Our December ebulletin is out now!

Our December e-bulletin is out now, click here to read online. If you haven't already signed up, you can get it emailed directly to you as soon as it goes live.

Merry Christmas and a Happy 2015 from the Creative Leicestershire Team, see you next year!

Made in Leicestershire Select Directory

We are pleased to announce the arrival of the Made in Leicestershire Select printed directory! Made in Leicestershire Select is a platform for the very best artist - makers in Leicestershire and Rutland to showcase their work. Artists included in the printed directory have been selected by an independent panel of experts in the arts/crafts sector for their original high quality and uniquely covetable work.

The new directory consists of a selection of artists and designer makers featured on http://www.madeinleicestershire.org.uk/ visit the website to find out more about the Select artists and their work. 

The Select directory can be viewed online or keep a look out for printed copies available in various venues throughout the county.

Leicester Print Workshop: Pop-up Christmas Print Sale at LCB Depot

Buy beautiful Christmas cards and gifts at our Pop Up Christmas Sale and support Leicester Print Workshop's Big Move

On Wednesday 10th December LPW will be bringing their £25 Print Extravaganza to Leicester’s LCB Depotfor a Pop Up Christmas Sale from 11am – 3pm. Pop in on your lunch break, or take a break from your Christmas shopping for a drink at LCB’s Grays Café and have a leaf through 100s of beautiful prints, all donated by LPWArtists to support Our Big Move to larger, better equipped premises in 2015.

Next week is the last chance to visit the P2P 2014 exhibition, which is on show at LCB Depot, as well as Curve and Phoenix until Friday 12th December.

As well as £25 Extravaganza prints we’ll also be bringing a selection of Studio Specials and Christmas cards.

We look forward to seeing you there!

LCB Depot is at 31 Rutland Street in Leicester City Centre. LE1 1RE

FTM Dance Christmas Family Fundraising Day 2014

FTM Dance are pleased to announce that on Sunday December 7th 2014, we will be hosting our first family fundraising event at The Playbarn Adventure Playground,Gypsy Lane,Leicester. 

All money raised will go towards our fundraising events for our Curve Performance and Our DisneyLand Paris event next year. 

So far we have confirmed that we will be having a photo booth where people can wear fun items which are provided and their pictures taken, we have a sweet cart joining us selling lots of lovely treats ready for the festive period, we have an amazing face painter to recreate those famous festive characters, we have some parents baking cakes and selling them, we have a fab raffle and off course we have santa clause and his grotto for the young people to meet. We will be having lots of festive food also. 

If anybody would like a stall at our event then please do let us know, the more the merrier, or if

you can help with manning any of the stalls also please do let us know.

Leanne Evans
Director

Contact Number: 07543068872
Email: leanne@ftmdance.co.uk
Web: www.ftmdance.co.uk   

Where does the Music Industry go from here?

Streaming service Spotify is paying artists miniscule sums, album sales are at an all-time low, and record labels are investing less and less money in their acts.  So, what’s next for the Music industry?

A new academy called The British Centre for Music and Enterprise in Leicester is fighting against this downturn and training their students in the essential and diverse skills needed to not only survive but thrive in this fast evolving industry. Students at The BCME are taught to think outside the box, develop sound business plans, work effectively with new technology and approach projects in a bold and confident way.

There are many excellent music colleges across the UK, however most don’t even touch on the business aspects that EVERY musician, producer, business person now needs to forge a career in music. Gone are the days of it being enough to be a great player, it now takes a creative business brain to maximise earning potential.

Students currently studying on the 6 month intensive Music Business course at The BCME are already in the process of developing their own projects including a one-stop-shop incorporating rehearsal space, recording studios, production services and a record label.

Whether you’re a drummer, guitarist, bassist, singer or aspiring entrepreneur that dreams of working in music The British Centre for Music and Enterprise is the place for you.

