Stephanie Cottle, Author at Blackpool Social Club

12 Sep

Actor Q&A: Peter Duncan

Stephanie Cottle0 CommentsTheatre, Dance & Performanceperformance, The Grand Theatre, Theatre

Summer is over. For us living on the coast, autumn brings howling winds, thunderstorms and sea mists – perfect cover when something sinister is trying to creep into Blackpool. Starring Olivier-nominated actor and former Blue Peter presenter Peter Duncan, When Darkness Falls comes to The Grand Theatre on the 15th of September. Set on the small island of Guernsey the play focuses on a young paranormal expert (Daniel Rainford) who joins a sceptical history teacher (Peter Duncan) to record the first in a series of podcasts based on the island’s folklore and paranormal history. As the expert regales his horrifying…

10 Nov

Art project opens the doors to recovery in Wyre

Stephanie Cottle0 CommentsLocal NewsArt, community

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Closed doors have become almost symbolic over the past 18 months and as such it is no surprise to see these everyday items emerge in artistic work across the globe. In 2020 we Blackpool Social Club shared the work of photographer Zoe Taylor who took coronavirus restrictions as an opportunity to develop her work ‘Doorstep Portraits’ which gave viewers a glimpse of the families living behind closed doors. Image credit - Zoe Taylor Other artists, such as Mario Garcia Torres also used doors as inspiration. In his piece ‘It Must Have Been a Tuesday’ 2020 Torres took the sign…

31 Oct

BSC Halloween: a grisly tale from Layton Cemetery

Stephanie Cottle0 CommentsColumns & Opinion, HeritageBlackpool, heritage, history, local history, photography, Place

Content warning - this article contains graphic details relating to murder & suicide. Image credit - Stephanie Cottle Halloween 2021 is upon us. I know, you’re probably thinking, how on earth is it the end of October already? It really is scary how fast the months have gone by. For the past 18 months the earth has played host to a new spectre. One that shrouded our globe with a veil of uncertainty and chaos. There is however, no shadow without light. Throughout the pandemic we have seen enormous acts of selflessness. Latest government reports state that 47% of…

27 Oct

Ride Your Pony at Abingdon Studios

Stephanie Cottle0 CommentsLocal News, Visual Arts & ExhibitionsArt, artist, Blackpool, Exhibition

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] From horse drawn carriages on the promenade to donkey rides across the beach, Blackpool has always played host to equestrian residents. From the 21st of October, Abingdon Studios gained some temporary, artistic neigh-bours. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Ride Your Pony (No.4), curated by Marie Jones, Garth Gratrix & Kerry Tenbey is an interdisciplinary exhibition showing works by 26 international artists. The brief for works asks each participating artist to create work that responds to a letter of the alphabet chosen in ‘lucky dip’ style. On the preview evening I chatted to Reece Adair about his work, which depicts the form of a kneeling…

07 Aug

In Her Place: Our Electric Princess

Stephanie Cottle0 CommentsColumns & Opinion, HeritageBlackpool, community, community theatre, entertainment, heritage, performance, Place, Theatre

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Electric slide back in time with Stephanie Cottle and take a look at one of Blackpool’s historic buildings. Since the government announced further easing of COVID restrictions you may have noticed some curious creatures emerging from hibernation. No, I’m not talking about the return of the stag and hen parties, but rather a merry band of local thespians. Stretching out their long-rested legs, the colourful cohort have been taking to the streets of Blackpool and providing visitors to the town centre with some much needed fun and theatrics. But where are these captivating characters coming from? If you’ll allow…

19 Apr

F/Stop Exhibition Celebrates Fylde Coast Female Photographers

Stephanie Cottle0 CommentsVisual Arts & ExhibitionsBlackpool Prom, photo, photographer, photography, women

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Following a successful takeover of tram shelters late last year, the HIVEArts team have once again brought unique art to Blackpool promenade. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic there have been increasing amounts of open-air, gallery-style exhibitions popping up all over the globe, as curators attempt to make culture accessible in spite of social distancing restrictions. After making waves with their previous exhibition late last year, HIVEArts have installed a set of fresh new images by 22 female photographers from across the Fylde coast at tram stops between North and Central Pier. In light of recent events, it is so fitting…

22 Mar

A Class Act: B&FC Graduate Photography Virtual Exhibition

Stephanie Cottle0 CommentsVisual Arts & ExhibitionsBlackpool, Blackpool and the Fylde College, Blackpool School of Arts, Exhibition, photographer, photography

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] As UK restrictions continue to prevent most physical art exhibitions going ahead, many colleges and universities across the country are once again moving their annual events to online platforms. Blackpool and The Fylde college is no exception, with third year photography students keeping our eyes engaged by presenting a new collection of beautiful, daring and well considered images. Wish You Were Here is a virtual exhibition showcasing a selection of works from this year’s photography graduates. The exhibition features a broad range of styles, from the luxuriously layered narrative images that ooze decadence (Paula Chalder-Robinson) to the contrasting sleek…

07 Mar

In Her Place: Urban Skateboarding

Stephanie Cottle0 CommentsColumns & Opinion, Sports & WellbeingBlackpool, community, Place, skate, skate culture, Skateboard, women

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] In another instalment of In Her Place Stephanie Cottle looks back before skating into the future. If I was asked as a kid to imagine what the year 2020 would look like, I can guarantee that I would have envisioned the fun, futuristic depictions from my favourite childhood films. I’m talking teenagers on hoverboards and self-lacing trainers – the really important stuff. We all know the rather less exciting reality of 2020 was that instead of jetting off to have silver suit adventures in flying cars, we’ve faced extraordinarily tight restrictions on our movements. No planes, no trains, no automobiles. Back in March…

19 Jan

Call from the sea: Blackpool to gain new sculpture in Spring 2021

Stephanie Cottle0 CommentsLocal News, Visual Arts & ExhibitionsArt, artist, Blackpool, Covid-19, Place

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] As we reach the third week of 2021, aside from the governments promises to quickly deliver vaccinations across the UK, the good news stories remain as elusive as they were throughout 2020. In these testing times it’s difficult to visualise the positive changes that are occurring within the murky waters of this pandemic. This is especially apparent as we plunge ever deeper into winter. Despite the seasons astounding beauty, cold weather has gripped tightly, restricting our movement further still. Now, the dense morning sea fogs often hide the coast from us completely. They veil what glistened, free from litter…

23 Dec

Blackpool tram stops get HIVEJacked for Christmas

Stephanie Cottle0 CommentsVisual Arts & ExhibitionsArt, Exhibition, public art

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] In and around our everyday spaces we are used to seeing signs and notices, especially around the areas that adhere to strict scheduling and codes of practice. [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Some signs inform us of things to come – the time the next bus is due, the days the shops will not be open. Others try to sell us things, like the new BigMac with 17 burger patties or the shiny Land Rover that wouldn’t even fit on your street. Last but not least, are the signs that impose on us the rules of the space we currently occupy - don’t walk…