We Are Open

News Flash!

2011-01-16T20:22:00.023Z

News Flash! – A selection of Photographs taken from Dave Jamieson’s 34 year career as a Press photographer with the Evening Gazette.

Is it art, I wondered, as I arrived at We Are Open's latest photography exhibition. The Gazette is known for many things, but not particularly for an artistic flair when it comes to their photography. What I was met with was a wonderful combination of subtle humour, intimate moments, animated expressions, and dramatic events, captured perfectly in iconic black and white. Of course its art, how could you ever doubt it?

Every photograph has a narrative, a story, a sequence of events leading up to a one-off snap. This exhibition is an example of when documentary photography is done well, it can draw you back to a time and a place, and leave you feeling nostalgic for something you never even experienced in the first place. I’m far too young to remember half of the events or people in these photographs, but I know of them…My grandma told me about that! My mother was there! I know that street! I’ve been there! I’ve read about that, my dad has a photo of himself at that exact same place!

What we have here is a brief history of the North East in stunning press photography, every budding photographer should go and see how it’s done properly, and everyone else should just go see it. Ask Dave Jamieson for a guided tour.

It’s our history, and it’s never looked so good.

We Caught up with Dave Jamieson for a chat about his exhibition.....

We Are Open: So tell us a bit about how the exhibition started, it was in Stockton before coming here wasn't it?

Dave: I held this exhibition over in Stockton before Christmas, it was very successful. There is a lot of my work from the 34 years I was at the Gazette as a press photographer.

What started this exhibition off was the talks I was giving to camera clubs about press photography, what sort of pictures were needed…etc. These were some of the pictures I was showing to them, and I thought, why not exhibit them?

We Are Open: Do you have a Favourite picture?

Yes I do, believe it or not it’s this one that I call ‘The Cannon Street Kids’ which I took years ago when Cannon street was just being knocked down. One day I saw these kids playing there and I just thought, they’ve got great faces, and to me it’s just got quality, the scruffiness, the look on their faces...

And then there was this one with the elephant, I just had the idea of what it would be like to be a mouse or worm…

We Are Open: Did you go stand under the elephant?

I Lay down under the elephant! On the ground and shuffled underneath, then got his trainer to shout. When he lifted his leg up and I pushed myself right under there very fast, took the pic, then got out.

We Are Open: Were you sent by the Gazette to take these? Or was it on your own initiative?

A lot of them were my own initiative, just sudden ideas you come up with, like the 'Mothers Day' one……

We Are Open: The guy with the flowers?

Yes. That was mothers day, I saw him walking around Stockton for ages and I kept thinking….I know I’ll do with him, so I went and bought those daffodils. I found him with his mates and I asked him for a picture, He said nah. So I said I’ll tell you what I’ll give you two quid …..ALL RIGHT! He said…Haha.

In fact, not long after that he was in the papers again, he dived into the Tees at Stockton to save a guys life. And about 8 – 10 years ago, he got in the wrong crowd and was murdered over drugs.

We Are Open: Did they use this picture in the Gazette?

Oh Yes

Others like these sports ones you get sent to do. This kickboxing picture, he was going in for the European kickboxing championships, so I sort of thought up the idea of him training with British steel at Redcar in the background.

We Are Open: It’s very iconic.

I was very please to get that, you have to imagine in those days we didn’t have great photographic equipment. We didn’t have digital cameras with super lenses.

We Are Open: Did it take a few shots or did you get it first time?

I was pretty lucky, we worked it out first, I got him to stand, I focused the camera, and got him to jump. It took about five or six shots.

Then you’ve got other (pictures) where you suddenly see something and you just take it, that’s what you’ve got to do.

We Are Open: Some of them are quite dramatic, you must have had to be on the scene very quickly.

That was lucky that one, A night club which also had the bowling ally up Linthrorphe road caught fire. It was a Saturday, and I was chief photographer at the time.

I’d nipped to a bar for a couple of pints and I heard this boom and someone ran into the bar and said, get out there, there’s a fire….

So I ran up the road, it was really dramatic, you could feel the heat from where we were standing. After that I went to the top of the tower at the university and did a long shot from up there in black and white.

We Are Open: I never realised so much of Middlesbrough has been on fire at one point or another.

We Are Open: So, have you always got your Camera with you?

Yeah, Always carry your camera with you, even if its one of the smaller ones. I always have a camera with me.

We Are Open: Who’s this?

This was from the New Port Jazz festival, which was at Ayesome Park in 1978

The Newport Jazz festival was a big thing in London, there was a Middlesbrough councillor who was really into Jazz and he got an arrangement where once they’d done their show down in London, they would all then come up to Middlesbrough the following day. Of course we got some of the biggest names in jazz, Buddy Rich, he was the best jazz drummer in the world at the time. There’s a picture of Lionel Hampton who was on the xylophone, Ella Fitzgerald there, and down there is a snapshot of a couple there who were kissing in the dug out.

We Are Open: There are elements of humour in your work, in a lot of your photos.

Yes I try to do that, its not all doom and gloom, again this photo was my idea, I thought well they’re iron monsters, and the steel industry in Middlesbrough was disappearing, and the shipping industry, and this was my idea of it devouring the industry.

We are Open: It’s like there's a little narrative in the pictures.

This is Billingham Festival, I was lucky with this one, this was the Russian Ambassador who was there to give a speech. He was over the other side of the room, when I went round the corner ( the room was really hot ) and saw this little dancer had fallen asleep. So I got the Russian ambassador to come and look over him although he was looking at the pictures…

That there was an Israeli girl who just looked so beautiful, she was just stood looking at something, I just put a long lens on to diffuse the background and make her stand out.

This picture was published in the World Press Photos Yearbook. Every year photographs come in from all over the world…Its quite an honour to be published.

(At another wall of the exhibition)

Round this corner we’ve got a bit of royalty, (this photo is of) the Duke of Edinburgh at Preston park, and the rain started and no one bothered about the Duke. They all stuck their umbrellas up and left him to get a soaking. (The Duke is sat surrounded by people with umbrellas, and is indeed getting a bit wet)

Here is the young Prince Charles, in Middlesbrough.

We Are Open: Was he opening something?

Yes he was opening the…I cant remember the place…(Charles is peeking around a door and smiling) The reason I got that expression was...well its all very formal when you’re with royalty, and he was just going in this door here when a woman further up shouted “ CHARLIE” and he sort of heard it and he came out like that to look and see who it was.

We are open: And you got him?

Yep I got him.

If you want to see the whole exhibition of Dave Jamieson’s work, it is currently at The Pop Up Gallery ( 148 Linthorpe Road) until February the 5^th.

^{Open Week days (and Saturday) 10 til 5}

^{Blogged with thanks to Dave for patiently talking me through his photos.}

^{by Aimee Charlotte.}

Psyche Christmas Fair Stalls!

2010-11-26T14:59:00.002Z

Hello Everyone!

'We Do' are working with Psyche this year to put on a Christmas Fair throughout the day on December 10th and 11th.

If you are interested in having a space/stall to promote and sell your products then please get in touch. The cost will be £25 per day plus Vat.
Both We Do and Psyche will be promoting the event in advance! So its guaranteed to be bustling with Christmas shoppers! This is a great opportunity for local creative businesses!

