it’s that time of year, friends.
Spread across twelve months my wonders around the city of Hull as a resident, friend and a photographer sixth year running. I have mixed feelings about this year’s blog: glad to still be partially committed, very pleased to look back at another good year for the city in various areas of culture, but also disappointed with my performance, because “best I could do with the time I had” is not good enough for me, my ego is sliced. I miss being involved and available, miss meeting people, networking and exploring small and big culture ventures, I miss having the luxury of time. But I really did my best in one of the busiest years OF MA LAIF.
I will show you events, spaces/places done on work basis, as well as stuff I did purely for the blog and some random beautiful memories that hope inspire us be in presence of culture in 2024.
Some of my city ventures are through new thing I have been doing in 2023 – hosting photography classes in various subjects. Bit of teaching photography, but definitely exploring the city and its treasures, networking and photographing with other people.
Also quick mention of Through Our Eyes exhibition that happened in early 2023 (link to my blog)) that hopefully will carry on as a “thing” next year.
LET’S GO THEN:
March – THE AWAKENING part of Freedom Festival Trust
The event that was so waited to drag us out of winter gloom and it sure did light up the city in all its meaning.
Celebrating the change of seasons from winter to spring and our great city’s maritime identity, heritage, folklore and mythology, audiences explored the history-rich streets of the city centre from Queens Gardens, down Whitefriargate, across Trinity Square and up to Zebedee’s Yard. The Awakening 2023 was free to attend, spread across two evenings, bringing opportunity to explore world-class installations and performances, with Hull’s historic areas lit up with giant figures and forms. Indoors audiences could experience musical offerings from local favourites including a special edition of Trinity Live in partnership with Trinity Market and Sesh Events, and at Ferens Art Gallery, there will be another chance to catch the RE:SCORE films and a special live performance by Broken Orchestra.
Source: Freedom Festival Trust
My memory of this was that through the weekend I was manic busy at work, but really wanted to go. So I lied, plotted and scammed to be able to attend ( no one was hurt the process). And I am glad I fitted in the visit. Little magic.
THROUGH OUR EYES EXHIBITION – CELEBRATING FEMALE PHOTOGRAPHERS FROM NORTH – OUR BIG PICTURE – GRIMSBY
Full story available on my blog (link above), it was a fabulous start of the year – new people, opportunity to exhibit my creative work, tell my story and be part of a great project. We have new plans to carry on in 2024, so hopefully I can share some news in January on my socials,
In spring I also started my new part time hobby/job of teaching, hosting photography events. I have always wanted to teach higher education in photography, but that’s a long term future desire that requires some thought and prep that I haven’t had time for. The opportunity came unexpected and I grabbed it. Many and awesome events done and it has become a big part of my “photographers” duty. I love being the instructor, the educator, but at the same time mingling with various people who have different interests and skill levels, exploring genres and scouting Hull for gems to suit the topic, has been fantastic. I have grown a little friendly network and I have so many great plans for it in 2024. I also learned that I needed to revisit some basic photography key elements, and never the less it has given me an opportunity to be a photographer outside of work and have fun (cheeeeeeessse).
We have done Street Photography, Urban, Portraits, Manual Settings, Night, Light Movement, Flatlay and many others.
Here are some best of the best:
In Spring I also visited the POP-UP SPACE down Humber Street – funny how city grows and changes so quickly, I did not know it existed.
The artist exhibiting at the time was Holly Bright. She basically educated me about the space and it was lovely meet the face that lit the room like sunshine and her art was beautiful. It is an art in itself to be able to make a space yours and she really made the warehouse-type of space welcoming and brighter than it was before.
On a separate culture wonder with my partner I purposely went there to see who has taken the space at the time. The POP-UP space is one that changes the host, so each time you go, you can see something new.
Sadly I have lost and haven’t traced back the artists name, so if you recognise this talented person, please let me know in comments, so I can credit them. It was a really good visit, the artist was more than happy to tell the stories behind the work, shared how he used found materials to give them another life, and work was stunning, not all light and fluffy, some deep colours and string textures.
This year I have also been invited to do some stuff for the famous Middle Child Theatre Company for their Out Loud Scratch Nights. They collaborate with Silent Uproar – an award-winning theatre company creating fun nights out to engage a younger, funkier, and punkier crowd, aims to get theatre more accessible and affordable, fun and engaging for 16-25’s.
Middle Child is one of the best up North and they just know good stuff. They put Hull artists at the heart of their creative process, our growth and our successes, they really are the heart of local and real theatre.
