Liverpool’s centre for the contemporary arts
NOV / DEC 2018 / JAN / FEB 2019
Welcome
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Welcome to Bluecoat’s Winter season, which explores the changing nature of artistic education. The role of independent art schools is explored in Matthew Cornford and John Beck’s exhibition, with a focus on the North West. Jade Montserrat, in her drawing installation, asks vital questions of art education and how we value creativity. Meanwhile Joshua Henderson and Veronica Watson, for whom Bluecoat’s Blue Room programme has played an important role in their artistic journey, share the experience of their first studio residency.
Improvisation Collective, another successful offshoot from Blue Room, also comes to fruition.
Blue Room celebrates ten years of inclusive creativity, exhibiting a new ceramics collection created in collaboration with local ceramicists Louise Waller and Alice Odgers. For inspiration, members delved into the project’s rich photographic archive, highlights from which, along with a wealth of fascinating material relating to Bluecoat, can now be enjoyed on a new website, My Bluecoat (mybluecoat.org.uk).
As always, our family programme offers a range of creative opportunities. This season we’ll help you set your new year’s resolutions and you can even join art school (or Art’s Cool) for the afternoon. Enjoy Christmas tales with resident children’s comedian Gav Cross, or find your own inner storyteller at Baby Book Club with artist and educator Roger Hill.
Working in collaboration with local young people, in First Waves, photographic artist Scarlett Crawford asks timely questions about identity as part of a nationwide project commissioned by UK Parliament that marks fifty years since the passing of the Race Relations Act of 1968. Alongside these exhibitions, a diverse live programme features Deaf and Disability arts festival, DaDaFest, including performances from Jess Thom and Sarah Fisher. Emerging dance artists Tony Carroll and Diana Disley’s collaboration with Mary Prestidge of Liverpool
As part of our exhibition programme, alternative pathways to creativity are shared through Paul Kindersley’s life drawing class, while Jane Lawson’s research looks at what we can learn from the resilience of mushrooms as a lifeform. You can also try out new skills year round with our range of print courses and workshops in etching and screen printing, including the chance to make your own unique Christmas cards.
We hope you enjoy our Winter programme, and if you’re looking for an extra special venue for your Christmas party we also offer a range of packages to suit all party sizes in our beautiful historic building. We look forward to welcoming you to Bluecoat.
Mary Cloake
Exhibitions
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Sat 17 Nov - Sun 10 Mar 2019 Open daily 11am-6pm Free
This season’s exhibitions have been brought together to explore the changing nature of artistic education, involving artists at different stages of their career. The individual shows also reflect key strands of Bluecoat: supporting artists to develop new work, exploring different pathways to being an artist, and interrogating the heritage of art school. There is a Northern focus too, either with the artists involved or the subject of their work.
and Related Events
Joshua Henderson and Veronica Watson: Studio Me
Liverpool-based artists Joshua Henderson and Veronica Watson embark on their first studio residency. Henderson’s architecture-inspired drawings have evolved through a newly developed printmaking practice, whilst Watson’s closely observed portraits reflect the people who populate Bluecoat, including staff, volunteers and artists. Both artists have developed their practice as members of Bluecoat’s inclusive arts programme, Blue Room. The exhibition introduces audiences to their studio in the gallery and the artists themselves through drop-in activities and invitations to collaborate on artworks.
