magazine
ropewalk
RM issue 14 free
Exhibitions Workshops Events May - August 014 tHE rOPEWAlK • BARTON UPON HUMBER
The Ropewalk was built in 1801 and as Hall’s Barton Ropery manufactured ropes for the world. It closed as a working factory in 1989 and was brought back to life as an arts centre in April 2000 by an artists’ co-operative who still manage the site today. The Grade II listed building is a cultural quarter of a mile long!
The Ropewalk has 3 temporary exhibition spaces with a rolling exhibition programme that ensures there is always something new to see.
Workshops
The Ropewalk offers a stimulating programme of art and craft workshops that run throughout the year, including regular classes in printmaking and life drawing and day classes in a range of activities.
Events
The Craft Gallery continually displays in excess of 200 makers’ work from throughout the country including jewellery, ceramics, glass, textiles and a wide selection of artist-made greeting cards. The Hall-Mark Room displays a range of contemporary prints and collectables.
Ropery Hall is a small community venue with a capacity of around 120 that offers a programme of film, theatre, music and comedy.
Coffee Shop
Craft
Galleries
The Ropewalk
the ropewalk
Fresh local produce is used to create a wide variety of mainly vegetarian snacks and light lunches. A large selection of delicious freshly made cakes, coffees and organic juices are also available.
The building also houses a small Museum, Artist Studios, meeting rooms for hire and bespoke picture framing service.
Ropewalk Magazine www.the-ropewalk.co.uk
01652 660380
welcome
Here comes this summer
A
s Ropery Hall winds down for the summer break, staff at the Ropewalk move up a gear and look towards activity both in the galleries and outside. We are delighted to be hosting the Waterside Food Festival again this year but are keeping our fingers crossed that the weather is kinder than at the 2013 inaugural event. We are also involved in the annual Barton Arts Festival and the Barton Tourism Partnership’s Performance in the Park. Leaflets for all the above will be out in late April and featured on the Barton upon Humber website www.barton-uponhumber.org.uk .
I hope to see you and your friends at some of these events happening over the next few months and with a bit of luck we will reach our goal! Liz Cover image: Corey Harris
For a small Market Town Barton has a wonderful array of activities to offer. There is a cluster of attractions that our staff never tires of telling visitors about, Barton certainly has more to offer than visitors can fit in during a short visit. This cluster of attractions has helped us develop our very healthy visitor figures. Last summer was our busiest yet and we are aiming to hit the 100,000 visitors in a year mark in 2014.
Find us on
Admission Free Galleries Open 7 days a week: Monday - Saturday 10am - 5pm Sundays and Bank Holidays 10am - 4pm The Ropewalk is on one level with good wheelchair access; we are a 5 minute walk from the Barton Transport Interchange with half-hourly buses to Hull and Scunthorpe and a 2-hourly rail service to Grimsby and the wider rail network.
May - August 2014
jewellery
Featured Jewellers
May - Li-Chu Wu Using multiple layers Li-Chu Wu create’s subtle movement and tactile qualities. Applying a mix of metalsmithing techniques and new technologies, the designs consist of a series of paper, silver, one-off, wearable pieces and body adornments. Paper is layered and manipulate in a way that expands an inner space in a concentric format and spreads and grows up from the centre.
June - Sue Gregor Sue gathers inspiration from her urban enviornment. The plants and weeds which grow in the front gardens and wastelands, in hedges and along paths are a rich source of material. Each piece of jewellery uses the actual plant and even the veins of the leaf will show, thanks to the fine detail which is captured on the embossed surface. This means that each piece is unique and every piece is handcrafted.
July - Charlotte Lowe Charlotte Lowe’s handmade silver jewellery collections celebrate shared memories and travel; capturing special moments with loved ones and escapes to exotic lands . Each piece reveals an image, created from a photograph that has been etched into the surface. With a passion for creating item’s that hold sentiment, Charlotte also introduces inspirational and loving words to accompany the meaningful imagery used in her work.
August - Harvey & Quinn
Rachel and Lucy seek out vintage buttons particularly from the Victorian era through to the 1930’s that are lying in forgotten corners and create individual pieces using sterling silver, finding the best combinations of shape and colour to create unique earrings, bracelets and rings for people who appreciate the unusual and the beautiful.”
