Somewhere there's a graphic designer for somewhere!

We are currently looking for an inspired freelance designer to work with us on the (print-based) graphic identity of Somewhere.
We are keen to appoint someone interested in developing an ongoing working relationship with us as the role is likely to lead to further design opportunities with Somewhere. We already work in close collaboration with our programmer/designer Dorian Moore who developed the Somewhere site for us. We are now looking for someone to compliment this team with great graphic design skills and a real flair for print based media.

Initially we'd like to appointment someone for a fairly modest job: to design and oversee the production and delivery of a small range of printed communications materials (e.g. business cards, letterheads etc) for Somewhere.
The design aesthetic of the website somewhere.org.uk will inform the project but the designer will be expected to bring fresh ideas to the table.

Person spec:
Highly-motivated, flexible and communicative
Commitment to engaging in a collaborative design process with Pope & Guthrie
Enthusiasm for articulating the philosophy and diversity of Somewhere's work through design
Experience of print design & delivery processes in their entirety
Attentive to detail and able to deliver to deadlines

Experience of working with visual artists and across print and digital media will be an advantage.

Fee:
A total fee of £1600 is available for this design work incl. all expenses and print costs.

Shortlisted candidates will be expected to attend an informal interview in East London or Cumbria (Somewhere's two bases) according to their location, with examples of their work.

To apply:
Apply by emailing a brief CV, full contact info and a statement telling us why you would like to work for us, plus URLs / PDFs of previous work, to artists@somewhere.org.uk
Hard copies of examples of work may be provided, in which case 2 sets should be posted to:
Graphic designer post, Somewhere, J Gooding's Pie & Mash Shop, 257 Well Street, London E9 6RG

Deadline for receipt of applications is Thursday Dec. 1st
Interviews during week beginning Dec. 5th

Further info:
For further information on the post please email artists@somewhere.org.uk

Posted Monday 21st November, 2005 at 11:41 am by Nina

Nice Cardigans

It's all go for Somewhere ... Karen & Tim packed the car in London straight after 'discover digital' ended on Friday and I made my way slowly across the country from Cardiff where I'd been speaking at the 'may you live in interesting times' conference ... collected by the crew at Reading train station (!) we all made our way to Kentwell (Suffolk) for a weekend in 1942.

Meanwhile our new WVS cardigans were travelling from Scotland, hot off the knitting press of Karen's sister Alison ... they reached us Saturday morning and looked great!

Posted Thursday 3rd November, 2005 at 10:45 am by Nina

Mr. Motivator

Yes it's Richard Jobson our inspirational host 4 the afternoon yesterday ... On our one week back to school 'discover digital' course ... More input in one week than three years at Edinburgh! 3 features in 3 years we'd follow him into the digital valley ... Ahoy ... Ahoy

Posted Saturday 29th October, 2005 at 11:56 am by Nina

Reminiscence Centre

When I give talks about our work people often ask if we keep in touch with people who are involved with our projects. Obviously this isn't always possible (or even desirable!) but in the main we do - in fact a large percentage of our 'audience' are people who we see as 'staying with Somewhere'.

This week I went out to East Tilbury for the Bata Resource and Reminiscence Centre open day. It's now almost 2 years since I first made this journey out along the Thames and I never get tired of it, it's a fascinating stretch of landscape and places. I wondered if I would be able to see any changes in East Tilbury since last year when we were filming the closing sequence for Bata-ville. As soon as I came out of the train station I saw this sign - it seems since we made the film the 'regeneration' of the town has crept closer as a real possibility and at least some of East Tilbury's inhabitants are becoming afraid of the future.

Once inside the BR&RC it seemed Fred (the centre's ever-energetic founder) was also thinking of the future ... A new visitor to the centre (who'd also travelled in to see the town & centre from London) brought with him an astounding album of 30s & 40s B&W postcards of Bata factories and towns from all around the world. Both of us were rather taken aback by the depth of the collection, as between us we've spent some hours combing ebay and alike for similar items. Unabashed in front of our new friend, Fred politely but seriously suggested that he might like to leave the collection to the centre in his will!

