Lancaster Arts at Lancaster University facts for kids

Lancaster Arts at Lancaster University (often called LA) is a special place at Lancaster University where everyone can enjoy different types of art. It's like a hub for shows, concerts, and art displays for students, staff, and the public. You can find these events at places like the Nuffield Theatre, the Lancaster Concert Series, and the Peter Scott Gallery, all on campus.

What Lancaster Arts Does

Lancaster Arts is the main art provider for the university. Its venues and events are open to everyone: the public, students, and staff. They offer a wide variety of events. These include concerts, theatre plays, visual art displays, dance shows, and spoken word events. They have special programs in both autumn and spring.

The Nuffield Theatre and the Peter Scott Gallery have a long history. They have brought many artists to perform. These artists often connect with what is taught in the Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts. Lancaster Arts also helps the university connect with local and international topics.

Lancaster Arts is supported by Arts Council England. This means they are committed to sharing art and culture. Their goal is to support all kinds of art in the 21st century. They also want to create social, cultural, educational, and economic benefits. They are based in the North of England.

Lancaster Arts shares its venues with other university groups. They also help outside groups and student clubs use the Great Hall Complex.

Supporting Artists

In 2015, Lancaster Arts (then called Live at LICA) started a special program. It was called the 2015–17 Associate Artists Programme. This program helps artists with many things. They get help with new projects, places to work, and support for their art. Each artist gets a unique plan based on shared projects.

The Associate Artists have included:

• Andy Smith
• imitating the dog
• Quarantine

New Art Projects

Lancaster Arts has a history of asking artists to create new works. They are supported in this by Arts Council England. They have commissioned many new pieces of art. These new works often travel and are shown around the country and even internationally.

New Theatre Shows

The Nuffield Theatre in Lancaster has asked for many new plays and performances. For example, in 2010, they had an outdoor show called "Jack Scout." This performance took place in Silverdale, Lancashire.

In 2014, they asked for and produced a play called 'Sea Breeze.' This show explored the history of Morecambe Winter Gardens. A famous theatre critic, Alfred Hickling, even called it his top pick for 2014.

New Music Pieces

Lancaster Arts also asks composers to create new music. One example is a piece by Canadian composer Nicole Lizée. It was for British percussionist Joby Burgess. Another was a new piece by Graham Fitkin for Ockham's Razor's aerial show "Not Until We Are Lost." In 2014, Retorica performed a piece by Sergei Prokofiev's great-grandson, Gabriel Prokofiev.

New Artworks

In 2011, they asked Mel Brimfield to create a new film and photo project. It was called "This is Performance Art: Part Two – Experimental Theatre and Cabaret." A new book came out with the exhibition.

In 2014, they commissioned a large video art piece. It was by British artists Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard and called "Jumpers (What must I do to be saved)."

History of Lancaster Arts

The different parts of Lancaster Arts have been around for almost 50 years.

Before They Joined Forces

Before 2007, the Lancaster International Concert Series, Peter Scott Gallery, and Nuffield Theatre worked separately. University departments used to oversee them. This was because public arts started at the same time as art departments. The public art shows and the university courses helped each other.

The Nuffield Theatre

The Nuffield Theatre opened in the 1968–69 school year. One of its first shows was Jonson's Bartholomew Fair. The theatre received £80,000 from the Nuffield Foundation. Professor Tom E Lawrenson helped make the theatre a place for experiments. It was designed to be very flexible. For example, a full-size replica of a 17th-century Parisian theatre could be built inside. The theatre had movable floors and seats. It also had no windows and a special ceiling. This design allowed for research into theatre history. It was also perfect for new experimental theatre and for teaching students technical skills. The architects, Shepheard and Epstein, got ideas from theatre designer Stephen Joseph. When it opened, it was one of the biggest black box theatres in the UK.

The Department of Theatre Studies started in 1972. Its first head was Kenneth Parrott, who also directed the Nuffield Theatre Studio. The Nuffield's public shows began as the Nuffield Theatre Club. It became known for experimental theatre and dance. The Nuffield got its public performance license in 1992.

