State of the Arts

This month we sat down with Amy Lilley, Creative Programming and Events Manager at Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and a Rotherham based creative, Uzma Rani! They deep dive into Rotherham’s big appetite for visual artist and the creative’s community in our town. They’ll discuss ways of going into events, self-development and reflection. Uzma is a Rotherham based multi disciplinary artist who began her practice in abstract impressionist painting to explore her British-Pakistani heritage, her spirituality, and love for nature. Her work has been exhibited online & in person exhibitions.She believes in the transformative power of art for wellbeing. Her work has involved social engagement with local community groups, organisations & festivals in South Yorkshire. This has included, Arabic calligraphy, abstract nature, Islamic art workshops & exploring identity and place through her projectsAmy Lilley joined Rotherham Council in Summer 2023 as the Creative Programming and Manager of the Events Team. The team are responsible for delivering large and small-scale events across Rotherham Town Centre with a range of local partners, including the council’s flagship cultural events Rotherham Show, the Christmas Light Switch On, UPLIFT and WOW Rotherham. As well as offering communities and independent event organisers advice, small grants, commission opportunities and equipment to deliver their own unique events, the team collaborate with a range of services and partners such as Flux Rotherham, Children’s Capital of Culture and Rotherham Music to bring a rich variety of free cultural experiences to Rotherham’s residents. Since joining the team Amy’s favourite moment was starting a new event, Roots: Rotherham Street Carnival, which saw giant puppets parading across the town centre with thousands of visitors and businesses enjoying the spectacle. Community groups, creative workshops, performances and educational stalls explored our individual and Rotherham’s role in helping to tackle the climate crisis and brought the high street and public spaces to life, both of which are personally important to Amy. Amy has joined the team with over 10 years of experience delivering multi-venue events, commissioning artists and programming for arts organisations in Wakefield, including Artwalk Wakefield, The Art House, Long Division Festival, The Hepworth Wakefield and Wakefield Council. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Noor Salih and Mike O'Brien sit down to explore poetry culture in Rotherham. Rich spoken word pieces, deep diving into poetry practices and how place shapes creativity. Touching base on FLUX Rotherham's Programme 'Spread the Word'. Poems from Mike O'Brien, Michael Pettinger, Glenn Barker and Paul Dyson.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month we sat down with Clifton Park Museum to learn about all the creative skills that comes with a job behind the screens of creating exhibits at the museum. Clifton Park Museum are a proud National Portfolio Organisation who work with communities to create important programming such as the ‘Days of Laughter, Days of Pain: The Miner’s Strike in Rotherham, 1984-85’. Plug in, grab a brew and listen about Rotherham’s Famous Sausages, police riot gears, the gamble of painting an entire space red, moving from a café to collections. Jenna and Rebecca are part of the Collections & Exhibitions Team for Rotherham Museums, Arts & Heritage, mainly working with the object collections belonging to Clifton Park Museum, a local authority museum in the centre of Rotherham. Rotherham Museums, Arts & Heritage is a National Portfolio Organisation and uses the Arts Council funding to provide creative opportunities for the people of Rotherham and artists. Through a programme of engagement, temporary exhibitions and co-production, the service creatively explores the heritage of Rotherham and the people who call it home. Part of Jenna and Rebecca’s job is to look after the 70,000+ objects in the collection that span from Social History and Fine Art to Natural History and Archaeology. They are also responsible for creating the hugely popular temporary exhibitions at Clifton Park Museum, most recently ‘Days of Laughter, Days of Pain: The Miner’s Strike in Rotherham, 1984-85’ and the upcoming exhibition ‘Our Habitats, Our Home’ which opens on 20th July 2024 with the return of Marco the bear. Jenna and Rebecca have differing education and work experience, not always knowing they wanted to work in museums or with collections, but use their knowledge and enthusiasm to help tell the stories of Rotherham in new, creative and fun ways.