New Year, New You: Mini Crits

New Year, New You: Mini Crits
Thursday 9 January 2020, 6-8pm

The NewBridge Project : Newcastle, Co–Work Space
Free, members only



I'm looking forward to taking part in the New Year: New You mini crits session that will take place in January next year at The NewBridge Project. Various members of The NewBridge Project will deliver 5 minute presentations relating to their artworks or research at any stage of development. The friendly audience will provide insight and offer guidance.

Katie Watson Studio Visit

Entering somebody's studio can be like getting a glimpse into their brain. One's studio can be a place for making, experimenting, playing, producing and testing but it can also be a place to contemplate, think and reflect.





When I visited Katie Watson's studio she said that it had been a really good exercise for her to treat my visit as an opportunity to organise her work and form a display of the things she had been working on.





There was an exciting vibe - not an exhibition, but a working process. Some work in progress, some work finished, some research giving an insight into ideas behind the work.



I am drawn to such shapes, patterns, the repetition and the colours within Katie's work. I enjoy the sculptural nature of the paintings as she works on wooden boards rather than canvas. 



Katie is interested in the language of instructions and building. Signage, flat pack instructions, warning and safety notices. She uses the shapes and colours from such things.

 

I couldn't help notice (perhaps because I also am guilty of this) that Katie's use of colour within her work is mirrored in the things around her. Her blue desk lamp alongside the orange mug with blue lid is surprisingly similar in colour to the work on her wall directly above. Art and life really do blur!

Open Exhibition at Gallagher and Turner

When I visited the Open Exhibition at Gallagher and Turner earlier in the week, I found it fascinating to discover the work of many North East artists that I had not previously come across before.

The range of work featured and breadth of practices represented makes for an interesting exhibition. Despite there being over 55 works hung in the relatively small gallery space, it does not feel cramped and has avoided being cluttered. 

These are a few of the works that particularly caught my attention.

Andrew Watchorn - Skaith

Beth J Ross - King Edward's Bay

Gary Carter - Take My Hand

Paddy Killer - Mary Swift's Blouse and Flanders Tape Lace

Emma Bennett - Register Office (Wall)

Jamie Taylor - Untitled (Glitch Painting)II

Theresa Poulton - Two Steps Forward and One Step Back

In Every Dream Home - David Foggo - System Gallery

It is not uncommon to find less than tasteful wall art in pubs, and that makes System Gallery an appropriate venue for David Foggo's current exhibition. 

In Every Dream Home is a text/image series that utilises a cross-section of wall art archetypes/stereotypes, encompassing, amongst others, representations of love, spirituality, nature, patriotism, gender, food, music and film, travel, animals, sport and childhood. 

David usefully provides a definition of Wall art in the gallery:

Wall art noun. Bland, decorative, reproduction canvases, normally acquired from household furnishing stores by individuals or organisations with no taste or imagination and then hung in their homes or place of business. Often used as a way of covering up the cracks...

But these are no ordinary examples of Wall art. Foggo has worked onto each of the canvases, subverting their decorative function by overlaying them with a variety of unsettling texts. The alterations are minimal so that the canvases maintain their commonplace identity.

"This process could be seen as an act of reclamation, where the ornamental is transported into the realm of fine art.

The self-authored texts; simultaneously pithy and poetic, and underpinned by the use of word play, incorporate skew-whiff philosophies, dystopian statements, aphorisms and repetitive narratives.

The canvases are all sourced from charity shops, where their once idealised purpose has been dismantled by being discarded and offered up for recycling." 

David Foggo 

The exhibition has been carefully curated so that the images relate to, or take some meaning from their positioning. 

For example, the 'Bound' canvas is constrained between two windows, barely having enough room to breathe.

An iconic image of Elvis has 'fountain' painted on, and is positioned slightly above and to the left of an image of the Angel of the North which bears the word 'molehill'. Could this be a playful take on the familiar saying "make a mountain out of a molehill"?

The exhibition is open until 15th September, so I encourage you to pop along tomorrow to ensure you see it. It certainly put a smile on my face! 

