Tag: #cityofculture

Hull City Of Culture 2017, Uncategorized

MY CITY OF CULTURE – MY HULL – WEEK 20

by anetesoodaLeave a Comment on MY CITY OF CULTURE – MY HULL – WEEK 20

Week 20 of the Hull City Of Culture 2017 and I call it ENGAGED. I WAS ENGAGED.

Week started off with rainy and dull Tuesday, but there was one person who was up bright and early [dark and too early] to transform a wall into a amazing graffiti mural.

This guy is Calvin Innes – Artist Illustrator&Cartoonist. We met at the Larkin Out Festival, he is founder of Drunk Animal, he is not drunk and he is very talented.

He was commissioned by Creative ENRG to create a mural that represents people from Hull succeeding in business [once upon a time].

I visited him on early hours and then later on the day to see the working progress.

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My promise to go back on photograph the finished piece was not very productive as the wall was used as doors and covered with fencing. The finished piece looks amazing, brightens up the Fruit Market Area and hopefully I will be able to photograph it in full soon.

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I was also ENGAGED to find the Ground down Beverley Road on Thursday. To my disappointment, it was closed.
Instead I had a little wonder around the area. The sun was shining and the mood was 100% happy.

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Finally I had the opportunity to get close to the scrubby looking Trafalgal Street Church. The building close up reveals incredible texture and detail.

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The building is fascinating from outside and I wouldn’t mind to brake in inside. So if there are any offers, please feel free to message.

On Saturday my beloved Hessle Road was on the spotlight.
When I moved to UK, Hull, my first home was down Hessle Road, so the are is special to me. Even though I have moved to the other side of Hull I often visit the area.

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It is so familiar, many of the shops still have the same people working there, my favourite take away, flower shop, Kurdish shop and off course the monumental BOYSES.

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Saturday was the day when the three giant graffiti murals down Hessle Road were unveiled officially with people involved in making/organising also being there. There is a story around every single mural and Fisherman memorial in the middle of Hessle Road remembering people who died at the sea, engraved in silver plaques.

There is lots to tell, the event was amazing, good coverage with many photographers capturing the event, locals gathering,  Hull City Of Culture 2017 volunteers and so on….

I had a very busy morning before that, I was still in my running gear when I arrived early, I was still out of breath after Park Run, but I was keen to capture the three, four stopping points.

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Halfway Public House – The Fisherman’s mural-representing the hard life experienced working at sea. Artists – Kev Largey, Lydia Caprani and Sharon Darley.

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Fotoworx – Depicting St Andrew, the patron sain of fisherman, guiding a mariner through stormy water’s. This also marks the entrance to St Andrews Ward, and Hessle Road, the heart of Hull’s fishing heritage. Artists – Neil Posto Deanes and Keith Homes.

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The same day I went to the Depart. Depart is a controversial performance in the grave yard. Yes, grave yard – cemetery. Right up my street[COS END OF LIFE PROJECT]. I was so looking forward to it [thanks to Caroline and Andrew from Hull Homeless Community Project for a ticket that I was so desperate for. YOU ARE AWESOME].
Off course I brought camera with me.

It was very strange, that there was no information about not being able to take photos, but mid-way, the event staff started telling people off for taking photos/videos. I managed to capture some incredible moments, before I started feeling really uncomfortable clicking away.
Depart really was something special – experience that can’t be captured in photos, we even had thunder and lighting at some point…
The performers often made an eye contact with viewers and that was unusual and so effective. The mud, small walkways and darkness created an environment that I have never been in.

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WHAT A WEEK I HAD. VERY DENSE, INTENSE AND ENGAGED. ENGAGED WITH HULL. WITH CULTURE.

HIGHLIGHTS:
DEPART AND HESSLE ROAD MURAL OPENING.

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THIS WEEK IS ALL ABOUT WORK, BUSINESS PLAN AND END OF THE WEEK – RADIO 1’S BIG WEEKEND.

I AM TAKING FILM INSTEAD OF DIGITAL [JUST COS MY GEAR IS NOT WELCOME ON THE SITE (sadface)]  SO THE PHOTOS WILL TAKE EXTRA TIME TO APPEAR ON DA BLOG.

