Archive for the 'Event' Category

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.

Ways of Seeing - Part Four

Published by tenantspin on August 21, 2008 in 2008, Broadcasts, Event, FACT and Liverpool. 0 Comments

Part four of the Ways of Seeing series 2008 is available below. On this installment, tenantspin welcomed artist David Blandy and Bluecoat Blueroom onto the couch.


Watch live video from tenantspin on Justin.tv

Sefton Park summer carnival

Published by tenantspin on June 8, 2008 in 2008, Event and Liverpool. 0 Comments

tenantspin hosted an afternoon of dancing, eating and singing (as well as the occasional drink!) at Sefton Park community Centre last week to usher in our great British summer.

The afternoon was partly organised by Katie Yoxell a student of community art from the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts who worked with Margo Hogg, Jean Niblock, Lily Clarke and John McGuirk and other residents from Sefton Park to put together a summer themed party which included everything from grass skirts to sangria.

Everyone had a truly lovely time and our thanks go to harpist Charly, Pat for the wonderful line dancing, the Twirlies for their creative writing, the girls from LIPA for their 4 piece acapella performance, Margo for her help with organising the day and for her perfomance, all the ladies and gents who brought along homemade cakes (which we all enjoyed) John for his legendary spoon playing and for everyone who turned out in their summer best - lets hope this is the start of a great summer at Sefton Park!

Also, congratulations to Katie for passing her assesment with flying colours with an getting such a great mark in her assesment.

Loaded: a discussion about Gun Crime

Published by tenantspin on May 12, 2008 in 2008, Broadcasts, Event, FACT and Liverpool. 0 Comments

on the 7th of May, in the Box at FACT, tenantspin hosted a discussion about gun crime. Guest host Liam Fogarty welcomed onto the tenantspin couch: Andrew Edwards, Deputy Editor of Liverpool Echo and lead on Liverpool Unites charity and campaign, Ian MacDonald, Retired Police Officer and Initiator of CitySafe, Stephen Moore, Merseyside Police Matrix Unit and Tracy Dunn, Film-maker.

We asked the question: is Liverpool losing the battle against gun crime? See the discussion below.

Rotters

Published by tenantspin on April 10, 2008 in 2008, Event, News and Projects. 0 Comments

tenantspin have just returned from The International Community Arts Festival (ICAF) in lovely Rotterdam. tenantspin interviewed participants and delegates attending the festival and asked the question “What does quality in Community Arts mean”. We also hosted a live discussion in a local retirement village, where we discussed the similarities and differences between Liverpool and Rotterdam.

We had a great time. Please watch this 20 minute compilation of our time at the Festival.

Spaced Out

Published by tenantspin on March 26, 2008 in 2008 and Event. 0 Comments

Patrick and I spent 27th March in Space gallery in Hackney, East London for their symposium On the Margins of Technology a day of ‘presentations and debate about realising the impacts of technology expanding and diversifying participation in art and society.’

We responded to a number of projects including Geezer Power a project which is run by Lorraine Leeson and the ‘Geezers’ some of whom included Dennis Banks, John Bevan, John Day, Ray Gipson and Ted Lewis. The project is based around accessing the Geezers collective experience and expertise of ways in which you can generate energy from already available resources. What they came up with was a turbine fixed to the Thames barrier which they hoped could either generate enough electricty for street lighting for their community.

Although the project was different to ours in the sense that it focusses on scientific subject matters rather than those of a creative or technological ilk we felt that their ethos really matched ours and we were inspired to start thinking about accessing the wonders of people over 55’s knowledge and expericence of life and how this should be tapped into when looking at the future of the planet for all of us.

We also responded to Mukul Patel and Fiona Fieber talking about User Manuals and ‘explaining technology’ which focusses on the relationship between the explaination of a product/entity and the usage of that in everyday life.

We really enjoyed our stay in London and met some inspirational and complex people and projects and are grateful to Space for inviting us down. For more information about Space gallery, Hackney please click here.

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