the real WARNING: lazy post/possibly came out after midnight
Culture still present, Hull is still growing and bursting with culture. But I am one foot here, one foot away from Hull. So this post is [not even hiding this fact] lastminutedotcom and it will be lazy short sweet pastry pie, very tiny insight into year of 2025.
lets go
For starters, the real star this year is Humber Street Gallery. In 2025 three ace exhibitions plus more. The gallery delivers diverse experience.
If I look back my most memorable cultural engagements been there: front exhibition space loaded with cozy sofas for a movie night, Lens Lab collaboration and smaller projects getting exhibited. From Bananarchy! to I’m sorry by Annabel McCourt; Incognito by Cosey Fanni Tutti
The exhibition below : I’m sorry by Annabel McCourt particular favorite of the year. I had a moment there mid week in a pretty empty gallery. I was sat in the space and all the messages sound-surrounded my brain as if I could hear the people whispering. No ghosts, really a proof that art is impactful.
Ferens Open Exhibition 2025 this year was good. The young generation was represented beautifully, usually most joy shines through that. Main exhibition had some spectacular showcases and even though photography never really gets the accurate exposure, I will forgive the mess, sculptures, paintings and other media really is fascinating.
Freedom Festival 2025 too was visited. From my vague memory of feeling; I took the festival visit as a break from extensive weekend workload situation, sort of off duty. Sun was shining and people enjoying the festival: what more can you ask.
For leisure purposes I think it can be hit and miss, over the years I have noticed very similar performances, more diversity would go a long way for picky spectators. Content-wise, fantastic photo opportunities.
Brew and Karim Skalli collab was a little treat for a longing soul. We came home with art. Some art on the wall in the dinging room. Great venue, supports all types of local artists and Karim’s work so subtle but powerful, analog wonder.
It was the dark evening that was lit up, Hull danced. As a spectator truly immersed myself into it. I had some lovely work for the festival done during the daytime activities, and it was very nice to stroll with no brief on the night.
Ahhhhhhhh, I don’t feel very proud this year, Hull has been on a smaller radar in 2025 due to work commitments. I was often sad to miss out local art/culture, I was aware of it, yet far away.
Gutted, but whatever is here is what I tried so hard to get to. It is the people around who encourage and motivate so for that I thank all.
I will keep my promises quiet, we’ll just see how 2026 calendar pans out, but Hull – keep thriving!
…and here we are, here I am. 2024 and ongoing great city for culture, events, communities and friends. The city that is home and place to grow, stay and root yourself deep. 2024 has been a storm for me and very last day of it I am lastminutedotcom, because life. Life that is busy, work that is changing and challenging, free time that is little. I wasn’t sure if I will get to this point to summarise my year with culture in Hull, I silently wanted to give this up, but I couldn’t. I have realised that I have to hold tight to what I do good until I can’t, including being in the city with camera and deliver this every year.
Time and technology has been my enemy to achieve this and I have sworn a lot, so words will be less. But hello to all people who was part of my year, amazing organisations, events, clients to make my day/week.
I have visited Ferens Art Gallery three times this year and it truly is one of the best free to enter art galleries in the UK.
Jason Wilsher-Mills: Are We There Yet?
I remember from around 2017/18 visiting Artlink for one of his exhibitions, meeting him and thinking how unique he is. And here he was, in Ferens exhibiting large scale masterpieces. Really really good. Even though not directly interactive, it felt like we, the members of public, are part of it. The art was for us.
Round two at Ferens Art Gallery:
Ferens Open Exhibition
Two visits worthy, 2024 delivered extraordinary work. I have been to Ferens Open Exhibition every year since 2015 and this was my favourite. It was rich with variety and mind boggling art work. Children’s section was adorable, will never forget the cute fox painting.
Ferens Art Gallery change the in-house exhibitions too, so most times it is a treat for the eye. At my visits I don’t squeeze through crowds of people, and it nice to consume art in piece.
Absolutely Cultured have truly kept the momentum going since 2017. With new directors board, events/exhibitions/workshops/talks have carried on being exciting and definitely resumes to be the heart of cultural scene in Hull.
