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Literature Works presents 'Word on Tour', an Arts Council funded 26-date live literature tour of the region’s libraries, in celebration of South West writing talent. All three Torbay Libraries will be participating in this tour, starting off with Torquay Library who are excited to be hosting novelist and Observer columnist, Nikesh Shukla on 28th February. Editor of the highly regarded essay collection, 'The Good Immigrant', Nikesh is the author of 'Coconut Unlimited' and 'Meatspace'. His third novel, 'The One Who Wrote Destiny', is due out in April 2018. All 'Word on Tour' events showcase two writers and Nikesh will be joined by well-loved Devon funny man, poet, Matt Harvey ‘enemy of all that’s difficult and upsetting’. Travelling along the coast, Paignton Library will host folk musician Jim Causley and novelist Jane Feaver on Wednesday, 14th March. The pair kicked off the Tour back in January at Bideford Library and Paignton Library are delighted to showcase them again in South Devon. Jim will play his settings to the work of Cornish poet Charles Causley and Jane will read from her novel, 'An Inventory of Heaven'. Together they will discuss the influence of place on their work and the rural life, offering an intimate and thought- provoking evening. Finally for Torbay, a fun night is to be had at Brixham Library where Matt Harvey is joined by a fellow performance poet on 21st March. Matt’s gently nuanced and clever observational wit is balanced with the powerhouse of deliciously funny Scottish vitriol and venting that is Elvis McGonagall. Both delight in flipping language on its back and seeing where it lands. This promises to be a wonderfully wordy treat. 'Word on Tour' likes a bit of theatre and, in celebration of the shared communal space that libraries provide, they are inviting audience members to offer a sentence on why libraries matter to them. Written on local postcards, these are touring with the project in the 'Index Box of Audience Words', creating a valuable archive for the future. The needle points north as the Tour sets off to Barnstaple on 22nd March, where Petroc FE College showcases performance poets and multi-talented writers, Byron Vincent and Jonny Fluffypunk, both of whom are also touring their own theatre shows and involved in numerous writing projects. This will be the last of the Devon events before the tour sets sail across the sea to the Scilly Isles, taking with it Devon writer, Miriam Darlington to discuss her latest book,' Owl Sense' and Bristol writer, bird lover and radio producer, Tim Dee. Helen Chaloner, CEO of Literature Works says: “Word on Tour is about bringing the region’s writing and performance talent to the door of local communities... We hope audiences will embrace these fun, celebratory performances.” Further information can be found on the World on Tour Facebook Page and tickets at £5 are available for purchase via Eventbrite. 'Word on Tour' is funded by the Arts Council, in collaboration with South West Regional Library Service. Make sure to follow Literature Works and the hashtag #WordonTour on social media for all the latest updates. #Poetry #spokenword #TorquayLibrary #TorbayLibraries

You know you’ve hit on something when the responses are so varied. “God, you’re so brave! I’d be terrified!” “What a brilliant idea, how lovely!” Experience has shown that it’s when I’m able to step back from my desire to impress and please everyone that something far more alive and authentic comes through. Trying to make a cup of tea with the intention of satisfying everyone would make for, at best, something exceedingly boring and mediocre; at worst, an entirely undrinkable cuppa. It wasn’t a new idea. I’d read about the Poetry Takeaway in a magazine several years previously, and later tried it out to moving effect in a writing workshop I led. We were all stunned, when the poems we’d asked for were read aloud. “Where did that come from?” Where indeed. A few years later, I decided it was time to try this out in a different environment. As I walked through the woods towards Dartington Shops, shouldering the tools of my trade, I buzzed with excitement. I had no idea how this would go, and no specific expectations of the outcome, but this was something I really wanted to do, loved to do, and I was so full of the intention of generosity and play. What could go wrong? I set up at my designated table, propping up a sign and laying out pad, pens and a three minute wooden egg timer. Actually, the three minute thing was random. I’d intended to do five minutes, but I couldn’t find a five minute timer in time, so three minutes it was. Now all I had to do was wait. I remember the first poem I wrote that day, for a woman shopping with her daughter for last minute Christmas