IT’S A
SPECIAL DOUBLE ISSUE THIS WEEK, (special might be questionable) because I was far too idle to get last week’s
finished and published before Sunday came around again!! So read on. And I'm really sorry if all seems cut about and not making much sense - will try my best to get this week's out on time.
There was
without doubt a “WOW” factor to the Urban
Piano and Busking Day this year, and while we were joined by many new
friends to busk around the streets of Rotherham, all stars in their own right
we were blessed this year with the fantastic Urban Piano’s, which was a project
instigated by Council’s Community Arts Programme and Gallery Town.
Around three
months ago unwanted or unloved pianos were being collected from around the
Borough and deposited with the Council.
Local Professional Artists were then commissioned to work with a range
of Community organisations to create a new look for the piano.
Some of the
results were nothing less than spectacular, one in the Old Market Gallery
shadowing the brilliantly The Minster, while Gemma of The Button Box, was
stitching until 4:30am to complete her piano covered in with embroidery. Indeed, I don’t think there was a dud amongst
them.
The
specially composed twelve bars of music composed by Joshua Goodman was relayed
across the Town bringing music to the Streets, it’s called “Dreaming, Walking,
Sentinel Sleeping, a melody for
Rotherham”. Just as the pianos were a
Community experience, likewise the music, with Manor Farm Community Centre and
JADE at Kiveton Park both providing tunes and ideas to the finished piece.
There was a
fantastic atmosphere around the Town, as there was for Slamfest and the other
events put on by the Town Centre team and it goes to show that if there is
something going on the Town will respond – especially if the sun is
shining. But it’s all perspective, that
night on Facebook I saw a note from someone who suggested that the Town had
been “grey and boring”. It’s sad that we
have such a negative view of our Town Centre.
The bottom line of course is that if someone finds it boring then perhaps they should come forward and tell us
what they would like to see beyond what is being done. The more “tread” we get through the Town
the better the chance that we can fill those empty shops enliven the
commercial sector even more.
More pictures can be found HERE
A wonderful
kick off to the Rotherham Open Arts
Festival, and Fringe. And even
though The Recorder, and no doubt the Advertiser in the wake have chosen to
ignore the role of RAE, in fact have given the credit to a totally different Arts
Organisation, I’m not disappointed, (gritted teeth, LOL), but I ain’t got the
energy to complain……….. too much. It’s in the nature of being the new boy on
the block, I suppose, essentially lazy reporting.
And almost
immediately we were into the first of the Wednesday Acoustic Sessions.
Yes, it was
warmer. But visits to the toilet still
required an escort for some reason, must get that sorted he says in a note to
self. But still the question remains,
where is everyone? I know that the
venue did not cover itself with glory last year, causing many of us to develop
pneumonia, but we are a month earlier this year. Really hope that we can see a bigger turnout
in coming weeks. Without the support it
will make it very difficult to get the funding and the artists as we look
towards 2013.
The Youth
Exhibition was left in place for the evening, a gesture personally much
appreciated by me as I know Vicky now has only a few days to get the Gallery
sorted for the opening of the Festival Exhibition.
The
entertainment was First Class as ever, with Steph Little heading the way with a variety of her own songs and
some timeless classics that had the audience singing along. Tom Two Ls Killner brought a chilled
out blues atmosphere upon the evening, blowing our brains with some classic
guitar work accompanying his developing voice.
For one so young this was pure class.
Will Padfield hit the evening
with his powerful self-penned songs, strong guitar and immense voice.
The evening
was wound up by one of the best sets that I think I’ve seen Toein’ InThe Dark perform. A real WOW factor, as they played through old
favourites and new material that we’ll find on the upcoming CD. They’ve been promising this CD for over
eighteen months, fingers crossed that it is not too far off publication
now.
Thank you
all.
A class
evening.
We’ve
another full programme next Wednesday 10th
October, when Paul Pearson / Chris Treebeard will be joined by Swansong
Acoustic, Keystone Acoustic and Ian Huddleston.
Better value for three quid you’ll not find anywhere .
You can find
the line-up for all the Wednesday Acoustic Clubs HERE.
One of the
nice things about being involved with RAE is that I get to meet some nice
people, and so it was on Friday when I had been invited along to a viewing of
the latest stage in Gallery Town,
the selection of art work being shown around the Town and meet with key
Sponsors.
Regular
readers will know that I have very mixed feelings about Gallery Town and
especially now that phase two has well and truly kicked in for one reason, and
that being the excellent alley of work to which students studying at RCAT
have contributed; you can find it just off of Howard Street, opposite the
Market Entrance in the Town Centre. It
is an exceptional experience to walk along the Alley and be confronted by the
Art.
Yet many of
the Gallery Town exhibits have been placed in obscure positions, some which are
even difficult to locate when one knows that they are there, so the purpose is
questionable. I’m told that the high
placing of some of the art is to try and encourage people to look up……… hmmmmmm
Maybe it’s the ach in my neck, my age or my blind oblivion to “up” but
it’s an argument that I find hard to follow, but hey, good luck.