#GETCULTUREDMOVEMENT

Hull City Of Culture 2017

MY CITY OF CULTURE – MY HULL – WEEK 16

by anetesoodaLeave a Comment on MY CITY OF CULTURE – MY HULL – WEEK 16

I used to think that photographers who take part in challenges – daily, weekly, monthly clearly have a lot of spare time or they are just amateurs not willing to get a proper job. WRONG WRONG!
If you have a meaningful challenge that makes your life more awesome, if you gain something from the challenge, you are a winner.
And I am a winner. This year is super photo-busy, busier than it was each year at uni, I have taken a lot of photographs in sixteen weeks – amazing ones, bad ones, useless ones and a few life changing.

That is my wisdom for this week people

 

Now, week 16 of Hull City Of Culture 2017 has been bright and colourful, and interestingly – I went through some powerful feeling – drowning [I’ll explain].

Highlights/WEEK 16:

 

In previous weeks I have already attempted Slinkachu [ MY CITY OF CULTURE – MY HULL – WEEK 11 ]

I made two sets – one of them was with tiny human figures and Hull City Of Culture 2017 branding and other one was with two silly penguins. The first set was not very successful, so I have to try another location/landmark. I was really hoping that The Deep and penguins will work, as they are slightly bigger and were made as a joke[ish].

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The idea was to celebrate Hull City Of Culture 2017 through something that Hull know’s but isn’t as obvious. The Deep is more than obvious, but the penguins are fairly new edition to Hull. And I mean….if I were to be an intelligent penguin aware of culture in 2017, I would probably escape too.
It was very funny, typical me – I was not prepared so my set was about to be swept into River Humber. As I was struggling, a nosy stranger [took pictures of me taking pictures of the penguins] offered to help.
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The result is pleasing.
I am shifting off slightly from the meaning behind Slinkachu, or just having some perspective problems. But I am still happy. happy me, happy penguins and maybe this will inspire other people in  a strange way.

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The Raft of Medusa  – CLEAN, CRISP AND CLEVER

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The quality standards of exhibitions in Hull have grown and like most of the people, I have high expectations. And The Raft of Medusa was a pleasure to engage with and look at. The artists have maintained a lot of detail and even the smells….beautiful. And really suits the nature of the Humber Street Gallery.

 

Somewhere Becoming Sea – goose pump[ing] experience

 

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Interesting interpretation of the bond between human and the sea, especially Hull’s longstanding prominence as a gateway to the North Sea and beyond. Again – beautifully represented. One of the installations really gave me goose pumps. I was looking at something that felt like men on ships in the sea going through something terrible..I am not sure. The big screen, darkness and the sound dragged me into the feeling that I am there and I am just about to drawn. Scary and fascinating at the same time. I had to have 3 minutes of deep breaths and conversation with one of the volunteers, to feel like I am okay.

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Another installation looked at the ever-changing boundaries between land and sea. We all hear about this, but not many of us have the chance to see the real “change”. The land is shrinking and the powerful sea is biting of bits of, what we think is ours. In reality we are all guests on planet earth and the real boss is the Mother Nature. The video was super realistic, it dragged me into the devastating feeling that the land is disappearing in front of me.
The photograph and description does not give the justice to the installations, so I really recommend to see this yourself.

Here is a link to read more about the artists, influences:
OUT TO SEA – EXPLORING HULL’S FASCINATION WITH WATER

 

Re-Made in Hull at the ScrapStore.

First of all, this was so exciting that I even considered to have a separate blog post. But heey – time is money and I haven’t got both at the moment.

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Re-Made in Hull is a series of educational craft workshops. Set in a pretend factory environment, it is designed to inspire families to make a difference to their community through increased environmental awareness.

yesyesyes. As I arrived early I went through the fantastic shop. I was like a kid in the candy shop. Really recommend this place if you are feeling a bit dull need cheering up. The stuff that they have will put a smile on your face and will inspire you to do a bit of crafting.

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At the beginning of the workshop creation bit, we had a lovely intro and health&safety induction with the lovely artists working there and running the workshops.

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No glue and no boundaries of what you can create.

I am not a the best in crafts, but I thought I’ll give it a go. And I brought Melanie with me, the 10 year old lady who has been cultured multiple time now.

