Culture on a Shoestring Issue #4 by Blaze

Bruce Nauman Special Free Magazine

Contents 1 – Editor’s Note 2 – Meet the Team 3 – Featured Young Producer 4 – Blaze Festival Photos 5 – Blaze Festival: What’s Next? 6 – Critical Review Writing Workshop Review 7 – Bruce Nauman in York Review 8 – An Introduction to Conceptual Art 9 – Interview: Clarissa Corfe 10 – Bruce Nauman Reactions 11 – Bruce Nauman Reactions 12 – Chatting to ARTIST ROOMS 13 – ARTIST ROOMS Interview: Alyson Rolington 14 – A Grand Day Out at the Library 15 – Inside the Harris Open 16 – Chat with County Councellor Marcus Johnstone 17 – Chatting to a Cinema Owner 18 – The Engine Rooms 19 – Through the Eyes of a Stage Manager 20 – Review: Guantanamo Boy 21 – What’s On

Editor’s Note Welcome to the fourth issue of Culture on a Shoestring! Since last time we spoke, Blaze Festival lit up half term in rainy Preston, and we’ve had some great feedback from the local community. Check out page 4 for some of the photos Within Six, a group of photographers based at UCLan, took of the event. I’ll let you into a little secret, too: I’ve been working on a documentary covering the festival, which will be available at blazeonline.org.uk by the end of January. This issue brings you right up to date with the goings-on at Blaze HQ, where we’re focusing on the upcoming Bruce Nauman exhibition at the Harris Museum & Art Gallery. His work will be on show from 15th February and to bring you the lowdown we’ve been exploring the themes of contemporary and conceptual art, interviewing ARTIST ROOMS about their touring collections (more on page 13!) and visiting Bruce Nauman’s work at York Art Gallery. As if all that wasn’t enough, we’ve also got a wealth of other articles including the Engine Rooms in Skelmersdale, team member Jakub’s adventure in Stage Management at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester and an interview with a County Councillor for Lancashire! So please enjoy this jam-packed issue, and remember the team would love to hear what you think. Drop me a line at hello@ cultureonashoestring.co.uk to leave your thoughts or complete the Survey Monkey on our website, and you could win some free tickets to see a production at the Grand Theatre in Lancaster this Spring. Bye for now,

Editor’s Note

Meet the team

Anthony Price

Ollie Briggs

Editor

Designer

Shona Thompson

Joanna Embley

Media Officer

Photography Editor

Jakub Jezierski

Natasha Carter

Conori BellBhuiyan

Contributor

Meet the Team

JOANNA Hello! As Culture on a Shoestring’s Photography Editor I write articles, organise the photography you see in these pages and help out wherever else I can. I first became involved with Blaze through somewhereto_, back when I exhibited some of my photography at an event that the folks at Blaze also attended. Blaze then introduced me to the Ignite Programme, which gave me the opportunity to work as an Arts Assistant with Burnley Borough Council. Through that experience I developed my skills in timekeeping, organisation and communication. Following on from that, I became further involved in Blaze as a Festival Producer for Blaze Festival in 2012. During the run-up to the festival I coordinated and recruited people for a dance piece by Geraldine Pilgrim called ‘Handbag’. The build-up to the event was intense, but we pulled it off magnificently! A year later at Blaze Festival 2013 I organised Blaze Lounge, a song writing workshop and music gig that closed the four-day festival. Blaze Festival 2013 was superb, and throughout the four days something was always programmed to happen – film, workshops, music and even more. It was incredibly challenging but we’ll definitely be doing it all over again! I’ve been incredibly lucky to be a part of such a fabulous team, building contacts and continuing to pick up skills. I wouldn’t hesitate to advise anyone to come and join the Blaze team as a 1625 year old. You’ll work with the best people while constantly throwing around new ideas. Even if you don’t class yourself as ‘arty’ or ‘creative’ there is always something to do within Blaze – it’s such a versatile organisation that is open to everyone.

Illustration by Jess Worrall

Featured Young Producer

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEXT? Blaze Festival was a roaring success, lighting up the Hub on Lancaster Road during October Half Term. Here are the best bits!

