BALTIC Self-Publishing Artists' Market events, performances and activities

There is a great line-up of activities to join in with, performances to watch and talks to attend at today's BALTIC Self-Publishing Artists' Market. 

11.00-16.00
Foundation Press, Level 1
Visit Foundation Press throughout the day to see their work and chat about UNBOUND, an ongoing series of print performances developed specifically for bookshops and book fairs. UNBOUND uses Risograph printing to explore imagery and ideas in an artist’s work; they are currently working with artist Giles Bailey and CIRCA. This print event will culminate in a live performance at 16.00.

12.00-17.00
One Day Residency | Women Artists of the North East Library, Level 2 BALTIC Library
The Women Artists of the North East Library will spend a day researching BALTIC Library’s collection and archive, focusing on records of exhibitions and projects by women artists associated with the North East. This one day residency will form a collection which will be added to BALTIC Library’s online reading list, as well as informing the groups current research.

12.30
Tour of BALTIC Library & Archive, Level 2
Explore BALTIC’s Library and Archive with BALTIC Producer (Documentation, Library & Archive) Gary Malkin, with a special artist books ‘show and tell’.

13.30
Tour of Sofia Stevi Exhibition, Ground Floor
Join an exhibition tour of Sofia Stevi’s first exhibition in a public institution turning forty winks into a decade, with particular focus on Stevi’s handmade artists’ books.

14.00
Artist Talk | Artists’ Book Club (ABC), Level 1 Studio
Artists’ Book Club (ABC) is a cross-disciplinary forum for makers of artists’ books and ephemera, founded at UWE in 2009. It provides an opportunity to get together for critical and constructive dialogue; to contextualise work, explore ideas and to develop creative practice. ABC coordinators Cathey Webb and Gen Harrison will be give a talk on Artists’ Book Club.

15.00
Artist Talk | Peter J Evans, Level 1 Studio
Peter J Evans’ practice explores interactions and how things intertwine, on both a macro and micro scale, working across mediums and often in collaboration. In this short presentation Evans will discuss multiples, editions, collaborations and a recent journey into crowdfunding.

16.00
Live Performance | Foundation Press, Level 1

16.30
Artist Talk | Ashington District Star, Level 1 Studio
The Ashington District Star is a 24-page photographic journal/newspaper, founded in 2014. The newspaper team will be giving an insight into their brand of community-led publishing, working together as a collaborative editorial team and creating a contemporary publication inspired by working class heritage and cultural history.

Reflecting on my journey and a time for niceties

I begun writing as part of my practice around January this year, and it was a completely new venture. It felt scary to put into words things that have been in my mind for a long time, and I was aprehensive about showing it to anyone. I felt vulnerable. Was it too personal? I did not want to be self-absorbed or self-indulgent. That is not me, and not what I want my work to be. 

When I plucked up courage to share my texts, I was genuinely startled by the impact it had. People responded from the heart. My text spoke to them and they opened up to me. New relationships were formed, and a different level of understanding reached. I was encouraged to produce more and push what I was doing.

Having worked independently on these personal yet universal texts, I thought long and hard about how they should exist for an audience. I wanted to involve a visual element, and produce something visually inviting, almost luring the viewer into a false sense of security. Once I had decided upon creating a publication, I approached the independent publishing house, UnstapledPress. I had been impressed by the work they had done as a relatively new venture, and was interested in their independent art practices. I proposed a new way of working for them, where we would work togther to produce a publication. The texts would remain largely unchanged, except for some slight editing, but we would work together to produce the visuals and form of the book. UnstapledPress were keen, and we began the long, complicated ambitious task of designing and printing a four colour risograph publication.

A couple of weeks ago we launched the publication at NewBridge Books. We worked together to produce a series of collages which were displayed in the bookshop and I performed a number of experimental readings. It was a huge success.

Out of curiosity, and as an attempt to discover more about how people related and reacted to the text, I decided to invite artists, musicians and others to respond creatively to the tests and diagrams in the publication. The results were exhibited last night at the closing event in the PH Space at NewBridge.

Once again I was overwhelmed by the responses. Artists were keen to be involved, and over the period of a couple of weeks I was sent a variety of artworks from a wide range of artists in the UK and abroad. Works included drawings, collages, sculptures, performances, sound and videos.

I would be deceiving you if I said that the process was easy. But then again, the most fulfilling things in life are often the most challenging. With an hour till the opening I found myself at a local printers collecting one of the artists prints to be exhibited. But it all came together in the end and would not have happened without the incredible help from a dedicated group of artists. In the course of 4 hours we managed to install a group of artworks that had not been seen together until that day (I received about half of the works yesterday). 

I want to say a huge thank you to all the artists who contributed their work to the exhibition, the group of artists who dedicated yesterday afternoon to helping with the install of the exhibition, those who helped with the performances, the documenters, those who kindly lent me equipment in order to be able to show the works, Kuba and the team at NewBridge for their support, and UnstapledPress for all their collaborative work on the publication and launch. Without all of you this publication, launch exhibition and closing exhibition would not have happened.

Finally I want to thank the many people who attended the exhibitions and those who have purchased the publication. I hope that you enjoyed the events and that the publication is something you value. 

I will be sharing photographs from the exhibition on my blog shortly, and more information about each of the artists involved. 

The publication can be purchased in NewBridge Books and online 
http://www.unstapledpress.bigcartel.com/product/a-lot-can-happen-in-fifteen-minutes

Please do get in touch if you have any comments about the publication or want further information.

Thank you!

Hidden Civil War Launch Event

Last night was the launch of Hidden Civil War, "a month long programme of activity in Newcastle upon Tyne, commissioned by The NewBridge Project. Throughout October 2016 activists and artists will contribute to a series of events that expose, collate and present evidence of a Hidden Civil War in Britain today.

The programme includes artworks, performances, public-realm interventions, talks and film screenings from internationally renowned artists and activists. A range of approaches have been taken, from quiet and considered talks and films, through to loud and overt calls for dissent. From playful interventions that subvert the political rhetoric, through to thought-provoking debates that highlight issues of austerity and give voice to marginalized groups. Whilst these works will be embedded within the city of Newcastle, they will be contextualised by national and international ideas of Hidden Civil War."

As with most previews, particularly at The NewBridge Project, there were so many people that it was extremely difficult to properly see most of the work, and I will definitely be returning to the Project Space to spend time considering the work.

A few one-off performances were commissioned for the launch event.

Ditte Elly set up outside the gallery windows in true busking style. Her "vocal performance explored the craft of song and story-telling, with an aim to question the relevance of ‘folk’ traditions in the modern age and how they can be used to engage in political ideas."

Richard DeDomenici was dispersing his customised balloons, each printed with one of nine revolutionary phrases such as "This is a protest", "All those racist people should go back to where they came from" and "Drone Machine". Throughout the festival more balloons will be free to take from the gallery, and it is hoped that the city will be populated with these subversive slogans.

The launch vibe was heightened when Dawn Bothwell performed altered electronic torch songs as Pentecostal Party.

It is all too easy to leave an exhibition opening without engaging with the artwork and forgetting its relevance, but the speeches by NewBridge Director Charlie Gregory and Chris Erskin, two of the core group of people behind Hidden Civil War were an excellent way to contextualise the launch and the programme of events to come. Given the nature of the exhibition, it seemed particularly appropriate to remind ourselves of the importance of our presence and what role we can play in shaping things to come.

For more information visit

http://thenewbridgeproject.com/hidden-civil-war/