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Sat 17 Nov 11am-1pm
Studio Meet: Veronica Watson
Join the artist in the gallery as she shares her approach to portraiture. Free, drop-in Sat 24 Nov 1-4pm
Studio Meet: Joshua Henderson
Join the artist in the gallery for a journey through Liverpool’s iconic architecture and collaborate on a large-scale drawing of the city skyline. Free, drop-in
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Exhibitions & Events
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John Beck and Matthew Cornford: The Art Schools of North West England Jade Montserrat: Instituting Care
Large charcoal wall drawings by Scarboroughbased artist Jade Montserrat transform the gallery with quotes from her research into race, gender, disability and education and writers such as Frantz Fanon, Audre Lorde and Stuart Hall. Fragments of conversations with local and international artists and academics are presented, to provoke vital questions such as: who does art education serve, and who should it serve? How do we value individual and collective creativity? And what could a carecentred approach to education look like? Montserrat’s show is accompanied by events with invited collaborators. Thu 13 Dec 6pm The Vulnerable Society Reading Group Led by artist Jack Tan, this one-off reading group will look at Martha Alberson Fineman’s Theory of Vulnerability. Tickets: £4/£3
John Beck and Matthew Cornford have tracked down and photographed 30 art schools, once crucial to the region’s creative life. With many buildings now closed, repurposed, demolished or absorbed into universities, the images are a powerful reminder of what has been lost, but also seek to reawaken a vital legacy. Britain’s reputation as a creative nation is largely thanks to art schools providing opportunities for generations of young people. This ongoing research project — to locate and document all England’s art schools — connects to current debates on arts education and how this might look in the future, and the role of art in society. The exhibition is accompanied by a programme of events, see below. Sat 17 Nov 2pm The Art Schools of North West England: Gallery Tour John Beck and Matthew Cornford introduce the exhibition. Free, drop-in Films in collaboration with Empty Spaces Cinema:
Sat 16 Feb 1-4pm Radical Mycology Gathering: Primordia A gathering for the fungally inclined presented by artist Jane Lawson who will share research into the study of fungi and how mushrooms can teach society to care. Tickets: £4/£3
Fri 18 Jan A Taste of Honey (1961) 100min Thu 7 Mar Little Malcolm and His Struggle Against the Eunuchs (1974) 109 min 6.30pm introduction in gallery/7pm screening Two vintage films set in the North West that contain unexpected glimpses of art school life. Tickets £8/£6
Thu 14 Mar 2pm Life Drawing with Paul Kindersley Marking the final week of Instituting Care, you are invited to participate in a special life drawing class with artist Paul Kindersley. Tickets: £10/£8
Sat 19 Jan 1- 4pm Symposium: What Was Art School? The importance of the art school in British cultural life is explored. See web for further information and speakers. Tickets: £3
For full programme information or to book tickets visit thebluecoat.org.uk or telephone 0151 702 5324
Heritage & Related Events
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Sat 1 Dec - Sun 10 Mar 2019 Open daily 11am-6pm
Blue Room at Ten
Sat 10 - Sun 25 Nov Open daily 11am-6pm
Scarlett Crawford: First Waves, Liverpool Edition
To mark the 50th anniversary of the 1968 Race Relations Act, photographic artist and educator Scarlett Crawford has been commissioned by UK Parliament to work with communities in Liverpool and across the country. At Bluecoat, Scarlett has collaborated with young people from the Greenhouse Project and Liverpool Community Spirit’s Multi-Faith Youth Council to create artworks which explore the impact of race relations legislation on their lives. The resulting exhibition of photographs, a soundscape and film, created in summer workshops at Bluecoat, will also be shown at the Houses of Parliament in 2019, alongside work from the rest of the UK. Fri 9 Nov 6pm
Scarlett Crawford and guests
The artist and some of the young people she has collaborated with talk about the making of First Waves. Free, booking recommended
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Bluecoat’s inclusive arts project celebrates ten years of creativity with an exhibition inspired by images from the project’s extensive photographic archive. For this anniversary, they have collaborated with Louise Waller and Alice Odgers from Baltic Clay to create a collection of ceramics, referencing Bluecoat potter Julia Carter Preston (1926 - 2012) and exploring her sgraffito technique. The exhibition also features screen prints created at Bluecoat in collaboration with Liverpool-based artist Becky Peach. Images and films about Blue Room and Julia Carter Preston can be seen at mybluecoat.org.uk. Blue Room at Ten is also part of DaDaFest International 2018. Sat 1 Dec 2-3.30pm
Blue Room: The Journey
Meet members of Blue Room, staff and associated artists to discover how this unique project began, and future plans. What started as weekly workshops for learning disabled artists has grown several offshoots, including Out of the Blue children’s art clubs, dance programme Expanding the Picture, Exhibition Studio Me, and a new project with partners at Norton Priory Museum and Gardens, Runcorn. The event features a screening of The Journey, a film to which Blue Room’s roots can be traced, made in 2003 – 04 by artist Leo Fitzmaurice, in collaboration with some current members. Free, booking recommended
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Heritage & Related Events
My Bluecoat
Following Bluecoat’s 300th birthday in 2017, we are continuing to celebrate our heritage as Liverpool’s oldest central building and the UK’s first arts centre. The popular timeline in the Vide is being refreshed and the temporary archive displays relocated to the public areas. Together, these displays tell the story of Bluecoat’s transformation from 18th century charity school to Liverpool’s contemporary arts centre. You can also delve into our history on the new My Bluecoat website, an online resource containing fascinating material dating back 300 years from our archive, as well as records from the Blue Coat School in Wavertree and Liverpool Record Office. It includes films, historic documents, posters, brochures and hundreds of images from our exhibitions and events. If you have a Bluecoat story to share, we’d love to hear from you. Visit mybluecoat.org.uk to learn more.
