Victorious Festival has collected together a haul of items from the event sponsors and are giving them away in a simple online competition, all you have to do is Like the Victorious Festival Facebook page, submit your email and share. Only takes a few seconds and the competition runs for only a few more days so get in quick.
To find out more and enter click HERE.
Our friends over at Southsea Fest this year have their first ever alternative stage at The Great Escape 16th May at The Black Dove from 14.00. The event is free whether you have a wrist band or not and the line-up includes two Strong Island Recordings acts being Boneyards who we’re going to be releasing a 7” vinyl and digital release very soon and shoegaze/grunge outfit Is Bliss. The event is headlined by Wild Smiles and also includes Dolomite Minor, Flatpack Recordings own Bloody Mammals and Polio, B of The Bang from Pie & Vinyl Records, Axes, Unknown Soldiers, Curxes and Sleep Committee. Make sure you head down if you’re in the area as it’s a great line up.
As well as Boneyards and Is Bliss representing Strong Island Recordings the guys who helped kick start the label altogether Arrows of Love play the main Great Escape on Saturday at The Hope, 21.45 just before Mazes at the Artrocker stage. Pick up a ‘Conspiracy Podcast’ 7” vinyl when you’re over there.
Also the weekend features Portsmouth’s own Bear Cavalry playing Friday for the Alcopop Records! vs Big Scary Monsters Alternative Escape stage at the Pavillion Tavern on the Saturday at 17.15 and Portsmouth’s own Sounds of Sumo are represented by Squarehead who has just released the ‘Close EP’ on SOS and he will be playing a set at Audio on Saturday eve/early morning Sunday from 2-4 am.
So over the course of the weekend many Portsmouth brands look to be very heavily represented. Some of us will be enjoying the weekend, we will probably be wearing our Drunken Sailor tee one of the days so come and say hi and make sure you help support Portsmouth on the weekend! See you there.
Friday 1st March the Spinnaker Tower will be hosting a entertaining night of stand up comedy. Start the night with drinks at the top of the tower looking across the historic Portsmouth Harbour, and then take a seat at the Tower cafe back down on the ground floor to laugh relentlessly at 3 amazing comics and MC from 8 til late.
Opening the night is Tiffany Stevenson, as seen on Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Kelly Kingham and headliner Jarred Christmas, from Let’s Dance For Comic Relief, Mock The Week, 8 Out of 10 Cats and even Celebrity Matermind!!
Places are limited, for this unique night of comedy so don’t wait too long to get tickets. You can purchase them HERE.
Jarred Christmas
Aspex Gallery currently have the position of part-time Project Co-ordinator available and are looking for a highly organised individual with an interest in contemporary art and culture and a warm and welcoming manner to join their team. The role is based on 21 hours a week over 4 days and will include administration and front-of-house work.
If that sounds good download the full application pack HERE and apply before the 25th January 2013.
Local girl Emma Nicol is currently studying Illustration at Portsmouth University. Her final year research project is based around the royal family. Whether you are a monarchist or anti-royalist most people have an opinion of the royal family.
Emma says “I’m really interested in gathering stories of people that have met the royal family in particular from people in Portsmouth (and surrounding areas). I have always been interested in local history and really looking forward to creating some illustrations based around the stories I gather”.
Emma’s looking to collect old photographs, oral histories and even document interviews on film. She has created a blog to document her findings and would eventually like to compile them into a book. You can take a look at her blog ‘The Windsor Chronicles’ here.
If you have any photographs, history or stories to share involving the Royal family, Emma would love to hear from you. You can get in touch via her Facebook or email emma-nicol86@hotmail.co.uk
Emma’s illustration of Prince Charles.
Princess Margaret opening the Royal Portsmouth Hospital in the 1950′s.
Thanks to Emma Trinder for including Strong Island in the 2012 Student Directory.
The Directory was initially born in an attempt to make connections with local businesses by offering advertising space in the booklet. It focuses on bars, shops, clubs and restaurants. All things students coming into Portsmouth would need to know.
You can find out more about the Directory on the Facebook.
As part of Samaritans’ annual awareness day 24:7, volunteers from Portsmouth are preparing for the arrival of David Exley, a Samaritans volunteer, who is motorcycling around the UK and Ireland to raise awareness of the charity.
Covering more than 6,000 miles on his motorbike, David will visit each of the 201 Samaritans branches, highlighting the charity’s vital 24-hour service. Sixty four-year-old David is also completing the ride in memory of his brother Tim, and son James who both sadly died by suicide.