presents. She wanted a poem for her eldest daughter, about struggling to get out of bed in the morning. “Make it funny” she said, and left. I turned my timer, an d wrote. It wasn’t great; it could’ve been worse. I had something. I wrote it out in neat with a red felt calligraphy pen, rolled it into a scroll and tied it with golden thread as a gift. I read it to the customer, who gave me no big response, but took it. Great! First one done. I was on my way. The rest of the day included laughter, tears and spontaneous wows and hugs from a steady stream of strangers. People shared so honestly, and in return I opened myself to see, to listen, to feel what was being asked for, and let my pen respond with respect and boldness. When I came away from that day the word that kept coming up was Fun; sheer, pure, lively, tingly Fun with a capital F. I’d written about everything from gardens in winter to Minecraft, and been commissioned to write a poem to be read at the requester’s own funeral! It was quite a trip I took while sitting at that bench all day. There was something so freeing about doing something so very, well, me. However, as often with experiences that transcend the everyday, it was full of paradox. Because I was being so me, I was connecting easily with the me of everyone I encountered. As I wrote ego me stepped aside, allowing me to simply let the words through. I was not, in that moment, in the least concerned about me the poet proving her skill, or writing something objectively brilliant. It was me Harula; human being, wordsmith, in service to that soul before me who asked me to craft something for them. What mattered was that they were served by what I wrote. I couldn’t have cared less if anyone else liked the poem, as long as the asker felt seen, met and served by those words. When I wrote three minute poems again more recently, in the Exeter Library Café, I was reminded of the basic goodness and generosity of the majority of people. That day I was writing for coffees; not for me, but for donations so that anyone could enjoy a warming cuppa, whether they had the money for it or not. Thirty minutes and three poems later I had £15 to donate to their suspended coffees scheme. The experience so thrilled me that I immediately shared it on my blog when I returned home. That post remains the most ‘liked’ post on my blog, in almost six years of blogging. Service is a beautiful thing; it’s when there is no distinction between the server and the served. I feel so gifted by the trust and openness of each request. I believe the hunger, the eagerness to receive something so personal is a sign of our times, at least in the West. Everything has become so manufactured, so de-personalised, digitalized, fake-a-fied and screen distanced that to come close, even for just three minutes, to experiencing the sheer power and potential of tangible, spontaneous creativity; to witness and experience just how easily two human beings can connect and recognise one another; well, it’s magic. For more information about The Poetry Takeaway, visit: https://www.facebook.com/poetrytakeaway/ https://twitter.com/poetrytakeaway To read the most ‘liked’ post on my personal blog, go to: https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/2017/11/01/poetry-in-three-take-two/ #HarulaLadd #Poetry #CreativeWriting #3MinutePoetry #PoetryTakeaway

Shelley has lived all her life in Paignton. Shelley first started writing Poetry as a Teenager. She would only show her Mum who suggested she show her English Teacher. But it wasn't cool to do Poetry at the School Shelley attended especially in the 1980's you would probably get your head kicked in. She wrote intermittently throughout her teens and adulthood but it was not until she completed an Open University BS'c Honour's Degree in Criminology and Psychology in Dec 2014 she started to write seriously. In December 2015 she met with Robert Garnham, Ken Beever, Ellie Davies, Ian Beech & Lucy Lepchani at private function and attending Poetry Island as a mere spectator. From that moment she knew she wanted to perform but it was not until her friend Sue Cose wrote to Robert Garnham and he wrote her a poem to go out and perform and that she will be fine, She finally plucked up courage. Shelley contacted Robert and her first performance was at The Stanza Extravaganza in July 2016. On that performance Ian Beech asked her to perform at The Blue Walnut. Shelley has become a regular at The Stanza & Poetry Island she has also performed at Taking the Mic, Outspoken, Tradewinds, Word Cafe, Axbridge Comedy Night, First Edition Comedy at The Bread & Roses, Plymouth and The Wee Pub in Edinburgh. Shelley also performs in local Community events, private functions and parties she undertakes Wedding Commissions. Shelley has the ability to make you laugh but also pull at your heartstrings with eclectic mix of Poetry. You can hear her on Jim Munroe’s Riviera FM radio show Sunday 18th February at 10:00am #BeckyNuttall #StanzaExtravaganza #Poetry #Torbay #Events