She was about to make a blue sheep and I decided to make a robot.

There was a lot of people – most of them parents with children. A great way how to spend Saturday morning.

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The workshop was really, really fun. There was a lot of excitement, creativity and laughs. Each kid had different ideas, parents joined in and the artist helped to execute great ideas.
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I promised the artists from the workshop to give 10/10 for the whole experience. I have changed my mind – 11/10.

Also, this was the last workshop as part of the Re-made in Hull, but fingers crossed ScrapStore gets more funding to continue.

As you can see I had a busy week. And I will have even busier next few, so keep your eyes peeled.

P.S.
During the week I also visited town centre in hunt for daffodils, which off course weren’t there. But I have managed to get to awesome children to show off theirs. There will be an artwork coming next week regards that.

Hull City Of Culture 2017

MY CITY OF CULTURE – MY HULL – WEEK 15

by anetesoodaLeave a Comment on MY CITY OF CULTURE – MY HULL – WEEK 15

HELLO.

 

At the beginning of the week, I was reflecting on 14 weeks spent following City Of Culture. It is a fantastic challenge to have.

Most of the weekly stories include more than one event, venue or activity and I get quite a wide range of photographs. And sometimes it become difficult to highlight the best.

Therefore this week I stuck to one event, also cos Easter weekend.

PAUL SMITH TO J.K.ROWLING BP PORTRAIT AWARD COMMISSIONS FROM NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY @BRYNMOR JONES LIBRARY IS THE FOCUS POINT THIS WEEK.

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The exhibition was one of the best selection of paintings I’ve seen. Some of them really eye catching and visually irresistible. I cultured a kid, we got do do some portraits of our own and off course – lovely chat with volunteers.

The Easter weekend was supposed to be filled with other photographic activities in Hull, like LEGO SPRING FLOWERS @King Edward Square, the Deep, Humber Street Gallery, but it happened to be food, lazy days and Yorkshire Wildlife Park.

But I have next week to catch up and I will definitely focus on more than one City Of Culture celebration.

SEEEEEEE YAAA NEXT WEEK AND HAVE A LOVELY LAST HOURS OF BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY!

Hull City Of Culture 2017

MY CITY OF CULTURE – MY HULL – WEEK 11

by anetesooda1 Comment on MY CITY OF CULTURE – MY HULL – WEEK 11

Week 11 of my challenge being involved in Hull City Of Culture 2017 started off with a little panic – the work load glued me to the computer screen during the days, so how can I go out and be part of the celebration??
Also, the sudden reminder that The Blade is moving on Sunday, made me realise that the unfinished Slinkachu project must be executed this week.

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I finished off the set, little worried of how I am going to get two fragile sets in town.

My aim was to photograph these sets of Slinkachu and Hull City Of Culture 2017 [home-made] flags near The Blade. I’ll explain my reasons later in the post.

 

On Thursday however, I had a meeting in town so to be efficient, I decided that I finally want to visit HIP Gallery in Princess Quay and Hullywood Icons exhibition. There has been a lot of excitement about the exhibition, so I had to see the execution of photographs by Quentin Budworth .

Also, I got Oliver Fisher [very wise man and my accountant/marketing adviser] cultured.

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I have mixed feelings about the exhibition. First, the idea is really good, I like that local “celebs” and “known” people are involved and have been turned into these fantastic characters. The project is about Hull, about the world around us.

But then, I am slightly disappointed about the photographic and editing quality. Photographs are lacking professional quality and post-production on few are quite dreadful [like the one above]. I understand that everything is about the content and we celebrate…but everything from the idea to the end result should be 100% quality.
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Why on earth would you edit this together, if it is a lot more easier to do in real life. It is funny and a bit sad at the same time.

The other problem I had was the information about how the final photographs come together.
Instead if Quentin coming up with the idea of the movie, theme, characters and location/props, he asks to do all this to the people wanting to be part of the project and he just turns up with the camera.

The hype around the artist made me think that the whole thing is set up by the artist, I guess I just have to read in between the lines next time…

Overall, 6 out of 10. Great to see people involved and the ideas in each photograph.

Whilst in the gallery, I had a quick chat with the Creative and Cultural Company volunteers about the upcoming events, exhibitions [need to be informed at all times].

