The Quay Brothers produce exceptional work and I am elated that they have been selected to represent the city.
Leeds' population should be proud that possibly the greatest living animators in the western world have chosen to collaborate with a small city like Leeds.
Rather than put the project down before it has even started (in a shamefully narrow minded way) the city's artistic community should be shouting about this from the rooftops. It is perhaps one of the best things to happen to Leeds in the past ten years. Well done Leeds Canvas - what a magnificent opportunity.
Adelle Stripe
by the way...what is all this talk of "highbrow pretentiousness" and "men in business suits"...the Quay Brothers are animators and they have designed sets for productions such as Wind in the Willows...I'm pretty sure that was aimed at children. (And not even American! wow.) Why is everyone being so whiny about this? How sad. I couldn't be more excited.
Emma Ridgway
I jumped for joy when I read about this. I am so excited about the Quay Brothers! They are the best artist/film-makers working at the moment and Leeds is very lucky to have them. I suggest anyone who isn't aware of their work watches their short films, quite simply some of the most beautiful and fascinating films ever made.
Emma Ridgway
Looked at the Leeds Canvas website and remain unconvinced by the idea itself although there is no doubting the credentials of the individuals involved. Why this project over the others shortlisted?
Anonymous
For anyone who would like to see some work created in the region for the Cultural Olympiad, by one of the shortlisted projects, then please have a look at the 5circles project which opened at the Illuminating York Festival. Here you will see the project in action and a short record of comments and feedback are contained in this mini documentary. Let us know what you think. Thanks very much http://www.vimeo.com/7503578
Marcus Romer
What an absolute load of rubbish, and a total waste of money.
Anonymous
Steve I expressed concerns on the first page of this discussion that it looked like the project will be enjoyed by just an elite few who'll "get it" and I'm not seeing or reading anything that's convincing me otherwise yet... there are kids in Leeds from all walks of life with fantastic imaginations who deserve something for them, sorry but an underground highbrow pretentious installation won't be the Olympian celebration this is supposed to be about... what, with all this funding, can we excite them with Steve?
We don't expect everyone that has contributed to this discussion to change their minds. What we do hope is that knowing a little more about the project - who lead the bid, what the idea is, how the Quay Brothers approach a familiar canvas, our plans for involving regional artists and Yorkshire people - will allay some of the misconceptions. Of course we also hope you will be as excited by the idea as those who have had the chance to talk to so far.
Still early days, and there is more to come, but we invite you to find out more at www.leedscanvas.com
Steve Dearden
Y'know, a town with money is like a mule with a spinning wheel. No one knows where he got it and danged if he knows how to use it.
Lyle Lanley
The problem seems to be that this has all the hallmarks of the kind of funding led collaborative bids that, as Cluny seems to describe, are all about drawing down the money so long as the right boxes get ticked. Typical LCC really, get a wad of cash, keep hold of as much as they can and offer the voluntary sector peanuts in order to save face on the delivery of outcomes. C'est la vie.
Anonymous
How about getting some transparency in this process? Arts Council should publish all 5 detailed proposals - without budgets to protect financial confidentiality, plus a listing of all the artists who submitted their ideas, maybe with one sentence discription of each idea.
Sarah J
Cluny... stop digging.
Anonymous
Looks like a case of fitting a square peg into a round hole Cluny. I'm sure that out of the 133 submissions there must have been more than four projects that fit the criteria better than Canvas which is contrived at best. It's obvious that there's more here than meets the eye - none of the other winners of the other regions are council-led. Like the MPs expenses scandal your choice might have 'followed the rules' but not the spirit of the initiative which is what all the fuss is about. This is a real blow to at least one other project that didn't make the short-list and should have.
Mike Potts
Hello again.
In answer to some of your questions, but not to negate the differing views on the panels's decision I hope the following clarifications are helpful:
The programme did not, (I'm glad to say), only accept applications from those born and bred in Yorkshire - the criteria was that the proposal should be a relevant in some way to an aspect of of the region where it was proposed.
In any case in this instance the applicant is Canvas, not the Quay Brothers. The Quay brothers are the artists selected by Canvas to give the artistic lead to the project. (Canvas proposes to repeat the project to co-incide with future Olympic Games but with different artists 'taking the lead' - this is part of its legacy).
As stated below, Canvas itself is a partnership of arts organisations plus Leeds City Council which meant it satisfied the criteria that applicant organisations should be artist-led. The shortlist comprised two artists and three artists-led organisations as applicants.
Incidentally, (see a previous comment) Andrew Macgill does in fact manage to combine the role of Council employee with being an accomplished pianist. Artists can be found in the most unlikely places!