I called my reviews of Ian Beech's Poetry Island, at The Blue Walnut Cafe Chelston Torquay, The Violet Hour because of the feelings it invoked after a long day at work and the soothing effect of the poetry. The Violet Hour comes from TS Eliot's The Wasteland, with its references to work and isolation. I call the reviews for Stanza Extravaganza at the Artizan Gallery Lucius Street Torquay "I Woke, The Town Spoke" after the Dylan Thomas poem. This reflects the open mic format of Stanza and its amazingly eclectic poets. Poetry Island is now Big Poetry, hosted by Robert Garnham and Samantha Boarer, where I had the pleasure to be asked to perform on Thursday night to a packed venue. The headliner was Miserable Malcolm who happily at one point plagiarised The Wasteland and it's coffee spoons. The violet hour slipped away that night to be replaced by a free wheeling interactive laugh out loud evening. Julie Mullen's Facebook photos do justice to the atmosphere. I loved Poetry Island, and Big Poetry still has those quiet thought provoking moments, Tim King allowed us to hold his hand for a short while. Being a more wordy poet, my poetry mirrors my art; I love a symbol and an allegory and I had a lovely response from an audience member afterwards. So goodbye The Violet Hour. Next month brings another title along with Big Poetry. Big hearts and Big love to Ian Beech The following Friday night I went to the Art of You at Artizan Gallery to say hello to the painting I did when I was 9 years old. How lovely to have my painting hanging next to Jacob Brandon's watercolour also, he thinks, completed when he was 9 years olds. Both paintings were proudly framed by a parent. I hated my painting, the reasons why accompany the painting. Jacob's watercolour is much more accomplished. My dad didn't work in watercolours so he only showed me how to use oil paints; I've never accomplished watercolours either. The relative that taught Jacob must also had a talent as an artist, or excellent teaching skills. The exhibition is diverse, using film, audio and 3D images, and interesting about the reasons why we feel the need to create. You can visit my notebook on www.beckynuttall.com to read about the adventures of a child artist I also had the pleasure of visiting the Riviera Art Fair at The Spanish Barn Torre Abbey. At last all Torbay talent can be seen under one, very splendid, roof. Some exceptionally good work on display including Cherry Lyons lovely little oil paintings. It's on until 25th February. I'll be there from 11-1:30pm on 24th if you want to know the story behind the two works I have on display. I am thrilled these two collages won three awards between them including two winners. I have submitted my acrylic painting 'Is Your All on the Altar? (sacred relics 1950-59) to the RA Summer Exhibiton 2018. The results are in March. If you want to visit this artist, I am headlining at Stanza Extravaganza in April and also performing at Julie Mullen's Word Cafe The Cott Inn Dartington in April. I will be taking part in Devon Open Studios in September in Brixham. #BeckyNuttall #StanzaExtravaganza #BigPoetry #Poetry #Torbay #TheArtofYou #WordCafe

Can you believe it’s been over a year since we had our last artist evening at Artizan Gallery!? Well, we’ve been a little busy and there’s certainly been no shortage of other excuses to head into the gallery and say hello. That being said, we have missed these dedicated artist nights, and that’s why we’re bringing them back! Starting from next Thursday (14th February) we’ll be hosting not monthly, not fortnightly, but weekly Artist Nights! The formats going to be a bit simpler. For the main, we won’t be organising speakers and there wont be any theme, but we’ll be promoting this as a regular time for artists to meet, chat and collaborate at the Gallery between the hours of 17:00 and 18:00 (and later if we’re all having a good time). During this time, you’ll be able to grab a cup of java for just £2.00 and the team and the space will be at your disposal to help facilitate whatever scale of meetup you want to organise. Whether it’s just a chance to socialise, or an opportunity to get some serious project planning done, we hope that the return of the Artizan Artist Nights will be welcome news to many! So, spread the word, grab a friend, and head on down to join us next Thursday! #2018 #ArtsampCulture #Artists #Events #Evenings

