...a major new series of installations reflecting the majesty of machinery and the humanity of mass production...

Rossendale has a fascinating association with the textile industry which, although now largely disbanded, is responsible for much of the man-made geography, diverse society and demographic of the area today.

The once thriving textile industry in this area was lost in little over a generation meaning that many young people are unaware that the mills that once defined this area also employed relatives as close as their grandparents or even parents.

BEAT:TENT:HOOK is worked with 14-18 year olds in Rossendale during summer 2011 to explore this link and create an artwork like no other at Helmshore Textile Museum between October and November 2011.

http://beattenthook.org

{ this way:UP }
Chorlton, Manchester - commissioned by Chorton Arts Festival
19 May, 2011

Move beyond the street and ubiquitous shopfronts and find a new way to explore a space you may feel you already know well.

There's aspiration gazing skywards that we all too often miss just staring at our feet!

This way:UP worked with 6 community groups and over 20 artists to create works which were installed above eye level at 15 sites encouraging people to look up. Artworks were displayed throughout Chorlton from May 18 until May 30 2011.

The project was the main visual arts event of Chorlton Arts Festival and both the festival and project were launched with a special elevated performance by Damon Gough aka Badly Drawn Boy who played on the footbridge over Chorlton Precinct to an assembled throng.

A website was created to support the project and encourage audience to share their photos on Twitter.

http://breadartcollective.co.uk/thiswayup

communities foundation logo lancashire county council logo Chorlton Arts Festival (CAF) logo

{ skymirror }
Haslingden, South Pennines - commissioned by Perspectives of Pennine Lancashire (POPL) and Rossendale Borough Council - 18 September, 2010

Since someone first cut into a hillside, discovered the white chalk underneath and carved out the shape of a horse, people have been compelled to leave their mark on their surroundings.

Skymirror was a giant light installation on a hillside in the shape of the constellation Pegasus, the winged horse.

It's a response to the vast Pennine landscape and a tribute this compulsion that humankind has felt to leave its mark on the landscape since someone frst cut into a hillside, discovered the white chalk underneath and carved out the shape of a horse.

The finished work was constructed over the course of a week with the help of a team of volunteers. It's 75 metres wide, 120 metres high and uses 1800 solar powered lights. It twinkled into life each night between the 18th of September until the 16th of October, 2010.

The work was supported by a flyer with die-cut holes in the shape of the constellation so that the stars could be seen when held up to the light.

 skymirror
press release
perspectives of pennine lancashire (POPL) logo rossendale borough council logo
national lottery logo renaissance logo lancashire county council logo Skymirror is dedicated to John Henderson

{ flashlight }
Chorlton, Manchester - commissioned by Chorlton Arts Festival
22 May, 2010

Flashlight invites members of a local community to combine forces and illuminate their neighbourhood. It's art by flashmob!

In the run up to the event, 10,000 A3 flyers were distributed locally. Each flyer could be folded to make an origami lantern. Counterfoils on the flyer were be returned to the artists in exchange for a light kit to make the lantern glow.

On the day of the event participants received instructions asking them to assemble their light, put it in their lantern and place it in a specific location at specific time and in a specific way e.g. "place your lanterns in a row along the path through the graveyard by the green. Space them about a metre apart."

Chorlton folded over 400 lanterns folded and many, many more people saw, stopped, looked and chatted about it. Flashlight was acclaimed as one of the highlights of the festival.

A lot of people pulled together to make the event the success it was. So thanks to: the Chorlton Arts Festival Committee and volunteers, Chorlton Arts Radio, everyone who distributed flyers and helped on the night, Axis Graphic Design (and work experience student extraordinaire Kael).

 download
Flashlight Press Pack

download
Flashlight Proposal

{ ffosfforescence }
Penarth Pier, Penarth, Cardiff - commissioned by Ffotogallery and The Washington Gallery - 5th December 2009

BREAD were commissioned to devise a work to celebrate the 80th birthday of the pier and highlight the Save Penarth Pavillion campaign. We developed a light balloon that would glow and shimmer with the waves. 150 balloons were tethered in the sea right around the pier. As the tide rose, the balloons burst, leaving only a faint outline of what was once there.

This was an ambitious work. The pier is huge - over 200m long - and in an area with a tidal range of 14m. As well as the light balloons, the work required the positioning of 45 heavy building blocks, 1400 metres of rope, 350 batteries, and 400 LEDS.

