Latest additions

Latest additions. See the What’s New page on the Creative Stoke website [ http://www.creativestoke.org.uk/whatsnew.html ] for full links and images…

New! 22.03.09 Added to the directory: Debbie Buxton is a local fine artist based in Leek, and also a graduate of Staffordshire University (class of 2007).

New! 22.03.09 Added to the directory: Broken Branch Records is a new Stoke-on-Trent record label.

New! 22.03.09 Added to the directory: BBC Staffordshire – Entertainment pages link – added to the Writing & Publishing page.

New! 22.03.09 BBC Radio Stoke is looking for two young people to take up a placement over the summer reporting on local music and local sport. Closing date for applications: 30th April 09.

New! 22.03.09 Laura Durber writes to say she’s a Staffordshire University student studying the ‘Foundation Degree in Creative Arts for Employment’ (based at Newcastle-u-L College)…

“I am seeking some work-experience with either a ceramisist or a sculptor, because I complete my course in July 09 and hope to find suitable employment.”

If you can offer a placement, please email Laura at: laura_durber _at_ yahoo.co.uk

New! 22.03.09 Midlands Young Fashion Designers Awards. Accepting nominations/entries now. Deadline: 31st March 09.

New! 22.03.09 Launching on Monday 23rd March 09, a new opportunity for West Midlands photographers. Deadline: 27th April 09…

“To coincide with Rhubarb’s tenth birthday, photographers in the UK are invited to apply for the new Rhubarb/Arts Council Bursary Scheme 2009, where the ten chosen will be profiled at the Rhubarb International Review in July/August this year. Five photographers will be chosen from the West Midlands region, and five from the rest of the UK.”

New! 22.03.09 James writes from Newcastle-under-Lyme…

“I thought that I would write to you with ‘one of those things’ that make you realise why you created this site in the first place. The micro-company that I created recently got bought out (with a big cash injection for my new venture). Instead of – as suggested/forced by my investors – working from Manchester for its creative community, I used the Creative Stoke website to show exactly how the city and the region is a place of great creativity with lots of potential for more. […] I have since dragged a couple of Mancs and Brummies this way to work in Newcastle-u-L, every day, for a living. […] So, a big thank you for helping me persuade some hefty financial backers that Stoke is the place for my business.”

New! 22.03.09 Wolverhampton Art Gallery — a short hop on the train from Stoke — will be launching the brand-new “Hire Space”, at an event on Saturday 28th March 09 from 2pm to 4pm. Converted from the previous shop premises located near the Lichfield Street entrance to the Art Gallery, the “Hire Space” will provide a platform to showcase art by artists who were born, work or study in the West Midlands. The Hire Space will annually provide seven exhibition slots for artists to hire, and three slots for use by Wolverhampton Arts + Museums Education and Outreach teams. Cost is £195 to hire for a 4 week exhibition. The application process is open to all on a “first-come, first-served” basis. Interested? More details from: laura.marsh _at_ wolverhampton.gov.uk

New! 22.03.09 Added to the directory: Rachel Marsden is a North Staffordshire artist and also a curator, photographer and bookbinder.

Her latest project has a website, findandseek.me.

Latest updates added to the What’s New page

The latest batch of updates and news from Creative Stoke. See the What’s New webpage [ http://www.creativestoke.org.uk/whatsnew.html ] for the same text with added links and images…

New! 14.03.09 The launch of the Urban Vision-sponsored “Home!” photographic exhibition is coming up soon (20th March 09) at the Burslem School of Art, Stoke-on-Trent. Should be a good event for networking with fellow creatives…

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Talking of the School of Art, many will remember Darren Washington’s AirSpace Gallery exhibition last year “Tales from a Changing City”. We’re told that Daniel has secured the Burslem School of Art in Autumn 2009, for a sequel show.

New! 14.03.09 There’s a brand-new website and URL for The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery and associated museums / houses, and very nice it looks too…

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New! 14.03.09 Rose Strang writes to tell us about Stoke-on-Trent’s “Art for Life” programme co-ordinated by the Royal Infirmary. The latest “Art for Life” project needs creative writers and emerging poets. “Rebirth Project 2009” will be based at North Staffs Maternity Hospital at the City General. In spring 2009 a new Maternity Centre will open when the old hospital is demolished – so the project is asking people in the city to send them a three-line poem about Rebirth. In May 09 they plan to include your poems in large-scale light projections onto the building, and some of the best poems will be included and credited in a book about the maternity transformation. There is also the possibility that some poems could be used in a documentary film.

“Some thoughts to get you writing… What will you feel when the old Maternity Block is pulled down? / Do you recall the colours, smells and sounds? / How did it feel to hold your first baby? / What is your message for a newborn child? / Do you have a message for the future? / What were your hopes, dreams and fears for your unborn child? / What kind of world would you like a child to enter? ”

Interested? Send your three-line poem to: rosemary.strang@uhns.nhs.uk

New! 14.03.09 The Public, in West Bromwich in the West Midlands, is hosting a free, one-day regional youth arts conference on Tuesday 24th March 09 (9.30am – 4.15pm). Fellow organisers are ENYAN and the Regional Youth Work Unit, and the event will focus on “young people as cultural producers”. Sessions will be on: “The 2012 Olympics & The Cultural Olympiad” / The Cultural Offer Beyond Simply “Find Your Talent” / Developing Young Arts Leaders / Training and Professional Development / Networking & Information Services.

