What does your town smell like?
What does your town smell like?
The Caravan Gallery asks all the important questions during its Pride of Place Project in Burnley
The irony of being a freelance arts writer is that sometimes the writing about it can get in the way of experiencing it. There’s only so much time in a day and deadlines are always calling. This week though, I have managed to escape my desk to squeeze in a few extra things - starting last Sunday with Tom Kitching’s excellent When There’s Brass gig/book reading with Marit Fält at the Philharmonic Music Room in Liverpool (see here for the rest of his tour dates).
I spent Tuesday in Burnley at The Caravan Gallery’s Pride of Place Project - more of that in a minute - and plan to take my daughter on the Eras-inspired Taylor Town art trail this weekend in a mash-up of our individual interests. The 11 art installations are only on display until Sunday so we need to be quick.
If you are wondering why you have received this edition of Stored Honey on a Saturday then, don’t worry, it’s not a mistake. I’m trying out some different send times to see if readers prefer it to arrive when they’re not getting ready to leave the house work. What do you think?
Everyone’s got a boggart story
Elderflower blossom, pie and peas, cigars (at 90s football matches), Massey’s Brewery, smoke from trains - these are some of the smells Burnley residents say they associate with their town.
Then there are the overheard snatches of conversation. Some are worthy of an Instagram wellbeing meme: “The worse you are at something the easier it is to get better” and “Let the beauty of what you love be what you do”. Others are fantastically random: “Everybody’s got a boggart story!” or “How many owls would it take to find in your house before you started to think someone was putting them there?”
All this - and much, much more - can be found in a former clothing shop on Charter Walk, where The Caravan Gallery artists Jan Williams and Chris Teasdale are holding their latest Pride of Place Project exhibition. The part-exhibition, part-unofficial visitor information centre (as Williams jokes) is evolving - it began with a display of giant photographs taken by The Caravan Gallery during a pre-show reccy and has been added to with local people’s art works, memorabilia, photographs, comments and observations throughout its month-long run.
Everyone is welcome to step inside for a look around, a chat, to add their own items to the walls and to take part in a number of workshops run by writers, artists and other creatives. The result is an impressive example of genuine community engagement in the arts, where people feel they belong and want to help shape the exhibition.
The project was commissioned by Charlotte Steels, cultural manager at Burnley Leisure and Culture: “I worked with Jan and Chris before in Preston and I saw the value in that community engagement. It was really important in Preston, and people really valued it. When I started this job I really wanted to bring them here and work with them.”
Her role involves helping Burnley use culture as a tool for social and economic development by fundraising, building relationships across the town and generally advocating for the arts.
Steels says: “We’re at a starting point in Burnley and this has been a good catalyst for bringing people together. It works well because it’s done in an accessible way. It’s in an empty shop. It doesn’t look like somewhere you shouldn’t go in and touch things. It feels really informal even though it’s trying to be on a professional level. It removes a lot of those barriers that people maybe have.
“A lot of museums and galleries are in imposing Victorian buildings and people will stand outside and think that’s not for me. Here you do get people standing outside waiting to come in but it’s a bit more in their comfort zone.”
One of the highlights is “The People’s Map of Burnley”, which covers almost an entire wall and is embellished by anyone who wants to add a favourite place from any point in the town’s past or present. Some of the additions have turned into conversations as later visitors write on supplementary information or take issue with what’s already there. “BURNLEY WOOD (there’s no trees there),” says one note - and underneath a contradiction written in green ink: “Oh! Yes there is. 30 mature trees planted by the MUGA [multi-use games area] @ Springfield in 2022-23.”
Much of the success of the Pride of Place Project is down to the huge effort The Caravan Gallery puts in ahead of the exhibition’s opening. They initially visited the Canal Festival, where they met some people and took photos, which they then printed for an exhibition inside their little yellow caravan. During two visits of five days apiece - one last autumn and one in the spring - they popped-up with their caravan in 10 different locations around Burnley.
Williams says: “A lot of the things we’ve got in this exhibition is a direct result of just appearing on the streets and someone coming in and saying ‘I know what to bring in’.
“Having The Caravan Gallery is a very obvious novelty but it works. You just get people walking past saying ‘look there’s a caravan there’ and then we invite them in to have a look.
“There’s lots of research and conversations and meetings. It’s a question of finding out what’s already here and any possible gaps, identifying things you might be able to help with, if there are people with skills to share.”
They invited local organisations to show items in the exhibition, and put on a programme of workshops led by artists and writers.
Williams says: “You notice certain trends emerge. Here the history and the heritage side has been really strong because there’s a massive interest in the library and the archives, and having Burnley Civic Trust put their pictures in the windows has brought in a lot of older people.
“People bring things in and say ‘oh you won’t be interested in this’ and we think ‘you’re joking aren’t you, it’s like gold dust!’”
Burnley Pride of Place Project closes today (Saturday June 15) with a big celebration from 10am-6pm. There are plans to potentially keep the exhibition open for longer with the help of local volunteers - keep an eye on the project’s Facebook group for updates.
On the bookshelf
extra{ordinary} Photographs of Britain by The Caravan Gallery
This collection of images, with an introduction by photographer Ken Grant, truly highlights the extraordinary that can be found in the everyday if you only open your eyes and look. Taken over a 15 year period, together they form an affection portrait of a UK shifting since the millennium.
Street Photography: Pocket Guide by Brian Lloyd Duckett
Aimed at beginners keen to get to grips with street photography, this book covers its philosophy and fundamental techniques including setting up your camera, spotting a good image and effective shooting techniques. It’s designed to be portable so you can dip into it on the go.
Find Your Frame: A Street Photography Masterclass by Craig Whitehead
Fine art street photographer Craig Whitehead shares his secrets, tips and inspiration in 20 short lessons that will hone your skills.
Some book links are affiliates connected to Stored Honey’s bookshop.org page. Should you decide to buy them, the small commission will go towards Stored Honey’s running costs. All The Caravan Gallery books link to the artists’ own online shop.
Thank you for reading this week’s Stored Honey. If you are an arts organisation or individual who would like to be featured in a future edition, get in touch on X/Twitter, in the comments or by dropping me a line at tostoredhoney@gmail.com.
Have a great weekend,
Laura