PLATFORM A GALLERY AND STUDIOS IN MIDDLESBROUGH TO PROVIDE NEW TEES VALLEY TIMEBANK

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Platform A Gallery and Studios have successfully won a contract to manage a 12 month pilot scheme running a Skills Timebank for the Visual Arts Community in the Tees Valley. The scheme initiated by Turning Point North East will enable visual arts professionals to register on the database and swop skills using a non cash economy model. Platform Arts will be trained and mentored by Sue Ball (MAAP) and Sarah Spanton (Waymarking), who have been part of a similar pilot scheme in Leeds for the past 2.5 years.

The purpose of this scheme is to enable visual arts professionals to seek or develop skills and expertise that will assist them in their own continued professional development and career in a way that is sustainable.

More information will be posted soon on how to engage with the scheme.

A second pilot scheme will be launched on Tyneside in due course.

Symposium Number 2

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Desired Futures #2: A Sense of Place
A Symposium organised by mima and Platform A
mima, Thursday 9 February 2012 5.30-7pm, FREE, booking required

This special event provides a forum for creative practitioners, researchers and educators to debate the issues around how art is made, exhibited, interpreted, and taught.

Featuring an expert panel including Sharon Bailey, founder member and Director of ISIS Arts, artist Kraig Wilson and a guest curator to be confirmed, Desired Futures #2 will be chaired by Jill Morgan, Assistant Dean Learning and Teaching, Teesside University. The symposium explores how artists' international experiences can be shared with other artists and audiences from our region, and how we can make a global impact in our work.

Booking required. RSVP BY 2 February, call mima reception on 01642 726720 or email your details to [email protected]

mima’s car park is free after 4pm on this date. 

NORTHERN ART PRIZE - RICHARD RIGG IS VOTED THE PEOPLE'S CHOICE

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He may not have won the Northern Art Prize this year, losing out to Leo Fitzmaurice, but North East based artist Richard Rigg was voted the people's choice in the public vote. This vote of support and confidence is well deserved for Richard and he should be congratulated on his work which featured in the Northern Art Prize Exhibition at Leeds Art Gallery.

Richard is one of a number of artists featured in Turning Point North East's 11 for 2011 Artists Films series, which focuses on and celebrates artists living and working in the North East who are gaining national and international profile. If you want to see this film scroll down to see it on this site.

It has been a fantastic time for art in the Greater North this over the past four months and demonstrates that the North has so much to over in terms of contemporary art and is really leading the way in nuturing and supporting artists to establish their careers and in showcasing fantastic art.

CREATIVE TIMEBANK - HOST RECRUITMENT

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As part of its commitment to Continuing Professional Development within the Visual Arts Sector, Turning Point North East is inviting Expressions of Interest from visual arts organisations and collectives in the North East interested in hosting a cash-free platform to facilitate skill and knowledge exchange for the wider visual arts sector.

 We are now looking to recruit and support the set-up of the first of what will be two  timebanks in the region. This first one being in the Tees Valley region.

 The Creative Timebank has been developed for the visual arts community and supports the ethics associated with the arts – flexibility, transparency, free-sharing of information, self-reflection and critique, and the production of alternatives – as part of its values. 

 The Creative Timebank is not a stop-gap measure; it is an ambitious project that accumulates trust and learning through the exchange of time as time credits amongst its extended network of members, which include designer makers, community artists, writers, digital media designers, museum curators and arts administrators. 

 It recognises the proven impact of community based timebanks and in the ethos of re-cycle, a pilot scheme was run in Yorkshire by MAAP to trial its potential for everyday use by individuals and organisations in the creative sector and its impact on members and the wider network. We are now looking to pilot two Creative Timebanks in the NE region in two phases, the first of which will be in Teesside.

 The  Host agency will be supported through a structured consultancy and offered a fee of £4000 to cover essential costs of the timebroker. We will be looking to work with agencies that can demonstrate how such a programme compliments or extends their programme, a legacy for the agency and visual arts network, and additional resources that they could bring to the Timebank.

 For further information on a Description for the Host and details on application requirements please click here.

For further Background information on Timebanks in general please click here

 Deadline for Expressions of Interest; 17th January 2012 17:00

All Applications to be sent via email to: [email protected] 

Interview; 24th January 2012 (location to be confirmed)

Timebank Induction period; February 2012

THOMAS WHITTLE PROFILED IN 11 FOR 2011

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 Emerging Artist Thomas Whittle is the latest artist to be profiled in the 11 for 2011 Artist films programme produced by Turning Point North East. A graduate of Newcastle University, Thomas is one of a number of young artists who collectively received a Turning Point North East Critical Dialogue Bursary to produce the first edition of Spectrum Almanac, a reflective publication featuring in depth conversations, critiques and and final exhibition that was held at New Bridge Street Studios and Gallery this year. Thomas and his peers continue to produce this magazine as a result of this initial investment and is now sold in a number of outlets across the North East. Click here to get further information on Thomas and his work.

Richard Rigg shortlisted for Northern Art Prize

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Richard Rigg, an artist based in the North East of England has been shortlisted for the Northern Art Prize, which opened at Leeds Art Gallery this evening.

Richard Rigg’s sculptures reproduce and manipulate everyday objects, often inverting our understanding of the familiar and recognisable. At times playful yet contemplative, Rigg’s work challenges the viewer to question her/his assumptions and knowledge of commonplace objects such as a pair of telegraph poles and a piano tuned entirely to middle ‘C’.

His debut solo exhibition, Holography showed at Workplace Gallery, Gateshead in 2010 and he also has taken part in group shows at the Galleria Enrico Astuni, Bologna [2011] and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead [2010].

