The push and pull of place

08/02/2019 | Finding Maindee, Arts, Development & Building, Community, Opinions

In January 2019 a seminar was held in the library to reflect on the Finding Maindee project. The delegates and presenters were asked to question the role of the arts in ‘place-recognition.’ This blog by Aled Singleton breaks down that complicated question and looks at some of the themes that emerged.

First Meeting of Maindee Makerspace

13/02/2018 | Arts, Learning, Opinions

David Henshall hosted the first meeting of the Maindee Makerspace on Monday 12th February. This short blog tells a little about the 5 presentations to the group, including the news from Jason Reilly that 3D printing is actually pretty affordable and the message from Marion Webber that people can get into making from very different angles.

The blog finishes by explaining what the organisers hope will happen next, including a meeting on Monday 12th March and some ideas for a focus for making things!

Help MAP to save 'The Nylon'

26/03/2017 | New Paths, Learning, Opinions

Huw Meredydd Owen writes about his Maindee experience

13/03/2017 | Finding Maindee, Arts, Development & Building, Opinions

As part of our commitment to sharing the experience of the Finding Maindee project we try to give voice to some of the tensions and difficult situations which arise from the projects we are involved in.

In this article we consider the experience of being involved in two externally-funded programmes. Though we could not do large amounts of our work without money from our funders, we also want to explain the impact of external demands on the 'socially-engaged' work of not just our volunteers and artists, but also on other professionals. In this article Huw Meredydd Owen [pictured below] reflects on his experience between 2014 and 2016 of working with Maindee Unlimited as lead creative on the Library and Triangle Project.

It is also worth pointing out that Huw and his wider team will not be bidding for the commission to complete the design work at the library that we are currently advertising with Addo (deadline 23 April 2017). In this respect we hope that this account will be of interest to anybody applying for the commission.

Building resilient communities through cleaning together

01/03/2017 | Community, Opinions

The CIN (Children in need) Maindee Youth Project organised a successfull community clean up at Maindee school during half term on Thursday 23rd February 10am-5pm. 

“The Maindee youth project is a project to help young people engage in diversionary activities. The aim is to help them and others to feel safe in there communities by getting them to contribute and participate. Through participating allows them to have a place in the community. showing that they have something good to contribute and something good through the project (training, certifications, opportunities) “ Zenia Hamid (Maindee Youth Project, Youth worker)

Exploring activism through photography

08/02/2017 | Street Media, New Paths, Learning, Opinions

It’s difficult to deny there has been a surge of social activism recently in various forms. From protests to petitions, these pop up on a daily basis on our Facebook feeds as well as across tabloids and anywhere news and information is delivered, often being accessed by consumers simultaneously across multiple platform. Polarising opinions are plentiful in our post-Trump, Corbyn, EU referendum world. Adverts from brands such as Kenco, Starbucks, and AirBnB are layered with aspects of social activism, it can be argued that sex no longer sells but activism and social change is at the heart of many conversations. But what part does photography play in all of this? This blog post aims to share my experiences after attending a New Paths funded project called: Activism and Photography. My name is Mohamad Fez Miah I am film maker, lecturer and mentor for Street Media.

Introducing our Trustees: Angela Lloyd

15/12/2016 | Maindee Voices, Opinions

Maindee unlimited is steered by Volunteers from the local area. These trustees are unpaid local people that help steer the organisation in the right directions. They use their skills and networks to make sure the work carried out is effective and lasting.  This blog post is part of a series where we find out a little more about our Trustees. So next time you see them on the street you might be wanting to ask a question or just get some advice :)

Todays post is from Angela Lloyd. 

Literature in developing communities - San Francisco

18/11/2016 | Street Media, Community, Opinions

Our Street Media Manager Fez Miah has recently been spending some time in America. In this article he reports on some interesting developments to support the literacy of young people in the city.

Today San Francisco has become a hotbed of technology: a place where almost all the apps on your phone have had at least 1 line of code originating from this west coastal city. It has areas nicknamed ‘the silicone valley’ where thousands of budding computer science graduates flock towards in hopes of  starting on the new Snapchat, Uber or maybe even Facebook...

In return for its fame San Francisco has sadly, like too many growing cities, some of the most expensive property in the entire World and some deeper issues of poverty, homelessness, numeracy and literacy problems in the poorer areas of the city. This blog post is the start of a few explorations of other cities that use literature for community development.

Poems by Susan Lewis

24/08/2016 | Street Media, Finding Maindee, Maindee Voices, Opinions

After attending an embroidery session with the Coffee and Laughs group at Community House on Eton road. I met Susan Lewis who is a poet. She shared 2 poems that she has written during sessions with Artist Marion Cheung who has been developing a Maindee tapestry over the past few months. Below is an interview with her and if you scroll down you will hear the read the poems. 

Susan attends the Coffee & Laughs group which is a friendship group for women of all ages, faiths and cultures. They spend time together, chatting about all sorts of topics to get to know one another well.

An Outsider’s Perspective on Maindee

27/07/2016 | Street Media, Finding Maindee, Maindee Voices, Community, Learning, Opinions, Library

This is the first article written by young library volunteer Dani Slingerland. She writes in July 2016 having lived in Newport for less than a year and volunteered for only a few weeks. Dani writes as an outsider but it is clear that she is developing bonds and attachments in Maindee.