The key to the success of the work was the strong involvement of the community. An initial workshop a week before the event began to encourage engagement. A larger workshop on the day was attended by over 30 participants who constructed the light balloons and carried them to the pier.

It is estimated that around 250 people visited the event throughout the course of the evening. We hope to be able to tour the work to other piers in the UK.
{ back to the top }

{ intentions }
Big Chill Festival - August 2010

{ wintervention }
Chorlton, Manchester - January 2010

BREAD were invited to speak at the Words in Motion tent at the Big Chill festival 2010. To support this we put tents around the camping areas with shadows in which stopped people in their tracks to have a second look.

We used cut A4 sized stencils of people dressing or undressing and lit them with a torch. While deliberately not risque they explored the changing sense of privacy one feels while living in close proximity to strangers and contrasted this with the natural sense of voyeurism one feels when inadvertently stumbling across an intimate moment.

Working with Caro Snatch and Michelle Green we created a series of tags with words, phrases and lyrics which we lit up and left glowing throughout the site.

Wintervention explored how natural materials could be used in our work to minimise these effect of putting non-degradable materials into the environment as part of our practice.

We took advantage of a cold snap to use snow and ice to make lanterns. Initially made from snow balls and built outside friends' houses, we subsequently developed the use of a mould to place lanterns throughout Chorlton.

Although a cold experience, it was fun to talk to passers by about the work and enjoyable to see how others slowed down for a minute to have a look and wonder what it was all about!
{ back to the top }

we have lots of ideas for new projects that are just waiting for the right moment or opportunity to bring them out of development and into the world

let us know if any pique your curiousity..!

{ shadow giants }
with Horse + Bamboo Theatre

myth and legend brought to life as giant shadows which dance through the city.

we will install a number of puppets throughout a town to be manipulated by members of the public which cast shadows onto distant buildings or landscape.

{ contour }
 

Contour explores a landscape by laying a trail of light to expose a hidden night time terrain making it visible for miles around. It is a work which people will both go specifcally to see and which others will stumble across.

{ sounds and spaces}
with Joe Harrison, Eve Harrison, Hannah McCabe and Helen Beauchamp

we will reframe the traditional relationship between choral music and ecclesiastic architecture for modern, public spaces using acoustic instruments.

this project explores the choral tradition of composing music that is intrinsically linked to the space in which is is performed.

having completed a feasibilty stage, we are currently seeking funding to develop the finished work.

{ urban meadow }

inspired by balmy summer nights abroad, we will build some mechanical cicadas that will respond to light and heat and vibrate accordingly.

by placing these so they tap against various objects (bins, benches, windows,...) we'll create a soundscape unique to the space we're working in.


download
Urban Meadow Pr.

{ 10,000 }

"i'll never get that job finished!"

our lives are filled with tasks which, although seemingly endless, are wholly finite

we'll explore this concept in a performance piece by attempting to drill 10,000 holes in a sheet of metal, marked every 10 seconds by a laser.

of course, some will be missed and the sheets will form a unique record of the passage of time during each performance

{ busk service }
with Eve Harrison and Hannah McCabe

a terrible pun but a great idea!

we'll fill an area with music by placing performers at busk stops.

the public will consult their busk timetable and follow the busk route around the different stops and even have a go themselves at the busk station under the guidance of the busk conductor!
{ back to the top }

{ we are BREAD...

a collaboration formed in November 2009 between Bristol and Manchester based artists Ruth Essex, Kate Moran and David Boultbee.

...and we }

use light, sound and simple technologies with a strong social focus to create works which gently ask you to stop for a moment and take in your surroundings in the hope that you'll notice something new.

{ david boultbee }



David has a background in usability, interactive design and electronics. He is an experienced practitioner and workshop leader and has worked extensively with Luke Jerram.

He was awarded an action research bursary in September 2010 by Longhouse to study the effects of "human weathering".

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curriculum vitae

{ kate moran }



Kate is a Manchester-based musician. She currently works as a violin and viola teacher for Manchester Music Service, directs Manchester Youth String Orchestra, is an experienced workshop leader and plays English folk music in Boldwood.

{ ruth essex }



Ruth is a Bristol-based artist, musician and community arts project manager.

She has worked as a community artist on projects in the UK, France, Germany and New Zealand ranging from design and directing carnival parades, stencil street art, piano singalong events and fusing live drum and bass with tap dancing.

At the heart of her work is devising methodologies whereby people can connect to the arts either as participants or audience.

{ email }

dboultbee@gmail.com

{ phone }

+44 (0) 774 884 7029

site design by David Boultbee ©2010