And of
course I would argue that it would have been good to have seen more local
professional artists commissioned to produce work rather than pay royalties for
the use Old Masters, that way the money would be put back into the Rotherham
economy.
As more art
is Exhibited around them Town, I believe more people are talking about it, even if
it is negative, it’s beginning to make people stop and think if only for a few
seconds. However it would be good to see
themes that might be a little easier to follow, or the art have some sort of
connection to the building it has been put on.
However, the
money that Gallery Town made available to the Urban Piano project was in my
view 100% positive as it involved paying local professionals to work within
Rotherham Communities to produce the stunning results.
For RAE it
was good to meet and talk to some new people and familiarise them with the work
that we do, and intend to involve ourselves in.
Mr McShane MP was there, as well.
And while we
walking around we came upon Matt Butt and his incredible wind drawing machines on
the Minster Gardens as part of the BIG
DRAW. It made for a super spectacle.
This week the
artistic activity is going on at 25 Wellgate where if you peak through the shop
window you can see the artistic process in action.
Speaking of
involvement, on Saturday morning I headed out to the review meeting of the
Diversity Festival. I think, that
besides one or two administrative matters, this year’s Festival was marked down
as a great success. It’s good to see
that the reality that will be 2013 in terms of funding, and that there appears
to be a greater determination to keep the momentum of the past quarter
going. Excellent.
And speaking of diversity…..
Many of you will have heard the EDL are to
assemble in Rotherham this coming Saturday.
They are doing so in an attempt to suggest that paedophilia is rife
within our ethnic communities and that “multi culturalism” is against the
interest of the UK.
The EDL is
an evil organisation, perhaps in it’s way worse , if that is possible, than the
National Front and BNP and associated parties. Worse because they appear to have nothing but
slogans and like all fascist organisations by appealing to base knee jerk reactionary
sentiments.
I was
fortunate enough to be at a packed Meeting on Monday night at the Unity
Building where the United Community response to the EDL Assembly was
discussed. When I say packed, I mean it;
standing room only. It was fantastic to
see Rotherham coming together to mount a serious response.
When Mick
and I put on Slamfest we had to jump through hoop after hoop before we
eventually got permission to make it a reality, what’s more we had to supply
£5m of Public Liability Insurance. Back
in May, the Traditional May Day March had to be kept to the Pedestrianised parts
of the Town because the Trade Unions could not collect together the £100 needed
for Public Liability Insurance which would have allowed the Demonstration to
March on the road. Have the EDL
provided all the paperwork? I very much
doubt it.
But a
counter event has been put together; a positive multi-cultural event, that
celebrates the diversity in our Community.
It’s to be a peaceful event, but we will need to be vigilant as the EDL
will use every trick in the book to provoke a violent reaction. Please people be restrained, don’t bite at
the EDL jibes.
Nothing will
give me greater satisfaction and joy to see the EDL get in the buses and
disappear out of Rotherham on Saturday without any incident having taken place,
however, experience tells me this will be very difficult to prove a reality,
indeed the mood amongst some young men in our Community suggested that we may
be hoping for the impossible.
THEREFORE THIS
SATURDAY’S BRUNCH CLUB HAS BEEN CANCELLED.
The main
reason for this is that Police have chosen to allow the EDL to gather and hold
their meeting outside of the Town Hall, at the top of Ship Hill. With All Saints Square hosting the Multi Cultural
event, the Gallery / Imperial Buildings are right in the middle
The Fringe event ODS SAXON will be going ahead as planned.
Speaking of which
you had better hurry to get your tickets from Mesmerise, The Trades Club or
Online HERE
Speaking of
the Fringe Festival, we’ve a great
evening of two one person plays performed by the writers on Friday 19th
at the Old Market Gallery. “A
Poor Prospect: Tales from The Workhouse” written and performed by Tina McKevit and
“The Tesco Chain Store Massacre” straight from Edinburgh Festival Fringe and
Hull and Sheffield, written and performed by Stan Skinny. A super evening of Theatre. Tears to laughter and back and all for a fiver. No better value to be had. Tickets on the door or buy On line HERE
Which
reminds me we cannot leave this Blog without saying a big well done to Vicky
Hilton who somehow transformed the Old Market Gallery from Youth Exhibition to
Festival Exhibition in just a few days. So much hard work, so well done Vicky. And of course well done to everyone who is
exhibiting. I don’t often go around
promoting individual artists at an Exhibition but just go and take a look at
Chris Bilton’s satirical / comic sculptures and a couple of pictures as
well. Great talent and worst of all he’s
such a nice guy. More of that in next
week’s blog.
But I really
must get this on line – so sorry if I’ve left loads of stuff out.
Whatever you’re
doing this week, have fun, support local artists and KEEP IT LIVE
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