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At Speke Hall and in the Bluecoat Garden Until 28 Jul Open daily
Serena Korda: The Bell Tree
Drawing on her interest in folklore, feminism and the fantastical, Serena Korda has created a new work for Speke Hall’s ancient woodland, with a smaller related installation in Bluecoat’s garden. At the hall, visitors are invited to step into a magical outdoor installation inspired by the story of hidden rebellions at Speke Hall. The Bell Tree comprises a sound sculpture made up of over 300 porcelain mushroom bells that hang from an oak tree, rumoured to be as old as the hall itself. Pick up an audio headset from Tickets & Information to listen to the bells in our garden, or visit Speke Hall for the full, immersive experience. Speke Hall is free with a National Trust Membership.
Become a Member
Enjoy exclusive benefits, discounts, support our beautiful building and help keep our exhibitions free to enter. As a Bluecoat Member you receive exclusive offers, priority booking for selected events, a year-round discount at our popular Espresso Café and selected Bluecoat retailers. If you are interested in joining the Bluecoat Membership scheme visit thebluecoat.org.uk to learn more.
For full programme information or to book tickets visit thebluecoat.org.uk or telephone 0151 702 5324
Family Events
There is something for all the family with our fantastic range of guest artists and collaborators. New monthly story sessions for 2-5 year olds start in December, we’re doubling our Baby Book Club sessions due to popular demand, and our Children’s Corner is open every day. Sat 8 Dec, Sat 19 Jan & Sat 2 Feb 2-3pm
Telling Tales
Strange and wonderful tales of all kinds for children aged 2-5 years and their grown-ups, told by Bluecoat Storytellers. Free, drop-in Sat 10 Nov 1-4pm
Power Play
Inspired by bonfire night and our First Waves exhibition, join us for a carousel of art activities themed around the Houses of Parliament, run by Scarlett Crawford with young people from the Greenhouse Project and Liverpool Community Spirit. Free, drop-in Sat 15 Dec 1-4pm
The Grumpy Snowman (and other seasonal tales)
Visit our immersive pop-up space for Christmas tales from Gav Cross. Make your own festive puppet and join in with the action in story sessions at 1.30pm, 2.30pm and 3.30pm. Free, drop-in Sat 12 Jan 1-4pm
New Year’s Revolution
Want to play outdoors more, eat less junk food or learn something new in 2019? Enjoy a range of fun family arts activities and set your New Year goals together. Designed and delivered with members of Blue Room, Bluecoat’s inclusive arts programme. Free, drop-in
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Tuesdays, 15 Jan - 19 Mar 10-11am or Thursdays, 24 Jan - 28 Mar 10.30-11.30am
Baby Book Club
This course, run with storyteller and educationalist Roger Hill, is aimed at parents and carers with babies aged 3-12 months. Develop skills to make reading together a fun learning experience for you and your little one. £35 for ten sessions, including hot drink Sat 9 & Sun 10 Feb 1- 4pm
Art’s Cool
We’re setting up a mini art school for families to explore different paths to creativity, including printmaking, life drawing (fully clothed!) and improvised movement activities for all ages with Liverpool Improvisation Collective. Free, drop-in Sat 17 Nov & Sat 16 Feb 2:30-4pm
Funny Looking Kids Comedy Club
Liverpool’s first regular comedy club for kids returns, with jokes & mayhem! Tickets: £5/£3
For full programme information or to book tickets visit thebluecoat.org.uk or telephone 0151 702 5324
Dance & Performance
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DaDaFest International 2018 returns to Bluecoat with a series of exciting events. Visit thebluecoat.org.uk for the full events list. Fri 23 & Sat 24 Nov 6.30pm
Jess Thom: Not I
Not I is the story of a woman’s life told at top speed by a disembodied character, ‘Mouth’. A Touretteshero and Battersea Arts Centre production in association with the Albany, this neuro-diverse presentation sees Thom reclaiming Mouth as a disabled character. The performances are Relaxed and BSL-interpreted, and have Audio Description embedded within the performance. Tickets: £15/£10 Wed 28 Nov 7pm
