Art, Participation & Regeneration

Gathering text

2011-06-09T03:15:00.000-07:00

I called in to the new youth centre to gather some ideas for the text on the sculptural bench. Its an amazing new facilty and the young people love it. Mat, Charlotte and Dean posed for a quick photo in the lounge area.
I didnt collect much text from them as we got distracted by all the wonderful activity rooms in their new centre.
The more I think of the text on the stone bench, the more I think it will resemble a disfigured headstone in a cemetary. I think we should reconsider either a: using different materials for the bench i.e. dare I say it weathered steel or putting the text somewhere else or simply dropping the text idea altogether.

It will be a while before the sculptural bench is installed, especially as the landscaping is likely to be done first. Thats a shame as this is likely to be my last blog entry before I print the book which documents the whole project from the start of this blog in 2008 to 2011.

Presenting final materials

2011-05-25T02:19:00.000-07:00

The landscape designer came down to present samples of the materials to the young people.
The footpath will peel back to create a table/bench feature and it will reveal coloured paving slabs to reference the river running under the site.

Debbie describes how it will all work.

There will be lights in the floor of the new design and the lighting people brought a fancy light display to demonstrate what can be done with interactive lighting.

The illumination display demonstrates how colours and moving light sequences can be activated by users of the space.

Closing in on final design

2011-01-20T09:13:00.000-08:00

Judith and I met with the designer before she gets down to drawing up any final plans.
We talked about the choice of materials and how they would all fit into the overall scheme.
If we do include any trees, we could allow the group to choose from a number of native species which could sustain local wildlife. Below are caterpillars which were spotted (well striped actually) on the site in 2010 when we did the Space Shapers workshop.

After much debate about hard landscaping materials for the site we began to explore ideas and thoughts about the 'revealing bench'. However things didn't go quite as smoothly when I mentioned the use of weathered steel on the floor and it was concluded rather abruptly with the statement 'I'm telling you now, I will not have metal on the floor!'

Apparently, it has not been used in a public place before and would be considered hazardous to the public. Needless to say the statement was followed up with needless quoting of legislation and other phrases like 'I have been working in this business long enough to know that I will not be putting metal on the floor.'

So much for changing the regeneration mindset? Oh well, at least we know who makes the decisions around these parts regarding what can... and can't be installed.
Can this time-scale induced stress be alleviated in regeneration projects?

Its getting to that stage of the project where I'm also thinking about my own objectives and responsibilities i.e. the artists book and what I will discuss in its pages.

Some ponderings on recent activity include...
Could the presence of 'time-scale' pressure on the design process be the reason that some town centres look drab and dreary not to mention dysfunctional (a nearby town comes to mind)? Perhaps they were rushed through with very little time to develop ideas to a creative solution, all brought on by fast approaching deadlines?

After thinking about the contentious issue of metal on the floor, I remembered a photograph I took when the group went to Great Ancoats in Manchester. It was a pedestrian area busy with football supporters off to watch Man City. There were benches scattered about the pavement and at the side of the benches were huge weathered steel plates with floral designs installed in the floor. They may have been 8 or 9ft in diameter and proves that things can be done safely with metal.

Time for creativity must be embedded in the initial stages of the regeneration process if urban design is to make progress. It should be accompanied by a sense of long term collaboration with the public... not swift consultation.

Off the peg or not?

2011-01-13T08:37:00.000-08:00

The landscape designer came to meet the group to confirm likes/dislikes. It wasn't a good turn out and the few who were present simply repeated what had been said in the previous meeting.

There is a sense of urgency from the designer, who has a tendency to apply pressure on the decision making process. That's something worth noting as we haven't had that on the project before.
It could be a good thing in terms of completing on time but could also jeopardise the overall design quality in favour of 'quick fix' landscaping.
I understand that it must come with the territory for her to be working against the clock and deadlines etc. The trouble is, it feels like a pushy consultation process and a long way from a collaboration with the group. This approach does seem harsh in light of how things have been done previously on the project.
Lets see how it pans out?

So what do you like... really?

2010-12-16T07:39:00.000-08:00

Judith and I talked to the young people about what they liked and disliked about the initial drawings: see previous post.

They liked the idea of text on the floor or somewhere else in the space. Ideas for what the text could be needs careful consideration. A separate workshop would need to be run to determine what the text/messages could be: 'aspirations for the future' would be constructive and relevant to the site.

It was suggested that words could be etched into glass, stone or other material on the site.
The group generally like the idea of a sculpture on the site and lights in the floor. However they need to be subtle and 'not blind you as you walk over them' like the ones near the library.

This group are not that keen on the lights on the poles – though the young people at Mansfield did like these.

Almost everyone liked the idea of some reference to the river and that it could be illuminated in some way.

People in general like the seat which looks like the ground is curling back, though it was questioned how many people could actually sit on it.

The seating area with the flowers was felt not to be a good idea for practical reasons as it is likely that people will walk on the benches and the flowers will get trashed.

A couple of young people commented on liking the illuminated curly benches.

Strong ‘likes’ that should be retained:
Reference to the river (illuminated).
Text on the floor.
Lights.
Some seating.
Sculptural element.

Below are some very short video snaps of their thoughts and feelings about the designs.

Presenting Design Ideas

2010-12-14T07:18:00.000-08:00

Debbie, the landscape designer brought two drawings to show the group. She has created two different spaces, each with its own sense of place.
The first one is relaxing with sunken lamps in the floor leading to the entrance through a small square of trees. This could have a much larger sculptural work emerging from the centre of the coppice. This drawing also makes reference to Hendon Brook, which runs under the site and is evident through the peeling back of the surface to reveal a representation of the stream, illuminated through blue glass. The peeling back of the ground would form a curved seat.
The second drawing feels more funky and much more in tune with the ideas generated by the young people with opportunities for the group to stamp their ownership on sculptural elements in the ground. It includes a string of tall illuminating poles leading to the entrance which could be interactive via motion senses built in to the vertical structures.
Perhaps we could all contribute to a text piece which describes our own personal aspirations for the future??

Debbie described her reasons for including the different elements..

and how they fit together...

to make a balanced functional landscape.

The group will meet again later this week to discuss their thoughts and feelings and how we could take the drawings forward to completion in line with the budget, materials and timescale.

There are also opportunities to mix and match some of the elements from both drawings to make a new design. Watch this space...

Post Drawings

2010-11-19T01:28:00.001-08:00

Judith and I met with Debbie, the Landscape Designer who will be drawing up the initial plans for the site.
I took along some photographs to stimulate ideas about materials and we talked about the potential of the site and how we can incorporate the ideas from the young people into the fabric of the space.Debbie will now draw up a couple of design schemes for further discussion and then we can put them in front of the young people and other members of the community to make the final decision.

Meeting The Landscape Designer

2010-11-11T23:03:00.000-08:00

We met Debbie, the landscape designer who is going to help us turn our designs into a reality. We showed her our models and used them to explain our ideas.
We all took time to explain to Debbie what we have been up to over the last few months.

We told her about our trips to Liverpool and Manchester and how they inspired us to be ambitious in our designs for Nelson.

We talked about the residential with Dan & George and the workshops with Steph from Spaceshapers. They helped us to consider important aspects of our site and how we can improve its use for our community.

The next stage involves the designer drawing up some ideas for us to consider further development. This will move forward through a short series of similar meetings between the designer and the young people, and community consultation until we reach an agreement on a final design.

Refining our ideas

2010-11-04T08:36:00.000-07:00

We are preparing an interactive model for Lancashire Day in Nelson town centre. We hope that members of the public can chose from a selection of hand-made models which represent their preferences for the space.
We looked at all the ideas generated over the last twelve months using the photos from this blog. We selected things to develop further and make into small models using a variety of materials.
In this picture, we are making colourful flowerbeds which can be placed anywhere on the display board, one of them is shaped like a footprint. Some of us are making a tall flag pole to display a selection of flags designed by the young people using the new building, the flags can be changed on a regular basis.
We used a technical approach to create 'net designs' to make architectural seating objects.

The seats would be functional but also act as contemporary sculpture.

We made figurative sculpture to represent the friendship of young people in the area.

Some of us made a tree, which was harder than it looked.

Sophie made a planetary mosaic to represent her idea of a fully functional telescope.

The final display shows lots of components, which can be placed anywhere on the board and is sure to generate lots of discussion with members of the public.

Next week, we are expecting to meet the landscape designers and we will use that opportunity to tell them about all the wonderful activities we have been doing. We can tell them about our workshops with Steph from SpaceShapers, our trips to Manchester and Liverpool and the Design Residential with Civic from London.
We have done lots of work... Now we can start to make a real impact on the final design of the space, this is a very exciting time for everyone connected to the project.