Lancaster Concert Series

Since The Great Hall opened at Lancaster University in 1969, there have been regular concerts. The international concert series was first led by Sir John Manduell from 1969 to 1971. Professor Denis McCaldin took over in 1971, creating Lancaster Concerts. Professor McCaldin also helped start the university's new music department in 1968. Ian Hare became the first organist in 1974 and worked there for 35 years. The first concert on the Great Hall organ was in March 1979.

A student newspaper, SCAN, reviewed a concert in 1974. It said music was important to the university. It also said the Thursday concerts helped connect the university with the local community. They made Bailrigg a top music center in the North.

The concert series brought international artists to Lancaster. These included Paul Lewis and the BBC Philharmonic. Most concerts were in the Great Hall, but some were in the Nuffield Theatre.

Professor Denis McCaldin retired in 2001 after overseeing 1000 concerts. He became President of Lancaster Concerts, a special role that no longer exists. Tim Williams took over the concert series until 2013. Professor McCaldin retired as Head of Music in 2005. The Music Department closed in 2012.

Peter Scott Gallery

The Peter Scott Gallery opened in 1975. It was first called Scott Gallery and was on the top floor of the new Pendle College building. Peter F Scott, CBE, and his family trust funded the gallery. In 1988, the Scott Gallery was renamed the Peter Scott Gallery. It moved to the Great Hall complex. It took over a space that was originally for outdoor performances. This space was part of the Jack Hylton Music Rooms. The gallery was updated and made bigger in 1993. The Irene Manton Room is on the ground floor. Above it is a room for the John Chamberlain Collection.

Joining Forces: Public Arts

Over time, the Concerts, Gallery, and Theatre became more separate from their academic departments. In 2005, theatre, art, and music joined to form the Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts. In 2007, the decision was made to combine the Concerts, Gallery, and Theatre into one organization. Matt Fenton, who used to direct the Nuffield, led this merger. It was finished in 2009 and called The Public Arts.

This name wasn't used as a brand much. But it was mentioned in a university brochure in 2009. Printed materials still listed the Peter Scott Gallery, Lancaster Nuffield Theatre, and Lancaster International Concert Series separately. In October 2010, the combined organization became public under the name Live at LICA. This name referred to all three organizations.

Live at LICA

Live at LICA started in 2010. Matt Fenton was the director, and Tim Williams was the associate director. Live at LICA became known for supporting new and modern art. This included Visual arts, Performance art, and Art music. Combining the three organizations allowed for more mixed-art projects. The Peter Scott Gallery started focusing more on Contemporary art, talks, and Performance art. Live at LICA worked closely with Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts. They brought artists to give talks and performances for students.

Tim Williams continued to oversee the concert series until he left in 2013. Fiona Sinclair took over as associate director. In 2013, Jamie Eastman became Live at LICA's second director.

Lancaster Arts at Lancaster University Today

In August 2015, Live at LICA changed its name. It became 'Lancaster Arts at Lancaster University.' This was to avoid confusion with the LICA department. The director, Jamie Eastman, said the new name clearly showed "who we are, where we are and what we’re offering."

Places to See Art

The Great Hall Complex

The university used money from its first fundraising effort (1964–71) to pay for the public arts. These were mainly in the Great Hall complex. This complex was designed to include the Great and Minor Halls, the Jack Hylton Music Rooms, the Nuffield Theatre Studio, and the Fine Arts Studios.

The Great Hall

The Great Hall is a flexible space with a flat floor. It was designed for good sound. It has a small Harrison & Harrison pipe organ, finished in 1979. This is where the Lancaster International Concert Series started in 1969. It was also a popular place for concerts in the 1980s. These were organized by Barry Lucas and the JCR (Junior Common Room).