Humber Street Gallery/Absolutely Cultured have truly kept the momentum going since 2017. With new directors board, events/exhibitions/workshops/talks have carried on being exciting and definitely resumes to be the heart of cultural scene in Hull.
Fellow photographer and friend Abby reminded me of the opening night event and after a long day I did drag my tired ass and I am so glad I did. It was a great exhibition, especially considering how many people it brought to the gallery and touched heart strings.
At the opening night it was more of a catch up and socialising, enjoying being there, so I probably saw two photos. So I went back again with a purpose to see the exhibition.
You and Me in HU3 presented the work of two artists, Russell Boyce and George Norris. The exhibition wove together a series of black and white photographs taken over 40 years ago with ongoing work shot in colour. Through this duality, You and Me in HU3 charted almost half a century of change across an area of Hull which has seen vast social transformation since the decline of the fishing industry in the mid 20th century.
Composed of distinct series of images, the exhibition reflected a breadth of social issues whether historic or contemporary. In “Changing Times”, Russell presented an intimate set of photographs documenting daily life for a young mum during the 1980s housing crisis, whilst “Rag-Bone” explored the once prevalent but now declining occupation of the rag-and-bone man. George’s series “Gypsy Childhood” was a set of images born out of the artist’s sustained generational relationship with one of Hull’s horse-trading Gypsy communities, meanwhile “A Love Letter to Hull” was a celebratory ode from the artist to his city, loaded with warmth, love and familiarity.
The opening was full house bonkers amazing, which I was lucky to be part of. Bursting with street art culture, graffiti, photographs, installations, a screening, good vibes, music, good people, possibly true rumours that Banksy himself was there, it was truly one of the highlights of the year.
Live Like Legends is a bold and compelling celebration of Hull’s Street Art and graffiti scene. Taking place across two floors at Humber Street Gallery, the exhibition explores some of the joys and complexities of this unique form of public expression which has had a striking presence in the urban landscape of Hull since the early 1980s.
Bringing together many generations of artists who have made critical contributions to the development of this vibrant and far-reaching cultural scene over the past forty years, Live Like Legends presents newly commissioned artworks highlighting the diversity of creative practice within this artistic community.
Working collaboratively, the artists and an eclectic mix of contributors celebrate self-expression through highly stylised graffiti and multimedia work, alongside curated archival material including photography and previously unseen footage. This important cultural archive provides context to how the graffiti scene intersects with other aspects of street and youth culture, and alongside society more broadly.
Included in this exhibition is work by Detour, Ekoe, K148, Kev Le Kat, Leebo, Lonny POP, mike sprout, Mr Joe, NoHone, OBOUT, Oman, Paris, Pesh, Pinky, SI2, Skeg, Sophie Cash, Spamdog, Vrok, Xenz, Yours and Ziml.
Luis Bustamante is a Chilean photographer. He and his wife, Carmen, arrived in Hull in December 1974, as political refugees. Their son, Sebastian Bustamante, is a British-Chilean artist, curator, and researcher.
On 11 September 1973, a military coup led by General Augusto Pinochet seized control of the South American country of Chile. The coup deposed the socialist president, Salvador Allende. The Pinochet regime launched an extensive and brutal terror campaign against Allende’s supporters, including kidnapping, arbitrary arrests, torture, and executions. Groups in Britain and elsewhere worked to highlight these abuses and to support victims and their families. The Humberside branch of the Chile Solidarity Campaign organised for 30 Chilean exiles to move to the city—Luis and Carmen were among them.
As well as continuing his studies at the University of Hull, Luis walked the streets, photographing what he saw. “The camera had two purposes: it was a connection with a new life and a shield that enabled me to look at it,” he later said. These images vividly capture a sense of everyday life in Hull in the mid-1970s, a period of significant social and political change.
To mark the fiftieth anniversary of Chilean refugees arriving in Hull, Cold Junction unites Luis’s photography with Sebastian’s ongoing project El Otoño. Bringing together objects, photographs, and video, Sebastian’s work explores his status as a second-generation exile. El Otoño honours those who were disappeared, those who stayed, those who left, and those still trying to build a better future in Chile.
For the start, I haven’t been in Artlink space for years and I was amazed how beautifully the space is renovated, especially top floor kept with so much light and features.
