APPENDICES: South East Northumberland Arts Development Study, by Sara Robinson / 2011

APPENDICES

Appendix 1: The interviewees

APPENDICES: South East Northumberland Arts Development Study, by Sara Robinson / 2011

Professional / Semi-Professional Artists

Elaine Pope Independent artist / BRIC

Ted Taylor Artist (Blyth)

Tony Murray Artist (Cramlington)

Peter Seddon Artist (Newbiggin)

Jason Thompson Sound Ideas (Newbiggin)

Barry Stone Writer (Seaton Delaval)

Northumberland based arts and heritage organisations (regularly funded)

Geof Keys QHA

Helen Moore BVAL

Bruce Ledger BVAL

Susan Dungworth Chair of BVAL

Keith Merrin, CEO Woodhorn

Juliet Hardy, NE Generation Woodhorn

Jasmin Earnshaw-Brown Creative and Performing

& Lesley Scott Arts

June Drage Artists Network

Judith Cashman, CEO Seaton Delaval Hall

Mileva Donachie N'land Youth Dance Hub

Cinzia Hardy November club

Northumberland based arts and heritage organisations (unfunded)

Eddie Galvin Newbiggin Arts Forum

Eva Hartley KEAP Creative

Keith Naylor Cramlington Folk Club

Mark Pringle Seaton Delaval Arts Centre

VIcar Peter Bryars Bottleworks Seaton Sluice

Gary Melling NE Music Factory

Jo Gooding Newbiggin Maritime Cen.

Ann Hogarth Holywell St Mary’s Art Club

Mary Hunter Simon Side Dance A'demy

Doreen Gilespee Pop Bottles in New Hartley

Alison Robson Headway Arts

& Paul Denton

Anita Romer Seaton Sluice Music Fes.

Anne Suggate, CEO 20,000 Voices

Independent consultants living or working in the area

Sarah Hudson Independent consultant

Declan Baharini Independent consultant

Colin Mitchel Transforming Culture

Dave Hill ArtsReach

And 20 young people from YPIN, and Northumberland College

Community organisations who deliver arts sessions

Jean Bell Briardale Centre

Eileen Carty Buffalo Community Centre

Kath George BRIC

Aileen Barrass Resident Invol Offi. Homes

for N'land

Janet Cresswell Ashington D'ment Trust

Andrew Gooding Lynemouth D'ment Trust

Regional arts organisations

Esther Hingle Highlights

Rosie Cross Highlights

Claire Smith Creative Partnerships

Danielle Neighbour Dance City

Jo Thornton Generator

Erica Whyman Northern Stage

Katherine Zeserson SAGE (TSG)

Helen Green The Bridge org. (TSG)

Anna Didley New Writing North

Mary Lowe Voluntary Arts NE

Bill Griffiths Tyne and Wear Museums

Tony Harrington The Forge

Juliana Mensah Helix Arts

Victoria Smyth Taking Part Workshops

Funders / strategic organisations

Ray Browning NCC, Regeneration

Lyn Turner NCC

Lisa Nevens NCC

Wendy Scott NCC

Sam Taylor NCC

Debra Lowe NCC

Linda Fakir NCC

Nigel Walsh NCC

? NCC Libraries

Nicolas Baumfield ACE

Brendan Murphy ACE

Maurice Bransfield Hd of N'land Youth Service

Sharon Stirling Youth Service

Luke Bramall YPIN (Youth Service)

Mike Hensley Youth Service

Brenda NHS Foundation

Caroline Pearce Creative Ambassadors

Charles Tremeer Wansbeck CVS

Fiona Wardlaw CVS Blyth

?? Connect 4 Change

APPENDICES: South East Northumberland Arts Development Study, by Sara Robinson / 2011

Appendix 2: Excel spreadsheet mapping regular arts activity (see separate document)

Appendix 3: List of artists

A list of professional, semi professional and amateur painters, writers, ceramicists, musicians, glass artists, calligraphers, jewellers, cross stitch, felters, sculptors... living in south east Northumberland. Names supplied by KEAP Creative, Rev Peter Bryars (Bottleworks) and Elaine Pope and Tony Murray (artists). NB These people may supply contacts details of the artists below if needed.

APPENDICES: South East Northumberland Arts Development Study, by Sara Robinson / 2011

