We don’t need to tell you how creative Sheffield is. There is a lot of HYPE nothing new there, for this www.sheffieldcityofculture.com The current Sheffield Council Culture Plan barely mentions steel or cutlery nor did the initial city of culture bid. Since the event is 2013 centenary of stainless first being made at Portland Works (currently under threat) it feels appropriate for Portland Works to be a major part of the bid. Inclusivity and legacy are key things that bids will be judged upon, aside Portland Works our industrial heratge lays in ruins been deomlished or turned into flats. Aspiration is all The Working Class are left with, this city has become their urban paranoia, one where they are often left out so we nicked this from theculturevulture and have changed it around to give the side of the Underclass in Sheffield..
Have your say at our ‘UK City of Culture – What’s Your Big idea?’ event:
Friday 16 April, 8.30am to 8.30pm The Circle, 33 Rockingham Lane, Sheffield City Centre, S1 4FW (It’s just off Division Street, round the corner from Costa coffee) This is a relaxed event with lots of ways to share your ideas so there’s no need to book a place, simply drop in on the day. Everyone welcome. Sometimes it feels like Sheffield is forever the bridesmaid and never the bride. And because we’re a little bit awkward, that’s part of the attraction for us Sheffielders, as well as an irritation. We like to think of us as Yorkshire’s proud underdog, the kid on Harcourt Road doing its own thing, understated and industrious.
At the Culture Debate hold at Sheffield City Hall a month ago only confirmed this state of affairs. A discussion about Sheffield’s bid for the UK’s first City of Culture in 2013 saw the assembled audience speak up to define their hometown’s culture: a strong DIY ethic, a long musical history influenced by heavy industry, established arts festivals, an independent visual art scene flourishing in old cutlery works and cultural institutions that natives consider their own. Just not very good at blowing our own trumpet.
Now Sheffield has made the final four for the UK City of Culture. Norwich, they say is the one to beat, after Birmingham and Derry. While we hear some dissenting voices – that Sheffield doesn’t need this accolade, we’re plenty cultural as we are, thanks – I think we do need a helping hand letting the rest of the Britain know just what our hills are alive with. So that’s what this post is intended to be all about – what makes Sheffield you know, special.
Art South Yorkshire’s first city is awash with art. Independent spaces thrive alongside some fine museums like The Graves (in the library) and The Millennium Gallery, which hosted the Vivienne Westwood exhibition last year, has seen Pati Smith read stories and poems, hold a gig with Chrora and other left of centre music all part of The Robert Millthorpe Exhibition.
Art Sheffield Did you know Sheffield had its very own Biennial, Art Sheffield? This year’s theme is ‘Life: A User’s Manual’. There’s edgy work and events a-go-go all over the place: at Yorkshire Artspace, S1 Artspace and 18, The Moor, to name a few. The exhibition finishes on 1 May, so you’ve still got time to go see, and we gave it a kick from the side the urban fragments of life.
Bloc Projects An artist-run studio complex with a great exhibition space. Great for under-the-radar work, and easily the best opening nights in the city, if thats your thing hanging out drinking wine, but when we have been, have always been the outsider looking in at The Spectre at The Feast, feeling unwelcome at the table, but there happy with us under taking the crumbs.
David Mellor Visitor Centre, Hathersage Pioneering Royal Designer for Industry David Mellor was a Sheffield boy born and bred, and worked out of the city until he moved operations to this disused gasworks in Hathersage, in the Peak District. It’s a fabulous museum, small but beautifully formed, plus you can go on a tour of their award-winning circular working factory. Or sit tight and enjoy exhibits like traffic lights and cutlery designed by Mellor while you sip on your cappuccino in their lovely cafe.
Cupola Gallery, Hillsborough A true charming independent gallery with local and national artists’ work to buy. Good for painting, craft, jewellery and small-scale sculpture. The first gallery We ever went to where we was offered a cup of tea and cake as we browsed. And they still do that on Saturdays, round here we like The Cupola Hillsborough is just a tram ride, Within walking distance is the rather wonderful Bank Street Arts is just over the road is from The former Sheffield Crown Court (our first town hall) left to ruin.. If you have time hop onto a 97/22/77 over to The Edge (Netherhedge to your southeners) and The Old Sweet Shop for the underground side of Sheffield Art comeing to the overground..
Social places: So we finally got a train station bar. And it’s no ordinary watering hole either. Think Brief Encounter with a slice of Yorkshire grit, around 300 beers on the menu, and the elegance of a Paris salon. Enough to miss your train for. Just a stright walk for around 10 mins you come to Alma Street, Sheffield, S3 8SA home of the fucking wonderfull Fat Cat it dose what it says on the tin, along with others in the area this home to real ale..
Refresh Probably our favourite coffee shop in the whole world. An Italian coffee bar with good free WIFI oh the times we have spent updating underclassrising.net putting images on Flickr all about Sheffield and though there coffee is strong, it ain’t nothern, but it has that northern class about her.
Web We Live Here / Dan Sumption Prints and postcards of Sheffield’s (and other northern cities) most beloved and beleagured buildings by Sheffield artist Jonathan Wilkinson. Plain beautiful. Dan Sumption is still a mate, he got us into all of this and we still buzz off an over-use of flash, but then that’s why we love him, becuase he is flash.Dan Shot me,. Sheffield blog is dedicated to Sheffield from a Sheffield based writer and blogger, though it sometimes bigs up the commircial side of Sheffield we can cope with this as anarchist because it gives us information that to be frank is of use, there is the new kid on the block Love Sheffield (of course we do)
Music be the food of love, The Crookes Welcome to the four lads not from Sheffield, but there kicking the doors, we have no desire to put them into a hole, but fuck there good goto myspace.com/thecrookesmusic Meanwhile one to watch are the heebie jeebies who are from Rotherham are another to watch grow and take on the world plus there good mates and a right old laugh
Singing Knives They put on Wonderful gigs that are left of Center, from Free Jazz to white noise and bits in the middle, then we have the wonderful Neal Mcsweeny who is Sheffield’s own Anti-Folk, plus the wonderful SOYO LIVE plus free, if BASS is your thing and (we like it round here) then have some of The Harley in your face with goodnass..
Shopping? Rare and Racy, Devonshire Green Only Sheffield could have Rare and Racy. A rare music and books emporium, you’ll find untold riches in here. Latterly taken to selling local art too, alone with local zines from phlegm comics to Now Then and Artical with more inside there on Devonshire Street.. Come up and see us, make us smile We hope we’ve well and truly whet your appetite now. And that those City of Culture judges read this. But mainly that you do. When are you coming to see Sheffield? Oh we allso have Tramlines are building on the success of last year, this year’s Tramlines festival will take place between Friday 23rd – Sunday 25th July 2010 as part of Sheffield Music City. What more do you want?
take now or stay the same 