As part of our Vacant Space project, Axis take on empty commercial properties and hand access over to our members. We are keen to support and stimulate growth in regional arts by providing resources, advice, and by empowering artists. By providing access to empty properties Axis can help ‘artist-led’ ecologies grow and connect with a wider local public.
Access to these spaces has been difficult over the course of the pandemic, but now, as things start to open up, we are extremely pleased to be able to share a little insight into some of these developing projects.
Red Lite Radio is a multidisciplinary collaborative arts project that supports emerging and existing contemporary artists and musicians across Merseyside and Sefton. The project has recently piloted its first run which was composed of 3 visual artists and 8 performers. The aim of the project is to engage with artists across various disciplines and create opportunities to connect practitioners who wouldn't usually find themselves working together due to the nature of their practices.
Red Lite Radio wants to rekindle bridges between creative disciplines by facilitating opportunities for dynamic and multifaceted collaborative performances. We want to create a rich creative and cultural melting pot that has something for everybody in the pursuit of making a stream of content that is accessible to all. Ultimately we want everybody to have fun meeting new people and the artists and individuals involved to enjoy the experience of working together on a team project. Hopefully it initiates a thirst for future collaborations to happen between those involved outside of the Red Lite Radio sphere. It would be grand if the relationships continued after the project duration. Once finished, the artists receive professionally filmed and documented material that they can take away to use in their own portfolios whilst also being promoted via the relevant platforms supporting the project.
We are currently looking at funding for our next series which will contain 15 artists, musicians and performers from across Merseyside and Sefton. We hope on the next series to highlight the space we are working in a little more which is currently situated in the old M&S retail store in the Bootle New Strand Shopping Centre. We will be looking to work with at least 3 artists from the Bootle area and will be aiming to highlight the creative potential and opportunity that spaces such as these can provide for the ever growing creative arts scenes in Merseyside and Sefton.
Project Coordinator/Curator - Daniel O'Dempsey
Sound Producer - Rich Bond
Filmographer - Pete Richards
Space provided by partnership with The Royal Standard and Axis.
Caitlin Gilligan featuring artwork by Max Mallender - Photo credit: Pete Richards
Kate O'Dempsey and Dan Fell featuring artwork by Daniel O'Dempsey Artwork - Photo credit: Pete Richards
Calum Gilligan featuring artwork by Max Mallender - Photo credit: Pete Richards
Margaret O'Brien Installation - Photo credit: Daniel O'Dempsey
‘Umbrella’ is an artist-led, community focused and socially-driven art collective, founded by a small team of three Welsh practising artists — our ethos is ‘art for all’. Our aim is to become a working space that will have a positive contribution to our community.
Umbrella is an active, diverse and creative space for emerging artists, facilitating the development of creative practices, professional progress and networking. Using our connections within the arts community, we want Umbrella to become an integral part of the Cardiff arts scene, as we recognise the value in learning from each other, and sharing knowledge, skills and experience, exploring this through hosting open-discussion, artists talks and workshops, exhibitions and residencies.
Pictured are images from our most recent event ‘SHOW 3’. This, our third exhibition, bringing together recent work from the Umbrella team and its associates.
Umbrella HQ, Capitol Shopping Centre Cardiff.
(Left to right) Caitlin Flood-Molyneux, Sara Treble-Parry, Marek Llska, Morgan Dowdall, Lucy Magee, Luke Roberts, Morgan Dowdall.
(Left to right) Caitlin Flood-Molyneux, Sara Treble-Parry, Marek Llska, Morgan Dowdall.
(Left to right) Lucy Magee, Luke Roberts, Morgan Dowdall, Lauren Enoch, Abi Birkinshaw, Magda Lackowska.
Axis is committed to supporting artists and showcasing the work that they do. If you are interested in joining Axis, you can find more information on our different membership offers here.