Residential - Protecting an Egg

2010-09-26T06:33:00.000-07:00

This morning, Harry showed us how to have cereal and a brew at the same time, now thats what I call efficient.

We worked in groups to design a protective carriage for an egg, which wold then be dropped from the balcony outside

Before starting we had an auction (toy money of course) where groups could bid for certain materials. We bought a carton of cotton buds and arranged them to cradle the egg inside. We thought this looked pretty and was also functional.

We padded it with some bubble wrap (about £50 at the auction) and taped the lid on.

We had lots of spare buds so decided to decorate the carton. This would also offer some extra protection during its 'drop-off'.

We thought it looked like a birthday cake full of candles...

or a space satelite, so we called it 'The Space Bud'

The winning design was called 'Top Chick'.

This one was based on a pile of rubbish... I think? The bag acted like a parachute.

This was called the Money Model.

Needless to say, our beautiful Space Bud didn't survive the impact... but it looked smashing!!

The video below shows the Space Bud on its maiden & final voyage.

Residential - Building a Shelter

2010-09-25T05:30:00.000-07:00

Each group had to construct a shelter to protect them from a bucket of water.
They only had bamboo canes..

Masking tape...

tarpaulin and string.

It could be any shape and pegged down with things found in the woods.

Below are some videos of the bucket of water test, which was thrown over the top by Dan from Civic.

Residential - Model Making

2010-09-25T05:05:00.000-07:00

We had a quick chill out when we got back from Manchester...

Then we got into separate groups and made models to represent some of our ideas for the site at Nelson YC.

From waterwheels and...

gravel footpaths...

to fountains and ...

rotating postcodes.

We all got a chance to explain our creations..

to the other groups.

Then it was time for some grub.

The Residential - Manchester

2010-09-25T02:03:00.000-07:00

The young people have made notes about each photograph to help me explain the days activities including a trip to Manchester to see some hard landscaping and regeneration projects in New Islington.

Some of us travelled by car, here we are, on our way to meet the rest of the group, who had travelled by mini-bus.
We were in the right place but no sign of them.

A quick discussion in the space... about the space by Dan & George from Civic.

The wheel in the square is quite big.

It was a bright day but a 'sneaky breeze' meant it was on the cold side.Manchester Town Centre, a water stream running through rocks.

Feet?

Group listening to Dan.

There was another square round the corner, next to the Urbis building.

There is an old cathedral next to new modern buildings.

We saw some benches made out of stone which were sunk into the landscape...

and lights built into the walls.. these are smart.

Then we went to New Islington where lots of regeneration has taken place.

They had fancy cast iron drain covers.

With new street lights...

which are rusty but stylish

They had a maypole that looked like a bird house.

There were some good examples of new architecture next to old buildings along the canal.

We saw a very modern building called the Chips building... we just need some salt and pepper now.

We had lunch at Ashton Lock gates. It was busy with people going to watch Man City.

There was a map on a lampost showing the Chips building.

People live in the chips building and dangle their Man City scarves out of the windows on matchday.

You can see from this shot that it is in three sections to represent three massive 'Chunky chips', stacked on top of one another.

There are still some old buildings at the side of it which need sorting out.

Time for a quick portrait.

We walked on, past the fancy chips building towards another development.

It was affordable housing but different.

There was a huge poster showing the overall design plan of 'NEW-IZLING-TON'.

Time for another quick pose with a stone teddybear.

The back street was more like a ginnel.

and they had a bush which once looked like a dinosaur.

The houses were painted nice pastel colours and George took a photo.

The ginnel was locked for security like our gated back streets in Bradley.

Everyone posed for a final picture with the Chips building in the background, then we headed back to base.

The Residential - Friday

2010-09-24T01:51:00.000-07:00

When we arrived at Coldwell Visitor Centre for the weekend, people were a little apprehensive about what to expect.
The ice was broken by some self portraiture.

We could draw ourselves in disguise if we wanted to.

Then we put them on the wall for all to see... and laugh at.

The cook at the centre had prepared a fantastic buffet meal for our supper.

Revisiting our area.

2010-09-16T07:39:00.000-07:00

In preparation for the forthcoming residential we needed to collect some photos which represent our area. We thought about various locations and important buildings, roads, shops and hangouts. Armed with disposable camera's we split up into 3 pairs: Katy & Charlotte, Jo & Chantelle and I accompanied Nigel.

We also took the opportunity to ask members of the community what they would prefer on the land adjacent to the new youth centre.

There are some architectural and socially significant gems hidden around Bradley, like the Short Homers WMC (Est. 1919) club just off Regents Street. Nigel referred to it as the Pigeon Club and some gentlemen were going in to play in a competitive snooker league.

A lot of homes are still boarded up in the area.

The iconic Bradley Shed chimney continues to dominate the local sunset over Pendle Hill.

Nigel's old house is boarded up and nature has taken over in the backyard.

The old baths buildings stands...

close to Maria's Cash & Carry.

We followed 'The Goit' past the Fire Station and...

on to Leeds Road, looking back at the Town Centre.

We admired the new face lift on the block where Cath's Cafe is, it looks amazing!

The new Hey Street Park sits behind the building which acts as a temporary youth club headquarters.

Opposite the site for the new youth centre is a small mosque.

This block, which overlooks the development site has benefited from some serious face lifting.

We saw traditional washing lines on cobbled backstreets...

extending to ingenious appropriation of security fences.

Young Volunteers Share their Learning

2010-09-10T05:01:00.000-07:00

The young people volunteer their precious time on Monday evenings to help run youth club sessions for the younger children in Nelson. They replicated the design workshop for the children, encouraging them to use their imagination through creative drawing and discussing their ideas.
There was a good spread of ideas and the young people did a great job of engaging the children in the idea of changing the space for the future.

From free-standing sculpture designs...
to flower gardens...

and a Pix 'n' Mix shop.

From elaborate drawings of a small park area...

to a solitary tree...

and a World Class (mini) football pitch.

But the winner was this figurative sculpture holding a welcome sign.

Tonight's session involved attending the Bradley Residents Association meeting at the primary school.

Some of the young people (Michael, Jo, Chantelle & Charlotte) had prepared speeches to explain their recent activities and future plans to consult with the wider community.
Nigel, Sophie & Brandon went along in support.

They used the opportunity to start the consultation process by asking the residents what they would like to see developed on the site at the new youth centre.

We asked them to write their ideas and suggestions on star shaped cards and Jo and Chantelle stuck them on a black sheet of paper.

To see a closer view of the ideas please click on the image below.

Nest week we are preparing for the weekend Design Training residential at Coldwell. We need to gather lots of information to take with us: photos, plans, drawings of our area.

Exploring Consultation

2010-09-06T03:28:00.001-07:00

Steph delivered a workshop about key issues to consider when carrying out community consultation. From face to interviews to secret ballots.

We talked about the best ways to approach consulting other people about the development of the land at the side of the new Youth Centre.

We thought about the different methods and how hot they would be in terms of direct interaction with members of the public. Then we positioned them onto a thermometer according to their level of direct engagement with posters and emails etc. being at the bottom and door knocking and street interviews at the top.

Then we discussed the effectiveness of our favourite approaches and..
stuck them onto a target...

with different comfort zones in each of the rings...

very comfortable in the centre and working outwards towards a state of panic at the thought of carrying out that method. A street clipboard survey seemed to make most people nervous and things like a wishing tree or ballot box process were well placed in the comfortable zone.

We identified of couple of prefered methods and parked them in the 'Ideas Car Park'.

Then made posters to reflect on the workshop activity.

The workshop was in preparation for next weeks session: we are presenting our project to the Bradley Residents Association to inform them of our progress and also to start the consultation by asking them if they have any preferences on how the site should be developed.

Tea & Biscuits

2010-08-27T09:41:00.000-07:00

Chantelle and Jo stuck the pictures from the Liverpool trip onto the wall and we discussed them... over a brew and some biscuits.

We all agreed that the installation of art, either on the beach or altering the face of a building changes the experience of a place and makes us look at it differently.

Nigel has added the final features to his wooden model of a design for the site at Hilldrop.

The overall design had a boat theme and he has added a shelter at one end of the space.

Well done Nigel, some great ideas using different materials to create a gardening space with seats to admire your hard work.

We also talked about attracting other young people to go on the residency in Sept (24/25 and 26 th) and mentioned the presentation to the Bradley Residents Association in a couple of weeks. That will be an opportunity for the young people to explain what, why and how they are working towards developing the site in front of their new youth club. Dean and Michael said they would help Jo and Chantelle to deliver the presentation.

In Search of Public Art... and stuff.

2010-08-23T11:31:00.000-07:00

We set off on the minibus from Nelson to arrive at Crosby Beach over on the west coast around noon. It was chance for the young people see 'Another Place' by Anthony Gormley.
It was the first time they had been to Crosby...
The tide was out and some of the figures were fixed in puddles as they gazed out to sea.