The event aims to attract pop up shops throughout the store on both days that will enhance the festive shopping experience. Steve Cohrane MD is also keen to support other independent businesses and give them an opportunity to market themselves to a new audience.

This has already been tried at Middlesbrough Fashion Week in May and it worked really well.

All you need to do is get in touch with Lisa Holt

Please email/call/write to:

Lisa Holt

We Do Marketing | Multi Media Exchange | 72-80 Corporation Road | Middlesbrough TS1 2 RF

Mobile: 07814 395590

Tel: 01642 224706

Email: lisa@wedo-marketing.co.uk

www.wedo-marketing.co.uk

Workshops at Pop Up Gallery

2010-11-21T00:09:00.002Z

Hi All, Rednile and their resident artists will be running some free workshops
while at the Pop Up Gallery (148 Linthorpe Road)
They don't cost anything, so come along to the Pop Up Gallery and join in!

Workshops:

Nail Art with Nails Republic
Come along and find out how to turn your nails into little canvases
with nail painting techniques.
Friday November the 26th
10 ~11.30am

Knit one Pearl one
Knitting workshop with a twist, using unusual materials to create
artistic styles and patterns.
Friday November the 26th
1.30 ~ 3.30pm

Mold a Memory
Michael Branthwaite is running a session that invites you to
bring along a small item which has personal significance to you
You will then learn how to cast and replicate using the item.
Thursday December the 2nd
12~4pm

There will also be a Final Showcase Exhibition on Friday 3rd December 6-9pm at the Pop Up Gallery, to showcase work produced during the residency and workshops.

Coming soon to We Are Open, Rednile.....

2010-11-05T11:30:00.002Z

We invite you to join us at the Opening Exhibition of
rednile HEART Teesside...
Friday 12th November, 6-9pm @ WE ARE OPEN, Pop Up Gallery on 148 Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough

(and join us afterwards for drinks at Blu Bar).

What creative skills are present or embedded in Teesside? As part of the ‘We Are Open’ Pop Up Gallery, rednile are taking inspiration from local artists, non artists and businesses to draw out their approaches to creative expression and question the categorisation of the artist, designer, maker and non artist.

This exhibition will provide the inspirational backdrop for a 3 week residency in the Pop Up Gallery for rednile and local invited artists. Work featured in this Opening Exhibition includes photographs, paintings, prints, installation and displays by Neida Pearson, Margaret Williams, Hugh Mooney, Feloura Moghadamy, Sharon Mcgonigal, Claire Ford, Adam Hogarth, Jemma Gibson, rednile artists Suzanne Hutton, Janine Goldsworthy and Michael Branthwaite plus information, installations and images from local creative businesses.

Refreshments will be provided and you will also have the chance to sign up for free creative skill based workshops taking place during rednile HEART Teesside project in the Pop Up Gallery.

rednile HEART Teesside is supported by Middlesbrough Council, ERDF and Redcar and Cleveland Council

Time and Place, Hither and Thither, War and Peace, exhibition review and interview

2010-11-02T01:05:00.024Z

"Time and Place, Hither and Thither, War and Peace....We bring you a visial conversation (without words). Come and find out what that means...."

....And of course we did go, here's what we found out....

The Pop up gallery stands out on Linthorpe road tonight, brightly lit for an exhibition by the artist collective GnU AgB. Middlesbrough’s creative lot are braving the cold and even the dark to attend the opening of ‘Time and place, Hither and Thither, War and Peace’

GnU AgB is a non-profit, art collective consisting of artists, illustrators, designers from across the UK. They actively work together on projects and provide support for individual or smaller group projects.

The Pop Up Gallery is a small, but perfectly formed mini-gallery in an enviable location on Linthorphe road. Comfortably retro and happily unpretentious, its public-friendly and ideal for this young collectives show.

“Time and Place…” consists mainly of contemporary graphic design based art; inside we found a whole range of work by different artists in different media, colour, style shape, format and size.

This exhibition is running parallel to one of the same name in Newcastle, having not experienced Newcastle’s, I can’t judge which I prefer, but they would be hard pushed to match the diversity and passion these images convey.

But with such a large collections of different artists and points of view compressed into such a small space, was it over whelming for the audience?

“It’s all very interesting,” said one visitor, “The dislocation adds to the view of the work as a form of conversation.”

As we looked around, we couldn’t help getting a political, revolutionary vibe from the work. If it is to be viewed as a conversation, then it would be one that started light and flirty, a dash whimsical, then headed straight into angry talk about the state of the world today, with sinister undertones, and abstract comments.

Who’s to say that’s a bad thing? Art is nothing if not a social commentary. At this point I’m going to stop reviewing and urge you to go see “Time and Place…” for yourselves.

148 Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough. Open daily 10 til 5.

Later, after the Opening night, We Are Open caught up with curator Dan Rad (cool name) to talk a bit more about the Art of “Time and Place…”

We Are Open: Hi Dan, can you tell us a bit about the whole concept of the exhibition?

The exhibition, what we have here is a collective of artists based across the united kingdom and from abroad now, including American and recently Japan, there’s a Japanese artist involved, we work primarily within the graphic design format, with variations within that of course, print making digital media linear drawing and also forms of photography.

We Are Open: Are all the Artists based in Teesside?

Well, we have two exhibitions running at the moment, ones in Newcastle, and there’s this exhibition based in Teesside, a proportion of the artists are from, or have lived in Teesside or studied at Teesside university, such as Norma Kyle, Myself, Michael Hall, Karan Lewis, Adam Hogarth and Steven round.

We Are Open: So is the Art inspired by Teesside?

It’s inspired by a theme we have running, we sent out a proposal to everybody, which was Time and Place, Hither an thither, War and Peace….So I wouldn’t say it is Teesside generically, but more of a running theme and conversation between the artists.

We Are Open: Were you concerned about curating an exhibition with some many different styles and media?

Within this space? No, because we have so many different variations in media, and formats and such, this space has given us an invaluable opportunity to display them one by one next to each other. Because everybody was working from the same starting point, even though they’re varying in style and imagery they’re all in conversation with each other at the same time.

We Are Open: So, if it’s a conversation, what do you think its saying?

That’s an interesting question, it think there’s a lot of stress between the work from what I perceive so far I think anxiety about socio-political issues at the moment, hence in my work, news articles that create the UK (Dan’s work is a large outline of the UK made from words and phrases) and are related to issues at the moment, there are a few artists that have gone off on a tangent, doing more abstract forms of expression

We Are Open: So what are you guys hoping to take from the We Are Open Experience?

Personally I’m giving myself an active opportunity to run my own exhibition space, I’ve never really had the chance outside an academic root. Generally I think with the We Are Open scheme and the Pop Up Galleries it gives us the freedom to work as a collective of people in a neutral space.

Non-We Are Open Exhibition....

2010-10-29T12:36:00.003+01:00

Hi all, Just a bit off info about the new exhibition opening in Middlesbrough Tonight.... It's not by We Are Open, BUT We like to support Our Boro Art Scene.

Here not There

Running from:
29 October-02 December 2010

Upstairs above the Olde Young Tea House

84 Grange Road
Middlesbrough
Tees Valley
TS1 2LS

The exhibition will include works by Middlesbrough based artists Adam Clarke and Diane Welford alongside German born, Glasgow based artist, Michael Stumpf. The majority of works in the exhibition have never seen before in the UK and include four new commissions.