Alan & Pip Driver

Alan Foster

Alan Lisle

Alan Little

Alan Vinters

Alan Watson

Alison Davies

Andy Treadwell

Ann Bridges

Ann Hogarth

Anne Mawer

Anne Roberts

Barry Clasper

Barry Stone

Ben Smith

Bill Brown

Bill Woods

Brian Home

Brian Towers

Carol Scott

Chris Crane

Chris Longden

Christine Tose

Claire Cooper

Claire Masterman

Collette Connolly

Dave Edwards

David Fenwick

David Foggo

David Hall

David Railton

Debbie Kimmins

Denis Watson

Denise Manderson

Derek Thompson

Diane Stewardson

Doreen Gilhespy

Dorothy Croydon

E. Rose. Findlay

Elaine Pope

Elsie Thompson

Eric Rothwell

Ernie Raisbeck

Eva Hartley

Framk Aird

Frances Mullarkey

Frank Doyle

Gary Simpson

George Hancock

George Todd

GeorgeChapman

Gill Pinkney

Gladys McCoulough

Harry Lees

Hazel Angus

Helen Allott

Honor Hutchinson

Jack Little

James Aynsley

James Davison

Jan Terry

Jane Akhurst

Jane Eleanor Norcross

Jane Pritchett

Janet Myhill

Jason Thompson

Jo Burke

John Cooper

John Fox

Julia Robson

Karen Johnson

Karen Willis

Kath Davidson

Kathryn Watson

Keith & Caroline Stephen

Keith Cochrane

Ken Ogle

Ken Park

Lin Thompson

Linda Rutherford

Majorie Firth

Malcolm Vince
Michael Ewart

Marcus Evans

Margaret Anderson
Margaret Stephenson

Marion Todd

Mary Abbott

Maureen Burns (Twist)

Maureen Stephenson

Maureen Twaddle

Michael Ewart

Michael Smith

Mick Oxley

Mike Knox

Nell Mcgrath

Nicola Craig

Nigel Morton

Olive Taylor

Pamela Shears

Patricia Herrod

Patricia Lutman

Paul Kingham

Peter Charlton

Peter Endean

Peter Fairbairn

Peter Francis

Peter Seddon

Pippa Little

Rachel Noble

Ray Campbell

Ray Campbell

Rob Jordan

Robert Pilkington

Robert Twaddle

Sandra Smith

Sandy Egan - Fowler

Sara Scott

Sarah Bryars

Sarah Jackson

Sheila Wilson

Simon Henderson

Simon Terry

Sonia Aitchison

Stella Bell

Steve Thompson

Stuart Air

Sue Kingham

Ted Tallantyre

Ted Taylor

Terrance Cave

Terry Cave

Tom Fleming

Tony Murray

Trevor Nichol

Trevor Walker

William Bell

Yvette Reynolds

APPENDICES: South East Northumberland Arts Development Study, by Sara Robinson / 2011
APPENDICES: South East Northumberland Arts Development Study, by Sara Robinson / 2011
APPENDICES: South East Northumberland Arts Development Study, by Sara Robinson / 2011

Appendix 4: Examples of current best practice in SEN

Here are some examples of projects which our interviewees feel are already great about the arts in South East Northumberland:

Seaton Sluice Music Festival

Instigated this year, volunteer run and funded by local sponsorship and trusts, Seaton Parish Council and fundraising events, this festival comprised activities for ages 1 - 101 and couldn’t meet the demand for community involvement. The weekend programme included an outdoor silver singing choir, harp workshops for all ages in the community centre, a tea dance with accordion player, a Ceilidh band in the village school, free music workshops for children in the church, a percussion group with the pre-school group, three months of schools activity, composing for children who could play an instrument, coffee mornings with live music, an outdoor fete with the Collier brass band, a sea shanty competition, a Geordie music night and more! Several events were run by professional musicians and traditional music experts living in the village, and the support from Fiona Wardlaw at CVA Blyth Valley was hugely welcomed in getting the group up and running. This passion, use of local expertise and location of this event has considerable potential to flourish but further support is needed.


Woodhorn'sTime Travel Northumberland

Artist and project manager Juliet Hardy (previouslyYoung People’s Co-ordinator: of mima)was recruitedby Woodhorn to run Time Travel Northumberland, part ofNE Generation funded by the Legacy Trust (Cultural Olympiad). Her brief was to use the resources and archives at Woodhorn to engage young people in a two year programme of cultural activity. New to the area, she found that levels of participation in existing artist led projects in SEN were very low (e.g.Film clubs, workshops,BBC animation workshops). She realised that work had to be effectively marketed and start with what the young people state they want, rather than bringing in ready-made projects. She also found that open calls for participants yielded few people, so she started working in partnership with existing groups and worked more collaboratively with the Youth Service, development trusts, and alternative education settings. She had a job to convince youth workers of the value of the work initially, and found that a lack of information and databases meant she had to be extra vigilant in seeking partners out.

Juliet says that lack of confidence is a huge issue amongst young people in SEN, as is a sense that cultural activities are not for them because they can't easily see the benefits. They need convincing that the quality will be high and that the incoming artists will be great. So together with the young people, she plans projects with a physical outcome and builds on confidence levels.

