Taking the lead: Do arts and culture need a digital suffragette movement?

Rough Trade always hosts great events and last Wednesday I attended the Taking the lead: Do arts and culture need a digital suffragette movement? talk set up by Collider. The talk was made up of a panel of 4, the first woman was Tobi Ofedein (who may I add looked very stylish!!) she is known for her UK based lifestyle website ‘Black Ballad’ that explores the conversations that Black British women have and she has worked for companies such as Buzzfeed, Elle and Vice Magazine. The other panellists were Rachel Anderson who is the co-founder of Idle Woman, Kaylea Mitchem who created the Fan Club Nottingham and Kajal Nisha Patel, the artist who looks at cultural conflict and the formation of new identity.

 I’m going to share some of the main concerns/ideas that came up when discussing the digital age and briefly explain them:

The first question that Tobi asked was ‘What techniques did you use in order to gain ownership in an industry like Arts and Culture?’

 Kaylea - ‘I made a tight focus on art and music and I identified a lack of focus on events in the area. Our ethos has always been to create platforms for women to take ownership.’

 Kajal – ‘My technique has been storytelling, there was a lack of women to look up to and I wanted to be that woman.’

  

What were the challenges that you faced?

 Rachel – ‘We reached the edge of all the women that we know, how do we reach to meet more women. There are some gaps and skills that women don’t fit into. We have come across some offence and ridiculing.’

 Kaylea – ‘For our company the main issue is finding venues, all our events are free entry at Rough Trade which is amazing for our consumers and one of the reasons we hold it here. There are so many venues that don’t have disabled access and this is disgraceful.’

How has the digital age helped with your project/s?

Kajal – It helps with brand identity, gives an impression that your organised = able to see how much work goes into it. Also it makes your company structured, people have confidence when there is structure.’

 Kaylea – ‘I’d say it really helps with networking, we use social media to interact. We also create zines and these are sourced online.

How do we change power structures?

Rachel – ‘For me there is a trickle down structure. I used to work for the youth and then I realised that the Arts were getting all of the money so I transferred and hijacked resources to give to the people that needed them the most. We have to rescue ourselves! There are the power holders who will not give up their positions. But you have to lose something in order for others to have more. The struggle is what other people think, we need to diversify the gate keepers who determine art.’

The next question was ‘Do you think the digital age is positive or negative?’ and this went out to the panel and the audience. Here are some of the comments that came out of that conversation:

Tobi Ofedein - ‘I got shut down in journalism when wanting to talk about race. The digital age has given me power in a positive way, my own platform to discuss what I want and when I want’

Kaylea – ‘I would agree, I think the digital age is a positive because it keeps you in the loop with the community and it is important to lift each other up. The internet is also a great tool for the anonymous, voices are heard.’

Comments from audience members:

‘Good or not, it’s here and not going anywhere!! We need to take the opportunities that we have’

‘In the digital world voices are amplified, this is worse because there is more access for trolls’

‘It’s hard to create one strong message to everyone e.g. trans women, disabled women, straight women, race, religion etc. A holistic solution is too much to think about = almost impossible.’

 ‘We share one common thread – abuse, how do we keep safe? Misogyny is a hate crime.’

‘We need to address the history of inequality to get equality.'

 What I learnt from this talk:

The definition of intersectionality, this is when feminists wear more than one hat for example a feminist who focuses on race and class. This is important to know because the word came up a lot in the discussion.

 I feel there are both negatives and positives to the digital age!

Positives:

- It’s easy to network, interact and create a fan base

- Quick way of promoting to a large audience

- Freedom to speak about what you like

- Allows everyone to have a voice

Negatives:

- Everyone is doing this now, how can you stand out?

- Trolls/abuse

- Things can come across differently online

- Hard to be exclusive/private = other companies could copy your strategies

But outweighing the positives and negatives, as an Fashion Communication and Promotion student, I believe that the digital age provides us with many benefits and we should take advantage of this while we can!

Photo credit - Chloe Ferdinand

Boozy Bones Launch

On Tuesday evening, myself and blogger 'Abiwithani' went to the launch of Boozy Bones. Located in the heart of Hockley, this trendy restaurant serves American street food and cocktails (my absolute favourite combination!). I was amazed by the artwork in the bar and restaurant, colourful, vibrant and eye catching art created by one of Nottingham's very own graffiti artists. The art extends into the garden area, this is definitely a reason to pop down, it adds so much character to the place. When sitting in the restaurant, it was such a chilled and pleasant atmosphere and as it got later into the night, the DJ played old school music which made me want to stay as long as possible.

