During October and November, we hosted a very special project at the Art Hostel. Working in collaboration with artist, Janine Sykes, we were lucky to put on a series of events as part of the Seeding Art Currency programme. One of these events was a guest talk with Joy Hindmoor, the artist responsible for the colourful vinyls which were on the walls of the hostel during the Seeding Art Currency residency.

We caught up with Joy to hear more about her inspirations and her work which explores natural forms, such as seeds, shells and bacteria.

Inspiration

“I have always been inspired by natural patterning within natural forms; the detail is different in every leaf, shell, bacteria and so on. Bacteria is interesting because it’s something that can grow and adapt depending on a range of factors including heat. Within my patterns I like to look at a collection of objects or shapes – this is possible with bacteria and coral. The natural forms I use are all bright and colourful, this is something which is extremely important within my patterns.

“Obviously, I wanted to create something that would be involved with the idea of the ‘Art Hostel’ so I wanted to use the space as much as I could. Using the vinyl allowed me to use the space around me and the space became the inspiration for my pattern. The floor, for example, has loads of interesting marks and spots of old paint on it which created a pattern of some sorts so I decided to go with this and make my pattern in random sections of the area I was presenting in.”

Creating the piece

“The starting point for this piece was partly handmade. I began to sketch and created a quick doodle of a pattern I liked and wanted to expand on. This was then scanned into Adobe Illustrator and edited so the pattern grew and the colours were added. Once this was finished, the pattern was sent to print onto vinyl and shipped.

“When I received it, I was a bit apprehensive about using it because I’ve never used vinyl before but I gave it a go and started cutting out the various sections ready to stick. I had no real plan of where to place each sticker and found myself falling into a creative meditation when fixing them to the wall so I suppose the handmade was also in the installation because that was the creation of the finished product.”

The medium

“When installing I cut and stuck the coloured vinyl pieces on to the walls but I had a lot of spare peel from the vinyl. I collected this in a pile and on reflection found it could demonstrate the contrast in living and dead coral; when a coral reef begins to die the coral changes to bleach white and becomes brittle. I thought that this could demonstrate the amount of unnecessary plastic we waste if I were to create a piece focusing on changes within the environment.

“My work clearly presents seeds portrayed through patterns and how these individually can be formed into a multiple to create a pattern. As well as this I believe that transience is also presented through the use of installation within my work. These can only be a temporary display which is soon to be removed, however this can be recycled to create a fresh piece of work in the future.”

Aspirations

“Currently, I am working as an art technician at a secondary school and I am hoping to start teaching after Easter at the school I am currently working at. In my spare time I’m constantly creating new work and being involved with various projects through East Street Arts.

“My long term aspirations are to hopefully find a studio space somewhere in Leeds where I can take time out of work and my personal life to relax and create. This is something I am still working on and hope to get soon.”

Did you hear Joy’s guest talk? What did you think? Tell us in the comment below.

We’re looking to work with socially motivated people to create the most unique, hospitable  and curious place to stay in Leeds

What’s in it for you?
We know all the best places in Leeds, we are embedded in the independent DIY scene in and are part of the cultural underbelly of the city. But aside from that, you’ll have the opportunity to collaborate with an artist to create one of our fantastic rooms and you’ll also have your name in lights at our hostel and in our promotions too!

Our new hostel will be based on New York Road in Mabgate and follows the success of our pop-up pilot space which launched on Kirkgate in 2016. Since we opened our doors, we’ve hosted more than 9,000 guests from 115 countries! As with our current little hostel, each room in our new building will be designed by a different artist or collaborative, offering a unique and vibrant place to stay in the city.

Ok, so what do I need to do?
You can find out more about our brand new hostel here and if you want to be part of it, contact Nicola Greenan: nicola@esamail.org.uk or Faye Knowles: faye@esamail.org.uk

As Seeding Art Currency comes to a close, we’ve been reflecting on the project and the wonderful events we’ve been lucky to host here at the hostel.
Remember our very first SAC event? It was a spectacle of rhythm and movement by musician and dance artist, Nii Kwartey Owoo. Nii performed ‘The Harvest’, a personal response to the struggle of hunger and sacrifice found in his community. The passionate live performance was followed by a sharing of food.
We caught up with Nii to find out a bit more about his involvement with music and dance, and how he goes about preparing for a performance.

Nii Kwartey Owoo, Leeds by Mary Owoo (2018)

Can you remember your first involvement with dance, drumming or any other form of performance?