The exhibition was very very good, the curation was exceptional. Me and my partner thoroughly enjoyed it. I was drawn to small details in a space that has so much breathing space and light. The story humble and perfect content for photography touching topics even more relevant today.
In the past I have worked for the festival and it is a intense job. After I winded down with photography in 2022 and stopped focusing on always being the photographer at major events in Hull, I didn’t have much content to show-off. This year in my career was focused on estate and odd creative projects, so I really wanted to be at the festival as a photographer. It was a great day, day for myself, with fluid brief created for myself. Highlights was the Parcel Project and Sync or Swim by Tamara&Jo
These two powerhouses always deliver. It was burst of colour and wackiness. As per usual crowds loved it. So did my camera and my photographers soul. And, hell, I was so glad to see so many familiar faces in the audience.
Freedom Festival overall was full of sunshine, the crem-de-la-crem of Hull’s finest people, great events and happy vibe, Hull transformed for the festival duration of busy busy bee town.
At the festival I bumped into Curiosity Hull which leads me to a little job I did for them few months ago at Pipe&Glass.
Curiosity Hull is a movement toward greater understanding, increased knowledge and ingrained accuracy. Taking questions, queries and requests from members of the population of Hull, Curiosity strives to provide the best, correct guidance and answers.
All content is made by the people of Hull, scrutinised by librarians from Hull’s public libraries and presented as accurately and helpfully as possible.
Curiosity is brought to you by the James Reckitt Library Trust, which has dedicated the last 100 years to increasing the provision of public libraries in Hull.
Here are the team in Hull at the Freedom Festival. We had a lovely chat, we talked Hull, David Burns from Radio Humberside, Clive Sullivan Way and what I do.
This was a quick but grand opportunity. The team travelled to Pipe& Glass in South Dalton to recreate ancient biscuit recipes by a Michelin Star Chef for a feature. Stunning location and a unique opportunity. Good biscuits too.
As you might of heard, I have had an interesting year in my career, so sometimes my planned culture ventures didn’t happen. Like this one below. Hull Central Library exhibition space was suppose to have an street art exhibition, but I missed it and instead I had a quick look at the James Reckitt legacy.
The year brought the usual: pretty regular jobs, new opportunities, projects, but I more and more struggled for time to have free time to do self-imitated work or culture ventures. The consequence is not very much content and some cool events missed. But I don’t dwell on it, I am trying to learn to understand that I can’t have it all.
In early 2024 I had to deal with a new challenge and I started freelancing(in a way) in estate/property photography industry. It wasn’t the plan, but I started building a portfolio and planned to have a separate business branch. I didn’t want to, I don’t think the industry is in line with other photography pay-wise, it is not about the heart of photography, I quickly learned that it is about “quick-shit-fast-turnaround” and as usual I wanted extra better. Spring/summer in my memory will be like a storm of shit where I tried to succeed and built the presence in the new industry, but I also looked very hard for sustainable alternative. Our Big Picture came together again and we mingled, went to Leeds Photo Festival, I stopped hosting photography classes and closed that chapter for a bit and was busy printing personal archives.
We also had a little meet-up and workshop hosted by Wes at the gallery.
And then we went on a walk in Cleethorpes as a collective to be with the place. It was interesting and insightful to walk round the edge of Cleethorpes and talk. Initially the requirement was not to treat it as a photo-walk, but I soooo cheated.
Our Big Picture is not quite Hull, but it is close enough and very important part of my 2024, so I have included this in the summary.
Our Big Picture Gallery and organisation is a vital part of North Lincolnshire culture/arts scene, listed building is a home to small and cosy exhibition space, recommend a visit.
The decision to stop hosting photography classes was a little difficult, but at the time I couldn’t justify the energy I invested versus money it was bringing and I paused it for a bit, but after great feedback and encouragement from my students, I am hoping to start my own “thing”. Last workshop hosted didn’t quite work out like planned, but never the less, it was very good and I felt very lucky with my last bunch.
This festival is family. Jed and Gary working hard every year to bring the festival together to make Hull laugh. I try and visit at least 3 shows and this year it was very good selection.
