Totally shocked to hear of arts council's withdrawal of funding for Locus+. They're a brilliant Newcastle arts organisation with a global reach. I had the pleasure of working with them in 2009 when we were going to bring Richard Wright to Durham for an amazing project - we were working on this at the time he won the Turner Prize - only the shortsightedness of Durham County Council prevented the project from happening. The arts council's decision is unquestionably unbelievable and I hope they reconsider and continue supporting this wonderful organisation - in today's climate they really are too precious and unique to the British art world to endanger. (Ally Redshaw-Boxwell)
Turner prizewinners lead calls to rescue fund that lit up visual arts in the north
theguardian.com
Cuts threaten unique group responsible for daring commission of ‘moon rock’ and a burning grand piano
You know, it's two years since my diagnosis of M.E - on Monday I saw my lovely friend Julie for the first time since I was 18/19 (I'm now 43). She was asking about what I did, what was my work - I said, arts development officer Newcastle, strategic arts manager Sunderland, director of durham city arts, and then set up my own company, Dilly Arts, specialising in arts with prisoners and their families. In talking about it Graeme reminded me the projects I'd delivered won platinum in the koestler awards for prison arts. We, as DCA delivered the first light festival in Durham called Enlightenment which was my idea, helped along by Kate James and more so ISIS arts when I needed to go off on maternity to have Inigo - that went on to be Durham Lumiere which is a brilliant light festival in Durham. We won awards for the Durham literature festival, which we changed to the Durham book festival and then handed it over to New Writing North as they were much better placed to take the festival forward. As dilly arts we also instigated, designed and managed the play about women prisoners and their lives called 'Key Change' with open clasp theatre co - it turned out to be a nightmare (and aided my illness through stress) as open clasp were very aggressive to work with and wouldn't properly credit dilly arts, beyond our sell out performances at Live Theatre, but the play went on to win best at Edinburgh festival and a run in New York just off Broadway - dilly arts project with Hexham goal also won prizes with Michael Gandham's company and Lalya Gaye.... In amongst all of this we've worked with so, so many people who've got so much out of our projects.... For so so long I couldn't think about work, but I'm slowly getting better, and you know what? I'm fucking proud of the work I've done in the past and what I've achieved even if I or my company weren't always given the credit we deserved! Ally
I'm delighted to share the news that Arcus Studios have won the Professional Excellence: Innovation Award for their animation work in Beyond the Borders, by Dilly Arts, at the Royal Television Awards last week. Beyond the Borders represents the powerful potential of interdisciplinary and participatory creative collaborations between the prison system, our cultural organisations and our arts and creative industries. The award was presented to Arcus Studios with Dilly Arts and Attaya Projects. Huge congratulations to Arcus Studios and Dilly Arts Ally Redshaw-Boxwell, Graeme Redshaw-Boxwell),Attaya Projects Lalya Gaye, Sheree Mack, John Saddler and Hexham Old Gaol, all of whom were a great team to work with! (Posted by Suzy O'Hara)
Category 5: Professional Excellence: Innovation | Royal Television Society
rts.org.uk
This award is designed to celebrate the use of content and technology in an expanding and changing world. Entries will demonstrate they are reaching out successfully to new audiences. They will be experimenting with technology and managing content in fresh ways. The award recognises outstanding achi...
5 years ago this week I set up Dilly Arts having taken the big decision to leave my post of Director of Durham City Arts. I haven't regretted a moment, even when as a single mum I was skint. The projects we have developed and delivered across north east prisons, are among my proudest and favourite career-long projects, working with some fabulous people, inside prison both staff and prisoners - and working with some brilliant artists, most of which I'm happy to call close friends - as I am my wonderful board Suzy, Graeme and Sheree, it's been fantastic! .... It was all going so well and wonderful until M.E hit me last year and I was told to stop working.... So Dilly Arts happy anniversary, I'll be back as soon as I can!
Ally
Dilly Arts shared Boxwell Web Design's post.
We have been doing quite a bit of graphic design work for Jittabugs Durham recently. Here is an example of an A5 leaflet they wanted to produce to advertise their sessions.If you are looking to have anything professionally designed, ask for a no obligation quote. You'll be amazed at how competitive our pricing is.
Rural arts opportunity lovely people....
www.thestove.org/art_inbetween-a-commission-opportunity-from-the-stove/?doing_wp_cron=1452821240....
Art_Inbetween – A Commission Opportunity from The Stove
www.thestove.org
A commission for an artist to work within a larger project exploring practical connections and exchanging knowledge between people working creatively within rural regions across Britain. This is an opportunity for artists interested in: art and activism….art and society….grassroots and big picture….…
And if you're in New York....