Photography by Within Six

Blaze Festival

Portable Projection Since Blaze Festival 2013 we’ve all been hard at work taking Portable Projection into the future – and fear not, we’ll be back very soon! We’re proud to say on February 8th we’re weaving a Portable Projection screening into National Libraries day, right here at the Harris Library in Preston. Join us on the day for a showing of “The Iron Giant”, based on the book “The Iron Man” by Ted Hughes. For more information about Portable Projection, contact:

anthony@cultureonashoestring.co.uk

Level Up We’d like to take the opportunities, advice and information we brought together for Level Up and make them accessible to a wider audience, so we’re currently creating a website to do just that. Going online will allow us to store all the resources aiming to support young and creative people to get into the creative industry, and it’ll make them available around the clock. Don’t worry, though – we’re going to support this with programmed activities every now and then! For more information regarding Level Up, contact:

jakub@cultureonashoestring.co.uk

Blaze Lounge Blaze Lounge workshops are run in partnership with More Music and give young people the chance to develop songwriting and performance skills. They’re going on in Preston, Skelmersdale and Burnley – why not give one a go? If you’re interested in getting involved, email Darren at:

darren.leadsom@moremusic.org.uk

Blaze Festival

During Blaze Festival 2013, I was asked to lead a Critical Review Writing Workshop. Then, ironically enough, I was asked to write a review of that workshop for this magazine. Let’s see how objective I can be… I found myself at the Blaze Hub in Preston with my pretty new laptop and a PowerPoint I was praying would work – and luckily for me there were knowledgeable techno-gods there to aid me through, and all went smoothly. There were a few other Culture on a Shoestring writers there to listen to my awe inspiring wisdom on critical review writing, as well as some newbies I hope will soon join the team. Now there really aren’t that many ways to make critical review writing interesting and fun. Even the name seems to excite, at most, a yawn. But I tried my best with the help of cartoon greats like Tom, Jerry and The Simpsons, however tenuous their relevance was. The session was running quite smoothly… until another Culture on a Shoestring writer (who shall remain anonymous) did something that is almost blasphemous amongst writers. He PLAGIARISED! It was all in jest of course and I, taking on my stern teacher persona, chastised the awful boy. But, to my abject horror, this moment was caught on film. I would say this workshop was a success (not that I’m biased or anything) and I hope you’ll see a marked improvement in this edition of Culture on a Shoestring. Now I do have a few requests for my readers… first is that you come to the festival next year and participate in our workshops and events. The next is that if you can write a great review about something, then please do send your work in. And finally, though I may get into trouble for saying this, is that you NEVER watch the upcoming documentary about the festival. No one wants to see my embarrassing teacher impression. I may just scare little children.

by Natasha Carter

Bruce Nauman in York I recently visited the ARTIST ROOMS exhibition in York, which focused on a single artist’s work: Bruce Nauman. Some of the Culture on a Shoestring team went to York Art Gallery to see it ahead of the work arriving at the Harris Museum & Art Gallery in February – we’re doing a spot of marketing for it, so it was great to see the artwork for ourselves! I’ll start by saying that I like the fact Nauman uses lots of different media rather than concentrating on one. My main feeling around this is the exhibition can then be marketed as an experience, rather than a typical collection of similar artwork. I find this important because for a lot of people, myself included, conceptual art can be remarkably challenging. However, it was the space the exhibition inhabited that caused a problem for me. With the work being presented in a disused church, I found the exhibition pushed away its environment rather than working with it. This caused me to be a little uncomfortable on my feet knowing I was stepping on graves and watching explicit footage placed next to war memorials that graced the walls. I also found a little confusion in distinguishing the church’s architecture with the artwork; in this case the piece called “Partial Truth 1997”. As far as the artwork went, the neon pieces (particularly “Violins Violence Silence 1981-2) stood as the focus point, while “Three Dead End Adjacent Tunnels, Not Connected 1981” mirrored the triangular neon work opposite. I thought “Untitled (Hand Circle) 1996” had potential with the shadow it cast, but I felt the piece itself was overshadowed by its location. Overall, the exhibition demonstrated Nauman’s use of multiple art forms well, showcasing a wide range of pieces of artwork. I’m looking forward to seeing them in the Harris Museum in February!

by Jakub Jezierski & Anthony Price Bruce Nauman, VIOLINS, VIOLENCE, SILENCE, 1981-2. ARTIST ROOMS Tate and National Galleries of Scotland. Lent by Anthony D’Offay 2010.

