Submitted work is to be placed in existing art spaces as well as in both disused spaces and businesses along Albert road in Middlesbrough, with the aim of reactivating the heart of the town. The Weekender's aim is to build on the cultural scene already existing in Middlesbrough, and to promote increased arts activity in the Tees Valley area.
Our idea was to use this opportunity to push our publication skills further, with the idea to create a live publication over the course of the three days. In order to submit an application, a full proposal was required as well as a biography for the collective, a CV, and examples of our existing practice.
Application:
Shy Bairns is a four person multi-disciplinary collective specialising in DIY arts publications. We aim to gather Northern creatives together on one platform to showcase their works. Due to a lack of resources and funding, accessible northern gallery spaces are limited; Shy Bairns has therefore created a platform that does not rely on institutional support for the promotion of artists and their ongoing practice.
Shy Bairns has successfully released two self-published, self-titled publications in the last year, each providing independent artists with an opportunity to submit and showcase their works in a 66-page, two colour Risograph, perfect bound publication. Shy Bairns has also curated a week-long online residency at IsThisIt, and is currently preparing for an upcoming solo show at Caustic Coastal in Salford later this month.
Erin Blamire
Erin Blamire is a Graphic Designer from the North East, specialising in editorial and publication design. She is currently Editor-In-Chief of NEST magazine.
Eleanor Beth Haswell
Eleanor Beth Haswell is an artist from County Durham. Her current practice focuses around photography and found imagery through print based media.
Georgia Gibson
Georgia Gibson in an artist from Houghton Le Spring, in Tyne and Wear. Her practice centres around heritage, culture and locality in a digital age, working mainly in digital and printed mediums.
Izzy Kroese
Izzy Kroese is an artist from Newcastle, who’s practice centres around book and zine making. She is the co-editor of Oranges zine and Milk Publications.
Proposal
Over the course of the Art Weekender we will work with Northern artists to produce a series of works about Middlesbrough and the visitors that approach the space. Artists involved will work in a range of mediums, including an illustrator who will draw portraits of visitors, a site-specific piece which involves gathering material from nearby bodies of water, and a textiles artists who produces work based around local high street stores. We will also create a series of prompts so visitors can make their own written contributions - our aim is to interact with the public as much as possible to make a collaborative creative space. This work will then be gathered and printed to produce a publication capturing a range of experiences of the weekender.
In preparation for the event we will print a cover and supporting materials for the publication on a Risograph printer. The first two days of the event will be dedicated to collecting work. A range of artists, including ourselves, will spend a day in the space producing work with visitors, creating work around the local area and talking to the audience about the project. We aim to have approximately four different artists using the space each day.
The work produced will then be edited and printed live by one of our team members so that the audience can gain insight into our process and the production of an arts publication. On the third day we will finalise the publication, then hold a launch afternoon with a showcase of the work, giving the public and opportunity to get their hands on a copy!
The stipend will be used towards materials for producing the publication and transport for the artists. We will be using our own printer during the event. A breakdown of our proposed costs is as follows:
Paper: £75
Printing: £75
Travel: £170 (to be divided between approx. 10 people)
Launch event: £50 (refreshments and advertising posters)
Artists supplies (paper, drawing materials): £50
Shy Bairns CV
Erin Blamire, Eleanor Beth Haswell, Georgia Gibson, Izzy Kroese
website: www.shybairns.co.uk
email: info@shybairns.co.uk
instagram: @shybairnsgetnowt
twitter: @shybairns_
Publications
Aug 2015 Press Go and Wait ‘21528170' and ‘2152402’
June 2016 Milk Issue 1
Dec 2016 Shy Bairns Volume 1: The Only Pizza Shop Where I Live Burnt Down
Feb 2017 NEST Issue 10
Feb 2017 Giant Veg Community
March 2017 Oranges Issue 1
March 2017 Things I Like This Week Issues 1 and 2
April 2017 Shy Bairns Volume 2: Where’s Your Coat You’re Going To Be Cold
Exhibitions
Aug 2015 Clandestine Collective, Solo Arts, Sunderland
Sept 2015 Manchester Feminist Freshers Fair, 2022, Manchester
Aug 2016 Press Go and Wait exhibition, The Newbridge Project, Newcastle
March 2016 We Are All Happy, 43 Lewisham Way, London
Feb 2017 NEST Issue 10 Launch and Exhibition, Colours May Vary, Leeds
March 2017 Oranges Zine Launch, Turf Project, London
April 2017 Shy Bairns: Where’s Your Coat online residency, www.isthisitisthisit.com
April 2017 Shy Bairns: Where’s Your Coat You’re Going To Be Cold, Caustic Coastal, Salford
Shy Bairns Volume 1: The Only Pizza Shop Where I Live Burnt Down (2016)
Shy Bairns: Where’s Your Coat You’re Going To Be Cold (2017)
isthisit online residency (2017)
Just over a week later we received a response revealing that we had been successful in our application. Other artists involved include David Shrigley.