“I was less than a year old in my first ever performance and this was with both my mum and dad in a production ‘Miamo Mi’ (keep me safe in your arms), with me being the centre of the performance at the National Theatre of Ghana. I like being told about this performance and other stories that evolved around putting this production together and it makes me strongly believe that I am destined for the stage.

“My earliest memory of drumming is pretending to play the talking drums embossed on the Ghanaian currency by that time, 50 pesewas, producing the sounds with my mouth. At the age of 4, I was playing and dancing at the graduation for the six year olds who had completed kindergarten and were moving on to class one.”

Pesewas Coin

“My family house was, by then, the dance hub for all performing arts artists who have now become big names in West African music, dance and theatre. Growing up and seeing dance and theatre on my doorstep and the constant lingering of music in my head was the most amazing thing to me, especially because I always had a natural interest in becoming a performing artist. Knowing the early beginnings of these great people and their artistic journey motivated me to follow in their footsteps.

“Since then, I knew exactly what I wanted to become.”

Do you have any routines to prepare yourself mentally/physically for a performance?

“Most of my performances are and have been accompanied by stories, imageries, characters and beliefs. When preparing for a performance, I always start to retell the story to myself with music, recalling the voices of elders and people who have told this story to me or are part of it. Along with proverbs, I try to imagine myself in the centre of all of this and once in this state it’s almost as real as it can be in my imagination.”

Nii Kwartey Owoo and Chief Linguist pouring libation at the House of Owooman, Accra, Bright Senanu Agbosu (2018)

“Once I have been there and revisited the story, I can give an accurate artistic account of it. I then try to imagine myself presenting this with all the rehearsals, markers, timelines and body language, in what I call ‘watch me, watching. I show respect and homage to the original characters of these stories handed down to me and with the blessing of my ancestors and permission to retell their stories, I share them with people who did not get to meet the original storytellers. It is important to me that these characters are celebrated for what they left behind.

“Finally, into the present. The audience is waiting. My focus is on the routine. I encourage myself by looking back at a previous performance and the positive feedback from the audience while I stretch and get ready. Everything checked. I want more!”

Your performances are deeply rooted in your own cultural heritage but how did you create ‘The Harvest’ performance?

“The initial idea came from a conversation I had with artist and curator Louise Dwyer on an earlier research she was conducting, through which I got to share the spirituality, symbolism, activities and traditions around the Homowo festival of my Ga tribe in Accra, Ghana.

“Working closely together with Louise was key in being able to respond to the theme of the exhibition, whilst also giving an accurate account of the Homowo festival. Reflecting on my own experience of the festival in Ghana over the summer and the years I spent growing up in my community, I combined my traditional knowledge and memories together with rhythms, sounds, movement and words to create this contemporary performance piece. Furthermore, being under some time constraints meant my practice was reactive and I also had to adapt what I wanted to create to the performance space at the Art Hostel.”

Traditional Ceremony at Homowo Festival, GaMashie, Accra, Bright Senanu Agbosu (2018)

How was the performance on the night at Art Hostel?

“We were at the venue the night before the performance putting light, sound and seating in place and also to see how practically the space would work for the performance and the sharing of food. The whole performance had to be reworked to suit the venue, which worked very well in the end.

“The performance was well attended, with an interesting mix of people in the audience: people from the diaspora, visitors to the Art Hostel, Ghanaians, other artists and those working within the arts sector. The Art Hostel staff and volunteers were very helpful and receptive and I would be happy to present work in the space again.”

Nii performing “The Harvest”, The Art Hostel, Leeds, by Mary Owoo (2018)

How important was the sharing of food following the performance?

“The sharing of food was equally as important as the story itself, not only does it give people the opportunity to try the food, but eating from the same plate and bowl is very symbolic as it unifies and brings people together. In the context of the UK where people would normally not eat from the same plate, this part of the event helped bind us together, leaving personal differences aside. You take your share of the food and pass it on with a smile to the next person, trying to identify the ingredients and flavours, turning to the person beside you and saying it tastes good or interesting and ‘oh, I like the sauce’ – it bonds people together.”

Nii performing “The Harvest”, The Art Hostel, Leeds, by Mary Owoo (2018)

“This completed the whole performance and embodied the essence of the Homowo festival, where people come together to ‘hoot at hunger.’ It also gave everyone the chance to have that spiritual contact with all those who lost their lives before the seeds were planted and harvested. It brought everyone closer to my ancestors and not just to see and appreciate the dance piece but to share and dine with my ancestors in ‘hooting at hunger.’”

What are you working on currently?

