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Although light night seems to be fast fading into the background, this was something I had promised to do as part of The Gallery of Everybody so I thought I should make good on the promise.

The pictures here are of all the work that was submitted and created on the night (sorry I couldn’t attribute the work to individuals, too many and not all works were signed)

 Without wanting to blow our trumpet too much, I have to say we felt it was a massive success and everyone really got into the spirit of the night and of the idea of The Gallery of Everybody. We had a wonderful evening, met some great people and got to build up a gallery from scratch, with no rules, no rejections and full participation: Mission accomplished.
It was really great to see people start off a little wary and then ten minutes walk away with a badge that said “Artist” on it having produced something and put it up on the wall.

Huge thanks to Nicola for giving us the opportunity to be involved, the light night as a whole was a massive success and I for one was proud of how Bury really got behind it and contributed to a brilliant night. Most of all we have to thank all the artists who contributed work or came on the night and made a piece to put up in the gallery, we couldn’t have done it without you, and you made our night. They were of all ages, backgrounds and abilities but they can all call themselves exhibited artists now, we are just a little bit proud of being part of making that happen.

Now, when’s the next one? Watch this space. We would love to open The Gallery of Everybody again in a different location or as part of another event so if you know of anything coming up, please let us know so we can continue to grow the gallery.

Me and Him (the name which me and fellow artist and poet, Martin Shepley, collaborate under) are really pleased and excited to be part of the first ever Bury Light Night this Friday 14th October 2011

http://www.lightnight.co.uk/bury/index.php
http://www.facebook.com/burylightnight

 (feel free to print out and distribute the poster above)

It’s a night of cultural activities all over the town centre, bit gutted that I’m not going to be able to get round and see it all as we will be manning the Gallery of Everybody, which is where you come in.

We got a bit sick of tired of things (festivals, groups, exhibitions) pertaining to be open and accessible to all and then finding they were run buy a clique or elite or that there were ridiculous conditions or submission/involvement. In the words of someone with a better grasp of language than me “Screw that noise”

Here is the simple proposition:
If you have an artwork (or up to 3) that you would like to be shown in The Gallery of Everybody, bring the work between 12-5pm on Friday the 14th October to the Normandy room in the
Fusiliers Museum,
Moss Street Bury,
BL9 0DF.
www.fusiliermuseum.com

The work will be exhibited in the gallery for light night and then can be collected between 12-4 on Saturday 15th October. Its only for a night but its a chance to part of a wonderful cultural event.

We will also be cataloguing and blogging the gallery on the evening to exist beyond the light nights itself.

We are also running a free workshop -6-10pm in the gallery where you can come and make something and add it to the gallery, all materials provided, just bring your imagination.
Did I mention it is all FREE too?
Why wouldn’t you want to give it a go.

Drop in on the evening and see how the gallery has developed.

Really pleased to part of the first Ramsbottom festival this coming weekend(16th, 17th, 18th Sept 2011).

 http://www.ramsbottomfestival.com/

Myself and other crafters and artists will be running a craft market on Sunday from 12 until 6 with a wide range of handmade, boutique lovelies available for you to buy. We will also be running a series of craft workshops throughout the day to entertain the kids, and for adults to explore their artistic side by making anything from a festival hat to a flag to an insect bird feeder (and much more). We can’t let the kids have all the fun after all

Myself and Mrs Minta (collectively B&B Crafts) will be selling a range of handmade notebooks, cards and t-shirts (see below) and running a workshop where you can make a small flag or some bunting

One of my favourite Manchester Craft Centre (http://www.craftanddesign.com/ )  stars, Miss Nell Smith with be bringing a range of her highly sought after wares and running a “funky glasses/superhero mask” workshop so you can look your best in the (fingers crossed) blinding sunshine or hide behind a secret identity.

Site: http://nellsmith.blogspot.com/

The great team from Sugar Butty will be bringing their trove o’ treasures along and making some wonderful recycled flowers/insect feeders. Definitely having a go at that one.

Site: http://www.sugarbutty.co.uk/

Zines, books, posters etc etc and more etc from the lads at Good grief shop. They will help you put your name in lights by making your own rocking gig poster, all you need to do it come up with a brilliant band name, I’m going for “Big Jo and the rockin Mo-Fo’s”…or something

Site: http://goodgriefshop.blogspot.com/  

http://www.davidbaileyillustration.com/index.html

Wonderful Jewellery from Wonderhaus (another star of Manchester Craft centre). You will also be able to make your won handmade card that will beat Moon Pig hands down, because it is made with love

Site: http://www.wonderhaus.co.uk/

Jane Dennerly will be bringing her wonderful bags and jewellery for you to buy and will help you to look your best with a wonderful festival hat.