Set over three rooms, disused office space in Middlesbrough town centre, two striped of their previous office space attire to showcase Original Artwork, the third (The Lamp Room) will house a temporary library, writing desks and space to share. An entire wall has been dedicated to a new site specific process drawing by Adam Clarke, other wo a new series of furtive pen and ink drawings by Diane Welford and two new commissions by Michael Stumpf.

To accompany here not there a limited edition screen print and catalogue will be available at £40.00 and £2.00 respectively.

This exhibition was initiated by Adam Clarke as a positive response to the ever increasing gap between the artist and museum or commercial galleries. Here not There is an alternative space that offers flexibility and responsiveness to new artistic trends that institutions do not. Here not There strives to show that artist’s can and should look to be more intuitive at creating their own success. The established systems already in place do not always allow for this level of exposure. An essential part of this is The Lamp Room, a space for emerging communities to meet.

Exhibition preview event will take place 29 October at 6 - 9pm with the exhibition continuing until 02 December 2010. Anyone interested in doing it for them themselves and getting involved should join the here not there facebook page.

http://here-not-there.tumblr.com/

New Show @ The Gallery

2010-10-26T16:54:00.001+01:00

Look At This! Its coming to our little Pop Up Gallery on Friday! Drop by if you're on Linthorpe Road (Middlesbrough)

http://www.design-event.co.uk/TimeandPlace.php

Here's the facebook event if you wish to attend the opening!

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=115540495171734

Zine Launch At Writers Block!

2010-10-18T21:41:00.004+01:00

Local Art Zine 'Making it look Accidental' is launching its first and second issues this week at Writers Block!

Making it look accidental is an underground look at Middlesbrough from the perspective of two, somewhat jaded, ex Art Students. Funny, sad, touching and confusing, it covers the joys of CCTV cameras, 'interesting' local art, Reviews and interviews, cartoons and articles written by the terminally mad that no one would ever dream of publishing.

Also launching its second issue at the event is 'Im Afraid of Everything' a zine comprised of funny, dark and twisted short stories by writer Michael Hann, illustrated by John Chadwick.

We promise you we'll be selling a selection of local zines by Teessides finest underground Artists/Writers/Poets, Short film screenings, booze, slightly sinister poetry and short story readings, ART NETWORKING (come and maybe meet the next person you'll collaborate with) some more booze (perhaps wine), music, some stand up comedy, a selection of lamps for you to look at and enjoy at your leisure and lovely art.

You're welcome to come along, Friday the 22nd of October 7pm til 9pm at Writers block HQ (95-97 Albert road)

New Facebook Page for updates!

2010-10-10T02:49:00.003+01:00

Psssttt......hey, guess what?

We now have a community page on Facebook, So we can keep you updated via status and pretty pictures and eveything else.

We-Are-Open

Be our friend. :)

Sarah Bennett Opening At the Pop Up Gallery

2010-10-07T11:52:00.009+01:00

Currently in the Pop Up Gallery is Sarah Bennett with an exhibition of romantic costume design.

*Kindly modelling the Corset with finger details and Crinoline for the photos is Steph.

The exhibition charts three years worth of work from her Degree and clearly shows Sarah’s progression from creating historically accurate costumes to a designer of fantastical corsets and vamp inspired dresses in red satin.

We Are Open: This is great, we love dresses, hats and corsets! What were your inspirations for all of these costumes?

Well firstly, I love the Goth style, not the skulls and cross bones, more classic gothic. I love black, red, this (Red Dress with Crinoline) is basically Victorian in style, the shape is correct, the opening is historically accurate, but I wanted to give it a fantasy theme, it has a bit of a vampire thing going on.

I’ve never made anything like it before and it was just something I was interested in.

I did a 5 week work experience at York theatre royal, they were working on Wind in the Willows, the costumes were very advanced…they showed me different ways of doing things. I learnt a lot of different techniques. Our first two years (during the Degree) were purely constructional, re-creating 18^th century corsets etc.. No design work, the third year stuff is all my own ideas.

We Are Open: What about this chap over here? (Mannequin dressed remarkably like Henry the Eighth)

Oh him? He was inspired by an oil painting from Auckland castle at bishop Auckland, He’s Tudor, there’s a collection of paintings there which are quite biblical, they wanted us to create a costume from the painting. He’s made with hand painted fabric, with freehand gold thread details done on a sewing machine, all been finished to a really nice standard, nothing will happen to it, you can wash it wont fray or damage. These (mannequins in costumes) are all made from historical patterns, its pretty much spot on. The princess dress is from 1460…

We Are Open: The hats really pretty…

The hat is really uncomfortable, it’s supposed to be worn at an angle, and its really hard to keep on.

We Are Open: Do you like the Pre- Raphaelite style?

I do actually, I like the style, I like going to auctions and buying junk, a lot of the pictures are from my house, lots of fantasy, romantic Pre-Raphaelite prints and calendars.

We Are Open: So what are your hopes for your time in the Pop up Gallery?

I’d like to see what happens in the next year, I think this is just testing the publics reaction, and to see if there’s a market. I’d like to make someone something special, a gown or outfit or wedding dress, something for a themed event made especially for them, a bespoke service. It’s not dressmaking, its costume making! I’d love someone to come in and ask for a corset, something fun! I like to be free and break the tailoring rules a bit.

We Are Open: Great! Ok, sum your entire practice up in one sentence…..

I enjoy the fantasy and I love sparkly things!

Sarah Bennett Costume Design is now on at the Pop Up Gallery on Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough. Pop in and see, weekdays from 10 til 5.

We Are Open Talks to Designer Michelle Parratt

2010-10-05T20:28:00.013+01:00

Opening today at the Pop Up studio on 9 Newport road is Designer Michelle Parratt with her collection of unique jewellery, fine art canvases and beautiful handmade scarves (We particually liked the scarves, we had our eye on them all the way through the interview :D)

We Are Open: So, tell us a bit about your background in design?

Well, I’ve got a BA (Hons) in interior textiles and floor coverings, specialising in floor covering design. I came up North 11 years ago working for the commercial and residential markets, So far I’ve worked for two design companies, (Amtico ltd and Armstrong World Industries)

We Are Open: Impressed! What influences your Art work?

I love looking at architecture, because of my background in surface design, I love incorporating the

texture and patterns and building layers on the canvas. I work in mixed media, I

love to draw but also incorporate that abstract modern feel, I like using gold leaf, acrylics, I started doing jewellery, I make my own beads in polymer clay. I like to try and keep my jewellery and my art similar in both colour and theme, I try to be individual do something different to what everyone else is doing, some of it is a little bit wacky, unusual and quirky.

We Are Open: I like those scarves….

The scarves are handmade too! I customise them, adding buttons and beads, Arty scarves with a little twist!

We Are Open: How’s it been setting up a shop for the first time?

At home its difficult to see how (all the art) is going to come together in the shop, but the pinks and purples in the canvases have tied in well with the shop colour, I’m quite pleased with it.

We Are Open: The shop opens today, how do you think people are going to react to your work?

