Favourites : Our pick of the bunch
7 Smithfield.
cads-online.co.uk
Many readers will be aware of Creative Arts Development Space (CADS), whether it’s through their art exhibitions and studio spaces, Dirty Little Secret (DLS) nightclub or WaveLab digital media centre. What you may not know is that CADS was recently awarded charity status – a huge development for the organisation and a sign of many great things to come.
Situated in an old cutlery factory just off Shalesmoor and founded back in 2009, CADS has up until now operated as a self-sufficient social enterprise with a small amount of local and international funding support. The organisation as a whole offers 69 studio spaces for artists, musicians, designers and record labels across four separate locations, the Smithfield complex being one of them. They provide exhibition and venue space for all manner of creative ventures, with short-term rents and no red tape, and under their spaceCADets programme they are currently providing six weeks of free studio space to help people develop their ideas.
The aforementioned WaveLab, a digital media centre featuring film and music production facilities, product design and 3D printing, is one CADS-associated success story among many, as is SKINN – Shalesmoor, Kelham Island & Neepsend Network, a not-for-profit group working to improve the surrounding area with all manner of projects, including Furnace Park on Matthew Street, a brownfield site that is being developed into a curated community space for performance and exhibitions.
Whether you’re an artist, designer, musician, producer, DJ, promoter or just a punter, CADS has something to offer you. Their new website will launch soon, with a nifty new feature which allows people to upload and share available spaces to bring in potential tenants, with a focus on short-term renting at locations earmarked for future development.
Periods of economic downturn are often the most creatively fertile, and CADS is a perfect example of how disused, run-down spaces can be transformed into hives of activity – with plenty of hard graft, of course. If you haven’t been down there, keep an eye out for upcoming events and exhibitions.
|The Riverside, 1 Mowbray St.
pointblank.org.uk
Point Blank is a charitable arts organisation working across South Yorkshire to support the performing arts. Point Blank bought the Riverside Pub in 2009 and has since been working hard to establish a unique programme of performance, from spoken word to music and drama. They’ve managed to do a cracking pint of ale as well.
Point Blank's work includes producing new platforms, developing touring infrastructure and providing artists with the capacity to develop their work further through the Elevator programme, which not only offers awards to local artists but also provides professional development through the use of work spaces and performance opportunities.
Recently Point Blank have launched the Performance Republic South Yorkshire Touring Network, providing venues and performers with a calendar of potential performance dates across South Yorkshire, not only increasing arts audiences in traditional ‘cold spots’, but also actively enabling artists to access unique performance opportunities. The network focuses on non-traditional venues and has a distinct emphasis on quality and variety, both on an international as well as a local level.
Of particular note this month, Performance Republic will be hosting two shows on 7th November at different venues in Sheffield – one featuring the exceptional Kate Tempest and her acclaimed new work ‘Wasted’ at the School of English Theatre, the other with the innovative and intimate performance group Action Hero, who will be performing their new work ‘A Western’ at the Riverside. This is a piece which seeks to revive the epic setting of the Wild West while investigating the space between participant and audience, structured event and improvisation.
Also worthy of your attention is Shipping Forecast on 28th November, which features much loved local poets Stan Skinny and Gav Roberts, alongside the acclaimed Ralph Dartford ('The Thing She Said', Now Then #62). We also hear on the grapevine that an afterparty is planned with the much loved Bar Stewards of Val Doonican.
If you would like further information on opportunities at Point Blank, check out their website.
|Big things are brewing on Glossop Road. On the stretch of terraced houses between the Harley and the Union, plans are afoot to transform a row of houses into a creative co-operative, featuring a cafe-bar and deli, gallery, art and design retail space, workshops, offices, artist studios, meeting and event spaces, a fabrication lab and rooftop gardens.
Sounds ambitious, but after talking to the people behind it, our bet is that this will become a hub of independent retail, education, micro manufacturing and innovation. They will soon be launching a public share issue with a view to raising £100,000 of funding. Give them your support and get involved.
For more info, contact Andrea@huella.co.uk.
Mirage E-Cigarettes
0114 250 8908.
miragecigarettes.co.uk
Most of our readers will be aware of the recent developments in electronic cigarettes, providing a safer, healthier, more affordable alternative to the dirty tobacco of yesteryear. Gone are the days of hacking morning coughs and hangovers which seem four times harsher than they should do.
Mirage is a local business which has been running for six years. They are one of the UK’s market leaders in e-cig technology and have opened 20 new shops this year alone. They focus on quality and safety with CE and Rosh batteries, as well as – relatively uniquely in this burgeoning sector – all UK-tested liquids. They are currently offering a 10% student discount and are always happy to demonstrate products in store should you need assistance or further explanation.
Roneys
276 Sharrow Vale Road.
0114 2660593.
Roneys Butchers have been providing high quality, locally sourced meat for over 75 years. They are renowned for their legendary hot roast pork sandwiches, as well as their Kelly Bronze turkeys, possibly the finest quality Christmas turkey in all the land. They also provide hog roasts for Christmas parties and Halloween festivities, should one so desire.
In particular, we’re big fans of their sausage and pie ranges, featuring remarkable combinations like asparagus & blue cheese and cranberry & wild mushroom. These delicacies litter the counter like gold pennies in a wishing well. Not forgetting the infamous Huntsman or pork & stilton pie ranges, both of which leave the taste buds slavering with contentment. So we say go forth this winter, go local, go Roneys.
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586 Queens Road.
hagglerscorner.co.uk
Hagglers Corner is a community of small independent traders and makers, housed under one roof on Queens Road, next to Lowfield Primary School. Currently celebrating its third year of existence, Hagglers is home to 16 businesses, among them a piano teacher, a florist, a tattooist, an acting agency, a fashion designer and a carpenter. They also host regular live music events and workshops on all manner of topics, including crocheting and crafts for kids, and their courtyard cafe is relaxing and homely. Space is available for hire, so visit their site if you’re interested.
Originally home to a joinery company, the building was empty for over a decade before Dave and Sarah took it on in 2010. Here’s to another three years of supporting local creative endeavours.
Sheffield Print Fair
16th November.
sheffieldprintmakers.com
Organised by local group Sheffield Printmakers, the first Sheffield Print Fair will take place at St Mary’s Church on Bramhall Lane on Saturday 16th November. Supported by local design agency Dust and raising funds for the church and WaterAid, the event will feature 36 stalls of print, taking in methods as diverse as linocut, collagraph, screen print, etching, drypoint and letterpress, as well as various demonstrations throughout the day.
Artists involved include James Green, Mick Marston, Jonathan Wilkinson, Neil Woodall and Leaf City Press, and there will also be food stalls on site for when your tummy starts rumbling. If you have an interest in printing in its many forms, get yourself down there and have a look - £1 for adults and under 16s free.
Tamper
0114 327 1080.
tampercoffee.co.uk
If you’re ever in town wondering where you can get a coffee that doesn’t insult your taste buds, visit one of Tamper’s fine establishments, located on Westfield Terrace and Sellers Wheel, Arundel Street. The former has been a local favourite for a while now, but the latter only opened a few months back. Not that you’d notice – it seems pretty well frequented at most hours of the day, and for good reason. Tamper coffee is a.) incredibly tasty, b.) refreshingly affordable, and c.) served with double shots as standard.
Owner Jonathan is a trained barista who has brought all the style and simplicity of New Zealand coffee bars over to our fair isle, and thank the heavens. They also serve quality teas and fresh food made on site.
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