Image: windscale.net

The coastal location of JMT makes it an ideal site for collaborative creative exploration of our environment. JMT offers a space and opportunity to research, inform and communicate with its broad community about our coastal environment. By dealing with global environmental issues that impact local communities, JMT has the potential to bring together residents, professionals and academics.

This will help establish Jaywick Martello Tower as an innovative partner alongside significant international research programmes.

WINDscale by Rob Smith
until end September - March 2008
Essex artist Rob Smith is showing an environmentally responsive video installation called 'WINDscale' at Jaywick Martello Tower. An anemometer constantly measures the speed of the wind, and this data is linked to a computer controlled video that responds to the changes in wind speed.  The resulting video can be viewed live at the Tower and via the artist’s website www.windscale.net

Rob Smith’s project makes connections between real environmental conditions and the images that are produced, presenting an ephemeral image that allows itself to be affected by the random effects of the wind over a period of time. 
Jaywick is the first location for this project which will develop over one year to connect with venues in Shanghai, the Artsway in the New Forest, Hackney Wick and Southampton. 

This project is supported by Arts Council England, Essex County Council, SCAN, Artsway, Space Media.  Rob Smith is part of Escalator Visual Arts, an initiative by Arts Council England, East to support talented artists in the area.
Rob Smiths’ website www.robsmith.me.uk/

Workshops with Linda Arkley
August 2007

Throughout August, Jaywick Martello Tower (JMT) ran a series of fun and exciting workshops for families and young people.  

In the Old and New Perspectives workshop, participants explored Jaywick's past and present by creating their own postcard collage, using a wide range of media, including digital printouts and found objects.

The Cultural Trail workshop inspired participants to find out more about the heritage of the Martello Towers. Activities included: comparing the architectural details of Jaywick's Tower with that of other towers along the east coast, and creating 3D models of a Martello Tower from recycled materials, then placing the model onto a large scale, hand drawn map of the east coast.

Linda Arkley, artist and workshop leader says: "I wanted to create workshops that tie together the themes of JMT: community, heritage and environment. Inspired by William Steven's collection, families and young people get to create their own postcards made from the natural environment."