News

Saltaire Arts Trail app for iOS and Android

22 May 2013

Saltaire Arts Trail iOS and Android app - new for 2013!

This year Saltaire Arts Trail has its own specially commissioned app. Funded by Arts Council England and created with the help of students at Leeds Met University it is an digital counterpart of the brochure.

Through the magic of GPS users are guided using their iOS or Android smartphones to every location ‘on the trail’, learn all about the artists or makers involved, preview their work, compile their own list of favourites and even drop into their virtual workshops!

Available for devices running Apple iOS or Google Android the app is a fun addition to what will be a fantastic weekend.

Click on the logos below to be taken to the relevant app store for your device. 

Download the 2013 leaflet

18 April 2013

You can download a digital pdf copy from here, and if you'd like some real world copies to circulate amongst your friends and family then send an email to marketing@saltaireartstrail.co.uk

Saltaire Arts Trail 2013 Videos

18 April 2013

Working with Molineaux Productions, we interviewed a number of the artists and exhibitors taking part in the 2013 event.  

The four short films now available via our You Tube page capture the thoughts of amongst others; Alice Fox - Saltaire Inspired board member and exhibiting artist, Rachel Webb - Saltaire homeowner and Open House artist, and Christopher Mollon - first time exhibiting artist.

Please share and enjoy the films by clicking here.

Announcing the artists for SAT2013

12 March 2013

What an amazing set of creatives we've got this time around! Everything from glass etching through book binding to oil painting, this year is our best yet for quality and creativity.

Thanks to all the 200 plus people who applied to exhibit, sadly we only have room for the 84 chosen people.  As with last year you can browse through each artists details, hopefully discovering new and exciting work and techniques along the way.

Take a trip over the the Open House and Makers' Fair pages to discover more, and get saving those pennies, we get the feeling that you're going to want to spend spend spend when you visit Saltaire at the end of May.

Saltaire Inspired given charitable status

11 February 2013

Saltaire Inspired, is proud to announce that they have been given charitable status!

Saltaire Inspired provides activities and services to local communities by arranging arts led events
such as the successful Saltaire Arts Trail, Living Advent Calendar and also providing the Makers' Fair
at the Saltaire Festival.

The organisation received formal confirmation from the Charity Commission and reflects on its
continuing commitment to advance the education of the public in the Arts.

Arrangements are well underway for the years Arts Trail which takes place on 25th-27th May, and its
hoped that this change in status will assist when securing funding through sponsorship for which
Saltaire Inspired continually seek to help advance and develop their activities.

“This change in status is a major step in the development for Saltaire Inspired and will help us to

achieve our aims for the future” commented Phil Lawler, Chairman of Saltaire Inspired. “We have
ambitious plans to grow our organisation and this is a foundation stone for making that happen” he
went on to say. If you want to get in touch we can be contacted by email at hello@saltaireartstrail.co.uk

To find out more visit http://saltaireinspired.org.uk/

Hey all artists and makers

14 December 2012

Today we've launched the application process for all artists and makers wishing to exhibit as part of the 2013 Saltaire Arts Trail.

The Arts Trail is a fantastic opportunity to put your products, whatever they may be, in front of a expectant audience of 9000 + people.  Last year we had painters and printmakers through to ceramicists and textile designers joining together in the Victoria Hall to present the magnificent Makers Fair.  The residents of Saltaire also joined in by opening their doors to artists and makers, the results being the ever popular Open Houses.

If you're a creative looking for an new outlet for your designs, prints or photographs in 2013, or a returning artist looking to repeat the success of last years event, then get across to the Get Involved page and download the application form.  Deadline for submissions is the 23rd January.

Saltaire Living Advent Calendar

13 December 2012

Every year 24 windows in 24 houses, shops, schools and churches in the village are illuminated with festive scenes. One scene is 'opened' each day from the 1st to the 24th December and remain illuminated until 12th night (5th January).

http://www.facebook.com/saltaireadventcalendar

Makers' Fair Festival Special

1 June 2012

With the dust finally settling from the Saltare Arts Trail in May, we're downing tools and having a breather, but only for a short while!  We'll be back in no time at all with the Makers Fair Festival Special 2012, which takes place on 8th September.  The event will be part of the fabulous Saltaire Festival, which is celebrating its 10th year of music, art and community spirit - be sure to book the date it your diaries as it promises to be another memorable event.