We couldn't resist the temptation to dress one up in a collection of our own clothes, hat, spectacles, pump bag and hoodie.

They are cast from the artists' own body and are quite tall, especially as the sand shifts with the tide and sometimes leaves them hovering above the sand.

The elements have taken their toll on the metal figures, which are immersed in the saltwater of the incoming tides and exposed to nature in other ways when the tide is out.

It can be chilly without jacket.

Some of the figures nearest the sea are covered in crustaceans. Nature is indeed taking a hold of them and transforming them into mummified suits of metal as they meditate on the distant horizon.

Time for a quick photo in the sand dunes before heading into Liverpool.

To see Richard Wilson's 'Turning the Place Over' on Moorfields, across from the train station.

Turning the Place Over consists of an 8 metres diameter ovoid cut from the facade of a building and made to oscillate in three dimensions.

The revolving facade rests on a specially designed giant rotator, usually used in the shipping and nuclear industries, and acts as a huge opening and closing 'window', offering recurrent glimpses of the interior during its constant cycle during daylight hours.

The ovoid section of facade is then mounted on a central spindle, aligned on a specific angle to the building. When at rest, the ovoid section of facade would fit flush into the rest of the building.
For more info about the piece go here:

Then we were back on the bus and off further into the city...

to give the young people some free time to explore the new Liverpool One shopping centre.

It was an opportunity to investigate the materials used for the hard landscaping in the city.
Here is a small amphitheatre which would probably fit on our site in Nelson.

Here is a viewing porthole for observing the ancient Dry Dock which is beneath the new shopping precinct.. we have a small brook which runs under our site in Nelson.

They have used water features to encourage users to linger in the square. This line of fountains points towards the waterfront...

and depending which end you stand, it encourages you to enjoy the new vistas within the city.

We agreed to meet at The Big Wheel as its easy to see from most parts of the city.

That part of the waterfront has also been regenerated with a huge arena and some heavy hard landscaping.

The group wait patiently for some bad time-keepers.

Hooray, they made it and we're on our way home.

Next week is Tea & Biscuits and will be an opportunity to discuss our trip and prepare for some community consultation to find out what other members of the Nelson community think about our site at Hilldrop.

Spaceshapers part 2

2010-08-12T22:04:00.000-07:00

Steph from MidPennine Arts in Burnley came back and ran part two of the ‘Spaceshaper’ workshop.

First the group thought about what activities the space might be good for: relaxing and thinking, playing, meeting friends and others things. The size of the space and the fact that is next to a busy main road limited some of the things it might be good for.
Then each member of the group wrote a postcard to a friend along the theme of ‘wish you were here…’ or ‘wish you weren’t here….’.

Most of the postcards were on the theme of ‘wish you weren’t here…’ reflecting the poor state of the space at the moment.

We then looked at some pictures of different spaces. We categorised them depending upon whether we thought they were a good space or a bad space.

Pictures of bad spaces were untidy and looked boring.

The pictures we classed as good spaces were tidy and well kept, colourful and had some kind of activity or interest on them.

Next, we thought about how important the space is for a range of different people; young, old, disabled, mum with baby, skateboarder, etc.

At the moment the space isn’t very important for many people as there isn’t much to do there and it isn’t very nice.

However, we all agreed it has some potential…
Steph then input our views into the ramblegrams on the Spaceshaper website.

Finally we all thought about what we could do to make the site better. All of the comments have been included on the Spaceshaper webpage which has been set up for our space: http://www.spaceshaper9-14.co.uk/access/log_in/nelson

Please visit the website and add comments and photos. The passwords to enter the site are available from Wasif or Katy.

Well done to all our Spaceshapers who received a certificate for their effort and achievement.

Next week, on Friday 20th August, we will be having a site visit to Liverpool to look at some examples of public art and some recently improved public spaces. Meet at the Youth Centre at 10am sharp. Contact Katy or Wasif if you want to go.

The dates of the design residential have also been set. It will take place over the weekend of Fri 24th – Sun 26th September and it will be held at Coldwell Activity Centre. We’ll arrive in time for tea on Friday and leave on Sunday afternoon. Again, contact Katy or Wasif to put your name down to go.

Space Shapers

2010-08-06T05:57:00.001-07:00

Loomis couldn't make it this week but sent in (thanks to Saadia) a design of a dolphin water feature and well designed flower beds. Steph from MidPennine Arts in Burnley arrived to do a workshop called 'SpaceShapers'.

We visited the construction site of the new youth centre on Leeds Road where they are starting to dig out the footings for the new building.

We focused on the small pocket of land near the mini-roundabout, using some tools and question cards to stimulate discussion about how it looks...

looking for signs of wildlife...

photo opportunities...

misuse of the site by dog owners...

listening for noise pollution, mainly from traffic...

users of the current space...

and considered how accessible it is to other pedestrians...

and whether it is well looked after?

It is an ideal space for advertising as it is passed by lots of vehicles each day.

There are some interesting weeds...

which have taken over the old Rose Bed.

Back indoors we voted with our feet on whether we thought it was easy to access, safe in the day or night time...

and whether it was clean and well looked after.

Steph logged our results and will use them to inform the next session.

We discussed possible dates for a day trip to see some public art: 'Another Place' at Crosby Beach and 'Turning the Place over' in Liverpool.

We need to start getting some names for the design training residency in September. Katy and Wasim (Youth workers) will be in charge of taking names.

Developing Ideas for the site

2010-07-29T10:22:00.000-07:00

The young people were faced with a 'Dragons Den' style presentation of their ideas. This was an exercise to stimulate ideas and get the young people to consider the site in a fictional sense.
Lynne, Judith and I judged their ideas as well as their presentation skills and it was very diffcult to find a winner. Team C won by half of a point which demonstrates how close it was between the three teams.
Before splitting into groups Sophie and Nigel presented their models, which they had made at home to demonstrate their ideas about the space.
Sophie had included lots of things discussed at last weeks session.
But the main theme was a huge telescope for star gazing surrounded by local geographical and astronomical information.

The space would be a reminder to users about where they are... not just in Nelson but in the whole of the universe.

Nigel used recycled materials to create a wonderful model with a 'Ship' theme. It was inspired by the shape of the site having the appearance of the front of a ship.

The raised decking is edged with contained flower beds and some of the path stones are transparent resin, which references Hendon Brook, which passes directly under the site.

The groups worked in teams to discuss how they could develop their ideas....

and work out the best way to communicate them to the panel.

'Team A' presented the idea of a 3D sculpture of the local postcode BB9 complete with a water feature and coloured lights.

'Team B' adopted a more figurative approach, with a circle of people representing the community being cast in metal and 8ft tall so people could walk in and out of the circle.

They took turns to tell the panel about the sculpture.

'Team C' pitched an ambitous idea which included the use of huge magnets to create a moving sculpture.

It included figurative fencing around the site, a huge glowing/rotating globe and was presented with confidence.

Here is the design for the fence made by figures of young people joining hands.

The figures could be used to spell out words too.

The globe, which would be suspended by magnets would slowly rotate.

Activity at New Youth Centre

2010-07-23T01:56:00.001-07:00

We are starting to move forward with the idea of involving members of the community in the final design of the piece of land at the entrance of the new Youth Centre on Leeds Road.
There is a safety fence around the site of the building plot but the land we are hoping to help develop is accessible to the public.
Attending the session were a number of young people, residents, youth workers, Lynne (Neighbourhood Management), Judith (PBC) and an artist (me).
The young people had already been thinking about the site and had come up with a short list of important points to help with any ideas about the site.

We visited the site to get a feel for its size and also to experience it first hand. Athough the grass had been cut, nature had almost taken over with a variety of wild flowers dominating the centre of the space.

We walked around the perimeter.

A group of young people enquired about what we were doing. You can see the wild patch of flowers in this photo.

Nigel pointed out the proximity of traffic (amount of fast cars, noise etc) and how that would affect the future use of the space.

The area seemed much larger than we thought.

Charlotte was deep in thought.

We returned to base to generate ideas that people might have regarding the development of the site.

Writing them down and pinpointing the ones that we thought could be developed further into practical plans.

Next week, we will aim to develop the main ideas into short presentations using drawing and model making using whatever materials are available.

To view a larger version of any of the above photos, just double click on an image.

Samosa Pakora Cake!

2010-05-27T02:41:00.000-07:00

It was the last session today and we decided to use it as an excuse to eat samosa's, pakora's and ...CAKE!
We also spent some time collecting all our work together to take home.
As usual, Sophie brought in some homework, which she had started at the previous session. Using brightly coloured felt-tip pens to create a 'fairground' atmosphere in her picture.