This film of Richard and his work is one of Turning Point North East's 11 for 2011 series which aims to profile emerging and established artists living and working in the North East who are gaining national and international recognition.

11 for 2011 ARTIST FILMS

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11 for 2011 is a pilot programme of artists films featuring emerging and established contemporary artists in the North East gaining National and International recognition. The artists featured were shortlisted by the Critical Dialogue Working Group from a longlist of suggestions from the Turning Point Network.

These films are being filmed across the Autumn, 5 are now complete, all 11 should be finished by December. These films will be promoted on this website, our regional Contemporary Art listing site for the North East www.contemporaryARTNE.com and on stakeholders's websites.

These films form part of our  work which focuses on promoting artists Nationally and Internationally who have been endorsed by a number of professionals in the field.

Details of all artists featured will go live in December when all films are complete, but in the meantime check out Richard Forster's film, the first one made in this programme. Richard currently has a solo show at Mima, Middlesbrough and has a forthcoming exhibition at the Flag Foundation in New York in January 2012. Richard is also represented by the Ingleby Gallery, Edinburgh.

GUARDIAN PROFILE OF CONTEMPORARY ART IN THE NORTH EAST

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A review today in the Guardian by Alan Sykes demonstrates the value of www.contemporaryARTNE.com in profiling contemporary art programming in the North East. Click here to read the profile. Turning Point North East will be monitoring the response to the site including hits and downloads to test and evaluate with National Turning Point Network evaluators Annabel Jackson Associates, the value of the website and App. Findings will be shared across the Turning Point Network.

NORTH EAST VISUAL ARTS COMMUNITY DOES US PROUD!

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Yesterday saw the launch of Turner Prize at Baltic, the first time it has been shown outside of a TATE venue and in the North. This was not only a proud moment for Baltic but also the region, with North  East galleries able to profile their own projects, exhibitions and programmes at a Media Lunch where the visual arts constituency and national press mingled informally.

We have alot to be proud of, Turning Point North East ran 5 of its artists films from their 11 for 2011 programme and distributed printed matter from the 3 critical dialogue bursary recipients Spectrum Almanac, 3 degrees of separation and Chancefindus.com.

To coincide with this launch, leaflets promoting ContemporaryARTNE.com were distributed across the region, the website is also up and running www.contemporaryARTNE.com and its  Iphone APP can now be downloaded from Apple to help you navigate the region and see the great range of contemporary art on offer across the North East.

NEWBRIDGE PROJECT OPEN STUDIOS 29th/30th October 2011

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As the Turner Prize comes to BALTIC, visitors to NewcastleGateshead will have the exciting chance to see what else is happening at other contemporary art venues around the region - one year old, the award-winning NewBridge Project now provides affordable studio space to over 60 visual artists. On 29th and 30th October, all five floors of the 29,000 sq ft building will be fully accessible offering the North East a fascinating view of what goes on behind the scenes at the studio and the opportunity to speak to the artists involved directly. 


By marking its first birthday during Turner Prize week, visitors to The NewBridge Project will be able to see other work made in the city and witness another important step in the evolution from office block to city centre art studios.

 

From 6pm on Saturday 29th the public are invited to explore the expansive studios and will be among the first to see a series of artist films commissioned by Turning Point North East which feature artists living and working regionally who are gaining National and International profile.  The films, made to co-inside with Turner Prize at BALTIC and part of a series entitled 11 for 2011  give an insight into the practice of 11 artists, including 3 based at NewBridge Studio. The preview will be fully licensed with refreshments served throughout. 


The NewBridge Project Open Studios will be free of charge and open on Saturday evening and all day on Sunday. For further information about the NewBridge Project and all of our events and exhibitions please have a look at our website www.thenewbridgeproject.com.

CONTEMPORARYARTNE.COM

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This Autumn sees the Turner Prize come to Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead. This is the first time that the Prize has been shown in the North and outside of a TATE venue.

To coincide with the exhibition October 21st 2011 -January 8th 2012 Baltic has worked closely with the Turning Point North East Coordinator and the visual arts sector in general to produce content for a leaflet, website and Iphone App, developed by AXIS, that will allow the visiting public to access listings and information on exhibitions, events, artists talks and open studio events taking place across the North East.

The website www.contemporaryartne.com will be up and running at the launch of Turner Prize.

Look for the leaflets that are to be distributed around the region at visual arts organisations in the North East or go to the website for further details. You can also find the App in the Iphone App store.

GREAT SUCCESS FOR CONTEMPORARY ART SOCIETY AT NEWCASTLEGATESHEAD ART FAIR

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 CAS Tour to the Hepworth, Wakefield

It's been another great year for the Contemporary Art Society recruiting new members to the North East membership scheme at the NewcastleGateshead Art Fair. Rebecca Morrill, Head of Collector Development North East said 21 new members signed up taking the regional membership to 85. At a cost of £50 per year for individual members, the scheme offers real value for money and provides an exciting programme of events,talks and artist studio visits enabling members to gain a real understanding of contemporary art and how to go about collecting it.

Turning Point North East invested in Rebecca's role in collaboration with the CAS and Arts Council England and has found the regional partnership hugely beneficial  for visual arts organisations and individual artists building a new collective audience base for their work. This season's programme is fast becoming a sellout with demand for events outstripping the season before. At the Art Fair this year Rebecca's programme of talks on collecting prints were attended by over 100 people and a breakfast event in collaboration with The Sponsors Club for Arts&Business and Exceptional Networking drew over 50 people from the business community who individually also signed up as individual members.

For more information on the North East programme and how to join click here