Call for applications are now open.  Drop by the Get Involved page of the website and download the application form and guidlines which detail everything you could possibly need to know about exhibiting and selling your work at the makers fair, as well as the selection process and how to send your application.  The date for getting application in is the 27th July.  Better get downloading! 

See you soon.

Knitted jumpers for the Saltaire Lions

3 May 2012

Saltaire’s historic stone lions are set to be transformed this Friday as the 19 th Century statues are ‘yarn bombed’ to launch this year’s Saltaire Arts Trail.

Members of Shipley College’s Knit and Natter Group have been knitting the new woolly coats in preparation of the launch which will see key structures around the college clothed in colourful knitted covers as the group begins its ‘yarn bombing’ campaign on Friday afternoon.

‘Yarn bombing’, also known as guerrilla knitting, involves covering objects such as trees, lamp-posts and statues in knitted or crocheted covers transforming them into street art.

Heather Savage, Head of Learner Entitlement at Shipley College, founded the Knit and Natter Group and hopes this week’s event will encourage new members to join the group, which meets on Monday evenings at Shipley College and is open to anyone with an interest in knitting. 

Heather said: “The Knit and Natter Group has taken up the challenge to be part of the Saltaire Arts Trail. We’re hoping our ‘yarn bombing’ campaign will not only highlight the fantastic architectural merit of the buildings, but also encourage more knitters, and wannabe knitters, from the community to join us and share their valuable skills. 

“Over recent years we have witnessed a rise in the popularity of knitting across all generations, and since the launch of our group membership has continued to grow, however we are always happy to welcome new members. Anyone interested in joining us should contact Shipley College for further details.”

Local schools getting involved with this years Arts Trail

2 May 2012

Work created by local school children will be on display during the Saltaire Arts Trail weekend in shops, cafes and other venues throughout the village. The schools and venues taking part in the School Arts Trail are:

Glenaire Primary School (Victoria Hall)
Hirst Wood Nursery School and Children’s Centre (Ivy and Co and Victoria Tea Rooms)
Titus Salt School (Salt Pots Ceramic Studio)
Delius Special School (Victoria Tea Rooms)
Southfield School (Saltaire Post Office)
Ravenscliffe High School and Sports College (House of Rose and Brown)
Bradford Grammar School (Cheese and Chutney of Saltaire)

Jayne Taylor, Deputy Head Teacher of Hirst Wood Nursery School and Children’s Centre said:"Hirst Wood Nursery School & Children's Centre have been delighted to be involved in this valuable community project. Our children have many creative opportunities within our environment but the opportunity to work with a visiting artist was extremely valuable and this is evidenced in the fantastic work that the children produced.”

Life beyond the Saltaire Arts Trail

1 May 2012

When you visit the Saltaire Arts Trail this weekend, don't forget to stop into the Exhibition Building, where - alongside a Costa Coffee and the end of year show from Shipley College Art & Design students, you'll find information on other arts trails, festivals and creative groups in the region. Learn to knit or join the Shipley College Knit & Natter group, find out more about the Bradford Open for Art event in June, the Ilkley Arts Trail in October, and of course, the Saltaire Festival in September.  Other organisations to be confirmed soon!

Cathy Miles event at the Kath Libbert Gallery

22 April 2012

Join Kath Libbert Jewellery on Sunday 6th May between 2pm and 4pm when renowned metalsmith Cathy Miles will be creating a specially commissioned wall piece in the gallery inspired by Saltaire. Cathy uses a unique concoction of wire, found materials and text to depict common bird life. Her works take the form of three-dimensional drawings documenting the belly tickling moments of the everyday. Tea and seed cake will be served! 

