In Spring 2016, the two High Rise groups exhibited work created especially for the Shoddy exhibition. The finished work was displayed at Live Arts Bistro, Leeds and again at Bately Art Gallery.
Scraps and off-cuts became striking large artworks, a sculptural synthetic “textile” and a colourful wall hanging. Every member of the group had made their mark and is represented in these vibrant pieces.
Artists: Alice Clayden, Ben Brook, Cassy Oliphant, Chris Morrit, Debra Hughes, Denise Scott, Edward Mortimer, Fiona Harrison, Ian Stephens, Janice Hatherly, Jenny Laskowsky, Lesley Sidwell, Karen Hood, Natalie Kyrkos, Phillip Bennett, Pippa Cohen, Sophie Deakin, Susan Johnson.
Thank you to Mat Dale for the photographs
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You can view a publication about the work that was on display at the exhibitions.
The Golden Football
Both music groups came together to create and perform their own musical at the Carriageworks Theatre in April 2016. The group devised the plot, characters and scenery, and the musical was developed from prompts and vocalisations from the members.
Artists: Adam Hopkins, Alistair Morgan, Anthony Jima, Barrie Nelson, Craig Trigwell, David Cunningham, David Wragg, James Coleman, Julie Shackleton, Louise Leary, Pamela Broadbent, Patricia Ndhlovu, Rebecca Bowes, Sammy Holden, Seb Munday, Toni Beardsall
Our YoYos Group worked in partnership with baritone Philip Smith and Pianist Jonathan Fisher to explore the world of ‘Lieder’, or art song, in a project produced in partnership with the Leeds Lieder Festival. Philip and Jonathan performed a series of songs to the group, who then picked four songs and produced a story, made costumes and props, and devised a performance to link the songs together. The end performance was part of the Lieder Festival, in the Crypt of the Town Hall.
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Artists: Anna-Marie Milton, Bushra Tellisi, Carolyn Stiff, Daniel Fox, Izzi Stockton, Jason Florey, Jennifer Laskowsky, Jonathan Fisher, Kieran Sutcliffe, Lewis Robinson, Nathaniel Jackson, Philip Smith, Ria Lake, Sonia Kitchen.
The Pyramid Elders Group’s latest project used projections, light and sound to explore personal stories and memories.
“We explored school days, birthdays and celebrations, traditional stories and legends and music but the subject which triggered most stories was trips out. We used shadow making, projection and story-building techniques to create a series of stills which were collated to make a short film, ‘A Legendary Trip Out’.”
The group recorded spoken word sound bites, singing and percussion to accompany the film.
Totemic!
Totemic! was a series of summer workshops for young people for the Breeze Arts Festival 2016, in which the group used polystyrene to make large scale totem poles. The totem poles were mobile, and on the day of the festival the group met in town and decided which venues in the city to ‘hack’ with their own artwork. The day finished at The Tetley for a pop-up exhibition on Brewery Green.
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Artists: Ava Armstrong, Bradley Probets, Carolyn Stiff, Daisy Hance, Edward Mortimer, Izzi Stockton, Jaden Trickett, James Hill, Jessica Timms, Julie Shackleton, Lewis Robinson, Lily Trickett, Nathaniel Jackson, Noel McCredie, Penny Lewis, Rachel Allison, Sukhvinder Sond, Thom Whysall, Thomas Chalk, Verity Wong, William Stapleton
This project was supported by Leeds City Council’s Breeze Arts Festival
Fluffy Up is a three dimensional textile and felting sculpture created by our Eden Group.
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Artists involved were; Claire Foster, Clare Parrish, Darren Tyreman, David Rushworth, Graham Peel, Ian Cockburn, Lucy Johnson, Matthew Watson, Mick Craggs, Mims Williams, Nigel Hutton, Penny Lewis, Russell Hunter, Stuart Illingworth, Wendy Robinson.
The Elements
The High Rise Music Group explored the theme of elements, writing their own songs, and performing the completed piece at the end of the term.
They visited Kirkstall Abbey to play these songs. The general public got to hear the fantastic acoustics of the Abbey as the High Rise music groups songs drifted around the ruins.
Artists: Adam Hopkins, Alistair Morgan, Anthony Jima, Barrie Nelson, Craig Trigwell, Daisy Wray, David Wragg, James Coleman, Julie Shackleton, Louise Leary, Pamela Broadbent, Patricia Ndhlovu, Rebecca Bowes, Roy Morton, Sammy Holden, Seb Munday, Toni Beardsall
Summer Stories
Summer Stories was a four week project based at Meanwood Valley Urban Farm, exploring the Farm itself, with sound, film and animation.
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Artists: Alison Booth, Bradley Probets, Hannah Morris, James Mabbett, Kate Woodfield, Ryan Martinwood.
This project was supported by Leeds City Council Breeze Arts Festival and Arts Council England.
The British Art Show 8 came to Leeds in October 2015. Our Eden Group explored the show, but also the process of the City Art Gallery being emptied of its standing collection, filled with the British Art Show, and then emptied again to begin a year’s exploration. Each group member produced a pair of shoes in response to one piece of work or the whole show. They then went on to create an animation that was projected inside a giant shoe for the BEYOND Festival. Their work has gone on to be shown besides the British Art Show as it is exhibited in Norwich and Southampton.
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Artists; Ben Wilkinson, Bryan Tweddle, Clare Parrish, Darren Tyreman, David Rushworth, Graham Peel, Lesley Sidwell, Lucy Johnson, Matthew Watson, Mick Craggs, Mims Williams, Nigel Hutton, Peter Marshall, Russell Hunter, Stuart Illingworth, Wendy Robinson.
The work was exhibited at Leeds City Art Gallery and Left Bank Leeds for the BEYOND Festival 2016. The work was supported by the Heyward Gallery.
