2010

Planning has begun for 2010...

It's the beginning of the process but it feels good to be on the road again. There were many positives that came out of last year: the Open Houses were great and very popular again showcasing some fantastically talented artists; the Makers' Fair is embedding itself on the first weekend and the standard of work gets higher every year; the Open Exhibition had double the number of entries to the year before; and the Mini Trail was again a great day out for families.

We were incredibly pleased to have 3 of the country's top textile artists come and give talks (Janet Bolton, Sue Lawty and Dionne Swift) and Janet brought up 15 of her exquisite and charming pictures for exhibition.

As there always is, there were a few things that didn't go so well and we will be doing our best to learn from those mistakes. Even though it feels like it's been round of years, the Arts Trail is still relatively new and we are learning a lot as we go along.

We also worked with some fabulous organisations last year, including Bradford College, Bradford Museums and Galleries, Bradford Libraries and Kirkgate Studios and Workshops. We are very grateful to them for their hard work and enthusiasm, and hope to develop our relationship with them further.

We'll let you know what's going on and what's happening as things develop.

In the meantime, I found this fantastic piece by Jan Svankmajer that he made in 1966 - Punch and Judy.

The First Weekend

Saltaire was buzzing at the weekend with people coming to visit the Arts Trail. The sun was out, the streets were packed and there was a lot of warmth and good humour in the air. The general observation was that the quality of all the artwork on the trail was high this year and that visitor numbers were up.

If you didn't get along last weekend, you really are in for a feast. The Open Houses look like 16 individually curated galleries, each with their own style and presence. Look out for the bunting hanging in the doorways, as a sure sign that there are delights waiting for you inside. In every nook and cranny there is something to discover: exhibitions, lectures, films, free activities for children...

Look out especially for lectures by Sue Lawty (Friday 18th) and Janet Bolton (Saturday 19th), and two classic films: Kes (Saturday 19th at 7pm) and The Dresser (Sunday 20th at 7pm).

Saltaire is looking at its best; if you haven't already, come and be part of it, you won't regret it.

As Featured in The Guardian

The Arts Trail was featured in the Travel section of The Guardian last Saturday (23rd August). The piece was on Open Studios in Devon and we were featured under 'More Open Studios'. It's a great little write-up and is fantastic publicity.

Saltaire Village Fete

We had a lovely day today at the Saltaire Village Fete. We had intended to do a drop-in workshop at the fete but in the end decided that a bit of gentle awareness raising was probably as good. So we set up a stall, sold some homemade buns, handed out some leaflets and chatted to passers by. It was fun, lots of friends from the village and children running about. The highlight I'm sure, though, was the line dancing and the belly dancing...

Every Tree Tells a Story workshop

After the success of the drop-in workshop at Cartwright Hall in May, we are holding another one at Kirkgate Studios and Workshops on Saturday 18th July. We had a lovely day at Cartwright Hall and we expect to have as much fun, if not more, at Kirkgate Studios. The photos above were taken in May by Tony O'Connell.

On the 18th, it'll start at 10.30am and finish around 12.30pm, so can come anytime between then. It's free and we'll provide all the materials. During the workshop you'll be able to put your creative skills to good use making tree-inspired decorations for our wonderful recycled tree, which will be displayed at the Arts Trail in September.

Kirkgate Studios and Workshops
Kirkgate
Shipley
BD18 3EH
01274 598928

Caroline Street Social Club

We had a fantastic night on Friday for the fundraising event. It was absolutely buzzing and the consensus was that it fininished far too early. A little lesson in terms of organising was that we started too early and finished too early; it really should have been 9pm 'til 1am. We'll know for next time. It really filled up from about 10.30pm as people came on from the pub. The dance floor was packed and the tunes went down a storm. We had the hardcore Ska and Reggae 'til about 9.30pm and then the crowd pleasers came out after that.

The raffle was a major hit, the trick there being the choice of quirky off-beat prizes: Elvis jigsaw; plenty of vinyl, which people loved, like The Best of Bread, The Byrds plays Dylan, a double album of Beatles' Love Songs...; a retro mint sauce container...

So a very big thank you to DJ Bamboo and the Fresh Prince of Saltaire (Adam Cole) for spinning his records and to Tony for providing us with some speakers and taking his turn on the decks. And all the people who helped put it on. There was such a buzz that there has been a call for a monthly event. It sounds good to me...

Fundraising Night

The fundraising night is nearly upon us. Dj Bamboo and the Fresh Prince of Saltaire has been chasing round trying to get some powered speakers, which he's found thanks to a friend of his called Tony. Emails have gone out, posters have gone up and tickets have been sold... There's quite a buzz about it. I bumped into someone in the Post Office this morning, who was very excited, "We've found a babysitter! We're going to come!" I think there is a certain amount of intrigue as to the identity of DJ Bamboo...

Fundraising Night

Tickets are now on sale for our Fundraising Night on 3rd July. It's going to be a fantastic night of Ska and Reggae, and DJ Bamboo and the Fresh Prince of Saltaire is keen to spin some vinyl. Caroline Street Social Club, on Caroline Street, Saltaire, is a great old school venue; come anytime from 7.30pm.

You'll be able to buy tickets from the Spa on Titus Street and Magic Number Three on Victoria Road, both in Saltaire. Tickets are £5 in advance or £6 on the door. If you are buying them in advance, please could you pay by cash or cheque, as it would help Ray and Georgia out enormously.

We'll be launching the Friends of Saltaire Arts Trail, too; so if you'd like to become a Friend make sure you sign up on the night, as we'll have a few little extra goodies to give away.

Come and help make it a great night; it's all in a very good cause. We look forward to seeing you there...

Selection made

We had a fantastic response to our call for artists for both the Open Houses and the Makers' Fair. The deadline for applications is now past and after much careful consideration we have selected the artists and practitioners that will exhibit in the Houses and Makers' Fair. The quality of the applications was excellent again this year, which made the selection process incredibly difficult. But we are pleased with the results and are beginning to get a little bubble of excitement at the thought of September...

Open Exhibition

For those artists wishing to exhibit in the Open Exhibition, application forms are now available to download from the website. The exhibition will be displayed under the magnificent glass-vaulted roof of Shipley College's Exhibition Building. It's a fantastic location to exhibit, as you can see above. We've increased the number of artworks that artists can submit to three this year, which we think will give the exhibition a little more depth. So, if you fancy applying, Chris is waiting for your application form...