Lots of news from Tees Zine Fest. We have another event for 2025, this time in Redcar to tie in nicely with the work we’ve been doing with local LGBTQ+ group Skittles and Halloween (of course). Our FrankenZine Mini Zine Fest happens on the Sat 25th October at Redcar Literary Institute from 1-6pm
There’ll be some of regular Zine makers and some new faces, including members of the Skittles Youth Group we worked with before the Summer as well as the Zine Library, Community Table and Workshops. We’ll also be doing some seasonal drinks and treats!
The Zine project with Skittles was funded by Tees Valley Museums and we worked in collaboration with Kirkleatham Museum. I worked weekly with friend and regular collaborator Wade Radford the fantastic zine and filmmaker and poet. It culminated in a show of the young people’s Zines and the film Wade made with them at the ground floor gallery space at the museum, and also included some histories of people from the LGBTQIA+ community from Teesside.
I’ve also been working with Wade supporting his film work, there’ll be more on that as it’s released
Funding News
We’re happy to say our Tees Zine Fest CIC has now been granted further funding, this time from Woodsmith Foundation. This enables us to further work with the young people in Redcar on the run up to the Zine Fest.
On top of this, Rumana of Bok Bok Books and I applied for and were finally successful in an bid from the Arts Council (after a couple of goes) for our ‘What’s in my Suitcase’ Project. We’ll be back with the Desi Blitz truck Painted Bus at events and schools across Teesside starting late September including Festival of Thrift and Middlesbrough Arts Week.
Flavoursome Workshops
I’ve been back to doing tea workshops recently, working with Hartlepool Museums. Alongside Rumana and Indi we had the unusual experience of doing workshops in and around a historic ship at the Hartlepool Royal Navy museum and I got to do tea blending in the captain’s cabin of the HMS Trincomalee. This was a bit of a full circle moment for me, as a 16 yr old my then Hartlepool resident boyfriend worked on the ship on a YTS scheme!
The work has also taken me to the Salaam Centre in Hartlepool, a great community centre in the heart of one of the more diverse parts of the town, and I got to work with people who had come to our area from across the world as we talked tea traditions and memories and blended teas to take home.
The next few months I’ll continue to work with the Hartlepool Museum Service, this time in the NHS hospital in the town. my other upcoming workshops include Colourful Blackout Poetry and Life Drawing ( not me as the model luckily) for Pimms and Needles lots of bits and bobs of workshops and consultancy work and planning for the Christmas Markets. Busy… very busy!
It’s been a busy time since the end of the One Suitcase project, and one of the best parts of the project was meeting colleague Rumana Yasmin and ultimately piloting and planning a new amazing project.
Rumana is a Bangladeshi writer and the founder of Bok Bok Books, publishing children’s books which tell South Asian Stories and provide representation for children in the UK who are from South Asian Descent.
She introduced me to the Desiblitz Truck Painted bus. Based in Birmingham, Desiblitz are a Community Organisation who work within Asian communities and use the bus, which was painted by world renown Pakistani Truck Painter Haider Ali to engage people of all ages and backgrounds.
Together we’ve been piloting taking the bus to venues as the Mobile Museum of Migration, talking to people about artefacts, sounds and memories brought to Teesside from across the world, their travelling stories and memories around the familial objects. Our two pilot events , which were both hugely positive were supported by Kirkleatham Museum and Middlesbrough MELA. Both organisations have pledged to support our ongoing larger planned project.
Our project involves taking the bus, Mobile Museum and activities to schools, events and communities around Teesside where we’ll use stories, artefacts and activities to explore and find items which arrived to the area through migration.
We’ll work with classes, communities and those who have already been involved in the One Suitcase project to co-create a children’s book, which will be narrative in part, with characters based on Bangladeshi birds, tying in with traditional Bangladeshi tales and the illustrations on the bus and partly stories of the objects and information about them, written by Rumana which I will illustrate.
Some of the organisations interested in sharing artefacts and co-creation include schools, both Primary and Secondary, organisations who work with Newly Arrived Communities, and an ESOL (English as a Second language) group.