“My main focus for the new year will be my contemporary choreographic work, as I will be involved in an artist development programme with ACE dance and music, in Birmingham. During this time I will be completing some residencies and creating new work with a range of professional dancers and re-working some of my choreographic pieces, including ‘The Struggle of Man’ and ‘The Harvest’.

“I have several other projects I am currently working on, one longstanding project is an online community radio station in Accra, Radio GaMashie, which provides a platform for young people to learn DJ and broadcasting skills. I also currently teach West African dance at Yorkshire Dance and West African Drumming in Leeds. I will also be teaching on the 24th November 2018, a day of West African Drumming and Dance in North Leeds. You can find out more about it at www.miishe.com.”

Radio GaMashie volunteers, GaMashie, Accra, by Bright Senanu Agbosu (2018)

“The Harvest” was curated by MA Curation Practices course student, Louise Dwyer.

How did you find working with a curator to perform ‘The Harvest’ as part of Seeding Art Currency?

“Louise made clear suggestions throughout the process which was good for me because she questioned my work, trying to make sure the end product communicates well to anyone watching. Working with a curator also helped me to refine what to include in the piece and how to convey my messages through the performance.”

Louise saw Nii perform and lead a group of artists and musicians at the Leeds Library as part of the ‘Island to Island’ exhibition earlier this year. Her interests led her to study how art can cross boundaries and open up storytelling and audience engagement.

“Through my own studies during my MA Curation Practices course, I have become engrossed in the aspect of art in other forms linked to museums and galleries, and have become more aware of the elements in Nii’s work”

Did you see Nii’s performance? Let us know about your experience in the comments below.

We love winter in Leeds. Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, there’s lots of events happening across the city for you to get involved with this December. Here’s a little rundown of some of the stuff to see and do (this blog post comes with a warning…some of its content is pretty darn festive!).

34 Boar Lane – Inflatable Architectures and The Tool Emporium
Okay, we’re gonna do a shameless little East Street Arts plug here, but we promise it’ll be worth it. There’s a series of awesome events happening at 34 Boar Lane, the ground floor space just close to the train station. See some giant inflatable architectures from Leeds Art University on Friday 7 December (10am to 3pm) or check out an exhibition about the old tool emporium from Leeds Beckett students on Friday 14 December (5-6pm). Click here to find out more!

Thor’s Tipi at Victoria Gardens
It’s baaaack!! A beautifully comfy cosy pop-up tipi bar. Thor’s Tipi is hygge central with log fires, fairy lights and festivity in the form of mulled wine and hot cider. We’d recommend a walk around the Christmas markets (see more below) followed by a stop off here. It’s in place right through until Monday 31 December. It really is a winter winner!
www.thorstipi.com/leeds

Printer Wonderland featuring Christmas Cards by Ben Denning
Our good friends at Leeds Print Workshop is bringing back its Printer Wonderland (see what they did there?) this festive season. Showcasing the work of its members, you can pick up some fantastic prints from Wednesday 5 to Sunday 23 December – we know, just in time for the big day **wink**!

AND NOT ONLY THAT (!!!) Ben Denning is joining the merry Print Workshop brood for an extra special exhibition and publication launch. Since the early 1990s, Ben has created a new Christmas card print each and every year and he’s now showcasing them all in one spectacular extravaganza …good on you, Ben! You can see all of the cards in all of their glory throughout the dates mentioned above or head across for the launch of his Christmas Card publication on the 5th! You’ll even be able to buy yourself a copy. Ben’s being supported by East Street Arts too…whoop! Find out more, here.

Leeds Christkindl Market, Millennium Square
The eagle-eyed among you will have spotted we hinted at this one earlier in this post…but we couldn’t have put together a December what’s on round up without including this little ditty. Claiming to be one of the most established German Christmas Markets in the UK (nice!), expect wooden stalls, festive greenery and more fairy lights that you can shake a bratwurst at! Millennium Square is absolutely transformed by this treat and becomes the perfect place to enjoy the winter festivities. Head there before Saturday 22 December to boost those wintery vibes!