I’ve already had a lot of interest before we’ve even opened!. On Saturday we were in the back room and we heard a rattle someone was trying the door, we came out and there was a big massive crowd, it was scary! A lady spotted some of my stock in the window and placed an order for some handmade buttons. I think my art works well as gifts, that’s always what I intended it to be, I love the gift shops in Yarm, that’s what I love about the north east, all the quirky little towns and gift shops. It’s really affordable art! The canvases are a little bit more expensive, but it’s all original.

Visit The Pop Up Gallery Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 5pm @ 9 Newport Rd Middlesbrough

Post residency interview ‘He is Dead and He is Going to Die.’

2010-10-02T15:35:00.009+01:00

'I took to dribbling down my front' Oil on wood

“Playfully descriptive titles cannot hide or disguise the melancholy sense of loss, impermanence and dislocation haunting Sebastian Trend and Adam Hogarth’s work.”

Adam Hogarth and Sebastian Trend have been residents at the Pop Up Gallery since the 14 September, showing their multi-media exhibition of screen prints, photography and new video pieces

With the end of their residency at the Pop Up Gallery drawing near, we caught up with Adam Hogarth to talk about how their exhibition ‘He is Dead and He is Going to Die’ has been received in Middlesbrough.

We Are Open: So, for anyone who missed your exhibition, could you describe the influences and techniques behind the work?

Ok, so obviously the collection of work is called “He is dead and he is going to die”
and it references Roland Barthes' book about the essence of photography, the books called ‘Camera Lucida’ and is concerned with the ‘domestic photograph’

The process pretty much starts with photographs, family photographs, but it is the domestic photograph, so its not necessarily just family, there are pictures of pets as well, and ex girlfriends, this is the starting point for the two different sets of mine and Sebastian’s work.

Sebastian is concerned with the impermanence of photographs, he paints the photographs in with bleach then they’re re-interpreted into oil paintings. He’s really interested in having a dripping quality, that’s why he started using bleach in the first place, it give his work a viscous quality, he uses layers of gesso so it almost looks like wet paint.

(Adam) Mine is screen prints, my work is more interested with sentimentalities of imagery, some of my work has an obsessive streak, so I’ll do things like repetitive tasks, a lot of my work was animation, drawing similar cells over and over again, or the dart board where I’ve been throwing darts at an object loads of times, or even the screen printing process which is a repetitive process. My work titles reference dart slang, there’s ‘Three in a bed’ which is a darts term for 3 darts in one number, diaper dart, black dog and madhouse which is a double one finish.

'Three in a bed' Screen print

We Are Open: Tell us a bit about the new installations?

(Adam) My film is a photograph that’s been placed on a dartboard, and had three darts thrown at it, for every three darts that hit it, its been scanned into a computer, the process is repeated, a few thousand times, then its turned into a stop frame animation. Sebastian’s films are photographs that have had bleach pored onto them, the whole emotion of the photograph slowly taken off the face of the photograph, so by the end of the film, you’re just left with a blank photo.

We Are Open: So how have you found the residency? Has the space worked out well for your exhibition?

It’s a good space, well lit and in a good location! You get plenty of people walking in; it’s a good place to respond to as an artist. We’ve had this exhibition shown in Narc magazine, we’ve had a lot of punters coming in, commenting on how good it is,
The opening night was really nice as well!

We Are Open: Do you think having a Pop Up Gallery exhibition has helped you as an artists?

At the moment we’re just in a position where we’ve graduated and just starting to exhibit on our own and figuring out our own practice without external support. This kind of exhibition helped build on that really, build up to the next stage as an artists.

We Are Open: So what next now the exhibitions finished?

(The Art) is probably going to get taken back to the studios and used for my next pieces of work, so this dartboard piece with the picture in the middle (“Stadium”) that’s going to be used in a series of screen prints I’m going to produce, that’s called around the clock, it's going to be pictures of the royal family, with darts thrown at them. So, yeah, it’s just back to the studio for us to get on with making work!

We Are Open is now on Twitter!

2010-10-01T20:31:00.003+01:00

Keep up to date with the latest creative adventures in Middlesbrough, follow us!

http://twitter.com/Hello_WeAreOpen

WRITERS' BLOCK ARE BUSY BEES!!!

2010-08-24T12:32:00.001+01:00

Writers' Block are based at Pop Up Arts Space: 95-97 Albert Road, Middlesbrough

Friday 3rd September

WRITER/DIRECTOR MARC PRICE IS COMING TO MIDDLESBROUGH!

AFTERNOON
Writers’ Block is incredibly pleased to be able to present a day with MARC PRICE, director of highly-acclaimed made-for-£45 zombie feature Colin. Join Marc for…

1pm Zero-Budget Special Effects Workshop
Pretty self-explanatory. Colin cost £45 (did we mention that already?) and it's brim-full of gore, make-up, gunfire and bits of body. How did he do it? Come along to find out.
3pm Flip for Horror Challenge
The first Writers' Block "Flip for Film" challenge. With Marc's expert guidance we will write and shoot at least one short horror film in just three hours, using our Flip cameras and your ingenuity.
5pm-7pm Film Screening TBC
Marc will choose a film to be screened while we order and scoff tasty takeout foot... uh, food... Basically we’ll order pizza and watch a movie, and Marc will talk us through it.
EVENING
7pm Marc Price Q+A
Marc Price wrote and directed Colin, a practically zero-budget feature which brings a new angle to the zombie movie genre. Made with inventiveness and enthusiasm, problems had to be solved using creativity rather than cash.
How did he do it? Why not ask him yourself?
8pm Screening of COLIN
The most touching film about a decomposing corpse you'll see all year ****
- FHM
Colin is bitten by a zombie; he dies and returns as one of the undead. We follow him as he wanders through suburbia during the throes of a cadaverous apocalypse. Through his encounters with objects, places and people, we learn who Colin was and more pertinently, what he has now become. Including a broad daylight zombie versus human street battle, an epic housebound siege and bags of gore. Colin is the must see Zombie phenomenon of the year.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkJZ3FlOWeM

£12 SPECIAL EARLYBIRD DISCOUNT for the whole day if you book before midnight on Friday 27^th August

£15 if you book after that
Buy here: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwritersblockne.bigcartel.com%2Fproduct%2F3rd-sept-marc-price-event-writers-block&h=f4ee6
£7 for the evening only (Q+A, screening)
Buy here: http://writersblockne.bigcartel.com/product/3rd-sept-marc-price-event-evening-

Saturday 4th September

LET’S MAKE A FILM 8

We’re writing a feature film as a community, and it’s never too late to get involved. Next session will see us writing a beat sheet for the film, while eating chocolate brownie. ALL WELCOME - and we'll warn you, as soon as you're through the door you're classed as a writer...

£3 (incl. hot drinks and home-baked confections) 10am – 1pm. Pay on door.

Sunday 5th September 10am - 4pm

Writers' Block Sweding/TEESing Day

Location: Writers' Block

Tickets: http://writersblockne.bigcartel.com/product/sunday-5th-september-sweding-day

THE PLAN

Ten teams of up to four people will gather at Writers' Block at midday. Each team will be provided with a Flip camera (http://www.theflip.com/en-gb/) and two local actors, and have access to a prop box and a whole load of cardboard. They will then have just four hours to recreate a film, sweding/TEESing-style. It's pretty much what Tim Burton did with Planet of the Apes...