It was also a good opportunity for the ladies from the afternoon group to meet people from the evening group and chat over a snack. Everyone brought some food and discussed what they will do on thursdays, now that the sessions have stopped.

I informed them of an opportunity to work with other local people and the youth club in the planning and designing of the land at the site of the new youth/community centre at Hilldrop. Nigel, Sophie, Tina and Samina are interested in taking part and any developments will be logged on this blog.

Finally... Sophie made this painting for her niece who is getting married shortly and it seems like a good image to end the workshops and demonstrates how far she travelled in terms of developing her artistic talents and Nigel says... 'she did it all on her own'.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the participants for their hard work and patience throughout the sessions.

I hope they have enjoyed it as much as I have and that they will continue to be involved in reshaping their neighbourhood through active participation in local activities.

Stomping Performance for Bradley

2010-05-16T08:59:00.000-07:00

The stomping event organised by artist Kerry Morrison was a huge success, with lots of people turning up to take part in planting clover seeds on the site of Lockwoods Yard.
Kerry also invited two contemporary artists from Salford to do a performance which involved interviewing people with a typewriter. I think they were called Lori and Mori and here they are interviewing old Mike and young Avik, who had travelled from Manchester.
They asked local folk about the site of Lockwoods Yard.

Nigel and Sophie told them about the local businesses that have inhabited the site over the years.

The artists then did a performance on the actual site before local residents took part in the scattering (and Stomping) of the Clover seeds with Kerry.

The performance was a complex arrangement but I'll try to explain what I think was going on.

Lori read out a letter relating to the local regeneration of the area and Mori typed it up. Lori then collected the new typed-up letter and read that out aloud while Mori attempted to type up what he could hear. Each time it was transcribed, it got shorter and more abstract as Mori struggled to capture the whole of the communication from Lori. Sometimes omitting whole words and mostly missing letters which made the translation from Lori more nonsensical as it diminished in length.

All the various texts were then made into a book for people to keep.

If you went to the event and want to clarify or expand on any of the information above then please leave your valuable comments.

Fish in Watercolour and Pencil Skeletons

2010-05-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

Sakina brought some drawings in that she had completed at home in her spare time. You can see the different stages of the development and how she has dealt with the problems of scale and proportion in the three drawings.
Below is her first attempt, where she noticed problems with some of the proportions.
She addressed the problem by drawing the parts separately on a new sheet.

Then she put all the parts together successfully in the third sketch... brilliant!

Samina used an image of some fish to create this beautifull watercolour using the whole of the page to capture the weight and colour of the fish.

Sakina developed her sketch of a horse into her first ever pastel drawing. She resisted the temptation to include some flying bats... maybe next time eh?

Farzana, used watercolours to deal with this complicated arrangement with confidence and effectively suggests a passing trail of fish just under the surface of the water.

The above collection of work demonstrates some hidden and very creative talent in the Bradley area.

Don't forget about the 'Stomp' event at Lockwoods Yard (behind the old swimming baths) this Sunday 16th May, 1-3pm. Should be alot of fun.

Some Still in Progress

2010-05-06T22:01:00.000-07:00

Today was all talk about politics and the future of art projects in the face of a bleak nationwide economical recovery. I'm sure the situation will remain the same regardless who wins the election, although rumours are rife that it may end up being a hung parliament.
Our chat soon focused on what we might do at our final session in a couple of weeks.
The favourite suggestion is that we each bring along something to eat and share it with the rest of the group: a 'Jacobs Join'.
Samina has offered to bring some Samosa's and I think I will bring some chocolates, although I may get tempted to cook one of Samina's recipes... we'll see?
We decided to experiment with pastels again and I was attracted to this photograph because of the contrast of blue sky and sunlit houses with the dark recesses of the empty homes, the inclusion of the blue skip lurking in the foreground completes the story of this street. Nigel doodled for a while before finding these abstract shapes hidden in the marks.

Then he copied a photograph of a man smiling as he dipped roses into a tub of red paint. His use of a sepia graphic pen and red pastel completely changes the comedy mood to a dark and mysterious one.

Another new starter this week, Sakina hasn't drawn since she was at high school and needed to concentrate to make this wonderful little drawing, using dark strong lines to accentuate the structure of the buildings.

Samina created this ambitious pastel from an image in an art magazine and manages to capture the vibrant colours of the original perfectly. She thinks it may need some fine tuning next week, what do you think?

Sophie started this felt tip pen drawing for a present for someone. She hopes to finish it at the next session.

I experimented with colour to liven up this otherwise mundane image using a range of oil pastels, they are very much like wax crayons and call for a different approach than the chalk pastels.

Start Stomping!!!

2010-05-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

This is a fantastic opportunity to work with the artist Kerry Morrison, who visited the group some weeks ago.
Rather than me blabbing on about it, I'll let you read it for yourself on the poster. Just click on it to see a larger image.

This will be a lot of fun and a chance to meet some artists, discuss future projects in your area and take an active role in the environmental development of new spaces in Bradley.... Don't forget ya wellies.

A venture into 'Colour'

2010-04-29T13:55:00.000-07:00

The introduction of pastels allowed the group to explore a broader colour palette.
Nigel created this detailed still life from his 'surreal' imagination.
The rest of us used images from art magazines to practice with the pastels.
Sarah studied an image of colourful oak leaves, trying a good range of mark making techniques.

Sophie used a figurative image to successfully produce this modernistic picture.

I found a seascape to challenge myself, its been twelve years since I've used pastels and I really enjoyed myself.

Sophie and Nigel brought this acrylic painting of their dog Simba which they both painted about a year ago.... ahh!

Through the...err rectangular window.

2010-04-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

I printed out about 10 of the window pictures and the group worked on developing a drawing over the next couple of sessions.
Farzana managed to work quickly to complete her lovely sketch of this busy window sill.
Nigel experimented with some black oil pastels.

Below he has tried a different window in pencil, successfully using an eraser to suggest reflections on the glass.

Samina is patient in her development of this wonderfully detailed drawing.

A new member of the group, Sarah showed us what she is capable of with this great study of a cropped view of one of the windows.

Sophie cropped a print even smaller to close-in on the detail on some net curtains to create this interesting design.

I experimented with small scale drawings to inform the development of my idea about creating a larger piece in the future.

Secret places for future spaces

2010-04-10T04:52:00.000-07:00

We went for a long walk around Bradley.
Below is a kind of Dandelion... I think?
Here are some Budlleia plants waiting for warmer weather.. and the emergence of the butterfly.

Nigel exploring Bradleys network of unexplored doorways.

The site of the recently demolished Lockwoods Yard where artist Kerry Morrison plans to work with members of the community to help transform the site.

There was signs of nature already taking hold in some places, not sure what this is?

We decided to checkout the goit.

Nature has managed to cope with years of fly-tipping to establish itself in this tranquil but inaccessible riverside area of Bradley.

Plans by Pendle Council to clean up the site will make it more accessible for public use in the future.

I took over 150 snaps of different windows in the area to explore the idea about capturing a sense of Bradley through the structural elements of architecture.
I plan to use 100 of them to create a piece of work and will print them out and try them at the workshop next week to see if they can inspire the group.

Flat-scapes and Tall sheds

2010-04-03T13:38:00.000-07:00

Today we walked around the area to check out how the demolition is going.
Below is the where the houses stood that we had our drawings the other week (across from Maria's Cash & Carry).
Close-by, we could see the tall chimney on the Riverside Mill site. It has writing around the top, hidden by the mobile transmitters reading 'BRADLEY SHED'.

At the back of Caths Cafe their is a large space beginning to open up, it doesn't take long to demolish streets, levelling them with topsoil. Below we can still see the roadways.

There is still a local problem involving 'fly-tipping' in the area.

Here are two pictures of Bradley using the layering technique from last weeks session.

The technique is simple and successfully captures the depth of the landscape surrounding the chimney.

Layering Landscape Cakes Recipe

2010-03-26T08:38:00.000-07:00

This week we created simple landscapes to explore techniques of layering using watercolour.
Concentrating on noticing the changes occuring as the paint dried.

And practising patience as we waited to put on the next layer of colour.

Late afternoon we went to experience the plot of land which is due to be enhanced inline with current regeneration on the site of the old youth club at Hilldrop. Sophie likes the idea of lights in the ground, with new landscaping.

It is larger than we expected and is in a very busy part of Leeds Road.

We noticed drivers 'dropping off' and 'picking-up' passengers too close to the roundabout outside the mosque.

The space is currently grassed with flower beds and a small supporting wall. Perhaps some sort of signage artwork would be suitable, given there are four roads at this busy junction.

We visited a 'grot-spot' which has undergone a recent enhancement phase.