Great & Tiny War featured on BBC Look North (North East & Cumbria)

Tonight (Monday 10th September) BBC Look North (North East & Cumbria) featured Bobby Baker's Great & Tiny War.

Sharuna Sagar visited the Great & Tiny War house today.

She was given a tour by one of my fellow hosts, Hannah.

Like everyone who does the tour, she ended in the kitchen where she was offered a cup of tea (other beverages available!) and a biscuit

If you missed the live version at 6:30pm, fear not as it is available on BBC iplayer

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0bjcgpt/look-north-north-east-and-cumbria-evening-news-10092018

Bobby Baker's Great and Tiny War - the badge

On Wednesday we had another session of Host training for Bobby Baker's Great & Tiny War. We did a full walk-through, stopping occasionally to make changes to the script and testing out timings. A few of the technological elements are still being tweaked, but all is nearly ready for the press launch tomorrow. Just as I am about to leave the house we receive a delivery of badges. 

So, now I have a Great & Tiny War badge to prove that I am a Great & Tiny War Host. 

Great & Tiny War - Bobby's introduction

What's on your doorstep? - My discovery of Bobby Baker's Great & Tiny War

I live on what I believe is the friendliest street in Newcastle (arguably the UK). We have a facebook group for residents to post things related to the street. As the vast result of residents have some art/music/theatre connection, there are regular posts by residents spreading the word about gigs, performances and exhibitions that they are involved in. A few months ago there was a post on The Sidney Groovers about a project that would be happening on our street. A few days later a letter was posted through my door with details of the project; Bobby Baker's Great & Tiny War.



I was immediately excited - Bobby Baker is an inspirational woman and an artist whom I hold in very high regard. I have followed her work for a number of years and could not believe that I would now get the chance to witness one of her installations in a house down my street.

Fast forward a few more months and I received notification from Wunderbar, another arts organisation that I rate highly, that they are working on a project called Great & Tiny War and are looking for people interested in working with them to realise the project.

Naturally I responded immediately with enthusiasm about the opportunity to work with two artistic entities (and their teams) that I greatly admire and respect.

I won't bore you with the many coincidental discoveries and revelations of connections that arose throughout the following 'recruitment' process, but to cut a long story short, I am delighted to be one of the hosts that will be guiding visitors around 133 Sidney Grove for Bobby Baker's Great & Tiny War.



Today was the first time that all the hosts met with Bobby and the Wunderbar crew in the house. Bobby (Lead Artist and Artistic Director, Daily Life Ltd), Illana (Artistic Director, Wunderbar) Hannah (Producer, Wunderbar) and Ree (Participation Producer, Wunderbar) introduced the project and explained our roles as hosts. We were given a run-through of the tour, and saw the installation in its final stages of being completed. One thing is for certain; visitors are in for a treat.

I'll be blogging regularly about the project, and hope that readers of this will visit the installation.

For more information about this Wunderful project, including how to book tickets, please visit

https://wunderbar.org.uk/gtw/great-tiny-war/

Bridges - live improvised performance and sound installation by David de la Haye and James Davoll, Long Gallery, Newcastle University

A live improvised performance by David de la Haye and James Davoll marked the beginning of their month-long sound installation in the Long Gallery in the Fine Art Department at Newcastle University.

David de la Haye and James Davoll have captured fields recordings of the bridges that join Newcastle and Gateshead.

"The iconic bridges are a symbol of home to those living in Newcastle and Gateshead and are embedded in our everyday interactions. These recordings explore how the structures resonate during their daily interaction with the ebb and flow of people, transport and the River Tyne."
                 

             
                                                                                                                                      







As the name suggests, the Long Gallery is a relatively narrow but reasonably sized space. Speakers were positioned in a row down the corridor, each playing a different soundtrack. 

At the beginning of the live improvisation, all speakers down the corridor were switched off, and the sounds manipulated by the David and James were amplified through a set of speakers at the end of the space. Over the course of the performance, David and James switched other speakers on, adding layers of sounds. I particularly enjoyed walking along the corridor and entering different sonic 'zones' as I heard the sounds from each of the speakers separately. This added a spatial element to the installation which I imagine will become more prominent after the preview when there is less noise. Audience members are encouraged to use bespoke controllers on the speakers to set volume levels and create their own unique soundscape.

