Issue05 The By Hand Issue
CURATED BY Faye Adams COVER IMAGE BY Richard Tymon richardtymon.com
Blackburn is Open is a creative regeneration scheme funded by Arts Council England and backed by Blackburn with Darwen Council. Entrepreneur and designer Wayne Hemingway MBE is the creative director. Its ethos is the town’s motto, Arte et Labore, which translates as ‘by art and by labour’ or ‘by skill and hard work’. Blackburn has a
CONTRIBUTORS Faye Adams Sophie Skellern Cameron Proctor DESIGN BY Source Creative sourcecreative.co.uk
proud history of art, industry and innovation. In recognition of this, Blackburn is Open aims to bring together and support a creative community in the heart of the town centre. It also works to make under-utilised spaces and empty shops available to artists and entrepreneurs, support new businesses and celebrate the creative industries.
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PHOTOGRAPHY Richard Tymon richardtymonphotography / Derren Lee Poole phunkography / Cameron Proctor camprosphotos
CONTACT Blackburn is Open, 65 King William Street, Blackburn, BB1 7HU 01254 667130 Blackburnisopen.co.uk ideas@blackburnisopen.co.uk blackburnisopen
INSIDE Issue05 4/ School of Rock Music school MMT is hoping to bring on the rock stars of the future
20/ Grand Designs Talented emerging artists and designers from Blackburn’s arts scene
7/ For the love of wood Printmaker Jacqui Sharples talks about reviving a declining craft
27/ Rock Gods Cameron Proctor reviews Confessional at Holy Trinity Church, Blackburn
10/ Camera Obscura A community darkroom is bringing back the art of film photography
28/ I do Stylist Nina Marika on bringing sparkle to your big day
13/ A stitch in time A new museum celebrates the machines that brought about a revolution
30/ A hive of activity Nurturing the creative spirit of a growth industry
18/ Creative capitalists Students from Sheffield School of Architecture take on The Festival of Making
31/ Radio GaGa Radio reporter Katy Booth on the job she loves
The By Hand Issue By Skill and Hard Work (BS&HW) is a quarterly publication celebrating the creative talents of people who live, work or play in Blackburn. BS&HW celebrates the town and the commitment to skill and hard work of its creative community.
In this issue we consider how in our digital age some people are still finding satisfaction from creating using their hands. Whether it’s the lost art of letterpress, which has recently experienced a revival, or playing an instrument. Although we might need the internet to share our activities there’s no substitute for the hands on experience. 3
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Music school MMT is hoping to bring on the rock stars of the future With the job of a rock star as appealing as it has ever been, business is booming for a new music school with a fresh approach.
And thanks to the rise in popularity of modern folk music and the likes of Mumford & Sons they’ve also had demand for banjo, ukulele and lap steel guitar lessons and even double bass.
Former bandmates Philip McNally and Steven Smith are the brains behind McNally Music Tuition (MMT).
Philip, 29, currently teaches music in Manchester but turned his attention to Blackburn to reignite a once thriving music scene.
The pair from Darwen have renovated a former clothing shop on Sudell Cross, Blackburn, to open the music school that offers tuition to all ages.
He and Steven, who have known each other since childhood, began planning the project more than three years ago. They opened in the summer with support and advice from Blackburn with Darwen Council.
They provide lessons in guitar, violin, piano, keyboard, drums and singing to name but a few, over three floors and throughout five practice rooms.
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Philip said: “One of the main reasons we wanted to do it was that there are so many musicians out there and they don’t have a place where they can meet and socialise with other musicians. “There also aren’t the same opportunities for the kids coming through with less access to music tuition in schools and so much competition for their time with things like computer games – it’s almost a forgotten art.” The pair are quick to point out the benefits of learning a musical instrument from meeting people to improving social skills.
MMT will open six days a week and will be teaming up with Reidys Home Of Music to give students a chance to take part in showcase gigs.
“Even if you don’t end up in a band or become for an example a professional musician the pleasure and relaxation you get from learning an instrument is with you for life,” said Steven, 28.
