Tag Archive for 'Liverpool'

webcasting for change

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.

Community Film Night…the feedback!!!

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’

Ways of Seeing 2008 - Part One

tenantspin is very excited to present the first discussion in our six part Ways of Seeing Series 2008. For those of you that are new to us, tenantspin have been working with the Liverpool Biennial over the last 3 festivals, and in the build up we host a series of discussions aimed at giving us a bit of background leading up to the festival’s September launch.

In the broadcast below we welcomed, The Windows Project, University of the 3rd Age and artist Nancy Davenport who joined us all the way from America. Click here for more information about this years Biennial.

Sefton Park summer carnival

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.

The tenantspin Variety Hour…from Sefton Park

tenantspin join forces with Huey Jones and Billy Yates for an afternoon of songs, stories, tea, coffee and chat all centred around Liverpool and her vast musical heritage. Compared by Margo Hogg (tenantspin participant and professional performer) there were renditions of the Spinners hits ‘The Leaving of Liverpool’ as well as some well known songs often performed in and around Liverpool during the 1950’s courtesy of Billy Yates.

The event kicked off what we hope will be a year long spectacle of song and dance broadcast from our Sefton Park studio….watch this space for information on up and coming events!

tenantspin showreel

tenantspin has produced over 600 hours of broadcast shows since it first began several years ago. We made a short film of some of the best bits. Enjoy!