MorMor at Sheaf Street
Right, this one isn’t really that festive at all (thumbs down) BUUUUUT, it’s certainly blinking well delicious. MorMor is doing a lovely little takeover at Sheaf Street every Thursday, Friday and Saturday right up until the end of January. Share with your best buddies or enjoy some time on your own away from the December chaos with large and small plates of street food on offer. Inspired the cuisines of the Middle East, North Africa and the Med, it’s the very best spot to get fed this winter (thumbs up).
www.sheafst.com

Cinderella Rock ‘n’ Roll panto
We promise this one isn’t just for families! The City Varieties’ panto is simply fantastic and should become an annual tradition. An evening of music, dancing and “he’s behind you” fun – this one is good for everyone! If you’re staying at the hostel this December, we’d recommend you book your tickets in advance as this one fills up fast. The gorgeous venue is really worth it – you’ll think you’ve stepped back in time. You have until 13 Jan to catch it.
www.cityvarieties.co.uk

#Kirklate Christmas Party
Right up our street, literally! Head across the road to Kirkgate Indoor Market on Thursday 6 December for its uber festive #Kirklate Christmas Party! Any event with a hashtag for a name gets us going! From 7-9pm there’ll be live music, good food, cocktails and wait for it…close up magic!!! Awesome!
www.leeds.gov.uk/leedsmarkets

The Snowman and Nutcracker live at Leeds Town Hall
Finally, finally, finally…this one is pretty sensational. Leeds Town Hall is set to play host to the orchestra of Opera North on Sunday 16 December for a live rendition of The Snowman during a screening of the animation. There will also be an extra special performance of The Nutcracker! Book your tickets, here.

What have we missed? How will you be spending your December?

Image credit: diana lindhardt / The I of Sisters Academy

To reflect on Gry Worre Hallberg’s involvement in our Seeding Art Currency project, we must begin with a quote from Joseph Campbell:
“You can tell what’s informing a society by what the tallest building is. When you approach a medieval town, the cathedral is the tallest thing in the place. When you approach an eighteenth-centre town, it is a political palace that’s the tallest thing in the place. And when you approach a modern city, the tallest places are the office buildings, the centre of economic life.” (The Power of Myth with Bill Moyer, 1988).

Gry established the Copenhagen-based performance group and movement, Sisters Hope with her poetic twin sister, Anna Lawaetz in 2007 in response to this concept; art is the only system which is yet to inform society. Through immersive research and development, the poetic twins are exploring and unfolding their vision for a sensuous society – a world where art and the aesthetic is valued above all else.

Gry said: “The aesthetic has been under-prioritised. We are interested in exploring a potential future world, one where art and the aesthetic is dominant. This goes back to when I was child; I’ve always felt the value of creating and that of the aesthetic.”

The group is conducting their research through the large-scale Nordic project, Sisters Academy, which embodies sensuous society performances in educational settings. Having established their own sensuous learning performance method, Sisters Hope invite participants to call on their inner potential – their poetic-self – and to document their experiences of doing so.

Gry said, “The poetic self is not a character but the secret inner life which is within all of us. It is not something we can explore in everyday life, our surroundings don’t support it. So through our poetic self exercise, we firstly encourage people to identify, then externalise and give that poetic self an image and then step three is learning to relate to others.”

With Sisters Academy, the movement is opening up sensuous learning through two concepts.

The Boarding School – Sisters Hope establish immersive boarding schools in art galleries and organisations for 24 hours, installing bunk beds and leading classes. Anybody can enrol, but those who do must manifest their poetic self for the duration of the performance.

The Takeover – Carried out in real secondary schools. This is a large-scale performance for the duration of two weeks, but which requires months of preparation. During the takeover, Sisters Hope does just that, the head teacher leaves the school and the performance takes over. The teachers are trained to manifest and for those entire two weeks, the school operates within the sensuous performance method.

Each participant documents their experience within a dedicated notebook that in turn becomes part of the Sisters’ wider archive of research.

What happens when people manifest?

“A deep longing is often opened up within people when they manifest. They begin to experience the value of being present in the world; a world that is more innovative and empathetic. It is as though you were previously walking through life with an arm cut off and you just didn’t notice. Manifesting makes you realise what you were missing and you feel home.

But, how do those who have experienced this go back into their everyday lives?
“We have an anchoring technique called an ‘exist ritual’ which happens at the end of each exercise and performance. You don’t leave you poetic self behind; it follows you. At any given time, its shape can be evoked. This is why we make the poetic self exercise available publicly.

“There are still many unanswered questions. The sensuous society is not utopian. There is no monetary system. The performances are an opportunity to explore this and experiment. What is life like when it is based around the sensuous and the poetic?”

What’s next for Sisters Hope?

To date, the Sisters have concentrated their work in the Nordic countries of Sweden, Norway and Greenland, due to the progressive nature of the education system in these countries. They are now exploring how they can broaden their research into a wider network of countries.

“What we are exploring is fulfilling a global need. Although it is anchored in Europe, it is relevant globally. We are beginning to explore how we can work towards larger manifestations in the UK. This is what brought us to the Art Hostel. I met Janine following a presentation I delivered in Liverpool, and she invited me here seeing the connection between our work and Seeding Art Currency.