And rather than forcing newbies down the ‘strait jacket’ of a grade system learners at McNally Music Tuition can choose what they want to play. So whether it’s Led Zeppelin or Lady Gaga students can put their own stamp on what they learn. “We will offer formal grades as well to anyone that wants them but for some students following their interests means they are more passionate about practicing and perfecting what they play.”
mcnallymusictuition.com 01254 491897 6
Printmaker Jacqui Sharples talks about reviving a declining craft Tucked away in an unimposing mill on the outskirts of Blackburn Jacqui Sharples’ studio is an artist’s dream.
When By Skill & Hard Work drops by Jacqui proudly shows off the studio’s covetable skip found furniture and tells the tale of how her introduction to letterpress was the result of similar good fortune.
The triangular shaped room has numerous tall windows designed to maximise the natural light for the factory workers that once occupied the space.
In 2009 she was in her third year of a graphic design degree at University College Blackburn and bought a small Victorian tabletop press from eBay.
Now it is a working studio filled with vintage typecases full of antique letters, presses in varying sizes and other printing paraphernalia.
After catching the printing bug she then bid for a set of lead type that was for sale in nearby Feniscowles.
From here the mum of three runs Print for the Love of Wood which offers bespoke stationery, cards, artwork and gifts. She sells her work all over the world.
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Collecting it she met a retired compositor John, who had worked at Blackburn Times newspaper and whose garage was full of printing equipment. They hit it off, with Jacqui having spent 26 years previously designing for newspapers and magazines. “I went in for some type and came out with a new found friend and mentor,” she beams. Jacqui began designing at home and printing in John’s garage but after her orders began to grow she decided it was time to get her own studio and see if she could build a business from her new found craft. Its launch was the final major project for her degree. Victor, her 1940s printing machine came next and the nail biting day when all one and a half tonnes of it had to levered into the mill with a crane is still fresh in her memory.
“It cost me more to move it than it did to buy it,” she jokes. More good fortune followed when she was contacted by a printers in Accrington keen to see their equipment go to a good home. And she occasionally gets visits from retired printers wanting to pass on their collections safe in the knowledge they’re going to someone who appreciates them. Aware she is among a growing number of people interested in breathing new life into traditional crafts she speaks highly of the letterpress ‘community’ and has seen the interest in the practice grow steadily over the last few years. “It feels like an indie revolution. During the recession more people started working for themselves and from home. And the way I felt was if I can survive the recession then I can make it work when things get better. “
She and fellow enthusiasts send hand printed Christmas cards to one another each year and last year Jacqui’s contribution was a Christmas tree design made entirely from manicules (the pointing finger symbols). She found the inspiration from a donated box full of the symbols and thinking to herself “what am I going to do with all these?” It’s those kind of challenges that she says drive her love of letterpress where creativity is borne through the constraints of using what you have to hand. “With computers there’s an endless choice of fonts and everything else but with letterpress you’ve got to work with what you’ve got. “But you’re in control; you choose the paper, you choose the inks and you mix the colours - the end result is all your own.”
Facebook /Printforloveofwood / @print_for_love printforloveofwood.com 9
Sophie Skellern looks at how the Blackburn photography scene is developing The art of darkroom photography is a complex, but hugely rewarding process. With a variety of ambiguous chemicals, deep-red light bulbs, and strange smells, the occasional sigh of relief can be heard when film goes through the chemical developing process and images come out, fixed forever onto the brown strip of plastic. These sights and sounds are becoming familiar to the team behind Blackburn town centre’s newest edition, Obscura Darkroom. Headed by Derren Lee Poole and a group of other photography enthusiasts, the darkroom will be open to anyone and everyone who fancies giving it a go. Derren, a professional events photographer and a chap who no matter the occasion can always be found with a camera in hand, came up with the idea. He then approached Blackburn is Open, a scheme to support the creative industries and entrepreneurial start-ups, and asked if there was somewhere he could set up. He’d found that as he started to develop film more and more from home, it was apparent that the need for a professional space was there, and so Obscura Darkroom was formed. “Having this opportunity is so exciting”, said Derren. “It’s great that local people who love photography like we do, will get a chance to experience the darkroom. It is definitely a trade that was heading towards the history books so we are thrilled that we are now able to resurrect it, and hopefully it will be cherished by new and future generations to come.” The group intend to run a number of workshops, from 35mm and medium format film developing to basic camera operating workshops, experimenting with film to building a pinhole camera. They’re aiming to open at least three times a week, and will offer a “loan a film camera” service, and options to buy film directly from them for those who are keen to experiment before they invest.
