The first of six programmes produced by Merlin Films for Tyne Tees Television that looks at the arts scene around the region. In this first programme a look at the industrial port town of Hartlepool in the Tees Valley speaking with artists, musicians and poets who live in the town as well as those who help commission and provide the facilities to produce or show their works. Title: In A City Art Art in an Urban World Hartlepool Looking through a salon window, a woman having her hair cut....

The first of six programmes produced by Merlin Films for Tyne Tees Television that looks at the arts scene around the region. In this first programme a look at the industrial port town of Hartlepool in the Tees Valley speaking with artists, musicians and poets who live in the town as well as those who help commission and provide the facilities to produce or show their works. Title: In A City Art Art in an Urban World Hartlepool Looking through a salon window, a woman having her hair cut. The camera pans right to reveal in the near distance a large painted mural again the gable end of a local public house entitled ‘A Mural for Hartlepool’ by Oscar Romp. Standing beside it is local businessman Gus Robinson who explains why this ‘cultural kaleidoscope’ was commissioned and what he hopes people will get out of it. Over a montage of various aspects of the mural Frank Caldwell Curator of Hartlepool Museum Service talks about its vibrancy and being a picture of life in the town. He goes onto talk about what people get out of artworks like this and how it helps with the prestige to show that Hartlepool is as good as anywhere with regards its art. As a phantom car rides along Church Street passing Christ Church Frank Caldwell provides details in voiceover on how this former church is being converted into a gallery which is dedicated to the arts in Hartlepool and will be an important cultural attraction. Inside John Mennear Chief Tourism Cultural Services Office for Hartlepool Borough Council and Liz Law Keeper of Arts and Exhibitions at the Gray Art Gallery wonder around looking at a series of painting set on up on easels that have been produced as part of the Hartlepool Renaissance Art Exhibition. As John talks to camera about the development of the gallery and its new role for Hartlepool within the cultural life of the northeast views of the town from the top of the church tower. Over examples of the arts works on display Liz Law talks about the exhibition which runs from 1991 to 1995 in which artists have been asked to portray the Hartlepool Marina as it has been developed over these five years. As Liz talks about the council’s art collection policy painter Denise Heanes stands beside one of her mix media pieces on an easel beside the Heugh Battery. From a window beside another one of her paintings, Denise stands in the car part of the battery museum below. Over a montage of her works, she talks about what and how she paints. Standing beside another piece next to a sea wall Denise talks about how and why Hartlepool has become important to her as an artist. The Hartlepool College of Art, part of the Cleveland College of Art, with Denise talking about being asked to be a teacher there. As students arrive at the college and a group of them sit around relaxing Jim Hammond Director of Studies talks about the courses the college offers in Higher National Diploma and a new course in photo reportage. As a door opens into a studio for these students Jim talks about the types of people who are on the course emphasising that the majority are mature students. One of said students looking at a sheet of photograph proofs is Emily Jenson. Now sitting on a stool beside a bar in a local public house, she talks about a series of photographs she recently took of women watching a male stripper perform. Over a montage of said work Emily explains why women make better subject than men during such circumstances. As she talks about why she loves Hartlepool and its characters, she sits drinking pints of beer with two male friends. A montage of Hartlepool people walking along pavements or riding past on a bicycle changes to the Binn’s department store on Victoria Road seen from the tower of Trinity Church. In voiceover poet Karen Sheader talks about being a Foggy Furze Writer and how it pushes her to write new material on a regular basis. Standing on a stage she reads an erotic poem about a shopping trolley. Children playing outside the West View Project children’s centre with David Wise Chairman of the Management Committee standing nearby provided details on the centre and about a group of girls who have been working with Textile Artist Susan Stewart. Inside as Susan works with some of the girls to produce art, she talks about working with the children and about an artist residency in a local primary school. Some of the girls proudly hold up their piece with Susan talking about them being shown in an exhibition at the Gray Art Gallery. As she talks about using the surrounding environment she works with a group of children on a local beach to find pieces of driftwood and other items that can be brought back and used in their art back at school. Over a montage of some of the pieces produced by the children Susan talks about how the works were produced as a response to the Hartlepool Renaissance competition and represents the industrial landscape of the town and features a lot of corroded metals. She talks about how her own works have developed thanks to the involvement of the children. Through the mist the Hartlepool pilot boat travels out to sea changes to a group walking across Seaton Carew beach. As rock music begins to play in the distance the art-deco clock tower at Seaton Carew Bus Station and the five members of the local rock group Candyranch walking around it. As the climb of a bus back in Hartlepool and walk around they talk about the character of the town and how it influences their music. As a music engineer sits at a mixing desk inside the Durham Street Studios, one of the band talks about the importance of the studio which is the only one for the unemployed in the country. As five members of the local group The Ender walks along Durham Street and enters the studio Jimmy McKenna the studios Marketing Officer give a history of the centre which opened in 1981 and explains its philosophy which is to allow anyone to whatever they want to do musically. As he sits at the mixing desk, he provides details on the studios 16 track system as well as explaining why they are cheaper to use than normal recording studios. Seeing that there is a lot of local talent, he believes that given the right breaks groups such as Candyranch and The Ender could make it nationally. In the studio The Ender records a track with some of the group standing outside beside the mixing deck. As Jimmy talks about how the studio now has portable equipment, inside Thornhill School a class of both able-bodied and disabled children with Andy Power Training Officer at the school introducing Neil from Durham Street Studios who is going to record the class singing ‘Let’s Sing a Happy Song.’ As the children record both the words and instruments separately for their track, Andy talks about how he helps out at Thornhill and other schools and how he believes that children and music go hand-in-hand and it is his job to learn how to bring it out of them. A final montage around the Hartlepool Headland area featuring ‘A Mural for Hartlepool.’ As Frank Caldwell walks around the Hartlepool Marina, he talks about how important the Hartlepool landscape is and will always be important as it encourages artists to come and stay in the region. He talks about the challenge of getting a ‘core’ of artists together who will act as encouragement to get more artists to come and to produce better works of art in Hartlepool. Credit: Electricians Alan Robinson, Alan Sharp, John Mason Consultant Marshall Hall Production Co-ordinator Jennifer Chapman Sound Ken Davison, Gail Westwood, Paul Graham Graphics Dave Richardson Executive Producer for Tyne Tees Trevor Hearing Production Assistant Pauline Grant Research Catherine Hearne Music John Cook Editor Bernard Helm Camera Dave Dixon Directed and Produced by Peter Chapman Title: A Merlin Films Production for Tyne Tees Television End Title: Copyright Tyne Tees Television 1993