Ropewalk Magazine www.the-ropewalk.co.uk
01652 660380
exhibitions
The dramatic landscape
Melvyn Petterson Gallery One: April 12 – June 1
M
elvyn was born in Cleethorpes and studied at Grimsby and Camberwell Schools of Art before setting up Artichoke Print Workshop in south London in 1993. He has work in the collection of the British Museum and is a member of the Royal Society of Painter Printmakers and the New English Art Club. Melvyn says of his work: “My landscapes often centre around the drama played out in nature, a dark cloud threatens, a sudden burst of sunlight, a moody sky against snow covered fields. These are the times when nature displays her more provocative side; probably for just a few seconds; these often fleeting moments I have tried to capture in my images.”
Graham Underhill
H
ere, There and the Elsewhere is a touring project supported by Arts Council England. Through painting, sculpture, photography and video, it explores the role of visual perception (here), memory (there), anticipation and imagination (the elsewhere) in our experience of specific places and the passing of time. Graham has created a series of works specific to Barton and he will be running workshops with students from Baysgarth School and Castledyke Primary. Artspace: April 26 – June 1
May - August 2014
exhibitions
Collection: Alison Coaten Box Gallery: 3 May – 1 June
U
sing historical relationships between man and animals as a starting point Alison tries to suggest a narrative in her work that can be amusing, comforting and, at times, disconcerting. A sense of familiarity is derived from Early Flemish and religious Art and this imagery is reworked using secular, mythological and personal iconography. She hand builds in stoneware and uses a limited palette of matt white crackle glaze, gold lustre and occasionally ceramic transfers.
A
s part of this year’s Barton Arts Festival staff from The Ropewalk will be organising a week long open art exhibition to be held in the Lecture Hall at Trinity Church on Holydyke. Entry forms for the exhibition will be available from The Ropewalk at the end of April and entry will cost just £2.50 per piece of work with a maximum of 4 pieces per person allowed. All work must be for sale and proceeds from the sale will support the Festival
Ropewalk Magazine www.the-ropewalk.co.uk
01652 660380
exhibitions
Collection:Virginia Graham Box Gallery: 2 August – 31 August
V
irginia’s ceramics are an eclectic amalgamation of nostalgic form and imagery, transforming the ordinary past by drawing on a wide range of domestic traditions. Virginia uses a combination of slip casting and hand building techniques to create pieces in her signature style. Their surface decoration includes slip painting, enamel transfer printing and metallic lustres referring to historical wares including the familiar blue and white stripes of Cornish Ware as well as industrial plumbing and Victorian fabrics.
The North Lincolnshire
Print Open June 7 - September 7 Call to artists This biennial printmaking exhibition will once again run over the summer in both Gallery One and the Artspace Galleries. It is open to any printmaker resident in the UK and any medium is acceptable. The entry details are now available to download from our website www.the-ropewalk.co.uk.
May - August 2014
workshops
I
n June, our very own in-house professional milliner Rosalie Marwood-Mellor will be leading her first workshop for The Ropewalk. In readiness for the summer she will be guiding her students through creating a bespoke straw hat for beach or garden wear. Rosalie believes that there is the perfect hat for everyone and in the workshop she will establish her students’ exact hat size and most flattering shape and them move on through colour, texture and embellishments to establish a set of millinery “rules” which are personal and unique to each student. After choosing from a selection of prepared straw capelines, City and Guilds tutor Rosalie, will give students tuition in hat shape selection, wiring of brim, joining of crown and brim where applicable, covering and finishing of brim edge with a bias binding, selection and making of suitable trimmings to
complete the hat. Basic sewing skills will be used in the construction and trimmings but no machine will be required. Full guidance and support will be given in this introduction to millinery. Rosalie is sure that those taking part in the workshop will discover how relaxing the art of making the perfect hat can be. Her workshop, Sunshine Hat Making, takes place on Saturday, June 21 from 10.30am until 4.30pm. The cost, which includes all materials needed, is £53 or £48 if you are a Ropewalk Member. Other workshops include return visits by Diane Higgins-Lee, Jill Ford, Alice Fox and Ruth Brown. For full details of all these workshops visit www.the-ropewalk. co.uk/workshops/
Ropewalk Magazine www.the-ropewalk.co.uk
01652 660380
fundraising
Thinking Big
W
hen I submitted plans to North Lincolnshire Council to extend The Ropewalk last year I got predictable comments from many of our regular customers. “Liz, the building is quarter of a mile long why could you possibly want to extend it?” Well it is true it is quarter of a mile long but for us it really isn’t long enough! Ropery Hall has grown in stature over the past seven years of promoting film, theatre, comedy and music as well as a host of community events and the simple truth is that it could do to be bigger. The Ropewalk building is currently full to capacity and in order to develop the performance area we need to move northwards. The new plans that were passed last year will allow us to build a new bar and foyer area and extend the seating area in the hall to 200 along with proper back stage facilities for the artists and front of house up to date lighting and sound system. We will also develop a small black box theatre space for intimate performances. To do all this will cost £1.6 million, a tall order I must admit, but that didn’t stop us in 1999 when we took The Ropewalk on as a derelict shed. I am currently looking at how we raise the largest part of the money from funding pots but we need to show a demand for the development through private donations which is where you come in.