The book will represent the diversity of communities in Teesside, and will share not only the migration stories of the artefacts, but of those who came and continue to travel, like Rumana from Bangladesh and my family from Ireland, from across the world to make Teesside their home.
It’s really not long now until my show opens at Kirkleatham Museum.
16th June marks the opening of a three month run of my show ‘One Suitcase’ at Kirkleatham Museum in Redcar.
The show brings together all the stories anecdotes, saved images and treasured items from my amazing interviewees – all of whom have experience of being, being related to or living alongside people who came to Teesside from Ireland and the Commonwealth between 1949 and the 70s.
You’ll find the history behind this period, and installations using text, textile and sound as well as opportunities to find out what people said they’d bring and a chance to take part yourself. There’s even a space for our young visitors. Find more about this project HERE and keep your eye out on my socials for the private view
While you’re there, take a look at their ‘Lemon Tops and Lobster Pots’ exhibition about our local seaside town of Redcar!
See if you can spot the cheeky Seagull.
You can also find the whole set of designs as stickers over at Whole Lot of Rosie
Tees Zine Fest
While that’s been coming to an end, I’ve been brewing a festival with my friend and amazing illustrator Kathryn Rose.
Sadie from The Word (who is also my daughter Sadie) made us this little logo, to set us off and we’re starting plans for Teesside’s first Zine fest in central Middlesbrough on 26th November! We’re over on insta and it’s Early days, but we’ve bagged an amazing venue with the help of Navigator North
Our One Suitcase project will hopefully then lead on to an extension, working with the amazing Rumana of Bok Bok books to take stories of saved treasures from afar into children’s storybook form, with a way of getting everyone involved through a visiting Indian Truckpainted Bus….. enough for now , need to keep the rest under wraps!
Other stuff .. so I’m having work as part of One Suitcase in Middlesbrough’s Art Weekender but thought I’d have a go at the Open call . I’m glad to say that from 140 applications, both I and son George (gergnoise) have been shortlisted as two of 21 artists who were chosen to go to the next stage. This will be my first Open Call as a purely freelance artist which is really exciting for us both, We’ll see if we make it to the end..
And why would I not just apply to do a PhD in the middle of this … if you know me, you’ll know I have a referral for ADD/ ADHD so that probably explains a lot, but I THRIVE on having loads of balls up in the air. so yes .. again early days for this one – Loads of things you can get involved in so I”ll keep you all updated
As I type I’m recovering from major surgery, but very much able to move on and return to everyday work and life. It’s been a long road as my first surgery date was at the beginning of lockdown. – Since Oct 2022 I’ve had 4 dates which have been cancelled so when I returned to hospital a few weeks ago and the surgery went ahead it was amazing. It’ll be life changing but I’ll talk more the next time I post.
As you can tell … lots to further talk about but too much for one post.
Back to One Suitcase – Get yourself there, and post on your socials if you do using #onesuitcase
As I type I’m just going through all the amazing interviews I’ve done so far with One Suitcase, and thinking about some of the things I’ve heard – so much have I learned.
As someone who tends to think of themselves as a Teessider, born in the Boro and tracing just about every one of my relatives to some connection with Middlesbrough, I thought I knew more about the town.
I had a chat to an amazing couple before Christmas – Shenaz and Tariq, who still live in Middlesbrough and came to the town as little ones, living in the Canon Street/Newport area ( where Cannon Park industrial estate sits). Shenaz told me about her dad’s restaurant, and the closeness of people there. Tariq enlightened me about the Cannon Street riot, known as the first British race riot. not a good look for the town and perhaps why it’s not something within common discussion., as well as the riot having started after the fatal stabbing of a young local lad, whose family I believe are still alive.
During the riot people who lived in the area with a non-white background hid in the restaurant, which was barricaded, and there was certain fear that those inside would be killed. Luckily after days of rioting the local police managed to quell the rage, but many businesses had been damaged by this time. There’s an article about the riot here from the Gazette, our local newspaper https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/gallery/photos-middlesbroughs-cannon-street-used-23204253
I spoke to some retired women from Thorntree who had also lived in the streets about their experience of living there .. They had really fond memories of the area, all the shops and the friendships they made, and I chatted to Maria, from an Irish Catholic background. She’s also lived in this area.
