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Helsinki, tenantspin, Symppis and Media Facades

Published by tenantspin on August 10, 2010 in 2010, News and North Liverpool. 0 Comments

We have been working with a fantastic group of people in Helsinki as part of a project for Media Facades Europe 2010.

We have met many wonderful people in the m-cult centre and in the Kontula neighbourhood of Helsinki.

The group are all part of the Symppis centre in Kontula, Helsinki a place which helps (on a day centre basis) people with substance misuse issues get help, play a game of pool, take part in a creative project like a play, have a cheap meal, get some councelling, with clothing and a place to find rest.

This is a truly wonderful place, alive with positive energy and hope for the future. Our group made up of Aki, Antti, Hanna, Jari, Laura, Tiina, Ian, Lucy, Alex, Emmi and Saara and myself worked on a project focussing on Kontula as this wonderful place to live. The idea for the film was developed during a series of workshops led by tenantspin community film maker and artist Alex Harrison and had at its heart a discussion we shared on our ideas of normality, citizenship and identity both in Liverpool and Helsinki.

SInce returning we are working toward a reflection film with a community group from Anfield/Breckfield. These two films will be screened back-to-back in September 2010 for Media Facades which we’ll be streaming live via livestream so watch this space!

Anfield, Breckfield st David’s Road and Tumbling Toms

Published by tenantspin on July 30, 2010 in News. 0 Comments

e are continuing our work in Anfield/Breckfield and have started our growing interventions in St David’s Road. Progress has been slow, mainly impeded by red tape and planning allowances. Never-the-less we got together with a group of lovely ladies from St David’s Road to start our work with productive hanging baskets. The baskets included pak-choi, lettuce, radish, tumbling toms, strawberries and various herbs, workshops where run by tenantspin member Jennifer Welch and was the start of our work with residents in this road.

Work will continue with some defensive planting, technology and webcams so watch this space!!

More images can be found on Jennifers flickr page http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenniferwelchgoldenpig/sets/72157624109914693/

or on our flickr

‘Another Chat’- Tenantspin produces short film

Published by tenantspin on January 13, 2010 in 2010 and News. 0 Comments

One of the chief aims of tenantspin as an organisation is to provide individuals from Liverpool’s more peripheral communities a digital means to express their opinion. The latest project, which offered participants training in all area’s of the film making process, and which ultimately led to the production of a short film, certainly adhered to this mandate.

The students of the class, most aspiring film makers or citizen journalists from the Liverpool area, where treated to a multi faceted training course with a difference. The difference being that they would not only learn the process theoretically, but simultaneously put it to use; applying the knowledge acquired on the course and making the film for real. Alex Harrison, a local professional film maker, was brought in to teach the weekly classes and supervise the production of the film. From devising a concept to writing the script, to operating cameras and eventually editing the footage, participants had to work together in the creative process, providing an educational and practical learning experience. Every step of the way class attendees had to learn and practice new skills, whilst also negotiating the creative direction of the piece. Multitasking epitomised! The collective also had to agree on locations, actors, filming schedules and various other details which are so crucial to the success of a film’s production. No small feat, I’m sure you would agree.

The film’s narrative is an abstract account of a man’s inner turmoil which unfolds externally on his lunch break from work. The script has an inherently scouse flavour, with many of the quotes interestingly taken from an existing website ‘Overheard in Liverpool‘, which documents all the weird and wonderful words people have heard uttered on the streets of our somewhat indigenous city. How they correlate with the narrative will become apparent when watching the film. ’Another Chat’ is currently receiving its finishing touches in FACT’s editing suite and should be ready for viewing by the end of January, the production only taking an impressive 4 months to come to fruition. Well done ‘tenants’!

The project was a complete success with all members of the group learning new skills to support their existing creative zeal. The project is another example of Tenantspin’s determination to provide members of the public with the access, encouragement and ability to realise their artistic potential.

text by Jon Turton

Youth Spinning Foyer Fun

Published by tenantspin on December 11, 2009 in 2009, Foyers and Projects. 0 Comments

tenantspin have begun a new stream of work in the past 6 months, working through Arena Option’s Young People Services. The bulk of this work has been channelled through the four Arena Foyer’s, located in Chester, St.Helens, Wigan and Warrington.

Projects have included songwriting, film-making and photo stories. Big projects like a collaboration with artist collective ‘The People Speak’ culminating in a 5-a-side football tournament with a twist in early August.

tenantspin have also been working on the Find Your Talent programme, a government initiative providing young people with access to 5 hours of culture per week. We’ve been working with Ravenhead Foyer in St.Helens, and our partners in North Liverpool.

Anfield/Breckfield partnerships…North Liverpool and other stories

Published by tenantspin on November 5, 2009 in 2009, Commissions, News, North Liverpool and Projects. 0 Comments

tenantspin has been working with communities based in the north of the city for the best part of 2009 developing some new networks, friendships, debates, screenings and training with residents which hopefully starts a long-process of collaboration in North Liverpool.
Geographically speaking, Anfield/Breckfield lies slightly inland from Everton and encompasses post codes L4, L5 + L6 and has a history dating back to the 18th century when the area was fields, streams, farms and quickly becoming a desirable domestic location for merchants growing rich from trade in the busy port of Liverpool.

