Spaced invasion

Maximo Park’s Paul Smith, Lanterns on the Lake and SBTRKT are just some of the names confirmed for a new interactive arts initiative in the North East this summer led by Generator and Northern Film & Media.

‘Space Invasion’ will see a series of experimental music, arts and film collaborations in unusual venues across the North East as one of the largest projects for The Space, a £2.5m digital arts initiative developed by Arts Council England in partnership with the BBC.

The project has already produced ‘Pallion’, a collaboration between Bella Union signed Lanterns on the Lake and visual artists Novak Collective, who were commissioned by the two agencies to create an audio and visual response to the Pallion shipyard in Sunderland - a day that witnessed Generator staff fulfilling every northern cliché going by grafting away in an actual shipyard. What would Elvis Costello have to say about that?

As previously reported, the initiative also includes a rare opportunity for a filmmaker in the region to be awarded an £8K commission to make a video for SBTRKT. The deadline is this Friday (6 July) and you can download the application forms here.

Generator CEO Jim Mawdsley said "A strong partnership between Generator and Northern Film & Media formed the basis of plans for Space Invasion which provides an opportunity for high profile musicians to collaborate with digital specialists, poets and film-makers in unique venues across the North East. The project truly pushes boundaries"

The activity will also include Maximo Park singer Paul Smith performing an interpretation of poet Lavinia Greenlaw’s ‘The Casual Perfect’ in Newcastle’s ancient Morden Tower and Newcastle-based Raj Pannu, one half of critically-acclaimed dance duo Coldcut, will produce a DVJ set using archive clips from the BBC’s seminal Old Grey Whistle Test TV show.

John Tulip, Managing Director at Northern Film & Media said: “The Space exemplifies the role that digital technology can play in driving creativity and we are thrilled to have partnered with Generator, Arts Council England and the BBC to deliver this ambitious and experimental initiative.”

This activity will culminate in an event at The Sage Gateshead on 22 September showing all of the work produced through Space Invasion and feature live performances, including a very special headline act and three emerging artists selected from The Gen’s upstart sibling The Tipping Point.

Fans can also watch the entire project evolve and gain exclusive mobile/tablet interactive content and view other projects from across the country through The Space platform.