Conceptual art “If I was an artist and I was in the studio, then whatever I was doing in the studio must be art.” - Bruce Nauman Conceptual Art is a term used to cover a wide range of artistic acts sharing the common thought that the idea behind the artwork is more important than the art object itself. For conceptual artists the material used to produce the art is considered a result of the art, but the idea it portrays is the crucial part. This is quite hard to understand when traditional art has always been analysing the skill of the artist or the way the artwork is made: with conceptual art the point to be considered is how the audience’s view changes or they now think about what the artwork is showing. The first piece of Conceptual Art was made by Marcel Duchamp, who placed an upside down urinal signed with an artist’s mark in an exhibition. This commonplace object, which was not made by the artist, suddenly became art. Conceptual art raises questions like, ‘What makes something art? How can an object be called a work of art? Is it when an artist declares it as art?’ Conceptual Art as a movement emerged during the 1960’s when many artists were frustrated with the way art had become a business, with paintings and sculptures being bought and sold. So they rejected traditional forms of art and began thinking conceptually. Bruce Nauman was one of these artists who began thinking, ‘If I was an artist and I was in the studio, then whatever I was doing in the studio must be art.’ So his art became more of an activity and less of a product. Nauman creates work in many media including sculpture, neon, video, drawing and performance. He goes against the conventional idea that all artists must have an ouvre that makes them recognisable as the artist. In conceptual art the idea acts as the machine that makes the art.

by Hannah Whitlow

Clarissa Corfe curates exhibitions at the Harris Museum & Art Gallery, including Bruce Nauman’s. Her role includes, as she puts it ‘a bit of everything’ –sorting out practical issues, writing interpretation, liaising with the tons of people involved in putting on a exhibition and organising the gallery layout so the show can ‘make sense on a visual, spatial and conceptual level.’ Clarissa described some of the exhibition highlights for me, including the iconic ‘Changing Light Corridor With Rooms’, which hasn’t been installed in the UK for about 25 years. The piece is about our relationship with space – particularly tight enclosed spaces (the artwork is a long enclosed space with lights). Nauman is interested in the relationship people have with the spaces they are in, including his own relationship with his own studio workspace. It’s a theme that can be glimpsed through much of his work. Clarissa is also setting up multiple monitors to show the 12-monitor version of ‘Violent Incident’. ‘Normally it’s shown on a single channel, but we have it on multiple screens, so that’s really exciting, to be able to show how the artist originally envisioned the piece.’ The wide, high ceilings of the Victorian museum suit this style of work, and Clarissa is interested in the contrast of antique architecture and neon artworks. ‘I’m really excited by the tension it creates by bringing together the historical context of the building and the contemporary work that we’re showing in it. That juxtaposition is visually very exciting.’ ‘Nauman’s work is concerned with our relationship to space, communication and incommunicado [not being able to communicate with others].’ The ideas behind contemporary art may sometimes be hard to grasp, but as someone who could be described as ‘the father of contemporary art’, Bruce Nauman’s works are full of ideas that can be universally understood.

by Conori Bell-Bhuiyan

BRUCE Nauman reactions In 1967 and 1968 Nauman begin producing videos of himself carrying out various monotonous tasks, like exercises in his studio. These performances included the artist bouncing in the corner of a room, walking exaggeratedly around the perimeters of a square and walking up and down a narrow passageway. The latter piece is called Walk with Contrapposto (1968) where Nauman is seen shifting the weight of his hips back and forth with each step in an exaggerated manner, imitating the traditional poses of a classical sculpture as he walks in the confines of some corridor walls. Performance Corridor (1969), on show at The Harris from 15th February, marks a pivotal point in Nauman’s work. The corridor was the prop for the video piece but now is put into the public realm shifting the focus from the artist’s presence to Nauman manipulating the movement and experience of the audience. The corridor is left without instructions for the beholder to decide whether to enter or not.

by Hannah Whitlow This interaction with the beholder, and the provoking of a reaction, is a theme running throughout Nauman’s works. Here’s what the Culture on a Shoestring team make of his work so far!