To book your place please email: enyan2@artswork.org.uk

New! 14.03.09 Coming up soon is the second Stoke Your Fires animation festival, in Stoke-on-Trent. The 2009 website is now online, and the dates are 2nd – 3rd April 09. Sure to be an excellent networking event, as well as packed with useful talks, seminars and workshops.

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New! 14.03.09 Added to the directory: Daniel Lyttleton writes to say he has a new website, Invent Canvas, offering personalised wall-art based on your photographs.

New! 14.03.09 Added to the directory: Modern Glass are a contemporary glass firm and glass-painting, based in Northwood, Stoke-on-Trent.

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They also have individual craft-glass works available to buy at Half Baked Glass.

Latest items

See the website for full images / links:-

New! 03.03.09 Creative Stoke’s current front-cover interviewee, Paine Proffitt, has a show of new work on now. We’ve only just heard about it, but apparently the show opened last night and continues until 26th March 09. “A Quiet Heart” is at the Burslem School of Art, Stoke-on-Trent, and should be open during normal gallery hours.

New! 03.03.09 Jobs: The British Ceramics Biennial (to be held in Stoke-on-Trent) is reportedly calling for participants in “Commissions, Residencies and Workshops”, with a closing date for applications of 30th March 09. They also require a Marketing Manager and a Projects Manager — deadline for applications for these jobs is 23rd March 09. More information from Jeremy Theophilus (Director) at jeremy _at_ britishceramicsbiennial.com

New! 03.03.09 Staffordshire Library and Information Services is staging a “Young Teen Fiction Award Celebration Day” on Tuesday 7th July 2009, for readers and writers aged 11-14 years old. They require… “one male and one female author for the day. One would talk in the morning for 40 minutes and the other would talk during the afternoon, again for 40 minutes.” Interested? Contact them via their website.

New! 03.03.09 Added to the directory: Looking for some especially imaginative artwork for your ad campaign? Or a beautiful Flash animation? Cheshire Studios is based in Leek, Staffordshire, and has an impressive photomontage portfolio online. Also providing radio, print and web design.

New! 03.03.09 Added to the directory: Penkhull, Stoke on Trent, has a new dance school — the Urban Burn Dance School (Flash-only website). Located within St. Peter’s Church of England High School, the school offers a variety of dance styles, and even choreography for performances.

New! 03.03.09 With Stoke-on-Trent’s Mitchell Memorial Theatre currently undergoing renovation and rebuilding (via £2m of Lottery funding), Planet Sound has now completed a move to the Burslem School of Art, also in Stoke-on-Trent. They write…

“The Drum School due to start back on Sunday 1st March 2009 at 4pm, with the recently formed ‘Samba Cultura’ taking place on alternate Sundays. Both are due to take place in the School of Art”.

New! 03.03.09 Added to the directory: Sara Myatt Glass Design is based in Leek, Staffordshire, and offers her own unique kiln-formed glass art — incorporating metals such as copper, silver and gold. Bowls, hangings, and jewellery are available.

New! 25.02.09 Your editor has been building a new project at JURN.org JURN is a specialist search-engine that searches over 1800 electronic academic journals in the arts and humanities — most of which are free. It’s still “in beta”, but is potentially rather useful if you’re a student or lecturer at one of our local universities — such as Staffordshire, Keele, or MMU at Crewe. It works just like Google.

New! 25.02.09 There’s a new Facebook group: “The Potteries : a ceramic past and present”, set up by Stoke’s Iconic Images.

New! 25.02.09 Added to the directory: Need dance, drama and voice training or workshops? Sarah Marie Cole writes to say that she’s based in Stoke-on-Trent and… “is a professional, trained performer with experience in theatre and television.” She has… “taught workshops with all age groups and levels in dance, drama and voice.”

New! 25.02.09 Added to the directory: Design by Jack, based in Meir Heath. DbJ is a… “graphic design agency, specialising in identity, banding and advertising”.

New! 06.02.09 Den Cartlidge writes to tell Creative Stoke readers about a new local creative-writing group. Leek Writers Group aims to be an informal and friendly local society, dedicated to promoting writing and writers in North Staffordshire. Interested? Contact Den at: den.cartlidge@hotmail.co.uk

New! 06.02.09 Added to the directory: Craig Faulkner write to say that he has a new website and has…

“been teaching singing for a number of years in the West Midlands and am now based in Staffordshire. I welcome students of all ages, experience and voice types. I have worked for a number of schools and sixth-forms, and also as a singing teacher for Stagecoach Theatre Arts […] I prepare students for GCSE, A Level and auditions […] and am on the pathway to becoming a Certified Master Teacher in Estill Voice Training — a method used in many leading full-time drama schools.”

Interested? Phone Craig on: 01782 777062 or email Craig at: mail@craiganthonyfaulkner.com

New! 06.02.09 Gareth Mayer, from Newcastle-under-Lyme, writes to say that he’s a comedian who’s seeking others to participate in comedy sketches and film — and also people to work behind a camera. The aim is to support two events to raise money for breast cancer research and the Bobby Moore Fund. Interested? Contact Gareth at: gazmayer2003@hotmail.com

New! 06.02.09 The “Legacy Trust: People Dancing” programme is set to launch in the West Midlands. The launch will be at the Stafford Gatehouse Theatre on 2nd March 09, from 10.30pm to 12.30pm…

“If you have an interest in the development of opportunities in dance in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, I would encourage you to attend and find out more about how to access the funding and resources available through the Legacy Trust.”

More information from: Paul Kaynes, West Midlands Creative Programmer, at p.kaynes@culturewm.org.uk