If you live in the Bay and have ventured into the Twittersphere, chances are you’ve heard of #TorbayHour. Every Monday at 8PM, the internet braces itself for what is supposedly an hour of networking and promotion, but more often than not is an hour of locally sourced raillery married up with the all-important GIF war. We do several of these twitter hours throughout the week, but #TorbayHour is undoubtedly our favourite, having created a wonderful community of local businesses who work together to support, promote and generally have a laugh every Monday evening. From 7PM, as anticipation mounts, the official Torbay Hour radio show goes live on Riviera FM hosted by the dream team @Inspiring_Joe and @SimonDayUK, who humour the questionable music requests of their listeners and generally oversee proceedings. This week, thanks to Torbay Hour and Simon Day, we spotted a great last-minute event going on down at Oddicombe Beach organised by Elements of Fire. This little Devon group are inferno enthusiasts, and to celebrate January’s Blue Moon, they organised an impromptu session, offering a relaxed performance with their various fire props. They all specialise in different areas including poi, staff, hoop and diablo, with the one common thread, these tools will always be aflame. We were suitably intrigued and with the invitation to come along and take some photos we needed no more persuading. So, we headed down on a chilly Wednesday evening, camera and tripod at the ready to see what it was all about. We were definitely not disappointed! These guys do some incredible stuff creating incredible displays of motion and momentum drawing fire trails across the night sky. A calm sea and full moon were the perfect backdrop, but I’ll let the pictures do the rest of the talking! Photo Credit: Grace Hannah Photography and J Brandon Photography Elements of Fire offer performances to cater to most outdoor events including; birthdays, weddings, gigs, corporate events and other escapades. They provide you and your guests with a unique chance to get in touch with this primal element in a completely safe way, individually adapting performances to your event through carefully selected music to create a transient state that will transform the dynamic of any event. Make sure to check them out: Website, Facebook, Instagram. So, if you’re on Twitter and you’re not already keeping an eye on #TorbayHour, now you know why you should be! #2018 #January #Events #Torbay

If we had to sum up this month’s Culture Update in one word, it would have to be “eclectic”! We’ve found some extraordinarily diverse events on offer this February with some awesome opportunities to get out and experience something you’ve probably never experienced before. Where can you hear an award-winning violinist, a graduate of the prestigious Gnesin Academy and a virtuoso balalaika player performing, jazz vocals, classic piano, and compositions from Russian composers including Tchaikovsky, Dargomizsky, Rachmaninov and Sviridov? Well, Russia probably. But for one night only, believe it or not, you can experience all of this in Torquay's Central Church at the Russian Gala Ball, where graduates of Russia and its former republics will take you on a "musical journey to the heart of Russian heritage". Guaranteed to be a unique evening, there's also the chance to win a traditional Russian prize in the interval raffle. Tickets start at £10 and are available online for the performance on 9th February. Keeping with music, we've got something a little different for lovers of Torquay's alternative nightlife scene. Early creators of original Euphoric Trance, Psychedelic Trance, Astral Dub, Trance, Experimental Techno and Ambient Dance, Astralasia, are in attendance at The Attic this month. Formed out of the now defunct Magic Mushroom Band, Astralasia, known as "wizards" of psychedelic electronica, offer music to melt to, and a performance from them is likely to be, turbulent, meditative, transformative; an immersive trip. Tickets for this one start at £8.50 and in the interval, there'll be a chance to win a traditional, psychedelic raffle prize! Just kidding, there's no interval all the way through from 11pm to 3am! If just thinking about staying up that late has you reaching for the cocoa, we've got a more civilised alternative which promises a slightly different illusory and fanciful experience. The ever-inventive troupe at The Pocketwatch Theatre Company add their creative twist to Kenneth Grahame's classic riverbank tale, Wind in the Willows, with live original score and beautiful handcrafted puppets. Their family friendly and traditionally versatile performance will be brought to Torquay museum on 15th and 16th February with 4 performances in total and tickets starting at a bargain £8; a great way to wrap up half-term! Finally, we want to let you know about a great new CIC delivering arts workshops with a difference. Somewhere between a square and circle, you’ll find the Squircle Arts team. This roaming band of creative