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

tenantspin has had a hectic couple of weeks in the world of webcasting. On April 9th, we played host to a film made by FACT-based filmmaker Leon Seth and merseyside historian Ron Noon; Love Lane Lives. The film documents the rise and fall of Liverpool-based Tate and Lyle throughout the 20th century and the effect the closure of the two sites, Love Lane (now the Eldonian Village) and the river-based plant had on the local community. The event was well attended by past employees of the sugar giant and reflected the need to us to have a regular spot in our programme for screenings of films which have a strong community flavour.

on 7th May we held an afternoon discussion looking at the rise of gun related and violent crime in Liverpool. Our panel was made up of esteemed experts in this field including a representitive from Merseyside Police Matrix unit, a retired officer partly responsible for the Citysafe initative, a mother with a son currently in prison for committing murder and who is writing a screenplay about violent crime and a representitve from Liverpool Echo. The show was chaired by Liam Fogherty who dissected causes, effects and the representation of gun crime in Liverpool.

On 21st May (as seen below) we held the first of our Ways of Seeing webcasts with a virtual Nancy Davenport, University of the 3rd Age and The Windows Project.

June 4th saw the second part of our Cultural Commentators series this time chaired by Mandy Queen of Culture We began discussion with each person in the room listing their favourite event of 2008 with choices ranging from the Youth Orchestra to the decapitation of the Ringo topiary in South Parkway train station! What ensued was an interesting and diverse debate which concluded with one and all looking forward to the second half of the year and of the programme with great gusto. The event was covered by Liverpool Confidential to see the article click here.

Finally, last Wedensday 11th June tenantspin were on the couch with our second set of Ways of Seeing guests. Swedenish artist Otto Karvonen joined us via live skype-link-up from Helsinki for a discussion around the up-and-coming projects he is working with the Off the Page Writers group from North West Disability Arts Forum. We talked about writing in the public/not so public realm, signage and the effect it has on the cities citizens as well as the work of the Off the Page Group and how important the written word is to our everyday lives. Otto will be visiting Liverpool over the next couple of months to start his work so we look forward to seeing him in the flesh (and 6 foot smaller!)

Over the coming months there is no promise of a reprive in our schedule as we welcome Toxteth TV to FACT on 8th July 6.30 – 8.00 for L8A, a third Ways of Seeing webcast on the 9th; Hubbard and Birchler and Walton Youth Projects, on 30th July our Park Road Market debate surrounding local v’s global, 13th July The End of My World – a debate about the now topical global warming issues facing modern humans, on the 14th August we have the 4th Ways of Seeing with the Bluecoat Blueroom project and David Blandy and last but not least 17th September which is the last Ways of Seeing webcast, an open session days before the launch of the festival 2008 featuring a range of different artists and curators in Liverpool for the biennial. Phew!

On the 5th of March, tenantspin and E-Space Lab connected with Shanghai and Hong Kong for a conversation about Christmas.   A conversation about Christmas in March may seen a little strange but tenantspin had been working on a series of films about how the festive period is celebrated here in the UK, while groups in China collated footage of  their New Year celebrations.  Both groups discussed the differences and more importantly, the amount of shared customs.  The discussion will be available very soon, and thanks to Phil Courtenay and Peter Hagerty from E-Space Lab and our friends in China.

Wednesday – 20th February, 2pm, The Box @ FACTtenantspin will be hosting an open debate in order to respond to some of the themes raised through the Sk-Interfaces exhibition.We will be exploring the variety of different ways advances in medical technology have allowed modern humans to intervene with the functions of their natural bodies and repair or replace everything from limbs to lips!What Science Fiction is about to become Science FACT?Have you any stories to share. Please come on down….