The new installation launches a showcase Follow On which revisits the progress and preoccupations of six of the gallery's most popular jewellers and metalsmiths since they took part in our earlier exhibition, Follow Me, back in 2005.

As well as showcasing their latest work we will be re-showing the series of recorded sounds and images which ‘follow’ the designers through their working day, revealing the very different materials and techniques that they employ and offering insight into their sources of inspiration - from pots and pans to pebbles.

Read more here.

Announcing two new awards as part of Saltaire Arts Trail 2012

16 April 2012

Shipley College Best in Yorkshire Award will be awarded to a single artist or maker from the Open Houses or Makers' Fair, whose body of work most impresses the judges. The award will be judged on Saturday 5 May, and presented in the main room of Victoria Hall at 4.30pm. All artists and makers from Yorkshire will automatically be considered for the award, which will be a cash prize of £300 and automatic acceptance into the May 2013 Saltaire Arts Trail.

The Best Newcomer Award will be awarded to a single artist or maker from the Open Houses or Makers' Fair, whose body of work most impresses the judges, and who is new to the Saltaire Arts Trail in 2012. This too will be judged on Saturday 5 May, and presented in the main room of Victoria Hall at 4.30pm. The recipient of the award will have their table or open house fee waived (i.e., for free) in the May 2013 Saltaire Arts Trail, and automatic acceptance into that event (commission still applies).

Both awards will be judged by Hayley Perry of Shipley College and Izzy McDonald Booth, Retails Manager at the National Glass Centre.

SAT2012 commission - Eoin Shea installation

9 April 2012

Eoin Shea will be exhibiting a new moving image piece in the United Reformed Church, made from a combination of hand processed 8mm film and digital video recordings. The images used, while thematically linked to ideas arising from the location of their staging, will be presented in an abstracted form, with narrative abandoned in favour of a rhythm and texture.

In the past, the artist’s previous work has explored moving images as a way of expressing rhythm and texture, rather than narrative stories.

Please explore further the ideas behind this exciting commission here, and also visit Eoin's personal blog here.

This commission is funded by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and supported by Fabric and Saltaire United Reformed Church

SAT2012 commission - Interwoven: Photography, Cloth & Memory

3 April 2012

As part of ongoing support to local artists and makers, SAT2012 has commissioned  a number of exhibitions to sit alongside the Open House and Makers Fair events at Saltaire.  Interwoven is an exhibition exploring the connections between photography, cloth, and memory, curated by Pippa Oldield, a professional photography curator, in her home, a first-floor apartment in the former village hospital.

With a focus on women’s histories and experiences, the selected works suggest that both cloth and photographs are forever embedded with the physical traces of their subject and the past.

Kelly Gardner’s beautiful and evocative black and white photograms depict the ghostly traces of discarded lace shawls, gloves and antique christening gowns found in second-hand shops. Jessa Fairbrother’s portraits of women holding their wedding dresses, years after the event, reminds us of the importance of both photographs and dresses in this rite of passage and in aspirations of womanhood. Ruth Beazley’s ongoing work explores the forgotten history of migrant textile mill workers or ‘hostel girls’ who found economic and social independence in the 1950s and 60s. Kathryn Bethel’s black and white photographs document the lives and camaraderie of women workers during the last days of Denby Brothers (Spinners) Ltd in West Yorkshire in the late 1970s. Liza Dracup’s colour urban landscapes reveal the material remains of the now-defunct textile industry in Bradford’s Manningham district, depicting the ubiquitous presence of the landmark Italianate chimney of Lister Mills, once the largest silk factory in the world.

Interwoven is on display at 3, Sir Titus Salt Apartments, 65 Victoria Road, Saltaire BD18 3HQ. Opening times are 10am to 5pm, 5 – 7 May 2012.

Pop-up Arts Trail stall at Saltaire Visitors Centre

3 April 2012

Fancy getting a sneaky-peak at some of the unique items that'll be on display at Saltaire Arts Trail 2012? Well, head-down to the Saltaire Visitors Centre where six of the guys have set up shop, presenting a broad cross-section of work between now and the main event May 5-7th

The artists and makers included in the Pop-Up Shop are:

Hugh Leishman's beautiful objects made from wood, the fantastically crazy illustrations of Debbie Greenaway, Kate Bowles' unique take on bookbinding, Wychbury's romantically nostalgic jewellery and Salts Press with their printed Saltaire inspried typographic prints.