David Exley, said: “My younger brother Tim took his own life 24 years ago and tragically in 2007 my son James also ended his life. I really hope that my challenge will mean that more people will be aware of the support Samaritans offers, that way, some good can come out of what has been a very difficult time for me and my family. I am a bit nervous but am really looking forward to meeting my fellow Samaritans and celebrating the charity’s awareness day, 24:7 with them.”
Arriving at the Portsmouth branch, 296 London Road on Monday July 16th at 1pm, David will be welcomed by the Lord Mayor and volunteers from the branch. There will also be local bikers riding with him and the branch would like to invite members of the public to come and welcome him to Portsmouth. If you are interested then you can find out more information by emailing jenniferkford@hotmail.co.uk.
Chris Trevellick, Portsmouth Branch Director said “Our awareness day, 24:7, is the ideal way to raise awareness of Samaritans and David’s challenge will really help to highlight this, not only in Portsmouth but across the UK and Ireland. Samaritans is the only helpline available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, offering support to anyone struggling to cope.”
To donate to David’s quest to raise £10,000 for Samaritans visit – www.virginmoneygiving.com.
I was invited by James Porter to go along with him to see the demolition of St Mary’s Hospital a couple of weeks ago.
“NHS Portsmouth, the city’s primary care trust, is transforming part of the St Mary’s site into a new £18m government-funded community health campus in Portsmouth. The project will include a new midwife-led maternity centre, to replace the existing temporary facility; and a 12 to 16-bed GP-led intermediate care wards for patients.”
The original hospital played an important role during the second world war.
Below are some of the photographs taken around the site. Link for all images taken.
Southsea local Alice Potter has launched a scientific study in to the attachment and bond between a cat and it’s owner as part of her MSc in Clinical Animal Behaviour and is looking for people to volunteer. The study is taking place in Southsea and involved some easy exercises and will take around an hour and a half in total.
If you and your fuzzy feline want to get involved get in touch with Alice on 07837 075533 or email 11216766@students.lincoln.ac.uk.
This is the second year of the popular Portsmouth Dance Festival, imPact. This year, the emphasis is on taking part yourself!
Whether you are a seasoned dancer, or a complete beginner – get involved! They loads of events (most of which are completely free) going on all over the City. From dance workshops, to dance films, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. For more information go to www.newtheatreroyal.com
This year we have changed the way we are compiling our 2014 calendar. Instead we are inviting entries of all themes all year round.
We will dedicate at least two of the months for images taken on Instagram. If you’ve taken a photo that you’d like to submit for consideration you just need add the hashtag #SIC2014.
We will still primarily be accepting submissions via email calendar@strong-island.co.uk.
This year the calendars will be available from mid November from the Strong Island online store and Southsea Gallery. I’d also ask that you keep 14th November free from 7pm, we’ll announce why in late July.
This year we will again be supporting the Alzheimer’s Society as well as another local charity which we will be announcing very very soon!
Strong Island & Strong Island Recordings are very proud to present our 2nd year at one of the premier new music festivals, Southsea Fest and we are also very proud to be the first stage announcing this year too. We follow up from last year’s ‘Drunken Sailor’ event where queues of one in one out were formed within the opening 15 minutes of the stage starting and where our infamous stage was known for sweat dripping from the walls and ceiling while rabid mosh pits brewed…all in the early afternoon.
This year we have upgraded venues to just across the road with the upstairs of the Southsea Social Club where we have a few new ideas planned for the day while ensuring the same chaos and vibe from our label parties resume. To celebrate what will be Strong Island Recordings’ 1st birthday we like to think we have pushed the boat out this year with a heavy line up ranging from grunge, surf punk, noise pop to space math rock.
So we are really stoked to present the following who will be playing our 1st drunken, messy birthday bash:
Arrows of Love
The Black Tambourines
Slowcoaches
The Physics House Band
PLaylounge
Yoofs
Tyrannosaurus Dead
Battery Hens
Cycle Schmeichel
Ricky Fitts
Perch
You’re All Smiling But We’ll All Turn Into Demons
A Spotify playlist of some of the acts can be listened to HERE.
Tickets can be purchased HERE.
Last year’s shenanigans at ‘Drunken Sailor’ can be watched below and HERE.
We hope to see you all there on the day and get involved!
We are stoked, as always, to be working once again with local artist My Dog Sighs on what is set to be one of the largest mural paintings in the city.
Rick from Head Hairdressing on Albert Road conceived the idea of having the courtyard to the rear of the local barbers transformed in to a permanent giant art piece. From precision multilayered stencils, through bubble gum cutsie to surreal illustrative mayhem, My Dog Sighs has hand picked his favourite artists from across the country to produce the ultimate street art dreamscape courtyard.
