This is our Newsletter of 8 July 2021. If you’d like to receive our semi-regular round-up into your inbox, sign up here. 

‘Place In The Community’ is the title of an exciting project within our Heritage exploration. David Partington of Partington’s Pots is lead artist and is using clay as a material for exploring and expressing aspects of the Mill’s past and present. The perfect little pot pictured above was produced from the very clay beneath our feet, extracted from under the courtyard cobbles. Other participatory workshops have produced miniature clay models of the Mill itself made by the talented children of St Philip’s Primary School, plus a collection of self-made tenant’s heads moulded from clay. Read more about these wonderful projects here.

We’re always looking for stories about Islington Mill, especially the period prior to the 1990s. Contact jess@islingtonmill.com with stories, memories or to ask questions.

Partisan Collective are commissioning 6 artists to create new artwork that will decorate the exterior of their new home at Regent Trading Estate beside Islington Mill. The chosen applicants will work with artist Heather Chambers to develop their piece. No previous shutter or wall painting experience required. There is a fee of £200 for the selected work. All applicants must be in Greater Manchester and aged 18 or over. Read more about this opportunity here.

Photographer Joe Smith is undertaking a project called Your Hopes For The Future and is looking for participants. Joe says: “Working amongst a national collective of photographers and loosely inspired by the UK leaving the EU I’ve been meeting people I’ve never met before to capture their portraits. I’m looking to meet and photograph more new faces to contribute to the project. 
Along the way, I’ve also been asking participants to share their hopes for the future as part of an informal recorded interview. Please get in touch if you would like to be involved.” You can email Joe on joe@joesmithphoto.com

PROFORMA are busy with some inspiring creative activities this year. Developing the twin city relationship between Manchester / Chemnitz, PROFORMA and Begehungen offer an annual artist & curator residency programme exploring ideas of remoteness, duality and interconnectedness.

PROFORMA X Begehungen 2021 will simultaneously host two artist residencies, digital and physical, at Islington Mill and the former Altendorf freight station, Chemnitz. Artists are Nicola Dale (pictured above) and Parham Ghalamdar. Exhibition runs 13–15 August and is ticketed. Read more here.

Also from PROFORMA, the LOITER project will live again via new streamed versions on 14 August (see website and Facebook) and in a limited edition LOITER guidebook created in collaboration with Shy Bairns. The guidebook is a portal to the artworks across Chapel Street without the need to traverse the route in person. Available to buy here. There’s a great intro to LOITER written by Natalie Bradbury at Corridor8.

Broken Grey Wires is a contemporary art organisation working with communities, critically acclaimed artists, and major institutions to provide inspiration and opportunities for people with mental health difficulties. They are currently planning a major exhibition at The Auxiliary Gallery, Middlesbrough for May 2022 which will feature work by artists such as Martin Creed, Daniel Johnston, Pipilotti Rist, Gillian Wearing and Bill Viola. There is a Crowdfunder to assist with the show and you can read more about BGW here.

Mill artist Owen Herbert takes part in a group show entitled Acting on Behalf of Thinking (AOBOT), bringing together an assemblage of works that explore sculpture as a performative site of critical inquiry. The show is curated by PINK and runs 12 July to 13 August at 86 Princess St.

More Partisan Collective news, this time a PARTY. The Partisan All Day Party #16 takes place on the carpark of Regents Trading Estate on 24 July, offering an alternative to late night clubbing in Greater Manchester. This is currently a seated event but if restrictions lift on 19 July they will be pushing tables aside and having a dance! Tickets and info right here.

That’s all folks! Enjoy this strobey video by impaTV and Working Men’s Club for their straight up banger ‘X’. Till next time…