Dundas House Factory Night

A brilliant weekend, thanks to all who made it such a positive experience

It was great to have artists, architects and historians bringing their knowledge and creativity to the event – using Dundas House as a place to share, collaborate and create. This Factory Night, hosted by Rednile was an extra special weekend ‘making’ Factory Night session, responding to the history of the site and the 360 views of surrounding architecture – unfortunately, this is the last Factory Night in the current North East programme…

For further information about the Dundas House Factory Night here

This Factory Night was a collaboration between Navigator North & Rednile, supported by Middlesbrough CouncilMIMAEast Street Arts and Xsite Architecture.

Factory Nights Unique Opportunities: Factory Nights is an innovative approach to commissioning art work and inspiring collaboration by allowing Artists to develop their own brief and providing Local Authorities, businesses and venues with those ideas to work with. Attendees of this Factory Night had the opportunity to apply for a bursary to develop a proposal to create a significant piece of work for Middlesbrough public realm. The budget was up to £10k to deliver a series of events, interventions or to create a more permanent piece of work for Middlesbrough town centre.

Artist, Cath Keay was selected to create Modern Beehives, inspired by the brutalist architecture from in and around Middlesbrough. Watch a film about the Middlesbrough Modern Beehives and Cath Keay here.

 

Factory Nights background: Factory Nights are free and informal sessions that simply provide an opportunity for creative people to come together in an interesting venue and supportive environment to make work or initiate ideas. Attendees are encouraged to bring to the sessions something they have been working on as a starting point to network/collaborate and to develop new ideas inspired by the space and other attendees. Each Factory Night session is completely different depending on the mix of attendees and the venue. They are experimental and spontaneous, often responding to tip-offs from locals as to where interesting buildings or sites may lie. People who attend are encouraged to get out of it what they need whether that be new contacts, making work, ideas, skill sharing or feedback on current work

Further Information 

Factory Nights 2011-2012 is funded by: Arts Council England, British Council, Staffordshire University, Multistory, Middlesbrough Council, Redcar and Cleveland Council and Stoke on Trent Council.

Xsite Architecture also delivered a talk covering issues such as Why Middlesbrough is the shape and look it is and How Art and Architecture can work together. East Street Arts were also present on the day to talk about how they have utilised empty urban buildings as part of their ongoing programme to provide creative workspace. The rest of the weekend involved making, talking, sharing current work and ideas as well as exploring Middlesbrough town including nearby cultural venues such as MIMA and Platform A

Photographs by Jason Hynes