Regional Identity: Client Research

Outline:

In this blog I will clearly explain the brief provided to us and throughly explain my understanding of my client and the product that I must create. 

• thoroughly research into Sunderland Culture​, understanding of structure, history, funding, audiences, existing and popular products etc​ ​ 
• Consult a variety of resource sources 

Introduction:

We have been tasked with creating a product revolving around the concept of 'Regional Identity', either in the format of a poster, documentary, or short film. Our client is 'Sunderland Culture', a creative-based organization located in Sunderland. As to further inform my research going forward, I am to research the client: their expectations, policies, and beliefs. 

As to further inform my research, I visited the Sunderland Culture website. I thought this would be a good outlet to source my information to inform my client research. Quoted from the Sunderland Culture website, 

From the 'Sunderland Culture' website, I was able to find this description of what 'Sunderland Culture' is:

"Sunderland Culture is a new organisation created to bring together Sunderland’s most important cultural assets and activities and realise the ambition of a city brimming with creative potential. We operate National Glass Centre and Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art, Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens, Sunderland Stages, Sunderland Cultural Partnership, Arts Centre Washington and The Fire Station, with a combined audience of over 700,000. In addition, we run cross-city programmes such as the recent UK City of Culture bid and our Great Place Scheme. Our mission is to improve life for everyone in Sunderland through culture.

Sunderland Culture brings together the investment of the 3 main funders of arts provision in the city, Sunderland City Council, University of Sunderland and Music, Arts & Culture Trust into a single, independent, and resilient delivery model. In 2018 we became an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation."

I have learnt much from this excerpt going forward in my pre-production. I have researched and understood where Sunderland culture is based: being in the National Glass Centre, Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art, Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens, Sunderland Stages. Sunderland Cultural Partnership, Arts Centre Washington and the Fire Station. 

Understanding the facilities that display media produced by Sunderland Culture will further help me inform my final product as I can then source products that have been displayed at these listed venues to base my product on. This will be useful going forward in my existing product analysis, as I now have a wider range of accessible media to analyse.

It is also advantageous to use products delivered from these institutions as they will display the codes and conventions expected in a product from Sunderland Culture, ergo my product will better fit the parameters set by Sunderland Culture. 

From this excerpt, I have also learnt where Sunderland Culture gains its funding. This is not especially vital to my product - though could be useful in understanding the expectations of the client.  

"In March 2018, working with other organisations through Sunderland Cultural Partnership, we launched the Twenty Four Seven programme; an ambitious seven year £60m project running to 2024. Twenty Four Seven has been built from the excitement, drive and imagination of people from communities, sectors and organisations across the city who contributed to the 2021 UK City of Culture bid. It will deliver much of what was in our bid; using arts and culture to deliver 5 step changes in the city; improved profile and reputation of the city; more vibrant creative economy; raised outlook and aspiration of young people; improved health and wellbeing; and a more socially cohesive city."

Sunderland Music, Arts and Culture Trust:

"Established in 2012, the Sunderland Music, Arts and Culture Trust has the objective of being a catalyst, developer and promoter of cultural activities within the city. It aims to bring together people with ability, talent and ambition who share a vision for Sunderland's future as a vibrant, creative and exciting place where the arts, music and culture flourish.

It seeks to encourage people of all ages and all backgrounds to participate in cultural activities such as playing an instrument, learning to dance, act or sing or creating literature or poetry. We also want to help build audiences for the arts and culture performances here in Sunderland.

The Trust sees the digital revolution that has been created through new technology and the Internet as an amazing opportunity allowing new forms of creativity and providing ways of reaching existing and new audiences.

 

The Trust will seek to develop the infrastructure and venues needed for this cultural renaissance in the city and help to build organisations and capacity within the sector."

Sunderland Culture Venues:

The Winter Gardens:

The Winter Gardens is a museum and library located in Sunderland City Centre. The Winter Gardens is home to many exhibitions about Sunderland's history with a strong emphasis on the city's shipbuilding and  mining heritage. This could be a potential location shoot for my documentary.

From the Winter Gardens website,

"Discover the story of Sunderland, its people, its industries, acclaimed art exhibitions and tropical Winter Gardens– all under one roof. With a collection dating back to 1846, Sunderland’s fascinating history is explored across four floors, with spaces dedicated to shipbuilding, coal mining, glass making and pottery, as well as many other aspects of the city’s past.