“We have people from all walks of life coming to take part in our boarding schools. It is not always those who are already engaged with art. We’ve had some strong reactions and you can never predict who will react in which way. There is often a fear of the unknown and some people who do not respond well to the sensuous world. On the whole, we’ve seen deep and valuable experiences.”

Reflecting on Seeding a Sensuous Society, Janine Sykes said:
“Gry Worre Hallberg brought, for a transient moment, an alternative vision of society; a sensuous society. This idea was shared at the most recent event of Seeding Art Currency and can only be likened to a hurricane or some other awesome phenomena.

“Gry’s commitment to sharing this vision of an alternative sensuous society is admirable, and certainly touched and energised those who were present at the Art Hostel on 31st October. After this ‘taster’ we are left with a hunger for Sisters Hope to return to Leeds, next time in full manifestation.”

Gry sees her work exploring the sensuous as a precursor to a more sustainable society. How does the sensuous support the path towards a more sustainable future? All of this work is forming part of Gry’s PhD, which she will complete in 2020. To find out more about Gry and the work of Sisters Hope, go to: sistershope.dk

Did you come along to Seeding a Sensuous Society at the Art Hostel last month? Tell us about your experience in the comments below.

It’s been a long old journey for us here at the hostel. The concept sparked years ago in the minds of our directors but only came to life physically in 2016. But, how did we get to where we are now? We’re throwing it back to our humble beginnings. **Takes deep breath**…here goes…

Our building
Two and a half years ago there was a sad little derelict three storey building standing empty on Leeds’ oldest street, Kirkgate. This building was in need of some love and we decided to adopt it. We took it into the East Street Arts fold and injected a little artistic magic, transforming it into a quirky, unique home for touring artists and visitors to the city.

We took our inspiration from our collective and respective experiences of Europe where the unique characteristics that artists and performers bring to a place are welcomed and celebrated. We’d not been able to find anything similar in Leeds…so, we created it! With a lot of much appreciated support from our friends – businesses, artists, friends and strangers – we turned our vision into reality!

Be our guest
East Street Arts is all about hospitality. What experience do people have in our spaces? How do we interact with them and make them feel welcome? It’s pretty much our lifeblood.

As such, we developed the Art Hostel with hospitality at its heart. Yes, our guests would enjoy a comfy bed for the night. Yes, they would get a good breakfast. But, the hostel needed to be about much more than this. It would provide an access point to unique cultural experiences, made possible by our relationships with the local artistic community. We wanted to give our visitors an experience which they would never be able to get anywhere else in the city…that’s something we’re absolutely certain we’ve achieved.

As well as bedrooms, we gave our hostel its own project space where we could host one-off events, exhibitions and opportunities for guests to participate and meet other artists and performers in a relaxed environment. Once you’ve crossed the threshold (or even if you haven’t made it inside) you are firmly part of our community…and our history.

Creating rooms fit for a king (and queen)
A bit of crowdfunding, some open calls and a lot of “hands on deck” later…we’d cleared the space and were ready to make it our own. It’s no secret that our rooms were designed and created by a variety of fantastic and talented artists. If you’ve ever stayed with us, we’re sure you’ll agree that we boast some of the most interesting accommodation in the city. You can read more about the artists here but in this post we’re “getting our fanfares on” for the sponsors who made the rooms possible.

We don’t mention or thank our sponsors enough but we were extremely lucky to receive support from Awesome Merchandise, Hammersons and Thompson Brand. Each of these kind organisations not only pledged financial support but came along with us on our journey too. Each supported the design of their own Art Hostel room, inputting ideas, blood, sweat and tears (figuratively, of course)!

As well as these organisations, we received incredible support from long-time arts supporters, Mick Ward and Gill Crawshaw. They provided a fantastic brief focusing on the history of the local area, particularly linked to Leeds as a working dock and the work of the Leeds Riverside Mission (you’ve probably guessed which room they commissioned). Mick also had a personal connection too; his mother lived and got married at the Leeds Mission! Mick and Gill found Hannah Stacey through an open call which resulted in our wonderful Riverside Mission room.

At East Street Arts, we are all about long lasting relationships. You’ll never find us inviting a brand to make donation in return for logo placement. If you hang with us, you’re in it for the long haul (we’re afraid). Awesome Merchandise brought the super talented Drew Millward to the project, Hammersons supported the experienced and established Silvia Liebig to create “And what planet are you from?”, while Thompson Brand Partners put pen to paper, and then paint to wall, to create the wonderful, Dazzleship. 