There are many ways that you can support the fundraising effort. We are holding a grand raffle which will run from mid April through to August 10 when it will be drawn on the Food Festival Day. Prizes already secured include a LG 47’’ led TV generously donated by Lindsey Relay. I hope that you will help us by buying tickets. Donations of £200 will guarantee your name is displayed on a steel wall piece incorporated into the stairs of the new build acknowledging your support. Donations of £500 will buy a chair in the new auditorium offering you first refusal on free tickets to 25 shows during the first three years of opening. Donation boxes will be placed in the Coffee Shop, Craft Gallery and Ropery Hall bar and we welcome your small change – it all adds up! In the event that we do not raise sufficient funds to carry out the full scheme we will contact donors to let them know of any compromise scheme. At that point they would be given the option of a repayment or with permission we would use the donation towards a reduced refurbishment scheme. If you require any more information just have a chat with me. Liz
May - August 2014
music
The World on your Doorstep
T
he Ropery Hall season is slowing down as we move towards the summer close but there are still a few gems worth fitting in before the BBQ season starts. Our World Music programme has been a highlight for many so far this year with Bassekou Kouyate from Mali bringing down the house in March. Next, in conjunction with Roots Music and Manchester’s Band on the Wall, we bring you the Corey Harris Band. Corey Harris is based in America and is a guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and band leader who has carved out his own niche in blues. A powerful singer and accomplished guitarist, he has appeared at venues throughout North America, Europe, Brazil, The Caribbean, West Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. He has performed, recorded, and toured with many of the top names in music such as BB King, Buddy Guy, Tracy Chapman, and now for one night only he will perform in Ropery Hall for you! forged a musical style all their own that transcends musical boundaries mtm promotions present The Bills. and defies simple categorization. From the beautiful West Coast of With three main writers in the band, Canada comes this extraordinary The Bills have developed a glorious quintet, renowned among folk and growing repertoire of songs that music fans of all ages for their speak of their own part of the world. instrumental virtuosity, lush vocal arrangements, exuberant live perThe Ropewalk and Mad Dog Folk formances, evocative songwriting, present Phil Beer in May and and refreshingly innovative interMiranda Sykes and Rex Preston pretations of traditional tunes from in June in the last Saturday of the around the globe. month folk slots. Drawing musical inspiration from a broad range of North American traditions, a melange of European styles, rhythms of Latin America, and melodies of the wandering Romany peoples, The Bills have
Phil is one of the most popular ambassadors for acoustic roots music. A dazzling instrumentalist, he is perhaps best known as a top flight fiddler and plays in the allstar line-up, Feast of Fiddles and is
10 Ropewalk Magazine www.the-ropewalk.co.uk
01652 660380
music well known for his part in A Show of Hands. But his skills don’t stop there, he also plays slide, Spanish and tenor guitar, mandocello, viola, mandolin and South American cuatro, not to mention contributing rich vocals. In the space of two short years, Miranda Sykes and Rex Preston have emerged to become one of the most sought after duos on the English folk and roots scene. The striking combination of the flame headed double bass player and virtuoso mandolin player create scintillating and sensitive music. Continuing a Show of Hands theme Miranda is well known for the last eight years as a central component of the group, Miranda has an exquisite and spine-tingling voice, whilst Rex, with his exuberant and flamboyant playing style, has built a reputation as one of the finest mandolin players in the UK. With Show of Hands off the road for a year, the two are embarking on an extensive tour of the British Isles in support of their arresting new CD “Sing A Full Song”.
