Two new exhibitions at the Burslem School of Art DIVERSE and UNSTEADY HANDS

While you're in Burslem, be sure to visit the (new) Old Post Office which is packed with new art: http://www.theoldpostofficestudios.co.uk/artgallery.asp

UNSTEADY HANDS
An exhibition of obsessive drawing from Christopher Guest
Private View: Friday 3rd July 7pm
Refreshments supplied by local businesses.
The Burslem School of Art,
Queen Street,
Burslem,
Stoke-on-Trent,
England.
ST6 3EJ
[tel] 01782 810808
About the Featured Artist:
Christopher Guest was born in Shropshire and completed his B.A and Masters degrees in Fine Art at Staffordshire University. He has work shown both in the United Kingdom and abroad. He was selected as an Emerging Young Artist in 2002 and has contributed work for Birmingham's bid for European City of Culture. As well as many successful solo exhibitions he has shown work at The Lowry Gallery and the New Art Gallery Walsall. In 2008 he co-founded Creative Arts North Staffs, an arts organisation working with disadvantaged young people and the community. He is also founder of The Luna Collective, a motley crew of street artists, designers and poets.


The first dedicated photographers' gallery in Stoke-on-Trent invites you to

DIVERSE

An introduction to the Photographers Collective North Staffs

featuring works from -

Eleanor Babb
Darren Washington
Tony Jones
Penny Vincent
Lisa Watson
Mark Brereton
John Webbe

Come and join us on our preview night and meet the collective on
Friday 26th June 2009 at 7pm - 9pm
at the Burslem School of art.....
Queen Street
Burslem, Stoke on Trent

Freelance role: creative editor

Creative Central Online Editor

£150 daily rate x 50 days

(£7500pa)

The North Staffordshire Creative Economies Forum (NSCEF) has been developing a new web portal to support the area's creative economy. We now need an enthusiastic, multi-skilled communicator who can capture and connect all the good things in our area.

The person awarded the contract will work on a freelance basis, reporting to the manager of Cultural Services and the communications lead of NSCEF. You will commission, create and share content related to our creative industries, with a wide range of networks.

Working knowledge of production processes online and in print is required. Knowledge and experience of a range of technical equipment, social networking websites and Adobe CS or equivalents will be necessary and we will consider collaborative applications where strong evidence of teamwork is present. You will need to show how you will make good connections quickly into the

diverse creative communities of North Staffordshire and develop content that will engage people in many different ways. We may be able to coordinate training for a strong candidate who needs development in a particular area.

This is an opportunity to be at the centre of exciting, creative central web portal in North Staffordshire.

The editor post is funded for 2 years; the applicant must be self-employed and is fully responsible for tax and national insurance contributions.

Applications received until Friday 3rd July, interviews Monday 6th July 2009

For more information and application details please email: culturaldevelopment@stoke.gov.uk or tel: 01782 232542

Staffordshire University, Degree Show 2009 - Industry/Stakeholder Evening - 10th June

Taking place on Wednesday, 10th June, this event will allow you to:

• Be the first to see the work of our emerging, new talent.
• Hear about the ways in which the University is supporting the region's Creative & Cultural Industries
• Network with fellow practitioners/ industry support agencies.

For full details and joining instructions for the evening email l.reynolds @ staffs.ac.uk

The UKASFP (Solution Focused) conference Keele University, 12th June 2009.

We are hosting a world cafe on the 12th June 2009 in the beautiful venue of Keele hall. In the true spirit of world cafe approach we would like to invite people to shape their futures through conversations that matter.

The event will host a number of guest speakers from diverse backgrounds to share their experiences of creativity and collaboration in with individuals and communities.

We the UKASFP, hope to connect people from various backgrounds and nurture conversations that inspire and inform the participants.

The UKASFP are a not for profit organisation and so we hope the conference fee of £80 non UKASFP members and £50 members suits such a fantastic opportunity to connect, create and collaborate.

Please see the www.ukasfp.co.uk for details and book online through the conference page.

We look forward to having a conversation that matters.