I did two shows this year, one in July with two play scratches and one in October.
Out Loud: 1988 and Shit Life Crisis was ACE. To the point I managed to get photos whilst completely disappearing in the story. Shit Life Crisis made the audience tear up, I did tear up.
In October I was invited to photograph scratch by Chris Pearson “Cuckoo”
Again, very local and relatable to our “problems”, entertaining, gripping. And yet, still work in progress, all read from scripts.
All these events focus on audience feedback and discussion after the play, its purpose is to hear feedback and listen to audience on how they received it, raise a conversation.
Humber Street is definitely a hub of art. Humber Street Gallery, Pop-Up Spaces, lovely shops, beautiful doors and best views both ways: Tidal Barrier on one side, Hull Marina on the other. Great spot for a walk, few hours out, good food and candy for the eye for good portrait backdrops. There’s been several visits to the Humber Street for work and leisure, but on this one particular crisp day I went for a location scout.
came out satisfied and full belly with yummy brunch from Thieving Harry’s.
Speaking of scouting for spaces. Brew Hull is my 2023 favourite. I went there for a coffee and a snoop for my Flatlay Photography event. Let’s start with the fact that they make good coffee and the space has got something very appealing about it. What is great too is that they independently without any outsourced funding host small exhibitions for local artist. How cool is that. I hope to visit some in 2024 for sure and maybe one day pitch an idea for on ow my own (wink wink).
The summer of 2023 was busy. I was focused on estate photography and it was hard to get my game on for anything else: it was hot and super tempting to leisure. On top of only three months of summer I went away for quite a bit to Latvia and Scotland.
However I was invited to work for Absolutely Cultured Peel Street Festival and this is one I really want to share, because the small scale local community festival is the core of culture, the very beginning-from people. The festival involved local Spring Bank community – the parade was for them with them. All the masks and props made by people at workshops. The festival had stalls, Beats Bus Records, crafts and food, how can you not smile. Absolutely Cultured are really making a mark in Hull. They reach out to various communities and get them involved, educate and make it accessible. Marianne is an angel and has a strong team around her. This year I have done few bits for them and it’s really lovely to see their work making the difference. After the City of Culture rebrand it could have gone in a different direction, but they kept it for us.
FREEDOM FESTIVAL 2023
The best festival of every year in Hull. I will be honest, it happened that I was swamped in other work in the festival week and on Sunday I rushed to get what was left of the festival. I am aware that I probably missed the festival vibe and can’t really say that I went to the Freedom Festival. Anyway. After looking at the programme, I was hopeful that there is just enough left to close the summer.
Refuse by Company Cameleon at Princess Dock Street and ENCORE UNE FOIS by Tripotes la Compagnie at Zebedees Yard
WE AGREE TO DISAGREE by Collectif Malunes is a contemporary circus and they pulled of a great show. Entertaining, engaging with great stunts and charming Belgian accent. We laughed and fried in the Sunday sun, we turned to the stage and applauded the flying performers.
Ferens Open exhibition was another must have for the 2023 tales.
I went twice this year, one to see and capture, another to enjoy and view as a judgmental participant (just constructive criticism), both times I made sure I have another pair of wyes to share the experience with. In my view, this year was one of the best ones I have seen since 2018. It was good, plenty of quirks, humour, fine art, beautiful frames and colour.
On my first visit I managed to catch the last day of Tomorrow by Freedom Women Collective. As it states on the poster at the entry: Tomorrow is an enduring reference to hope, belief and self-determination. In every language tomorrow can be a promise, a practical arrangement or a philosophical proposition.
My memorable moment with the exhibition was the encounter with a Ferens Gallery employee who asked me and my friend: “have you ever seen a tree in a exhibition?” Those few sentences brought us to the exhibition, we are curious beings, so I am glad my curiosity lead to a great find.
In general, Ferens Art Gallery is a landmark in East Yorkshire and beyond for a great and free art gallery, it is always worth a visit. Work exhibited does change often enough to include the gallery visit on your Primark haul and Costa coffee day out.
On another not so Hull note, I really wanted to include the fabulous and epic GAIA in Beverly Minster. Beverley is the wealth cousin of Hull and we seem to treat ourselves in Beverley and I imagine a lot of Hull people went to see The huge Earth installation at the Beverley Minster.
Though there is a little story. First time visit was a bit of a fail on my side. Me and my partner used a day off to “treat” ourselves to Beverley and I wanted to include the GAIA visit for the blog. All went well until I realised that I haven’t got a card in camera.
