Rochdale

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Poetry in The Park Book Launch 2nd Dec 2022


Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been editing submitted poems, selecting poems for publication, designing the layout and creating the cover for our large print anthology. After all that creative and technical work I now enter the easier, but tense, phase of waiting for copies to arrive through the post.

Image of the anthology cover with an image of a tree in Autumn and text against a mid green background.

The book, draft cover shown here, will be launched on Friday 2nd December at 11.00am where some of the twelve contributing poets will read selected poems. There will also be opportunity to meet and speak to the poets.

Refreshments will be provided and copies of Poetry in the Park will be available to take away.

All are welcome to attend at Hare Hill House, in Hare Hill Park, Littleborough.

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Touchstones Creative Writing Group – an Anniversary

Photography of the entrance to Touchstones, Rochdale

Seven years ago my friend and fellow poet and writer, Norman Warwick, retired to Lanzarote. Norm, part of All Cross the Arts in Rochdale, had facilitated the Touchstones Creative Writing Group every month for some years and the group was going well.

I received an email from the group secretary asking me if i would be able to facilitate their next session in October 2015 as Norm wouldn’t be around. of course I said yes and created a workshop for the group.

Since then TCWG have called in a number of writers to facilitate their sessions and I’ve delivered brand new workshops every few months for the group.

Yesterday I walked through those doors and delivered a workshop about Time and Place in writing.

Seven years and over 20 workshops where I’ve seen members come and go. We used technology during the pandemic, we’ve met in various rooms including the galleries whilst open to the public. I can honestly say that its been a privilege to work with the members and to see how they’ve developed over the years.

So as Norm celebrates 7 years of retirement in Lanzarote, where he is embedded in the local writing and cultural scenes, I celebrate my own 7 years of working with TCWG.

Norm writes about arts and culture, in Lanzarote, Rochdale, and around the world, on his blog ”All Across the Arts, Sidetracks and Detours” at https://aata.dev

All Across the Arts continues to deliver arts and cultural stories, inspiration and events in Rochdale, curated by Steve Cooke with a twice weekly column in the local papers and online at www.allacrossthearts.com

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Summer Holiday Workshops

I’ve had an amazing Summer running workshops as part of the HAF (Health Activity and Food) working with young people from age 5 to 11. Your Trust Rochdale, the borough’s cultural and leisure trust, had asked me to deliver sessions following feedback from sessions I had previously delivered for HAF last Summer and at Easter.

I delivered a total of 13 sessions at schools and libraries in Darnhill, Heywood, Middleton, Smallbridge and Kirkholt in Rochdale, and were attended by between 12 and 22 young people at each.

Each workshop involved storytelling, with a new series of children’s stories I have been developing, learning about a topic, creative writing and drawing and colouring matching the themes of each topic. in some sessions we also shared some poetry and children produced some of their own.

The workshops were titled:

My Ocean Adventure, My Space Adventure, My Minibeast Adventure, My Dinosaur Adventure and Endangered – Creatures at Risk.

Here are just a few examples of the work produced by young people at my HAF workshops

All of the workshops were very well received and when a 7 year old on my final session (one of My Ocean Adventure sessions) said ”That was a really good story” I couldn’t have been happier.

The workshops are all now available for schools, and other groups, and are suitable for anyone from 5 to 11, including children with special needs. Each session can be run over one hour or two hours depending on ages and needs of the group.

I’m always happy to discuss the sessions I offer and availability and can also prepare bespoke sessions as required for all age groups for age 5 upwards.

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OnePoetsVision artwork on sale at Touchstones in Rochdale

My artwork displayed in Touchstones

I was very pleased to be approached, in December, by Touchstones, Rochdale’s Art Gallery and Museum, asking if I’d agree to be a featured artist in the Gallery shop. After a successful Christmas Market I took a portfolio of images along and agreed the range that would be on sale, and the pricing.

As of today, 13th January, some my work is for sale in the gallery shop for the first time. The Touchstones gallery and museum is well worth a visit and is open from Wednesday to Saturday from 10.00am to 5.00pm and on Sundays from 10.00am to 4.00pm and admission of free of change.

There are handmade linocut prints in two sizes, greeting cards, photographic prints, Rochdale postcards and copies of my poetry book, Thinking TooMuch.

Over the next few weeks I will be adding some recently completed greeting card designs and a number of giclee prints.

Wide shot of the Touchstones shop
Three linocut prints on display
10×8 Handmade Linocut Prints on Japanese Agwami paper with archival oil based ink and mounts
Photos and postcards of Rochdale
A selection of professionally printed 10×8 photographic prints and postcards of Rochdale landmarks
Mounted photos of Hollingworth lake and waterfowl
10×8 professionally printed photographs of Hollingworth Lake at sunrise, a duckling and a gull at sunrise
Three small linocut prints
Small 8×6 handmade linocut prints of a vintage Kodak Brownie camera, Whitby Pier and Whitby Abbey
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Gaia and Xmas Lights Rochdale

Gaia installation with lighted moon

This evening Rochdale was damp, varying between drizzle and rain, and it was anything but warm.