Cluny Macpherson
I don't get it. Two Americans representing Yorkshire?! Strange that this is council run project. Something smells fishy to me, and it's not Grimsby!....
Anonymous
I am confused as to how the Quay Brothers, represent Yorkshire? As a born and bred Yorkshire man, i feel that this doesn't represent my county, and from what i've read, Leeds canvas don't want to tell us who they are or what they intend to do with what is esentialy OUR money. Let's hope the arts council re-think this one, and that the Yorkshire Artists Taking the Lead scheme, is perhaps led by an artist from Yorkshire.
tells us Leeds is ....THE MODERN CAPITAL OF YORKSHIRE
Sounds about right by any sound metrics
Anonymous
I am a friend of one of the artists who was shortlisted for this competition.
You should know that these insinuations are upsetting. They seem to be suggesting that no Artist was involved in the selected project from the beginning.
This suggests that the Judging panel were not impressed enough by an artists vision, and had to choose a conglomerate of arts organisations instead.
This does not seem in keeping with Artists Taking the Lead.
The other insinuation is that the panel were not able to put aside vested interests when selecting the winner.
This is also upsetting to the artists who put so much time and effort in to presenting their visions.
So what is the truth?
Who are Leeds Canvas?
If we look at the Canvas page it tells us,
"The driving force behind the project, also called Leeds Canvas, is a partnership between Opera North, Northern Ballet Theatre, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Phoenix Dance Theatre, Yorkshire Dance, Leeds Met Gallery and Studio Theatre, Situation Leeds, Leeds City Council, and Leeds Art Gallery, all of which are based in the city and work across the Yorkshire region."
The 'artist' does seem to be conspicuously absent from the above.
At what point in the proceedings did the Quay Brothers become involved? Were they part of the project from the beginning? Are they the Artists taking the lead?
Deborah Carrington (Yorkshire)
There's something strange about the Leeds Canvas photo. The man most prominently featured is Andrew McGill and, whilst he is no doubt a fine man, he is not THE artist, nor even an artist at all, but a Leeds City Council official. Isn't it a bit odd that 2 weeks after its ill-advised decision to award 500 grand to the Quay Brothers, the Arts Council still don't seem able to obtain a photograph of this elusive pair. I think it's time we were told - just who is leading this project?
The Quay Brothers produce exceptional work and I am elated that they have been selected to represent the city.
Leeds' population should be proud that possibly the greatest living animators in the western world have chosen to collaborate with a small city like Leeds.
Rather than put the project down before it has even started (in a shamefully narrow minded way) the city's artistic community should be shouting about this from the rooftops. It is perhaps one of the best things to happen to Leeds in the past ten years. Well done Leeds Canvas - what a magnificent opportunity.
by the way...what is all this talk of "highbrow pretentiousness" and "men in business suits"...the Quay Brothers are animators and they have designed sets for productions such as Wind in the Willows...I'm pretty sure that was aimed at children. (And not even American! wow.) Why is everyone being so whiny about this? How sad. I couldn't be more excited.
I jumped for joy when I read about this. I am so excited about the Quay Brothers! They are the best artist/film-makers working at the moment and Leeds is very lucky to have them. I suggest anyone who isn't aware of their work watches their short films, quite simply some of the most beautiful and fascinating films ever made.
Looked at the Leeds Canvas website and remain unconvinced by the idea itself although there is no doubting the credentials of the individuals involved. Why this project over the others shortlisted?
For anyone who would like to see some work created in the region for the Cultural Olympiad, by one of the shortlisted projects, then please have a look at the 5circles project which opened at the Illuminating York Festival. Here you will see the project in action and a short record of comments and feedback are contained in this mini documentary. Let us know what you think. Thanks very much
http://www.vimeo.com/7503578
What an absolute load of rubbish, and a total waste of money.
Steve I expressed concerns on the first page of this discussion that it looked like the project will be enjoyed by just an elite few who'll "get it" and I'm not seeing or reading anything that's convincing me otherwise yet... there are kids in Leeds from all walks of life with fantastic imaginations who deserve something for them, sorry but an underground highbrow pretentious installation won't be the Olympian celebration this is supposed to be about... what, with all this funding, can we excite them with Steve?
To listen to the Yorkshire Post's Nick Ahad talking to Leeds Canvas about how the project will work go to the Arts & Culture podcast http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/podcasts/Arts-and-Culture-podcast-on.5697...
