NARC. MINI-DOCS

Image: Magic Hat Cafe

WE’RE EXCITED TO PRESENT THE FINAL PART IN OUR YOUTH MUSIC FUNDED NARC. ACADEMY PROJECT, A SERIES OF FOUR MINI-DOCUMENTARIES CREATED BY JAKE ANDERSON, LIZZIE LOVEJOY, HOPE LYNES AND EVIE LAKE WITH THE HELP OF NARC. TV FILMMAKER AND DIRECTOR STE BARDGETT (AKA ART MOUSE).

Ste explains more about the project: “I loved filming and putting together the NARC. Mini-Docs. The young people involved were amazing to work with from the very start. They had clear ideas of what they wanted to say and there’s some really great stories that we’ve managed to tell, along with highlighting some excellent organisations, spaces and people doing brilliant things in the region.” Our season of short documentary programmes will premiere from Thursday 3rd November, with topics including cultural activism, niche music scenes, anti-food waste and alternative culture venues, with new episodes screened weekly throughout November via our YouTube channel. www.youtube.com/narcmagazinetv

MAGIC HAT CAFE: BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY

Words: Evie Lake

My documentary introduces Magic Hat Cafe, an anti-food waste cafe in Newcastle. In today’s climate, it’s hard not to worry about waste. Not just our own, but that of supermarkets and suppliers. Is every carrot, potato and piece of meat going to be used? What happens if they’re not? Magic Hat acts on these worries and turns would-be-wasted produce into meals and experiences for people to enjoy. Magic Hat is an innovative and progressive organisation in the way that it puts people first. Instead of purchasing your coffee and food, there’s an option to pay it back by working for them for a few hours. They also let people volunteer to learn new skills, to make themselves more employable. I wanted to make my documentary on Magic Hat to investigate how ethically-run businesses can impact and better the community. On the surface, I knew I would discover an environmentally conscious operation which eradicates waste in their supply chain, but I was surprised to discover how much that sustainability feeds directly into the community through food bank donations, education and delicious food. Spending the day with them was fascinating, and changed my perspective on how simple it can be for businesses to be more environmentally productive. Magic Hat is a trailblazer, and through this documentary I hope many more people discover their inspiring practices.

Bobby Benjamin, Pineapple Black

COMBINING THE ARTS: NON-TRADITIONAL PERFORMANCE SPACES OF THE TEES VALLEY

Words: Lizzie Lovejoy

This mini documentary was all about exploring the world of non-traditional performance spaces, especially in the Tees Valley where I come from. This region has some incredible creative venues, and I really want to celebrate the fantastic work that they do. As a visual artist and a performer, I wanted to learn more about places that combine the two together, both Pineapple Black and Redcar Palace Art Gallery are great examples of this. In this documentary I spoke to Bobby Benjamin, artist and curator of Pineapple Black in Middlesbrough, about the exciting range of work the gallery has housed over the past couple of years during festivals, exhibitions and events. From Redcar Palace Art Gallery, director James Beighton and curator Beth Smith of Tees Valley Arts discuss how the venue is used to create works as well as share them, and why accessibility has become one of their main focuses. Connecting the two spaces is singer-songwriter Amy Louise Smith, who has performed in Pineapple Black and worked as a Kickstart for Tees Valley Arts. She treats us to a performance of her music in the Redcar Palace space, which gives a Tiny Desk vibe as members of staff gather to watch her sing. A non-traditional performance space in action! People connect to performance in different ways than visual art, but both can be incredibly powerful and influential. Using local creative spaces to pull both together highlights how fantastic our local cultural community really is.

SQUARMS

OUTSIDE THE MAINSTREAM: THE NORTH EAST’S ALTERNATIVE SCENE

Words: Jake Anderson

From an outside perceptive, the North East music scene is rooted in indie rock and pop, with some of the biggest acts from the region falling into these genre definitions. But under the surface – and as many NARC. readers will know – the North East has a thriving alternative scene. More acts have delved into experimental and niche genres, and venues such as Little Buildings, Cobalt Studios and The Lubber Fiend in Newcastle, Base Camp in Middlesbrough and many others, have housed some of the most promising of these artists, as their outside-the-mainstream sounds have collected dedicated fanbases. As part of this documentary, I spoke with three artists, Me Lost Me, SQUARMS and Mariam Rezaei, along with some of the major players keeping these sonically-engaging sound makers doing what they’re doing, including Kaneda Records and Lee Etherington of TUSK. This mini-documentary features reflections on some of the most unique acts in the North East, what genre boundaries actually mean and artists’ hopes for the future of the North East’s alternative scene.

Chantal Herbert

NORTH EAST CULTURAL ACTIVISM

Words: Hope Lynes

This documentary speaks to local activist groups in the music industry and culture scene. I was keen to discover the activism that exists in the North East’s cultural landscape, and find out why people are driven to fight back and speak out on subjects they’re passionate about. The core premise of this documentary however, is to inspire the next generation, with each activist giving their advice on how you can put a cause you are passionate about in the local scene into action. I spoke to Phil Douglas from LGBTQIA+ organisation Curious Arts; grassroots promoter Hana Harrison from Art Mouse; Darlington-based Sarah Wilson, who campaigns for better female representation in the music scene with her project Noisy Daughters; Chantal Herbert from feminist Black and queer-led organisation Sister Shack; and disability activist and musician Ruth Lyon. I hope the audience feels both admiration for what those already do in our local scene, and inspired to make a difference themselves with the advice they have been given. It’s hoped that this intimate and personal documentary will explore the starting points to beginning your own activism.