At four, we'll break for a rest as our panel of distinguished judges decides which film is the GREATEST SWEDED FILM EVER. The makers of the winning film will take home a trophy and some other special goodies. And their film will be screened as part of the Christmas 'Concept' film event.

We will all then decamp to Blu bar for a post-Sweding party, and a screening of all the films plus a special screening of Be Kind Rewind.

Sweding day is a great opportunity to have a laugh remaking a film, and meet other artists and filmmakers from the region - and then we'll add in a film and popcorn in a great basement location - this is networking but with tinsel and flipcameras.

Sounds like fun, doesn't it? WHO'S WITH US?

Entry fee is £20 PER TEAM (which includes free refreshments and screening of Be Kind Rewind), but we're got a SPECIAL EARLY-BIRD DISCOUNT of £15 until midnight on Friday 27th August. To less that £4 each for all of this!

Tickets: http://writersblockne.bigcartel.com/product/sunday-5th-september-sweding-day

Back to the Future sweded: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1B2GRz09hg

Wednesday 8th September

CONCEPT FILM NIGHT

Screening films by North East filmmakers, the next Concept Film Night will return to its regular home at Teesside University Campus. Laura Degnan and James Harris from Writers' Block are guest hosts for the evening and we will have a few little surprises in store for you including a film challenge. And hey, maybe we'll make a film on the night!

If you would like to attend this event please email Christine Wilson at c.wilson@idi-uk.org

FREE 7pm – 9pm, Centuria Building, Teesside University

Thursday 9th September

WRITER'S BLOCK READING GROUP 1

Apples by Richard Milward.

FREE 6-9 pm

Saturday 11th September

THEATRE SEEN 1

Early September 2011 will see performances of a new site-specific and multi-media work in and around the buildings and spaces of the plaza outside MIMA.

That work has yet to be created.

All we have is a starting point created by writers at the Writer’s Block Launch on July 2nd 2010. What we now need are writers, from whatever media, genre and experience, to begin the creating a work that will excite all people involved – artists, audience, funders, sponsors, politicians, cynics, the young, the old – so that they will leave the event having had a night out they will talk about for years, energised, optimistic, ready to continue the transformation of their lives and the place in which they live and work.

All we ask you to bring is a your imagination.

FREE (bring biscuits!) 10am – 1pm

More info on David Napthine: http://web.ukonline.co.uk/suttonelms/dnapthine.html

Thursday 16 September - 9th December

ARC and Writers' Block present: ARC Performance Group

This autumn sees the start of a new performance group for adults at ARC, where participants will co-write, co-direct and perform a new show in twelve weeks.

The group will be led by James Harris and Laura Degnan, who between them have a wealth of experience in writing and directing for film, TV and the stage.

This emerging group will take ownership of this creative writing and performance project. It is a fantastic opportunity for the creative talent in Tees Valley to gather together and work towards a performance.

James and Laura will guide the group through the process, drawing on their past experience to help participants work towards a performance at the end of the Autumn Term.

FREE 7.30pm - 9.30pm

At ARC, Dovecot Street, Stockton

http://www.arconline.co.uk/detail.php?id=2100

Monday 27th September

10x10 SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP 1

Workshop led by Laura and James

A new regular workshop for up to 10 participants. Bring along up to 10 pages of film or play script. We will provide actors to read excerpts and lead a discussion designed to strengthen your ideas and guide you towards the next draft. This will be a brilliant opportunity to exchange ideas with other writers, and meet the acting talent in the region who can bring your characters to life.

NOTE: Doors will open from 6 for you to come in, grab a beanbag and read or write before the session...

Numbers are strictly limited to 10 participants for this workshop, so pre-booking is essential.

£5 (incl. refreshments. Yes. Cake.) 7 – 9pm

Tickets: http://writersblockne.bigcartel.com/product/mon-27th-september-10x10-script-development-workshop

CURRENT COMPETITIONS

BORO BITES

Writers’ Block are working in association with New Writing North, Northern Stage and Middlesbrough to offer 3 playwrights the opportunity to have their work performed at Northern Stage when Richard Milward’s ‘Apples’ comes back up to Newcastle. Submit your 10 minute ‘Middlesbrough’ inspired play to artsdevelopment@middlesbrough.gov.uk before noon on Friday 27th August.

PUPPETRY OF THE PUPPETS

We have puppets hanging around the place and not enough reasons to pick up a camera and get them on to film again. Three-minute piece for our puppets anyone? This can be a script, a short story or poem, a song or a rap - basically, we’ll accept anything - and then add puppets in to the mix.

Puppets to choose from: Doctor Who, Amy Pond, Dalek, Freddie, Jason, Michael Myers and Sadako. Any or all of the above. And if you haven’t seen these characters in action yet, visit our You Tube channel at http://www.youtube.com/writersblockne

Submit your entries to laura@writersblockne.com before noon on Wednesday 1st September.

WINDOW SEEN

Would you like your short story on our window for the whole of October? Send us your 50 WORD short stories on the theme of TRICK OR TREAT, and the winner gets immortalised in paint on glass... for 30 days.

Submit your stories to shamelessfilms@gmail.com before noon on 30th September.

CONCEPT FILM NIGHT

Want to submit a film? If you are a local filmmaker and would like to have your film showcased at Concept Film Night on Wednesday 8th September please submit your film on DVD, along with a synopsis and short biog to the following address:

Concept Film Night

The Institute of Digital Innovation

Phoenix Building

University of Teesside

Middlesbrough

TS1 3BA.

Please note that films must be no longer than 15 minutes in length, although show-reels or trailers of longer features will be considered. If your film is chosen for showing it is a requirement that you do attend on the evening to talk about your work with the audience and answer any questions posed. Submission deadline: 3pm on Friday 27th August 2010

And if you’ve made it this far, just to let you know that The Kumo Project are currently putting the finishing touches to the two winning films from our ‘Writing for Animation’ competition. The films will go off to Depict next week, to be considered for a screening at the Bristol ‘Brief Encounters’ festival. Huge congrats to our winners Tony Galuidi and David Stringer once again!

Hope to see you at the Writers’ Block soon!

Thanks,

Laura and James

ZINE! An post-residency interview with Peg Powler

2010-08-20T16:05:00.002+01:00

Hello my name is AJ and along with my fellow artist/curator Rebecca Little I run a project called Peg Powler Gallery. Peg Powler - named after a mythical figure from local lore - is a totally independent and D.I.Y. art gallery.

We run regular exhibitions and events on a shoestring in locations such as Green Dragon Studios or, this August, ARC in Stockton and we always try to show our favourite alternative local art in a relaxed and welcoming environment.

A big interest of Peg Powler is the world of zines - D.I.Y. books and mini- magazines on any subject self published on a photocopier by the people that make them. We've always had our little zine library at Peg Powler events, we put on an exhibition based on the zine 'The Story of Grass', my own endeavors include Estelle co-authored with the esteemed Alyson Agar. So we were highly excited to be able to be part of We Are Open, taking over the lovely Pop Up Studio on Newport Road for weeks in June/July and filling it with zine related activity.