The Jack Hylton Rooms

The Jack Hylton Music Rooms include a theatre production workshop, rehearsal spaces, and a Life Drawing Studio. They were named after the entertainer Jack Hylton. A special concert was held by Hylton's son to honor him. The money raised helped build the new Music Department at Lancaster University. When it opened in 1965, people hoped these rooms would make Lancaster a music center for the North West.

The Nuffield Theatre

The Nuffield Theatre opened in the 1968–69 school year. Shepheard and Epstein were the architects. They got ideas from the famous theatre designer, Stephen Joseph. The Nuffield Theatre is one of three theatres in Lancaster. It is a professional 'black-box' studio theatre. A special feature is that its stage can be set up to 25 meters wide. It can also seat up to 220 people.

The Peter Scott Gallery

Right next to the Great Hall is the Peter Scott Gallery. Peter F Scott, CBE, and his family trust funded the gallery. It was first in Pendle College and called Scott Gallery. It was updated and made bigger in 1993. It has The Irene Manton Room on the ground floor. Above it is a room for the John Chambers Collection. The main gallery space is flexible. It is used for film screenings, workshops, talks, events, Performance art, and showing collections. The gallery also hosts the Omnia degree show for Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts fine art students.

The LICA Building

The Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts building is made of timber. It has many flexible spaces for performances and workshops. These spaces support teaching and research in Art, Design, Film Studies, Music, and Theatre Studies. It was the first university project in the UK to get a top environmental rating.

The Storey

In 2016, Lancaster Arts at Lancaster University held events at The Storey. These events were part of "Lancaster Arts at the Storey." This included a meeting called 'The Storey: 21st Century Art Centre?' Lancaster Arts worked with Creative Exchange on this. The Storey was also a main place for the Festival of Questions. It hosted many exhibitions, performances, and discussion days.

Famous Works and Artists

Performers

Many famous theatre and dance groups have performed at Lancaster Arts:

• Forced Entertainment (performed many times from 1994 to 2016)
• Nigel Charnock (1995)
• Akrim Khan (2002)
• The Cholmondeleys (1997)
• John Hegley (1999, 2002)
• Hofesh Shechter (2007)
• Gob Squad (2008, 2014, 2017)
• Carol Ann Duffy (2010)
• The Featherstonehaughs (2011)
• Candoco (2009, 2011, 2013, 2014)
• Phoenix Dance Theatre (2015)
• Goat Island (performance group) (2005, 2006, 2008)

Lancaster Arts has a strong connection with Ockham's Razor Theatre Company. They hosted their show The Arc in 2008. The Mill was performed in the Great Hall in 2010. In November 2011, Not Until We Are Lost was performed at Lancaster Castle and the LICA building. This show was part of the Light Up Lancaster festival. Lancaster Arts asked for the music for Not Until We Are Lost. They also hosted an Ockham's Razor Summer School in 2011.

Musicians

Many musicians have performed in The Great Hall and Nuffield Theatre.

Concert Series

The Lancaster International Concert Series is the main place for classical music in north Lancashire and Cumbria. Famous performers include:

• Manchester Camerata (1998, 2008)
• Jean-Guihen Queyras (1998, 1999)
• Lindsay String Quartet (1999)
• Malcolm Martineau (1999)
• BBC Philharmonic (1999, 2007, 2011)
• Noriko Ogawa (2003)
• Hungarian National Philharmonic (2003)
• Psappha New Music Ensemble (2005)
• Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (2007)
• Sinfonia ViVA (2008)
• Gabriela Montero (2013, 2015 with Manchester Camerata)

Martin Roscoe was a musician who stayed and worked at the university from 1999 to 2000.

Concerts and Gigs

From 1971 to 1984, the Great Hall and the Nuffield Theatre hosted many music concerts. Barry Lucas often organized these with the JCR (Junior Common Room). Acts included:

• Joy Division (1979)
• Pink Floyd
• Black Sabbath
• Ozzy Osbourne
• Bob Marley
• Tina Turner
• Madness
• Status Quo
• T Rex
• Slade
• The Smiths
• Elvis Costello
• The Who
• Paul McCartney
• The Undertones

Lancaster Arts tried to bring back these types of concerts. In 2015, they had a Music Week. They turned the Nuffield into a music venue. It featured bands like Hope & Social and Beardyman.