folks like nothing better than a pop up arts workshop and they’ve got a packed calendar for February in locations across Torbay. Whether you’re a big person or a little person, they’ve got something on offer for everyone from Collagraph Printmaking, to Linocuts, to Stone Age Cave Art. The best way to keep track of them is on their Facebook page (/squirclearts) where they’ll be confirming their February dates soon! Here at the gallery we’re far from quiet! We’ve got our Cocktails and Conversation launch on February 1st, followed by an Artist Preview event on February 2nd. Creative Writing with Harula Ladd returns on the 5th, Steve Jenner headlines our Acoustic Night on the 19th, and Robert Garnham returns with Stanza Extravaganza on the 26th! Full details of all of the events in this month’s update can be found on our website, www.art-hub.co.uk! #ArtsampCulture #CultureUpdate #BeachHutMagazine #2018 #February

If we had to sum up this month’s Culture Update in one word, it would have to be “eclectic”! We’ve found some extraordinarily diverse events on offer this February with some awesome opportunities to get out and experience something you’ve probably never experienced before. Where can you hear an award-winning violinist, a graduate of the prestigious Gnesin Academy and a virtuoso balalaika player performing, jazz vocals, classic piano, and compositions from Russian composers including Tchaikovsky, Dargomizsky, Rachmaninov and Sviridov? Well, Russia probably. But for one night only, believe it or not, you can experience all of this in Torquay's Central Church at the Russian Gala Ball, where graduates of Russia and its former republics will take you on a "musical journey to the heart of Russian heritage". Guaranteed to be a unique evening, there's also the chance to win a traditional Russian prize in the interval raffle. Tickets start at £10 and are available online for the performance on 9th February. Keeping with music, we've got something a little different for lovers of Torquay's alternative nightlife scene. Early creators of original Euphoric Trance, Psychedelic Trance, Astral Dub, Trance, Experimental Techno and Ambient Dance, Astralasia, are in attendance at The Attic this month. Formed out of the now defunct Magic Mushroom Band, Astralasia, known as "wizards" of psychedelic electronica, offer music to melt to, and a performance from them is likely to be, turbulent, meditative, transformative; an immersive trip. Tickets for this one start at £8.50 and in the interval, there'll be a chance to win a traditional, psychedelic raffle prize! Just kidding, there's no interval all the way through from 11pm to 3am! If just thinking about staying up that late has you reaching for the cocoa, we've got a more civilised alternative which promises a slightly different illusory and fanciful experience. The ever-inventive troupe at The Pocketwatch Theatre Company add their creative twist to Kenneth Grahame's classic riverbank tale, Wind in the Willows, with live original score and beautiful handcrafted puppets. Their family friendly and traditionally versatile performance will be brought to Torquay museum on 15th and 16th February with 4 performances in total and tickets starting at a bargain £8; a great way to wrap up half-term! Finally, we want to let you know about a great new CIC delivering arts workshops with a difference. Somewhere between a square and circle, you’ll find the Squircle Arts team. This roaming band of creative folks like nothing better than a pop up arts workshop and they’ve got a packed calendar for February in locations across Torbay. Whether you’re a big person or a little person, they’ve got something on offer for everyone from Collagraph Printmaking, to Linocuts, to Stone Age Cave Art. The best way to keep track of them is on their Facebook page (/squirclearts) where they’ll be confirming their February dates soon! Here at the gallery we’re far from quiet! We’ve got our Cocktails and Conversation launch on February 1st, followed by an Artist Preview event on February 2nd. Creative Writing with Harula Ladd returns on the 5th, Steve Jenner headlines our Acoustic Night on the 19th, and Robert Garnham returns with Stanza Extravaganza on the 26th! Full details of all of the events in this month’s update can be found on our website, www.art-hub.co.uk! #BeachHut #CultureUpdate #February2018 #SquircleArts #TorquayMuseum #TheAttic

