As we prepare for a Coronation and another bank holiday, I hope you are all prepping for your exams and assessment two work. I have shared a wide range of opportunities this week, competitions, talks and Films, all things to get involved with to help develop your portfolios/ CVs and general experiences. The content has become quite poster heavy this week, but posters are a great starting point for many artists. Toulouse La Trec famously funded his lifestyle producing posters, as they were cheaper to make and got your art into the world more easily. Posters allow artists to showcase their skills and you can get paid for it. I used to make gig posters when I first started, it helped me make lots of friends and | now produce album sleeves and stage props for many of, alongside my own work. They are a low risk medium, and when it comes to gigs, there is always another one, so good for repeat business. The best posters are world famous and iconic, people have them framed on the walls, so it can cross many boundaries. So why not give it a go and start your journey that way.
REMINDER: HAVE YOU PAID FOR BLACKPOOL TRIP YET!? PAYMENTS MADE AT STUDENT SERVICES!
CURATOR TALK: BOLTON MUSEUM FRIDAY 5th MAY 14.00-15.00
Last week I mentioned this exhibition that opened at Bolton Museum and Art Gallery. On Friday 5th May there is a curator talk at 14.00 in the lecture theatre at the Museum. Unfortunately I am in an exam, otherwise, I would be taking my classes over myself. So, it's up to you go independently make the most of this opportunity.
Having spoken to Matthew on the team he thinks it will be great, to get an insight into the curation of the exhibition as well as the story of how Lowry began to paint Burnden Park and Bolton, as well as the recent purchase of the work by The Lowry in Salford.
TV: The Lost Photographs of Mary Alice Young
This show talks us through the rediscovery of images by Irish/Scottish Photographer Mary Alice Young. It's a great programme, showcasing and explaining her amazing work, explaining the work through cultural and historical context. It is fascinating too as we see how the images are conserved and an exhibition of the work curated and displayed. So it shows all aspects of an artworks life, from idea to display. A real insight into potentially different paths in the art world.
You can watch it on youtube above or on the IPlayer by following this hyperlink.
FESTIVAL: SOUNDS FROM THE OTHER CITY 2023
This weekend Sounds From the Other City took place, Salford's amazing, 1 day, multivenue festival. The festival showcases the best of creativity in Greater Manchester and gives you a chance to see up and coming bands before they explode onto the scene. Perfume Genius and Katy J Pearson have played amongst thousands of others. It's a independent space ran by a collective of creatives based at the amazing Islington Mill. I started going in about 2006/7, I've missed a few over the years but it is always a great day meeting old friends and seeing some fabulous stuff, alongside some weird and wonderful sights. A true celebration of the diversity of Greater Manchester!
The posters are always fantastic, giving you a sense of the themes and the fun in store for attendees. Below are a selection, you can see how they have changed over the years, with similar themes, clearly the artists at Islington Mill, who run the event work well together. I've shared a video from last year to give you a view of what it was like and maybe some of you might go next year? Did anyone go this year? It'd be great to hear who we should be looking out for this year?
What is Sounds? "Sounds From The Other City has been a firm underground favourite since 2005; delivering a unique annual event that champions local promoters and celebrates the off-kilter beauty of Salford, the oft-overlooked ‘other city’ to Manchester.
A creative scene is constantly moving and with a line-up booked by a revolving collective of promoters, Sounds has served as an annual snapshot of the Greater Manchester scene, taking place in the pubs, churches, studios, warehouses and 'in-between' spaces of Chapel Street.
The festival has hosted early-day performances from artists as diverse as James Ferraro, Marina, Alt-J, Slowthai, Hannah Peel, GoGo Penguin right through to 2017’s Mercury Music Prize winner Sampha, BBC Sound of 2018 nominee IAMDDB and 2019 Mercury Music Prize nominees, Black Midi."
VISIT: COLORS FESTIVAL
Why not visit the Colors Festival in Salford?!? TICKETS ARE £11.50 and you can try as many of the events running from May 19 until 31st May.
"The stunning Colors Festival is making it’s UK debut right here in Manchester. The fun filled exhibition caters to all with 100,000 visitors of the Paris edition. Colors Festival in Manchester is set to display the works of 30 established and local artists on a huge scale. The event will be taking over Regent Retail Park in Salford, with the 800m² space being completely reimagined.
Expect artwork that covers entire walls in a venue that’s been completely repurposed for the exhibition. The artwork will include images of some iconic faces which we can’t reveal yet but that gorgeous Frida Kahlo mural you see above was done by Jo di Bona for the Paris edition and he’s got something new in store for Manchester. You’ll find yourself strolling through brightly coloured immersive rooms that have the XXL sized art plastered across the spaces creating a unique art experience you can interact with."
FILM: APOCALYPSE NOW: FINAL CUT
"I love the smell of napalm in the morning."
This film is regarded as one of the best films ever made and the Final Cut version is available to watch on I Player. There are age restictions and adult themes in this Vietnam War epic, so please be advised before watching. The production is famous for the physical and mental toll it took on all involved. Some absolutely iconic performances from Marlon Brando and Martin Sheen, but a film about the physical and mental rigours of a futile war.
COMPETITION: INTERNATIONAL POSTER COMPETITION 2023
Key Date: 07.06.2023 Competition closes at midnight (BST)
Prize Money
1st Place: £500 2nd Place: £300 3rd Place: £100
Create and submit a poster for whatever you like. A very open brief. Why not submit work you have already completed?
They say: "Influencing us every day, posters offer windows into exciting worlds of culture in multi-layered communications distilled into one captivating image, or series of images. Aside from what posters symbolise, and the role they play in different cultural landscapes, they also impact us personally. Posters have the power to quickly capture our imaginations, impact our emotions and influence our behaviours.
Posters have been utilised for centuries to inform, promote, provoke and celebrate, however what is considered a poster today may be open to interpretation. Is a poster displayed on a screen still a poster? Is a poster which is not rectangular still a poster? Is a poster which is predominantly filmed or animated still a poster?
Our aim is to organise an open-minded platform led by questions, not answers. While the format of this project is a competition and inherently critical, our focus is also on celebrating art, championing design and platforming talented people."