OBVIOUSLY I had to plan another visit. I sat down with a cup of cappuccino and thought to myself: I need to make the second visit better. How can improve the image, who can I tempt to visit Beverley.
Two things: my best friend had a mid week day off and she was totally up for a visit and turns out she’s never been to Beverley Minster. So she gain so much more than I expected from this little trip out. The other thing, more technical. I thought to try and capture people movement with a planet Earth still. Which is a great idea on paper, until I stared at the installation and realised that it spins, as an actual Planet Earth does. But at least I had a CF card in camera and I had a really good day with my bestie.
Location and the vision of the art installation was pretty epic, it was a throwback to the Moon installation in Hull at Hull Minster few years ago.
On of my ultimate favourite exhibition of 2023 was the BOOTLEG SHREG & FRIENDS with Bruce Asbestos at Humber Street Gallery. The visuals below will be self-explanatory of why it is in my top list. I managed to catch it last minute and told everyone to go, when it was already too late.
I am sorry, give adults some inflatables to play with and we will be over the moon. Interactive art makes the distance between yourself and the art shorter and you can become part of it. It does incredible things, when you see relatable, squeezable and fellable stuff, when the art is there for you not hidden behind glass case or yellow barriers.
Since 2016 I have been involved in Hull Comedy Festival and even at busy times of my own, I always make sure I photograph at least couple of shows. They are my extended family, especially Gary and Jed, local legends that organise the festival and bring the laughing game to Hull. This year we had generous shows, including a comedy show OH MY DOG where as the title gives away: dogs are the stars of the show.
First show I did featured: Avery Knight: Stuntman For Hire and upcoming star An Evening With Frankie Monroe
Due to early next day morning, I missed other acts on the evening, so the crowds enjoyed more acts that evening.
The third show was Hull Comedian of the year with many great acts from various spots of UK. It was totally worth the late night.
In autumn I was invited to do another gig for Virtual Horizons at Hull Truck Theatre. Interactive, VR set included theatre in an intimate space talking about flooding. Last year I was lucky to work with Risky Cities and the big project, so this was another follow up to the topic.
Two vital Risky Cities’ team members, Jack Chamberlain and Maureen Lennon, have continued their creative work on Hull’s watery stories in a new show featuring VR and theatre. Both were involved in delivering Risky Cities’ intensive community engagement programme, experiences that they have built on to develop their ‘Virtual Horizons’ as freelance creatives.
Source: Risky Cities Hull
These guys have brought art, community and science together to openly and educationally discuss flooding. The project last year was big and achieved a lot, it was great to see Jack’s vision virtual Reality taking form at Virtual Horizons. The interactive play was sweet, funny and generous.
This autumn I also for the first time visited Polar Bear and Sesh.
Friend of mine invited me to see his girlfriend sing and I shot two birds with one stone. Ellie Pollard is a voice powerhouse teaming up for a new collaboration, plus I got to see the famous white Polar Bear and link Humber Street Sesh (in my brain and music knowledge over the years haha) with Sesh at Polar Bear with Mark Page at the front of this amazing place.
My December started with little Christmas event for Absolutely Cultured in Gipsyville. It is another gem that Absolutely cultured host every year – adorable Christmas parade for Gipsyville community with Christmas tree light-up, parade, carols and hot chocolate. After that I was tiptoeing in the Christmas spirit, I just couldn’t resist.
Last but not least is not so Hull, but close by little venture of Burton Constable Hall. Yes, not quite Hull, and not quite culture, but two reasons. I was testing out my adopted gear Sony 6700 and I have never been inside in this luxurious manor. It is culture, but from a different decade. It was sort of a hunt for Christmas market replacements for the day, and I am really glad I went, as it was pretty spectacular. We went there at 3 PM just as the bright winter sun sets and lights up the gold interior, we talked about the hygiene of the times and how this building preserves a family history to this day.
And here we are, last moments of this very hectic, but beautiful year. 2023 has been busy in all areas of life, but I am happy and I can pull of 90% of my wish list. The wish list is long, the “to do’s” are plenty, the word boredom is not in my vocabulary. L I F E
I am doing a small personal paragraph in my iPhone notes of resolutions for 2024, because there are some bad traits in “busy”, so I want to improve on quality, not quantity, so I need to make compromises with my petty 24 hrs a day. But that being said, I am gonna try and commit to more cultural ventures in my “out of work” hours, because the show must go on.
Thank you to every single person and organisation who invited me along to be their photographer.
Happy New Year sausages, let it be great for us!
Love
Anete Sooda Photo
ANETE SOODA PHOTO 