ISLINGTON MILL // NEWS // 4.9.20

This is our Newsletter of 4 September 2020. If you’d like to receive our semi-regular round-up into your inbox, sign up here.

Welcome back to the Islington Mill newsletter. We recently had a meaningful step on our heritage journey with the arrival on site of external contractors from the Salford Archaeological Department. We are custodians of a very beautiful landmark building and we are doing everything we can to preserve and document it, a duty and pleasure we take very seriously. Salford Archaeological Department used a 3D laser scanner to map the building with 360 degree views, and the potential of this has really captured our imaginations. We heard back from the team that there are plenty of areas of heritage interest so we look forward to sharing more photos and information as we get it.

In the meantime…

MEMORIES OF LIVING

Hot on the heels of Masks For Life comes our second COVID response project: Memories Of Living. For this project we’ve invited some of our artists, staff and tenants to respond to their experiences of lockdown using film, words, images and interviews. The project is funded by Arts Council England for which we are very grateful and we will be releasing one piece of new work each week. Already released is this touching and insightful piece of prose from artist Darren Adcock, and below is a short film made by staff member Greg Thorpe and edited by impaTV. Stay tuned and follow #MemoriesOfLiving for updates across our socials.

PROFORMA back in action

PROFORMA is a non-profit art, performance and curatorial platform in Greater Manchester. Founded by creative director Chris Bailkoski, PROFORMA supports artists and curators by commissioning work and providing artist exchange opportunities while offering an essential programme for artists’ development including mentoring and peer-led talks. Their newest venture is LOITER, a one-day live visual art programme highlighting the significance of our own neighbourhood, the Chapel Street area as one of the oldest trade routes connecting Manchester and Salford, and an area seemingly in constant flux. There are two artist commissions available for £1000 plus production budget to produce a piece of work about this special area. Read more here. We’ll be sure to keep you posted about developments.

Meanwhile PROFORMA have launched an online exhibition space called PAVILION where you can see rotating collections of live visual art. Currently showing is the eclectic and brilliant inaugural PROFORMA at The Dancehouse back in 2018, filmed by our own impaTV. Finally, CENSUS is a free, 1 hour mentor, crit and career development session with PROFORMA Director Chris Bailkoski. Open to any artists and curators based in the Greater Manchester region. Last Tuesdays of the month. Read all about it here.

Lone Taxidermist @ Aerial Festival

Mill artist Natalie Sharpe, alias Lone Taxidermist, in collaboration with audio and visual artists from the Mill, is currently working on an exciting project entitled Marra! The work is part of the Lake District’s Aerial Festival and premieres on 26 September. Natalie hails from Cumbria’s west coast and is returning home as a festival artist in residence to explore her upbringing through a series of short films, reflecting on life as a first generation immigrant in small town Cumbria, set against the arcane, esoteric rituals and traditions that bubble under the surface of everyday life. Read more about the festival here and we are excited to keep an eye on developements in Natalie’s work.

Artist profile: Booze & Burn

Sophie (pictured) of the delightful Booze & Burn takes old booze bottles or cans and turns them into beautiful scented soy candles. Clever recycling and gorgeous gifts, including for yourself. There are loads to choose from so check out her website or Insta to see more of her wares and the full story of this ace project.

Just before we go, if you’re on LinkedIn, give us a follow over there, we need friends! Finally as promised here is the second of three new live films by impaTV captured at the Supersonic online festival from GNOD with Joâo Pais Filipe. Read all about it at The Quietus. Lights down, volume up….