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On our way to the exhibition I approached a familiar face of a Hull City Of Culture 2017 volunteer to make sure I know the exact date/time of The Blade leaving Queen Victoria Square.

It was lovely that she remembered me from another event I went to few weeks ago. When I asked if she could spare a smile, she was more than happy to have her picture taken.
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The same Thursday morning I walked down the  Whitefriargate and Preston Likely’s Amuse Agents – Hull’s Premier Inconvenience Store

I was there on the WEEK 1  of my challenge, but I wanted to have a second look during the day.
Sometimes exhibitions and other art events have to be seen twice to have a complete understanding.

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People still stop by and have a sneaky look. Maybe because some of the posters/photos/adverts are hard to believe or are too bizarre to be true.

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The installation is very much Hull and it feels comforting in a strange way. Sense of unity and a whole…

I don’t really walk through Whitefriargate that often, the shop windows have changed. Years ago it was busy shopping area, but now it is kind of dead.

There a lot of promises given, by the looks of it, so hopefully the area will get its charm back soon.

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There is more…as I was passing the Queen Victoria Square multiple times, I was lucky to see the Roots&Routes season POPPIES: WEEPING WINDOW installation being set up.

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I was trying to get the Hull Maritime Museum in the frame, I climbed on top of the men’s loos, near the monument just opposite the building. Being there for two minutes gives me an opportunity to watch people from above and ohh, there was a few characters.

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This guy was completely from 90’s with his sunglasses/glasses – the ones that you can flop. haha.

SATURDAY.

On Saturday I neatly packed my Slinkachu sets and headed in town.

I draw a lot of attention from the public and volunteers, as they wanted to know what is going on.

One of them kindly tried to help me with the execution.

 

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Sadly there was problems.
The first one was the equipment – 24-70 mm 2.8 and 85 mm 1.8 did not cope with the small set.
My phone camera [Huawei Leica] did a much better job.
I will have to get my hands on a macro lens to be able to photograph this properly. In the past I have tried Slinkachu technique, but with much bigger figures, so I was kind of expecting the failure, but hoped that I will find a compromise.

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The reason why I wanted to create this is to express how I feel around The Blade – I feel small and being put on a scale. The Blade is fascinating piece of structure [art now] and no one can pass it without feeling something.

I also struggled to position the set, so that it looks like real life [the whole idea behind Slinkachu], I was even on my knees in the square.

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The plan did not work, but I have kept the sets and will find a way how to make this work.
I also have another set for a attraction point in Hull, so keep your eyes out for that.

 

SUNDAY.

 

On Sunday I walked down to Humber Street Market. My purpose was to photograph a lovely family business BLOSSOM’S BAKERY stall and try their gluten free, vegan cakes and other sweet things.

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Such a lovely lady/family, everything made with love and I wish them the best luck in succeeding.

Off course, I spent a bit more time and money in the market.
But I have to say, that Hull now has a regular socialising place and if you are super bored at home, you have an opportunity to get out and do something.

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Last but not least, I visited the Female Gaze exhibition at the Kingston Art Group Gallery and spent QUALITY TIME with Anna Bean.
She got me and Melanie THE KID cultured, along with other artists featured in the exhibition. We chatted about the meaning of female gaze, about narcissism and how complicated art can be.

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As you can see I have been here, there and everywhere, bringing you the most random combination of Hull City Of Culture 2017 so far.

Until writing the finishing lines to this post, I did not realise how much I’ve managed to pack in this week.

I will see you next week with more exciting stuff.

Love

Anete Sooda

Uncategorized

MY CITY OF CULTURE – MY HULL- WEEK 8

by anetesoodaLeave a Comment on MY CITY OF CULTURE – MY HULL- WEEK 8

hello.

In a blink of an eye the eight week of City Of Culture passed.

The week was work-busy for me so I only took part in one activity.

I went down to Archbishop Sentamu Academy in East Hull for Picture House: Willy Wonka&The Chocolate Factory.

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I have to be honest about two things – I had no idea what the Picture House will be – theatre, film, performance, kid thing… and I have never seen the film [I know].

At the arrival I discovered that it will be a film on a big screen with an actual MR. Wonka greeting the kids and their families, plus games ect.