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Blackburn College photography student, Cameron Procter, another member of the team says he’s excited to be involved. After growing up with computers, he says he finds digital photography quite dull and loves the darkroom process and getting his hands dirty. “Analog photography is on an upswing at the moment, and I think it’s important that experienced users and those who have never done it before have an opportunity to follow the process through from start to finish. It’s a great skill to have, and it makes you think about your photography a little differently. There’s a lot you can do with film and the darkroom is a great space to experiment and try out new techniques.” The darkroom is currently only geared up for black and white film, but there are plans for processing and printing colour film in the near future. Alongside large format photography too. Exciting stuff!
Facebook /obscuradarkroom / @filmnotpixels sophieskellern.co.uk 12
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A new sewing museum celebrates the machines that brought about a revolution I like to sew but I don’t spend much time looking at my 80s Bernina sport other than cleaning dust off it when I feel too guilty about another halffinished project.
It realises a lifetime’s ambition for owner Peter Hobkirk whose grandfather established Hobkirks in the early 1900s. It has now grown to a huge enterprise including a sewing school and workshop where the country’s only two sewing machine engineering apprentices have recently been trained.
So to be honest I wasn’t sure whether a sewing machine museum would pique my interest. I was wrong.
Peter’s collection first came about after customers brought in old machines to trade in for new ones back in the 60s.
The Blackburn Sewing Machine Museum newly opened above Blackburn’s Hobkirks Sewing shop is an education in the history of making and a showcase for these often beautifully ornate machines.
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“I’ve been interested in them all my life and I’m fascinated by how they’ve evolved,” he said.
One section tells the embattled story of British industry through its machines. Devoted to the Jones, a model once made in Audenshaw, Manchester the display concludes with a 60s Brother sewing machine. Brother took over the company in 1966 and then began bringing in Japanese Imports.
“They were the first domestic appliance and were quite revolutionary. Imagine you’re sewing by hand and someone comes along with something that makes it 10 even 20 times faster. “
However, today while we may not make sewing machines, the industry around them is thriving.
His search has taken him all over the UK and overseas and even down to auctioneers Christies in London. Others come to him by word of mouth as owners hear of his interest.
This is in no small part down to fashion designer, champion of British industry, and star of The Great British Sewing Bee, Patrick Grant who opened the museum in August as part of Blackburn Heritage Festival.
Now the museum contains 200 machines dating back to 1860s. The oldest is an 1861 Grover and Baker, an American machine made for the British Market According to Peter a self-confessed ‘sewing machine geek’ the tell-tell signs are the ornate legs designed for British sewers who liked their machines to be decorative reflecting the taste for Victoriana.
Peter credits programmes like this and a rise in popularity of crafting with healthy sales of sewing machines and accessories and a rekindling of interest from schools that are incorporating it back into their curriculums. “Sewing is a skill for life and one that is extremely rewarding and creative, it’s great to see a new generation of people discovering it for the first time.”
Other machines have inlaid mother of pearl while some are intricately painted or cast and one, made for a royal jubilee in 1837, has a lovely portrait of Queen Victoria.
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@Hobkirks hobkirk.co.uk
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DECEMBER
Thursday, December 10 BLACKBURN LANTERN PARADE, FIREWORKS AND CATHEDRAL CAROL CONCERT
Wednesday, December 2, 4pm STEEL PAN BAND COMMUNITY SESSIONS Contact kerris@ bureaublackburn.co.uk for more information The Bureau, Victoria Street, Blackburn
Festival of Light lantern parade followed by fireworks at Blackburn Cathedral and Carol Concert. Friday, December 11 LIGHT FANTASTIC!
