This blog set out the final published itinerary for the Netherlands Foundation for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture (Fonds BKVB) study tour to northern England in October 2010. The UK programme was organised by Liverpool Biennial in collaboration with Atoll for Fonds BKVB. Check out the 5-day itinerary by clicking on the page links above.

Day 3 Leeds

Wordle: What conditions do you feel are required to sustain your own activity?

Fonds BKVB Question 1: What conditions do you feel you are required to sustain your own activity? Download full responses from Scribd or see Wordle word cloud (image above).

Wordle: What relationship do you want with the city?

FONDS BKVB Question 2: What relationship do you want with the city? Download full responses from Scribd or see Wordle word cloud (image above).



Monday 11th October

Theme: What is the relationship between the 'opposites' of local-led initiatives at the margins and centralised economic masterplanning?
 


At one extreme, Will Alsop's didactic vision for a transpennine Supercity explored the morphing of the cities of England’s North along a ‘northern corridor’ 80 miles long and 15 miles wide. Contrasting such a city-region concord and over-lay, at a city-level the public private-partnership for Leeds looks to essentially promote the city centre in isolation against it's outside competition. As such, it's prospectus Leeds City Centre 2020 sets out a series of specific projects that will help turn aspirations for Leeds as an internationally competitive city into reality.

So for a city like Leeds, how do such grand visions sit alongside the myriad of increasingly innovative and independent community initiatives evolving at the city fringes? In short, what is the relationship between city masterplanning and such self-organised initiatives?

To illustrate this in Leeds, the Margins within the City and Holbeck Urban Village projects are great exemplars of two different types of transformation. Both projects illustrate clearly the boundaries of recent transformation, the variety of catalyst uses including creative industries and why these were not always acceptable to all- and the impact on those who were on the edges of the transformation in the so-called ecotone - that is, the transitional area existing between two states that attracts the most unregulated systems, in terms of creativity, anarchy and criminal behaviour.


City Guides: Sue Ball of Media and Arts Partnership and co-founder with Bauman Lyon Architects Director Irena Bauman, of Leeds Love it Share it, an independent research ‘think-thank’ registered as a community interest company in 2008.

08.50 Meet - Assemble in Castlefield Hotel lobby after breakfast.

09.00 - Coach out - Depart Manchester promptly for approx 1.5 hour drive along the M62 and across the Pennines to Leeds. Presentation film enroute includes a short video introduction by Irena Bauman to Leeds Love it Share it; followed by showing of the documentary film Ripples Out, by documentary filmmaker Dave Tomalin of Lippy Films - this one made to explore the impact that economic regeneration has had on poorer communities like Holbeck in Leeds.

10.30 - 11.00 Orientation and Social Context - Arrival in Leeds and meet with Sam Wilson of Baumans Lyons at Temple Works, Holbeck for a short coach drive to view a selected city panorama from Upper Accommodation Road in Richmond Hill.

11.00 - 11.30 Temple Works - Short drive back to Temple Works, a Grade 1 listed  flax mill that made history as “the largest room in the world”, with sheep grazing on a skylit roof in the heart of Leeds industrial revolution, and a facade modelled on the Egyption Temple of Horus at Edfu.

Now privately owned and run, and receiving no external funding, Temple Works is set to become a major mixed-mode cultural venue, after being granted Planning permission in 2010. The lengthy repair period necessary for such a unique structure has given the Temple Works team the chance to involve local and regional artists in testing the site’s spatial qualities and choreography. As such, artists are now in residence and helping create the first three years of a contemporary cultural programme.




Temple Works: The Grammar of Ornament from Andy Marshall on Vimeo. 

11.30 - 11.40 Welcome - Brief welcome, introduction and tour to Temple Works by Sue Ball  and Temple Works Director Susan Williamson.



View Larger Map


11.40 - 11.45 BKVB Delegate Introduction - Outline perspective from BKVB on the overall aims and envisaged objectives of the study tour. 


11.45 - 12.30 Margins - Illustrated presentation made on the Margins in the City research study commissioned by Leeds Love it Share it . Made by LLISI Co-Director and PHD Researcher Katie Hill. Followed by brief Q&A session.
The actual Margins paper pdf can be downloaded by clicking on this link.
12.30 - 13.30 Black Dogs Lunch - Artist-inspired and made luncheon prepared by artist collective Black Dogs. The collective have a fluid and dynamic membership whose activity spans formal exhibitions, publications, events, interventions, workshops, social engagement and curatorial activity in the city - all at a self-organised level.


