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An older person with short, light hair sits in a room lit with daylight. They wear a plum jacket, white blouse and glasses. They sit on a leather chair next to a polished, dark wood sideboard with a lamp, decanter and plate on top. In the foreground of the image, slightly out of focus is a polished, dark wood dining table and chairs.

Prototype Projects 2015

10th Feb — 2nd Oct 2015

Round One and Two of Prototype Projects have supported 19 St Helens artists to develop and realise their ambitious creative projects.

Project Details
Categories
  • Place

Prototype Projects is an exciting programme of small and ambitious art projects and an opportunity to support ideas and projects developed by artists and the local creative community in St Helens.

Projects supported under this strand of work must:

Encourage new people to take part in the arts
Raise ambition for local artists or creative groups
Develop skills and artistic practice
Demonstrate a clear idea that is feasible and achievable

In advance of each call for proposals we hold three 'Development Clinics' in which those interested can explore and develop their ideas with a member of the Heart of Glass team. A commissioning panel made up of two local community representatives, a local arts professional and a national arts professional review submissions and commission a number of successful projects each round. The make up of this panel changes round on round.

Through rounds one and two we have supported 19 projects.

Round One

The Loungs

A local band called The Loungs have already achieved some popular success nationally, would like to collaborate with a whole range of different musicians from St Helens. They are hoping to work with local Brass Bands, Choirs and Sinfonietta in the recording of their third album.

Jonathan Parker

A documentation and anecdotal evidence of conversations made on train journeys. Whistleblower will be performed to audiences through choir members at The World of Glass.

The Cowley Singers

The Cowley Singers are hoping to be inspired by The King’s Singers, a cappella vocal ensemble. The Kings Singers will run a local workshop. The Cowley Singers have targeted an increase in new members through the workshop with one of the world’s most celebrated vocal ensembles.

Kevin Crooks

Artist Kevin Crooks is working on a project called On Reserve that will connect with the experiences of Veterans. A trained photography, Kevin plans to connect with local and regional veterans in a unique collaboration that will culminated in an exhibition of work at the World of Glass from 26 September - 13 November 2015. Visit his website.

Vox Voices

Vox Voices are bringing flash mob choir to the streets of St Helens. To keep the element of surprise up their sleeves the group are closely guarding details of their performances, which are set to take place in the town centre this summer.

Art Club of St Helens and Paint Pots Arts Group

The groups’ members will visit the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool to see John Moores painting prize before selecting a contemporary painter to run a workshop with them.

Haydock Band

The band are digging into their archives and are commissioning a contemporary musician or composer to make a new piece of work in response to their music. It’s hoped that this is the beginning of a major project with Brass Bands in the town.

UC Crew [R&D]

The Break Dance cultured community group are hoping to add another string to their bow with workshops for hip-hop theatre. The workshops will see an industry leading theatre company come to St Helens.

Angela Wilkinson [R&D]

Commercial photographer Angela, who specialises in producing high quality product and creative still life images, has received support to develop St Helen’s Churches digital photography walks and workshops.

Round Two

Michelle Wren

Artist Michelle Wren will collaborate with Bradford based filmmaker Jack King on a new film production working with young people from St.Helens. The short film will consider pivotal moments in adolescence, the need for acceptance and the pressure to ‘fit-in’. Upon completion the film will be screened in St.Helens.

Jane Barwood

Artist Jane Barwood will create an innovative immersive public art installation linked to St Helens industrial heritage. Over the course of the work Jane will be examining industrial buildings, past and present, and what they mean in social terms, as well as collaborating with local people to share memories and photos of their personal connections to the town’s industries, bringing a unique artwork to life.

Yellow Door Artists
Naoise Johnson-Martin and Rhyannon Parry

The Beauty Of A Creative Space aims to utilise one of the empty shops in the town centre and open it up as a ‘creative space’ for a period of time, inviting local artists to use the space as a studio as part of an artist residency programme, run drop in artist workshops and finish with a big exhibition of all artwork created within the space.

Mark Peel

Musician Mark Peel will stage an improvised music session called Extemporise in a St Helens Central Library, running over a 5 hour duration. He will be connecting with other musicians to create something truly unique and collaborative.

Alan Smith

2016 marks 25 years since the closure of Sutton Manor Colliery. Photojournalist Alan Smith has produced a series of black & white photographic portraits each with stories charting the life of ten ex-miners called When the Pit Closed... The body of work was exhibited at the World of Glass from 16 January - 18 March 2016 and included a musical score commissioned to reflect the stories and portraits. Visit his website.

Lisa Barry

Artist Lisa Barry will create a walk-in Camera Obscura Shed, which has an optical device (a mirror & lens) on it’s roof that records and projects images of it’s surroundings from within. Her aim is to invite members of the public to learn more about the simple principles of photography and allow people to experience the camera obscura .

Hannah Bold

Artist Hannah Bold will create a new work based on the ideas of home working with local St Helens communities. Through her work Hannah will blend art with philosophical questions and sociological ideas and concepts, with the results displayed in a manner appropriate to the conclusions and ideas discovered throughout the process.

Marina Berg [R&D]

Marina Berg will conduct research with the St Helens Market Community, exploring how they might collaborate to create new work together. Marina is interested in unique local stories, and ways to capture the unique voice of St Helens citizens.

Nicola A. Bibby [R&D]

Artist Nicola A. Bibby will conduct research related to photography and working within the context of arts and older generations. With a view to capturing portraits of older residents from St Helens, Nicola will invite people to share a memory, a story, or ask them to show her a sentimental object, which has a meaningful attachment to them. Narratives and Meaningful Objects will be exhibited at the World of Glass from Thursday 31st March - Thursday 28th April 2016.

Paula & Piotr Pietrzak [R&D]

Researching ways to develop a furniture design workshop programme with members of the Disability Community.

Read about the events

Prototype Projects 2015 Events

A close up image of a crest with a lion and a horse painted on to wood and wrapped in ropes.

On Reserve

26th Sep 2015
Visual artist Kevin Crooks aims to give a unique insight into the lives of part-time soldiers.
Read More
A black and white image of a man in a dark coat and sunglasses holding a miners lamp.

When the pit closed...

16th Jan — 18th Mar 2016
When the pit closed… by photographer and writer Alan Smith is a Prototype Project from Round Two.
Read More
An artist sits in a chair in front of an easel and surrounded by arts materials. They are sitting outside, in daylight in a tunnel of trees.

Narratives & Meaningful Objects

2nd Apr — 28th Apr 2016
Narratives and Meaningful Objects by photographer Nicola A. Bibby is a Prototype Project from Round Two.
Read More
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