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There are couple of shout-outs to the lovely volunteer team at the venue.

First of all -they are happy people who are doing this cos they want to be part of this great year. Second – they are more than happy to give you info about pretty much everything.

Third – they will offer to take a picture of you, cos they see you struggling [I have a “thing” for taking selfies with DSLR]

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I had to leave the screening mid-way, cos work.
I had a quick chat with the volunteers, complimented their work and these ladies where fantastic.

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YES, THIS WEEK HAS BEEN A BIT -EEHHH-BLAND, BUT I HAVE EXCITING THINGS COMING UP FOR WEEK 9 AND 10, SO KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED.

 

LOVE

ANETE

Hull City Of Culture 2017, Uncategorized

MY CITY OF CULTURE – MY HULL – WEEK 7

by anetesooda1 Comment on MY CITY OF CULTURE – MY HULL – WEEK 7

At the start of the week 7 of the City Of Culture 2017 I was thinking of taking it steady – stay at home, make my Slinkachu City Of Culture set  [read more about what is Slinkachu here: Slinkachu.com Street Installations and Photography] and watch BBC 2 Welcome to Hull presented by Hull-born comedian Lucy Beaumont.

But things turned out a bit different as the week progressed.

I started the Slinkachu, first testing the tiny people figures near The Blade  to see the scale and if I have the right lens to capture the installation.

It was fascinating to admit that I kind of feel like those tiny humans when I am near The Blade.

At home I designed City Of Culture 2017 branded flags, set up a rough idea of how I am going to work this crazy idea.

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Work in progress, cos the figures are very tiny and I have to be sure that I know what I am doing before start super-glue them to the base.

On Friday I decided to visit the good old Hull School of Art&Design. It’s not only the place that changed my life, but funny enough – a spot on the City Of Culture 2017 map, hosting an exhibition in the downstairs area, plus an display of abstract architecture prints by imagesaremoments.

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Sunday and the weather inspired me to get out and get cultured. I had three people with me, so we headed down Humber Street and Fruit Market.

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Last time I had to miss out on Humber Street Gallery, cos the child and the content was not the mixture to go for.

First, on the ground floor I rushed to see Sarah Lucas Power in Woman display, mainly because of the combination of colours and capacity of the place/sculptures. And I was stopped by a volunteer, cos no photographs allowed.

 

Really?

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Do I understand the cigarettes in the holes, do I understand why one of the sculpture was placed on a massive freezer…NO AND NO. But there was something about the roughness and boldness of these sculptures. It feels like they have been made by a man and is that the whole point?

Upstairs – COUM TRANSMISSIONS. The exhibition of materials drawn from the personal archives of Cosey Fanni Tutti and Genesis P-Orridge.

Founded in Hull during the late 1960s by artists Genesis P-Orridge and Cosey Fanni Tutti, COUM Transmissions was a collective whose work confronted, subverted and challenged societal conventions.

Labelled ‘the wreckers of civilisation’ by a Conservative MP following COUM’s Prostitution show at London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts, the group’s end in 1976 heralded the formation of the musical collective Throbbing Gristle.

[Source: https://www.hull2017.co.uk/whatson/events/coum-transmissions/]

 

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For what I gathered  – COUM has been quite challenging for the society to understand and accept, but there it is many years later  – exhibited for people to apply another value to the work they did. Have we changed since the 1970’s?

I might have to get there another time, because I was unable to soak it in straight away.

People viewing the work certainly had something to discuss throughout and after.

 

Last but not least – Humber Street Gallery  top of the roof deck. AMAZING.

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The location and the opportunity to have this view accessible is what Hull needed. And thank you for making my day. It was beautiful.

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Overall I have to say that I am so happy to see that Humber Street and the Docks are buzzing, full of life and people are getting some sense of old and new binding together, creating today.

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Every single thing has been thought out/about, even to the tiniest detail and are giving people an opportunity/reason to get out, get some fresh air, get to know Hull and most importantly – GET CULTURED, COS CITY OF CULTURE.

 

SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.

