London Liming.  i saw a woman outside the artists in residence office in flods of tears. She had found a quiet corner to weep in. “Are you okay” I asked “No” she replied “would you like a cool glass of water” I
said “yes” she replied. I flipped back to the office poured a cool glass of water and brought it to here “Here” i said “leave the glass on the floor. I’ll pick it up later”.

 I went on to my meeting with Rebecca  from a company called Above The Title about a radio documentary I shall be making with them.   I decided we should have the meeting inside the Psycho buildings exhibition. On the way I passed the woman again  and flipped back again “I just want to say” I said “People who don’t cry scare the life out of me. What I mean is, crying is good, it’s good”.   She looked at me and she smiled, through red eyes. “really” I continued “I know people who refuse to cry and they become scarey monsters. So whatever it is, it’s good to cry”. She laughed. I laughed too – probably looked like a bit of a nutter, but no, she is crying at an arts centre and that’s okay. I waved goodbye and she waved goodbye.

Phsyco Buildings is a  great place to have meetings, surprisingly, challengingly intimate.  Rebecca and myself resolved to find a producer for the sensitive radio project Child of The State.  

As i walk back from the psycho buildings office what is left at the corner of the QEH is not the crying woman, but an empty glass.  Here is why I asked her if she would like a glass of water and I can not explain it myself but all I thought was she will be losing water crying (dehydrating) so maybe she would like to replace it.

Back at the artist in residence office I received an email from a woman – a perfect stranger – who heard a poem called Perfect, ten years ago, who said she would be reading that poem at her wedding in August.  That’s two weddings, two poems in one week.    

Had a great conversation today  Friday with two artists. I  was sayin that it is art
which has always communicated the messages which religion is based upon ie;  in literature (the bible, the Koran etc) and then there are the images the visual art, alot of the history of art is in churches around the world. “What if” I said “what if the art, and the practise of art were the expression of  God rather the religions that surround the art,  whatever God you may believe in.  What if  expression, the search for truth, is the truth.

There are alot of very cool meetings today.   I  get alot of love from this place and I give a lot too. Some kind of synergy surrounding art. I give a lot of art to this place and I get a lot of art too.   I really want to stay to see the Emerging Artists in Residence performance this evening. It will be incredible because they are.  But I can’t. I gots to go home. Got a delivery between 8 and 9.

These are some of the off record Highlights from Monday to Friday, that  are  easy to miss in the blog.  The blog seems to be developing into  a record of events. I was here… I was there…. etc etc.    But it ain’t where you go, it’s where you’re at.