Our objective was to boost zine culture in the Middlesbrough area - a place where we know there is so much creativity. Here are some of the most common or best comments we would receive during our stay:

" What's a zyne? "

Its a handmade, self published book, comic or magazine knocked out totally independently on a photocopier! Also its usually pronounced "zeen" as in "magazine" or "fanzine". We didn't make the word up, it comes from the science fiction fanzines of the 1950s and then the punk fanzines of the 1970s - a combination of fan and magazine. The fan part tends to get dropped because zines don't have to be by a 'fan' - they can be filled with art, comics, poetry, rambling diatribes. One zine we had in the studio was called Yellow Jets and Mellow Pets and featured a collection of drawings all of either relaxed animals or various types of jets all on yellow paper.

"I'm not touching it! "

Some of our visitors would have a quick look around and ask a few questions, some would join us for some drawing or stay to read, some people came back whenever they could. A lady with and upper class speaking manner and nicely sculpted ice cream hair seemed quite interested as to what a zyne was and we we're happy to explain. She drew the line at actually handling one though, giving us this legendary quote.

" Do you do babies' passport photos? "

?? Would you see a place with a crudely stuffed (and possibly fake) fish and a wonky drawing of the late Frank Sidebottom in the window and think, 'ah this the place to get my bairn's portrait taken for the purpose of a legal document'? Because quite a lot of people did.

" Did you to make all these then? "

This question would come while gesturing to about 100 different titles from across the world, on subjects ranging from football to menstruation to heavy metal to the history of the anarchist movement to bears, probably constituting 10,000 hours of loving effort from the various authors. Of course our answer to this question would be 'sure'.

" I've got some copies of something I've done knocking around the house, would you be interested having a look? "

YES! And we still are super interested in all locally created zine and comics - email info@pegpowler.com to get in touch we really would love to hear from you.

" I'm going to make my own zine. "

Our most beloved comment, it was really brilliant to see people take some inspiration and for new zines to either be created there in the pop-up studio or for people to start their own zines in their own time on subjects including monsters, poetry, even Linthorpe Road.

We've now started putting some zines into a corner of Writers' Block on Albert Road, another great place to be creative couretesy of We Are Open. So look out for the best new and old local zines and if you have a zine you've made or want to make, get in touch!

pegpowler.com

Pistol & Fur: New Contemporaries - a residency in pictures

2010-08-20T15:44:00.006+01:00

2010-08-20T15:41:00.003+01:00

Pistol and Fur: New Contemporaries
We Are Open Interview
06/08/2010

No less than two months ago, 148 Linthorpe Road was an empty, disused retail unit. It was home to nothing, and stood for weeks collecting dust with locked doors and closed shutters. In the gap between then and now, the team behind We Are Open acquired the space, worked a little bit of magic, and soon enough it became the project’s Pop Up Gallery.

Currently housed in the three-storey unit is an exhibition by international photography collective Pistol and Fur. ‘New Contemporaries’ displays selected images from a Flickr pool started up by group leaders Jason Hynes and Steven Brown. I had a chance to catch up with the collaborators for an interesting insight into P&F.

We Are Open: For somebody who has not heard about the current exhibition, how would you describe the pieces on display, the aesthetic behind them, and P&F itself?

Jason Hynes: The work in New Contemporaries, as I see it, is about expression, whether it be in the way people view themselves their surroundings, beliefs, feelings, anything at all. The work is born out of the snapshot aesthetic, what Henri Cartier Bresson called "immediate sketch". Pistol & Fur is a group I formed on flickr over a year ago, I edit the submissions from photographers around the world each week and add those which I feel lend themselves to the groups aesthetic. In other words Pistol & Fur is something that in essence is purely selfish but hopefully inspires those who view or take part in the group.

WAO: Recently in the gallery you carried out a project involving disposable cameras; photographs of which are now displayed in the shop window. Can you elaborate upon what this project entailed and how you feel about the results?

Steven Brown: Running workshops was part of our project so in order to reach a wider audience we decided to have open days for the public. We advertised for people to pop into the gallery, talk with us about the work on display to get feel for the style of photography we were looking for and then take away a free disposable camera to shoot whatever they desired. They would bring it back, we would develop it for free, have a editing session to give people experience in the editing process and then select the best from the roll of film to go on display in our window.

I thought the results were amazing. I realised there are a lot of talented people in Middlesbrough with a great eye. There was an eclectic mix of images with some beautiful compositions. I think the photographs in the New Contemporaries exhibition really helped people looks at things in a different way.

We named the project 'The People's Gallery' and passers by would stop in their tracks to look closer at the photographs on display. We had a lot of positive feedback about the project. It was a really great experience.

WAO: As your residence in the space is only temporary, what will become of the framed prints on display when the time comes to pack up and leave?

SB: It wasn't our intention to sell the images as part of the exhibition but as we like to keep the fresh and the images need a home, we have decided to auction them off to the public. All the proceeds will go to the charity bullying UK.

WAO: What benefits has the residence brought to P&F and yourselves?

JH: Pistol & Fur has gained new members, over 100 since we started the residency and has helped raise the profile of the group. As for me it has helped me gain relationships with photographers and the public and has inspired me to try new ventures in the future

WAO: Jason and Steven, thanks for your time. Are there any future projects or plans for P&F in the near future?

JH: Pistol & Fur will continue for the foreseeable future as a blog and flickr group.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/pistolandfur/ - Pistol and Fur on Flickr

http://www.jasonhynes.co.uk – Jason Hynes’ Website

http://www.flickr.com/photos/56385524@N00/ - Steven Brown on Flickr

Interview by Matthew Neil

Pop-Up Garden Official Launch and We Are Open Celebration!!

2010-07-21T22:32:00.004+01:00

If you passed 'We Are Open' on Newport Road today you will have seen a very busy team of people preparing the unit for the grand celebration this evening. And if you came in you will have seen just how well the hard work from garden designers Chris Eves and Karen Lewis, and the team of helpers paid off! The We Are Open celebration was a huge success with all the goody bags going within minutes! Not as fast as the food however, that was provided by the lovely people at The Olde Young Tea House! Along with some delicious beverages to boot! And the plants were being sold super fast too!! Lets just hope they don't run out!! Here's some photos of what you missed at the celebration evening (or saw and enjoyed if you were there!), and it's also good to know there's still time for you to get yourself along to bag a beautiful new plant for your garden.

Pistol and Fur an International Photography Exhibition.

2010-07-13T21:24:00.003+01:00

Photographers Jason Hynes and Stephen Brown are debuting their curating talents in the We Are Open space at 148 Linthorpe Road till the end of July. The exhibition includes work from established and emerging photographers from all around the world, from Paris, New York, Vancouver and Bucharest to name but a few places! So come along and see what the world of photography has to offer Middlesbrough.

The End...

2010-07-13T20:49:00.003+01:00

Saturday 10th July saw the end of ZINE hosted by Peg Powler's very own Rebecca Little and AJ Garrett. Lots and lots of people ventured into the We Are Open unit on Newport Road during the 4 weeks they were in to have a go at making their own Zine, and many have been inspired to take home their newly acquired skills and are making more zines! However, if you didn't get down to make your own, but have questions to ask just search for 'Peg Powler Gallery' on Facebook. Or find out what they're up to and planning next at pegpowler.blogspot.com. Here's some images from Zine:-

LAUNCH!