Perhaps the most famous object of all is Wallace the Lion. Wallace was part of a touring wild animal show which visited Sunderland during 1868 with the then famous African tamer Martini Maccomo. When he died, some years later, Wallace the lion was stuffed and came into the Museum’s collection. Over 135 years later, he’s still here and remains one of the most popular exhibits…now posing for selfies!

These day’s Wallace is also in the company of the first Nissan car to roll off the production line at their Sunderland factory in 1986. The car plant replaced shipbuilding as one of the major industries in Sunderland.

Sunderland has a rich history of industries, all of which are explored throughout the museums four floors. Exhibition spaces are dedicated to shipbuilding, coal mining, glass making and pottery as well many other aspects of the city’s past. Our ‘Secrets of the Past’ gallery, for example, delves into the lives of the Anglo-Saxon monks who resided at St Peter’s Monastery in Monkwearmouth.

The Museums Art Gallery shows a significant collection of the works of LS Lowry, an artist who spent lots of time in Sunderland. Our temporary exhibitions include high profile visiting exhibitions including works by Leonardo Da Vinci and Canaletto.

The Museum has recently been awarded a grant as part of The Arts Council Collection National Partners Programme. The programme will see exhibitions that showcase and are inspired by work from the Arts Council Collection, which includes work by incredible global artists Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud, Damien Hirst, Grayson Perry, Paula Rego, and Gillian Wearing. This means that over the next three years the museum will have access to an amazing collection of British art from 1948 to date.

The Winter Gardens, a 21st Century addition to the museum is a tropical paradise and home to our resident Koi Carp. Over 2,000 plants thrive in the glass rotunda and from the tree top walkway visitors have a bird’s eye view of beautiful Mowbray Park.

2019 has seen a facelift for the Museum’s main entrance and shop which now has a fantastic range of Sunderland themed gifts alongside locally made craft items.

Alongside our permanent and temporary exhibitions, our ever-changing events programme means that there is always something new and exciting to see and do for all the family.

Please note that the Pottery Gallery is occasionally closed to the general public due to special events taking place. Please contact us before your visit to check opening information.

Entry to the museum is free but donations are welcome."

The National Glass Centre:

The National Glass Centre is located in Sunderland, on the north banks of the River Wear, on the former site of J.L. Thompson and Sons shipyard. The centre is close to the site of St. Phttp://eter's Church, part of the original Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Priory built in 674. 

It was here that Benedict Biscop introduced glass making into Britain, by hiring French glaziers to make the windows for the priory. The glass-making industry expanded rapidly in the eighteenth century, driven by an abundance of cheap coal and high-quality imported sand. Sunderland glass became known throughout the country.

 In later years, the Pyrex brand of glassware was manufactured in Sunderland. In 2007, the last two remaining glass firms in Sunderland - Corning Glass Works and Arc International (who make Pyrex) - announced they would close.

'Sunderland Culture' Existing Products:

Sunderland Culture has hosted a variety of events and venues, not dissimilar from the 'Who Am I?' multimedia event that our brief is based around. In this section of this post I will outline previous events, understanding aspects that I can apply to my own project.

Spooky Museum Trail

Sunderland Museum and winter gardens

£2.50 per trial plus prize

Follow the spooky trail to reveal mysterious tales of ghost trains, glowing rocks, strangling figs and twisted snakes. You can pick up your trail from the Museum Reception, no need to book and hand in your completed trail at Museum Reception to claim a themed prize.

Amy Winehouse- A celebration of her life

The Firehouse

Tickets from £5.00, Doors open 19:00

National Youth Jazz Orchestra alumna Amy Winehouse is undoubtedly one of the greatest musical talents to come out of the UK. Her unmistakable character, vocal dexterity and masterful songwriting made her a pop icon. Her tragic passing makes her one of the most sorely missed artists in recent memory. Now, ten years on, her music still shines, undiminished, in all its defiant brilliance.

This concert series celebrates Amy’s enduring legacy, reimagining hits and revisiting early works she sang with the 24-piece National Youth Jazz Orchestra as a promising 16-year-old singer, back in 2000. NYJO aims to honour her life, and her work, with a performance that fans of big band jazz, and Amy obsessives will enjoy.