The fourth of six programmes produced by Merlin Films for Tyne Tees Television that looks at the arts scene around the region. In this programme a look at the arts scene in Sunderland and around Wearside speaking with musicians, sculptures and glass designers who choose to live and work in the area as well as organisation such as The Bunker Gallery which provides a place for them to create and display their art and work with the local community. Title: In A City Art Art in an Urban World...

The fourth of six programmes produced by Merlin Films for Tyne Tees Television that looks at the arts scene around the region. In this programme a look at the arts scene in Sunderland and around Wearside speaking with musicians, sculptures and glass designers who choose to live and work in the area as well as organisation such as The Bunker Gallery which provides a place for them to create and display their art and work with the local community. Title: In A City Art Art in an Urban World Sunderland Pedestrians and traffic move along Bridge Street in Sunderland with the Wearmouth Bridge in the distance. A montage around the city centre featuring a pub sign reading ‘The New City’ and buses travelling to various suburbs. The sequence ends on Roker Pier and beach. Standing beside the Penshsaw Monument is Deborah Hunter Director of Arts Resource who talks about how the city provides a platform for local artists to develop. Over additional views of the Sunderland skyline featuring high-rise buildings and dockyard cranes, Deborah talks about how artists in the city are able to do work outside Sunderland. Inside the studio of Wear FM a group of schoolgirls take part in an edition Wear Classy. In voiceover Margaret Banks Station Co-ordinator talks about the station which offer Sunderland people the opportunity to be involved in a live vibrant organisation as well as to learn new skills and transfer information they consider of relevance to them. As the girls in the studio talks about why they like ‘All That She Wants’ by Ace of Base, Margaret provides details on Wear Classy which give young people a chance to express themselves on air. In his home studio Mark Richardson of Hypa Records works on a dance track using an Atari computer. He talks about the release of his first single ‘Arabic’ and why he believes it was a success. A clip from a music video produced for the track filmed partly at the Penshaw Monument. Walking around the monument is Video Artist Peter McAdam who shot the video. He talks about its conception and wanting to mix the cultures of east and west and on seeing the monument as a ‘Hellenistic temple’. Also still standing beside the Penshaw Monument is Deborah Hunter who provides details on Arts Resource, a visual arts organisation whose aim is to link artists with local communities and to bring art into a public arena and to develop a portfolio of artworks sited in public spaces. At a housing development in the Pennywell area of Sunderland a fenced and gated piece of waste ground behind rows of housing. Working in this space is sculpture Jenny Grant who explains that she wants to create a community space to be used and enjoyed in the form of a garden. Back on the street Carol Leathley Project Manager for Arts Resource talks about the importance of community involvement in projects such as this. Back in the field Jenny works with a group of children to develop a sculpture using various items such as stainless-steel which Jenny does like working with. As she talks about wanting to create a harmonious structure a visit by a local community group. One of them, Carol Greene, talks about wanting to bring art to people locally. As she speaks Jenny working on a piece of rock art which has placed on the ground. As Deborah Hunter walks around the Penshaw Monument she talks about how Arts Resource projects have been successful in both involving local communities and in giving them a sense of ownership. A montage of various artists working with different mediums in small or large studio spaces, part of The Arts Studio. Painter Derek Hill provides details on how the centre was formed and it being part of mental health care in the community. He talks about the various types of people who use the centre including a wood sculpture who attempts to move a large piece in the shape of a face. In a gallery space a montage of art works on display all produced using different mediums. As he works on one of his abstract pieces, Derek talks about his art. The Roker Watch House with seabirds nearby. Stepping out of the St Peters Riverside Sculpture Project cabin is sculpture and artist in residence Colin Wilbourn who makes his way down to the beach where over a montage of the nearby marina provides details on this project which stretches from the North Pier to nearly the Wearmouth Bridge. One of Colin’s pieces which is a set of steps at a marina that lead down to the water that has been changed to appear like a stair carpet. He explains that it represents the area changing from industrial to domestic use with a new housing development being built nearby. At North Sands Business Park, a set of gates created by Colin featuring two bicycles and a scene with reference to what people did when they didn’t work. Colin approaches and pushes open the gate heading into the business park while talking about its conception. Another sculpture made from what appears to be sand showing a set of books erected along a quayside. Colin explaining that he feels a responsibility to the people who have to live with the artworks he creates. Standing outside his studio at the University of Sunderland Glass Department is Glass Designer Stuart Akroyd. He explains that it is facilities such as these that keep him and other glass makers in the region. Inside as he creates a glass vase he believes he is a designer of glass rather than an artist and that he makes functional objects. Examples of his work including vases and wine glasses that he describes as being more unusual and not run-of-the-mill. He also talks positively about the facilities at the university while working on another piece. As Stuart talks about remaining in contact with other glass makers in the region, he explains that many work as part of seven studio groups around the city. Inside an empty warehouse space in the centre of Sunderland six members of The Bunker Group sit around chatting. Two of them, Gilly Rogers and Helen Smith, talk about why many former student artists decided to stay in Sunderland following graduation, but the problem currently is there is no place to exhibit their works. As Gilly and Helen talk about turning the warehouse space into and alternative exhibition venue, a montage of various pieces of art on display. Smoke coming out of a house in Washington, upstairs in his bedroom film-maker Carl Harrison shooting a scene from his fantasy film ‘In the Shadow of the Tree.’ As he talks about how this fantasy film was conceived drawings he has produced of some of the characters. Carl shows how one of his animatronic characters works while on a computer screen some of the animations that will also feature. Over clips from his film Carl talks about how he would do anything as long as it relates to filmmaking and how there is a lot of filmmaking talent in the area. 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