 The drinks menu had such a vast selection of cocktails! I had a Long Island Ice Tea and it was really refreshing and had a lovely flavour! Food... where do I begin!? I ordered 'Jamie went nuts!' which is a beef burger topped with pulled pork, smokey bacon and cheese and chips as my side. I cannot even explain how delicious this was - the pictures do not do it justice!! The  food was hot when it was served, the beef was cooked to perfection and the pulled pork complimented the smokey bacon really well. As a food lover, I was astounded that I couldn't finish the portion!! One tip for anyone visiting Boozy Bones - go with an empty stomach!!

Another factor that I really like about the restaurant is that it caters for you, whether visiting with friends, family, lovers, business partners or anyone, there is a selection of seating so you can pick how you want your night to be. High tables for a girls/boys night or a meeting, sofas for a chilled evening or booths for an intimate setting.

We were so impressed by the restaurant that we have to give our compliments to the owner - Prashant "PJ" Jaiswal. I would urge everybody to book a table and try out Boozy Bones ASAP because it is the place to be.

Boozy Bones is up and running for business, for more information please visit: http://www.boozybones.co.uk

Photo credit - Chloe and Abi

RUSH hair and beauty launch party

RUSH hair and beauty kindly invited me to attend their launch in Market Square last week. As i've never been to a hair salon launch, I didn't know what to expect - I was hugely impressed!!

As we entered, the store manager was extremely welcoming and gave us a tour of the new salon. I love going to the hairdressers but my only complaint would be that there is never enough space and it's not as personal as I would like. RUSH in Nottingham has solved this - there is an upstairs room which is very spacious and gives you the privacy you need (as you can see from below). The decor is very modern and sleek, the lighting is also perfect - not too bright like other salons.

 After the tour, we spoke to one of the hairdressers who gave us a 1 on 1 hair consultation. All members of staff were helpful and you could tell that they were fully trained as they were very informative about every product and service that the salon provided. Also, I found that they were being completely honest with their suggestions and thoughts which is what I think hairdressers should be like. So far, the salon's services include Brazilian Blowdrys, Consultations, Hair Treatments, Easilocks and Wedding Hair.

As I had such a lovely experience, I am now going to book to have a treatment here! Go and give RUSH a visit and see what it is like for yourself.

Visit or book online to receive your 50% off!

RUSH Hair and Beauty

20 Long Row 

Nottingham

NG1 2DH

https://www.rush.co.uk/salons/Nottingham

Photo Credit - Chloe Ferdinand

Exclusive insight into the future of technology and fashion!

Technology and fashion... my favourite combination! Yesterday as a member of The Creative Quarter, I got invited to attend Retail Assist's Nexpo experience with Karen Millen, an exclusive pop-up store event at Hoxton Arches in Shoreditch. Retail Assist technology has collaborated with retailer Karen Millen and pop-up event Nexpo (aiming to enhance the customer's journey).  The pop up store reflected a realistic store environment and before getting the chance to hear all about the exciting concepts, we had the opportunity to experiment with the different types of technology dotted around the mock up store. At a first glance, the thing that stood out to me was the delayed mirror! But i'll go on to explain a bit more about that later! All the technology included within the experience was provided by a number of retail IT companies including Adyen, Catalyst, DB Pixelhouse, Enactor, Inovretail, Vista and Vodat.

To kickstart the technology tour, we were given the "customers experience" and how the technology benefits them:

1- RFID Tags, do your own research

What does this stand for? RFID stands for radio frequency identification, which means the technology has automatic identification and can identify objects carrying tags when they get scanned. This is beneficial because if you like the look of an item and would like to see how it fits, you can scan this item and on a big screen you are able to see the catwalk video. This is especially useful for male shoppers who are looking for presents for their partners or female family members. With the RFID tags, you are also able to see additional information on the product that you are unlikely to get from normal instore experiences. This could offer you reviews from other customers, similar items and items that could be paired with your chosen garment.

2- Delayed Mirror

When shopping alone, I always like to have a second opinion before purchasing an item. This is when the delayed mirror becomes our saviour! This will be placed in the changing rooms and you are able to:

-Request a new size

By selecting your item on the screen, you are able to request the size that you would like. This request is then sent to one of the staff members via a watch. On their watch, they can then accept the request and you will receive a message to say help is on its way. The new item will then be brought to the changing room. How clever!?