Hannah

“I love how Nauman’s work makes the beholder question human sensory perception. By using lots of different media, Nauman draws viewers into new experiences to make us think about acts of doing.”

Anthony

“Whilst conceptual art isn’t my cup of tea, I think it’s great to experience something that doesn’t have a right or wrong answer. Regardless of your level of interpretation, your opinion is still incredibly valuable.”

Jakub

“The art created by Bruce Nauman is quite unusual. Rather than concentrating just on the art itself, the artist is drawing our attention to the process of the creation and what happens in the studio, showing that sometimes it’s the journey that matters the most. It’s certainly not appealing to everyone, but it seems that Bruce Nauman really wants an emotional reaction, and his work definitely provokes one.”

Joanna

“I find Bruce Naumans work incredibly intriguing; it definitely captures your attention, whether positive or not. Through his art he addresses issues honestly which I find highly respectable. His artwork is striking and prominent and allows you to interpret his work openly.”

Laura

“When visiting the Nauman exhibition in York, there was a box where people could leave a single word to demonstrate how the exhibition had affected them. The answers included; angry, comforted, confused, tired and intrigued. Seeing this array of responses made me look at the work a second time with new eyes; sharing the experience with other visitors in this way was really thought provoking and I’ve been looking at artwork differently ever since.” What do you think of Bruce Nauman’s artwork? Come and add your opinions to the mix when the exhibition opens on 15th February at the Harris Museum!

Compiled by Joanna Embley

ChatTing to With a selection of Bruce Nauman works en route to the Harris Museum & Art Gallery, I had a chat with Amy Dickson, Managing Curator of ARTIST ROOMS, about the story behind the collection. Through the generosity of Anthony d’Offay, founder of the collection, approximately a thousand artworks were given to the National Galleries of Scotland and Tate in 2008 and the collection is still growing. There are three guiding principles for how the collection is used as Amy went on to explain: Using the artwork to make bespoke, monographic exhibitions - Anthony d’Offay wanted to ensure the collection remained fresh. This means that every exhibition is conceived especially for a particular audience. Nauman’s fascinating installation piece, ‘Changing Light Corridor with Rooms 1971’, will be presented in the UK for the first time in 25 years at the Harris. Rather than being presented pre-built, the installation will be constructed by the Harris Museum staff using the light bulb and set of instructions provided. Be shared with partners around the country - Capturing the importance of accessibility, the second principle of the collection is that it wasn’t just shown in your typical cultural hotspots like London, Edinburgh and Liverpool. Instead it gave the collection liberty to visit places like Preston, where contemporary art might not be so accessible. As Amy said, Anthony d’Offay had grown up in Leicester where he’d had a formative experience at the New Walk Gallery as a young person, which kickstarted his love of art, and ‘he wants people, particularly young people, to have that same opportunity.’ Be used particularly to inspire young people - Young people haven’t only been able to experience the touring collection, they’ve been able to have an influence on how even Amy has viewed works in the ARTIST ROOMS collection. It’s great to know Anthony’s vision was very much geared towards young people and improving their accessibility to contemporary art through the ARTIST ROOMS collection.

by Anthony Price

Whenever you’re at an art exhibition, take a second and spare a thought for the masses of preparation and planning that went into making that exhibition possible. Only now have I realised exactly how much work and how many considerations there are in the behind-the-scenes process of putting together an art exhibition. The realisation came after talking to the ARTIST ROOMS Registrar for the upcoming Bruce Nauman exhibition, Alyson Rolington. She describes her job as ‘to deal with the practical aspects of putting on the exhibition - the logistics of how the works get to the gallery, the information on how to install particular works, making sure the work is safe - basically taking care of the collection.’ Even as we’re talking, a curator comes into the room and passes Alyson a printout showing readings of the exhibition room’s humidity and temperature levels – which need to be stable enough to provide an environment that’s safe to display certain works of Nauman’s art. ‘There are a lot of things to consider when setting up his work. If you think of the neon pieces, just think, that’s neon gas flowing through thin tubes all interlocking together, that’s really quite delicate. Then you have works on paper that have their own different needs.’ ‘There’s a real mix of work in terms of media, and what you can expect and what you can get from it. The neon works are beautiful… Then you have Changing Light Corridor that actually we haven’t shown before as part of the ARTIST ROOMS. So that’s quite exciting for us to be putting up something we haven’t seen before.’ Nauman’s work can be difficult to interpret, but that’s one of the reasons Alyson finds it so interesting. ‘I really like contemporary art for that,’ she says when I ask about the challenging nature of Nauman’s style, ‘…that idea that you really have to think about it. Everyone can interpret it slightly differently.’