Residents from the area have been collaborating with us on creating a series of creative programmes for North Liverpool which will hopefully add to all the work currently taking place led by organisations such as Anfield, Breckside neighbourhood Council, Breckfield and North Everton Community Council, The Lighthouse and Liverpool Biennial. The work includes a film programme for North Liverpool, the North Liverpool Cinema Circle, which will work to create some interesting and diverse screenings in the neighbourhood which kicked off with a screening and Q + A from producer Roy Boutler of the seminal Terence Davis Liverpool eulogy Of Time in the City.

Our next screening will be of the 1988 Chris Bernard classic Letter to Breshnev on December 2nd at 2pm, venue to be confirmed.

Our training group have been working on developing the plot and narrative for a film about the area looking at regeneration across the 200 year history, the people, places and urban myths that shape neighbourhoods over their development and what the future holds for communities in change. For more information or to contribute your knowledge, experiences or historical information drop us a line and we’ll be happy to pass this onto the group. Watch this space for details of screenings, sneak peaks and interviews with the filmmakers.

Meanwhile, on Breck Road Ruth and the wonderful staff from Abcc have been working with ourselves, local residents (groups around this part of the district include Cobra led by Ian Watt and Lawdon led by Fred Crebbin) and charities like Genie in the Gutter and The Parkview Project to lead debates and open discussions looking at issues effecting nieghbourhoods across Liverpool. The most recent focussed on substance misuse and the need for a combined approach at tackling the community-based issues brought about by herion and crack epidemics within districts. The debate was chaired by Liam Foggerty and representitives from Genie and Parkview. Look out for more events in the North Liverpool debates series in the new year, as ever if anyone has a topic they feel would benefit from open discussion please do forward onto us.

Growing projects have been under discussion with residents from St David’s Road and Cobra generally. Cobra lies within the buffer zone which basically means that there will be neither demolition or refurbishment of the current housing stock. As a result residents are keen to start Cairn Street L8 interventions which will hopefully include trees, evergreen plants and crops for winter and then into spring with a whole host of new growing projects for Abcc, Cobra and Bala Street.

To keep abreast of North Liverpool projects visit our facebook group either at tenantspin, or North Liverpool Culture follow us on twitter or have a look at our images and films on flickr

webcasting for change

Published by tenantspin on May 20, 2009 in 2009, Broadcasts, Event, FACT and Liverpool. 0 Comments

We have been webcasting for the past couple of weeks as part of the gallery show currently taking place at FACT until May 31st - Climate for Change.

This gallery show could be confused with yet another attempt to meet the question of our changing climate (if you believe that this is actually what is happening…thats another story) but, in actual fact it isn’t all to do with climate change. Of course, this has been a pretty important aspect of the show the very title lets the cat out of the bag a bit. However, this was also a show about action, re-action, debate, discussion, event, workshop, happening - to coin a few generic terms.

On our part, tenantspin wanted to reinvent our weekly forum for debate tried out in tate Liverpool end of last year, beginning of this year. We took the ‘change’ topic and talked through protest (should we? Shouldn’t we? Does it do anything?) bread (slow, fast, fat, thin) web 2.0 (what does it mean to be an armchair protester? Does the internet promote cause or promote slouchy debate) the last cultural commentators (does culture have legs after 08 - what is it anyway?) local environmental debate, community money, oil and finishing 26th May 12.30 - 1.30 with a look at Jean Grant and the Pool project’s ‘The Settlement’ before join artist Nina Edge for a game to change.

We have been on the couch with Mandy ‘Queen’ of Culture, Trine Hughes, Simon Snowdon, Erik Buchard, local artists, performers, Stan ‘the harp’ Ambrose, Kenny, David, Jon, Tracey, Jennifer, John, Dolly, Sid ‘The Greek’ Jay, Steve, Sandi, Gaby, Anna, St Francis of Assisi, John O’Shea, amongst many others.

To watch our programmes back you can visit the home page of the tenantspin website and have a look in the ‘on demand’ section of our mogulus channel. Or via www.mogulus.com/tenantspin.

A big thank-you to everyone who helped us to debate the issues and subjects of change in our Tuesday sessions.

tenantspin goes ON TOUR at Tate Liverpool

Published by tenantspin on January 6, 2009 in 2009, Event, Liverpool and News. 0 Comments

tenantspin ON TOUR is an exhibition and collaboration space created for “The Fifth Floor Ideas Taking Space” at Tate Liverpool. The Fifth Floor refers to a floor that does not physically exist within Tate Liverpool’s four-storey building, but invites the visitor to reconsider the Gallery as a place of imagination and invention.