Other small things happened: visit to Warrington to see fellow Latvian photographer Lasma Poisa’s exhibition Motherhood Uncovered for a little research for my own ongoing personal project.
Did some outings to scout for Halloween shoot locations and came close to discover a real local gem, but the fence/cameras stopped me to get closer [guess where this is]
Here we are, still cultured. I really want 2025 to be more, but I am not making promises. The incentive to go out and account for it at the end of year feels like the last remains of my creative practice and work, but it is not true. I am still alive, here and people in Hull are keeping me on my happy toes. it just gets busy and I wish for more hours in the day, while dealing with the hours I have.
Thank you to all the clients, friends, organisations and my family for being my heartbeat.
As per tradition this blog post is here just before we clock off for 2022: mic-drop kind of send off from me. It’s been a funny year you know, but amongst all the “life give you lemons, some good for a lemonade, some can go in the bin” there has been culture outings and some awesome jobs in the city.
You will see that my culture wonders are not as frequent in my 2022, but I still believe that our city gives us cultural treats for us to feast on and we embrace it. To some I wishfully never went to, but things I did attend made me smile, wonder and love the city (you know I am a big fan of Hull).
This year was big and important for myself, and it was almost like stepping on the other side, where the light is. The start of 2022 was tough and most days my head was rolling into the mud, my body trying to catch it, but I didn’t give in. New home came, I found somebody who is worthy of me trying to stay sane and hopeful for the future, then my new lush job came (job interview with a glass of wine and a onesie: not a luxury, but necessity), great freelance jobs kept popping up and then I found love. On the very last day of the year, I look back and it was the best year in decades. Today I am grateful and ready for 2023. We all know it’s going to be a difficult year, everyone skint and worried, world around us is falling apart, opinionated and angry species that poison the happy and good, climate change probably is going to throw some surprises our way and so on. As individuals we need to focus on our own good deeds, be nice and do our best, be open minded and engaged, care and love, respect and never take for granted. And the shit that come our way will be easier to deal with. Simple, isn’t it? And never forget about art and culture, we all need it in our lives.
Which brings me to my main subject: CULTURE IN HULL 2022
2022 started with a spectacular event across the city that Freedom Festival Trust trust brought to us: The Awakaning. “It’s initial creation was a way of driving audiences to significant cultural landmarks within the city of Hull as part of an outdoor cinema experience. Beautifully using the environment and the historic buildings that line the streets by projecting on to them at night, Re:Score allowed the audience to connect with warm, nostalgic footage from the past with a reimagined, bespoke musical soundtrack.”
Amongst everyone’s favourite events in Hull the light shows will always be on the top of the list, to layer Hull landmarks in stories about Hull with visuals and lightshows works magic. The attendances were amazing and in my personal spectrum, me and my partner learned things as we went along.
Ferens Art Gallery as usual gave an interesting exhibition BRICK BY BRICK by Andy Morris
Designer Andy Morris, aka Little Big Art, is based in Cardiff and specialises in making LEGO® themed artworks. He has exhibited his work internationally.
His work, Popcorn Time! 2018, was exhibited in Ferens this year and aren’t we just lucky. It was fun, as cheesy as it sounds, but it was also very detailed and genius/beautiful. Kids area had a space to build your won and me at 32 seized the opportunity.
At the same time there was more exhibits that tickled my fancy too:
Freedom Festival this year was not pencilled in my freelance diary, but on the last day I went out to see couple of the events.
SIRENS at the Tidal Barrier, GF Smith PORTAL: A JOURNEY THROUGH COLOUR down Humber Street, 2Face Dance LAST ORDERS down Princess Dock Street were my last-minute choices. All of which brought smiles, inquisitive thoughts, questions and nevertheless another link to the city built through cultural experience
GF Smith exhibition photographs have vanished in my archives, but one for the eye and memory I suppose.
UNBOXED ABOUT US in April was the favourite. I guess another light show in the city that was a visual spectacular, but for me it was very special. In silence at late hours, I visited Queen Victoria Square and found my seat. I watched it I my own time, in the space I built for my self with someone I love.
I visited Humber Street Gallery on few occasions for leisure and work purposes, nice stroll down the lovely street always ends there.