Key Change presented by Open Clasp Theatre Company- Buy tickets at Smarttix.com
tix.smarttix.com
Key Change - Devised with women in Her Majesty’s Prison Low Newton to tour to male prisons. Winner of the Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award 2015 <br><br> 5***** The Stage “A touching, empowering work that hits the hat-trick of great script, direction and performance" <br><br> 4**** The Guardian "…
Wishing all the best to Open Clasp Theatre Co, the wonderful cast and team getting ready to take Key Change to NYC - hope you all have an amazing time! Sending all our love and support, Ally xxxx
Hi all, it's Alison here, hope you're all well. I'm very sad to say that I'll be taking a break from Dilly Arts for the time being on medical advice 'not to undertake any work at all' as my ME/CFS has reached a new level of severity - I was supposed to stop working on medical advice in August but that never really happened with Key Change and our latest project Beyond The Borders already in delivery. I hope to be back working just as soon as possible, but I'm told to be realistic about timescales. In the meantime here's a lovely review of our last project for the time being....
www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/prisoners-past-present-hand-new-10547120
Prisoners past and present had a hand in a new attraction in Hexham
www.chroniclelive.co.uk
Beyond the Borders is a new installation at Hexham Old Gaol combining centuries-old stories with modern technology
The online article in today's Hexham Courant, in which the full cover page of section 2 carries a feature about our project Beyond the Borders and the work of Dilly Arts....
www.hexham-courant.co.uk/features/Prisoners-put-new-life-into-old-gaol-59233e78-7f5a-4441-ba5a-9c...
Prisoners put new life into old gaol
www.hexham-courant.co.uk
PRISONERS of the present have been helping to provide fresh insights into the lives of those who did porridge in the past.
Please join us for the public opening of the new permanent exhibition at Hexham Old Gaol called Beyond the Borders.
The project devised and managed by Dilly Arts, working with HMP YOI Low Newton, HMP Frankland and HMP Durham and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, has been working with contemporary prisoners, historians and artists over the past year to bring to life the stories and experiences of prisoners housed within Hexham Old Gaol during the period of the Border Reivers through hand held digital portals using augmented reality.
We'd be delighted if you and your family were able to join us for the public opening at 1pm on Saturday 28th November 2015. We hope to see you there!
Dilly Arts shared a link.
m.artsjobs.org.uk
The Arts Jobs list details current vacancies and opportunities in the arts community, and Arts News details arts events, news and press releases. Both mailing lists are generated entirely by Arts Jobs and Arts News members.
Dilly Arts shared a link.
Corbyn calls for end to arts cuts
theartnewspaper.com
Newly elected left-wing leader of Labour Party promises increased funding for the arts and backs National Gallery strikers
Dilly Arts shared a link.
Seven Stories | Current Vacancies & Volunteering
sevenstories.org.uk
Seven Stories is Britain's gallery and archive that celebrates the wonderful world of children's books.
Yay!!!!
www.britishtheatreguide.info/news/ne-company-wins-best-of-fringe-5222
News: NE Company Wins Best of Fringe Award
www.britishtheatreguide.info
NE women’s theatre company, Open Clasp, wins the Carol Tambor Best of the Fringe Award
Yay!!!!
Play About Incarcerated Women Wins Best of Edinburgh Award
artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com
Catrina McHugh’s “Key Change,” directed by Laura Lindow, was commissioned by a development company in England that specializes in work with prisoners.
And.... We WON!!!! Key Change has just won the Carol Tambor Award for 'Best of Edinburgh' at the Fringe Festival! This means that it will premiere in New York City! Right now I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed that a project idea I put to wonderful HMP YOI Low Newton staff (you know who you are!) under the working title 'Low Newton Women's Stories' literally whilst breastfeeding Effie at a meeting all those months ago has gone on to achieve so much for our participants! I'm so delighted that a Dilly Arts project is getting the well deserved praise for the absolutely fantastic Open Clasp Theatre Co, for Catrina McHugh's incredible writing, Laura Lindow's amazing directing and the outstanding cast and crew.... This project wouldn't have achieved the success without Open Clasp's incredible talent, skill and determination! But more than anything else I'm full of joy and gratitude that the stories and voices of women in Low Newton prison have been given the acknowledgement they deserve, that they will be going to an even bigger international audience!!!! Dilly Arts is the only organisation in the north east specialising in working with prisoners and their families and all the work we do comes from three core aims: to provide opportunity for people to access high quality arts experiences that can truly change their lives, to provide opportunity for artists to challenge and develop their own practice through working in prisons and through the arts to help better inform our communities of the lives of prisoners in the hope that society can learn to better support prisoners upon completing their sentences.... On behalf of the women and staff in HMP YOI Low Newton, Open Clasp Theatre Co, all the artists and staff involved in the project and Dilly Arts, I'm feeling very happy and proud right now of what we've achieved together!!!!
With huge thanks to Arts Council England for funding the 'Low Newton Women's Stories' project.
In Spain with no internet all day and then THIS news we can now share.... We have just received confirmation that Key Change has been shortlisted for the Carol Tambor 'best of Edinburgh' award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (results on Friday) - if we win, we get to take the performance to premiere in New York City! Huge thanks to the fantastic Open Clasp Theatre Co - so pleased I followed my gut instinct that we couldn't ask any other theatre company to work with us on our project in working with female prisoners to tell their stories and represent them to a male prisoner and public audience AND a huge thanks to the amazing cast and crew who've held the women's voices in their hearts. BUT most of all a MASSIVE gratitude to the staff at HMP YOI Low Newton who said 'yes' when I asked them to trust Dilly Arts with this risk taking project and to all the female prisoners who took part and shared their stories; this work is from them and about them and we have huge gratitude to each and every one for trusting us and allowing us to continue to do the privileged work in north east prisons we do at Dilly Arts.