2010-07-13T14:36:00.006+01:00

Friday 2nd July saw the official launch of Writer's Block! Their head quarters on Albert Road went from this...

to this...

to this... in time for the big event!

They've even got a stage!!

Pop down for a chat or if you're in need of some inspiration and make sure you keep checking their facebook page for future workshops and events. Just search for writersblockne or e-mail laura@writersblockne.com

and lastly for the day...

2010-06-15T22:55:00.003+01:00

Tomorrow welcomes brand new resident Debbie Isley, to the Pop Up Gallery on Linthorpe Road where there will be lots of sumptuous things for you to feast your eyes on! Debbie is a screen printer and will be having an exhibition of works and will also be screen printing live in the space! So make sure you make time to go along and see her and check out her skills before she leaves on 27th June.

And for those budding film makers, get yourself along to the newly furnished Writers' Block HQ at 95-97 Linthorpe Road tomorrow evening for 7 o'clock for the 'How NOT to make a film' workshop. This is a crash course in simple film making by watching badly made films for a couple of hours! Muchos fun!!

2010-06-15T22:41:00.003+01:00

Today saw the launch of A J Garrett and Rebecca Little's D.I.Y. publishing house: ZINE. For those not in the know, a zine is a small press comic or magazine that's printed up on a photocopier and then assembled by hand, making them totally unique! AJ and Rebecca will be hosting a zine library for you to peruse, holding workshops for you to have a go at creating your own zine, as well as making, publishing and selling zines that reflect the diversity and creativity of Middlesbrough and Teesside. ZINE is for everyone so get yourself down!

ZINE will be at number 9 Newport Road until 10th July, but don't wait till then to go along, go asap!!

To contact AJ, e-mail info@pegpowler.com or visit the website www.pegpowler.com.

Catch Up : Part Two!

2010-06-15T22:09:00.006+01:00

Saturday saw the end of the Imaginary Parlour Files in the Pop Up Studio hosted by Inspector Lewis, Notebook Norm and Lady Loveless. So, for those of you who didn't manage to get down, here's some of what you missed...

For those Karen Lewis fans, and for those who have yet to meet her, you have another chance! From the 13th July - 7th August Karen Lewis, teamed with Chris Eves, will be showcasing their award winning garden designing skills by transforming number 9 Newport Road into a garden! So put it in your diary and save your pennies to buy a plant or few when they have a fantastic plant sell off at the end!

Catch Up!!

2010-06-15T21:10:00.006+01:00

Going back a few weeks, those of you wandering past, and hopefully going into the Pop Up Studio at 9 Newport Road will have met Jayne Elwell, A.K.A. The Libertarian. Jayne specialises in one of a kind hats and head-wear, but also creates jewellery, accessories and clothing. Oh, and some lovely items for your home!

For those of you who missed her, or if you just want to indulge yourself with another peek at her beautiful creations, here's a selection of photos from her stay in the Pop Up Studio.

And for those of you having a hat emergency or if you just fancy a new piece of head-wear, you can contact her to buy a piece that's taken your fancy or to commission something specific, through the link above.

Interview with the divine Miss Alex Bloundele!

2010-06-06T23:59:00.013+01:00

Name of business? Russian Doll Vintage
What did you study? Social and Cultural History

What is your favourite piece from your collection?

My favourite piece actually sold, it was a black lace 50's ball gown - absolutely beautiful and one of a kind, I was sad to see it go.

What are your hopes and dreams for the future?

I would love to own my own vintage shop, as well as having a range of my own dresses which have been made out of vintage fabrics and are of a vintage style.

What was your most memorable moment while in the We Are Open space?

It was all amazing, but my favourite parts were when customers would tell me their stories of their own clothing that they had worn in 50's/60's/70's etc. One lady actually brought me in a range of vintage costume jewellery that she no longer wore, which was so nice and generous of her. I felt very grateful towards all these people who supported the shop.

If you were commissioned to create a piece of street art, what would you do?

I would probably create a giant ball gown! I love big tulle dresses and if it were feasible i would wear one everyday of the week, haha! The giant ball gown would be a shelter and the underneath of the skirt would be filled with mirrors so if a girl/guy needs to sort out their hair, make-up or just check they look ok, then they can pop up and have a check out of the rain/wind/watchful eyes of others!

If you could be in an exhibition with any artists or designers, dead or alive, who would you choose?

Vivienne Westwood - I adore Queen Viv, I love her style, the clothes she makes, the shoes she sells and the handbags she wears. In my opinion she is one of the most iconic and diverse fashion designers of the later part of the twentieth century.

2010-04-24T19:34:00.010+01:00

Catch up!!

Russian Doll Vintage did a roaring trade at the Newport Road space a few weeks ago and the good news is that Alex Bloundele and her divine collection will be back in August!

Here's what you missed:

Interview with the fabulous Rachel Powell!

2010-04-01T20:37:00.024+01:00

Who or what inspires your work?

My Mother - she is often right! (With her advice). She sits and knits laptop cases, makes corsages and stays up till 1am creating new ideas - always full of energy and sunshine and a passion for sewing and textiles. My Dad gets the job of fixing things for me and fitting sinks in the studio, etc. They are the best team and an amazing support!

What is your favourite piece in the space?

My hand-woven corset, made from recycled sari silk yarn and hand dyed banana yarn and organic silks - everyone is always so amazed when I tell them that it is all hand-woven and also what it's made from!

What are your hopes and dreams for the future?

To be happy in my work (like I am now), to be successful with my business and to inspire others. To be free to design as I wish and for my work to be appreciated within my industry.

If you were commissioned to create a piece of street-art, what would you do?

A great big piece of knitting or weaving! - that the public add to, as a little part of you goes into everything you make.

What's been your most memorable moment while in the unit?

Every single day in the shop as something new is always happening or someone new walks through the door with a fantastic story to tell! Realising how amazingly creative the people of Middlesbrough are!!!

If you could be in an exhibition with any artists or designers, dead or alive, who would you choose?

Vivienne Westwood, an eccentric and inspiring lady and I can imagine she has some crazy stories to tell! And Alexander McQueen - he was the designer who first inspired me and will be truly missed within the fashion world. He was a true showman who could create an amazing theme for the exhibition.

Interview with the lovely Miss Helen Stevens!

2010-04-01T15:22:00.017+01:00

Who or what inspires your work?

Things inspire my own personal design work relate back to my childhood memories. My hazy memories of the travels and sights around the world with my dad, who was a Captain in the Navy. Also certain films that I seemed to obsess over like James Bond in the Roger Moore stage, the fashions, fabrics, interiors, textures, hues and colours that stood out to me. I love photography and spend hours looking online, I’m attracted to a certain and unusual use of filter and texture, and smudges of colour in images. I’m always inspired and excited by new trends within fashion, interiors, textiles, photography, but my nostalgic memories always weep through somehow through use of colour palette, certain fabrics and my style of print and pattern.

What is your favourite piece in the space?

As well as selling my own products in the pop-up shop I am occupying the space under my business name Designers Marketplace and representing many of my vendors from the markets I organise, so it’s hard to say!! My work is portfolio and textile work I have turned into sellable products, I have moved on a lot in style since I made most of my products.