13.30 - 15.30 Mini-workshops break-out - Split into facilitated smaller groups for a series of host-escorted walks or taxi journeys by Streamline taxis (as appropriate) to briefly visit and engage with various independent cultural or social initiatives. The 8 Local host organisations are:
1. Black Dogs - An artist collective with a fluid and dynamic membership: Taxi ride and workshop presentations and discussions at The Wrens Hotel, 61A New Briggate, led by Andy Abbott and members of Black Dogs Artist Collective.
2. Leeds Creative Timebank - A cash–free platform to facilitate skills exchange between creative individuals and groups in Leeds: Workshop discussion based at Temple Works led by artist Michael Burkitt.
3. Seagulls - Is an environmental social enterprise that practices and promotes the reuse of waste and create opportunities for local people: Taxi ride with Katie Hill and workshop led at Aire Place Mills, Kirkstall Road by founder Cat Pearson
and Kate Murray.
4. Jam Jar Collective -  a group of freelance creatives with background in interactive and web based programming, projection, sonic design, robotics and interactive media:
Workshop discussion based at Temple Works led by artist-founders Dave Lynch, Stu Childs and Richard Garside.
5. Art in Unusual Spaces - Visual art installations and 'curiosities' in shop units across Leeds city centre: Taxi ride and workshop led at 42 New Briggate (or other shop unit) by independent curator Yvonne Carmichael.
6. Antiform / Remade in Leeds - Pulls local resources together working alongside people from the community through workshops to produce garments locally and utilising incredible sewing, repair, craft and embellishment skills of local people: Taxi ride and workshop at 25 Back Kensington Terrace led  by founder Lizzie Harrison.
7. Cops and Robbers - A monthly guide listing DIY (non-profit) music events in Leeds started about 11 - 12 years ago by a group of friends
: Taxi ride and workshop at The Brudenell Social Club led by Keeby.
8. Leeds Psychogeography Group - Urban walk and discussion led by PHD Researcher in Cultural Studies Tina Richardson.  


Each local host has been asked to tease out some thoughts on two core questions and to then write-up responses as single points on post-its following discussions with BKVB delegates. These responses will then be used to prompt the final discussion session. The  two questions are:

What conditions do you feel are required to sustain your own activity
What relationship do you want with the city?

15.30 - 16.15 Teas and Coffee / Feedback Reporting - Return back to Temple Works by Taxi or walking for refreshments. Brief 5 minute reports delivered by Fonds BKVB delegates on individual workshop discussions and conclusions. 
16.15 – 17.00 Concluding Session - Group discussion and summing-up led by Sue Ball. 


17.00 – 18.00 Wind-down - Time-permitting, day concludes with a short stroll along to the Midnight Belle pub in Holbeck Urtban Village for an informal de-brief, social networking and a nice pint of Leeds Brewery Ales. 


18.00 Coach back - Depart Leeds promptly for 1.5 to 2.0 hour drive back to Manchester: Presentation film enroute: When I was a Kid I used to Dream another of Dave Tomalin's short documentary films - this one is a short 15 minute film to conclude the day and act as a 'reality check' in following twelve young people from East Leeds, who reflect on their childhood dreams, now they are young adults.
19.30 - 20.00 Hotel - Approx arrive back Castlefield Hotel or other agreed drop-off. 
20.00 Dinner and/or Free Time

Some suggested cultural highlights in Manchester on the evening of 11th October: 


Band on the Wall - Concert featuring Chameleons Vox the current band project featuring Mark Burgess and John Lever, vocalist and drummer of the now near-mythical Manchester band The Chameleons - now playing for the first time in nearly ten years a full live set of Chameleons songs, and the first time at Band on the Wall since their two epic shows in 1983. Also playing are Jarvis Cocker championed, Sheffield 80s underground post-rock legends Artery, who will be performing their first Manchester concert since 1984. This show is a unique opportunity to see two seminal bands of the Northern post-punk era in a venue that was instrumental in the movement. Advance booking is strongly advised. Starts at 8pm: Tickets £12.50.   
Comedy Store - Turn of the Century by Dan Antopolski Triple Perrier Award Nominee, veteran Fringe sell-out and Winner of the 2009 Dave Award for Funniest Joke of the Fringe Dan Antopolski presents his seventh solo stand-up show. Starts at 8pm: Tickets £12.00 to £29.00.   
Pride of Manchester - Whats-on Concert Guide.


Some recommended city centre restaurants: 


Ackbar's  - 73-83 Liverpool Road, Deansgate M3 4NQ
The Ox - 71 Liverpool Road, Castlefield M3 4NQ   
Dukes Grill - 18 - 25 Castle Street, Castlefield M3 4LZ
Dimitris - Campfield Arcade, Tonman Street, Deansgate M3 4FN
BarCa - 8 & 9 Catalan Square, Castlefield M3 4RU
Sapporo Teppanyaki - 91-93 Liverpool Road, Castlefield M3 4JN
Cafe Istanbul - 79/81 Bridge Street M3 2RH
Red Chilli - 70-72 Portland Street M1 4GU
Try Thai - Upper G/F 52-54 Faulkner Street M1 4FH