Drake Music and DaDaFest present: Destination Sound
This concert presents some of the most exciting and talented disabled composers: Ben Lunn, Siobhan Dyson, Lucy Hale, Rylan Gleave, Sonia Allori, Kris Halpin and Claire Johnston. Their works are evocative, powerful and moving, encompassing a diversity of approaches and ideas. Tickets: £5
Sat 2 & Sun 3 Feb 2pm & 4pm
In The Palm of My Hand
Facilitated by dance artist Paula Hampson , writer and composer Chris Mellor and film producers First Take, this new performance weaves together personal and shared stories from young people, grand-parents and carers, expressed through movement, words and film. It is the culmination of a project with Kinship Carers, a Liverpool charity supporting people who care for a family member or friend’s child. Wed 13 Feb 7pm
Sun 2 Dec 6.30pm
Expanding the Picture II
Growing up, Sarah Fisher has faced a stigma around her ability as a musician. Through sharing her experiences with disabilities in a comedic light, she aims to break down some of the barriers around disability being a ‘taboo’ subject. Acts include solo piano performances, an original acoustic-vibe band, a post-modern rap duo and a tuned percussion band accompanied by a choir playing mostly original compositions. Tickets: £5
CI Sundays
Twitch
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A new performance created by emerging dance artists Tony Carroll and Diana Disley in collaboration with Mary Prestidge from Liverpool Improvisation Collective. Tickets £5/£4
Look out on-line for monthly Dance sessions CI Sundays! @the_bluecoat
Residencies, Courses & Fairs
Meet the Residency Artists Tue 30 Oct 12-1pm
Residency Social
Artist in residence Chinar Shah and curator in residence Zuzana Jakalová. Shah and Jakalová will talk about their work and plans for their residency in this drop in session, with snacks provided. Shah joins Bluecoat from Bangalore for the first of her two-part residency in partnership with Bluecoat, Hope University, FACT and AHRC. She is interested in the power dynamics of the internet, cyberfeminism and women’s experiences of race, caste and class. Jakalová researches into health, disability and economic precariousness. Her residency is supported by Arts and Theatre Institute, Prague and the Czech Centre, London. Tickets: £4/3 Thu 31 Jan 6pm
From Liverpool to Bandung to the Stratosphere (and back again)
Indonesian artist Nurrachmat Widyasena talks with curator Adam Smythe about his month-long residency at Bluecoat. Widyasena works in photography, print, textile and installation and draws attention to myths and ideals of space exploration and technology. Supported by British Council Indonesia. Tickets: £4/3
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Print Studio & Courses
For full listings and to book visit thebluecoat.org.uk/content/print-studios Fri 16 & Sat 17 Nov 10am-6pm Fri 14 & Sat 16 Dec 10am-6pm Fri 11 & Sat 12 Jan 10am-6pm Fri 15 & Sat 16 Feb 10am-6pm
Book Fair Free, drop-in
Sat 1 Dec 10am-6pm
Record Fair Free, drop-in
Thu 28 Feb 5-7pm
Wedding Open Night
See Liverpool’s oldest building dressed for a wedding. Have a chat with our Wedding Coordinators and discuss your special day - with complimentary canapes and prosecco. Free, drop-in
A Bluecoat Christmas
We have a range of offers this festive season, from private party hire, all-inclusive packages including three course dining with DJ and drinks, and Christmas lunches in our beautiful restaurant upstairs. Contact us for more details
For full programme information or to book tickets visit thebluecoat.org.uk or telephone 0151 702 5324
Diary Nov Dec Jan Feb
Our Core Funders
Project Funders
Date Event Until Sun 10 Mar 2019
Page
Studio Me, Instituting Care, The Art Schools of North West England Exhibitions
2 & 3 Visual Art
