groving: Resistance in Bury St Edmunds

It is coming to the end of the summer holidays and a certain dread starts to creep onto me as I think of the return to school. The dread is not consigned to packing lunches and dropping off children at the gates but also a seeping fear that edges into all aspects of life here in the UK. I have never thought of myself as a 'foreigner' and I will always fight to be part of my community here. Groving, the new exhibition by Barbara Dougan, is one of those activities that brings me closer to artists and writers, that glues me into a sense of my community. It is partly about fighting back personally, but more about resisting together.

Yesterday Barbara placed a public art piece by Chris Brown on the streets of Bury St Edmunds.
I wrote some words about it.

Poppin' pills is the kowtow
Ride the hills we all know
Eat them on a Sunday
More again on Monday
Highs lowkey at the freak show
My Mum says it’s a no-no
But she’s just jumpin’ on her coco
We’re kickin', we’re shakin', more tremblin'
Don't be lost kin, cos’ we dyin', soon fryin'
Anything can happen at the freak show

High town, you got a big bung like a number one
It's freak night, one big freak show
If you feel like a roll, I found this place where
Poppin' pills is the love we know

Have a look at the other work on display around Bury St Edmunds by visiting http://www.groveprojects.org/blog