The BCME is currently accepting applications for its 6 month Music Business course, which runs again in January 2015, with up to 100% of the course fees funded via their bursary scheme.   With music performance and business degrees launching in September 2015, anyone interested in learning more about The BCME and its unique ethos should register for their exciting Open Evening on 4^th December 2015.

For more information email yourfuture@thebcme.com or call 0116 253 5657.

Leicester Sketch Club - help us find a suitable exhibition venue for 2015

The Leicester Sketch Club is searching for a venue within the centre of Leicester to hold their annual art exhibition of paintings in 2015. If anyone could recommend a suitable venue, we would be very grateful if you could let us know by contacting Emma Fitzpatrick at enquiries@leicestersketchclub.co.uk 

We have our own stands on which to hang our work but happy to display onto existing white walls if available. We require a space approximately 10m x 10m or to accommodate around 130 paintings. It needs to be within  Leicester’s towncentre, physically accessible, have some natural lighting and/or track lighting and ‘reasonably’ priced for hiring for one to two weeks. We look forward to hearing from you with any suggestions to our enquiry.

'Us and Them' performance, hosted by Tetrad - 23rd November

Tetrad warmly invite you to attend the first instalment of a new scratch performance evening for Midlands based artists 'Us and Them', hosted by Tetrad. The event will take place at 7pm on Sunday 23rd November and we look forward to creating space for local, emerging artists to share their new work with you! 

Line up of performances:

Lewys Holt - Of, Or At A Fairly Low Temperature

Adam Gough - Take Me With You (One-to-one performance in interval) 

Tom Morgan - Sisyphus/Hanged

James Hisset - Diary 23.11.14

There will also be an opportunity to engage in Q&A discussions on the artist's work and practice and to partake in a networking activity. To keep up to date with our preparation in leading up to the event please connect with us via our blog, facebook page and twitter links below. We also have an 'Us and Them' facebook event which you can join and be updated with the artists rehearsals and short interviews as they prepare to share their new work! We are very excited! 

Studio 1  

Embrace Arts

35 Lancaster Rd, 

Leicester LE1 7HA 

Make sure to purchase your ticket here!

www.cargocollective.com/tetrad

Rhythm of Life - 23rd November

The New Incunable Print Shop - Exhibition at Lightbox Studios, LCB Depot

The New Incunable Print Shop is a participatory exhibition, from Phoenix and Juneau Projects, that invites people to design 3D printed woodblocks then use them to create original artworks, posters and prints.

Throughout the exhibition, a unique collection of prints and posters will grow recording events around Leicester’s Cultural Quarter and further afield.  The New Incunable Print Shop will create one-off designs on request – orders can be submitted online at facebook.com/newincunable.  These designs will be produced by members of the public and supplied as a digital file; they may also be displayed in the exhibition.  There is no charge for this service.

The New Incunable Print Shopruns from 6-29 November at Lightbox Studios, LCB Depot, 31 Rutland Street, Leicester LE1 1RE.  Opening times: 12-5.30pm on Tuesdays – Saturdays. Free entry.

For more information about The New Incunable Print Shop visit www.phoenix.org.uk/event/juneau-projects-the-new-incunable-print-shop/

£8,000 raised for Leicester Print Workshop’s Big Move

Leicester Print Workshop has raised £8,000 for its Big Move at the print studio’s annual Bazaar. Extended to take place over two days the Bazaar provided attendees with the opportunity to buy original artworks for as little as £25. The first event in a programme of fundraising activity, the Bazaar has kick-started public facing plans to raise the final £75,000 required to move to new premises in the Cultural Quarter in 2015.

Over 400 original prints were on sale, each donated by Leicester Print Workshop’s family of acclaimed artists. An online catalogue previewed the artworks and Leicester Print Workshop opened its doors for the sale on Friday 31^stOctober and Saturday 1^st November. With prints laid out in studio racks, tables and boxes attendees browsed or searched for lithographs, linocuts and other print works all showcasing the talent of artists as well as the wealth of resources on offer to them at Leicester Print Workshop.

