#HADADi — Helix Arts Digital Artists' Drop-in

HADADI 9th May 2019, Think Lab, Northumbria University

Watch This Space!

Tonight we were all challenged to explore our relationship to the space around us…where does digital space begin/end?…Can creative expression of our space help us be more ‘in the world’?…What happens when artists take over unlikely spaces?

Carol Davenport updated on NUSTEM’s schools programme. Eight primary schools, over three years will explore the interconnectivity of art and science, including solar physics visual art and polar physics poetry. How do art and science develop our knowledge and view of the spaces around us?

Up next, East Street Arts (https://eaststreetarts.org.uk/) challenged us to redefine how artists can access and use space. How can you unlock opportunities for creativity, and how can this impact on local ecology for how different sectors work together in that community? Certainly, it appears that relationship building with decision makers and key stakeholders is key to ensuring longevity of challenging space use.

Based at BEC (institute for new media art), artist Marieke Verbiesen (http://marieke.nu/) explores where physical and digital space begins and ends. How do we perceive this happening around us? Marieke describes of her piece Pole Position: ‘Pole Position is an interactive installation where the digital and the physical world meet and compete. Born from the human desire to recreate digital environments, and reshape them to our own physical world. Users look at a screen that combines both physical, realtime recorded elements, in a digital game with digital objects.’

Dan Russel from The New Bridge Project (https://thenewbridgeproject.com/) led a conversation about how we can challenge traditional models for projects with a heritage focus. Is there a proliferation of heritage/natural environment projects which follow very similar programme structures? Are these the best way to make great art? What are the best open access tools which can be used to challenge how we respond to our immediate space, wider space, global space? How can this approach be used to create great art?

What happens when contemporary artists take over unusual spaces? Simon Gregory discussed how Gas Contemporary (http://gascontemporary.com) initially created a contemporary arts presence in Morecambe’s west end, establishing a network of artists and a series of shows. A new space in North Shields is in development, and they are in the process of establishing an arts programme. Simon described how the programme is about using the space in an agile, responsive way. It is space for experimentation rather than a formal programme, with no central point of ownership. Want to get in contact? Instagram is @gas_contemporary.

Universities can be strange spaces, and so often siloed working develops across departments existing within the same structure. Suzy O’Hara from Sunderland University Co/Lab (http://colabsunderland.co.uk/) seeks to open up this space for collaboration. Co/Lab aims to provide a mechanism that will foster new opportunities for collaboration between art, design and creative practitioners within Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries (FACI) and academic researchers across University of Sunderland. How can we get artists to engage with the research across the whole university? Can we catalyse relationships between artists and academics in other faculties and generate new ideas, presenting this to wider audiences? One project looked at was Exploring Experience in the Edgelands, (http://colabsunderland.co.uk/project_three.html). Can the process of creatively expressing an experience of place help us become more aware of ‘being in the world’ and, as a result, have a positive influence on our subjective well being and sense of self?

A big thank you to all and especially to our host Carol Davenport over at Think Lab, Northumbria University @nustem_uk and Dominic Smith for guiding us through the evening.

Please come next time. Same place.

Are you an artist living or working in North Tyneside? Do check out our other events for arts and wellbeing North Tyneside Artists Hub.

FUTURE DIARY DATES

The next #HADADi dates are:

Tuesday 17 September 2019, 5pm, Think Lab (Room E304), Ellison E Block, Northumberland Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST. Directions can be found here

Tuesday 10 December 2019, 5pm, Think Lab (Room E304), Ellison E Block, Northumberland Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST. Directions can be found here

Thursday 6 February 2020, 5pm, Think Lab (Room E304), Ellison E Block, Northumberland Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST. Directions can be found here

We will also be back at Queen’s Hall, Hexham, later in the year. Dates will be posted soon.

Keep an eye out on our twitter feed for further details.