Welcome back after half term, we hope you all had a productive time. This weeks blog is full of things to see and discover. It's degree show time so we have added all the local shows and others from universities our students have in the past attended. Most of you will be taken to the Bolton University show this week or next and we have arranged a trip to Manchester Met. and UCLan so hopefully you will get a chance to see plenty of fantastic work, made by the next generation of creatives, who are only a few years older than yourself. Then I have tried to find creative outlets that showcase the connections between an idea and the wider cultural context. How an idea can develop into something bigger and how you can work in the creative industry with all the different roles, in both the behind the scenes TV stuff and the creative practice discussed by Angelou and in We can be Weirdos. Some local success showing that you can make it just like them, you've just got to put the effort in.
DEGREE SHOWS AND SHOWCASES 2024
Over the next few weeks, all the universities will be having their annual degree shows. Although much of the work will be online it's always good to visit if you can, especially if you fancy going to that Uni. We will be running a couple of trips so you can see the work during college time, so keep an eye out for the trips on the parent portal. When you do see a show in real life you'll get a feel for the spaces and get to chat to the graduating students so you have a chance to see what expected of you. Below is a list local-ish shows you can visit. You'll need to be organised to get a few in.
Salford Uni was last week but you can see it via this link.
John Moores Liverpool is on now.... 23rd May- 7th June
Northern School of Art is on NOW too, until 7th June
Newcastle Uni degree show is the other one on NOW until 8th June.
Huddersfield Uni 10th - 24th June
UClan only has Private View on 13th June listed but assume it'll be on after that.
Manchester Met Saturday 15th- 22nd June
Blackpool School or Arts Monday 17th- Friday 22nd June
Sunderland's are all split over different weeks... 8th June -7th July
TV: DOCTOR WHO UNLEASHED
An interesting show about the making of Doctor Who, it's great to show all the different roles in the making of the show. From puppeteers to script editors. Musicians to dancers. So main jobs to do to get the show on air. Worth watching even if Doctor Who isn't your thing as many of the roles will be the same across the industry, just without the SCI Fi backdrop.
Watch this clip, where Russell T Davies explains his creative vision and reason for filming.
TV: ANGELOU ON BURNS
Recommended by my friend Will, this was an unexpected joy with renowned American Poet Maya Angelou visits Scotland to discover the world of classical Scottish poet Robert Burns (Auld Lang Syne) In her tiny village in a Southern State in America, Angelou, somehow had a book of Robbert Burn's poetry and it inspired this mute girl to love poetry and tell her story, showing how creativity can inspire and transform someone's life no matter where it is from. In the programme, Angelou clearly links her own life experience to that of Burns. A life of hardship, with a creative output to give a voice to those people who maybe don't have a voice of their own.
Really interesting to see the connections we can make between artists who, at face value, have no links.
Or you can watch it in poorer quality on Youtube.
COMEDY: DAVE's GAMES
Dave's Games has appeared on BBC IPlayer. Inspired by the eponymously titled Dave's Games in Chorley, no less. My mate Jon Lee Martin has created this character inspired by the real life Dave and his fictitious life. As kids we'd visit Dave's Games after school, picking up second hand copies of games for our Sega Megadrives and later, as in the episode, Play Stations. we used to always make up stories about Dave's life and so it's amazing to think that one of us remembered and has made some art about it. Goes to show how you can use your everyday experiences to make interesting work. When was the last time you saw a cartoon set in a place so close to home! An all star cast, with Dave being voiced by Chorley's own Jon Lee. Worth 15 minutes of your life.
PODCAST: WE CAN BE WEIRDOS
You may know Dan Schreiber as one of the QI Elves or from one of his other Podcasts. This is a new one this week for me. There are plenty of conversations to be had, but they are funny and thoughtful and they are great for seeing how creatives make connections between their ideas, showing how their thoughts are inspired by previous examples and how often they will research ideas to ensure their idea is as well thought out as it can be. A great one to learn about creative practise and how people got to where they are now.
In the short clip below, with adult themes, Dan Aykroyd (Ghostbusters) ponders his death and by the end as a book recommendation about an artist who depicts other worldly visions. Fantastic.
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