Some of the other heroes who played a leading role in creating our hostel were Bauman Lyons architects and Tim Mileusnic from Darwin Construction. We cannot say thank you enough for the hard work and expertise they put into bringing our dream to life.

And we love collaborating. If you ever want to talk to us about our projects and how you can become part of the East Street Arts family, our door is always open. Your first port of call is hello@esamail.org.uk or a meeting with our external relations director, Nicola Greenan (nicola@esamail.org.uk).

So, how did it all turn out?
Well, you know the rest don’t you?! If not, you can find out more about our first two years in this funky infographic…how many guests have stayed with us, how many volunteers have helped us and how many cups of tea we’ve had too! Alternatively, you can come see for yourself…

Were you involved in the Art Hostel’s beginnings? What do you think of what we created?

We are big supporters of Compass Festival and did you know, it all started at East Street Arts’ Patrick Studios? Well, it returns to the city on 16 November and there’s going to be so much for you to see and do over the following fortnight. It’s time to grab yourself a guide (available at all good spots across the city!) and get your tickets book. Here’s an overview of our top picks…helpful, we know!

Public House, Etheridge and Persighetti
Crowd of Favours, Friday 16 November, 7pm

Taking place at our local, Crowd of Favours (just across from Mike Winnard’s A City Less Grey mural), Etheridge and Persighetti explore the role of pubs as places to gather, exchange and galvanise. Take part in a conversation at the launch centring on beer glass inscriptions or explore the Beer Glass exhibition on throughout the festival. Art and pubs…two of our favourite things. This one is a winner!

Walking:Holding, Rosana Cade, Charlie Cuachi and Claire Nolan
Leeds Art Gallery, Saturday 17 November, 3pm

“Oh yeah I tell you somethin’, I think you’ll understand…” 10 points if you know what we’re going on about here. How would you feel about holding hands with a stranger in a public place? Well, explore those feelings and the wider topic of intimacy in public spaces with this short film shot entirely on mobile phones.

The film even features our very own city (Compass Festival 2016 to be exact). It is the premiere screening, followed by a discussion with artists and participants, and explores the topics of identity and intimacy in public space. The film features footage from the performance which took place in six towns across the UK, in which audience members were invited to hold hands while walking a designed route through a town or city.

You’ll need to RSVP at the Compass Fest website for this one.

1000 Handshakes, Sarah Caputo and Brenda Unwin
Leeds City Bus Station, Thursday 22 to Saturday 24 November, 10am to 7pm

Another one that’s a stone throw away from the hostel (and which involves hands too!), head to the bus station over the period of these three days to contribute your handshake. Unwin and Caputo will be placing a small piece of clay between the hands of strangers to create a unique impression.

Flying the flag for physical contact, the duo are hoping to inspire interactions and connections between people – what better way to get to know the people of Leeds during your visit to the city?

Waterborne, French and Mottershead
Leeds Dock, Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 November

Have you been on the Water Taxi? We seem to mention it in every single one of our Leeds rounds ups. Now you have the opportunity to experience this beautiful vessel in a completely new way.

Waterborne uses lyrical narrative to explore what happens to a body in water, after life. We know it sounds a bit grim but we promise this is set to be a truly beautiful piece. Part of French and Mottershead’s Afterlife series, the work is poetic yet forensic.

Supported by Wellcome Trust and Arts Council England, there will also be a quayside version of Waterborne which you don’t need to book. But to experience the work in all its, dans Water Taxi, glory visit the Compass Fest site to book your place.

Warmth, Bethany Wells
Leeds Dock, Friday 23 to Sunday 25 November, 1-9pm

Remember when we had a sauna in the basement of the Art Hostel? Now’s your time to follow the wonderful Bethany Wells as she establishes a Scandinavian treat at our very own Leeds Dock. Escape the cooler temperatures and get to know some new people. You’ll need to bring your own towel or borrow one from Compass but changing rooms, lockers and showers will be available. Circle the dates in your calendar now.

Find out more about Compass Festival over on the East Street Arts website in this extra special interview with festival director, Annie Lloyd.

Did we miss anything? What will you be seeing and doing at the Compass Festival?

We’ve got a very exciting project happening at the hostel throughout October and November. East Street Arts and Janine Sykes are collaborating with a whole host of artists, as part of Seeding Art Currency. Not only can you share your own experiences of the hostel here you can also come to a variety of workshops, performances and talks. Here’s a little update on what you can expect.