Earlier this year we grabbed a rare chance to get away for a few days whilst things were a little quieter at the gallery. With plans to meet up with friends and colleagues we started out break in London, a place that we love to visit. It’s frenetic and noisy but bursting with visual experiences from the multi-faceted architecture, to the amazing views be it a glimpse or a panorama seen from a great height. We loved our stay at the quirky Citizen M near Tower Bridge in London in January. The public areas offer sprawling seating spaces, fabulous views and great interior design, whilst the pod style bedrooms are unashamedly modern with a touch of the sci-fi about them, from the view into the atrium with its moving sculptures, to the tablets which control everything from the TV to the lights. I can’t visit London without a trip to a gallery or two and having a few days to myself whilst partner Brian worked, I managed a leisurely stroll around Tate Britain, The National and Tate Modern. Impossible to cover it all but here’s some of the highlights. Tate Britain In 1889 Henry Tate, an industrialist who had made his fortune as a sugar refiner, offered his collection of British nineteenth-century art to the nation and provided funding for the first Tate Gallery. Tate was a great patron of Pre-Raphaelite artists and his bequest of 65 paintings to the National Gallery included John Everett Millais’ Ophelia 1851–2 and J.W.Waterhouse’s The Lady of Shalott 1888. The bequest was turned down by the trustees because there was not enough space in the gallery. A campaign was begun to create a new gallery dedicated to British art. With the help of an £80,000 donation from Tate himself, the gallery at Millbank, now known as Tate Britain, was built and opened in 1897. Tate’s original bequest of works, together with works from the National Gallery, formed the founding collection. It is now well known for founding the Turner Prize in 1984, an annual award open to British Artists working primarily in Britain or an artist born in Britain working anywhere, and established to encourage wider interest in contemporary art and assist in acquiring new works. Bernard Cohen is one of Britain’s most significant abstract painters and the Tate holds ten of his works in the permanent collection. He was born in 1933 and came to prominence during the 60’s. Although unashamedly abstract they are created with a strong understanding for tradition and connect with everyday experience with each one telling a story or series of stories that encompasses the process itself as well as the resulting image. Cohen has used many different techniques and materials to produce his works resulting in pieces that are rich in texture, and colour with overlapping patterns, shapes and lines resulting in multiple images, the stories, in each composition. When viewing his work one is compelled to focus on details of his work to take time to explore and understand how each of the elements interconnect, and then to step back to experience them together as one coherent picture. Turning to something that might be more at home at the Tate’s sister gallery, Tate Modern, is Marguerite Humeau’s, large and dramatic installation, Echoes. Marguerite Humeau is a French artist living and working in London and this her latest installation is part of the Art Now series at the Tate. A melodic hum, a synthetic version of Cleopatra’s voice, draws you into a room of brightly painted walls, sound and sculpture. Part temple, part laboratory the space explores the confrontational relationship with life and death. At it’s centre are two semi-abstracted sculptures based on Ancient Egyptian Gods surrounded by long tubes that pump alligator blood, hormones and other fluids around the installation synthesising the production of an elixir for eternal life. We learn that the yellow of the walls replicates the colour of the venom of the black mamba python in order to evoke Cleopatra’s death and remind us of nature’s lethal powers. Individual Works that stuck out for me were Chris Ofili’s No Woman No Cry which he created in 1998 and was part of his exhibit that won him the Turner Prize in the same year; fellow Turner Prize winner, Rachael Whitehead’s Untitled (One Hundred Spaces) and Richard Hamilton’s Fashion Plate. No Woman No Cry is a tribute to the London teenager Stephen Lawrence who was murdered in a racially motivated attack in 1993. In each of the tears shed by the woman in the painting is a collaged image of Stephen Lawrence’s face, while the words ‘R.I.P. Stephen Lawrence’ are just discernible beneath the layers of paint. As well as this specific reference, the artist intended the painting to be read as a universal portrayal of melancholy and grief. Forming part of a major exhibition of her work at the Tate, Untitled (One Hundred Spaces) is made up of one hundred component parts arranged in a grid. Each piece is the cast from the underside of a found chair, made in coloured resin. Fashion-plate is a print related to the series Cosmetic Studies in which Hamilton put together fragments of photographs of models from fashion magazines. It caught my eye because it reminded me of some pieces we had here in the gallery when we ran our