Thursday, December 3, 4.30–6.30pm MUSIC SPACE (Every Thursday)
A light and projection performance as part of the Festival of Light. The Bureau, Victoria Street, Blackburn
A Community music ensembleall ages/instruments/abilities welcome (free until Christmas) Weekly family event during term time with café The Bureau, Victoria Street, Blackburn
Lantern Parade
Wednesday, December 16, 4pm STEEL PAN BAND COMMUNITY SESSIONS
Friday, December 5, 1.30pm & 6.30pm Horse and Bamboo Theatre Company presents LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD
Learn to play steel panschildren’s session and adult’s session. The Bureau, Victoria Street, Blackburn. kerris@bureaublackburn.co.uk
A gorgeously rendered re-telling of the classic girl-and-the-wolf tale. The Bureau, Victoria Street, Blackburn. Tickets £7. Group rates available.
Thursday, December 17, 6.30–10pm ART SPACE MID WINTER’S PARTY A space to get together: to share, perform, associate, create, exhibit - for ALL ages. A Fun social event with food, bring your own drinks. £3 The Bureau, Victoria Street, Blackburn
Tuesday, December 8 Blackburn Film Club shows AMERICANA V ENGLISHNESS The Bureau, Victoria Street, Blackburn 7.30pm, £3 Facebook.com/blackburnfilmclub
Tuesday, December 22 Blackburn Film Club shows FARGO
Wednesday, December 9, 4pm STEEL PAN BAND COMMUNITY SESSIONS
The Bureau, Victoria Street, Blackburn 7.30pm, £3 Facebook.com/blackburnfilmclub
Learn to play steel panschildren’s session and adult’s session. The Bureau, Victoria Street, Blackburn kerris@ bureaublackburn.co.uk Thursday, December 10, 6.30–9pm DRINK & DRAW - CHRISTMAS PARTY See facebook/website for more details. www.facebook.com/ drinkanddrawblackburn www.drinkanddrawblackburn.com
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Little Red Riding Hood
Tuesday, January 12 (EVERY FORTNIGHT)
JANUARY
Witton City Learning Centre, Buncer Lane, Blackburn 6pm. An open access performance opportunity for children and young people to play on their own or with a group. BDMusic Hub bdmusichub.org / 01254 666525 Thursday, January 21,6.30–10pm ART SPACE (Every third Thursday) A space to get together: to share, perform, associate, create, exhibit - for ALL ages. A Fun social event with food, bring your own drinks. £3 The Bureau, Victoria Street, Blackburn Thursday, February 18 GET CREATIVE Workshops and performances for all ages. Dance, drama, art,crafts, storytelling and more. The Bureau, Victoria Street, Blackburn, 10am-5pm
Get Creative
Saturday, February 27 BACK TO THE BUBBLE FACTORY A celebration of Blackburn Dance Music through the last five decades to raise money for children and young people with cancer. The Bureau, Victoria Street, Blackburn
Drink & Draw
Events
Further details at
blackburnisopen.co.uk 17
FEBRUARY
Creative Capitalists
Students from SheďŹƒeld School of Architecture take on The Festival of Making While some cities are losing music and performance venues to developers and noise complaints from residents, Blackburn is in the fortunate position of having seen a growth in these places.
But it was the challenge of linking these venues together and some of the other spaces soon to be open like The Making Rooms (a Fab Lab, digital, tech and arts centre) for next year’s Festival of Making that was put to students from Sheffield School of Architecture.
Over the last year new venues like The Bureau based in a church that was previously used as a Citizens Advice Bureau and Holy Trinity, a Grade I listed church, have both opened their doors to all manner of gigs, plays and events.
The project called Creative Capital was their chance to help Blackburn make the most of its assets. The group of ten final year students met with local people, venue owners and volunteers as well as organisers of 2016 festival including Wayne Hemingway MBE to assess the size of their challenge.
Even Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery has been attracting music fans for the Night at the Museum Live series and other long standing venues like King Georges Hall continue to thrive.