The crowds however were out in force for the opening of the Gaia Installation and the switching on of the Christmas lights. We were entertained by street theatre with some very impressive drummers and circus skills.

Performer suspended below a large balloon

The highlights included an aerial show by an artist suspended from a balloon floating over Riverside and a couple of spectacular peacock puppets.

The Gaia Installation

A bright puppet of a peacock
Brightly lit drummers in the street

The lights were lit, the crowds cheered and applauded and the Gaia exhibit spun slowly as hundreds of people looked on and took their photos and selfies of themselves and their children holding up Planet Earth.

Christmas Lights in Rochdale

The entertainment reached its conclusion and the coffee shops did a roaring trade as people headed home or to the shops. Once again Rochdale had done itself proud.

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Printmaking afternoon preparing for Touchstones Christmas Market

A picture of some of the prints I've made including a tree, an owl, and our black cat Bluebell

This afternoon I’ve been making some prints ready for the first ever Touchstones Christmas Market.

This is an artists and makers market so you’ll have a chance to browse and buy goods from local creators who will be happy to tell you about their work

The market will feature arts, crafts and handmade goods just in time for those last Christmas gifts and cards. The market will take place on Saturday 11th and Sunday 11th December and will be open from 10:00am to 4:00pm on both days.

I’ll be bringing a range of greeting cards, hand-pulled prints, photography and books.

I’m sure there will be a great range of products from local creators and it promises be a great event.

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Review – A Virtual Audience with Grayson Perry

This weekend my review of a special event by Touchstones Rochdale, hosted at Faling Park High school, appeared in the Rochdale Observer. You can read the slightly longer version of the review here:

May be an image of text that says "SATURDAY, WHAT'S ON with All Across the Arts w Grayson makes big artistic impression BYSEAMUSKELLY 23,2021ROCHDALE OBSERVER mathyf artscouncilcollection.org. goodmove 4.9/5 Exhibitions draw on heritage WE BUY HOUSES FOR CASH qut ndays timescale obligation condition T NAPB approved RICS regulated WHAT'S PAID 0800 031 9071 goodhousemove.co.uk RICS uk/e/166938271865 www.allacrossthearts.com stevecswct@ gmail.com"

Touchstones, Rochdale has been hosting the wonderful “Vanity of small differences” exhibition of tapestries by Grayson Perry.

A virtual audience with Grayson Perry, hosted at Falinge Park High School gave local people an opportunity to listen to the artist a virtual audience was held at Falinge Park High School hosted by students Isra and Aliah who introduced the artist with great confidence.

During the periods of Covid-19 lockdown, Perry, winner of the 2003 Turner prize for his exquisite ceramics, has become well know to television viewers through his Art Club Series. His 2012 Channel 4 television series, “All in the best possible taste with Grayson Perry”, was an examination of taste and class around the country and The Vanity of small differences is a set of six very large tapestries developed from that.

Grayson Perry, on a large screen courtesy of modern technology, spoke about how this series of artworks about class and taste came about. In the 19th century art was largely the preserve of gentleman painters and very much an upper-middle class intellectual pursuit and Perry has spent his career trying to correct that and democratise art; “In art everybody’s opinion is valid”. Influences for the work come from The Rakes Progress by Hogarth and lots of references to Renaissance religious paintings.

Having heard the stories behind each of the tapestries, and how the images were developed through sketches, collage and final designs in Photoshop before the physical tapestries were machine woven by a specialist company in Flanders, audience members asked questions:

Does art still have the power to change the way people think? “Yes, especially TV and things with really big audiences, less so for ceramics and tapestries. I set out to make art because I liked making it, I never set out to make art to influence people”.

How does he feel about the exclusion of arts from the school curriculum? “It is a tragedy; the arts help you to live a good life”. As chancellor of the University of the Arts this is really important to him.

Would it be worth living in a world or society without art? “The short answer is No!”. The longer answer spoke of the primal importance of art, how that even in the most primitive societies people were allowed to spend valuable time making art; that’s a measure of its importance. Art is all about telling our stories and that is essential.

How can we get more young people interested in art? “By having some empathy for the audience, including young people, but certainly not by dumbing it down to the point where people get bored”.

His final comment on art; “You don’t have to like it all”.

Grayson Perry had certainly displayed an empathy of this remote Rochdale audience and we left filled with inspiration and enthusiasm, and if we pass that on to others then the event was a great success.

Thanks to:

Lisa Alen, Touchsones/YourTrust Rochdale

Falinge Park High School

Further information can be found on the Arts Council England website – https://www.artscouncilcollection.org.uk/exhibition/grayson-perry-vanity-small-differences-0