Creative Family Tree Launch 2017

Journal · 1st April 2017

Creative Family Tree Event

Last week we celebrated the launch of the latest editions of The Leeds Creative Family Tree [see full project here] with a large scale creative knees-up under one (rather beautiful) roof at Leeds Corn Exchange.

The event pulled together creatives working in a wide range of disciplines from across the city and featured pop up galleries, venues, workshops and installations, all punctuated by flash mobs from the likes of Phoenix Dance Theatre, Leeds College of Music, spoken word artist Matt Abbott and Back Chat Brass.

Leeds Creative Family Tree LaunchLeeds Creative Family Tree

The aim of the event was to extend the aims of the trees themselves: To showcase the huge range of creative individuals and organisations in the city, and to help us all find other like-minded creatives and collaborate more locally.

The culmination of creative talent included miniature venues, housing visual delights from East Street Arts, pop up theatre from Red Ladder Theatre Company and Hyde Park Picture House’s mini cinema. Spoken Word and Music Booths kept a lively flow of different artists and audiences alike all night, whilst Arthur John Dove made music and brewed tea that tasted like it.  Street art from Jay Pee sat next to traditional portraiture from Peter Holt, whilst across the way twin team Buttercrumble created illustrations to make us smile.

You could make your own pencil with Duke Studios, Adrianna Homewares demonstrated live traditional weaving, and Alison Smith and Napoleon IVth invited us to get lost in their light and sound installation. The Makers’ Row was lined with paper making by Antalis and Pressision, screen printing with Hope House Prints, fabric crafts with Stitch Up and zine making with Leeds Libraries.

Leeds Creative Family Tree LaunchLeeds Creative Family Tree Launch

Credit where credit’s due

 

Everyone at the event gave their time, skills and enthusiasm purely for the love of, and belief in, the creative community of Leeds. The fact that this event happened without a penny of funding is testament to the strength of community spirit in the city and is exactly why the Family Trees exist – because we believe Leeds is a pretty special place right now.

The list of people who have helped out in ways large and small over the past four years is far too long to fit on this page (unless you enjoy infinite scrolling!) but they know who they are and thank you. However, this project and event would not have happened at all without the following good eggs:

Jack Simpson – who takes far more than half the credit for conceiving and creating such a bonkers launch event and is the reason we can all enjoy tonight.

Leeds Corn Exchange – for letting us use such an iconic venue.

The amazing team at Pressision – through whose sponsorship and skills the family trees have been printed; and Antalis – who very generously donated the beautiful paper they’re printed on.

Sara Teresa (fellow co-founder of the Creative Family Tree), Lydia Catterall and Sophie-Lauren Jacques – without their dedication to helping with the (seemingly endless) task of research for this project, it simply wouldn’t exist. It also wouldn’t exist without the support and hard work of Josh Weller and Radhika Ramdihal.

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