Centenary Celebrations begin

Denis Sewell, chairman of Saltburn, Marske and New Marske Parish Council officially opened the Saltburn Community and Arts Association Centenary Exhibition at the town’s Community Hall last week.
It is 100 years since the former Methodist Church, now Saltburn's Community Hall and Theatre, was first opened on the corner of Windsor Road and Albion Terrace.
The foundation stone of the building was laid in 1909 and it was opened on April 28, 1910. The building was a place of worship for Primitive Methodists until 1969 when a dwindling congregation prompted a merge with the Wesleyan Chapel in Milton Street.
The exhibition celebrated the history of the building with fascinating items and period local photos.
Saltburn Arts Association arts development promoter Wilma Gardiner-Gill said: “Since 1970, an ever increasing community use has been found for the premises which have been sensitively adapted and modernised while retaining many original features, which allowed a listed building status in 1999.”
Cllr Sewell and his wife Julia have been enthusiastic supporters of the association for many years. At the opening, he praised the “wonderful volunteers” who continue to provide a marvellous programme of events, year in year out.
Following the exhibition the association has also planned a year-long programme of events.
Highlights include free monthly recitals at the on-site community theatre and the arrival of actors Robert Powell and Gabrielle Drake for a show - 100 Years of the Silver Screen - as part of the Annual Film Festival on May 15th.
Souvenir centenary calendars are still available from SCAA Ltd priced £1.

Riding the Waves

A wave of world class surfers will be rolling into Saltburn next month for a prestigious national competition.
Saltburn, as one of the region’s best-known surf spots, is to host the opening round of the UK Professional Surf Tour. On May 15 and 16 more than 100 of the country’s top talents will be riding the waves as the competition visits the seaside resort for the first time.
The announcement is a real coup for Saltburn, as the eyes of the surfing world will be focused on the town. Zoee Smith, an instructor at Saltburn Surf School, says she hopes people watching the performers will want to have a go themselves.
Zoee commented that Saltburn was currently listed in national rankings as being in the top ten places to surf in the UK and that the opening round of the UK Professional Surf Tour would really promote the area as a great surfing destination.
The board surfers will be followed the week after by kite surfers as the British Kite Surfing Championship returns to Redcar.

Doors open at Margrove Park Heritage Centre

Tees Valley Wildlife Trust is celebrating the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity by hosting a wildlife gardening celebration event on Sunday, April 25 at Margrove Park Heritage Centre, between Guisborough and Boosebeck, from 10am to 4pm.

This free drop-in event will provide an opportunity to find out how to improve your garden or allotment for wildlife. The day will include a host of activities ranging from growing and using herbs, tips on creating a wildlife pond for frogs and newts, growing vegetables in tubs and selecting plants for a nectar garden for bees and butterflies.

'Death of Steel'

Among the first pieces to be showcased at the new ArtsBank commercial gallery opened this bank holiday in Saltburn is the exhibition 'Death of Steel', featuring artworks relating to the current situation facing Teesside’s steel industry. The exhibition will run for six months.
The new venue aims to champion the enormous and rich crop of northern artistic talent.
ArtsBank has been 12 months in the planning with six months of hard work required to transform the derelict bank into a gallery space.
“It’s nice to be finally launching,” said Bryan Goodall. “Our aim is to feature work by artists from Newcastle to York. There’s so much great work being done in our area.”
Work on show at ArtsBank will not be exclusively from the North, but future shows will focus on major creative figures, most of whose work has its roots in the region.

Library and Tourist Information Centre now open.

Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council opened the combined library and Tourist Information Centre in Saltburn over the four days of the Easter weekend.
The library is now home to the TIC, moved from its location in the town's Station Buildings, creating a new dual facility.
The Council's Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Tourism Councillor Sheelagh Clarke explained: "It's something we have planned to do for quite some time and we're delighted we have managed to do it in Saltburn. It will be the first time we've opened a library across a Bank Holiday weekend and we're pleased our staff have helped us achieve that. Hopefully, it will be of benefit to both residents and visitors alike and it's something we hope to offer other areas in the future."

ArtsBank

ArtsBank is a major new artistic initiative, privately funded, and based on Teesside. Successful local businessman Bryan Goodall (FRSA and chairman of the Hambleton Group) has assembled a group of like-minded directors, and has formed ArtsBank, with a £600k initial investment. ArtsBank is a Community Interest Company, and it aims to give a massive boost to the work of creative people across the north east, and beyond.
At its April opening, ArtsBank will showcase more than fifty visual artists. They are the cream of an enormous and rich crop of northern talent: painters, photographers, sculptors and craftspeople, from all generations. Some are renowned. Some are neglected. Some are unknown. But all deserve the widest exposure.

Profile on Weegee

The Profile Gallery, Saltburn, is currently showing work by the late Austrian-born American press photographer Weegee, the first time his pictures have been exhibited on Teesside.
The show is part of the gallery’s link with Amber, the film and photography collective based at Side Gallery in Newcastle, which has an extensive archive, including one of the best collections of Weegee’s work in the world.
Born Usher Fellig, Weegee captured the gritty underbelly of 1930s’ and 1940s’ New York, earning his nickname because he was usually first on the scene with his small Speed Graphic camera.
His photographs capture decisive moments, from gangland hits to women attending opera and children playing with water from a fire hydrant on the lower east side.
He was famous for his crimescene work, but also recorded all aspects of life as social documentary, often with humour and irony.
The exhibition runs until June 5, with 30 images on display, including pictures of Andy Warhol and Salvador Dali.