by Conori Bell-Bhuiyan

On Saturday 8th February, National Libraries Day will be celebrated in spectacular fashion with 600 events happening in 12 libraries across Lancashire. Our very own Harris Library is one of these venues, so we couldn’t help but get involved! Here’s a little preview of what we’ve got planned… There’ll be some familiar presences from Blaze Festival, including our very own Portable Projection. We’ll be screening “The Iron Giant”, the 1999 film based on the classic children’s book “The Iron Man” by Ted Hughes. Talkeoke will be back, too, which is a live chat show that promises to host some topical discussions around libraries. Libraries Day will also see our first ever Social Media Surgery, where you’ll be able to visit some of the Culture on a Shoestring team at our HQ and ask us your social media-related questions. Shona and Anthony are also busy organising an Arts Award taster event for anyone interested in getting started with their Bronze. And to top it all off, Culture on a Shoestring will be celebrating its first Birthday! To mark the occasion we’ll be hosting a free masterclass in critical writing at the Harris Library with Laura Robertson from The Double Negative. If you’ve got any questions about Culture on a Shoestring’s events, drop the team an email at hello@cultureonashoestring.co.uk - we’d love to hear from you! For more information about Libraries Day, including other events and libraries participating, call 0845 053 0005 or email library@lancashire.gov.uk

by Laura Haddick

FREE

The Blaze team recently got involved in curating the Open Exhibition at the Harris Museum & Art Gallery. The Open is an annual celebratory exhibition that showcases the local creative talent within a five-mile radius of Preston. Shona, Laura and I worked in the gallery on the days local artists were submitting their work, which included sculptures, photography, painting, textiles and even ceramics. Our primary role was to help out on the two submission days, readying the gallery for the work to be installed on the following Monday. Under the guidance of Harris Exhibitions Officer Clarissa Corfe, the three of us were quickly shown the ropes on how to properly accept work; could you read the handwriting on the application form? Were mirror plates attached? And quite importantly, was it suitable for public display? It wasn’t long before Clarissa also asked for our opinions on the categories we sorted them into (including landscapes, portraits and animals) and where in the gallery each category should go. I can tell you something: not only was the diversity in work brilliant, but the ages involved too! Speaking of which, instead of having a traditional children’s section, we decided it’d be great to have all artwork together; children’s and adult’s work is displayed side by side. We wanted the visitors to appreciate the art and be inspired regardless of the age of the person who made it. Volunteering to help out with the Open gave us a great opportunity to see how a community of local artists can be represented in a building as iconic in Preston as the Harris Museum & Art Gallery.

by Anthony Price FREE

County Councillor Marcus Johnstone “There is absolutely no reason why young people shouldn’t gain access to the arts.” - County Councillor Marcus Johnstone Culture on a Shoestring was born out of the need to bring to the forefront free and low cost cultural events across Lancashire and beyond. To continue that tradition I went to speak with Marcus Johnstone, the Cabinet member for Environment, Planning and Cultural services, to find out any recommendations he has. ‘There’s a lot you can do for free […] most performing arts organisations do have discounts for young people.’ When I asked him about any key art and cultural events he told me, ‘a lot of great stuff is happening at Burnley Mechanics and the Dukes’ Christmas production is getting rave reviews!’ I directed the conversation a little to ask for his views on self-employment and his opinion on the importance of being more entrepreneurial now that funding is thin on the ground. He said, ‘There’s a place for the entrepreneur within the world of Cultural Services, and that will increase as the public sector gets pulled back.’ Marcus’s advice to young creative entrepreneurs is to ‘find that niche. Don’t do the obvious, find something that is different and a bit edgy. Talk to your friends, get an idea of what your friends are in to.’ With a great insight into the sector, Councillor Johnstone also divulged his New Year’s resolution for 2014: ‘For the Cultural Sector, I need to defend and preserve it as much as I possibly can!’

