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.

Plus Dane Young People

Back in 2010 tenantspin project workers Patrick Fox and Laura Yates where approached by Plus Dane Housing Group and partner organisations including Anfield Detached, Merseyside Youth Development Services, Merseyside Youth Association and Liverpool City Council to take part in a new film for the Anfield Area. The project would be working with an intergenerational group from across Anfield on a new narrative for the district, something that would incorporate elements from the past, present and future of this changing neighbourhood.

Part of tenantspin’s work focuses on the Anfield/Breckfield area and so it was fantastic for us to be involved.

As part of the project Alex Harrison, a long-term collaborator with tenantspin and former FACT Young Persons Programme graduate was brought in to fill the role of lead artist and filmmaker. Along with Chris and Peter from MYDAS, Sue from Anfield Detached and Lisa and Julie from Plus Dane we engaged with a group of young and older people from the area and began to develop ideas for the film.

The project was a brilliant success and an accolade to the fantastic relationship and shared vision of the young people, older people and project leaders involved.

It finally premiered at FACT on the evening of March 24th 2011. Since then the film has been playing on a continuous loop in Gallery 1 @ FACT as part of the Anfield Pavilion in the Knowledge Lives Everywhere exhibition running at FACT until the 12th June.

We thought that was the end for now of a partnership which taught us so much about the power of collaborative working. However this was not to be! Imagine our surprise when we got an email informing us that we had been shortlisted for an award by the Plus Dane Young Persons forum! Alex and I went along to the interview which lasted 10 minutes and covered everything we did as a project as well as asking us about This is Anfield.

We went along nervously to the awards night, held in Liverpool’s Contemporary Urban Centre not expecting to win. We where the first award up and couldn’t believe our ears when tenantspin was called out.

The award was a brilliant coo for us and was presented in part for our role in This is Anfield but it also recognises the fantastic work tenantspin through FACT and Arena Housing has been striving at now for coming on 12 years, art for people and by people.

tenantspin got together with Kevin Casey last week to help with the launch of his new book Closing Time. The book, which chronicles 3 years in the demise of the public house in Liverpool (2007-2010) tells a harrowing and poignant story about the speed at which this is happening and the absolute volume of pubs effected by the rot/demolition/bad planning.

We got on the coach with kevin to talk about the book and share the thoughts of the room about the effect of the closures all suitably well-oiled by the free booze on offer from all of the amazing micro-breweries of Liverpool.

The webcast can be watched here.

The book can be purchased from the shop at FACT and Waterstones for a small fee you can have a piece of Liverpool Public House History!

More pictures after the jump!

Read on…

The inaugural North Liverpool Digital Story Group after almost a year of working together has completed its creative programme. In that time the tenantspin group; consisting of several elderly members of the Anfield/Breckfield community along with project leaders; has produced an assortment of short film’s documenting the personal stories and anecdotes of participants. The group set out to create an archive of ‘Digital Stories’ intended to record a local, social history through actual members of the Anfield/Breckfield community.

The films produced have varied in content. The narrative of each digital story has been subject to the wishes of the story teller. Project leaders Laura Yates, Jonathan Turton and Pauline Rowe have primarily assisted with articulation and technological production, with the idea’s for the films growing organically from discussion. Themes have ranged from working life to family and child hood, heroes and friends, to general gripes and opinion, but always with a Liverpool flavour. The films adhere to the creative ‘rules’ of the ‘Digital Story’ as established by the BBC upon creation of the concept. All of the ‘Mini-Movies’ are roughly two minutes long using approximately 12 images in each and aim to tell a personal story of an individual supported by still and moving image.

Read on…

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 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