The Harvest. Performance by Nii Kwartey Owoo
Wednesday 24 October, 6-7pm
Performance: 30 minutes followed by sharing of food.

The Harvest is Nii’s personal response to the struggle of hunger and sacrifice found in his community. Through rhythm and movement, this dance performance presents how cultures and beliefs have the power to unify people in finding solutions, in this piece to hoot at hunger.

Nii Kwartey Owoo is a musician and dance artist from Ghana whose work focuses on traditional cultural practices found in West Africa and diaspora communities. In this performance, Nii will share with the audience the role of corn in his culture, including dance, music, chants and food.

Curator, Louise Dwyer, invites you to relate to seeding through dance and storytelling at this event showcasing Nii’s performance of The Harvest, which is based on the cultural significance of corn in Ghanaian culture and history. The event is a passionate live performance by Nii Kwartey Owoo in the Art Hostel space.

Book your place, here.

Seeding a Sensuous Society. Gry Worre Hallberg
Wednesday 31 October, 5:30-7:30pm

Join Gry Worre Hallberg, artistic director of Sisters Hope (ongoing project Sisters Academy, Denmark) for a talk about the large-scale project, Sisters Academy – The School of a Sensuous Society exploring new modes of sensuous learning, followed by an immersive poetic self exercise.

Gry’s research and art practice entails sensuous learning ‘takeovers’ of institutions e.g. schools. She is an advocate that sensuous learning can be embedded (seeded) in every day life and this has many benefits to individuals and society. Taking part in the immersive poetic self exercise provides you with the opportunity to explore these benefits first-hand.

We recommend you book early as this event is limited to fifteen people.

#foundfiction – the launch
Tuesday 6 November, 5:30-7:30pm

Join us for the launch of #foundfiction, a night of talks, stories and spoken word.

#foundfiction is a global guerrilla publishing network. In its month-long installation at the Art Hostel, travellers are invited to co-create a short story one line at a time at a writing desk in the communal area.

The first line will be inspired by ideas on the Seeding Art Currency map.

Book your place, here.

World of Forms (mural). Bobbi Rae
Tuesday 13 November, 6:30-7:30pm

Join artist, Bobbi Rae in discussion with Janine Sykes, where she will share her inspirations for her colourful murals and playful practice.

The contributions to the virtual ‘Seeding Art Currency’ world map are in a state of becoming in ‘World of Forms’. The abstract shapes in this mural painted directly on the wall in the project space, are based on the world map by multi-disciplinary artist and designer Bobbi Rae. Throughout the duration of the project the patterns made by pins in the virtual map are represented with real seeds, placed directly on the mural by anyone who’d like to be involved.

Murals are one of the many media in which Bobbi Rae creates her colourful works – always characterised by a mix of cleverness and playfulness. An early inspiration for Rae is the dense spectacle narrative found in The Garden of Earthly Delights, painted by Hieronymus Bosch. Come along to find out more about Bobbi’s work.

Book your place, here.

[Untitled] Vinyl Print Installation. Joy Hindmoor
Tuesday 20 November, 6:30-7:30pm

Join Joy Hindmoor in discussion with Janine Sykes, where she is to share her inspirations and working processes such as working with colour and natural forms such as bacteria, shells and seeds. Joy’s installation for Seeding Art Currency depicts colourful (hand-cut) vinyl seeds that climb up the hostel wall. Joy recently graduated from the BA Fine Art course at Leeds Arts University (LAU). The discussion includes exploring how Joys working methods reflect in some ways the rich art education heritage from which her work is rooted.

Book your place, here.

Close Currency. Paul Bennett-Todd
Tuesday 27 November, 6:30-7:30pm

Everyone is invited to join photographer Paul Bennett-Todd, in his exploration of themes and questions that emerge for this ongoing collection of ‘all’ the banknotes in the world. A part of Paul’s collection ‘Close Currency’ are photographed for Seeding Art Currency.

Transience and ‘art as a living currency’ are just some of the themes that these prints evoke. The prints depict the detail of a sample of notes in his collection, each one has a story to tell. The full versions of the notes would of course reveal the country of origin, depicting national identities through icons, symbols and historical events. Patterns of indigenous seeds, flora and fauna are also found in the designs, highlighted through magnification.

This debut showing of Paul’s collection, is accompanied by a provocation, to guess which country each of the notes depicted in Close Currency originate. Winners need to guess at least four correctly (out of the six exhibited) in order to receive a signed print from Paul.

Answers are to be sent directly to Paul by email: paul.bennett-todd@leeds-art.ac.uk. On the night Paul will reveal the country of origin for each photograph that form Close Currency.