BLOOMBERG NEW CONTEMPORARIES 2022 was hosted at the Humber Street Gallery in November. It contained various artist and artworks and as stated is an annual survey exhibition of emerging and early career artist. From my own Google search Humber Street Gallery kind of nailed this: it is prestigious opportunity and lucky us [again]
Throughout the year I also did some cool freelance jobs closely Hull culture related:
Absolutely Cultured FAST FOOD MEGAVERSE by The Herd Theatre . This was commissioned cultural outing, it was family-friendly, all age groups welcome type of happy event.
Humber Street Gallery hosted one of the best things of 2022. Silent Uproar is an award-winning theatre company based in Hull and I had an opportunity to photograph one of their shows.
Big thing this year was getting involved with Risky Cities Project for Hull University. I was asked to cover many events and I loved it.
“The city of Hull and Humber estuary region has an 800-year history of living with water risks, including recorded floods from the 1250s onwards and several major floods since 2000. Despite this, research has found that residents have a low engagement with flood risks and adaptation measures, such as flood alert systems.
In response, the local councils, alongside the Environment Agency, Yorkshire Water and the University of Hull, have developed the Living with Water Partnership with the principle aim of increasing awareness and engagement in the region.
The Risky Cities project will contribute to this partnership by drawing on Hull’s long history of living with water – as recorded in its artistic and cultural heritage – to raise climate awareness and build flood resilience today and for the future”
The project focused on engaging with local communities across the city and that was the “juice” of the project. The conversation around the subject was vital and I learned so much throughout the workshops, talks and exhibitions.
New Year’s culture resolution: to be more out in the culture, monthly visits. More frequent none-work related culture wonders. This is the seventh-year culture blogging anniversary and I want to celebrate double that, so let’s get cultured.
This was when we were able to do fun things, mingle, to breathe on each other and stay over. I was c h e e s e f a c e happy and excited to go on my first real British National Holiday Mystery Tour with other three friends. I was excited about the mystery location, about the grannies on the coach, about eating crisps on the coach and, most importantly, wonder around new cities, soak up new culture and relax. We even had a little betting game of where we will go. If I correctly remember I was the closest one to guess with putting Coventry in line and I won a pint of beer. Lichfield and Derby on the day 2 were our mystery locations, and, although not really tropical and exotic at first thought, it was a pretty good. We actually got soaked more than normal in August, and it was rather nippy for the time of the year, but we survived that too.
Since the current states is a bit plain in my line of work, I’m finally getting time to edit and revisit old personal and semi personal imagery/content.
The best thing about the concept of mystery trip is the unknown. No pre planning was that little freedom. We just set ourselves to a random direction and strolled through beautiful town centre through Lichfield Cathedral
It goes without saying that the cathedral was gorgeous and it had little exhibits [including a children’s play area with a coffin as a centrepiece].
It resembled Hull Minster and how these incredible buildings can be used not just to pray, but also bring communities and people together with art flare in the middle.
The cathedral is enormous and takes time to walk around, but the view up is stunning.
Lichfield was welcoming and friendly, good vibes and all that was enhanced by an accidental farmers market with something for everyone – alpaca meat, apple moonshine and ice lolly artworks.
It was actually funny visit to a museum/art gallery with three grown ups with different interests in life. We laughed, learned stuff and were fascinated by the collection of bugs and creepy crawlers. Skeletons, drawing stuff, assembling horse and escaping hunger with weird sausage rolls.
I loved the intense red at the Bare Bones. From seeing so many exhibitions over the years valued its great ability to educate and amaze at the same time.
But it was beautifully set out and organised teaching me all about British Isles wildlife.
And there was there rest of the museum and gallery – again, very good and educational with not many yawns.
It was a shame that the rain spoiled seeing the city, but we probably wouldn’t have seen these beauties, so all good and forgiven. We did had Derby sausage rolls and saw the giant sheep. Plus visited the entertainment centre and played some indoor games.
Fun times, fun times. All being well we might be able to repeat that in 2025. Maybe. But for now we listen to Boris, say thank you for good health and plan our future dream destinations.