Art Collections

Barbara Hepworth's Dual Form, bronze, 1965, of which one is on permanent display at the University of Lancaster as part of the Peter Scott Gallery Collections

The Peter Scott Gallery has important collections of art and old objects. This includes a large collection of Chinese and Japanese Art. It also has 20th-century art by artists from the St Ives School. These artists include Sir Terry Frost, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Barbara Hepworth, and William Scott. Other British artists whose work is shown include Norman Adams, Patrick Caulfield, Elisabeth Frink, Kenneth Martin, and Winifred Nicholson. More recent art includes works by Andy Goldsworthy, Peter Howson, and Albert Irvin. The university also has prints by famous European artists like Dürer, Miró, Ernst, Mondrian, and Vasarely. The Lancaster University Special Collections has a collection of artists books and an archive of pop-up books.

The collection also has old items, called antiquities. Many of these are always on display in the John Chambers Ceramics Room of The Peter Scott Gallery. The collection includes Roman, Greek, and Egyptian pots and glass. Examples are a Roman stylus and an Egyptian papyrus piece from a Book of the Dead. The Peter Scott Gallery also has one of the most important collections of Pilkington's Tile and Pottery Company items in the UK.

Art Exhibitions

In 2011, Franko B showed "Someone to Love" in the Peter Scott Gallery. This included new commissioned work. In 2013, Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard showed their new commissioned piece, Jumpers (what must I do to be saved). Wu Chi-Tsung's work was shown in the gallery and at The Storey in 2014. This was part of the national Recalibrate program. His work included Crystal City, cyanotypes from the Wrinkled Textures series, and video art. Other notable exhibitions that showed new work were by Mel Brimfield in 2012 and 2014, and Paul Mcdevitt in 2015.

Festivals

Curate the Campus

Because of exams and limited space, the public art program was smaller in the summer. By 2012, it became Curate the Campus. This idea was to spread art across the campus. Curate the Campus ran in 2012 and 2013. Then it was improved and became OPEN.

OPEN Festival

OPEN is a yearly festival. During this time, the Peter Scott Gallery becomes a social space open all day. OPEN usually has a theme, like Environment|Education in 2016. OPEN is a public space where people can try new things and talk about ideas across different art forms.

Festival of Questions

In 2016, Lancaster Arts started the Festival of Questions. This event explored how art can connect with politics. The festival included art shows from Sarah Vanhee and Tania El Khoury. There were performances from Season Butler and Proto-type theater. Owen Jones gave a lecture at The Dukes. Chetham's Symphony Orchestra performed Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No 1. The festival ended with two 'days of questions.' During these days, artists, academics, and commentators talked about important topics. Speakers included David Kynaston, Melissa Benn, Colin Grant, David Goodhart, Dr Simon Mabon, Cat Smith MP, Professor John Urry, and Caroline Criado Perez.

Directors of Lancaster Arts

• Director: Jocelyn Cunningham (2016–Present)
• Interim Director: Fiona Sinclair & Richard Smith (2016)
• Director: Jamie Eastman (2013–16)
• Interim Director: Richard Smith (Curator of Peter Scott Gallery) (2013)
• Director: Matt Fenton (2010–13)
• Director (Nuffield Theatre): Matt Fenton (2003–10)
• Director (Lancaster International Concert Series): Tim Williams (2001–13)
• Director (Nuffield Theatre): Adrian Harris (1995–2003)
• Director (Nuffield Theatre): Baz Kershaw (1985–95)
• Director (Nuffield Theatre): Kenneth Parrott (1972–85)
• Director/Professor of Music (Lancaster Concerts): Denis McCaldin (1971–2001)
• Director (Lancaster Concerts): Sir John Manduell (1969–71)