Take a look at the SAT2012 map to see where the Visitors Centre is located and pop along today.

Kate Lycett - a returning Open House artist - interviewed on the SAT blog

1 April 2012

Follow the link to out blog to investigate further...

http://www.saltaireartstrail.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/q-with-kate-lycett-open-houser.html

Fancy volunteering over the Arts Trail weekend?

28 March 2012

The Arts Trail is run almost entirely by volunteers and we are always on the hunt for more people to join the team. If you are interested in volunteering for us either during the Arts Trail weekend itself (5th - 7th May 2012), or with various events and jobs throughout the year - please do get in touch with us at hello@saltaireartstrail.co.uk

Check the interview with Becky, a repeat offender when it comes to volunteering for SAT, on our blog.  She really seems to enjoy herself!

Be our Friend

21 March 2012

We feel it's incredibly important to support artists, and to demonstrate the value of creativity to individuals and the community through education and involvement - that's why we do what we do!  Through our Friends of the Saltaire Arts Trail scheme you can get to know us a little better and help us continue this work, supporting the ongoing development of arts in the region.
 
For £15 individual or £25 joint annual membership, you will enjoy:

• Invitation to the preview night
• 10% discount on all Open House sales
• Regular email updates
• Named 'Friend of the Saltaire Arts Trail' on our website
• and of course, knowing your contribution will have a major role in keeping the arts trail alive

 
Application forms are available on the Friends of Saltaire Arts Trail page of the website.

The Biggest Ever Saltaire Makers Fair

16 March 2012

Wow!  Have you seen the number of fantastically talented artists, designers and makers we've got lined up this year?

We've had to ask for more space in Saltaire's Victoria Hall this time around to cater for the 60 creative types who will be setting up shop.  The ever popular Makers Fair just got bigger, and there's a going to be a huge variety of unique handmade items - ranging from jewellery and textiles through to glass, ceramics and woodwork - and everything inbetween.

Makers are convening on Saltaire from all across the UK, making this event one of the most prestigous in the 2012 calender.

Take a look at the Makers Fair page and browse the amazing selection of makers attending.  We shall be endeavouring to feature a number of these guys in the lead up to the May event, keep your eyes peeled.

Check out the NEW interactive Open House Map

15 March 2012

We've been tinkering with the SAT2012 website recently, adding a few new features, the most immeadiate is an interactive map to cleverly illustrate which artists will be resident in which Saltaire Open House.

http://www.saltaireartstrail.co.uk/open_houses.php

The map ably demonstrates the all ecompassing nature of the Saltaire Arts Trail, where private and commercial premises alike come together as exhibition spaces for creative practices as diverse as traditional sign writing and mixed-media scuplture.

Some of the many highlights include:

2 Constance Street - Constance Street is the only one of Saltaire’s streets to be named after a granddaughter of Titus Salt.  The 32 houses that make up the street were completed around 1861 and were designed as improved workmen’s cottages.  2 Constance St represents one of the Italian Villa models within the village architecture. This year’s mix offers Kevin Emmott’s genuine pieces of American folk art instruments, but made in Yorkshire; Sarah Jane Mason’s playful objects and bold paintings; and Becca McGrath’s obsession with doodles.

Wunderkammer [Wonder Room] - Pull back the curtain and see the first ever Saltaire Wunderkammer [wonder-room]. The wonderful treasure trove that is the Saltaire bookshop hosts a collection of unique work from Yorkshire and beyond. There’s Gill Smith’s steampunk Scouts; decorative wonderlands from Tasneem Kauser; Ruth Wightman’s dreamlike paintings; digital images with hints of the uncanny and a feeling of deja-vu from Sue Wray; Nicola Taylor’s Tales from the Moors Country; whimsical and melancholy characters from Gillian Lee Smith; and finally…metamorphosis materialized from Emma Wilkinson.

