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

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’

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.

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.

There was much discussion around what we wish we hadn’t missed what we want to see and indeed the future of Liverpool once the coverted year is over. The debate will be uploaded to www.google.com/video soon so keep your eyes peeled!

We will also be doing our year round up from our studio in Tate Liverpool in January.

Monday and Tuesday last week IDEE visited tenantspin from Dresden. The group is made up of artists and young people from a housing estate in Prohils, Dresden who started a arts club in the middled of the housing estate around 1994. Prohlis is an interesting looks at how Germany responded to the housing crisis after the 2nd World War. It was once in Eastern Germany before the Berlin wall came down and is made up of mostly 1950’s high-rise blocks, built originally to house 25,000 people. Since the fall of the wall most people have left for better experiences in other parts of Germany and those who are left tend to be young, unemployed and male.

Adam, an English artist who has lived around the estate for since 1994 saw the problems involved in these young peoples lives and started a media club which trains young people in film production, video editing and other interesting modes of creative development through media such as stop frame animation. They also make really interesting video blogs with other young people from the estate about their experience of being unemployed in Prohlis, what they do on Sundays, a week day and pay-day. The result of these are poignant and touching examples of an excellent way to get people to open up to a camera which can sometimes be problematic.

We took the group to the Liverpool Lighthouse on Oakfield Road, Anfield to have a look at the facilties they have there and then got together with them to run a workshop from FACT on the Tuesday - the group produced a small film which mixed flash animation techniques with stills and some moving image to give their reaction to coming to Liverpool and to seeing the large-scale regeneration of some areas and degeneration of others - the film isn’t ready as yet but watch this space……..

On Tuesday night Adam gave a talk to a group in the Renew Rooms looking at ways you can work as an artist in an environment like this and what can ultimately be gained for participants and practitioners.

For more information about IDEE and their projects go to http://idee-01239.webconsulting-dresden.de

Watch live video from tenantspin on Justin.tv

On Tuesday 8th July, as part of a series of community-based film screenings, we play host to Toxteth TV, who will be showing ‘L8A’. The film sees four groups of young people each work with a different filmmaker to produce four unique films about the history of Toxteth. ‘L8A’ provides a unique insight and exploration of key events, buildings and people that have helped shape the area. The event starts at 6:30pm and entry is free, but please book tickets in advance.

On Wednesday 30th July, from 4:00pm-6:00pm, tenantspin will host ‘Trading Places’, an afternoon of film and discussion focusing on the ongoing debate surrounding Local v’s Global, from High Street to Superstore, Corner Shop to Express Market. The afternoon will feature the screening of a tenantspin film ‘Market Share?’ by producer/director Steve Moss looking at the changing environment and community spaces around Park Road, Dingle as the area is regenerated and redeveloped, specifically looking at a vibrant local market and its future as the land is sold off to develop a large national superstore. After the film there will be an opportunity for discussion and we also invite you to join us for a screening of the film ‘Chain’ by Jem Cohen.

Is the predicted recession related to an energy crisis? As energy prices rise we ask, what are we doing to our planet and where does the responsibility lie. Is there an energy gap, is it crisis time for humanity? How will we function in 30 years time? Demand for energy, in all its forms is rising while supplies of key resources, most notably oil and gas, show signs of decline. With the planet’s population continuing to rise and the
majority of its six billion people seeking a richer lifestyle, when will the consumption stop? On 13th August , from 2:00pm-3:00pm, tenantspin will host ‘The End of My World’, which will explore these themes with an assortment of invited guests, including Economists and Environmental activists, and ask: What is the future of our world?