Week 43 of photo challenging myself with Hull17 has been a bit of a weeeirrrd one. I was feeling snoozy, poorly and busy all week and the culture just seemed to slip through my hands. However – I did see The Sixteen Thousand at C4DI, PRACTICE IN PROGRESS at Queens House Showcase run by CreativeENRG and 1% of the current HIP PHOTOGRAPHY FESTIVAL at Princess Quay.
And then on Saturday – my snooziest day of the week I woke up to realise that I need to get some fresh air and had a stroll through Humber Street just before it gets drunk and celebratory.
I was one of the first ones there and it felt like the little clay brick exhibit is undergoing some work processes. The workman boots near the entrance where suggesting so.
It turned out that someone from a building company was there to measure and asses each individual brick for a little future monument.
The Sixteen Thousand is incredible collection of little imprints of the new generation. My favourite bricks are the wonky ones. Nothing is perfect in this remarkable world so to see the little bricks not being manufactured perfect makes more sense out of this world.
Last week I really wanted to see the HIP PHOTOGRAPHY FESTIVAL in full. But I was time pressure so I just passed by and looked at small part of the festival located on the ground floor of Princess Quay.
On Thursday I had a meeting at the Queens House Showcase and I wanted to take an advantage of it and see the new PRACTICE IN PROGRESS exhibition. It hosts two artists, Both graduates of Hull School of Art & Design – Matt Hopper and Adam John Wilson.
The artwork speaks in detail, precision and I really wanted to chat with artists to know more about their work. But one of the artists was not present, the other one was busy, so I hope to return there at some point before it ends on the 10th November and have a chat with the artists.
I was not sure about the UNDEAD BOD thing, I had so many questions of why, how, when and where, but again, I need to hear from the artist before make any judgements.
By Saturday I was drained and really wanting to be in bed. I didn’t expect any more culture, but there was a point when I had to have some fresh air. And I rarely have the opportunity to see Humber Street on the night time[when it or I am sober], so I happily brought a camera.
Shop windows/gallery windows, bars, restaurants are so different when the sun settles and I was feeling that little bit privileged to be able to see all this and call it my city.
So yeah medium-excited culture week last week, but the madness will begin this Thursday when the Hull Comedy Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary. I am the official photographer third year running and I am well excited to see all the acts – old, new, famous, local. EXCITEEEED.
Hopefully I will have time this week to share some long lost photographs from the last comedy gig I photographed ages ago – before the madness begins.
Week 39 of the culture has been a bit on the difficult side, but despite that I have had culture ranging from live painting in the gallery to poem writing, Russian poetry to voice making in Pickering Park.
I returned to Hull late Tuesday, was working long day Wednesday and didn’t think I will recover sooner than the weekend or after a good sleep. But on Thursday I had the opportunity to see the Queens House Showcase run by CreativeENRG and the latest exhibition there, plus I was passing a culture spot in Princess Quay.
The day was surprisingly warm and sunny and so was the artist, her smile lit up the room and her laugh welcomed people to stay and enjoy the paintings.
Throughout the time exhibiting, she is also live painting and all in all that makes this small showcase so special. Each painting is surrounded by the feeling of love, care and sweet, sweet memories.
The space also has bits and bobs that are creating home like feeling.
The exhibition is closing soon – 6th October, so you have to hurry up!
Rushing to the Princess Quay car park after a long morning, I stopped by another culture spot that Princess Quay successfully offers in the recent year.
HULL GADA – THE SHOP OF POEMS – Polish poet Bohdan Piasecki and his collection of poems from Polish community gathered in his Pop-up Poetry Station across Hull.
I am not the one for the poetry, but as this week was all about the spoken word and poetry festival CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE, I wanted to engage and understand. And the HULL GADA – THE SHOP OF POEMS was a surprise to my brain. In a strange way I was relating to poems, like they have been written by me at some point in my immigrant life. I would slap anyone who would call me that with mean intentions, but at the end of the story – I am a immigrant looking for a better life. Grown up from the stage of a stranger in this country, I can reflect that I have always looked for a different life – not a better one. But yeah, it was interesting. I used to make the same promise to myself and my family that I will return, now I just know that when the time is right I will live in Latvia, but UK will always be my home nr. 2.