37 Maddocks Street - Maddock’s Street was named after one of the four Bradford businessmen, John Maddocks, who took over the mill and the village in 1892, trading under the name Sir Titus Salt, Bart. Sons & Co. Ltd.  David Booth’s mixed media, abstract landscapes; Britishness, urban decay, the ephemera of life illustrated in Rosie Crabbe’s photography; Beverley’s Gee’s sculptural mixed media featuring the fantastical world of guardian birds and curious cats; and vibrant acrylic paintings of cockerels by Joan Lawson.

These houses and artists are just the tip of the Saltaire iceberg this year, and we'll be featuring a whole heap more of the artists and houses in the countdown to the event.  In the meantime please make good use of the map to take a look around Saltaire's unique environment.

Official Saltaire Arts Trail 2012 programme announcement

13 March 2012

We've been working away for what seems like an age on finalising the programme for the 2012 Saltaire Arts Trail. Thankfully the planning is now bearing fruit and we can start shouting about what's happening.

Now in its sixth year, Saltaire Arts Trail is perhaps best known for its Open Houses, an opportunity for visitors to step inside the historic cottages that were built for Sir Titus Salt’s mill workers. These domestic exhibition spaces lend themselves perfectly to the display of high‐quality handmade art and craft. Another returning favourite, the Makers Fair in the magnificent Victoria Hall, hosts over 60 designers and makers selling their work, as well as giving demonstrations and workshops. Whether looking for woodwork, jewellery, textiles, glassware, illustration, painting, photography, ceramics,
bookbinding, sculpture or printmaking, visitors will be spoilt for choice.

One artist or maker will be awarded the Shipley College Best in Yorkshire Award, a cash prize for the best presentation of work in either the Open Houses or the Makers Fair, judged during the weekend.

However the Open Houses and Makers Fairs are by no means all Saltaire Arts Trail has to offer: the village’s cobbled streets, green spaces and listed buildings are the setting for a huge variety of exhibitions, film screenings, sound installations, workshops, demonstrations and craft activities aimed at the whole family.

Support from the Arts Council means we have commissioned some unique contemporary artwork, including an istallation by Eoin Shea and project by Saltaire-base artists Yvonne Carmicheal and Andy Abbott.

Metal smith Cathy Miles will be creating a new work inspired by Saltaire at the Kath Libbert Jewellery Gallery, plus Cherry Kino will be curating a selection of analogue film installation, utilising some of Saltaire's more unusual venues. Kids will be catered for too, with the creation of a acitivty area themed around a vintage carnival.

As is tradional, on the Saturday night Saltaire Arts Trail will host an evening event to bring together local preformance talent for an evening of celebration.  The 'Wundernacht' will encompass all that is unique about Saltaire, inspired by the 16th Century 'Cabinet of Curiosities' the evening will feture film, dance, live music, real ale, vintage dress-up, food, poetry, storytelling and much more.

Please keep your eye on this website for lots more info in advance of the event.  We shall also be using our blog, Twitter and FaceBook voices to share all our excitement with you, please keep your eyes peeled.

Click below to download a pdf of the full Saltaire Arts Trail 2012 Programme press release.

• Official Saltaire Arts Trail 2012 Programme Announcement (pdf 0.15mb)

New Board Members for Saltaire Inspired

22 February 2012

Saltaire Inspired is the parent company responsible for delivering Saltaire Arts Trail (May annually), Makers Fair Festival Special (September annually), Saltaire Living Advent Calendar (December annually).

Saltaire Inspired is a not for profit limited company run by a board that currently has 5 Directors (all volunteers). We have an ambitious business plan and are currently seeking more people to join our board on a voluntary basis and help us drive our ideas forward.

If you are enthusiastic about Saltaire or interested in the arts or are simply looking to get involved in a good cause do get in touch! We especially need people with business management, marketing and or financial skills but would welcome anyone who is energetic and happy to help. 

