blackpool arts scene Archives - Page 5 of 7

11 Mar

Theatre Review: As She Likes It

Linda Hampton0 CommentsTheatre, Dance & Performanceblackpool arts scene, International Women's day, performance, Theatre

Chloe Wade Productions’ new play, As She Likes It, pivoted the Hollywood spotlight onto the truth behind the glamour at the Old Electric on Saturday. Actor, writer and theatre maker, Chloe Wade, started writing her play, As She Likes It, alone in lockdown. Four years later the production is in full swing and touring the country. Everything takes time to happen and four years is pretty good going in the theatre world. But the play, which came to The Old Electric on International Women’s Day 2024, also points out that 100 years is too long to wait for change. It…

22 Feb

Theatre Review: Bouncers

David Simper0 CommentsTheatre, Dance & PerformanceBlackpool, blackpool arts scene, bouncers, grand theatre

David Simper gladly bussed it down to the Grand Theatre to see one of his favourite plays and was not disappointed at its latest reboot. I first saw Bouncers at college in 1983 and immediately recognised its brilliance. A play written by a working-class person (John Godber), about working-class people, living working-class lives. I saw it again at the Coventry Belgrade Theatre in the late '90s. At one stage the characters bemoan the amount they have spent on a night out – over the intervening period that sum had gone from £15 to £70. Here the show is set back…

06 Feb

Exhibition Review: Celebrating Blackpool’s LGBTQ+ history

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsblackpool arts scene, Exhibition, LGBTQIA, photographic exhibition

As part of Blackpool's Winter Pride Rainbow Weekend, HIVEArts delivered a decade-spanning exhibition of photographs and memorabilia celebrating the town's LGBTQIA+ culture. David Simper nipped down to the Church Street gallery to catch the display. Entering the HIVEArts gallery through an arch of appropriately brightly coloured balloons, the walls were covered in photographs of people, usually in a social or performance situation. These were complemented by memorabilia – mainly posters for evenings featuring local artists and national stars, including Mark Almond and Toyah Wilcox. It's all smiles from the photos' subjects – I can imagine people spending a long time…

29 Jan

Exhibition Review: Sara C at Tea Amantes

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsart exhibition, blackpool arts scene, collage art

Now established as part of the Blackpool arts scene, the Tea Amantes gallery launched its new show on the evening of 22nd January 2024. David Simper bused it down to Blackpool town centre to check out the work of versatile collage artist Sara C. The weather wasn't looking too auspicious with, I think, the remains of storm Jocelyn lurking around, but I didn't want to miss the launch of Tea Amantes' first exhibition of 2024 and so hurried out to catch the service 61 bus to the town centre. A treat in the way of Sara C's excellent collage artwork…

27 Jan

Exhibition Review: The Grundy Open 2024

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsart exhibition, blackpool arts scene, grundy art gallery, jc robinson, open exhibition, schools' exhibition

This exhibition is Blackpool's annual opportunity for local artists to get their work in front the town's art-loving public. This year's display does not disappoint. After a pleasant coffee with friends at the HIVEArts jive meeting, I strolled over to the Grundy Art Gallery to catch this exhibition's opening day. Others had had the same idea and the gallery was well populated. At present there are three exhibitions to catch – the Open, the annual schools' display, and a collection spotlight display, based around the work of former borough architect JC Robinson. The latter was particularly impressive with drawings and…

21 Nov

Exhibition Review: HIVEArts Winter Collective

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsart exhibition, Blackpool, blackpool arts scene, Exhibition, hivearts blackpool, winter, winter art collection

Autumn has now transitioned to winter and snow is even forecast. Time to join the HIVEArts team at its Church Street lair, for the opening of its Winter Collective exhibition. David Simper bused it down to Church Street to take a look. There's been quite a run up to this exhibition, allowing everybody to get their pieces lined up, while the HIVEArts team prepared the gallery space. A winter rather than Christmas theme was chosen, as the latter is rather limiting and most people don't want Yuletide themed pieces on their walls all year round. I was able to help…

30 Oct

Print’s Not Dead: Inaugural fair draws together local talent

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsart fair, blackpool arts scene, fine art, print fair, Winter Gardens

The inaugural Blackpool Print Fair saw a huge breadth of local talent selling affordable art. We popped along to chat to the artists about their work. On Saturday 28th October 2023 the Blackpool Creative Markets hosted this fine event at the Winter Gardens. I caught the service 61 bus to find out what it was all about. On entering from Church Street and through the Floral Hall, I found the stalls set up and the crowds beginning to build. Blackpool Creative Market is a pop up event that aims to showcase the very best independent artistic talent working on the…

05 Oct

Poetic License: Showcasing the work of local poets

Blackpool Social Club1 CommentLiterature & Spoken WordBlackpool, blackpool arts scene, heritage, literature, poet, poetry, writers, writing

To celebrate National Poetry Day, Blackpool Social Club launches Poetic License, a new series to bring you poetry about Blackpool and written by Blackpool poets It's National Poetry Day today, 5th October, and to mark the occasion BSC is bringing you some of the poetry that sprung from a place-inspired poetry writing workshop. As part of the Heritage Action Zone (HAZ) Cultural Programme, in July this year local writers came together at the new home of the community arts organisation Aunty Social on Topping Street, seeking their poetic muse in a workshop hosted by local writer and published author, Linda…

29 Sep

Exhibition Review: The Air That I Breathe

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsart exhibition, aspergillosis trust, blackpool arts scene, hivearts

The Air That I Breathe is a new exhibition at HIVEArts that finds the Blackpool collective partnering with The Aspergillosis Trust. The opening on world Lung Day proved an inspiring and emotional event. "We aim to celebrate and comtemplate the intangible yet essential element that surrounds our lives and in doing so raise awareness and support for the Aspergillosis Trust," explained organiser Dawn Mander about this latest exhibition at HIVEArts, which explores the fundamental connectivity between breath, air and life itself. Aspergillosis is a hidden lung disease that can be fatal. It is incurable but if diagnosed early and with the right treatment it can be managed. The diseases…

23 Aug

Hive Photo Walk: a communal photographic event

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & ExhibitionsBlackpool, blackpool arts scene, film photography, ilford, photogaphy

As part of HIVEArts' Photo North collaboration, a Photo Walk event supported by the Ilford photo products company had been organised. Representives from the rejuvenated Polaroid company and the Analogue Wonderland retail company were also present. When I arrived at HIVE the team were preparing to tuck into a substantial breakfast. People moved to the upstairs gallery space as the time for the presentations approached. There was time to look at the exhibition and generally fraternise before he event kicked off proper. Chatting to the woman from Ilford I mentioned that the last time I had printed a black and…