John McGuirk had been a member of tenantspin since 2003. Brought to FACT by his dear friend Dolly Lloyd. He was auditioning to be in a CD tenantspin were putting together and he was really involved with the cities music scene. Alan Dunn, project manager for tenantspin at the time simply remembers him sitting down and playing his spoons to which all where amazed. Spoon playing was a theme with John and this continued over his arts career earning him a place in the hearts of many projects visited across Europe and America and a place with the Philharmonic Orchestra as part of the Liverpool Biennial.

His contribution to the cities arts scene in his nearly 10 year was legendary –and he was 70 when he joined the team at tenantspin.

He was a brilliant presenter, a great speaker, political, sociable and with unbending beliefs. He believed avidly in ghosts and the paranormal and worked on innumerable projects including travelling to Dublin, Copenhagen, New York, Rotterdam and Dresden to represent the project.

His contribution to the tenantspin project was immense and on behalf of all of us who worked with him in FACT, tenantspin and beyond across the arts projects in the city thank you John you are and where one in a million, may you rest in peace.

You can see some of John’s digital stories here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/NorthLiverpoolDS?ob=0

tenantspin have been working with our one of our fantastic community partners in Anfield ABCC our colleagues in the Healthy Spaces Programme at FACT, Richmond Fellowship and residents from across Anfield to create a special artwork to be installed in the new Townsend Lane health centre in 2012.

The artwork was developed by the Townsend Lane steering group and is the work of artist Alistair Eilbeck and will feature lots of portraits of local people waiting at bus stops along the many bus routes in the vicinity of the new health centre which is a real artery of the community. The piece will also contain memories from local people remembering the Townsend Lane of their lives, memories of traveling around on the many buses that move around the area and photographs of Townsend Lane past and present taken by groups and individuals from the local neighbourhood.

We held our first sharing workshop sessions at ABCC this week and had a great couple of hours remembering Townsend Lane which became a thoroughfare as far back as 1850 when most of the surrounding area was farm land. In fact, as we discovered that the word Breck literally translates as ‘area of uncultivated land’ pointing to the look of Breck Road before it became the familiar thoroughfare it is today.

Look out for the artwork in the new year, Townsend Lane Neighbourhood Health Centre waiting room.

I had my wedding reception in the Farmers Arms on Townsend Lane, my wedding cake was a copy of St Georges church on Everton Road.

The Mediated Garden, our ongoing project run by long-term tenantspin member, gardening guru and artist Jennifer Welch continues to flourish in its prime (rather exposed) spot on the FACT roof.

Last week we witnessed the harvest of some of the potato’s Jennifer had sown some 34 weeks back – the first potato’s to ever call FACT their birth place!

Rotters from Gina Czarnecki on Vimeo.

Here’s a link to a Community film produced by Gina Czarnecki, Sam Meech and Rotters Community Composting, supported by tenantspin.  The films feature within the South Liverpool Treatment Centre garden and Waiting Room, in Garston.

Go visit the centre to see the film as part of the stunning South Liverpool sub-tropical garden…or watch on here.

Go forth and compost!

tenantspin have been reconogised for their work with Liverpool Mutual Homes on the LMH.tv project at the 2011 LMH Focus Awards. We won the partnership award at the presentation ceremony, hosted by Roger Philips.

We are very pleased to be given this award as the LMH.tv project has only just come out of its pilot stage, its great to be working in partnership with LMH and the award is very heavy and shiny!

It is fair to say that tenantspin’s Jennifer Welch is a true horticultural artist (+guru I’ll have you know!). Last year, as part of our then fledgling Healthy Spaces programme artist Ross Dalziel and Jackie Passmore worked with participants from Merseycare to develop and build a food garden on the roof of FACT in an area that was previously a purpose built outdoor space meant to facilitate the staff offices.

The project incorporated a technology output via “>arduino sensors measuring humidity, rainfall and other environmental factors which may effect any planting in this part of the city. After the group moved on Jennifer was approached to reinvigorate the Plot and she came up with the concept of the Mediated Garden. The project would follow on from some of the work already done by The Plot participants and artists but attempt to expand on the kind of produce nurtured and encourage participation from staff and visitors to FACT as well as working with our partners in Anfield/Breckfield and developing a database of recipes, tips and tricks and arduino feeds which act as an experimental space for urban growers everywhere.