Visual Arts & Exhibitions

Leading up to the preview of his exhibition, Studies for the Broken Sun - currently exhibited at Caffe Dolce, Mike Cassidy took time out to answer some questions about an eternally debatable subject: art. 1) Fight or flight? Am I able to actually fly? That would be amazing! If so that, but I’ve never really been one to run away from anything. 2) Imminent or imitation? Well imitation is the whole reason why art exists. As human beings we do it without even noticing. What I find really interesting about imitation is the differences that occur, the unintended little diversions…

Backing onto the stage with a large box of flat-pack scenery, Maggie Fox and Sue Ryding, aka LipService Theatre, smashed their way through theatrical convention with charm and aplomb from the outset.  With a knowing wink to their audience, they bragged that their sparce backdrop would be suitable for a performance of Ibsen, Chekov or the Pirates of Penzance.  A flat-pack tree was put together with help from the front row who held bags containing inadequate numbers of wooden pegs, the obligatory allen key and, naturally, a knitted spanner. The comedy duo commenced with a puppet prologue which featured some…

I find we tend to notice places most often if their location is along one of our habitual routes. Routes are modified by the popularity of certain businesses and public transport drop-off points.  Many residents will have used the stretch of King Street from the former Bus Station to what was the ABC Theatre/Cinema, later morphing into The Syndicate Nightclub, back when patrons queued around the corner. At that time, the King Street premises of Blott Artists’ Studios, would have been prominent, close to the former car saleroom premises which is nowadays the Royal British Legion Club.  Over its eleven years, Blott has been…

Supercollider Contemporary Art Projects has moved into the vacant unit at 59 Cookson Street as part of the legacy of the Blackpool Culture Shops programme, which sought to re-animate vacant units across Blackpool town centre through a series of temporary art works. Adrian Pritchard's Osmosis Machine project came about through a series of conversations and e-mails between the artist and Supercollider regarding doing a project together 'in the future'. Adrian's project has proved to be a valuable addition to the roster of exhibitions Supercollider has programmed since 2008 through both its regular and Semiconductor exhibition programmes and has been a great way to ease…