Carl Plant
http://www.skittlr.com/carlplant

Artists taking the lead - only two weeks to go

Artists taking the lead - only two weeks to go

Artists taking the lead is the most ambitious and wide-ranging commission fund in the UK, offering up to £500,000 to 12 projects around the country.

With just two weeks left until the application deadline of Friday 29 May, here are some reminders why the project is so unique:

* the application process is really straightforward - you just need to describe your big idea in 400 words
* organisations and collectives can apply, as long as the idea is led by an artist
* artists can apply at any stage of their career, whether they have a wealth of experience or are straight out of art college - we will provide guidance and support to help realise the projects
* the ideas can take any artform - from music, theatre or performance to sculpture, literature or installation - the only limit is your imagination
* ideas will be judged by expert panels of artists around the country, ensuring that artists lead this project from start to finish

There won't be another opportunity like this, so why not give it a go?

For full details and submit your idea, visit www.artiststakingthelead.org.uk

Talking Shop go to LIverpool

On Thursday, 14th May, we have taken up the challenge to "make an exhibition of ourselves" by taking part in "Climate for Change" at FACT's Gallery One in Liverpool.

http://thetalkingshop.tumblr.com/

What it's all about:

This is an experimental initiative that offers up gallery space for use by groups with appropriate aims and projects, so that the groups and their activities become the exhibition. To participate in this The Talking Shop collective have decided to take our lively discussions on the road and stage our next event as both an open-ended conversation between ourselves, as well as a means for allowing an audience to take part.

This conversation will consists of a number of inter-connecting layers, from the secret to the global:

a) a secret, low-tech layer where anyone (within the group or the audience) can write a comment, question, etc. on a sheet of paper, fold into a paper airplane and fly it into a specified corner of the room. These would accumulate through the course of the day and would not be opened until after the event.

b) a physical, spoken, face-to-face discussion in the gallery, between the members of our group, where each organisation would take ten minutes to present on a topic - this could be a simple update on activities, news, etc, but it could equally be a series of questions, a rant on a particular issue, a plea for help, etc.

c) laptops and data projectors positioned around the gallery space to allow both members of the group and the audience to interject comments, observations and questions that can be simultaneously displayed on the gallery walls.

d) a global, hi-tech layer where parts of our conversation are relayed via Tumblr and Twitter to a potentially global audience. (You will be able to follow us on Twitter via: #talkingshop)

More details on how to get involved to follow soon…

(This event is contributing to the Climate for Change exhibition at FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology). Climate for Change is a unique experiment in activism, engagement and networking taking place from 13 March - 31 May. FACT is located at 88 Wood Street L1 4DQ. www.fact.co.uk).

Burslem Arts New Look Gallery

Burslem Arts Gallery at 7 Queen St, Burslem is the only non for profit art gallery in Stoke on Trent. Established in 2007 by the Burslem Arts Festival Group and supported by Moorcroft and Moorland Pottery Firms the gallery provides the opportunity for emerging and professional artists from all backgrounds to exhibit in the heart of the creative sector of The Mother Town.

The recently transformed and rebranded gallery has introduced a new 'Featured Artist' scheme that showcases the talent of a new local artist with a dynamic window display and launch event that guarantees fresh exciting new artwork in the gallery every month. May 2009's featured artist is Andy Turner, better known as FAMOUS WHEN DEAD.

"Famous When Dead blurs the boundaries between surrealist art, abstract art, pop art, graffiti and street art. Classically trained as a robot he now works from his home studio that he shares with his wife and two very critical but equally creative young children. His highly original art is becoming increasingly sought after around the world." (ARTIST STATEMENT)

June's Featured Artist will be Basford based portrait artist Dan Robbins.

Burslem Arts, run by artists for artists, solely run by volunteers who dedicate their time to provide this exciting venue for the growing creative community. Profits generated by the gallery are put towards the Burslem Summer and Winter Arts Festivals.

Photographs show FAMOUS WHEN DEAD Andy Turner speaking at the launch inside and outside the gallery

www.famouswhendead.com

www.burslemarts.co.uk