As the CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE festival was continued to educate and please people, I was busy sorting my work/life out, so by the time I picked out my must-go’s the choice was narrow.
The Poetry Takeaway was an open event in Queens Gardens and ORBITA was performance from creative collective of Latvian poets writing in Russian.
I was very late to the Queens Gardens The Poetry Takeaway, so I really didn’t get the sniff of what actually happened.
However I took part in the poetry writing workshop for kids. I had a 10 year old with me, so that was the perfect camouflage. I had fun, but that’s it – I am not a poet in the blood.
All of this was a very quick insight of what was for offer, but we had brilliant 15 min poetry experience with other participants and little cute lady [in the photo].
I have grabbed a random snap of poetry on the streets too, which I know I missed tickets to….
I was really intrigued to see ORBITA, of course because they come from Latvia and I rarely or never have been to an event of this kind.
First impression – travels back in time, to some Latvian bloke’s garage where he keeps is radio collection around 1999.
The sounds of the radio waves, sound snippets from Latvian or Russian news, old songs and Justin Bieber’s recent song Despasito. Then the poetry started to flow, complimenting the sounds [or other way round]. The poems where read in Russian, translated in English on the screen [with few delays], so it was a multi-all experience.
It was the feeling of home, of my high school days, of my Russian friends, my lack of Russian and seeing Latvians performing in a venue that I usually attend for a good laugh – comedy. Bizarre, bizarre….
On Sunday it was the case of doing all the unfinished jobs for the week, home class cooking, so I didn’t think there is more space for culture. But then I remembered about the VOICE PARK ad that it is the last day to see it.
There are no regrets that I went out on a rainy day to see the VOICE PARK in the Pickering Parks Pool.
It was really cool you know – seeing kids and grownups making strange noises, me including. The laughs and the curious faces/ears running around the pools, making connection with geared up speakers… believing that they need to be stroked and loved before communicating.
I enjoyed the experience and most definitely discovered an inner camel [donkey, whale, cat] because of the noises that come out of my mouth. The children seemed to be extremely pleased – everything is accessible and no restrictions – as loud and often as you wish.
To make it more fun – we gave away our voices and sounds to the future collections and got a magic liquid that makes your words important.
THE CULTURE MADNESS CONTINUES, THE LAST SEASON LOOKS LIKE A RIGHT TREAT.
P.S. Were you near a phone box at 2 PM yesterday for the 2097: WE MADE OURSELVES OVER? I wasn’t because I thought it is today #its2097fail
SURPRISE SURPRISE I HAVE LEFT HULL FOR A BIT. SO I CULTURED MYSELF WITH WHAT WAS AVAILABLE DURING THE WEEK.
Gutted that I’m not in Hull this weekend, there was so many wonderful things happening, so I hope you all enjoyed it.
One thing is for sure – each hard hat is as precious as people in Hull are, also most of them are really well represented as signatures of Hull. Great work!
The paintings are displayed in House of Fraser – home for the top brand fashion, home ect.
In the background Hull17 shop was stealing the attention as I really like all the merchandise. Colours, shapes and content for most of the stationary, gifts, T shirts and other bits are pretty cool. I am refusing to get something just yet, as I want to wait until the year finishes and choose my favourite after.
Anyway… I had one of the best Hull17 converastions with a man who I claim to be the face of Freedom Festival and arm of UK City Of Culture 2017. He is wise, he is keen and the best conversations around culture are with people like him.
And off course I took photograph of him. Because how I can I not? Each or most of the photographs are memories of this amazing year, so I don’t want to forget that day, the reason for being there and that minute when we shared culture.
The last season of the year is fast approaching. TELL THE WORLD is expected to be spectacular and I am excited. Too excited and worried that there isn’t enough time on my hands to fully experience the goodness…we’ll see.
The exhibition by John Walter transformed Artlink into a colour loaded space with a content that has got everything up its sleeve to shock people.
Everything there is bursting with colour and clever illustrations looking at relationships between visual culture and HIV today. Every piece of art weather its illustration on massive cards, video, light installation or a song addresses the complex subject of contemporary sexual health.