The white wall of the house does seem rather sterile in contrast to the local stone houses and Nigel thought a mural of Pendle Hill or other artwork would further improve the site.

We considered the use of stainless steel to protect the young trees and how we could perhaps use it in any designs for the Hilldrop site.

Sophia started throwing ideas about building a huge telescope on the site and I mentioned a piece of work at Burnley Bus Station, which uses a novel way to engage people in the work. So off we went to investigate.

On the steel frames are slide viewers, which are opperational by metal handles.

Nigel was impressed by the innovative use of sculpture and photography.

Inside are photographs from around Burnley and the people who live there. Image blurred on purpose.

The weather turned to heavy rain and we finished off the evening with a visit to Mansha in Nelson for some hot and spicy food.

Followed by a selection of brightly coloured Asian sweets, although I think they're more like cakes eh.

Sophia bought some to take home for her grandchildren... 'That pink one at the back please'.

Talking of food, below is a selection of recipes brought in by residents of Bradley. Please click on an image to view the larger version of the recipe.

Carrot & Coriander Soup.

Chicken With Sweet Peppers.

Curried Fish with Rice and Peas.

Custard Pie.

Steak Dinner.

Tattie Hash.

Vegetable & Cheese Casserole.

Wide Awake Juice.

Think I could do with some of that juice?

Alternating Fire Hazard

2010-03-20T10:01:00.000-07:00

I demonstrated how to achieve alternation and gradation when shading our drawings.
Below, you can see how shades tend to alternate according to their immediate neighbourig shape in tonal value. In other words, the tonal background behind a lampost will affect the tone of the actual lampost i.e. the lampost with a dark wall behind it will often appear lighter and yet as it gets taller against a lighter background will itself appear darker. This is just a guide for making drawings but can often be tested outside in appropriate surroundings.
Gradation is where the shading or tonal value of an object (or shape) goes from light to darker or from dark to lighter, making for an overall more interesting composition for the eye.
Click on an image to view a larger version.
We used other artists works to explore the application of alternation and gradation.
Farzana copied Monet's Garden.

Khalida copied a painting by Roderick Barrett which lends itself to the exercise in its simplicity of form.

Nigel also copied a painting by Roderick Barrett and added a landscape and his own title.

Samina tackled a tricky water scene by Manet and demonstrates a keen ey for detail.

Tina copied a painting by L.S. Lowry which is very much like her drawing of Dover Street from a couple of weeks ago... what a coincidence.

Irene copied a painting by Van Gogh and took it home to complete for next week.

Sophia told us about a recent traumatic experience outside her back garden, where a fire broke out on disused land at the back of Regents Place. The incident had clearly shaken her and she painted a map of the area and how it is becoming a 'grot-spot' and a fire hazard.

Nigel painted the scene as viewed from his back garden.

Artistic Demolition Processes

2010-03-13T12:56:00.000-08:00

I showed the group one of my drawings and told them about my plans to explore how art can often physically engage with regeneration processes.
It was a pencil drawing of a long terraced row of houses.
The group decided that they would like to make their own images to put through the experimental process, which I had told them about.

So they set to work...

making paintings ...

and installing them...

inside a local terraced house...

which was due to be demolished...

the day after.

So I hung them on the walls...

of the empty home...

and waited...

for the transformation to take place.

The works...

are completed...

by the random act of...

falling masonry.

Making Places

2010-03-13T12:17:00.000-08:00

Tina managed to complete her homework: a brilliant drawing from Dover Street looking towards the Riverside Mill site.
Farzana, Samina and Irene taught me some Punjabi and Urdu phrases, which I noted phonetically in my little school book.

We talked about several 'Grotspots' around the area.

Here is Sophia's drawing of a piece of land which is in need of attention and is likely to be developed next year. Do you recognise where abouts in Bradley it is?

Nigel has used watercolour to paint the same site, notice how his use of colour has changed the mood of the place.

We also discussed the small triangula shaped land at Hilldrop, which is close to the proposed new Youth and Community Centre.

We made notes of key points to consider when developing ideas around public space, especially art and design apsects.

We thought about how creative use of lighting can enhance the experience of space.

We agreed that art can be used to develop centres of activity in the public realm.

We considered the users of the space and how it could be utilised to serve their immediate needs.

Careful and sensitive arrangement of furniture can encourage social interaction.

Finished designs included spotlights in the floor...

and lots of vegetation to help relax users of the space.

Exhibiting Our Work

2010-03-08T11:36:00.000-08:00

The Bradley Community Fun Day was well attended with Nigel and Sophia explaining our work to visitors. A wide selection of drawings from all our workshops was on display, including a selection of work by the children of Bradley Primary School.
Samina enjoyed searching for her drawings of the Bradley area.

Another exhibition involving participants from the workshops was the 'Lancashire to Lahore' project and was an exchange of postcard artworks between Britain and Pakistan and provided an international flavour to the art on display.

The exhibition showed the work of professional artists alongside amateur and student works from Britain including members of the Bradley community.

The exhibition is due to be on display at The Centre for Contemporary Art in Preston on 10,11 and 12th March before being posted to Lahore for another exhibition and subsequent archiving.

The Bradley Community Fun Day was the only time that both sets of postcards will be seen together.

Talking Design Judges

2010-03-04T11:02:00.000-08:00

Today, we reflected on our discussions about Public Art from a previous session and how including local communities in the design and construction of art can help to make more meaningful spaces.
We talked about identifying opportunities for our group to engage in the designing and improvement process for local 'Grotspots', which are small pockets of disused land in need of some TLC. We came up with key words to consider when making public art in Bradley, words like heritage, community, textiles, sensitive and vandal proof all helped towards an idea of a meaningful piece of work.
The discussion inspired Farzana and Tina to make plans for improving Farzana's garden.
Here is Tina's initial plan, watch this space to see if or how it develops.

Samina and Khalida showed us some examples of their homework and I gave them some star shaped stickers to put on the front of their homework books. The press arrived and we spent most of the afternoon session happily posing for the photographer in anticipation of this weekends community fun day at St. Phillips Church.

In the evening, we judged the childrens colouring competition for the community fun day.

And Sophia presented her fantastic model for a public space, based on an idea she had at the last workshop. Below is a video of Sophia explaining her ideas for the brilliant piece of work.

Minutes from the last meeting on 1st Feb 2010

2010-03-03T10:57:00.000-08:00

Below are the main points from the last Bradley Residents Meeting.
......

4. Presentation from Angela Aspinall
Angela is the Community and Extended Services Manager at Pendle Vale. Part of her role is to look how community services at the school can best serve the local residents. Residents were concerned about the high costs charged to hire out the facilities there. Angela is aware of this issue and is working with the school and its partners to develop pricing policies- once these have been developed, they will be discussed and distributed to the group.

If you would like to visit Pendle Vale, then please contact Lynne Mitchell at Neighbourhood Management on 01282 661565 or email neighbourhood.management@pendle.gov.uk

5. Tony Martin- Take Part project
This particular project aims to help people get involved in their local community, whether that be helping them to volunteer or helping them to apply to be a magistrate.
It’s part of a government scheme to get more people in civic and civil responsibilities. A large part of the scheme is linked with parliamentary outreach helping members of the community to understand, local and national government.

Leaflets and information about training opportunities were circulated amongst the group.

If you would like to know about the Take Part project then please contact Lynne Mitchell at Neighbourhood Management on 01282 661565, or email us on neighbourhood.management@pendle.gov.uk

6. Bradley Steering Group- Update
...as follows

7. Project Updates
a. Back Streets Project
Residents concerns and view points from the previous meeting have been fed back to Regenerate Pennine Lancashire (previously known as Elevate). Taking these into consideration, it was agreed that the back streets project will take place on Bank House Road.

In regards to the badly damaged back streets behind Rook St and Charles St, residents were advised to acquire two quotes for the street to be repaired and send these quotes to Ian McInery- Head of Operational Services at Pendle Council.

The group was made aware that the back street of Seedhill Terrace is adopted. Individuals can find out whether their back street is adopted by contacting Lancashire County Council

b. Riverside Mill
Riverside Mill is owned by a number of private investors, whose ultimate interest is to make money on the site- whether by keeping the site undeveloped for some years, or by developing the site.

The lack of progress on the site has prompted Regenerate Penine Lancashire and Pendle Council working with the Bradley Steering Group to create a public report to explore all the opportunities with the investors about moving forward with the development of the site.

The concerns of the local residents, and the council will be addressed in a meeting with the investors which will start to build on a working relationship. The investors will be encouraged to move forward with the site.

c. Youth Centre Site
Planning permission has been approved for the site, and funding has now been made available. Work commences on the site this week and the project aims to be completed within the next 12 months

d. MUGA
Planning permission has been approved, and we currently awaiting a contamination survey to be completed on the site. Nelson Area Committee will look at lighting options for the site, led by councillor Ikbhal. Green options (solar lighting) are being explored by Debbie Taylor of the Parks department.

e. Block improvements
Four blocks at the right hand side of Leeds Rd are to be improved, so that the regeneration on Leeds road will be more complete. The rear elevations of Bank House road are also to be improved (as discussed above).

