France’s Royal de Luxe theatre company, responsible for events such as the Sultan’s Elephant produce another staggering array of puppets. see more at The Big Picture.

Claire Norcross’s Jerwood entry Bloom 296 has recently returned to the North West and is currently on show at Ferrious – Arch 61, Whitworth St West, Manchester. If you get chance check it out.

Photography by Tim Ainsworth

After first moving into the Ancoats area of Manchester a few years ago, I was stumbling home from the pub one evening when I noticed a very dim light emitting from a tiny brass nut attached to the wall of an old mill. Upon closer inspection I could see it was a small viewing hole, and through it I could see a large, well lit room. This one here…

Slightly bemused, I was none the less compelled to discover more. It turned out to be the work of Artist Dan Dubowitz. There are many more of them around the area…

“The artwork, called The Peeps, currently utilises 20 places across the former industrial suburb of Ancoats, and includes a tunnel, a bell tower, a toilet, and even a space inside a mill closed up since the war.

Each of the locations has been walled in and lit. Spy holes have then been installed in them so people can peep through to see the artworks within, which range from mysteriously lit interiors to preserved sewing machine workshops.”

I really like the subtlety of it all. It’s just left to be discovered by the more curious among us, and heard about through word of mouth. There is nothing in-the-round to see, it is without plaque or interpretation panel or guide. No one will know quite how many there are or where they are as more continue to be added, unannounced. I love that.

It appeals to the voyeur in all of us. Giving us access to an otherwise lost environment and era. Preservation at it’s most imaginative. A round of applause to Mr Dubowitz and the Ancoats Urban Village Company for commissioning the project in the first place.

Building on the recent trend for student shops. Manchester Graduates have plotted up in legendary Northern Quarter store Afflecks Palace…

“MMU in partnership with Affleck’s and the MMU Student’s Union have developed a shop space for students and recent graduates from the School of Art to sell their own hand-made products, run classes for the public, use as a workshop space and possibly a gallery as well.”

You may have seen this on the democracy site…

“Windows of Opportunity is a great project taking place in the English city of York. Like many places the local economy has been hit hard by the recession and this has left many empty  shops. Windows of Opportunity is turning this negative into a positive, by creating spaces for designers to show their work.”

Not many examples up yet, but it’s a nice idea, check it out.

A few snaps of this years student show. 

It is what it is but the Vader Project is worth a look.

Here we feature a selection of shots that document the making of Bloom 296.

Claire Norcross’s spectacular new light, Bloom 296, a large scale paper pendant light (the making of which we featured a few weeks ago) is finished. Claire is one of seven talented designers selected for the prestigious show which opened to the public yesterday and is on at the Jerwood Space until the 19th July. It will then tour to Edinburgh and will be there for the duration of the festival. Pop along if you can, venues listed below. Well done Claire, excellent work as usual.

Jerwood Space 10th June – 19th July 2009 171 Union Street, London, SE1 0LN (It is directly behind Tate Modern) www.jerwoodspace.co.uk

Dovecot Studios 5th August – 26th September 2009
10 Infirmary Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1LT
www.dovecotstudios.com

Brian Eno former Roxy Music keyboard player and producer of many bands such as the great ‘Talking Heads’ has just helped curate LUMINOUS a festival of music, ideas, light and performance. Transforming the magnificent Sydney Opera House.