Buyers were also introduced to Leicester Print Workshop’s plans for the Big Move. Supported by the Arts Council of England and Leicester City Council, the studio will relocate from St. Stephen’s Road to new fit for purpose premises in St. George’s Street in the city’s Cultural Quarter. Photographs and architectural drawings were on display enabling staff to talk to interested artists and visitors about plans and designs for a fully accessible studio with education and exhibition spaces. Busy and bustling throughout, the Bazaar illustrated the passion for print in Leicester and the interest and support that exists for Leicester Print Workshop’s future.

Lucy Phillips, Director at Leicester Print Workshop commented “We are thrilled with the level of support from all involved. This is a very exciting time for us as we plan for our Big Move and we are extremely grateful to donors, buyers, volunteers and friends for all their contributions.”

There are still original artworks available to buy online and these can be viewed atwww.flickr.com/photos/leicesterprintworkshop/sets/72157648692810907.                                            If you are interested in purchasing any of the prints, please contact Leicester Print Workshop on 0116 255 3634 or by email atinfo@leicesterprintworkshop.com.

The Big Move has financial support from the Arts Council of England and Leicester City Council and Leicester Print Workshop has secured grants from a range of trusts and foundations. Continuing their partnership approach to fundraising the Workshop is now looking to work with friends, artists, volunteers, trustees and staff to raise the final amount. There are many other ways to get involved with the Leicester Print Workshop’s Big Move. More information can be found at  www.leicesterprintworkshop.com/ourbigmove.

For more information, please contact Kate Slovak via email press@leicesterprintworkshop.com or on 07803 082834.

Handmade Christmas Shopping Event

Explore our open studio & start your Christmas Shopping!
Selection of handcrafted gifts & decorations!
FREE ENTRY!

 

Katherine Fortnum Ceramics

15 Knoll Street, LE169QR Market Harborough

 

https://www.facebook.com/events/868106106621296/

Leicester City Culture 2015 Fund

Leicester City Council has announced details of its Culture 2015 Fund to help local organisations deliver arts activities to support key cultural programmes in Leicester in 2015.  Further information is available at: www.leicester.gov.uk/culture2015.  

Our November ebulletin is out now!

Our November ebulletin is out now for your essential dose of creative news and opportunities! Find out what's on offer in Leicester, Leicestershire, Rutland and beyond......

View here or sign up via the Creative Leicestershire website to receive our monthly ebulletin directly to your email.

On Repeat :: An exhibition by Ornamentum

Ornamentum are a group of eight Leicestershire-based professional makers working in jewellery, textiles, paper and ceramics. The exhibition is the culmination of a 12-month collaboration project following a theme of pattern and repeat. The eight members have been working in pairs to create new work for this show. Each pair has taken a different approach to collaboration, some sharing techniques, some swapping work, some sharing ideas and inspirations. Working in collaboration allows supportive creative development, helps makers learn new techniques, try new ideas and experiment in a supportive environment as well as resulting in exciting new pieces. On Repeat is part of a larger project funded by Arts Council England, including 12 months of professional mentoring. Ornamentum are: Samantha Robinson, Ruth Singer, Anna Calvert, Kelly McRobie, Sharyn Dunn, Amelia Kirk, Katie Almond & Bridget McVey. www.ornamentum.org.uk

Key Dates:

 

Exhibition at Snibston community gallery 2nd-24th December 2014. Every day 10am-3pm.

 

Expanded exhibition at LCB Depot, Rutland St, Leicester. 6th -30th January 2015. Monday to Friday 9am-5.30pm and on open days as below

 

LCB Exhibition preview evening. Tuesday 6th January 5-7pm.

 

LCB Exhibition open day for schools, colleges and universities. Friday 16th January 11am- 3pm. Meet the makers and discuss their inspirations, techniques and the work on display.

