On Thursday 2 June, I went into college for the first time since the Bank Holiday re-opening. I was impressed at the work going on in the studios. All the walls had new display areas built by the technicians and painted white by the students. The technicians, Graham, Boris and Pete were busy building my TV installation. It comprises two panels of MDF about 6 feet tall by 4 feet wide. They had concealed the wiringand were on the final stages of screwing down the side struts. They told me it had taken since Tuesday to install because of all the precise measurements. Because of my broken leg, Sean had overseen the locating of my TV installation and he had done me proud. My friend, who had transported me in, because I am still unable to walk, painted the panels white ready for the TV to be installed. I was to share a studio with Ian, who was constructing in situ a framework with reflective plastic panels for his 'participation art' piece, Carly, who had mounted three paintings of actresses from scenes in old movies and Kayleigh, whose embroidery work was a comment on Guantanamo Bay interns. As we left the paint drying on Thursday, I felt a sense of 'almost there'. It was just a question of putting the finishing touches to the paintwork, mounting the plasma TV screen, plugging in my memory stick and my film was ready to go for the hand-in deadline the next day at 1pm. Months and months of work and just one day away from hand-in.
Friday 3 June. Hand-in day.
There was a buzz in all the studios when I arrived at 10.00 on Friday. Ian came over to me and said there was a problem with my sound installation, had I received his email last night? I thought he meant that there was a technical problem with the wiring. I had looked at Moodle and my emails at 9.00pm the previous evening before going to bed, after putting the finishing touches to my report - nothing new.
Sean called to me from a platform in the far corner of the studio that there was an objection to my sound from the other studentssharing the studio. He cupped his hand over his ears and said 'emails have been flying about'. He said he was convening a meeting for the four of us at 12.35 after the Health & Safety officers had left. I could see that he was up to his eyes in it, so I made myself busy in the meantime. I saw the other three students from my studio go off into a room together. I looked around the studios on my mobility scooter. Sean told me not to be conspicuous as he feared the Health & Safety officers might find a problem. He needn't have worried as there was ample space for me to move and where there wasn't, I asked students to move their personal belongings. I went off to find myself a quiet corner, out of the way. I worked with Steve on drawing up a sheet with turn on/off instructions for the artists who were using equipment. Steve is another student working on a film. His film is about violence in an asylum. He is really into goth. His work has come on hugely over the three years of the course. Sean gave the thumbs up that the Health & Safety officers had given the all clear and I made my way to the disabled platform to be ready for the group meeting.
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