Anonymous Artist exhibition. The National Gallery In 1824 the house of commons had purchased a collection of paintings from the banker, John Julius Angerstein, with the intent that these should form the core of a national collection of art work held for the enjoyment and education of all, but it wasn’t until 1831 that it was decided to construct a dedicated building, the National Gallery at Trafalgar Square to house these and other works with the building finally opening in 1838. For a time, the Royal Academy of Arts was also housed here but moved to it’s new building in Piccadilly in 1869. Since then there have been further additions with a new wing and dome added in 1876, five new galleries added in 1907 by extending into the barracks and by 1991 the Sainsbury Wing had been added and was opened. The National is all about the Masters, housing those paintings that we all know so well and that I never tire of viewing, invariably seeing some detail that I have not spotted before, with no visit complete without seeking out some of the originals that inspire Anna Grayson’s pastiches, which we hold here permanently at Artizan. Tate Modern In December 1992 the Tate Trustees announced their intention to create a separate gallery for international modern and contemporary art in London but it wasn’t until 1994 that the site for it was identified. Redundant since 1981, the former Bankside Power Station was an inspired choice. Some may have been tempted to radically change the space ridding it of any hint as to its former use but the appointment of Swiss architects Herzog & De Meuron whose proposal retained much of the original character of the building has ensured that the integrity of the original building remains. Since it opened in May 2000, more than 40 million people have visited Tate Modern. It is one of the UK’s top three tourist attractions and generates an estimated £100 million in economic benefits to London annually. Lots of free exhibits here and you would certainly need a whole day or more to take it all in so with sadly not that much time, I headed for the Materials and Objects Exhibit, a display across several rooms which looks at the inventive ways in which artists around the world increasingly use diverse materials which at one time may have been considered unsuitable for art. With this new no boundaries freedom to create, some artists employ industrial materials and methods, while others adapt craft skills, or put the throwaway products of consumer society to new uses, such as El Anatsui’s Ink Splash II, flattened bottle tops stitched together to create a large shimmering metal cloth, and Louise Nevelson’s large sculptures made from packing crates, old furniture and scrap timber, although the story behind her pieces went deeper. She spent much of her life in New York City, which she saw as ‘a great big sculpture’, and her work embodies the ever-changing clutter of the urban metropolis. In the late 1950s, household refuse proliferated as many run-down neighbourhoods faced demolition and redevelopment. Nevelson collected and assembled these objects for works like Black Wall1959 as the title suggests painted black as many of her pieces were, unifying the disparate components and obscuring decorative details. However, she also produced groups of works painted in white and gold, such as An American Tribute to the British People 1960–4. Reminiscent of an altarpiece, its design chimes with the ceremonial titles that Nevelson often chose for her most ornamented constructions. In contrast to these individual pieces was Sheela Gowda’s spectacular installation Behold, made from car bumpers and human hair, and taking up an entire room. This piece absolutely needs the narrative to fully appreciate its significance. Her work is rooted in her experience of daily life in Bengalaru (formerly Bangalore), India, observing the coexistence of ritual and superstition alongside modern urban and economic transformation. For Behold 2009 she was inspired by the humble talismans of human hair that are knotted around car bumpers to ward off bad luck. Fragile hair supports the stronger, heavier metal, just as it is believed to protect the technologically advanced machine.The hair comes from local temples, where it is cut off as a sacrificial offering when pilgrims fulfil sacred vows. In today’s consumer driven world, the longer lengths are sold to make wigs or supply keratin for beauty products, while the shorter sections are kept to make protective talismans, such as those used by motorists. Roughly four thousand metres of corded hand-woven hair have been netted into mesh forms and hung from the ceiling to wrap around and suspend the chromed steel car bumpers, the fragile hair supports the stronger, heavier metal, just as it is believed to protect the technologically advanced machine. By then I had run out of time so no chance to have a play on SUPERFLEXES, One, Two, Three, Swing in the Turbine Hall which looked a lot of fun so I guess I need to get back there sometime as it will remain in situ until October this year. #London #2018 #Arts #Tate #TateBritain #TateModern