 

LCB Exhibition open day for all. Saturday 17th January, 11am-3pm. Meet the makers, see

technique demonstrations & try craft activities. Suitable for all ages.

rethinkyourmind Launch 2014

We are delighted to tell you that the rethinkyourmind project is launching again on the Friday 14th of November 2014 with a new Yellow book being published in 2015. The prize presentation for the project is taking place at the House of Lords with Professor Lord Patel of Bradford OBE in 2015. To feature in the new Yellow book create your poetry/artwork/photography, this year's brief to reflect on is: 'I feel better when I am ...' and upload to the rethinkyourmind website where you can find out more information about the project. Join us for the launch of rethinkyourmind 2014 at 1:30pm on 14th November at The Cookie, High Street Leicester, full details here.

Free Networking Event for Leicester Makers

Victoria Whitlam & Suzanne Washington's Designs chosen for Richard III products

Congratulations to Made in Leicestershire’s Victoria Whitlam and Suzanne Washington whose designs have been chosen for products sold at the Richard III Visitor Centre.

Victoria  was born and has always lived in Leicester , she has described the opportunity to see her work in the Richard III Visitor Centre as “fantastic”. Victoria says “I approached the brief with the idea of creating a design which could be used on its own or in repeat. I incorporated imagery associated with Richard III , including the White Boar and White Rose along with his crown and the English flag. After my initial concept was accepted I mocked up some products to show how the design might look. I presented these to the panel at the interview stage and was delighted when my design was selected. It's great to see the finished products in the shop and I hope everyone enjoys them.”

Since gaining a First Class degree in Surface Decoration from DeMontfort University Victoria has been working as a textile artist. Using a mixture of recycled and vintage fabrics she works in hand stitched applique to create pictures, mainly of the English sesaide and Leicestershire countryside. Victoria has exhibited work regularly and also licensed images for use on a variety of products, from greeting cards to placemats, mugs and tea towels. http://www.victoriawhitlam.co.uk/

Suzanne Washington has been working as a print and surface pattern designer since graduating from LoughboroughUniversity in 2004 with a BA in Printed Textile Design. After completing an internship with a NYC print design studio she returned to her home in the Midlands where she worked as a print and pattern designer producing prints for the retail supply chain working for suppliers, screen printers and including over 2 years with a global high street retailer.

Suzanne now provides high end print and surface decoration designs for many high street retailers and brands, clients include Ness of Scotland and Harrods Knightsbridge. Suzanne’s artwork can be seen on a variety of products including apparel, home wares, accessories, gifts and greetings. Specializing in highly detailed decorative designs and retro inspired conversational prints inspired by vintage collections and eclectic treasures Suzanne’s work has a quirky narrative quality and a magical sense of nostalgia. She says “My aim is to create for the love of creating beautiful things and inspire a passion for print!”
http://www.suzyspellbound.com/

Find out more about the Richard III Visitor Centre and how to visit at http://kriii.com/

UK Young Artists Leicester Festival

Friday 7 - Sunday 9 November

The Leicester Festival’s diverse programme spans classical music to sonic landscapes performed in darkness, a dance triple bill, an anarchic theatrical take on a classic piece of literature, storytelling with movement and sound design, seven artists from different backgrounds performing on one stage and exhibitions of intricate illustrations, oil paintings, large scale photography, site-specific work and digital mash-ups.

The festival will take place at venues across Leicester and all performances and exhibitions feature the work of talented young artists aged between 18 and 30 working across applied arts, literature, moving image, music, performance and visual art.

The UK Young Artists Leicester Festival provides the opportunity to encounter the work of these talented practitioners and be able to say, as they gain national and international prominence, that you saw them first in Leicester!

Every event at the Leicester Festival is free to attend. Some performances require you to secure your place ahead of the event. All links via the UK Young Artists website.

http://www.ukyoungartists.co.uk

Leicester print Workshop Bazaar this weekend!

Bamboozle Open Exhibition 2014

Call for submissions

The application process is now open

DEADLINE: 21^st November  2014

Exhibition will run from 3 – 21 December 2014

The Bamboozle Open Exhibition is a new open submission exhibition that will present exciting work from emerging and established artists from across the region, whilst raising money for Bamboozle.