My favourite part of the shop has got to be the area I have allocated to the ‘Portfolio Sell Off’ as it shows such a mixture of exciting work! I like how the area is keeping fresh with new people dropping portfolio work off regularly. I think it’s a very fun concept too, anyone is invited down to drop off dusty old portfolio work and we’ll sell it for them!

What are your hopes and dreams for the future?

It’s something very simple for me at the moment. My hopes are to get back into my designing seriously. I’ve missed it a lot recently as other things such as lecturing and running the Designers Marketplace have taken over my life in the past few years. I’m bursting with ideas and inspiration at the moment I can’t wait to start developing some of my ideas, I’m currently working some of my ideas, research and photography into a sketchbook which I’ll then begin to turn into prints and patterns for fashion, accessories and lifestyle collections.

If you were commissioned to create a piece of street-art, what would you do?

If I was commissioned to work on a large scale I would indulge massively...this would be a complete change for me, but it would still very much be based upon textiles, print and pattern. Something organic but very contemporary...nothing too serious, just experimental, gorgeous and fun.

What's been your most memorable moment while in the unit?

The crazies! This is a funny question. I’m just going to be honest and say all of the random characters who wander in off the street, I’ve met some very...interesting, folk. My ‘people’ skills have definitely developed! Although in the midst of all of their bizarreness they always seem to show a genuine interest in what the scheme is about. ‘People of the town’ really seem to appreciate the effort towards positive changes to the town centre. Obviously a lot of creative people visit the shop having an interest in the pop-up concept and also the products on sale. I’ve had some very inspiring and insightful conversations and met some great people I’d love to keep contact with for future collaborations. The shop had almost acted as a creative hub for activity, it’s been fun.

If you could be in an exhibition with any artists or designers, dead or alive, who would you choose?

I’m inspired and interested in so many artists, designers and photographers I couldn’t choose. Twombly , Tapies and Raschenburg are three of my favourite artists, although I wouldn’t want to do anything other than drool in a room full of their work. A collaboration or workshop with the artist Sabrina Ward Harrison would be very exciting, I love the way she holds no boundaries on experimentation of scale, collage, paint and drawing...very yummy and tactile indeed.

2010-03-13T17:25:00.000Z

Catch Up!!

Nicola Parkin's fantastical Art Factory descended upon the We Are Open (Newport Road) shop on 26th & 27th Feb...things may never be the same again!

They will be back - will keep you posted...

For now, have a look at the following photographic evidence and see what you missed!

2010-03-13T17:21:00.009Z

2010-03-13T16:24:00.001Z

Catch up!

If you missed the Pop! Pop! Pop-up shop! event at We Are Open (Newport Road) then boo hoo because it was ace. Works by emerging and established female artists; Clare Morgan, Nicky Peacock, Karen Lewis & Clare Lewis Baugh went on sale for a short and sweet 3 day bonanza.
If you blinked and missed then the following photographic evidence will get you up to speed...

2010-03-13T16:17:00.012Z

2010-02-02T00:36:00.002Z

What are the HE Social Entrepreneurship Awards?

The HE Social Entrepreneurship Awards programme from UnLtd and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) provides financial and non-financial support across Higher Education Institutions (HEI's) in England to develop their expertise, skills, knowledge base and business support structures in social entrepreneurship and social enterprise activity.

HEFCE promotes and funds high quality, cost-effective teaching and research, meeting the diverse needs of students, the economy and society.

Who can apply?

If you are a member of staff or student within a HEI supported by HEFCE and want support to develop entrepreneurial solutions to social problems that demonstrate a connection to the Higher Education sector, you can apply for one of over 200 awards available.

For example, you could develop or build upon the curriculum or research of your HEI or offer an entrepreneurial solution to an issue within the community served by the HEI.

As this scheme is intended to encourage social entrepreneurs from HEI's, it is required that one of your referees must be a responsible member of staff at the HEI where you study/work e.g. Head of department or Head of school. They will be contacted to cross-check that they fully endorse and support your project.

Please note that the Awards are only open to HEFCE-funded institutions. To view a list of funded HEI's, please click here.

What Awards are available?

You can apply as an individual or informal group for one of our:

Catalyst Awards
Apply for support and up to £5,000 to start up and develop your project.

Development Awards
If you have an existing project which is scalable, you can apply for support and up to £15,000 to take it to the next level.

Click here to find out more about Development Awards

Click here to visit site and find out how to apply!

For more information contact: Sarah Yorke
Tel: 0127 475 0630
or email: sarahyorke@unltd.org.uk

2010-02-02T00:22:00.003Z

Make Your Mark in Retail

One lucky business wins 6 months free trading in The Mall!

Our Make Your Mark in Retail competition is for any small retail business looking to grow. We understand that the hardest part of growing your business is getting in front of the right customers. Our competition gives the opportunity for one lucky business to do just that and for FREE.

Make Your Mark In Retail total Prize:

6 months free trading in a shopping centre on a Retail Merchandising Unit
Free business banking for two years
Access to a business relationship manager to advise you in your financial decisions
A free place on the National Skills Academy Retail Masterclass
A free place on the exclusive BSSA Oxford Summer School where you will learn about retail in more depth

The competition prize is worth well over £15,000

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

2010-01-27T16:21:00.003Z

Accessories by Laura Leith

2010-01-27T14:50:00.005Z

First through the doors is Design Mob, Olivia Monaghan's group of handpicked designers selling an extensive collection of bespoke and limited edition design pieces and unique gifts.
Design Mob will be curating the store for one month starting from 19th January.

Olivia is joined in-store by designer Jeni Batty, founder of the innovative, deconstructed fashion label, Sister's Wardrobe.

The Shop will open 6 days a week:
10am–5pm Tue – Sat and 10 am–4pm Sun.

www.designmob.co.uk
www.sisterswardrobe.co.uk

Accessories by Pond Edge
www.pondedge.co.uk

2010-01-15T17:19:00.004Z

Before!

2010-01-15T17:08:00.009Z

After!!

2010-01-15T16:57:00.002Z

BEFORE

The first project for We Are Open.
Early December 2009

The old Rayner's opticians building on Newport Road (next door to Jessops) before renovations started.

AFTER!

The first project for We Are Open.
17th December 2009

The old Rayner's opticians building after renovations.
This was the first day of trading and was curated by Carlo of Empty Shop

http://www.emptyshop.org/

2010-01-13T15:12:00.001Z

Middlesbrough has joined the growing empty shop movement that is opening up prime retail spaces to artists.

The project aims to revived town centres with a fresh and innovative arts, design and retail experience, creating a brighter town centre environment.

From January 2010 artists from all disciplines will be located in various town centre locations selling and showing work through exhibitions, gigs, film screenings and workshops.

Spaces will be inhabited and animated for a day, a week a month or longer creating an element of surprise for consumers who are guaranteed exclusivity because of the limited lifespan.

Following a special Christmas opening event the We Are Open shop promises to go from strength to strength and from 19th January will be showcasing the North East’s finest artists and designers.

First through the doors is Design Mob, Olivia Monaghan's group of handpicked designers selling an extensive collection of bespoke and limited edition design pieces and unique gifts.

The Shop will open 6 days a week:
10am–5pm Tue – Sat and 10 am–4pm Sun.

www.designmob.co.uk.