Interesting little anecdote, photographer Simon Murray is based in the same building as our featured company and had often wondered what they did, but felt a little too shy to knock on their door.
Without giving away who they are before you click through, he Googled, ‘Culture, Leeds’, discovered The Culture Vulture, and then came to our Paper Scissor Stone event and met the director of of our featured company completely by accident. We asked him for the photos that grace this month’s edition.
So what is The Culture Company?
This is the office of The Culture Company…we like to call it our `Downstairs Loft Apartment` because it feels and looks like something you would find in down town New York (or so we like to think) but in fact can be found below stairs at the back of the building in down town central Leeds – Aire St Workshops. Obviously just as groovy as anything NY City can muster and yet, unlike NYC, marvelously handy for Leeds train station.
What do you do?
I suppose the best way to describe what we do is to say that we are a commissioning and production agency, or an ideas company that turns those ideas into real things. This means we are busy whistling up new projects based on ideas we have for making life (particularly the places and spaces we all share) more wondrous and interesting while looking for the right opportunities, partnerships and financial means, to turn those ideas into a reality. Sometimes clients and partners come to us because they have an opportunity or a challenge and they want something unique and bespoke to meet their needs and we do our best to do just that. Occasionally we have a great idea but just can’t find a home/funding to do it and we have to put it to bed for a while, although interestingly sometimes, further down the line, its day and time duly arrives.
What’s so great about it?
We have a pretty broad approach to what a `Culture Company` project is, so while our bedrock might sit in the visual arts, we are very interested in the integration of `emerging technologies` and what is still called `new media` – (most digital stuff) into projects – so light, sound, video, interactivity all rear their fabulous heads in the majority of our commissions and projects. Similarly we have a broad approach to what a cultural project is, so happy to include opera and singing, cooking and growing, architecture and building, reading and writing if that is what is required. Sometimes our projects may almost appear as art by stealth, but we don’t mind, if they work as things that might surprise or intrigue you, or make you look and think again, that’s fine by us.
What do you want to plug right now?
Currently we are developing `Wonderwood` with the architectural practice, Amenity Space – a place for fun, play and lounging about in Holbeck Urban Village this summer. This half natural, half-fantastical garden space will be freely available to anyone who wants to read a book, have a picnic, play some music, meet some friends or do some art project of their own and it launches on the 28th May for three sunny months
Image Credit: Photos of Nicola and The Culture Company office by Simon Murray.
Simon specialises in Fashion, Music, Brand and PR photography, and has a studio in Aire Street, Leeds.