Top left: Corey Harris Top: Miranda Sykes and Rex Preston Above: Phil Beer
I know it’s early but we have some great shows booked for the end of the year, details of which will start filtering out on our website www. the-ropewalk.co.uk over the next few months. liz
May 16 the Corey Harris Band May 30 the Bills the ropewalk and Mad Dog Folk present May 31 Phil Beer the ropewalk and Mad Dog Folk present June 28 Miranda Sykes and rex Preston
8pm 8pm
£15 £13/£15
8pm
£12/£14
8pm
£12/£14
May - August 014 11
theatre
Wiles and Wilde
C
ompany Gavin Robertson returns to Ropery Hall on Friday, May 23, with the story of Mata Hari who is said to be the most notorious female spy in history. To many she remains the unfortunate victim of a hysterical section of the French press and public determined to root out evidence of a non-existent enemy within, a scapegoat attractive as much for her curious profession as for her crimes. The Dutch born dancer, lover, confidante and courtesan is seen an hour before her execution
1 Ropewalk Magazine www.the-ropewalk.co.uk
0165 660380
theatre reflecting upon the events that have led her to face the firing squad on the morning of October 15, 1917. Katherine Hurst plays Mata Hari in this one-woman tour-de-force. A month later, on Friday, June 27, European Arts Company returns with a dramatisation of the libel and criminal trials of Oscar Wilde. Thursday February 14 1895 was the triumphant opening night of The Importance of Being Earnest but after bringing an ill-fated private prosecution against the Marquess of Queensbury, the father of his lover Lord Alfred Douglas, for libel. Less than 100 days later he was sentenced to two years hard labour after prosecuting and then in turn being prosecuted for gross indecency with other men. So what happened during the trials and what did Wilde say? Was he persecuted or the author of his own downfall? And what really occurred in Worthing? Using Wilde’s own sparkling words, we can feel what it was like to be in the company of a flawed genius as this less than ideal husband was suddenly reduced to a man of no importance. Both performances start at 7.30pm and tickets cost £11 in advance or £13 on the door. For more information visit www.roperyhall.co.uk
May 9/10 May 23 May 27 June 27
South Bank Players present
inspector Drake and the time Machine 7.30pm Mata Hari 7.30pm Superhero Snailboy 11am, 2pm the trials of Oscar Wilde 7.30pm
£4/£3 £11/£13 £4/£3 £11/£13
May - August 014 13
film May 1 American Hustle (15) 2013
138 min Director: David O. Russell Stars: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper
Films for May
A con man, Irving Rosenfeld, along with his seductive partner Sydney Prosser, is forced to work for a wild FBI agent, Richie DiMaso, who pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and mafia.
May 8 The Railway Man (15) 2013
116 min Director: Jonathan Teplitzky Stars: Nicole Kidman, Stellan Skarsgård, Colin Firth
A victim from World War II’s “Death Railway” sets out to find those responsible for his torture. A true story.
May 15 12 Years a Slave (15) 2013
134 min Director: Steve McQueen Stars: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael K. Williams, Michael Fassbender
In the antebellum United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery.
May 22 All Is Lost (12a) 2013
106 min Director: J.C. Chandor Stars: Robert Redford
After a collision with a shipping container at sea, a resourceful sailor finds himself, despite all efforts to the contrary, staring his mortality in the face.
14 Ropewalk Magazine www.the-ropewalk.co.uk
01652 660380
food craft
R
opery Coffee Shop will undergo a small renaissance in May when Nigel Brown’s Afternoon Teas will be introduced onto the menu. Served on weekdays between 2.30pm and 4.30pm we will be offering beautifully presented tasty treats to share with friends. Served on damask table cloths the Afternoon Tea will comprise of a selection of sandwiches, scones with locally sourced jam and sweet treats and of course a pot of tea.
May - August 2014 15
summer
A Summer of Art
A
s Ropery Hall scales down for the summer a whole host of events spring up around Barton. The 2014 Barton Arts Festival starts on June 22 with Equity compliant Illyria bringing its open air production of Macbeth to the grounds of Bardney Hall. The rest of the Festival promises an evening of ghost stories, opera tasters, international jazz guitarist Martin Taylor and many other events to whet your cultural appetite. The Ropewalk is pleased to be a ticket outlet for the event.
16 Ropewalk Magazine www.the-ropewalk.co.uk
01652 660380
summer
T
his year’s series of Performance in the Park, organised by Barton’s Tourism Partnership and supported by the Town Council and Barton Lions, sees the return of some of our favourite theatre companies and this year, two venues – Baysgarth Park and the grounds of Bardney Hall. July sees performances by Bash Street Theatre and Equity Compliant Illyria in quick succession at Baysgarth Park. Bash Street Theatre’s The Strongman, which is being performed on Sunday July 6, is inspired by Charlie Chaplin’s 1928 film The Circus and tells a story of intrigue and jealousy, with a big helping of comedy and musical joie de vivre.