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month we have the wonderful, Penny Lee as our host. We get comfy at Riverside Records in the heart of the town centre for our town’s 3 rd WOW (Women of the World) Rotherham Festival. WOW Rotherham’s annual celebration of women, trans and non-binary people is a hub of creativity and joy where 1000s of people come together and have honest discussions. We met loads of people at the festival who have stories to share, things they want to get off their chest or something they want to celebrate. Join us as we chat with some of the creatives involved with WOW Rotherham including, MIMBRE, Big Ideas Speaker – Hazel Oakes, DJ Kativa, Angry Girls by Chol Theatre, Founder and CEO of WOW Foundation, Jude Kelly and Rotherham’s very own Tracey McDermott from Standard Chartered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month we sat down with two Rotherham sweethearts. Exploring what state their arts are in, relationships we all have with music, their stories of Rotherham and getting on the 69 bus to Sheffield to find their creative community and what Rotherham looks to them now as creatives.Your Host, Auriel Majumdar. Auriel is a Creative Coach, Consultant and Educator and the Independent Chair of FLUX Rotherham’s consortium. She grew up in Rotherham in the 1960s and 70s and now lives and works in Sheffield. She spent two years of a PhD pursuing the slippery idea that couching and supervision are art forms and she continues to explore that question in everything she does. Auriel believes that creativity is the energy that powers our lives, and she loves working in creative ways, with creative people. Meet your guest, Rian Treanor who re-imagines club culture, experimental art and computer music, presenting an insightful and compelling musical world of fractured and interlocking components. Having left a vivid impression with a string of releases on The Death of Rave & Warp sub-label Arcola, his debut album 'ATAXIA' for Planet Mu in 2019 established him as both a disruptive and essential new voice in British underground club music. His latest album 'File Under UK Metaplasm' takes inspiration from his residency at the Nyege Nyege collective's Boutique Studio in Kampala in 2018. Incorporating the high-def bass weight of his home town Sheffield with the enigmatic energy of Tanzanian Singeli and Footwork. Using the programming language Max/MSP he develops bespoke software to explore extended rhythmic techniques and algorithmic processes, building devices that enable spontaneous pattern modulation within various collaborations, workshops, live performances and installations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month we go back in time in Rotherham with two musicians who were networking long before Rotherham Creative Network were founded. A time where bands would pay to play in venues, befriending college students with cameras and running for the last train to Swinton after a sweaty gig.Meet Paul Littlewood is a musician and singer-songwriter living in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. His works have been published by Third Side Music (Canada) and released by Xtra Mile Recordings (UK) and Three Sixty Records (US). He now writes, performs, and records works with major label artist Skinny Pelembe (Partisan Records, Brownswood Recordings), whose releases have been championed by 6 Music, BBC Radio 1 and BBC 1Xtra, with LP 'Dreaming is Dead Now' receiving national and international acclaim. Paul has also led PRS Foundation, Help Musicians UK, and Arts Council England-funded music projects, mentored music artists across Yorkshire, and provided arts funding consultancy to individuals, arts organisations, and record labels.Including Daniel Whitehouse, an multi-talented individual with a career as a session musician, artist and producer, as well as an experienced educator. He has been part of various bands, including Fights (Xtra Mile Recordings), The Rossmann Frister Project (Rhythmetic Records), and Mabel Love (B-Unique). Collaborating with renowned producers like Ross Orton (MIA, Arctic Monkeys, The Fall), Steve Harris (U2, Santana, Kaiser Chiefs) and recording in legendary studios such as The Chapel. Daniel is the BA Programme Manager at WaterBear College of Music in Sheffield and alongside this works as a Music Producer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rotherham Creative Networks new podcast - State of the Arts - will bring you a 30-minute show which will host conversations between creatives. This brand new podcast will give us the chance to sit down with local creatives, learn about their practice and all corners of their world. From hobbies to full time careers, we’ll explore and have frank conversations about what it means to be creative in Rotherham. Wherever you are, you can be part of your network with our podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.