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They then held ‘Making Sessions’ with locals to get their ideas on what they wanted to see at the festival. The students are the second group from the school of architecture to use Blackburn as a live project, a relationship which tutor Carolyn Butterworth, Director of Live Works finds invaluable. “There’s no substitute really for giving our students a real live situation to work with. It gives them a chance to consider the challenges facing regeneration projects today and to work with clients who are navigating these issues. “In turn the people we work with benefit from not only the objective thoughts and reflections of a group of young people but also receive some really creative and ingenious design solutions.” Following a month of extensive research and consultations the group came up with a collection of design proposals as well as an idea to link the venues through an app that would help the venues interact and assist visitors choosing what festival activity to attend. It was envisaged it would also allow festival goers to record and publish their creations online and project them to a big screen in the town centre. Also suggested was an ambitious system of lighting linked with the app that would signal to visitors which event was busy and which ones were quiet. Alongside these ideas other proposals included a mobile workshop that would tour the town in the year leading up to the festival and festival furniture fabricated out of waste materials using open source designs that would be available for visitors to build their own after the event.
blackburncreativecapital.wordpress.com 19
Talented emerging artists and designers from Blackburn’s arts scene
DESIGNS Sneak If you frequent the likes of Manchester’s trendy Northern Quarter you’re bound to have seen work by the distinctive street artist Sneak.
The Blackburn artist studied visual arts at Salford University after an Art Foundation at Blackburn College, specialising in printmaking and illustration.
Sneak draws on a range of influences from DIY counterculture, graffiti, illustration, philosophy and poetry to create his unique creations.
He sees his street art as ‘liberating a space’ that might otherwise have gone unnoticed. His work has decorated the streets of Europe and the US and most recently he travelled to New York where he exhibited over 100 pieces of his work across the streets of Manhattan, from Seventh Avenue to Greenwich Village.
The majority of his work is hand drawn and often life sized. Its subject matter stems from the frustrations of everyday life and is tinged with a hint of sarcasm.
@SneakArts sneak-art.co.uk
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Haffi Siddiq Twenty-one year old Hafsa Siddiq is the creative force behind fledgling design agency HaffiChan. Recently graduating in graphic communication from the University Centre at Blackburn College Hafsa says she has always been passionate about Art and Design from an early age However, in a familiar tale encountered by many young people she was encouraged to pursue other subjects and to ‘get a proper job’ but that only spurred her on and made her more determined to show how vital creativity is.
“It’s so important for people to express themselves in their own way but I believe if people are passionate enough they can turn what they love into a business.” She started Haffi-Chan while at University after receiving requests for freelance commissions and she also works part time at an organisation setting up a youth led design agency. In addition, she is a member of The Love & Etiquette foundation which encourages participation in the arts by the Asian communities. She takes inspiration from fusing Eastern and Western culture and styles together and is particularly interested in Islamic art. “I tend to make my work colourful, eye-catching, and unique...”
Facebook /HaffiChan haffi-chan.co.uk
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Kirstie Gilleade Blackburn based freelance illustrator Kirstie Gilleade’s ambition is to see her work on her own line of stationery and clothing.
She takes her inspiration from children’s books and photography. And admits that listening to other peoples’ conversations can spark ideas. She is particularly driven by the challenge to communicate emotions in uncomplicated ways and is struck by how powerful a message can be when it is depicted simply.
The 21 year-old graduated from Blackburn University Centre after studying illustration and animation. Recent commissions have included a busking station for Blackburn is Open to give buskers a platform on which to perform and personalised wedding thank you cards.
Facebook /kirstie.gilleade mayblossoms.com
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CATTLE & CANE
ED BYRNE
BEARDYMAN
Friday, November 27, 8pm BEARDYMAN: ONE ALBUM PER HOUR Beardyman is proud to present the debut UK tour of his critically acclaimed show, One Album Per Hour. Saturday, November 28, 8pm AN EVENING WITH NOEL FIELDING Noel Fielding is embarking on his first live tour in five years. Expect a magical mix of Noel’s unique brand of stand-up comedy, live animation, music and some of Fielding’s best known TV characters.
