Neil Owen and Steven Hawkins are two fun-loving guys who will be taking over empty spaces and venues throughout Leeds city centre, and offering a platform for creatives to network, collaborate, sell and showcase work to other artists, businesses, and the general public. I caught up with Test Space to find out what makes them tick...
Q. Tell us more about yourselves...
A. Steven: We both grew up in Leeds and met at college. Since, then we have always stayed in touch.
Neil: I have stayed involved with art and design for the last 15 years, and at various points I have wanted to be an abstract expressionist painter, pop art sculptor, minimalist architect and media futurist.
Steven: We have been talking about doing something for years, setting something up so Neil wouldn't have to do a proper job! My wife is going to have a baby in August, I want to do something for our little one to be proud of, have something positive to show them.
Q. So what is Test Space about?
A. Neil: Over the past two years we have been talking about setting up a gallery within Leeds for the past two years. I have always loved spaces, such as the ICA in London, CCA in Glasgow and Cornerhouse in Manchester. They are all multidisciplinary spaces that allow creatives to experiment. And showcase. This is something Leeds has lacked for a long time.
Test Space takes this concept of art gallery, cinema, creative hub, shop and works within the constraints of budget and time. We have limited resources but instead become innovative with how we find spaces, work we show and how we promote ourselves.
Steven: It's about the culture that is in Leeds that as a partnership, we don't feel is in the spotlight enough. Its about pulling different types of music, design, art together and showing them to as many people as we can.
We have been lucky enough to pull together venues, and gather talented people to be a part of this to offer a more alternative Leeds. The hope is to highlight the real people producing work where we live.
Q. How did Test Space come about?
A. Neil: Truthfully, I was travelling in Asia earlier this year and got very ill. I returned to the UK about six months ago and by this point Steve had moved back from London to Leeds with his wife.
We decided to test out the concept by seeing if we could organise an exhibition in the space of two months. Since then, it has snowballed into three venues, over 30 submissions in the past two weeks, working with Leeds Met, Leeds Music College, Leeds Art College, Art In Unusual Spaces, and Crash Records.
Steven: I told him in college over 12 years ago, I would end up working for him. I thought he was going to be this, at least semi-famous, artist and I would work for him doing all his technical and boring stuff.
When I told him I was coming back to Leeds to settle, he said that we would have to do this idea of his or he was off to Asia.
Q. How are you collaborating with the spaces across Leeds?
A. Steven: We have been to events and talked to people about our ideas. Everybody is so supportive. The owner of Crash Records was interested in supporting our event. Neil started speaking to Art in Unusual Spaces.
Neil: We want to work with unique spaces that will allow us the freedom to test and experiment.
Crash Records has been part of the Leeds music scene for 25 years, it has always supported alternative, independent musicians, and creativity. Taking that DIY ethos and celebrating Crash's 25th birthday, we are hosting a series of rapid exhibitions, live music showcases, talks, workshops, Q&As, film screenings and retail opportunities.
As part of Art in Unusual Spaces, we are also taking over 42 New Briggate, Leeds, offering a creative hub for artists to meet, collaborate, showcase and network.
Q. What can people look forward to from the project?
A. Neil: We are planning lunchtime and early evening music showcases , rapid three day exhibitions by artists, illustrators, designers and photographers, digital media showcases, DJ sets, Q&As by photographers and filmakers, craft markets, evening events such as 'click and sup'.
Steven: Neil was all about doing something late in the year. I knew we had to get going now and put something on a quick as possible; we don't have the money to worry about anything flashy, we just want to get people involved.
From the beginning of June 4th-12th, Test Space will be taking over the basement of Crash Records. Neil calls what we are creating 'rapid exhibitions' and I thought of it being a physical magazine, where people get to show there work together, hopefully it will be fun and relaxed. The workshops should be great, we have this photography one, 'click and sup' and a night with film makers. I think you'll hear music!
We hope that being featured on Creative Boom will connect us with other artists and creatives who are interested in the project. I hope that we can inspire others and continue to collaborate with others...
Q. What have you seen recently that inspires you creatively?
A. Neil: Since being back in Leeds, I've really enjoyed Doodlefest at the SubCulture, record store day at Crash Records, Floppelgangers as part of Art in Unusual Spaces, Doodle and Booze at Nation of Shopkeepers, and Betcha Kultcha at Temple Works. Other things have been Shadowplayers (documentary about the early days of Factory records) early Massive Attack records and Iron Man 2.
Steven: I think Neil is inspired by the Stark Expo in Iron Man 2, he is probably aiming at being Tony Stark.
We went for a walk around Manchester, we had a look at some of the places that offer what we can only dream of doing. We both support the Noise Lab, it has to stay open!
Q. It has been a pleasure listening to you! Is there anything else that you would like to add?
A. Neil: If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything...
Steven: Neil has probably cut and pasted most of his answers from our website and Facebook!
He loves doing all the website stuff, I generally end up in town talking to people. Then, he tells me to go and meet him, he gets drunk and then keeps me away from my wife: "One more drink Stev"!
If you are an artist, performer, musician, filmmaker or designer, who wishes to be part of the Test Space showcases, visit www.testspaceleeds.com for further details on how to apply.