Head Jam will run all day so feel free to pop along, take a look, have a chat, hang out, meet the artists and enjoy the atmosphere. There will be music on all day, a BBQ turning over in the background if you want to stick a burger on (not supplied), and please feel free to bring along a beer too. Everyone is welcome, so bring the kids so they can see some of the countries finest street artists working together in this unique environment.
Attending artists include: Snik, Wah Graff, Id-iom, Korporate Kaine, Process Smith and of course My Dog Sighs. Be sure to check their links to see more of their amazing work and we look forward to seeing you.
As you are probably well aware from reading the news recently, the Portsmouth Supporters Trust succeeded in their bid to take control of Portsmouth FC making it the biggest community owned club in the UK. It is a long and hard fought victory by the fans that have endured years of bad fortune, bad news and bad performances and a couple of the SI crew have seen most of them! PST’s aim is to bring about responsible, democratic representation at Portsmouth Football Club and so help promote the highest standards of transparent governance, accountability and embed Portsmouth FC deeper into its community through greater communication and co-operation with its fans.
We contacted the PST back in November last year to put forward our idea of doing a Strong Island PFC edition T-shirt to raise money towards buying a share in the club. The PST warmly welcomed the idea and we are pleased to say we are now putting our plan into action.
Strong Island is keen to get behind the trust as are many others. We’re going to pledge £5 of every limited edition SI X PFC tee sold towards Strong Island buying a share of the football club, therefore financially helping PFC in it’s aim to become stable again and continue to be a hugely important aspect of the city.
The design itself is a re-imagining of the common elements from the iconic Portsmouth FC logo from the 1980s and the Strong Island logo, with two swords in place, each dated with the club’s FA Cup wins. The Strong Island Clothing Co. items are normally hand screened in East London but for this particular tee they are produced literally just down the road from Fratton Park and will be at a special price of £15 (plus P&P).
No matter if you are passionate about football or not, we hope this tee is a way of showing support for a club that is now a beacon to the rest of the country for a city and a community that strives to work together for the better.
To pre-order the t-shirt click on the link below. Tees will be back from the printers soon and we hope to have orders in the post by the end of the month, if not sooner.
Order your Strong Island Clothing Co. X Portsmouth Supporters Trust T-Shirt
We are very proud to announce The Creating Balance Project, a new, collaborative project between Anglepoise, Strong Island & the University of Portsmouth to celebrate a design classic and local creativity in Portsmouth. The project aims to showcase the working studios and disciplines of artists and designers across the island and connect them to local photographers to capture, document and collaborate.
Anglepoise lamps have been given to each of the 10 participating artists/designers and the 10 photographers involved have used the lamps to light the photographs, give a sense of place and document the artist, where they work & how they create. During the collaboration sessions University of Portsmouth BSc TV and Broadcast students Massimo Marzullo and Jonas Jakunas have been documenting the project, producing short films for each collaboration.
Later this summer key images from each photographer will be printed and displayed with the films, lamps, photos and more in an exhibition in Portsmouth and one in London (TBA).
The collaborations are:
Andrew Whyte & Peter Clutterbuck
Matt Sills & Lorna Apps-Woodland
Paul Gonella & Tristan Savage
Russell Squires & Farkfk
Josh Knill & I Love Dust
Thor Haley & William Pounds
Rob Luckins & Roo + Barry Abrook
Cotton Candy & Neal Layton + Sadie Tierney
Matt Saxey & Deer Park Alpha
My Dog Sighs & Jack Daly
The project is progressing over the next couple of months and already two films are finished and many collaborations complete. Below are the completed collaboration films and we will be posting updates on The Creating Balance Project regularly here on Strong Island. To keep up to date with the project also please check the Creating Balance website where you can see loads of photos from behind the scenes of the collaborations.
creatingbalanceproject.tumblr.com
A huge thank you to Claire Sambrook, Simon at Anglepoise and everyone involved.
It’s been a while (apologies) but the Strong Island Clothing Co. spring 2013 capsule drop is now available and online in the Strong Island Shop Ahoy store! The drop includes some brand new Branded tee colourways, a new grey crew (highest quality, carefully selected and sourced) and a collection of accessories including new beanies, our seriously high quality Branded iPhone cases (4 & 5) from Etch and our hand crafted, leather coin pouch collaboration with Raw & Auburn.
To kick this capsule drop off right we visited the home of Portsmouth’s Eberhardt signwriters and neon sign specialists. Eberhardt are a true creative business gem of the city with a very long history and still produce hand crafted, carefully designed neon signs, a rare and special craft these days. Check the photos below and the behind the scenes edit too to see more. Photography principally by Jack Daly.
View the full lookbook HERE.
www.strongislandclothingco.com
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