The final performance in the 2014 season will return to Baysgarth Park when the Storytellers’ Company return with the Hans Christian Anderson favourite, The Emperor’s New Clothes which is being sponsored by Barton Lions. All the performances in Baysgarth Park are free and begin at 2pm. Why not bring along a chair, a picnic and enjoy live theatre in the park. Refreshments will be available at Baysgarth House Museum to raise funds for the museum. Full details are available on www. barton-upon-humber.org.uk/
Illyria will be performing the Roald Dahl favourite, George’s Marvellous Medicine in the Park later in the month. For this performance the day switches to Saturday, on July 19 and just days later Illyria return on Thursday, July 24 to perform Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta Pirates of Penzance in the grounds of Bardney Hall by kind permission of Colin Booth.
May - August 2014 17
M
D
iary May - August 2014
ay
Until June 1 • Gallery One • Melvyn Petterson
Until June 1 • Artspace • Graham Underhill: Here, There & Elsewhere May 3 – June 1 • Box Gallery • Alison Coaten 1
American Hustle
7.30 pm
£4
8
The Railway Man
7.30 pm
£4
9 & 10
Inspector Drake and the Time Machine
7.30 pm
£4/£3
15
12 Years a Slave
7.30 pm
£4
16
Corey Harris Band
8 pm
£15/£17
17
Decorated Ceramic Bowls with Jill Ford
10.30 am - 3.30 pm
£47/£42
22
All is Lost
7.30 pm
£4
23
Mata Hari
7.30 pm
£11/£13
30
The Bills
8 pm
£13/£15
31
Experimental Stich with Found Objects with Alice Fox
10.30 pm - 4.30 pm
£42/£37
31
Phil Beer
8 pm
£12/£14
J
une
June 7 – Sept 7 • Both Galleries • North Lincolnshire Print Open 7
Jewellery Making with Diane Higgins-Lee
10.30 am – 4.30 pm
£46/£41
14
Cyanotyping on Fabric with Ruth Brown
10.30 am – 4.30 pm
£50/£45
21
Sunshine Hat Making with Rosalie Marwood-Mellor
10.30 am – 4.30 pm
£53/£48
27
The Trials of Oscar Wilde
7.30 pm
£11/£13
28
Miranda Sykes & Rex Preston
8 pm
£12/£14
J
uly
June 7 – Sept 7 • Both Galleries • North Lincolnshire Print Open 5
Silversmithing with Diane Higgins-Lee
10.30 am – 4.30 pm
£46/£41
12
Willow Garden Structures with Kirsty Champ
10.30 am – 4.30 pm
£40/£35
18 Ropewalk Magazine www.the-ropewalk.co.uk
01652 660380
craft
A
ugust
June 7 – Sept 7 • Both Galleries • North Lincolnshire Print Open August 2 – 31 • Box Gallery • Virginia Graham 10
Waterside Food Festival
10 am - 4 pm
Free
Key Exhibitions
Music
Film
Theatre/Comedy
Workshops
May - August 2014 19
the ropewalk Ropery Hall
The Venue is a small community venue with a capacity of around 120. For small music nights seating is cabaret-style; for all other performances it is theatre-style and seating is not numbered. Please ensure that you arrive in good time if you wish to be seated together. There is a fully licenced bar at all performances. Doors open an hour before the start of performances.
How To Book
Tickets are available: In Person at The Ropewalk. Open 7 days a week 10am - 5pm (4pm Sundays). By Telephone. Reserve your tickets for 5 days before collection or pay by credit or debit card. (An additional charge of £2 is applied) Online at www.roperyhall.co.uk
Directions
We are well signposted from the A15. Just follow the brown signs... Exit the A15 at J.3 and take the A1077 into Barton (Ferriby Road). Turn left at mini roundabout at the bottom of the hill and follow the road round to the next mini roundabout and turn left again. Follow the one-way system through Castledyke West and get in the left-hand lane. Turn left at the junction opposite the railway station, then take the first right off Waterside Road onto Maltkiln Road. For The Ropewalk Galleries turn left into Tesco’s car park where you will find us in the far left corner. There is ample free car parking adjacent to the building. For Ropery Hall, follow the road round to the Waters’ Edge park gates and then left into the car park. Please park at the end of the car park nearest Ropery Hall then walk to the first set of doors at the side of the building. For Sat Nav users please input DN18 5JR which will lead you straight to Waters’ Edge Car Park.
The Ropewalk•Maltkiln Road•Barton upon Humber.•North Lincolnshire•DN18 5JT t: 01652 660380•f: 01652 637495•e: info@the-ropewalk.co.uk•www.the-ropewalk.co.uk
The Ropewalk is the trading name for the Waterside Artists’ Co-operative Limited reg no 3820744 VAT no 875 7455 72