by Anthony Price & Shona Thompson

“Running a cinema can mean working long and unsociable hours – you’ve got to love it to do it!” - Michael Johnson For a long while I’ve thought about running my own cinema - how cool would it be? I’d have a marquee that would protrude out over the walkway with red, interchangeable letters set against a glowing light box. On the underside there’d be many tiny bulbs that would flash in-sync as though it stood in its prime in the 1940’s, and the building would act as a gateway for both classics and moderns. Of course, it’s all well and good carefully constructing the mental image of my dream business, but without advice it might be a little tricky to pull it off. So I decided to have a chat with Michael Johnson of the Palace Cinema in Longridge, a local, family-run cinema that offers its customers great value for money. Michael told me that if you’re looking at opening a cinema you should ‘do your research – check out your target audience and try to tailor your film choices to the kind of films your guests might want to see.’ Great advice when you think about it. Figuring out which films to show, classics or modern, is a challenge in itself! Talking technology, he told me that ‘setting up is not cheap, but digital projection equipment has reduced in price.’ Good news! I’m interested in classic films, too, and Michael said a 35mm projector can be picked up for a ‘reasonable price’, but he warned me to ‘be aware that new releases are only likely to be released in digital formats.’ The dream cinema is still a speck on the horizon for me, but in the meantime I’ll take Michael’s advice in looking towards the promising future of Portable Projection! If this has put you in the mood to visit the cinema, we’ve got some upcoming listings for the Palace on page 21.

by Anthony Price

Based in Skelmersdale, the Engine Rooms is a music-based venue offering the community – particularly young people – opportunities to develop their musical talent through music programmes. We visited to find out more! One of the programmes is Young Guns, which allows anyone aged between 6 and 18 the chance to ‘attend weekly, one hour meetings costing £4.70, over the course of 12-weeks.’ says Daz Mangan, one of the tutors. ‘Young Guns is great for developing social skills and helping [participants] to work as a band in a safe and non-judgmental environment.’ And at the end of the 12 weeks ‘a gig is organised for the friends and families of the young people to attend.’ If you don’t feel as though you know enough about music to get involved, don’t worry – the Young Guns programme doesn’t require an Einstein-like knowledge of the music industry. Daz explained that you ‘do need a little bit of knowledge within the area of music you’re interested in [but] you’ll be placed in a group with people of the same age and level, with no need to feel overwhelmed!’ The Engine Rooms is also a great rehearsal venue offering people the opportunity to rent its various rehearsal rooms for £7.50 per hour as well as instruments:

Dum kit hire at £7 per session Amp hire at £5 per session Additional mic hire at £2 per session In short, they’ve got everything you need if you’re a musician looking for somewhere to hone your craft! Definitely worth a second look, whether you’re a beginner or you’ve been playing music for years. And don’t forget, the Engine Rooms also brings Skelmersdale a whole range of live events. Find out more at www.enginerooms.org.uk

by Anthony Price & Shona Thompson

Young Guns Programme: £4.70

Since starting my adventure in the arts sector I’ve been trying out different roles and working with loads of different people. It was last November that I got another job title to add to the mix: Stage Manager. I was dreading it! Don’t get me wrong, I was really excited, but at the same time I had no idea what to expect. The theatre production I worked on was called “Firearms and Fingertips”, written and directed by James Shaw, and it took place in The Studio within the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester. Rehearsals started on the 4th of November with the show opening to the public from 27th-30th. Luckily, since I’m also studying for a degree, my role didn’t require me to attend every day! The first few days saw me sitting down and watching the rehearsals with a notepad in my hands, tracking the changes that needed to be made to the stage. The rehearsals didn’t happen in The Studio until the week the show opened; we had very little time to work within the actual space! During the show my role was to make sure everything was in the right place at the right time. As time passed, the number of responsibilities increased so much I was given a schedule to work with, and even managed to do a tiny bit of acting with no lines. I might have had a last minute panic the moment before I went on stage, but it turned out to be a brilliant experience. I met some amazing people, got even more great experience to add to my CV and the chance to perceive life from a completely new perspective. Thinking about taking a leap into the unknown? Based on this experience my advice is to go for it, no matter how scary it looks!