Highlights include a Takeover Day(Children’s Commissioner – Championing Children and Young People in England )with young people from Silx Teen Bar in Blyth looking at changing fashions;a Big Brother immersive project sets in the 1840's involving45 young people living at Featherstone castle for a week. Planned by young people for young people the whole experience will immerse them in the 1840s lifestyle. Our Sporting Lifeexhibition about sporting heritage and the history of football in Northumberlandcreated by young people from Choysez (Bedlington) shown at Concordia leisure centre in Cramlington. This exhibition was seen by 140, 000 people over the course of the show. (r38 exhibition – on show at Woodhorn in the West Gallerya response to the Video Game Nation exhibitionand the traditions of the miners picnicinvolving100young people from alternative education organisations working with illustrators, artists and gaming specialists. DFAF, a digital/ archive film project working with 20 young people from Ashington has been selected as a stand out success story for the UK and will be part of a showcase DVD produced by the British Film Institute. Projects in the making or ongoinga youth Pitman Painters project; inspirational messages representing young NE voices sent via homing pigeons; fashion shows, DVDs, an exploration of the Woodhorn's extensive film archive and running public film events and more. The emphasis is on skills development, confidence building and ideas initiated and shaped by young people.

Barefoot Dance Project

Voluntary run and self-funded Holywell Arts Group was one of four community and education groups to work with Northumbrian based artists Tony Murray or choreographer Tim Rubbidge and mount an exhibition / dance piece in Seaton Delaval Hall. This initiative was run by BVAL and exemplifies how voluntary and education groups, working together with artists generate work shown in high profile spaces. Holywell Arts Group was once part of a university lifelong learning programme and when funding came to an end, the members continued it. They organise weekly classes, trips to exhibitions and mount their own exhibitions in the community centre. The Barefoot project enabled them to work with a professional artist in figurative and sculpture work (they primarily focus on landscape painting and printing) and utilise a more professional space to exhibit.

Newbiggin Arts Forum Ltd (NBAF)

Not long after arriving in Newbiggin, Eddie Galvin wanted to invigorate the economy and aspirations of the area and had the idea to create the St Ives of the North. He found sculptors, glass artists, ceramicists, musicians and more living in the area and set up a group in 2006. A community arts resource with social development at its heart, today Newbiggin Arts Forum Ltd has a building with a gallery, workshop space and office spaces (let out to 20,000 Voices amongst others). There are three aspects to their work:

1.  monthly members art based meetings;

2.  the facilitation of off-shoot groups (youth dance, youth drama, craft, media, film, life drawing, creative writing, photography, spoken word and others)

3.  a venue for activity, art gallery and office space

Much of the work is voluntarily led, though NBAF draws a rental income and has been successful in bringing in regeneration and trusts based funding. It struggles however to attract arts funding and Eddie sees a disconnect between what the 'arts world' see as quality and NBAF's desire to be inclusive to all. Whilst far from being on a strong financial footing, NBAF has played a major part in the creative development of the area, inspiring the start of many new arts groups. A strong example of how the energy and vision of an individual can affect an area.

Working on estates

Scotland Gate Housing estate

Over a few years, artists, designers and theatre practitioners were brought in to work with the localCommunityAssociation via WansbeckDistrict Council Community andArts DevelopmentOfficersto help 'turn the estate around'. Slowly, houses stopped being boardedup and people moved back in again.

Castles Estate, Ashington

On this estate, residents who had formed their own association were concerned about an apparent break down of communications between the generations, which led to young people complaining of being moved on or treated with suspicion, even if they were just hanging around with their mates and older people feeling frightened of these same groups of young people. The residents discussed the problem with the local community development worker and all agreed that music was an intergenerational pleasure and could perhaps be used in some way to help bring the generations together on the estate. Help from Wansbeck District Council Cultural Services Manager and advice from The Sage led to the employment of musicians to work with this community and ultimately to the formation of a local, all age, community samba band who 'woke up' the estate on occasion by playing around the streets. The band was invited to play at the turning-on of the Ashington Christmas lights that year. This project had several planned outcomes including widening opportunities to get involved in the arts, breaking down barriers on this particular estate and building up the pride and sense of achievement of the members of that community.

NE Music and Dance Factory

For sheer scale alone, this Blyth based, self-sustaining organisation needs a mention as they run 35 classes for 800 young people in dance and music per week, mostly in SEN. They have acquired a 1000square ex-car showroom foot base in Blyth with dance spaces and recording studios. They run Rockschool, deliver arts awards, have recently won voluntary organisation of the year, are a delivery agent of Street Games 2012, receive Children in Need funding and work internationally.

Headway's Seven Stars Theatre company

Based in Blyth, Seven Stars are Northumberland's full time Learning Disabled Theatre Company. Formed in 1997, the Stars devise and perform their own work, supported by Headway Arts who produce & direct their shows. They perform in traditional theatres, community venues, colleges and internationally having transnational links with Denmark, Lithuania, France, Belgium & Malta. Part of their funding comes from Northern Rock, and part is self generate through activities like their annual sponsored walk from Seaton Sluice to Blyth.

Seven Stars also host the annual 'Come On Down' international festival of creativity & performance for learning disabled artists. The event also offers a programme of workshops, performances and exhibitions of work from emerging and experienced disabled artists working regionally, nationally and internationally. This festival happens in Blyth, and people travel from all over the world to attend but Headway feel increasingly embarrassed at the lack of good venue facilities available in SEN to host it adequately.