The winner of the unheardwords editor-for-a-month competition (which closed September 2005) was Emma Hopkins.
At the end of her month working with Unheardwords, I asked Emma to share her experiences:
From: Emma Hopkins Date: 05.Dec.2005 23:19:41
Subject: RE: evaluation and thanks
To: editor@unheardwords.com
Dear Keith
The competition supported a 'live' evaluation of what unheardwords.com is.
You have responded quickly to my viewpoint and have willingly dealt with issues of graphical layout and change. And we didn't co-operate by leaving it to a 'less is more' famine philosopy of the sort I encountered at art school.
My ears, eyes and consciousness have made a full meal of writing and i have served it up willingly. Yes writing is colourful and about adding / wanting ingredients, and thinking about the health / coherence of what the mind will taste.
Before writing the editorial, there was a stage when i was very aware that i didn't know your views on race, and you informed me not to worry as we could 'bat 'n ball' ideas and contexts.
I think this was significant to me because it inspired me not to back
people into a racial corner, I just wrote from a live perspective- thinking of place...it was a journey not a controversy and I felt controlled and dignified.
So i kept my own contributions about writing and made the effort to find out (factually) what other organisations are doing to support people of colour and writing (e.g shorelines). All in all, i can feel that due to your use of terminology, 'people of colour' and your mission through unheardwords, I have 'risen' from a racial state of consciousness into the consciousness of Dignity. This is very important, as Dignity is not a consciousness that is associated with websites.
And here's a quote related to the fact that i feel writing and your site support a neccessary counter-iniative culture against an ART-CENTRED consciousness. Unheardwords is much more than:
'Spaceless, timeless, imageless experiences have entered the domain of art.
Interactivity and immersive artistic environments, let alone whatever lies beyond such virtual realities, are dictating a new discourse...
Life as we
have known it, including the memories that our lives have formed, will be forever changed as the 'virtual'and the 'real' become increasingly
indistinguishable.
Perhaps memories and dreams will become one'
p.239
New Media in Art (New Edition) 2005 by Michael Rush, published by
Thames & Hudson Ltd, London
Thanks again
Emma
"Both my parents are mxied race individuals; as a West African,
Lebanese and English woman, I am committed to revealing the bigger picture
of race relations and racial identity.
I started out as a graduate artist by arranging a feature article, charting my educational journey into the arts and art's ability to relate to
everyday life.
This was a first taste of managing my own PR!"