Posted Sunday 23rd October, 2005 at 6:10 pm by Nina

The sadness of editing

Nina & I have been esconced in one of our favourite conceptual and actual places recently- the video edit suite. We’re wrestling some footage of us re-enacting (for the 3rd year in a row) into submission for our project Sometime Later, with our editor of saintly patience, Doug. Luckily (for him) I am not able to be there every day, and so the stereo headphone-effect of Pope & Guthrie has a few days off. Interestingly, Nina and I seem to find it easier to agree in the writing and production stages of a film project than in the post-production. This first emerged when we split the editing of our 29 pilgrims in our ‘/broadcast/ project – two very different styles emerged, one lengthy and eliptical, one pithier and led by juxtaposition and unexpected humour. Interestingly I can’t remember whose was whose.
More interestingly, this tension - coupled with Doug’s comparitive ruthlessness (he’s from a TV background) – seems to produce results. It’s undoubtedly not the most time-efficient way of working - with its negotiation, occasional blind alleys and indulgences – and yet the work seems to thrive on this elasticity, to find its resting point.
Editing documentary footage – for me - is akin to sculpture, maybe carving in fact. It’s very intuitive, even for professionals like Doug it seems, although we can all rationalise why shots work the moment they do. With every cut there’s a poignancy as you lose unique moments, but then there’s a clarity emerging which is truthful I hope. I can’t imagine editing drama can be anything like as cathartic, where you have so few choices, driven by both the narrative and the available shots. But then I guess the ‘infinity element’ is there in the writing of drama and fiction, not in the edit. The opposite is true of the documentary.

Posted Monday 10th October, 2005 at 10:57 am by Karen

Big heads afloat

Not content with our 4 local celebrity effigies from It's a Lake District Knockout
appearing in the competition, they also appeared in last weekend's 'boatdressing' event at the Coniston Water Festival.
They were worn by a number of willing sailors, including Jenny Brownrigg (ex Grizedale Arts, now curator at Duncan of Jordanstone Uni) who made it across sans lifejacket as Beatrix Potter.
Word on the street (singular) in Coniston is that our event was a hit. I might even be asked back next year.

Posted Wednesday 28th September, 2005 at 7:10 pm by Karen

Party Photos

Now we are 10 ...

For those who came along to help Karen and I celebrate 10 years of Somewhere ... We've finally managed to put some of Jet's great photos from the evening up on line ... follow this link to see yourselves!

Thanks to Jet and Anat for documenting the evening

N+K

Posted Tuesday 27th September, 2005 at 12:50 pm by Nina

Come on in the Lake's lovely (honest)

Pope & Guthrie's It's a Lake District Knock Out takes place this Sunday here in Coniston and here you see us descending into the enjoyable madness of prop production ...

... And if you think the Peter Rabbits look good wait until you see the daffodils and the super scary version of Ruskin that arrived today in the form of a giant mascot head.

It's been a long time since we've messed about with stencils and spray paint and I must say it's made for a much-needed change from the admin overload representative of Somewhere activities of late!

Posted Friday 16th September, 2005 at 8:37 pm by Nina

Hot in Hackney

Just about recovering from the Bata-ville launch and Somewhere party ...

Thanks to everyone who came along to help us celebrate + stuck out the extraordinary pre-thunder-storm Hackney Empire temperature high! It was REALLY nice to see so many friends from projects old and new.

Special mention to Dorian and Tim for their time on the decks (we particularly enjoyed the Sounds of Somewhere and the Somewhere-specific samples boys) and of course thanks to Illumina (especially for the Booze!) and Commissions East for co-hosting the event.

More glamorous photos to follow from Jet ...

Posted Monday 12th September, 2005 at 7:55 pm by Nina

10 years with somewhere ....

Or no sleep 'til the Hackney Empire ...

Only one more night to go until our 10th birthday party and the London launch of Bata-ville. The London Somewhere base is a whirl of last minute neurotic activity as each person concentrates on their own personal obsession ... Tim is (obviously) mixing the sounds of Somewhere, I have been making cakes in the shape of the number 10 and randomly printing out stickers for each of our projects + Karen is working on the ultimate Somewhere slide show, all to the sound track of an on-going argument about the nature of tunes a mixed crowd of Somewhere collaborators will dance to.

Seen here joined by Lizzy Hobbs for last night's marathon party bag production line ...

Posted Friday 9th September, 2005 at 12:04 am by Nina