Please email hello@saltaireinspired.org.uk and we will arrange to talk to you.

Artists and makers for 2012 announced

5 February 2012

An independent selection panel – made up of Angie Boyer (image centre), Editor of Craft and Design Magazine, Izzy McDonald Booth (left), Retail Manager at the National Glass Centre, and Jennifer Alexander (right), Assistant Curator at York Art Gallery – considered over 220 submissions from all over the country.

The selected artists and makers’ work represents the diversity of contemporary art and craft available in the UK, including woodwork, jewellery, textiles, glassware, illustration, painting, photography, ceramics, bookbinding, sculpture and printmaking. For the first time, applications were invited from outside the Yorkshire region, and 50 per cent of the artists selected are new to the Saltaire Arts Trail.

Speaking about the selection, Angie Boyer, Editor of Craft and Design Magazine, said: ‘The level of craftsmanship in the work presented was very high. There was a wide choice across the different disciplines. It was not an easy task to say no to people, because you know the effort that’s gone into making and submitting the work.’

Jennifer Alexander, Assistant Curator at York Art Gallery, said:  ‘I was impressed to see lots of experimentation with different ideas. There’s plenty for people to talk about. What’s really nice about the Saltaire Arts Trail is that there’s so much going on, not just the Open Houses and the Makers Fair, but workshops, demonstrations, cinema. It’s giving people a way into contemporary art.’

Izzy McDonald Booth, Retail Manager at the National Glass Centre, said: ‘We saw lots of fresh ideas. Over 50 per cent of the artists we’ve selected are new to the Trail so there’ll be lots of new work on display. I’m looking forward to seeing it all in the flesh.’

Contemporary Art Commission

2 February 2012

With support from Arts Coucnil England and working in partnership with Bradford's creative development agency Fabric, we wish to commission an artist or artists group to make a new piece of work to be presented in the Saltaire Arts Trail 2012.

If you have any queries or require any further information about the commission please contact Ann Rutherford at Fabric,  ann.rutherford@fabricculture.co.uk.

Deadline for applications - Friday 10 February

Artist interviews - Monday 20 February

• Saltaire Arts Trail Contemporary Art Commission (pdf 0.24mb)

Arts Council England Award

2 January 2012

Saltaire Arts Trail has just been awarded a £10,000 National Lottery grant through Arts Council England. The grant will allow Saltaire Arts Trail to support local artists by commissioning new art work for the first time.

Since the creation of Saltaire Arts Trail (SAT) 5 years ago it has attracted over 200 hundred makers and contemporary artists and provided opportunities to exhibit and sell their work in over 40 venues across the village.

Over 7,000 visitors attended the SAT weekend last year and this year’s events, taking place from 5^th to 7^th May 2012, look set to be even more popular. Now, thanks to a £10,000 award from the National Lottery through Arts Council England, visitors will be able to enjoy brand new art work specially commissioned for the Saltaire Arts Trail.

SAT’s plans to invest in new work include:

Commissioning a new art work from an artist living or working in the Bradford district. This collaboration with Bradford-based Arts Development Agency Fabric will be a platform for a local artist at the start of their career.

Commissioning contemporary Saltaire-based artists Andy Abbott and Yvonne Carmichael to create an outdoor artwork for people to encounter during their visit to the village.

A photography exhibition focussing on textiles and memory, to be curated by Pippa Oldfield from Bradford’s Impressions Gallery and displayed in a venue in Saltaire.

SAT Creative Director, Amanda Chinneck said: "We are delighted that Arts Council England will be investing in Saltaire Arts Trail 2012. We are very proud to have achieved such a badge of honour, its a great thing for the event and the village. For the first time we will be able to commission new art work for the people who visit our event. Providing a platform for the presentation of contemporary art and being able to provide resources for artists at the start of their careers is entirely what we are about and we look forward to some exciting results in May 2012."

Show Me The Monet

6 December 2011

Lucky Day TV production company have asked if we could forward this notification to our network of artists who may wish to apply:

http://www.showmethemonet.tv/monet_landing_initial.php