Blind Chapman, The Artists' QuarterIndex | Time Under Chaos | Settings | Amber City | Blind Chapman
Ward Type: Theatre and Boulevard, Middle Tier The Artists' QuarterThe Artists' Quarter in Amber City has long been a place of near constant activity. Musicians and dancers can be found practicing in many of the Quarter's side streets and courtyards, painters are everywhere, discussing, debating and comparing. No surface is safe from the painter's brushes and murals are everywhere and constantly changing. Flights of temper are quite common, but the combatants are friends again by the time the next meal rolls around. The Quarter dominates the Blind Chapman ward and is not near their Guild House in Silver Dance. Artists cannot be bothered with guild bureaucracy - it interferes with the creative process - and generally only drop by when summoned or when some ruling passed to the Quarter angers them. The Quarter serves as home base for a large portion of Amber artists and most also have their businesses and galleries in the neighborhood. Painters, sculptors, musicians, writers, singers, dancers, instrument makers and actors all can be found through the many arched doorways of the streets they call their own. Among the residents, bartering is used heavily for goods and services in order to avoid paying more taxes than absolutely necessary. The area has its own restaurants and taverns that reflect the multicultural ethnicity of the neighborhood. They all keep irregular hours. A place might be open around the clock for six days then close with no warning for two before opening again. The residents of the Quarter like to go about their day thinking as little as possible of the occupation forces and the rules and edicts coming from Kolvir. Being artists, they chafe under the restrictions placed on the subject matter and themes of their chosen mediums. Publicly at least, they seem to comply with this censorship. But with the right connections one can still commission art that reflects the once proud Eternal City and her Ruling Family. During the invasion, many an artist dared possible injury or death to rescue as much of Amber's artistic heritage as possible from the destruction that was sure to come its way at the hands of the invaders. Paintings, books, woodcarvings, ceremonial weapons, stained glass, tapestries and sculptures that could be moved from public buildings and areas, were. Rubble and ashes were left in their place in an attempt to fool anyone looking for them. It is rumored these artworks are being kept hidden somewhere the maze of the Artists Quarter until the day they can once again take their rightful places. None of the random, and once frequent, police searches have turned up a single item.  Performing ArtsBlind Chapman is also a centre for the Performing Arts. Often the artists themselves are plying their trade across the city in the various districts rich and poor, but there are regular festivals in the ward to celebrate the many rituals in Amber associated with the changing seasons. Though the best theatres are located in Silver Dance, the general citizenry cannot afford to enter there even if permitted past the gate, so make their way instead to the wooden outdoor stages of the Artist's Quarter. The oldest and best known is The Crown (so named because of its shape; see the map below), which has continual performances all year-round, only seldom interrupted by the weather. The Player's Guild is famous (or infamous, depending on your viewpoint) in its staunch defense of freedom of speech and artistic integrity. Prominent guild members are regularly imprisoned for anti-government statements and performing banned works, such as "Three Against Ganesh", which glorifies the exploits of Prince Benedict. Government attempts to censor what is said and done in the Artist's Quarter vary between the draconian and the ridiculous and have had little or no long-term impact on the vibrancy of the artistic scene. Indeed, it is said that the king has little time for such measures and rather enjoys the drama and satire on display there. Theatre is not for the faint-hearted. Even in the galleries, crowds are thrust together with little opportunity for relief, and many opportunities for robbery and drunkenness. Nonetheless, its popularity has persisted and is one of the things that has provided a safety-valve for a restless population.  BlackHallThe Forum for Amber's Guilds, BlackHall, is also situated in Blind Chapman. It hosts monthly meetings for the heads of the guilds, usually involving lively debates. It is closed to non-members, though the king and his ministers can visit by ancient right. The Fountain Street RiotNot a place but a phenomenon, the "Riot" (as it was originally called) is an a capella singing group, or possibly a movement, performing in the barbershop style. Performances are heralded by someone blowing a long blast on a police whistle and then shouting "Riot!" The other performers (varying in number) dash to that point, sing whatever song is on their agenda, and then vanish into the crowd again. All are masked; the songs range from the merely funny to cutting social or political satire. The name "Fountain Street" was attached to the group (or movement) after an (in)famous performance in Fountain Street in which they sang a ditty that could only be interpreted as a scathing (and very funny) indictment of the extremist theology of certain adherents of the Serpent Church. The Church and city authorities spent considerable effort trying to track down the group, and confisticated all the transcripts of the song they could lay their hands on. It is thought that the song could only have been written by a Chaosian, but no one has taken credit for it. Map of the Artists' Quarter
Points of Interest
 Children's Fountain
Other NotesBlank Street, at the southern corner of the Quarter, used to be called Caladon Street. It has been renamed, in line with Mandor's policy, but the new name keeps getting painted over, and the Quarter's residents consistently refer to it as "Blank Street." |