Hull City Of Culture 2017

MY CITY OF CULTURE – MY HULL – WEEK 6

by anetesooda1 Comment on MY CITY OF CULTURE – MY HULL – WEEK 6

Week 6 of the City Of Culture 2017 has been very exciting for me. I don’t know if that was because I found the pub out of town in Hull that thinks it has the most culture, or if it was the company of fellow photographer imagesaremoments  when visiting  .

At the beginning of the week I was in a hunt for the Ye Olde White Harte and the famous skull.

I must admit that I am embarrassed to say that I had to google-map myself there and  I DID NOT KNOW THAT THE PLACE EXIST.

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The beer garden is a bit magic and the pub is full of character.

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I questioned the bar staff girls [lovely ladies] about the skull and it turns out it is a real skull found on the premises. It is assumed that it is a 19 year old girl…So the characters of the pub and potential ghost presences are even more fascinating.

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As there was a staff meeting and I was literally getting in the way, I only took a quick snap of the skull and left with a promise to come back for a pint one day.

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As I made my work to work, I was armed to look for “culture” in outskirts of Hull.

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And then I found a pub… that states it has the most culture of them all.

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Inkermann from outside looks awesome. It is like a gem in the middle of nowhere and must be the place for the locals.

And there are stories behind the pub and the “massage salon” next door….

The reason why all this is on my blog WEEK 6, is simple – when I am looking, I find these fascinating places and people in Hull. And you certainly need to know about it. Cos it is not just the main events of City of Culture we celebrate, we celebrate little things as well.

The next day I headed to Hull University and Brynmor Jones Library to see the Lines of Thought – A British Museum Touring Exhibition at Hull University .

I invited a fellow photographer Sergej/imagesaremoments  to join me and we entered the world of posh study area and the coolest library seen.

Exhibition was very well attended for a Wednesday daytime.

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I was impressed with the some of the drawings and also maybe discovered the first abstract/illusion drawing.

 

Next door there was another exhibition. Sometimes I don’t pay attention to where I go, so all I know it was a Hull University collection….

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When we were finished with the stationary art, we had to have a look around the recently refurbished library. As a graduated student, I think that the library is the perfect place where to have a little time with books and all the work you have to do. And the facilities are beautiful.

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No excuse not to be a good student.

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imagesaremoments was appreciating the architecture and all’ so we got a permission to go upstairs and see the beautiful view from the 7th floor of the library. I was stunned by the views and the environment students can access to study. WOW.

We also had a walk around the Hull University grounds, imagesaremoments shared his passion for buildings and architecture in general.

 

imagesaremoments look at the buildings in a very different way then I do. I witnessed the passion for it and the way he photographs every bit of “excitement”.

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So yeah, interesting week and I shall look forward to next ventures.

Hull City Of Culture 2017

MY CITY OF CULTURE – MY HULL – WEEK 5

by anetesoodaLeave a Comment on MY CITY OF CULTURE – MY HULL – WEEK 5

Week 5 of 2017 has been good.

The beginning of the week was more “thedayaftertheMonday” dull and a bit rainy.  The end of the week activities, on the other hand, were lit with sunlight and everything le postive. Plus, I had a kid with me so we both ended up indulging in the Hull City Of Culture.

So I was cultured in a mood swing kind of a method.

Hull History Centre is a very beautiful and in my views underestimated building located in Hull City Centre. The “Hull Characters” exhibition was one of the things I wanted to see, plus at the time, I also wanted to take part in Revolutionary Makers Workshop, so I headed there on Tuesday.

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The exhibition was only small, with a lot of reading, which I am a bit lazy for and in the library there was some rusty old important books and documents on a display.

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I was interrupted by a fire alarm during the visit, so I forgot to get some info about the Revolutionary Makers Workshop.

My route from the Hull History Centre  into Old Town was different than usual. I revisited areas I haven’t seen in a while and was quite pleased that Hull is changing/developing.

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We now celebrate the past and future of Hull coming together for this year and I think the photo above makes a good point.

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We have always had culture and people who enjoy being part of the action, this year it is very saturated and easier to find.

The Blade is still on the map and it continues to fascinate me. Only in Hull its OK to have a massive wind turbine blade in the middle of a town square. It looks like it has been put there by giants and we are LEGO figures.

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I have kind of given up on taking a stunning photo of The Blade, so my attention turns to the volunteers guarding it and the seagulls.