Maria’s memories of being an Irish Catholic in Middlesbrough were familiar. I’m not religious but was brought up Catholic, my religion originating from my Irish and Scottish ancestors both Paternally and Maternally. Maria’s images and artefacts really struck a chord, and it reminded that being from that background will always be part of my identity. It’s helped me understand what people brought in the first place.
So .. where from here ? An exhibition in June, and Art Weekender and Festival of thrift in September, where all the sounds and sights of the project will come together. More research on Cannon Street and more people to interview!
One of the issues facing people throughout the pandemic has been the sense of isolation many of us have had to cope with.
I’ll talk about getting back to work later, but for me it’s been a really tough nut to crack, even though I had my husband at home when he wasn’t working as a key worker, and my son living with us, as just as lockdown was announced he was between homes and then without work as a chef.
Personally, I lost my purpose for a time – furloughed from the job I love, unable to work with communities, missing my daughter who had moved in with her then boyfriend’s family to keep me safe, and unable to do markets. This time last year, I was about to do a March market then had very little until a rare market in December. I filled my time making scrubs for friends working on the Covid ward of a local hospital, setting up a community group locally, and later running a Christmas Window project in homes around the town. In-between I worked on the Middlesbrough Mela mandala project and shared my love of crochet, teaching people online whenever the opportunity arose.
For people who have had to shield like my parents, this period will I’m sure, go down as one with never-ending days and realising the simple things are those we miss the most. Hugs, holding a hand, watching a band, having endless cuppas and chats in real time, laughing together.
Saltburn Community Response, a group set up in our neighbouring town of Saltburn-by-the-sea wanted to tackle these issues while making some much needed funds for the group.
The group have been outstanding in the way they have worked to help people during this time, working alongside Saltburn Solidarity Foodbank, setting up community cupboards and running trails in the town that people can safely follow while out on their walks during lockdown.
The group commissioned me to design three postcards, each one a positive message of hope, which could be sold with some of the profits going to their cause, and I was happy to oblige. I’d been teaching myself to use the Procreate app do develop my digital drawing and designs over this time on my Ipad and withe help of Lisa Bardot and her amazing online workshops – one of the benefits of endless days without work
I used this do design the three postcards which I had printed locally by Teesprint in Middlesbrough. the timing for this was perfect, with sunnier days on the way and the opening of my friend Tracy’s Eco Hub and Zero Waste shop The CutBack gave me a bricks and mortar outlet in Saltburn ( they also sell my teas and all manner of eco wonderfulness)
Each card benefits the Community Response group, and it feels great to add something positive and help out at the same time.
I’m selling online too, through my ETSY shop and you can find that here. I hope you like them!
We’ve been slowly working away from home working towards being back in our space at The Palace Hub in Redcar and preparing for the opening of our Honest Shop and Gallery.
Ongoing lockdowns and changes to rules for both retail and cultural venues mean plans we had in place for an opening earlier in the year with a new show and the fab Honest Shop have been a movable feast, but we’re looking forward to a safe Mid-May opening.
In the meantime, I’ve been working with the hugely talented composer, producer and lyricist, Liverpool’s Patrick Dineen on an Oral History project – talking to the communities around the Steelworks and people who live in and visit Redcar, about their experiences of the town and what it has and had to offer.
We’ve had to tackle the thorny issue of interviewing people in lockdown., which we’ve managed with the use of Zoom (which we all should have taken out shares in during early 2020!) and using field recorders (also made by a company called Zoom, but unconnected as far as I know) – so I’ve spent much of the last couple of moths at people’s doorsteps.
The Honest shop is our latest big project – taking its lead from the Honest Shop project set up by Grizedale Arts who have been supporting us, our shop echoes other similar projects being run across the world from Japan to Australia.
Our shop will sell items made and grown by local hobby and community makers, and the stock will change on an ongoing basis depending on what people can provide. So far we have links to a whole range of local community groups including the Barefoot Kitchen who will bring orchard produce, and all manner of food based packs and items to purchase.
