Ey Up with Harry Meadley

Max speaks to me about once being a pirate radio DJ, photographing the Leeds West Indian Carnival since the early 70s, working for the Chapeltown News community newspaper, vocational sociology, experiential learning, the tragic story of David Oluwale, the Remember Oluwale Memorial Association, and the upcoming 50 year anniversary of his death.

Christmas Special: Sally tells me about how a poster in the Merrion Centre introduced her to Leeds’ DIY art scene in the early 2000s, witnessing it ever since, teaching herself computer coding, phoning up Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, encouraging young artists, and making mince pies out of artworks.

Tony talks to me about romanticising Leeds through the poetry and literature he found in the Chicago library, second cities, staging a production of Waiting for Godot half in Chinese, working in Radio, the colossal Studs Terkel archive, the notion of ‘feeling tone’, and his new role at Chapel FM.

Clare tells me about her series of world-wide performances and how they developed from the many difficulties faced when making site-sensitive work in other countries; walking too fast, being “busy” to prove something to ourselves, the adrenaline of performance, interfacing with the world, and making sculptures for people’s pockets.

Kerry discusses her quite significant contribution to artist-led activity in the city of Leeds over the last decade, from co-founding the peripatetic project Vitrine, to PSL (Project Space Leeds), and then The Tetley; and now her current research into artist-led activity itself, and developing the de-centralising East Leeds Project.

Back Nov 19th.

Liz speaks to me about establishing the 105 Women project, Audre Lorde, doing things together, having a constant awkwardness with life, being an Art Doctor and their current project ‘Who’s Afraid of Contemporary Art?’, not being good with authority, burning a giant bra, and almost setting herself on fire.

Matthew talks with me about growing up in East Africa whilst being sent to school in the UK, the influence this has had on his work, silversmithing, art sometimes interrupting life but being a threshold to somewhere else, not meeting ‘British Play Equipment Standards’, and starting a somewhat mysterious gallery in his studio in Todmorden.

Alfie tells me about only making his “first work” in 2014, joining the School of The Damned, doing exhibitions about his dad’s death - and his dad then getting involved, making work at work, not liking his own company, and how that has lead him to engage in quite intense collaborations.