RedBall Project made a less-than-subtle appearance today to support the Norwich Canaries futbol team under the pedestrian footbridge known as the Novi Sad Friendship Bridge. The morning started rainy and cold, but eventually that dissipated and passersby on their way to the Norwich City vs. Carlisle futbol match on the way to the stadium, which was to our delight within a mile of the project site. Amongst the chanting, cheering, and moments of futbol fan discontent from the stadium (that resulted in a 0-2 finish, Carlisle), the primary audience for the project today was small children, many of whose parents had seen RedBall in the NNF 2010 manual and went out of their way to join us. Many visitors said they saw RedBall at the Norwich Railway Station yesterday on their way into town for the weekend. Either way, we were happy to have them!
The children were filled with delight today, leaving impressions of the piece that were imaginative and clever. Children have continuously proven to be a valuable source of energy and ideas for RedBall, because their minds are fertile with thoughts and questions that lie dormant until activated. RedBall often prompts them to inquire. Their initial questions were ones concerning respect toward the piece. After they cleared what they could and couldn’t do to the work and realized they could explore the possibilities, they immediately sought out the texture and the leniency of the piece under their touch. Overall, the children were dazzled by the size of the ball, but what struck them the most overall was the idea that this could be art?
The children were countered by adults who had questions like “why is this here” and “what is it.” The intellectual discourse was rich at points today, but what was evidenced was a general attitude towards art; the process of understanding starts when people stop to observe, spend time to ponder the piece, and then either offer their opinions or find a source for their questions.
Looking forward to tomorrow!