Saturday, January 30, 9pm SOUL NIGHT OUT
Friday, February 19, 7pm CATTLE AND CANE
The North West’s longest running Soul Night Out.
From their Tee-side Roots Cattle and Cane will be performing feverishly on our stage.
Thursday, February 11, 8pm ED BYRNE: OUTSIDE, LOOKING IN That bloke. You know. The Irish guy. No, not the bald one. The other one. You know him. The one Carol from work really likes. Wait, that might be Jason Byrne. Anyway. Funny chap. Has a new show!
WWW.KINGGEORGESHALL.COM
Tuesday, February 23, 7.30pm MADAM BUTTERFLY-RUSSIAN STATE OPERA The Russian State Opera presents Madam Butterfly. One of the most colourful & exotic operas with music by Puccini.
BOOKINGS: 0844 847 1664
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Confessional at Holy Trinity Church, Blackburn I’m no churchgoer, but when I entered the Holy Trinity on an early autumn evening and found myself presented with Matt Abbott, standing before the evening’s congregation, smoothly ringing out a tale of adultery and casual intimacy in his heavy Yorkshire dialect not far from a font full of bottled wine, I held back the urge to cross myself. Confessional, an all-day music festival organised by the very team who put out the immensely popular Night at the Museum Live gigs, stayed true to its name not only in location, but in concept; Lord, forgive us our sins. Riding through an Indian summer, the service ran for an impressive twelve hours. In the afternoon, people spilled out onto the
grounds to enjoy food, sunshine, the likes of Freakout Honey’s dreamy psychedelia, and live art. But when the sun dropped away, the tempo picked up. With stage lighting streaming through the stained-glass windows and smoke pumping out into the nave, attendees gathered for a communion of spoken word, electropop, and indie rock, featuring acts such as Manchester’s Passion Falls and the headlining The Tea Street Band. As one might imagine, the building’s acoustics weren’t designed for such loud strumming and aggressive beats, but when you’re kicking back in a pew with beer in hand, admiring the holy light splayed out across the walls, you don’t really mind such minor downfalls. Facebook /nightatthemuseumlive cameronprocter.co.uk 27
Music and décor aside, perhaps the most impressive aspect of the evening was the number of guests it attracted. Over 300 people came down throughout the course of the day, and while it’s not uncommon for Night at the Museum Live to sell out, there’s something telling in the fact that these sporadic events manage to draw in so many people. Like Pilgrimage, a series of themed raves hosted by Gypsy Carrot Productions at the Bureau, another disused church-turnedvenue space in the town centre. While partying in a church is certainly a curious thing, when the novelty wears off, you come to find that it wasn’t just a good party, it was an absolutely necessary salvation. Review by Cameron Proctor
Stylist Nina Marika on bringing sparkle to your big day Pinterest boards and Instagram feeds are buzzing these days with all sorts of weird and wonderful weddings. It seems like more and more people are enjoying putting their own stamp on the big day and anything goes. Venues can range from farmer’s fields to cinemas, camper vans or even buses pass for wedding cars and any bride worth her salt has homemade favours. At the end of the day it’s all about personality.
The rustic autumn wedding was a hit on website ‘Love My Dress’ where brides post photos of their nuptials and as a result Nina thought it would be fun to help others have their perfect day.
“My day job involves making creative decisions quickly, working to deadlines and is generally quite high energy so I don’t feel daunted by this kind of thing - I just really enjoy it.”
Launching just under a year ago she already has several weddings under her belt with orders coming in for next year.
A big fan of supporting British makers she likes to make what she can herself and what she can’t make she sources as locally as possible.
And though for most people thinking about their own wedding is headache enough it’s a piece of cake for Nina.
Helping couples put something of themselves into their celebration is the job of wedding stylist Nina Marika.
“I love foraging and using what I can find when I’m out walking in the countryside with my children.” And as you’d imagine wallpaper takes a starring role and has become a bit of a signature for Nina who has used it for table coverings and dramatic back drops.