The hunt for a new Director for NewBridge has begun

Job Opportunity: Director

Deadline: Wednesday 25th July 2018, 12pm




The NewBridge Project is looking to appoint a dynamic Director to lead the organisation going forward.

The Director will oversee all elements of NewBridge’s operations and activities including: strategic development, building development, fundraising, artistic programme, facilities management, company & finance and audience development & engagement.

NewBridge was established as an artist-led initiative in 2010 and at its core remains a strong artist community. As such, a key element of the Director’s role will be to strategically steer the organisation while ensuring it remains responsive to artists, contemporary visual arts practice and its locality (Newcastle & Gateshead).

The NewBridge Project is at an exciting and pivotal point in its development as we look to secure long-term building solutions for all our activities. We are looking for an exceptional and ambitious individual who can navigate this process, articulating and achieving a collective vision while moving towards a secure and sustainable future for the organisation.

The role will be ideally suited to an individual who is looking for a new challenge; will bring energy, enthusiasm and determination to the role; has a unique understanding of working with and supporting artists; who thrives working in collaboration as well as under pressure; is highly motivated and organised, a strategic thinker and problem solver; and someone willing to get stuck in with all that comes with running an artist-led initiative.

PHOTO: Kuba Ryniewicz


Director of The NewBridge Project, Charlie Gregory will be leaving the organisation to take up a new role with Create as The White House Curator. Charlie will be stepping down after 5 years as Director at the beginning of August 2018 and will take up her new role in late August 2018.


Julia Bell, Chair of NewBridge said:
“We are incredibly thrilled for Charlie and the fantastic opportunity she has ahead of her, the Board of Trustees wish to thank her for all her hard work and commitment to The NewBridge Project. Her work has been outstanding and her impact on the organisation has been substantial, she should rightly feel proud of what she has accomplished. It has been a pleasure as a Board to watch her grow into not only an accomplished Director but also a strong and generous cultural leader for the North East visual arts sector who is deeply respected by her peers. She will be sorely missed, we can’t deny that, but we wish her every success and as a Board commit to appointing a successor who can build on the strong foundations she has built for us as an organisation.”

Charlie Gregory said:
“NewBridge has been my home for 5years and has given me so many wonderful experiences, memories and friendships – it has been a difficult decision to leave such a remarkable community of artists, staff, partners & collaborators; an ambitious programme of exhibitions, commissions, community projects and artist development; as well as my home turf, the North East.

During the time I’ve been part of NewBridge, I’ve seen it grow into an amazing and incredibly strong artist community and organisation: It’s move from Norham House (its base for over 7 years) into two news sites Carliol House &  Gateshead High Street; achieving Arts Council National portfolio status; securing revenue funding through Newcastle Culture Investment Fund; developing a partnership with Newcastle University to deliver bespoke graduate support through The Collective Studio; gaining charitable status with a strong and supportive board of trustees; establishing many initiatives and opportunities to support artists to develop their practice and careers such as Practice makes Practice; and moving towards securing a long-term premises to house all these activities.

I am excited to be moving onto a new role with Create, an organisation I greatly admire and respect. The role will allow me to pursue my passion for supporting artists to explore different models of collaborative arts practice embedded within a community context. The White House is unique in providing a space where artists and communities can experiment, think, play and ultimately create new ways art can form part of our everyday lives. I look forward to helping develop a collaborative vision and an artistic and community resource that has real impact.

NewBridge will always mean a lot to me, I truly believe it in, its ethos, its value and everything it does for artists in the North East and beyond. It is now ready for someone else to take the reins – if you are up for the challenge, watch this space!”

Opening of Great Exhibition of the North

Friday was the official opening of Great Exhibition of the North and Newcastle and Gateshead were bustling with people enjoying the sunshine and curious about what the festival has in store.

I was at the media call in the morning, and got a sneak preview of the UK's largest water sculpture in action.

Later that night the water sculptures came alive again accompanied by music, poetry, drones, lighting and fireworks.