I really loved it. Artlink always is chilled out space where I can actually enjoy art in my own privacy. There was one thing – the CRYSTAL DICK SONG that maybe have scared me for life – for the rest of the day I had it in my head. And off course the visuals accompanied with the song is something “out of this world” people. You have to see/hear it for yourself. The exhibition is on until 29th September.
I think this exhibition definitely raises awareness of sexual health and HIV, but I don’t think it has the power to change the world.
Artlink hosted these little cute “things” of art, but in the rush I didn’t pay attention of who is the author [you can educate me if you know in the comment below].
ON SATURDAY I WENT DOWN TO HULL TRINITY SQUARE FOR THIS – TAKE FLIGHT.
Little while ago a little fairy – one of the choreographers, was praising told me about this event, whilst it was still in making, so I have been waiting to see this since.
There are two good reasons of why I liked it – the performance was smooth and the young talent was shining together with the sun spells. The second reason – this event was beautifully “decorated” with over dozen volunteers. It is always pleasant to see them around every single volunteer is like a piece of an important Hull 2017 puzzle. They are brightening up any dull day.
The performance was all about the unique partnership between The Royal Ballet, Hull UK City of Culture 2017 and Hull dance schools.
This week is more about what I didn’t do – my engagement with Hull 17 has been very poor. My honest feeling about it late Sunday was gutting, but sometimes other things come first, sacrifices had to be made.
From past two months I have had some interesting photography experiences – Freedom Festival, few important portraits, first wedding, smoke bomb awesomeness, beautiful mother to be photographed, Home Glory series updated, new website work progress and thoughts about the future…so all this has to be shared with everyone and requires work. SORRY CULTURE
Plus – important to remember that Freedom Festival took its toll there was extra 2 1/2 days to recover and edit…..
anyway….
things I really wanted to do but didn’t this week:
This was found in the pile of culture flyers/books I have and as I was desperate to do some culture I booked some tickets. It was on until I went to a family day at Smith&Nephew [work thing] and cos of free food and entertainment +dozen of Hull 17 volunteers I thought that this is good enough.
Have a guess of how I am feeling today after full weekend of Freedom Festival? Trashed. And thankful for such a crazy work opportunity.
Somehow I managed to visit culture that was not Freedom Festival on Thursday. Little to say that photographs from Freedom Festival are still in “baking” so keep your eyes peeled for the highlights…
BACK TO CULTURE.
THE HESSLE ROADERS exhibition was something not to be missed – Hessle Road community was part of my lesson of how to be British and even after moving away from the area, I still go there on a weekly basis. The exhibition is celebrating Hull’s Fishing Community through an eye of a ALEC GILL.
AND JUST AS IMPORTANT – the exhibition held in church +plus I got someone cultured.
As we walked in we were welcomed by a warm handshake from a lovely man, who turned out to be the photographer himself. As proceeding through the exhibition and even days after, I get the sense of how important the short greeting was.
The exhibition is everything we need – genuine story with beautifully captured lives, connection with the past and the future [Smith&Nephew are the sponsor’s of Dr Alec Gill’s photo exhibition] and human factor in each photograph. To meet the photographer was my highlight, he was the warmest and nicest person, but on point and professional.
My favourite part of the exhibition is the opportunity examine lives of community in a collapse – how people lived, rebuilding their lives and keeping the community spirit. Real detail of real lives from psychologists point of view.
Everything was real, Alec Gill was real.
BIT OF INFO:
As part of Smith&Nephew new £8 million world-class Research&Development centre opening THE HESSLE ROADERS was exhibited in the centre and still is there pleasing the eyes of all the staff at Smith&Nephew [genuine source told me].
There is also an artist out there who is making film about Dr Alec Gill, so I will be looking out for it.
Dr Alec Gill is also author of books, Hull historian and filmmaker.
If you get a chance to go – it is open until 10th September.
I was one of the first ones there and it felt like the little clay brick exhibit is undergoing some work processes. The workman boots near the entrance where suggesting so.
The sounds of the radio waves, sound snippets from Latvian or Russian news, old songs and Justin Bieber’s recent song Despasito. Then the poetry started to flow, complimenting the sounds [or other way round]. The poems where read in Russian, translated in English on the screen [with few delays], so it was a multi-all experience.
ANETE SOODA PHOTO 