Blackpool Social Club, Author at Blackpool Social Club

30 Jun

Doorstep Portraits with Photographer Zoe Taylor.

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsdocumentary photography, photography

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Through Lockdown we witnessed a host of photographers take to their neighbourhoods to create family portraits, socially distanced with families in their gardens and at home. We caught up with Blackpool Photographer Zoe Taylor to find out about her Doorstep Portraits series.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image="29031" img_size="large" add_caption="yes" alignment="center"][vc_column_text] Q. Along with the images you have sent, can you please explain your work and the different individuals that you have taken doorstep portraits of? A. It has been really interesting to find out about people's lives in lockdown and to capture a relaxed style portrait. There have been some great characters and stories too.…

30 Jun

Graduate Platform – Photographer Sally Sharpe

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsphotography, student

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Sally Sharpe: I get Older They Stay The Same Age At Blackpool Social Club we are all about supporting creatives and new graduates in Blackpool: photographers, artists and musicians pushing boundaries and exploring new realms, proving just how cool Blackpool is. We noted Sally Sharpe's work on social media and warmed to the threads of skateboarding, how we measure time and growing older and how we might consider intimacy and relationships using Photography to explore these complex themes. Sally Sharpe: "Through this body of work, I aim to capture moments of performance, self reflection, intimacy, and nostalgia. Over the…

30 Jun

Blackpool Music Festival kicks off as Livestream on 3rd July.

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsMusic & Gigs

From Friday Blackpool Music Festival will be live streaming from The Waterloo Music Bar. The festival organiser John Bamborough explained the now annual event is in its 8th year and usually comprises of over 100 acts over 4 days in various venues across the Fylde Coast. John explained due to Covid-19 this year’s festival has been cancelled, however, this festival usually raises a couple of thousand pounds for Musicians Against Homelessness, the monies raised being split between CRISIS and Streetlife, a local Blackpool charity providing support, shelter and direction to help vulnerable young adults find their way. This year the festival…

29 Jun

A proverbial KICK up the ass to remind people to pick up their litter.

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsLocal News, Visual Arts & Exhibitions

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]During lockdown Blackpool had never looked so clean, but as folks began to emerge, more and more litter also appeared. I found some posters on one of my photo walks, not long ago and during lockdown and not your usual "Keep Britain Tidy" blandness. But posters that played around with "popular" musical references prompting us to keep our environment clean. It seemed unnamed guerrilla artists were taking to the streets to literally paste up messages and remind us of a few home truths. We caught up with the perpetrators, incognito of course. They told us how, why and what started…

29 Jun

500 Nights of Rest for the NHS with The Art B&B Blackpool.

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsLocal News

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] An extraordinary brand-new Blackpool hotel, which was unable to open for its first season, is setting out to offer 500 nights of rest for worn out NHS workers. ART B&B is donating 50 nights of free stays and fundraising to provide an additional 450 nights to take the total to 500. It is an opportunity to say thank you in a special way in a unique place. People supporting the campaign will receive unique rewards such as a thank you certificate including the honorary title of ‘Official Blackpool Landlady.’ Ahhhhh Blackpool! A national treasure renowned for providing fresh air, clean beaches, and…

29 Jun

Artist Interview: Ruth Cockburn

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsTheatre, Dance & Performance

We caught up with Ruth Cockburn a local but far reaching comedian and theatre maker to find out what she has been doing in Lockdown and her plans for unlocking. Tell us about you, Ruth. I grew up in Blackpool in a B&B and have been a professional artist for over 15 years. I moved away from Blackpool for a while but came back a few years ago and fell back in love with the place. I am a touring performance artist, comedian and writer. I make theatre shows that are inspired by a sense of place. My last show…

13 Sep

Oliver! is a treat for families

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsTheatre, Dance & Performance

Oliver! has a long and rich history since its West End debut in 1960. It had success on Broadway, many touring productions and, of course, the famous, Oscar-winning 1968 film. So, it holds a place as one of the most popular musicals of the last century. The latest production to come to Blackpool is produced by Ensemble Theatre Company, a new player on the scene who bill themselves as a "supportive platform for the Musical Theatre community." As a show, Oliver! started off strong. There was a lot of charm and refreshingly unabashed musical theatre energy, with several standout performances…

06 Sep

In My Minds Eye at The Art Break Hotel

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsLocal News, Visual Arts & ExhibitionsArt, Art Break Hotel

Mental Health and awareness of its impact on everyday life has become a hot-button political topic in recent years. According to the 2014 Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, one in six adults has a Common Mental Disorder, such as Depression, Anxiety or an eating disorder. It is an issue which has found greater focus in the workplace, at home and in the halls of Parliament. With this increased focus comes a drive to express what living with one of these conditions is like. The ArtBreak Hotel in South Shore will be presenting In My Minds Eye, an exhibition of…

02 Aug

Ride The Lights with Rebecca Alper.

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsColumns & Opinion, Local News, Sports & Wellbeingcycling, ridethelights

My favourite thing about Ride The Lights is the noise – or rather, the lack of it. As someone who frequently cycles through the busy Starr Gate area at rush hour, there is something magical about the eerie quiet – save for the gentle tinkling of bells and spinning of pedals – that descends for the evening. The two-wheeled takeover, rechristened Let’s Ride the Lights this year, returns on Tuesday 28 August. Traffic is stopped along the Promenade all the way to Bispham as cyclists enjoy an early preview of the Illuminations before the official Switch-On, as well as…

26 Jul

Roll Up, Roll Up for the Circus Themed Exhibition at the Grundy Art Gallery

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsVisual Arts & ExhibitionsArt, artist, Blackpool, Exhibition, photography, The Grundy Art Gallery

It’s a grave taboo within circus circles to copy the design of another clown’s face. To claim their face as their intellectual property, clowns have historically had their personal pattern of make-up and hairstyle painted in miniature onto an egg. These were painstakingly archived in an informal clown-copyright library by the secretary of the International Circus Clowns Club. These eggs are just one striking revelation of life behind the big top from the five exhibitions, united by the theme of circus, which make up the Grundy Gallery’s summer programme. The eggs themselves, completed with tufts of hair and tiny cardboard…