...a major 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 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.

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.

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 is dedicated to John Henderson

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).

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.