Tue 30 Oct Meet the Artists- Chinar Shah and Zuzana Jakalová 8 Visual Art Sat 3/Sat 17/Fri 23 Nov Intro to Screenprint/Printmaking for Beginners/ 8 Workshop Intro to Screenprint/Intro to Screenprint 2nd & 4th Tue each month Philosophy in Pubs WEB Workshop Fri 9 & Sat 10 Nov Christmas Print workshop 8 Workshop Fri 9 Nov Scarlett Crawford and guests 4 Visual Art Sat 10 Nov Power Play Family Workshop 6 Family Sat 10 Nov First Waves: Liverpool Edition Exhibition Launch 4 Visual Art Sun 11 Nov, 16 Dec, CI Sundays 7 Dance & 20 Jan,17 Feb Performance Fri 16 & Sat 17 Nov/Fri 14 & Book Fair/Record Fair 8 Fair Sat 15 Dec/Fri 11 & Sat 12 Jan/ Fri 15 & Sat 16 Feb Sat 17 Nov, Sat 16 Feb Funny Looking Kids Comedy Club 6 Family Sat 17 Nov Studio Meet: Veronica Watson 2 Visual Art Sat 17 Nov The Art Schools of North West England 3 Visual Art Exhibiton Tour Tue 20 Nov, 18 Dec, Talking Poetry WEB Literature 15 Jan, 19 Feb Fri 23 & Sat 24 Nov/ DaDaFest: Jess Thom: Not I/DaDa Fest & 7 Dance & Wed 28 Nov Drake Music: Destination Sound Performance Sat 24 Nov Studio Meet: Joshua Henderson 2 Visual Art Sat 1 Dec Blue Room at Ten Launch/Blue Room: Visual Art The Journey 2 Sat 1/Fri 7/Sat 8/ Intro to Screenprint/Linocut/Intro to Screenprint/ 8 Workshop Fri 14/ Sat 15 Dec Intermediate Etching/Print for Beginners/ Intro to Screenprint Sun 2 Dec/Mon 3 Dec DaDaFest: Twitch/NDACA Launch & 7 Dance & Are we in an era of Post-Disability Art? Performance Thu 13 Dec The Vulnerable Society Reading Group 3 Visual Art Sat 15 Dec Gavin the Grumpy Snowman 6 Family Fri 11/Sat 12/Fri 18/Sat 19/ Linocut/Intro to Screenprint/Intro to Etching/ 8 Workshop Sat 19/Fri 25/Sat 26 Jan Print for Beginners/Intro to Screenprint/ Intro to Screenprint/Intermediate Screenprint Sat 12 Jan New Year’s Revolution - Family Workshop 6 Family Tue from 15 Jan - 12 Mar or Baby Book Club 6 Family Thu from 24 Jan - 28 Mar Thu 31 Jan Artists Talk: Nurrachmat Widyasenna 8 Visual Art Fri 18 Jan A Taste of Honey Film Screening 3 Workshop Sat 19 Jan Symposium: What was Art School? 3 Visual Art Sat 2/Fri 8/Sat 9/Fri 15/Sat 16/ Intro to Screenprint/Intermediate Etching/ 8 Workshop Fri 22/Sat 23 Feb Intro to Screenprint/Printmaking for Beginners/ Linocut/Intro to Screenprint/ CMYK Sat 2 & Sun 3 Feb Paula Hampson In the palm of my hand 7 Dance & Performance Sat 9th & Sun 10th Feb Art’s Cool Family Workshop 6 Family Wed 13 Feb Expanding the Picture II 7 Dance & Performance Sat 16 Feb Radical Mycology Gathering: Primordia 3 Visual Art Wed 28 Feb Wedding Open Night 8 Thu 7 Mar Little Malcolm Film Screening 3 Visual Art Thu 14 Mar Life Drawing with Paul Kindersley 3 Visual Art
A special thank you to all our Supporters, Members and Patrons for their generous support. Image credits. Cover: Jade Montserrat, The Last Place They Thought Of, installation view, Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania, photo: Constance Mensh. Welcome: Illumaphonium, The Snowflake Trail, photo courtesy of Open Culture and Liverpool Bid Company. Page 2: Joshua Henderson, Studio Me, photo: Rob Battersby. Page 3: Jade Montserrat, Freedom will blossom from the skies of prisms* *prisons, 2018 courtesy of the artist, commissioned by Art on the Underground; Liverpool School of Art, photo by Matthew Cornford. . Page 4: Liverpool poster, Scarlett Crawford; Blue Room, Bluecoat, two images of pottery work, photo: ©Rob Battersby Page 5: Serena Korda, The Bell Tree, photo: Chris Egon Searle. Page 6: Funny Looking Kids, LightNight 2018, Bluecoat, photo: Brian Roberts. Page 7: Blue Room Movement Session with INHABIT, photo: Mary Prestidge. Page 8: Nurrachmat Widyasena, PT Besok Jaya Operasi Hiu Terbang Suit, photo: courtesy of the artist, 2016.
Opening Hours Building & Espresso cafe: Mon - Sat 9am - 6pm Sun 11am - 6pm Closed 25/26 Dec & 1 Jan thebluecoat.org.uk
Tickets & Information Gallery: Daily 11am - 6pm Upstairs Bistro: Tues - Sat 12-4pm Sun & Mon Closed fb.com/thebluecoat
Telephone 0151 702 5324 Email info@thebluecoat.org.uk @thebluecoat
Address Bluecoat, School Lane Liverpool L1 3BX
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