Book your place, here.

VVM (Venice Vending Machine), Marina Moreno, “How Do You Value Art?”
Thursday 29 and Friday 30 November, 5:30-7:30pm

Artist Marina Moreno will ask this question whilst inviting you to play with The Venice Vending Machine (VVM). By being part of a dialogue based around the arts, you will be able to acquire one of the artworks created by VVM artists selected at random by the mechanism of the surprising machine known as Teddy Giallo.

You will be given a token in exchange of a monetary and symbolic offer you will propose, in order to get your own art work from the machine. Unlike other art vending machines the VVM is not a sale or display mechanism for art but a participatory, travelling, discursive experience.

Book your place, here.

So, the programme is out! It’s time to pick your films for this year’s Leeds International Film Festival. Taking place during the first two weeks of November in some of the best cinematic spaces in the city, it’s time to get it in your calendar.

Yes, we know the programme can be a little overwhelming, especially if you’re new to the city and the festival itself. So, being the helpful little cherubs that we are, we’ve put together a list of our top flick picks! Whoop! We can’t wait.

(Also, did you spot the East Street Arts advert in the LIFF programme? It’s 90s-tastic!)

You can book your tickets to all of the films mentioned below (and more) on the Leeds Film City website: www.leedsfilmcity.com

Something Left Behind
10th November at 8.30pm, Hyde Park Picture House
UK

This one comes straight from the corners of our very own city. If you’re old enough to have been around in 1987, the album George Best by The Wedding Present may well have been the soundtrack to your summer.

Dubbed the greatest break up album of all time, this film explores how it came about and why it resonated with a generation, and those who followed, along with interviews with band themselves. The film culminates with footage from the 30 year homecoming anniversary of the band at Leeds O2 Academy last year. There’s going to be a special Q+A too! It’s bound to light a fire in the heart of any die-hard indie music fan!

The Travelling Cat Chronicles
11th November at 3pm, Hyde Park Picture House
13th November at 4.30pm, Vue at The Light
Japan

If you’re a cat lover, this one’s for you. Part of the Planet Japan series at this year’s festival, it’s much more than a story about a cat! Based on the Japanese novel by Hiro Arikawa, you’ll get to know and love Nana the cat as she accompanies her adopted master as he visits friends from his past. The Leeds Film City site calls it a “humorous and tender exploration of how small acts of kindness and sacrifice can make a difference in unexpected events of people’s lives”. Expect warm glows aplenty!

The Goodiepal Equations
10th November, 6.30pm, Leeds Town Hall Albert Room

The Albert Room is one of our favourite mini-film fest venues. You can expect a host of special encounters in the lovely space within our beautiful Town Hall. This film is a documentary about the Danish tour-de-force, Goodiepal, an enigmatic artist and musician who is a notorious figure in his home country.

Sami Sänpäkkilä gives us access to Goodiepal’s world which includes a self-built bicycle no less, which he uses to power his shows. How will he fare when he embarks on a more mainstream exhibition for the National Museum of Denmark? This one is quite firmly up our street!

The Images You Missed
2nd November, 4.45pm, Leeds Town Hall Albert Room
5th November, 4.30pm, Leeds Town Hall Albert Room
7th November, 4.30pm, Leeds Town Hall Albert Room
Ireland

This is a “what it says on the tin” kinda film. It is literally the images you missed. The documentary essay combines the troubles in Northern Ireland with the story of a son who is searching for his father. With more than 30 years of never-before-seen images, it will take you on a journey and a half.

Being Natural
11th November, 12.45pm, Hyde Park Picture House
12th November, 3.45pm, Vue at The Light
Japan

Another Japanese ditty, Being Natural, we’re confident that this one deserves a spot on this list. If you’ve experienced the countryside of Japan, you’ll love this film. The quiet existence of a nephew and uncle in rural Japan is threatened by a returning cousin and a nature-obsessed family from Tokyo. It’s directed by Tadashi Nagayama and according to the programme, you can expect events to take a very unexpected direction.

Clerks
4th November, 4.30pm, Vue at The Light
USA

This one is almost as old as East Street Arts. A throwback to 1994, this one is, from our perspective, an absolute classic. We’re going to warn you…it will appear to the untrained eye that nothing really happens in this film. It’s all about two buddies hanging out and shooting the breeze. Skipping from subject to subject, from the inane and the trivial to deep topics like the nature of love.

And that’s just a selection! Explore the programme for yourselves and book your tickets now. The festival also offers special ticket options for under 25s. Go on then…!

Have we missed any films? What’s in your top 10?