Humber Street Gallery takes next step towards becoming a creative centre with new programme announcement

Humber Street Gallery, which is managed and run by Absolutely Cultured, has today announced its programme for September 2021 through to January 2022.

The programme includes two new exhibitions commissioned by Absolutely Cultured as well as supporting activity, music and performance events, a new initiative for families and the return of Yoga @ Humber Street Gallery.

From Wednesday 15 September, Humber Street Gallery is delighted to present In Conversation as Collective Strategy, which uses Space 2 to connect and support Hull-based collective work through the act of film-making. Platforming the work of community education, campaign, and transformative justice organising that exists in the city.

Humber Street Gallery has commissioned two new films, produced by community-focused film collective Other Cinemas in collaboration with local groups Black Heritage Collective and An Untold Story Voices, which open a dialogue to explore themes of resistance and platforming grassroots solidarity and struggle. These films will be shown alongside additional material compiled by both local collectives, as well as historical works from the Cinenova collection; a non-profit organisation dedicated to distributing videos made by women.

The exhibition uses film to think through our histories, connected sense of place and politics; of race, class, gender, care, and losses experienced as a community. In Conversation as Collective Strategy has been organised by guest curator Louise Shelley in collaboration with Humber Street Gallery.

As part of the exhibition, a series of events will be happening throughout October and November, programmed by members of Black Heritage Collective and An Untold Story Voices. More details on these events will follow.

From 22 September, artist Jasleen Kaur will establish a new solo exhibition, Flesh ‘n’ Blood, in the gallery’s Space 1. This new body of work for Humber Street Gallery began with the encounter of a text written by a member of the artist’s family; a charmed item acting as a point of connection to missing relatives.

The artist explores our relationship with visceral emotions such as grief and ecstatic healing, and unpicks the intricate and interconnected relationships with women who have shaped her. In this series of predominantly sculptural works, play and making become tools for memory and to create a new language for understanding the body and feelings.

Traditional practices and objects that facilitate healing are remixed. Works are ingested, processed by the gut beyond the gallery walls and excreted. The exhibition is a chance to engage with the body and senses, and to digest the work – quite literally.

David McLeavy, Curator of Humber Street Gallery, says, ““It is important that what we present reflects a breadth of lived experiences and explores important themes, such as collective support, shared histories and embracing vulnerability, all of which are evident within the upcoming exhibitions at Humber Street Gallery.”

Supporting these exhibitions are opportunities to hear from the artists themselves; artist and writer Priya Jay will lead an In Conversation event with Jasleen Kaur, and the gallery will also be hosting a public assembly, open to all, to identify common goals and to connect individuals and groups who are making changes to the lives of people within the region.

Humber Street Gallery will be introducing Thursday Lates to its regular programming one Thursday a month, that showcases new commissions relating to the themes of exhibitions on display in the venue.

On 28 October, rap artist Chiedu Oraka will perform an intimate set alongside his DJ and guest artists, comprising new work and previous tracks exploring growing up in north Hull, perceptions of identity and the importance of community solidarity – themes which are shared within the In Conversation as Collective Strategy exhibition. On 18 November, there will be a double bill of writer and performing artist Otis Mensah, and cross disciplinary artist, G. Taking influence from jazz, hip-hop and spoken word, both will develop unique performances of newly commissioned work alongside some existing pieces in response to themes of family, identity and the body present within Jasleen Kaur’s Flesh ‘n’ Blood exhibition. Tickets are available to book for both events on Humber Street Gallery’s website now.

McLeavy goes on to say, “Opening up our venue to a broader spectrum of art and experiences is a really exciting prospect. We’ll continue to develop an active and varied programme for a wide range of audiences; making sure there are plenty of opportunities to come and try out different creative activities, as we work towards becoming a vibrant creative centre.”

Working in partnership with Hull ScrapStore, Humber Street Gallery will be launching their new loose pARTs project, making regular resources available for children. For £7.50 families can take home a loose pARTs tote bag filled with a notepad, pencil and pencil crayons, as well as a range of everyday items that children can create and play with. Parts in the bag will vary; typically there’ll be 10 different items along with some colourful prompt cards, providing inspiration for what young people can do with the parts. A refill service will also be available at the gallery for a fee, to allow families to reuse their tote bag multiple times. Coming soon, keep an eye on the gallery socials for more news on when these bags will be available for purchase.

Following a successful summer run of yoga workshops on the venue’s roof terrace, Yoga @ Humber Street Gallery will return every Wednesday, 6-7pm from 8 September for seven weeks, followed by another series beginning 3 November. Use the promo code YOGA21 to book all seven sessions from September for the price of six, or follow this link to book.