A Legendary Trip Out
Our Elders Group worked together to talk and think about their ideal, perfect trip out. If they could go anywhere for a day, where would they go and what they would like to see? The group produced light painting, song, animation and eventually this lovely film where they remember, discuss and think about, trips through the countryside, to the seaside, where you can ride donkeys, go to the funfair, go charity shopping and enjoy fish, chips and a cup of tea on the sea front.
Artists for this project were: Anthony Cox, Barrie Nelson, Christopher Taylor, Daniella Bastow, Ian Wilson, John Bilham, John Densley, Kevin Sharkey, Lilly Lavorato, Margaret Groves, Natalie Kyrkos, Oyidya Ndukwe, Penny Lewis, Verity Wong.
Pilgrimage City
Pilgrimage City was a small scale project by Liam Hirst.
Liam attends Pyramid as an artist but also works as a volunteer with HCPT Leeds, a charity which takes children with disabilities on pilgrimage holidays to Lourdes.
Liam used audio equipment to capture the sounds of his trip to Lourdes in 2015 and used these sounds to inspire the creation of a portable sound piece. His sculpture took the form of a large lantern with architectural structures reflecting the mysterious architecture of Lourdes, decorated with arrows to show the flow of people around the site, and a series of old keys (from Leeds Town Hall) to illustrate the secretive or mysterious nature of some of the buildings. Liam audio recordings of his visit, of the crowds moving through the town of Lourdes, played from the lantern itself.
Liam then took this lantern on its own walking tour, through Leeds and a very different set of crowds, on Light Night 2015.
Although small in scale this project was highly significant for Pyramid, as it was the first time that an individual artist had successfully applied for grant funding for their project. The project was supported by a grant from Arts Council England.
Light Night Lantern Parade by Pyramid of Arts and Friends
Learn how to make and decorate paper lanterns at free workshops, and show off your creations in a celebratory parade on Leeds’ Light Night.
Parade – Friday 9th October, starting 7.30pm at the top of Briggate, walking to Millennium Square
FREE workshops
Saturday 12th September 10am – 4pm Carriageworks, Millenium Square for young people aged 0-25
Saturday 19th September 10am – 4pm Pyramid of Arts, Unit 3, 18 Croydon Street LS11 9RT Open to all ages!
Saturday 26th September 10am – 4pm Pyramid of Arts, Unit 3, 18 Croydon Street LS11 9RT Open to all ages!
Saturday 3rd October 10am – 4pm Carriageworks, Millenium Square for young people aged 0-25
You can learn how to make and decorate a small lantern by attending one workshop, or make something more ambitious by attending more!
Workshops are free but you need to book. Please let us know you which you would like to attend by emailing info@pyramid-of-arts.org.uk or ringing 0113 2346040.
Jalicks is an immersive board game on a giant scale, designed and made by our YoYos group. Players try to scale the numbered board (using a dice) and come across various items along the way, which may help or hinder their progress.
Jalicks can be hired for festivals and events. Contact us for details.
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Upcoming Exhibition at The Tetley
Over the last few months, Pyramid’s Ribblehead and Eden groups have been producing work in response to exhibitions at The Tetley, namely the Jerwood Drawing Prize and Painting in Time.
The groups look forward to sharing their responses with you in their own exhibition in July. Work will be exhibited in The Tetley’s Shirley Cooper Gallery for two weeks.
Monday 20th July – Sunday 2nd August
@ The Tetley, Hunslet Road, LS10 1JQ
YoYos
The YoYos are our youngest group (aged 8+). They meet every week and experiment with different techniques and materials to produce 2D and 3D visual art. They also devise their own games (such as Jalicks and The Deciding Machine) and like drama and music activities.
Our members cross all ages and abilities. The songs that we sing cross all genres, from gospel (Down By The Riverside), ’rock and roll (Roll Over Beethoven and Hound Dog), country (Daddy Sang Bass) to just plain odd ( Ivor Cutler’s There’s A Turtle In My Soup).
The group meet fortnightly on Saturdays, and are led by a professional musician. No previous experience is required, just enthusiasm! It costs £10 per session (please pay cash when you arrive). There’s no charge for support workers / carers.
Here’s the group’s version of Minnie the Moocher:
Next Step Pyramid
Next Step Pyramid meet on Thursday evenings. The group work across all art-forms, including visual arts, drama and film.
The Eden Group have worked on some high profile public projects and have a permanent installation at Meanwood Valley Urban Farm (Farm Hill).
They have worked in partnership with three European arts organisations to produce a touring exhibition, I Want to Know, and have had exhibitions at The Dean Clough Gallery and The Tetley.
The group meet on Thursday mornings and predominantly focus on visual art.
Vibrant and fun sessions, set at the participants’ pace, with professional musicians developing the members’ ideas.
Participants engage in sound making using various tools to encourage communication, confidence and use of fine motor skills. The group explore sound and silence, including musical improvisation; sound layering using vocal and instrumental sounds and performance. Communication through vocalisation, touch and other gestures can help develop a high level of familiarity and reciprocation, which enables trust and creates a relaxed atmosphere in the sessions.
High Rise provides individual, small group and whole group activities at each session. The members work as an ensemble, with opportunities for focus on individual members throughout the session.
Pyramid of Arts offers 1:1 and small group work for people with learning‐disabilities and/or autism who want to develop their skills in the arts.
Working alongside one of our trained arts facilitators, you will have access to quality materials and equipment in a professional environment.
Visual arts
Animation
Photography
Carpentry
Sculpture
Music
Film‐making
Dance
Creative writing
… and lots more!
If you are interested in the creative arts but not sure what you’d like to do, we can offer you some taster sessions with different artists to try things out.
