Invisible Architectures Festival

Today's xsite is Anna...

Earlier this year, xsite hosted Will Schrimshaw, an artist-researcher, for a 3-month 'Creative Residency'.  Will’s work focuses on environmental interaction and the invisible determinants of space and place. His current project examines the ‘invisible architectures’ and subliminal layers of the city. 

This project presented a great opportunity for Will and xsite to work together and the result is a 3-day festival that will take place in September called ‘Invisible Architectures’.  The festival will explore the invisible yet influential substrates of urban existence. Artists, architects and writers will explore the subtle, subliminal invisible layers of the city through guided tours, workshops, films showing at the Tyneside Cinema and participatory events.

Working with the artist, xsite have designed a temporary pavilion, to be located at Grey’s Monument, that will act as a base for the festival, an information point for visitors and a starting point for guided tours.

‘Invisible Architectures‘ will take place at and around Grey’s Monument, Newcastle-upon-Tyne from 9th – 11th September 2011.

For more information visit http://subliminalcity.co.uk/ and http://willschrimshaw.net/

Names for Bands

Today's xsite is Nita...

A hobby that we have developed in the office over the past couple of years is to think up possible names for bands, often over a Friday afternoon drink at the Cumberland. There are so many bands out there who make great music but have pretty terrible names. And inspiration for band names can come from all sorts of quarters. Unfortunately, none of us are looking to start a band with this name any time soon, so we are blogging them in the hope they may amuse others. So, in no particular order, a selection of our favourite names:

The Revetments
The Grubby Cuffs
Crosstalk Attenuator
The Windemeres
Transition Roost
The Dawn Swarming
The Dead Prospects
Goats in Transit
Cluster Flat
Visual Contrast
Commando Socket

We didn’t properly check if any of these bands exist already, if we have inadvertently copied your band’s name sorry (and kudos!).

New Year's Resolutions

Today's xsite is Anna...

We've been discussing our resolutions for the coming year, prompted by Nita's sisters resolution to buy shares in a racehorse, so here are our best efforts:

Nita _ Learn to make perfect poached eggs and walk the cat on a lead (carry over from last year).
Anna _ Play the lottery more seriously. Have a tidy allotment with aubergines.
Mal _ Make time to read more, subject matters - fiction, architecture, understanding toddlers.
Tim _ Be on time.
Robin _ Cycle more, go to the dentist, and stop ‘snoozing’ in the morning (when the alarm clock rings).
Jane _ Don't shout at the children so much.
Gail _ Get fit and do more things for me.
Adrian _ Get no parking tickets and wear more ties.
Nikki _ Try to remember New Year's Resolutions. Be more organised. See the sunrise more often.
Chris _ Say 'yes' to more opportunities (within reason), a bit like Jim Carey in that film...
Rowena _ Go to zumba classes once a week.
Nicola _ To make time.
Carol _ Start running again and do a half marathon.

I'll keep you posted how we get on...

2011

Today's xsite is Tim...

Happy New Year.

After an enjoyable break we are all back in looking forward to the challenges of 2011. By all accounts there are going to be a few, but we are recharged and ready to apply our best creative thinking to new projects and new opportunities.

All the best to you for the New Year and look forward to working with you on something exciting.

Cheers.

 

Ouseburn Open Studios 2010

Today's xsite is Anna...

The Ouseburn Open Studios has come round again. We will be opening our doors, along with other studios based in and around the Ouseburn all weekend.

We're open 10am - 5 pm Saturday and Sunday. There will be current xsite projects on show including The Toffee Factory, The Hub in Redcar and Bohouse in Middlesbrough as well as our two entries for this years Enchanted Parks. The xsite 'pop-up kitchen' will also be making its debut with cakes, stews and soups to keep you going...

Also in the building painter Alex Charrington will be opening his studio all weekend, view projects from Morph Creative, DGB Events and our new studio holder Jill Tate, a photographer specialising in architecture and interiors. Current Creative resident Jo Ray will be presenting her new work and we welcome Will Scrimshaw, an artist-researcher whose work focuses on sound and environmental interaction.

To find out more information and look at other venues involved visit:  http://www.ouseburnopenstudios.org/

The New Blog

Today's xsite is Robin...

Welcome to the new xsite blog! Architecture, culture, office life, compound word of the week, baking tips or whatever takes our fancy!