Volunteers have lovely coloured coats with all the City Of Culture branding as if they are reassuring us about the importance of this year.

That is how I start my conversation with one of the volunteers. We talk about The Blade, what kind of questions people ask and about the seagulls respecting the monument.

And I was wrong, they to leave their marks on The Blade and it has to be cleaned weekly.

That morning The Blade was cleaned, so the birds enjoyed the “clean bedding”.

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The volunteer that I was talking with [sorry, I didn’t ask his name] was very kind and actually – very keen and educated regards to the City Of Culture. I hope that I will see him again at some point and tell him that I found the England’s Smallest Window.

 

 

Which brings me to the end of the week and GET CULTURED PART II.

My “must see” list extended during the week and Saturday was a good day to get out of the house for a long walks around Old Town and Fruit Market.

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The sun lit the Hull in my favourite light – golden and happy.

I wanted to share the dose of culture with a wonderful girl Melanie. She is like a daughter to me and she is very keen for long walks and a bit of art/photographs.

First we found the England’s Smallest Window. The Land of Green Ginger (grid reference TA099287) is a narrow street in the old town area of  Hull. The tiny window is part of the George Hotel.

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WARNING!! THE CONTENT BELOW HAS GOT BODY PARTS IN IT. ONE BODY PART. ONE PHOTO.

 

Just next to the England’s Smallest Window there was a fairly big window and Hull locals have embraced the available space to express the art of their own. I don’t find it abusive, I find it funny. Sometimes people are idiots, we all can be idiots. And I have definitely spend some time in my life drawing these on inappropriate spaces myself….

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As we finished giggling and I finished answering question of why am I photographing this, we headed towards the Fruit Market area and the sun was burning our eyes out.

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How many times I have named this street in the Old Town as my favourite and photographed someone appreciating the space…countless..

This street has got many references, memories and charm. But I have no idea of what is the street name…

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Hull fascinates me, and mainly because people in Hull are a bit bonkers, very chilled and have their own sense of humour.

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Melanie asked me if I can turn her super hero figure part of the culture. She wanted to leave her own mark, as we all.

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When I stormed in to the Humber Street Gallery, I was very excited to see the Dead Bod.

Dead Bod the much-loved graffiti featuring a dead bird, which was painted on the side of a corrugated iron shed at Alexandra Dock in the 1960s by Captain Len ‘Pongo’ Rood and Chief Engineer Gordon Mason. Dead Bod became a local landmark, symbolising Hull’s fishing heritage, and a campaign was launched to save it after Hull 2017 Major Partner Associated British Ports (ABP) removed the sheds as part of the development of the site for Siemens, also a Major Partner.

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I never knew the story behind the very cute graffiti bird legend, so interesting to know.

Humber Street Gallery  is offering another great way how to get cultured and the space looks amazing.
Unfortunately I will be going back another time, as the exhibition content was with a lot of human “bits” which was not something that Melanie was keen to see.

The last stop was the Kingston Art Group Gallery.

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Places and art of this kind is why I really want to be part of Hull. We are great and we have talented artists. It never is dull and the standard is high.

It was my honour to have a look at two artworks by famous and amazing Anna Bean.

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This lady Jane Jones is one of my hero’s. She is a lecturer from Hull School of Art&Design and three years in a row she was my CATS teacher. Jane Jones is wise, interesting and as I discovered in my last year at UNI – she is a painter [and a great one].

She is the Kingston Art Group Gallery member and she was exhibiting one of her artworks.

Our conversation started off around the coat I was wearing and I feel ridiculously stupid for not talking about things that matter.

 

The last thing on that Saturday was the heater in the gallery. I was very sure that it was a work of art, but as I couldn’t find it on the list, I approached one of the ladies working in the gallery.

It turns out it is just a heater. But I wouldn’t be surprised if it was more than that.

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IN A CONCLUSION – THERE IS A LOTS TO SEE AND DO THIS MONTH.
GET OUT AND GET CULTURED, COS HULL 2017.

SEE YOU NEXT WEEK!!!

Hull City Of Culture 2017, Uncategorized

MY CITY OF CULTURE – MY HULL- WEEK 4

by anetesoodaLeave a Comment on MY CITY OF CULTURE – MY HULL- WEEK 4

Welcome to a reflection of one of the less – cultural Hull 2017 week so far.