Submissions are open to artists across the Midlands from 22^nd October – 21^st November 2014.

Submissions will be reviewed by a Selection Panel and successful submissions will be displayed in the final exhibition which will run from 3^rd December – 21^st December 2014. The exhibition will take place on the ground floor of Leicester’s stylish shopping complex – the stunningly renovated Silver Arcade.

All work submitted must be for sale:

A minimum 50% of proceeds from all sales will be donated to support Bamboozle’s work.

About Bamboozle:

Bamboozle is a registered charity that uses the power of theatre to transform the lives of children with learning disabilities. The company has established itself over the past twenty years as a leading provider of inspiring children’s theatre, specialising in creating multi-sensory, immersive experiences for children with learning disabilities and their families.

Funds raised by this exhibition will go towards providing unique, magical moments for the children and families who need them most. Visit www.bamboozletheatre.co.uk/galleries/videos for examples of our work.

For details or advice on how to submit, contact Jade at jade@bamboozletheatre.co.uk before the submission deadline, Friday 21 November, 5pm.  

Booktrust Stories Tour Toolkit and Legacy Training- Leicester

Join Booktrust in Leicester for a training session that will leave you inspired to engage with families and put on fun arts events in your local area. We will be sharing all we have learnt from our latest storytelling project, the Stories Tour. The training session will cover:

• Tips on touring

• Ways to communicate with hard to reach communities and venues

• Practical tips for ar tists and venue hosts

• Information on applying for funding.

The Stories Tour ran 60 events in Libraries, Community Centres and Prisons reaching over 1500 children and their families. The storytelling events featured an original play, local storytellers and free books and resources for families. The tour was particularly targeted at Bangladeshi, Somali and Pakistani families and over 70% of attendees were from this background.

  

Book your FREE place here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/booktrust-stories-tour-toolkit-and-legacy-training-leicester-tickets-13630417947 

Call Out: Cosmopolitan Christmas Fair at Silver Arcade in the heart of Leicester city centre

Calling all creative stall holders, artists and volunteers ....

We have an amazing opportunity to get involved in this arts based Christmas Fair happening on all levels of the stylish Sliver Arcade right by the clock tower. There will be: live music, a choir, present making workshops for all the family, activities for children, guest appearances from Father Christmas and many bespoke stalls selling christmas gifts. We aim to create a fantastic festive atmosphere and have lots of fun! 

This shall be happening on both weekends in the run up to Christmas: 13th - 14th and 20th - 21st December 

We are looking for:

Stall holders to have a stall at this exciting event

Artists to run present making and children's activity workshops 

Volunteers to help run this event in return you will gain valuable experience

To express an interest in being involved in this event email Amanda by Friday 14th November 2014: cosmopolitan.arts@gmail.com

Creative Writing at Cotesbatch Educational Trust

The final push to start that writing career or just give it a go in a friendly atmosphere with tea & cake!

Sue Mackrell and David McCormack are both published writers and Sue teaches creative writing at Loughborough University. Join them for a Creative Writing Workshop using artefacts from the Cotesbach archives as starting points to explore & write about what life was like on the battlefields and the Home Front during World War 1.

BOOKING ESSENTIAL 01455 558373        Only £28 inc tea & cake

Cotesbatch Educational Trust is a mile south of Lutterworth and close to the M1 and M69 in a stunning Grade II listed Georgian Schoolhouse and other heritage buildings. Join Sue Mackrell and David McCormack for a relaxed workshop session, exploring the unique estate of Cotesbach for inspiration to kick start your writing. Sue writes poems, short stories and plays that have been broadcast on radio; David writes poetry and plays, exploring themes and personalities from history. .

www.cotesbachschoolhouse.org.uk

hello@cotesbachschoolhouse.org.uk

Tel: 01455 558373

Our October ebulletin is out now!