We still have space for community groups interested in selling craft items handmade from natural materials – email me for details projects@teesvalleyarts.org.uk
Sea Swimming
In September I was lucky to be able to go Sea Swimming with the Saltburn Sea Tribe – in the North Sea just off our coast here, buoyed (see what I did there) by the idea that it might be good for my worsening Fibromyalgia and Arthritis.
My first foray into the surf was admittedly a freezing one and we had headed down long after dawn, the temperature in the car reading at 6 degrees centigrade.. cold by anyone’s terms. Initially the bitterly cold water on my warmest body parts was a real shock, but after getting my shoulders in and swimming along it was a huge thrill to be in the water. It was a gorgeous day, the sun still low in the sky with just us, the birds and what lived beneath the waves as company.
The serenity of the calm sea in the distance, alongside the awareness of its obvious power in the breakers and the feeling of insignificance and grounding in such a huge body of water was really overwhelming and quite surprising.. I’d been swimming as a kid, but as someone who has mobility problems, the utter freedom of moving in the huge sea, the former rusting Steel Works in the distance was not lost on me. It was magical.
Never one to do things by halves I was wearing a 1950s style swimsuit, retro bathing cap and swim shoes. As we emerged from the water to wrap up tight in woolen hats, huge towelling robes, drinking hot tea and coffee, I knew the experience had been a positive one. I felt elated and my pain at least for a time after the swim was reduced.
Back in the car park, I met a photographer friend, Ian Crockett who showed me some photos he’d taken of us, saying he wouldn’t be publishing them unless he got us to agree. He was particularly please with a closeup he had got of a swimmer in a red costume – the closeup made through use of a really long lens making the image appear to show a lone swimmer in front of the Steel Works ( which are in fact a few miles up the coast) … In a red costume .. me!
I’m hoping to be back in the briny this spring.. maybe I’ll have a new swimming cap but I’ll still be wearing my red costume.
And here it is. ( thank you Ian for allowing me have this image) So proud of myself.
A couple of years ago I was asked by Middlesbrough Council to work with another artist and with loads of groups, making 100 (I kid you not) hula hoop sized textile Mandalas to be displayed around the park at Middlesbrough Mela. No mean feat.
This year the amazing Middlesbrough Mela – this celebration of Asian culture, of music, taste, colour and sound could not happen in its normal home of Albert Park- at the centre of the town – because of Covid restrictions… so what is a group of creatives to do? Take the Mela online!
Making films isn’t entirely new to me, but making films in my workroom at the back of the house in between the dog barking, people delivering and an assortment of DIY going on outside certainly was a new experience.
We began our journey with a meeting of the fellow artists on the project .. Leader Lisa and JR from the council had assembled a fantastic group of creatives both local and from further afield.
The project sits around an online and physical children’s book, which in the tradition of the Mela would bring in a story that picks up on Asian tales, written by Umar Butt, who also translated it into a range of languages, and beautifully illustrated by Becki Harper. It tells the saga of Sara the Tortoise who loses her home and all her friends, picking up on themes of migration and asylum but in a totally child-friendly way.
After some great Zoom meetings (who knew Zoom would be such a thing) and loads of watsapp discussions between all the artists and project leaders we came up with a range of activities; Dance , mask making, printmaking, windsock creating, yoga and banjo making on the website, alongside my two workshops (see the workshops at the end..)
And off we went – Filming our little instructions as we went – I bought a tiny light rig and phone holder to stand above my table to do mine, attached to a wooden box. A real Heath Robinson affair. After lots of head-scratching download / upload fun, all the film clips went to film-maker Paul to create his magic. Meanwhile we artists and a willing small socially distanced gang of helpers were making 100 free kits to go with each film – that’s A LOT of free kits!
On top of this, I’ve started making my own films, the first one can be found here:
So here they are .. I’m really chuffed with my films and amazed by the others, the story and Umar’s storytelling too. Get yourself to the Mela website and fill your own world with colour and magic…
Wrapped Mandala ( using the basis of god-s eye wrapped sticks)
Miki Rogers 