Dubbed a fairy godmother by one of her brides she offers bespoke packages varying from organising and sourcing everything for an event to just swooping in on the actual day and making sure everything looks like a blogger’s dream.
So if you’re wondering what’s the secret of a good wedding according to Nina is all about the details. “It’s about creating that atmosphere for all your guests from start to finish that way everyone has a great time. For example I booked a ukulele band which we’d seen on my hen do and kept it a secret from my hens – they loved it. It’s moments like that you never forget.”
The senior stylist at Blackburn wallpaper company Graham & Brown took up the venture after organising her own wedding and loving every minute of it.
ninamarika.co.uk 28
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Nurturing the creative spirit of a growth industry The creative industries are a growing sector and one of the country’s biggest industries.
The next meeting of the Hive will be see fashion designer and host of TV’s Sewing Bee Patrick Grant attend as Creative Hive champion.
They’re worth almost £80 billion a year to our economy.
The event will be geared towards start-ups and people looking to enter the creative industries and feature a panel of representatives from successful businesses who will share their stories and talk about what they’ve learned.
So it’s no surprise that supporting them has become a key priority for many public sector organisations. In Blackburn the Blackburn is Open scheme, backed by Arts Council England and supported by Blackburn with Darwen Council, is aimed at assisting the creative industries by providing empty spaces for entrepreneurs to try out new ideas.
They will include the pair behind events guide and ticket outlet Skiddle which is now worth over £15million. Future events include business surgeries, sessions on how to market your business and how to price your products.
Central to the initiative is the Creative Hive, a business network that aims to support fledging and established creative businesses and start-ups.
Organiser Ruth Raban said: ” A lot of creative businesses can feel isolated and aren’t sure if they’re doing it right.
It also works to offer employment opportunities for graduates in the arts and creative sector. The last event saw the screening of Made You Look a documentary on the UK’s graphic arts scene featuring the likes of Jon Burgerman and Pete Fowler.
“The new Creative Hive events have been designed with them in mind. We want to offer them a chance to network and connect with people who can give them the advice and support they need to grow their creative ideas.”
Director Anthony Peters was there to introduce the film at University Centre at Blackburn College and discuss the motivations behind the project including showing young people what options were open to them. blackburnisopen.co.uk creative-hive 30
Katy Booth is a broadcast journalist, online editor and news reader for The Bee radio station. The Blackburn based newshound talks to BS&HW about the job she loves.
/ I always wanted to work in media of some sort for as long as I can remember. I originally worked in daytime TV production but the process was too slow. What I love about my job is how face paced it is. I can have an idea for a story, set it up, record it and it’ll be broadcast and on the web in a matter of hours. / I was working for the BBC when the queen came to visit Blackburn last year and I loved the buzz about the place. I was leading the Maundy Money project, speaking to lots people who were receiving coins. It was great to get to know lots of different families and share their special day.
/ It’s a very intense job with tight hourly deadlines, so you’ve got to be able work at your best while under pressure. Confidence is also key, not only when on-air, but you could be talking to anyone from celebrities to politicians in any given day. Plans can and do change quickly if a story breaks too, so you need to be flexible to adapt to that. / I’m not the sort of journalist who enjoys ‘bad news’. I like local stories with a feel good factor that can make people happy. I’ve been going to lots of Rovers matches this season so would love to report on something like them being promoted to the premiership or winning the FA Cup... I can dream!
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/ With the nature of news changing radio has to adapt to stay ahead of the game, like it always has done, otherwise we’d still be playing vinyl records and using tape. The industry has to embrace the web element of our work, rather than feel challenged, otherwise we’ll get left behind. The Bee’s brand is now seen as multi-platform news, rather than just what you hear out of your speakers.
A vibrant new Arts Centre in the heart of Blackburn, providing versatile space for arts activities, music, cultural events and community participation.
To book, volunteer or organise an event visit bureaublackburn.co.uk or email info@bureaublackburn.co.uk
The BUREAU
St John’s Church, Victoria St, Blackburn Mon, Tue, Thu and Fri : 1pm–5pm web BureauBlackburn.co.uk