Our October ebulletin is out now! Packed full of jobs, workspaces, opportunities, training, funding & infinitely more! Also featuring details of free workshops in association with the UK Young Artists Festival, coming to Leicester in November!

View here or sign up via the Creative Leicestershire website to receive our monthly ebulletin directly to your email.

My Workshop

My Workshop is a project set up to support inventive minds in and around Leicester by providing low-cost access to a range of large scale equipment in a creative studio environment. The 2150 SQF of equipment and working space goodness offers access to all of the machines, use of the studio for your work, WiFi Access, discounts on machine rates, events and workshops, training and peer to peer learning and opportunities to develop collaborative projects. For £35/month members have access to: band saw, table saw, pillar drill, router, scroll saw, domestic sawing machines, a range of hand tools and power tool and great big workbenches. To sign up go to www.foxandcompany.co.uk or simply visit us, we are only 20 minutes walk from city centre. Our address is Unit 40FF, Evelyn Drive, Leicester, LE3 2BU, doors opening on Monday 15 September, on site parking is available. We hope to see you soon!

leics.tv - Bringing Leicestershire to Life - #leicsismore!

 

Leicestershire is soon to have the most innovative online local TV service in the UK.  A new campaign site has just been launched to let people know how they can get involved and present the exciting opportunities coming up.

Leics.tv will inspire, inform, entertain and connect people. The team behind the venture has been driving niche web TV projects in the US and UK for the last six years. As CEO of Channel 2020 and founder of Leicestershire TV Ltd, Rob Potter explains:

“Although we are now based in London and New York, we started in Leicester and still like to call it our home. We’ve been studying the best way a new style of local web TV could work for many years. It will be wonderful to pioneer this in Leicestershire”.

No one denies the scale of the challenge in driving support for this in a county not normally known for its media credentials. But Rob Potter is up for the challenge:

“There’s a real sense of optimism running through peoples’ veins about what is going on here.  Almost every other week, the local area has got something amazing to celebrate. Putting five goals past Man Utd is just another tick in the evolving success story. We believe leics.tv will not only present but also help fuel a brighter future for Leicestershire.”

The aim is to make Leicestershire the most video connected county in Britain. leics.tv will provide an opportunity for local people, groups and organisations to upload videos and even create their own niche channels. A new generation of video innovation trendsetters (VITS) are using video to express their interests, ideas, skills, stories or fun moments. Rob Potter has no doubt that this kind of bite-sized TV viewing will have a major influence on our lives.  

“The way we consume TV is changing. Technology will allow us to watch what we want, when and wherever we choose. Other than the big budget and mass audience films and programmes, most TV will be online content that we can easily search for on platforms like leics.tv that meet our needs and interests”.

leics.tv is all about the “power of local”. That means empowering local people to express themselves and feel more in tune with what is going on around them. YouTube is great, but it is not focused on local news, stories and people. leics.tv lets you explore and share content with local people or friends- the people you are more likely to run into each day. 

leics.tv will have no pre-roll ads- just lots of channels about topical events, entertainment, sport, shopping, health, business, community, people and a wealth of other subjects. 

Although many channels will have more professionally created content, most will feature people sharing their life, experiences, ideas and stories with other local people via video. The most liked and viewed content will always be more easily visible.

Users can have their own personalised home pages relevant to their interests.  With leics.tv you won’t have to search to find what interests you.  Registered subscribers will get any content that relates to chosen interests sent directly to their home page with email prompts.

There is no “big-bang” launch expected. leics.tv will grow organically through a series of campaigns to engage local people. The starting point will be to showcase the range of talent and rising stars across arts, entertainment, sport and business. Not surprisingly, the first target group will be up and coming or existing film and video makers. Many of these could become leics.tv’s new ‘media makers’. This will be followed by a search to find the best local musicians & bands around. All details can be seen on the new leics.tv campaign site.

Visit: www.leics.tv 

Email: contact@leics.tv

Or find us on:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/leicestershiretv

Twitter: @leicstv