The next meeting of the Bradley Steering Group will discuss the plans in more detail and will be held on Monday 22nd February at Nelson Town Hall. [was this date for the Bradley Steering group? I didn’t catch the name of the meeting?]

The group raised concerns about the omission of the Tall Buildings and Bradley View, from any present improvements. Under Regenerate Penine Lancashire’s current policy, there is a limit on how much money can be spent to improve one building. The Tall Buildings have structural issues and would exceed that limit. A report is currently being devised to apply for the extra funding needed to improve the buildings- they are not scheduled for improvement in the 2010- 2011 financial year.

The blocks at the top of Leeds road were chosen to fulfil the look of the current regeneration there, rather than Bradley View. Houses on Bradley view are not scheduled for improvement in the 2010- 2011 financial year.

f. Grotspots
Funding is available in the 2010 and 2011 financial year to improve the areas ‘Grotspots’. The group was asked to identify any areas of land which would benefit from investment of the groptspots programme.
The following areas were identified by the group:
- Pendle House on Leeds Rd
- Back of Forest St, Every St around the Bull Hotel.
- Scotland Rd triangle
- Back of Walton St- the cars on there may be a community safety issue, Tim Horsley to be informed through Neighbourhood Management and a resolution to be fed back to the group through Neighbourhood Management

If you do have any more suggestions for a piece of land that would benefit from the Grotspot funding then please let Neighbourhood Management know. You can call us on 01282 661565 or email us on neighbourhood.mangement@pendle.gov.uk

8. Neighbourhood Policing Update
4 recorded burglaries
3 auto vehicle crimes (2 detections)
7 violent crimes (4 detected) In relation to this, the Bull public house has been identified as a source of trouble- the Police are aware of this and have spoken to relevant parties at the establishment
9 instances of criminal damage (2 detected)
5 thefts (1 detected)

2 PACT priorities-
1. ASB Rakes House Rd- work currently being done in that area
2. Drug dealing on Leeds Rd- has been investigated and it appears that this problem was perceived as numerous searches and monitoring in this area has shown no evidence of drug dealing taking place

Dalton St beggars-
Have now been moved on, and no incidents in that area have since been reported. Police are aware of begging and will respond immediately to any reports, this increased visibility and action has reduced the number of reported incidents.

Bradley Nursery and primary School Road Safety Action Day-
Over 40 vehicles were stopped in ‘Operation Pathway’. Motorists were stopped and asked to explain their speed to children and teachers at Bradley nursery school.

One resident informed the Police Officer about some criminal damage that has taken place on Bradley view.

9. Health Update
- Distributed flyers about the early detection of cancer, as well as the Healthy Start vouchers
- SUDI (Sudden Unexplained Death in Infants) training is available and free for everyone. The campaign is looking to enlist Community Champions who will help to spread the ‘Baby Safe’ messages throughout the local community. If you are interested in the training then please contact Anji Stokes who will be able to advise you of when the next training will occur. You can contact her by email: anjanette.stokes@pendle.gov.uk or calling 07595087365
- Alcohol Brief Intervention Training is also available (and free) so please get in touch if you would like to attend the training by contacting Anji (please see contact details above
- If anyone in attendance does know of a community group who are interested in any type of health issues, then please let Anji know on the above contact details

10. Community Development Update
Bradley Community Funday will take place at St Philip’s Church (Leeds Rd) on the 6th March 2010. everyone is welcome, information about local services, local volunteering opportunities as well as local health issues will be on show.

The day will be a great way to find out more about what is happening in Bradley in a relaxed and fun atmosphere.

For more information about this event, or if you would like to help then please contact Lynne Mitchell on 01282 661565 or email neighbourhood.management@pendle.gov.uk

11. A.O.B
Refuse and recycling is still unclear for many residents!
Neighbourhood Management to devise a comprehensive list of what is recycling services are available, where, and what recycling is available. Neighbourhood Management will also feedback information about the food recycling pilot which is going to be launched and bring a list of streets that are included in the pilot.

12. Date of next Meeting

Monday 15th March 2010 at 6pm.

Important dates for Nelson Communities

2010-03-03T10:51:00.000-08:00

Some more important dates for your diaries.

You would be very welcome to come along to all or any of these;

1. A visit to Pendle Vale Community College has been arranged for Thursday 18th March at 1.30pm.

2. “How Your Council Works” event is on Tuesday 20th April at the new ACE Centre – We have enclosed a leaflet with contact details, if you’re interested in attending.

4. The next Bradley Residents Meeting will be held on the Monday 15th March 2010 at 6pm, held at Bradley Primary School.

Please contact Lynne Mitchell on 01282 661565 regarding any of the above events.

Exhibition Fun This Weekend

2010-03-01T00:42:00.001-08:00

We are showing some of our best work this weekend Sat 6th March at St Phillips Church on Leeds Road (Grassroots Centre) 12 - 4pm.
We will be showing our work alongside professional artists in the international exchange of visual communication exhibition 'Lancashire to Lahore'. Click on the poster to see a larger version.

Watercolour Primary Drawing

2010-02-28T12:30:00.000-08:00

Three of us experimented with watercolour, attempting to capture the fluid and unpredictable nature of the medium whilst depicting a bowl of fruit...
Nigel managed to resist the temptation to play around with his paint once it was on the paper with his successful painting, he even gave it a title: 'Surrealist fruit Landscape'.

I was keen to let the medium do its thing and went for a pink background to compliment the red apples... or were they plums?

Sophies' first time with watercolour proved successful with this amazing picture, demonstrating a natural ability with delicate brush strokes to be proud of.

I invited some of the primary school children to take part and they made some drawings from their imagination.

This one shows a house by Adeel.

Amarah drew a selection of flowers.

Aminah, (whose mum enjoys coming to the sessions), made a very good job of remembering the school building.

Karl made a great drawing from his imagination of a giant chicken pie in a fancy patterned dish, complete with Pie Face, one of Karl's favourite comic book characters.

Muhamad made a detailed drawing of a helicopter with men parachuting out of it.

Waqas made me hungry with his drawing of a pizza.

and Zoyah drew another flower garden.

They then drew from photographs of the Bradley area, just like the adults had done some weeks before.

Here we see Adeels wonderful drawing of Maria's Cash & Carry.

Aliyah successfully captured the foliage around the site of the old baths.

Amarah made some lovely lines in this drawing of the old Riverside Mill site.

Aminah ended up drawing the same photo as her mum, see if you can find her mum's version in past entries on this blog.

Karl created some strong lines with lots of detail in his brilliant drawing of the now demolished Regent Bingo Hall on Leeds Road.

Waqas' drawing of a local backstreet records a dissapearing place, it is currently being demolished.

Zoyah captures another view of the already demolished site of the Regent Bingo Hall.

Wild Cats and Feral Parrots

2010-02-19T10:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we talked about different forms of Public Art and browsed through some examples from my trip to Germany a couple of years ago.
From monumental works to subtle social interventions, we discussed our own preferences and even talked about recent installments in Nelson: the new War Memorial outside the library.
It was also an opportunity to introduce the group to another artist who will be working in Bradley this year. Kerry Morrison has a natural interest in brown field sites and is making plans to engage with a piece of land in Bradley called Lockwoods Yard, which is located close to the old baths.
Most of us got carried away chatting about the local wild and plant life that we didn't put pen to paper all night, quite happy to drink tea and nibble cookies.
However, Nigel brought his own acrylics and produced an interesting image of The Angel of The North visiting the capital in protest of the current economical climate.
Jan told us about a litter of feral cats living in foliage behind the old baths and a flock of feral parrots who have also managed to survive the harsh winter.

Blind Drawing the Future

2010-02-12T07:45:00.000-08:00

Khalida, Tina and Samina made postcards for the forthcoming Lahore exhibition called 'This is England'.

Below is the work by Khalida and its called 'Englands Buntings'.
Tina called hers 'Historical Political'...

and Samina called her work 'Money doesn't grow on trees'.

In the evening session, Nigel talked about his recent exploration into 'Blind Drawing' as a way to unlock personal creativity. We decided to give a go by covering our hands and avoiding the temptation to peek.

We stared at William with his camera as our right hand tried to capture his image without us looking at the paper.

Sophia

Sidra

Nigel

Kalsum

Jan

The 'Blind Drawing' exercise helped us to loosen up and create our visions for the future regarding the land on the site of Riverside Mills. Click on an image to see a larger version.

