next event:
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skymirror
the halo, haslingden
september 18, 2010

We're over the moon to have been awarded a commission by Rossendale Council and Perspectives of Pennine Lancashire (POPL) to produce a new work. We had initally envisaged a piece called Contour but have since decided that Skymirror suits the site better.

Behind The Halo looms the loaf of Cribden Hill. It's a vast landscape that simply absorbs anything man-made. We decided that instead of trying to impose an intervention on this, we'd create something much more gentle.

Skymirror will use thousands of small lamps to create constellations on the surface of the hill. Although each produces only a pinprick of light, together they will turn the surface of the hill into a shimmering reflection of the night sky.

We'll need lots of help putting this together on the hill. Interested in being involved? Email dboultbee@gmail.com for more details.

national lottery logo renaissance logo lancashire county council logo
Eastnor Castle August 5 - 8, 2010

well, we're back from a successful trip to The Big Chill. Did you spot anything?


{ flashlight }
Chorlton, Manchester - for 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

{ wintervention }
Chorlton, Manchester - self commissioned - January 2010

During the course of Ffosfforescence we were struck by the fact that, despite our best efforts, a large proportion of the materials would be used just once and were hard to reuse or recycle - or be lost to the sea but not easily degrade. Wintervention was an exploration of how natural materials could be used in our work to minimise these effects.

We took advantage of the snow and 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 mold to place lanterns throughout Chorlton. Development of later designs made from ice were thwarted by the rise in temperature, however the early concepts show potential and we eagerly await more cold (or the use of a big freezer!)

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!

{ 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.

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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..!

{ this way:up }

we want to encourage people to look up more - you miss out on so much by staring straight ahead or at your feet!

we will identify sites above head height in public spaces and commission site-specific works of varying media to be placed in them.

{ busk service }

a terrible pun but a great idea!

in conjunction with Eve Harrison and Hannah McCabe 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!

{ 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

{ infinite loop }


download
Infinite Loop Proposal

{ 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.

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{ 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 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 is a recently-moved-to-Manchester-from-Bristol artist and divides his time between the two cities. He has a background in usability, interactive design and electronics and is PRINCE2 qualified.

David has worked extensively with Luke Jerram designing the technology underpinning Luke's work and project managing the development process. Works include Retinal Memory Volume, Tide and Dream Director. David is also a former co-host of Dorkbot Bristol.

Through his work David aims to explore how people can engage with simple technologies to stop, notice and explore their surroundings.

{ 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.

{ 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.

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{ email }

dboultbee@gmail.com

{ phone }

+44 (0) 774 884 7029

{ visit }

come see us somewhere in Manchester or Bristol or thereabouts!

site design by David Boultbee ©2010