by Jakub Jezierski

Guantanamo Boy, based on the book of the same name by Anna Perera, was presented by Brolly Productions at Burnley Youth Theatre. Tackling a difficult subject, Guantanamo Boy follows a young Khalid as he becomes embroiled in the fight against terrorism. It’s only fair to kick start this review by being honest. Theatre isn’t my forte, but I think that lacking the technical know-how that goes into theatre could be advantageous; it means I’m not going in with a set idea of what theatre should be. Straight off the bat, the dialogue between characters was chatty… that kind of dialogue that both progresses the story but also provides you will a little getting-to-know-you-chit-chat. It was similar to the dialogue I’d expect from a Tarantino film. As soon as the dialogue and scene came to an end, we were treated to an eerie piece of music that rang for the duration of the immersive changeover. I think the choice of sound managed to reflect the dark undertone that underpinned the play long before the character’s life took a turn for the worst. The play had a great script, acting and precise timings, which I really enjoyed. However, being a photographer, I couldn’t help but notice the lighting. By no means am I a lighting expert, but there were a few instances that made me wonder if the lighting had been dimmed a little, there’d have been that constant immersion that the rest of the play managed brilliantly. Overall, I’ll happily admit that Guantanamo Boy managed to change my view on theatre. Whilst I prefer seeing film, I now believe that theatre has its advantages when done well and this production of Guantanamo Boy was certainly worth a visit.

by Anthony Price

Tickets: £7

What’s on Palace Cinema

Face Painting Festival

The Palace, Market Place, Longridge

Paradise Room, Blackpool Pleasure Beach

www.thepalace-longridge.co.uk

Saturday 22nd February 9:30am – 6pm

£5 Adult, £4 Senior Citizen, £4 Child

FREE

Last Vegas - from 31st January 12 Years a Slave - from 7th February The Lego Movie - from 14th February

Showzam is back with a host of exciting events, including our favourite Face Painting Festival. www.showzam.com | @showzam

Recalibrate

Aspire Festival

A FREE exhibition by Wu Chi-Tsung focusing on how images are made and seen.

Preston City Centre in April 2014

Storey Institute, Lancaster 31st January – 15th March

FREE Contact pete@culturapedia.co

Peter Scott Gallery, Lancaster University 31st January – 21st March

A youth-led festival showcasing talent across a multitude of art forms, this will be an event to remember.

The Frog and Bucket

Bruce Nauman

The Frog and Bucket, Preston

The Harris Museum, Preston February 15th - May 24th FREE

Every Wednesday FREE Preston’s very own comedy club hosts Beat the Frog every Wednesday at 7pm. It’s a free event and well worth a visit.

For more information visit www.harrismuseum.org.uk or www.tate.org.uk/artist-rooms or www.nationalgalleries.org/ collection/artist-rooms

We’re looking for writers and photographers to join the Culture on a Shoestring team. If you’re under 25 and love culture as much as we do, you could be just the person we’re looking for! Drop us a line if you’d like to help make Issue #5 our best yet and we’ll send you more details… Culture on a Shoestring is a Blaze project created by the Blaze team Blaze is a Cultural Olympiad Legacy project that works across Lancashire and the North West to create the next generation of cultural producers, artists and entrepreneurs. Blaze is based at the Harris Library in Preston, and is funded by Lancashire County Council, Blackpool Council, Curious Minds and Arts Council England.

hello@cultureonashoestring.co.uk @culturestring This issue of Culture on a Shoestring has been supported by the Harris Museum & Art Gallery and the Art Fund. ARTIST ROOMS On Tour is a partnership with Arts Council England and the Art Fund, making available the ARTIST ROOMS collection of international modern and contemporary art to galleries throughout the UK. ARTIST ROOMS is jointly owned by Tate and the National Galleries of Scotland and was established through The d’Offay Donation in 2008, with the assistance of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Art Fund, and the Scottish and British Governments.