Sidra hopes to build a large house for her family right in the middle of the site.

Nigel has considered how the chimney can be used as a museum for the textile heritage of the site. I like the idea of 'chimney shaped bollards'.

Jan is hoping for a good balance between natural landscaping and affordable housing.

Kalsum is thinking of a park for the children, a bandstand and a sympathetic enhancement of the river area.

Sophia has used the chimney as a central architectural element to build an entire new community in a circular arrangement.

Childhood Homes

2010-01-29T05:49:00.000-08:00

This weeks session involved visualising our first memories of our childhood homes.

We created images using pencil to show the front elevation and a footprint plan of the interior; upstairs and downstairs. Click on an image to see a larger version.

I remember sliding down the stairs at 76 Colne Lane (below) on a mattress with all my brothers and sisters, screaming as we headed down the stairs and landed in a giggling heap at the bottom.

Farzana remembers having two letterboxes with different addresses for her cornershop on Arthur St. in Brierfield... or was it Chapel St?

Khalida (below) discovered that she lived just around the corner (on Giles St.) from Tina when they were both children.

Tina (below) lived on Caleb St and chatted for ages with Khalida about all the other people they could remember. Tina also remembered the time her family moved out of the family home to make way for demolition when she was young. However, the house escaped demolition that time but is due to be demolished sometime in 2010.

Some of the aspiring particpants have taken up my invite to produce a postcard on the theme of 'This is England'.

Their work will be shown alongside established artists from around the country at the Centre of Contemporary Art in Preston and again here in Bradley before it is despatched to Pakistan. It will then be exhibited at Beaconhouse University in Lahore before being archived and re-exhibited annually with future collections of work by other artists.

Kalsum thought of England as a place of beautiful countryside and named her creation 'Pendle through the Mirror'.

Nigel created two postcards, this one shows Burnley Football ground, he called it 'Night Match at Turf Moor'.

Jan got people thinking of food and created an image called 'Fish, Chips and Mushy Peas'.

Sidra was thinking in a similar way with her 'Coke & Kebab' painting.

Nigel had a 'Pint & Pie' on his mind...

.. while Sophia remembered the birth of 'Girl Power'.

Life in Pictures

2010-01-22T06:06:00.000-08:00

Yesterdays session involved exploring the idea of a picture telling a story. The discussion evolved from Jan (a new member) explaining her enthusiasm for making tapestries. We talked about how they often depict a significant period in history and decided that some of us would try to remember a time in our own lives and attempt to capture it on paper.
Tommy came close to dipping his brush in his tea.

Samina brought in some homework: a drawing of Bradley Primary School. She has been slowly working on it since December, and has managed to complete it while juggling all her other chores.

Irene hasn't used watercolour before, however, she has captured this local street scene with a distant view of Pendle using a limited pallette and nice transparent washes.

Khalida used bright, vibrant colours and simple lines to create a busy school yard.

I tried to remember what Maria's Cash & Carry looked like.

Nigel remembered his time as a soldier many years ago.

Sophia was still thinking about a recent trip to London.

Tommy decided to tell us about different periods in his life. Making his first snowman, starting school, his love for working on the allotment, life as a soldier and in the saddle as race horse jockey.

I found this one at the bottom of the box, its from last week. A picture by Toon, the student from Holland. It is Bradley, surrounded by rolling hills and he painted it to send back home to his Grandma.

Branding Workshop

2010-01-17T07:51:00.000-08:00

We were joined at the session by a group of students from Salford University who are doing a project about developing a brand for Bradley. It is mainly for generating ideas about what makes Bradley what it is today and perhaps looking to the future development of the area in a positive and constructive light.

The students: Toon (Holland), Simon (UK), Semi (South Korea) and Jason (USA) had time for a snack at a famous sweet shop in Nelson Town Centre.

In the session, we developed a mind-map about all things Bradley and the Community...

We all contributed words relating to the area and how people use the space.Toon, Simon and Semi are thinking of words to help develop the map.

Here is the complete mind-map, which helps to generate ideas about what makes Bradley a place to work and play.

After highlighting a few significant words, we designed postcards to visualize our impressions of Bradley.

Nigel and Sophia are busy with their designs.

A group photo with an international flavour.This image was created with a computer by Toon.

Jason, who has a Graphic Design background made this logo-style design using conventional and digital processes.

Name: 'Title' - Media used

Nigel: 'Mosque' - Watercolour

Semi: 'Wind' - Watercolour

Simon: 'Bright Future' - Collage

Khalida: 'Summer Rain' - Watercolour

Sophia: 'Ducks having fun in the sun' - Watercolour

Nigel: 'Chimney' - Watercolour

Toon: 'Terrace' - Watercolour

William: 'Familiar Territory' - Watercolour

Simon: 'Mosque School Cobble' - Watercolour

Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year

2009-12-22T09:16:00.001-08:00

I was on my way to a meeting yesterday when I bumped into two festive walkers in the town centre.
I couldn't resist taking this photo of them. Its Nigel and Sophia from the drawing workshops.
Wishing you all A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!

Workshop 1 Video

2009-12-05T08:13:00.000-08:00

Here is a short video (4:30mins) from the workshop. It presents how people responded to the idea of art... and regeneration.

Gallery One

2009-12-05T07:18:00.000-08:00

Here are the first drawings from the workshop sessions, you can track the groups development by logging on each week to see how their work is progressing. To say that some were concerned about not having drawn since childhood, I think the work is a promising statement of things to come.
Try clicking on an image to see a larger version....

Art Workshops

2009-11-27T02:12:00.000-08:00

Workshops are scheduled to start next Thursday 3rd Dec at the school.
There are two sessions: 1 - 3pm with the Parent / Teacher group SPAR and 6.30 - 8.30 with a group of local residents.

The afternoon session is overbooked with a couple on the waiting list but there are still a couple of places left for the evening session.

I aim to start with a basic introduction to drawing through practice based exercises using photos and objects from the local area.

Each session will inform the next one through negotiation with particpants.

I will interview the particpants during the first drawing session and upload the footage to this blog, hopefully with some examples of their first drawings.

Old Bingo Site

2009-11-19T09:01:00.000-08:00

Upon inspecting the site of the former Bingo Hall on Leeds Road recently, I noticed how small the footprint of the building actually is. I always felt the building was much bigger than that?

Considering its position, I am curious as to how the new site will be developed, especially with it being so close to the site of the proposed new Youth Center.

Who knows, maybe one day it will be utilised as an extension of the proposed new Youth and Community Centre. Perhaps incorporating a recreation facility for the young people?

Now that would be a useful and convenient use of local space.

And so it begins...

2009-09-11T07:57:00.000-07:00

At last we've got the proposal passed by the Steering Group Committe for me to deliver weekly art workshops at the school in Bradley.

Just need to plan when it can start... hopfully in Oct?

Professional pix of treasure hunt.

2009-09-10T13:26:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to the professional pix taken by the professional photographer on the day. here

The Treasure Hunters' Photo's

2009-08-24T03:00:00.000-07:00

The 149 pix that were taken by the treasure hunters using disposable camera's are now available to view here The quality of the inexpensive disposable camera's has a real nostalgic effect on the pictures and some of them look almost painterly.

The Day of The Treasure Hunt

2009-08-15T11:40:00.000-07:00

The weather forecast was rain, clearing in the afternoon with some sunny spells.
Below are some of the teams who braved the showers.
Team Pickup

The Thursby's

The Lame Ducks

The Bradley Warriors

The Fast Cheetah's

The Girls Team

John

Rob & Ted (minus Ted)

and 'ZZKR'.

In between the showers, Judith found some time to test the play equipment...

and so did the community beat officer...

err... and so did Lynne.

As the teams started rolling in we took shelter in the big marquee as the DJ set boomed out across Hey Street Park.

Many of the young people were not fazed by the rain and really enjoyed the water.

Finding time to pose for rainy pictures.

As if there wasn't enough water about, the Fire Brigade kindly gave youngsters the chance to work the hose, while older children dodged the blast.

Others got the chance to check out the inside of the cab.

Then we all enjoyed a meal together in the Marquee as another heavy shower battered the canvas.

Below we see a demonstration of how to eat potato pie with a bit of class.

We even had a resident body guard to help with inflating the free beach balls, which were given to all the children.

The Mayor of Pendle took a look at the new facilities on the park.

While members of the community looked on... Roger and some of 'The Lame Ducks' team.There was a theatre group who showed the children how to make music using drum sticks on metal objects in the park.

Some people had a chance to try on fancy dress costumes.

Nice outfit girls.

Other members of the community took shelter in a nearby garage to watch the activities.

A lot of the young lads helped to clear up litter around the park perimeter.

The winners of the treasure hunt were 'The Fast Cheetah's' who won £50 of Argos Vouchers.