We don't expect everyone that has contributed to this discussion to change their minds. What we do hope is that knowing a little more about the project - who lead the bid, what the idea is, how the Quay Brothers approach a familiar canvas, our plans for involving regional artists and Yorkshire people - will allay some of the misconceptions. Of course we also hope you will be as excited by the idea as those who have had the chance to talk to so far.
Still early days, and there is more to come, but we invite you to find out more at www.leedscanvas.com
Y'know, a town with money is like a mule with a spinning wheel. No one knows where he got it and danged if he knows how to use it.
The problem seems to be that this has all the hallmarks of the kind of funding led collaborative bids that, as Cluny seems to describe, are all about drawing down the money so long as the right boxes get ticked. Typical LCC really, get a wad of cash, keep hold of as much as they can and offer the voluntary sector peanuts in order to save face on the delivery of outcomes. C'est la vie.
How about getting some transparency in this process? Arts Council should publish all 5 detailed proposals - without budgets to protect financial confidentiality, plus a listing of all the artists who submitted their ideas, maybe with one sentence discription of each idea.
Cluny... stop digging.
Looks like a case of fitting a square peg into a round hole Cluny. I'm sure that out of the 133 submissions there must have been more than four projects that fit the criteria better than Canvas which is contrived at best. It's obvious that there's more here than meets the eye - none of the other winners of the other regions are council-led. Like the MPs expenses scandal your choice might have 'followed the rules' but not the spirit of the initiative which is what all the fuss is about. This is a real blow to at least one other project that didn't make the short-list and should have.
Hello again.
In answer to some of your questions, but not to negate the differing views on the panels's decision I hope the following clarifications are helpful:
The programme did not, (I'm glad to say), only accept applications from those born and bred in Yorkshire - the criteria was that the proposal should be a relevant in some way to an aspect of of the region where it was proposed.
In any case in this instance the applicant is Canvas, not the Quay Brothers. The Quay brothers are the artists selected by Canvas to give the artistic lead to the project. (Canvas proposes to repeat the project to co-incide with future Olympic Games but with different artists 'taking the lead' - this is part of its legacy).
As stated below, Canvas itself is a partnership of arts organisations plus Leeds City Council which meant it satisfied the criteria that applicant organisations should be artist-led. The shortlist comprised two artists and three artists-led organisations as applicants.
Incidentally, (see a previous comment) Andrew Macgill does in fact manage to combine the role of Council employee with being an accomplished pianist. Artists can be found in the most unlikely places!
I don't get it. Two Americans representing Yorkshire?! Strange that this is council run project. Something smells fishy to me, and it's not Grimsby!....
I am confused as to how the Quay Brothers, represent Yorkshire? As a born and bred Yorkshire man, i feel that this doesn't represent my county, and from what i've read, Leeds canvas don't want to tell us who they are or what they intend to do with what is esentialy OUR money. Let's hope the arts council re-think this one, and that the Yorkshire Artists Taking the Lead scheme, is perhaps led by an artist from Yorkshire.
http://www.yorkshire-england.co.uk/Leeds.html
tells us Leeds is ....THE MODERN CAPITAL OF YORKSHIRE
Sounds about right by any sound metrics
I am a friend of one of the artists who was shortlisted for this competition.
You should know that these insinuations are upsetting. They seem to be suggesting that no Artist was involved in the selected project from the beginning.
This suggests that the Judging panel were not impressed enough by an artists vision, and had to choose a conglomerate of arts organisations instead.
This does not seem in keeping with Artists Taking the Lead.
The other insinuation is that the panel were not able to put aside vested interests when selecting the winner.
This is also upsetting to the artists who put so much time and effort in to presenting their visions.
So what is the truth?
Who are Leeds Canvas?
If we look at the Canvas page it tells us,
"The driving force behind the project, also called Leeds Canvas, is a partnership between Opera North, Northern Ballet Theatre, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Phoenix Dance Theatre, Yorkshire Dance, Leeds Met Gallery and Studio Theatre, Situation Leeds, Leeds City Council, and Leeds Art Gallery, all of which are based in the city and work across the Yorkshire region."
The 'artist' does seem to be conspicuously absent from the above.
At what point in the proceedings did the Quay Brothers become involved? Were they part of the project from the beginning? Are they the Artists taking the lead?
There's something strange about the Leeds Canvas photo. The man most prominently featured is Andrew McGill and, whilst he is no doubt a fine man, he is not THE artist, nor even an artist at all, but a Leeds City Council official. Isn't it a bit odd that 2 weeks after its ill-advised decision to award 500 grand to the Quay Brothers, the Arts Council still don't seem able to obtain a photograph of this elusive pair. I think it's time we were told - just who is leading this project?