For The Fifth Floor, tenantspin has set up a fully-equipped interactive TV studio to capture stories, and opinions, and where live discussions, readings and performances will be recorded and streamed online throughout the exhibition. Tate asked one thousand people across the city what kind of exhibition they would like to experience, and in response to what they suggested; leading international artists will be there creating major works. tenantspin has been invited to take part and our major new work is ‘tenantspin ON TOUR’ bringing community TV to the Tate.

The Tate is housed in Liverpool’s Albert Dock; which was also the original home of daytime TV show This Morning. For many years Richard and Judy broadcast from the beautiful Albert Dock; and now it’s our turn

Until 1st February we’ll be working at Tate Liverpool and broadcasting live from there every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. More info on the project is over at http://www.tenantspinontour.com

Community Film Night…the feedback!!!

Published by tenantspin on December 9, 2008 in 2008, Event, Films, Liverpool, News and Projects. 0 Comments

tenantspin’s first community film night (25th November) went down really well with all invited.

Our idea for this film evening came from feedback we received from other screenings of this ilk including Love Lane Lives (Leon Seth/Ron Noon) and Gardens of Stone (Paul Sudbury) which both have a very local focus but looked outward toward national schemes which changed the lives of people living in areas effected by mass demolition and redevelopment of social housing as well as the closure of huge, historical firms like Tate and Lyle who at one time employed 80% of the people living in the Vauxhall area of Liverpool.

This commuity film night featured the work of Ray Walsh local filmmaker and resident and the now famous documentarist Nick Broomfield. The first, Ray’s film Disappearing Communities was an 1989 production which documented the changing face of inner-city Liverpool and the social housing around the Bronlow Hill, London Road, Scotland Road and Byron Street areas. In someways, it provided a classically scouse nostaligic look at the importance of these commnities in the development of a city but with such a rounded outlook it was hard to stick on the side either of the goverment or the people.

The second, Nick Broomfield’s Behind the Rent Strike saw a very young Broomfield exposed to a world of socialism, ideology and strength of the masses that was pretty prevelant in some parts of Liverpool in the 70’s. The film documents a period of 12 months during which a group of residents from the overspill town Kirkby fight back against a rent increase and pay freeze which was part of a controversial government bill eventually scrapped in the early 80’s.

Some of the comments:

‘Hopefully this will be the 1st of many more screenings and understanding’

‘I loved the subject matter (of the film night) and the honest and open way it was portrayed’

‘Keep it coming’

‘Very impressed. More of these’

‘Good format - relaxed atmosphere’

‘Just hope more people can get involved - love the community aspect’

‘good. film lengths were ideal’

‘good split between inner city and subhurbs’

‘this is a fantastic idea - I hope to see a lot more community film nights’

The William Carling Bold Street Pavement Artist Comp

Published by tenantspin on November 12, 2008 in 2008, Event, FACT, Liverpool and News. 1 Comment

Ropewalks Square recently played host to variety of talents from the world of fine art al fresco. The idea had been honed a year or so ago by Ronnie Formby (Scottie Press) Michael Kelly (author of Liverpool’s Irish Connection amongst others) and Mike Lea (Maggie Mays Bold Street) when they stumbled on the idea of opening a gallery in Maggie Mays dedicated to the life and works of James William Carling the original Liverpool pavement aritst.

Finally, one slightly wet day in October the plan came together and the square saw the gathering of artists intent on winning the prize and creating the best piece based on a famous work from one of the regions famous painting galleries.

tenantspin was there to film the whole thing and the results of this, the work of John Scotland, can be seen on www.fact.tv.

The long Night…of the Biennial 30th Oct 08

Published by tenantspin on November 12, 2008 in 2008, Event, FACT, Liverpool and Projects. 0 Comments

tenantspin took part in celebrating the city-gallery-and-arts-spaces late night opening extravaganza The Long Night. The evening was a roaring success enticing late-night art revelers out from the warmth and comfort of their homes to experience the best of the biennial arts shows with a few surprises thrown in for good measure.

FACT celebrated by starting the evening of the launch of their seminal new tome celebrating the new studies and ground breaking research undertaken by FACT and professor Andy Miah throughout the year (you might remember our own inclusion in this in the guise of Titanium tenants and Where is my World?) Human Futures which looks at the very essence of future human existence and expansion through art and science.

This evening also saw the launch of our newest and most impressive project fact.tv. It has been weeks in the making and is the work of MITES, Paul Hendrick, Mike and many others. fact.tv is a platform which opens the doors for new types of artistic expression and documentation away from the gallery, arts centre and macbook. tenantspin has its own channel which looks set to play a seminal part in our upcoming gallery show at Tate Liverpool opening 16th December this year (more about that later…!!) www.fact.tv

Aside from these two evening defining events there was also an appearance from a Tarot card reader who had her hands full giving people predicitons and hope for the future through the shady corridors of allegorical interpretations the cards offer.

Last but certainly not least, Fiction@FACT the super-popular evening of spoken word, music and visuals which used to take place pretty regularly at FACT in the days of Eddie Berg came back for a sly reprise which saw the cafe transformed into a haven for both non-literary and literary types supping the delicious pumpkin soup available exclusively in the cafe that night.