We are delighted to see so many of our regular exhibitors at Artizan Gallery taking part in this Exhibition during February. It will bring together works from the Brixham, Devon and Torbay Art Societies, in the stunning setting of the Spanish Barn. This promises to be an eclectic, inspiring and popular event and best of all, it's free. #ArtsampCulture #TorreAbbey #Torquay

Coming Back Painting was always there, a silent friend, my companion, a place to lose myself. However it had also become a bone of contention so for the last ten years I had seldom picked up a paintbrush. When I did the work was hurried, frequently unfinished and in all honesty average. Now, I stood in my empty back room, the evening light pouring in through the window. The clocks had gone forward, and I was alone, at the time I thought it was going to be forever. The evening stretched out, no food to cook. No-one to complain about the mess. Just me and paint. He was dead. In the past I had always painted boats, there had been a time when they were even sought after. So, it was boats that I went back to. My daughter called them my happy boats and bizarrely that's what they became. Except now they were my companions on a journey back. The evening light cast shadows in the room, the work was loose rather unformed, finally I went to bed knowing that in the morning it would still be there. Exactly where I left it. In that first year I decided not to count the cost of anything. I still have no idea what it was, there was trauma after trauma and finally I found my way to a house by the sea where I can stand on my balcony listening to the sound of the halliards ringing. The room has two velux windows and runs the length of the top floor. Painting now takes place between the kitchen table, a much-loved relic from the past, my fridge and my cooker. The table cloth has paint splatters on as does the floor. Painting still marks stages in my journey. I now paint in oils; the early work was always gouache because I could hide it away quickly. In between times there were the acrylic landscapes. Abroad in Australia, the daughter of my new man gave me her dead mothers acrylic paint and started me on a new and unexpected voyage. We were in a Adelaide hills, in an indescribably beautiful place, I sat outside painting what I saw, canvas from the local cheap shop propped up on an old bench. The Australian series was painted over two or three trips. Along the way I discovered the Australian impressionists. Tom Roberts is now one of my heroes. The light and the dust captured perfectly. From there we followed the step-daughter to The Orkneys and finally there is the commission to paint vegetables for a company filling boxes with organic veg. I work in London now, I would love to retire to the sea to paint. However, as a self-taught painter I have no provenance according to galleries, however I am not sure I really care anymore. The work and my journey speak for themselves really. #Artists #ArtistStories #BeyondDevon

Blazing Flame Quintet are among the most original of the new wave of bands in the UK. Live they are Big Music and visceral in delivery. They are centred around the story-songs of Steve Day – behind him are a bass/drum team that ‘speak’ the power of subtle funk to rhythm. Mark Langford on tenor sax/bass clarinet has a phenomenal improv sound that can ignite a club. He’s partnered by Peter Evans’ “stunning” electric violin. On one level they slice jazz, go higher and they are dark theatre, at the core BFQ are a great night out for the head, heart and body. Rigobert Dittman called them “an alchemical flame.” A highpoint evening guaranteed. View on YouTube Listen “... hugely impressive..... (the audience) really enjoyed the challenge of your music and performance...(and) came away raving about the band.” Geraldine Hill-Male, Chew Valley Arts Project (2017) “I am repeatedly listening to the latest Blazing Flame CD – it is mind-blowing. Previous albums by Steve Day were really good too, but the band have topped themselves with this one. The blending of the music, vocals, poetry really works. It is a joy to listen to from beginning to end. Suits my mood too! Like David Lynch and David Byrne hurled into the twilight zone. In an ideal world, such a project/record should be number one. I hope to catch them live someday…… Glad such records are being made. It is very pleasing and healthy on the mind and heart.” David Cristol, (The Jazz Magazine) 2017, France. #Jazz #Music #Torbay #Ad #Event