This week has been more about reflecting my challenge and photography content, working on other photography jobs and planning.

 

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This photograph is a view from Princess Quay, in a distance you can spot one of the City Of Culture installations ‘I Wish To Communicate With You’  initial concept by Italian artist Silvio Palladino.

The installation has involved the majority of the Thornton Estate’s 600 residents, living in 240 homes.

This photograph is part of my future involvement in City Of Culture and planning my next material.

I have planned some serious “culture stuff”, so here is the list below:

  • I will be creating City Of Culture Slinkachu [read more about what is Slinkachu here: Slinkachu.com Street Installations and Photography]
    I have tried Slinkachu in my second year at Uni, so I DEFINITELY KNOW WHAT I AM DOING – NOT.  I am waiting for my “little” people to arrive and in the meantime, preparing props and planning locations.
  • I am planning to meet up with City Of Culture Volunteers. All the volunteers involved in City Of Culture are so important, so I want to hear their stories and celebrate the work they do. This was to happen this week, but volunteers are very busy, so I am patiently waiting.
  • I am planning to visit Lines of Thought – A British Museum Touring Exhibition at Hull University and see the history for myself. I have discussed the exhibition with other “cultured” people that have seen it and apparently is a moment to be appreciated.
  • One of the really interesting things not just to photograph, but get involved in definitely is RE-MADE IN HULL in ScrapStore Community Centre Hall, Hull. For this one me [and you] need to book your attendance
    [link here: http://scrapstorehull.co.uk/Hull2017/]
    I am thinking about 4th of February, so it could be awesome if someone would like to join me. Free lift to and from location available upon request :)
  • All things Hull History Centre and Revolutionary Makers Workshop
    The main focus will be to get there in general, have a look at “Hull Characters” exhibition.

 

more to come….

Uncategorized

MY CITY OF CULTURE – MY HULL- WEEK 3

by anetesoodaLeave a Comment on MY CITY OF CULTURE – MY HULL- WEEK 3

Hello on a very exciting Monday!

BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show and my fave Nick Grimshaw early this morning announced that BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend is coming to Hull.

Honestly seconds before he revealed the city, I was like “it must be Hull, cos City Of Culture, Hull, Hull, common ‘Ull”

So I am super excited and I will do anything in my power to be there, cos awesome photo opportunity and Kings Of Leon.

Here is more info available:

City Of Culture 2017 Radio 1 Big Weekend Hull

Anyway…
Last week was the third week of the City Of Culture 2017.

I was obsessed with the blade and tried to get there on a Wednesday EARLY sunny morning. The weather forecast failed and it was dark, damp, but getting out early meant no crowds….

Early mornings are interesting when you are not part of the early hours rush.
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To my very disappointment The Blade even though available to myself, was not much easier to photograph. I am either giving up on trying to capture the lengthy beast from the grounds or I have to learn how to fly….

Interesting is the fact that during a normal rush hour morning, The Blade is just part of the landscape for those who pass it on their way to work, workman, seagulls…

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The same morning I also went to Hull Maritime Museum to see the BOWHEAD.

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The experience proved that I really need to be in a mood for a therapeutic session with whales floating on a screen, accomplished with “smooth” music.

I also went to the Ferens Open Exhibition official opening or private view.

I am honoured to be part of the exhibition although on the opening night I was in the same blender as other artists. The good news is that the opening was very crowded, full of culturally interested people and with a pride I was looking at my two prints, thinking how the hell did I got in here.

The bad news is that Ferens Art Gallery did not listened to me when I told them that my name needs changing on the catalogue, so for those who don’t know me by Anete Martinsone – nice to meet you.

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AND on Saturday morning I headed to Princess Quay for the POP UP ART GALLERY RUN BY CHILDREN. 

Princess Quay cleverly use the retail space that is empty for art exhibitions and I think it is a great way how to utilize space.

I was left with a very warm feeling that kids are all about the Hull, as well as grown ups.

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Again, just being involved is what this challenge is about. I might not been as entertained as I was during Made In Hull week, but I for what is worth – I am improving my relationship with Hull and its community.

Thank you