Site: http://janedennerly.blogspot.com/2008/09/new-to-blogging.html

Bury UNISON (who have kindly provided materials for the workshop) will be making sure you know the latest information on government plans for pensions, changes at the local level and how to get organised against public sector cuts. In the spirit and tradition of unions and collective action, add your message or picture to a giant festival banner.

Site: www.unison-bury.org.uk

I’m really pleased to have had some new poems and an illustration published in the 2nd Birthday edition of The Shrieking Violet Zine http://theshriekingviolets.blogspot.com/ .

(With a great front cover, above, by graphic designer Alyson Exall http://alysonexall.com/ whose work I am really loving)

This is a great publication put together by Manchester Based artist and urban explorer, Natalie Bradbury, who also pulled together the brilliant Zine Convention that was held at Victoria Baths. The Zine itself has a great mix of writing, music, niche interests and of course poetry that makes it an all round good read. I also like the fact that not only is it free in physical format at some of my favourite Manchester places such as 
Good Grief! Shop  http://goodgriefshop.blogspot.com/
Oklahoma, (no site, seemed a bit strange)
Koffee Pot http://www.thekoffeepot.co.uk/
Common http://www.aplacecalledcommon.co.uk/
An Outlet, http://www.anoutlet.net/
Manchester Craft Centre  http://www.craftanddesign.com/
Nexus Art Cafe http://welcometo.nexusartcafe.com/
Piccadilly Records http://www.piccadillyrecords.com/shop/index.php

it is also freely available online so you can read it and a sort of magical/virtual way…as if one was living in the future

You can download it here         http://www.mediafire.com/?kxngy1s3ahfjppx

And all the earlier editions here http://www.mediafire.com/?f8r29uqccnskk

Big thanks for Natalie for this; she has done all the hard work it putting it all together,

 It was great to see some of the poems again, as when you write and send off a fair bit you forget them and seeing them again was like meeting an old friend. I was particularly pleased with the short “Street Vignette” which post-riots seemed to take on a different meaning. The poems remain though the world moves on. Enjoy

The wide open abandoned space of the former Warner Bros Cinema at Pilsworth industrial estate has long held a weird fascination for me, drawing me towards it without really understanding why. (It is listed here in a strange Domesday entry http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/domesday/dblock/GB-380000-408000/page/6

Pilsworth was the first big out of town development near Bury, with Cinema, bowling, ASDA and always some sort of family eating place (Chiquitos, Pizza Hut etc), so subsequently I have spent a fair bit of time up there shopping, watching movies and bowling. The cinema closed a while ago and sits as this huge boarded-up building, completely useless and probably never likely to be of any use again, a modern ruin? Although boarded up and empty shops are a lot more commonplace as the financial crisis begins to properly bite, the scale of abandonment here felt overwhelming and frightening

I wanted to go and make some art there, to confront the emptiness and sense of desolation by doing something creative in a place that seem bereft of hope, potential or future.

 Me and him (good friend and fellow artist/poet Martin http://malleableart.wordpress.com/ )

went up to the overgrown car park armed with paper and chalk to do something with the space, we didn’t really have a focus but part of the fun was to simply go and take over this concrete wilderness that was sitting useless and make it useful for a time.

I think we were also a little bit fed up with the Manchester International Festival ( http://mif.co.uk/ ) which seemed to be promoting art, creativity and inclusivity still didn’t feel like it was open to all to take part in, mainly due to the cost of many of the events. The not part of festival ( http://notpartof.org/ ) does seek to re-address that balance but somehow we just couldn’t seem to get an “in”, perhaps next time.

We drew, talked about art and left a mark somewhere where it may never be seen. Sometimes it’s enough to do something rather than nothing, and to take an abandoned place and use it, like that empty shop I keep walking past…Hmmm http://www.artistsandmakers.com/staticpages/index.php/emptyshops

 I am a bit obsessed with design, packaging and I am a self confessed typography geek. Although I feel a bit queesy at the idea of having to “sell oneself”, this was the information panel I used at a recent exhibition some of my work featured in. There were quite a few artists in the exhibition and each artist produced an A4 panel about themselves, which made for an interesting side exhibition in of itself.

I am really pleased to announce that my first short collection of poetry and images is now available to buy for Kindle Via the amazon store

http://amzn.to/fCCGU6 

I have been writing poetry for a long time and often find it the best method and form for expressing my thoughts. I have self published some of my work in the past but this is the first time I have put together a collection to go out into the wider world. Its been a really interesting experience and I hope that it provides for others what writing it has provide for me, moments of pause.