Second place was the 'ZZKR' team, winning £25 of Argos Vouchers and third place, winning £10 of vouchers was 'The Hussain Family' team.

Around 200 people turned up with 45 members of the community taking part in The Bradley Boundary Walk (the treasure hunt). Most of them commented that they didn't realise how big the Bradley Ward is and found some places that they would be visiting again, like Swindon Playing Fields, Victoria Park and the riverside walk behind Nelson & Colne College.

I will publish the answers to the treasure hunt next week on this blog, so keep checking it.

The Treasure Hunt

2009-08-12T04:08:00.000-07:00

The Treasure Hunt is planned for this sat from 11am, starting from the new Hey Street Park.
Everyone welcome to join in the celebrations for the new park and for a chance to win big prizes in the treasure hunt.
Other activities include: street dance, sports, food and music.
Treasure hunt entries start from 11am until 1pm to allow people to make it back for the presentation of prizes.
There are questions to be answered along the way and a photo map to make sure you're on the right track. To see a large version of the photo map just click on the image above.

Setting the clues for the walk

2009-07-14T12:12:00.000-07:00

Today I walked around the Bradley Ward Boundary again with Lynne and a member of the community to develop clues for the treasure hunt in August. Beth was the only one (out of four) who turned up and she really enjoyed herself, discovering new ares of Nelson that she'd never been to before.
The weather stayed nice for the few hours we were walking and we had time for a cup of tea in Barrowford.

The GPS showed up 4.8 miles this time, which is probably closer to the true distance than the last outing.

The walk photos and route can be viewed on google maps here: http://www.a-trip.com/tracks/view/26322

You can view the walk as a slide show or stop the slideshow and view individual locations. It shows a variety of terrain and some very lovely spots around the Bradley Ward.

Navigating Boundaries

2009-06-30T09:09:00.000-07:00

The following are directions for the Bradley Ward Boundary.

Starting at the new Hey Street Play Area.

Cross Leeds Road at the Pelican Crossing and turn right up Chapel Street: stay on the pavement on the right hand side.

Carry on until you get to the Railway Crossing: this is a dangerous area to cross the road so please take care.

Once safely across, continue passed Wavelengths and cross the road to Playland.

Keeping Playland on your right, go around the corner and under the Arndale Footbridge.

Carry on until you see the new Nelson Interchange on your left, to your right should be The Place De Criel: a pedestrian corridor leading towards the Marsden Building Society, The Lord Nelson Public House and Market Square, on Manchester Road.

Turn right and head towards Scotland Road, look down Market Street and notice Pendle Hill on your left as it sits on top of the library building.

Notice shops, old and new as you walk down Scotland Road.

Turn left at Kebabish, passing The Silverman Hall on your right and take care crossing the road towards Morrisons supermarket, passing the mosque on your right.

Pass to the right of Morrisons and over the bridge to The Conduit.

Follow The Conduit around to Milton Street and turn right to Car Road.

Watch your speed as you go under the M65 towards Victoria Park.

Enter the park at the sign for Barrowford Town Centre.

Take a rest on the bridge as you listen to the busy motorway traffic.

Over the bridge, you must turn right at the lake and leave the park to turn right again.

Take the first public footpath on your right and follow through to a gate, where you can see what’s on the other side of the river.

Carry on towards a Kissing Gate and passed the three ancient trees on your left to another Kissing Gate.

Turning right passed some small business units on your left, you will see a footpath and a small water measuring station on your right.

Follow the path to Calder Vale, stay on the left hand side of the street next to the shoe shop.

Turn left at the shop for about six doors and find a safe place to cross.

Make your way around onto Gisburn Road, this is the main road through Barrowford.

Keeping going left and cross the road at the pelican crossing.

Still going left, you will come to Wilton Street.

Going up Wilton Street and over the little bridge, stay on the tarmac road leading under the M65, you should be able to see the river on your right.

Stay on the tarmac, passed the trees on your right (Cycle Park) and over a bridge.

You are now at Swindon Playing Fields and across the fields, you can see a nearby town on a hill, slightly to your left.

Stay on the tarmac as it bears left and then turn right up the cycleway path and over the steep canal bridge.

Follow the canal until the you see metal girders supporting the canal banks. This is near the Aquaduct and marks the Bradley Boundary.

Turn around and head back to the first footpath sign, which will be on your left hand side.
Go up the track and turn left onto Regent Street.

Find a safe place to cross and turn left when you get to Junction Street, passing industrial units.

Turn right on Leeds Road and notice you are in Colne, heading towards Nelson, you can see the new Pendle Vale College on your left.

Pass the shops, cross at the Pelican Crossing and turn right.

Find a safe place to cross Walton Lane, away from the roundabouts.

Pass in front of the Hour Glass building and head along Bradley Hall Road.

You will see industrial units and houses along this long road, there are also several different faith buildings too.

Walk to the end of this road until you see the site of the new Youth Centre and be careful to find a suitable place to cross, well away from the roundabouts.

Make your way back to Hey Street Park.

The route is about 7 miles long and should take between 2 and 3.5 hrs depending on abilities. Pushchairs could get round with some help clearing the kissing gates.

The Bradley Boundary

2009-06-30T06:24:00.000-07:00

Had a meeting with Lynne and Judith last week to discuss final details for 6 month project proposal: mainly costs and outcomes.
Note to self: I need to clarify those before this Friday.

Last night at the Residents Assoc. meeting, young Hussman presented a slideshow about his experience of working with me and Lynne, highlighting key points along the way: learning new words, working with new people, going on trips etc. He managed to combat his nerves enough to get through the slides before receiving a round of applause from the other residents.

I put the idea to the residents about having a treasure hunt style walk around the Bradley Boundary in August and we got some names for volunteers to help with setting clues/directions etc.

Today, Lynne and I went around the route to assess any risks and to stimulate ideas for clues.
The whole walk is approximately 7 miles and should take about 3 hours at a leisurely pace. It takes in sites around the town centre shops, industrial sites, the canal, a park, Barrowford, The Nelson & Colne boundary, The College, the railway line, the M65, Leeds Road and many local businesses around the town.
I tracked our walk using GPS technology and you can view the route via Google Earth Maps here: http://www.a-trip.com/tracks/view/25006

We met a man called Roger along the way, outside Complete Runner at Hilldrop. He has volunteered to be the first to submit a local memory recipe to The Bradley Recipe Archive with his favourite dish, which is a creative variation on Lancashire Hotpot.

Some activity

2009-06-17T07:22:00.000-07:00

Had meeting today to identify possible forms of evaluative measurement data to be collected throughout the project. I think it went ok, with what seemed like some good pointers for presenting key developments in the creative engagement process: community wellbeing, new skills/knowledge etc.

Arranged another meeting with Judith (project manager) to move/develop ideas forward next monday.

Also meeting with members of youth group (probably just one or two of them) who are preparing a presentation for the residents association meeting.

After feeling like nothing has been happening for quite some time, I think things may start to pick up again and we can finally get down to some interesting cultural activity.

Youth Presentation

2009-06-03T09:46:00.000-07:00

Had a meeting today with Lynne Mitchell and Paul Hartley at Pendle Vale High School, which is where some of our young people attend.

Only three turned up but it was very productive. Hussmann and Faisal reflected on the learning experience so far on the project: from initial meetings to the recent cycle tour.

We have scheduled another meeting next week to make plans for a Powerpoint presentation by the young people to show the Residents Association what they have been up to.

This will be a great opportunity to develop their communication skills and to evaluate the project.

Bradley Boundary Cycle Tour

2009-05-28T10:57:00.000-07:00

Been ages since we last did anything on the project, very frustrating having to wait to get projects passed before engagement with community.

Hopefully things should start moving shortly, once I get the go ahead from the steering group.

Today we took a group of young people on a bicycle tour of the Bradley Ward boundary. We tried to get as close as possible to the actual boundary line but it is difficult on the bikes. We should attempt to do a more specific tour on foot, which will also offer more opportunities for photographs.

This exercise will inform the map development, which will be used to measure how much information has been taken on board by the young participants.

The tour was logged using GPS technology and the route, including photos can be viewed here on Google maps: http://www.a-trip.com/tracks/view/21707

Choose map view and start the slideshow... gps receiver goes off track when we stopped in once place for any length of time but you can get a good idea of where we went.

Pendle Hill

2009-04-06T13:09:00.000-07:00

Pendle Hill

2009-04-06T13:07:00.000-07:00

Pendle Hill

2009-04-06T13:05:00.000-07:00

Pendle Hill

2009-04-06T13:02:00.000-07:00

Pendle Hill

2009-04-06T13:01:00.000-07:00

Pendle Hill

2009-04-06T12:57:00.000-07:00