Locals in the frame to launch Blyth Celebrates
Season of festivities under way
Blyth residents came face to face with their photographic portraits on the eve of the Blyth Celebrates launch weekend which will see the Northumberland town come alive… well, more alive than usual.
Assembled for the mayoral formalities and the official unveiling at the new Market Pavilion, the sitters (or standers) seemed pretty pleased with the results.
The 100 Portraits of Blyth project was commissioned for Blyth Celebrates from Candle & Bell, the Gateshead-based creative production company founded by Maria Caruana Galizia, its lead producer.
She and North East documentary photographer Sel MacLean call it one of the most exciting projects they’ve ever worked on.
Between October 2023 and January 2024 they photographed and filmed people from across the town, looking to capture what they refer to as a moment of change in its history.
“At first,” they report, “our plan was simple: set up a pop-up photo booth in Keel Row Shopping Centre and take portraits of whoever walked by.
“But after chatting with people, we realised Blyth deserved something more personal.
“Instead of a uniform backdrop, we photographed people in the places that matter to them – the spots that reflect who they are and the connection to this town.
“The approach gave us an authentic picture of Blyth today.
“We didn’t just take photos; we listened. People shared their pride, hopes and memories. We saw the energy and care that runs through this community and it left a lasting impression on us.”
What made the project special, they add, wasn’t perfect lighting. Rather it was the “warmth, resilience and love for Blyth” displayed by the people whose faces you can now see displayed in a building that didn’t exist when the project began.
The Candle & Bell team suggest Blyth is more than first impressions. “It’s a town with heart, spirit and a strong belief in its future.”
This weekend’s Blyth Celebrates launch sees a busy programme of events put together by Blyth Town Council, ASP Events and Walk the Plank.
On Friday, in the square in front of the Market Pavilion, bunting was being hung and a performance space prepared for a busy outdoor programme of live music and other events.
TV presenter Dan Charles will preside over the main stage, introducing acts including The Sam Fender Experience, Rave & Play, Pandora and Phil Davids and The Good Time Band.
There’s to be a diva drag show from the Drag Castle collective, a performance by Ashington & District Male Voice Choir and a preview of the Phoenix Theatre’s Christmas panto, Aladdin.
Upstairs in the Market Pavilion are the cinema screens where this weekend you can also catch screenings of Blyth 2050 – A Portrait of a Town, the film made by Candle & Bell in which local people share their hopes for the future.
Creative workshops on offer include puppet-making with Made by Racoons, drumming with Blyth Valley Samba, circus skills with Bee Enchanted Circus and nature activities run by Northumberland Wildlife Trust and Stronger Shores.
And if all that makes you think Blyth sounds a bit too hectic to be visiting this weekend, there’s a Relaxation Garden to allay your fears and offer a chance to chill.
And you can always go for a wander, maybe skirt the now empty site (well, almost empty – a few remains of buildings are still to be demolished) of what used to be the Keel Row Shopping Centre.
There, and skirting the large free carpark, you will find the protective hoardings that have become artistic friezes, Blyth artist Dex Hannon’s homage to the wind turbine, Windtwisters, and an array of local icons assembled by local firm EDable Architecture in collaboration with Droid Creative.
All this is happening today (Saturday, August 23, 10am to 5pm) and tomorrow (Sunday, Augst 24, 10am to 4pm) but it’s really just the start.
Blyth Celebrates continues until March next year.
Vintage Blyth, produced by ASP Events, offers a retro experience over the weekend of September 13 and 14 and at the end of the month (September 26 to 28) Alnwick-based Novo Theatre (formerly November Club) will present Salt & Smoke: Stories of Blyth, billed as a theatrical adventure uncovering 500 years of Blyth’s history.
In October (25 to 28) the Luminarium will be erected in Market Place by Architects of Air, bringing vivid colour to the centre of town, and in November (14 and 15) Walk the Plank offer Earth, Wind & Fire Garden in Ridley Park.
Loads to see, loads to do. Pick up a brochure – along with a badge – if heading for Blyth this weekend, or find the details on the Blyth Celebrates website.