- Pay from the changing room

If you are happy with your new size, you can purchase items from the changing room making your experience quick and easy.

-Make your own catwalk

The delayed mirror also enables you to take images/videos of yourself in the clothing which can then be sent to a friend/family member via email or social media. Now you're probably thinking, what happens to the images on the device? For privacy regulations, all images taken on the device are deleted in store.

3- Payments can be made anywhere

All staff have a tablet device with them at all times. This is the new till, all transactions can be made on this one tablet, there is a card machine slotted in the back and each member will have a mini handheld scanner. Customers are also able to get their purchases sent home free of charge. 

4- Quick and easy checkout

If you are a returning customer, the system will have all your details stored (address, dress size, transaction history, wish lists etc.) This makes your checkout experience stress free. 

Here is the "retailers journey" and why this makes the retail industry more efficient:

1 - Processing deliveries

All expected deliveries will be processed through the tablets. With the handheld scanners, you scan each of the boxes and this matches up to the tablet so you can see if you have received all your deliveries. 

2- Stock enquiry

With the tablet you are able to check the price history of an item (for example if it has been put in the sale). You can also check globally where the item is being stocked, this is especially helpful for international customers. 

3- Demographic profiling

Smart scan enables retailers to view analytics such as age and gender. The scanner detects all the customers and you are able to read the specifics of customers entering the store. 

4- Detectors

Window detectors detect the activity outside the store, the ratio of people entering the store against people waiting outside or looking at the visual merchandise. This allows retailers to know if their windows are gripping and if not, find out why. There are also detectors inside the store to see what part of the store has the most activity, what zones do people use most and what zones are people avoiding. 

I hope Retail Assist's future of technology has impressed you as much as it impressed me!! This is the future of retail and the way forward for both customers and retailers!

To find out more, visit: http://www.retail-assist.co.uk

Thanks to Retail Assist and Karen Millen for sharing their insights.

Photo Credit - Chloe Ferdinand

Celebrating Nottingham!

Sheena Holland, the artist behind Nottingham Night Market kindly agreed to speak to me about this concept coming to the Lace Market. On 7th July, the majority of the Lace Market will be supporting independent artists, makers, food producers etc and will form one huge Night Market. This is the second time that the Night Market has been based in Nottingham, and I wanted to discover more!?

1. Tell us a bit about yourself and your background as an artist?

I was born in Camden, London and in my teens I worked for the fashion designer Katharine Hamnett in the late 1980's at Katharine's design studios as the design room assistant, working on sourcing and preparing fabrics for the catwalks. Katharine's designs and fabrics at the time were a statement both politically and creatively which influenced me. The fact that she used British made fabrics and British woollen designers plus natural non synthetic materials for her clothes greatly impacted my thinking and future designs. From 1990 until 2003, I went on to design large floral, wire and concrete sculptures in London. Whilst working for corporate florists she freelanced for private clients and one off events like The Queen Mother's 100th Birthday celebration, Elton John's 54th birthday at The Ritz, Michael Jacksons 'World' tour, Jeffrey Archers London and country homes, Films: The Mummy and Sense and Sensibility. Then, I started making one off Vintage feather and leather headbands in 2005 and was the first designer to create the feather 'side tiara'. I now creates headbands, bridal tiaras, jewellery and hats made from vintage materials using re-worked leather, antique, vintage jewellery and feathers combining fashion, shapes and colours from my training with Hamnetts and floristry. My designs have sold to many people, clients include singers Pink, Lily Allen and comedian Alan Carr.

2. Who/what are your biggest inspirations when it comes to your creative work?

 Fashion, nature, colour and watching people.

3. You've had some amazing celebrities wear your work - if you could pick one person to wear your designs who would it be?

Vivienne westwood, without a doubt!

4. Why did you start to introduce night markets?

I started because I had a shop on the cathedral quarter of Derby and the area had struggled with the new westfield being built over the other side of town, which meant that the old part of town had less footfall. I thought I would start a small market and as there was a courtyard outside my shop I decided to run it there. Once starting it, I realised lots of people loved markets and so I thought about a night market, and ran one in November in 2014 and 7,500 came to it with 52 stalls. I then decided another might be fun....and so on. This will be my 7^th night market.

5. What made you bring the night markets to Nottingham?

I had originally wanted my shop in Nottingham and what with applying for a shop on St. Mary’s Gate it never came about as the landlord stalled me for too long so I resorted to Derby, but I had always wanted to do work in the Lace Market but had never managed to achieve it.

6. What does the future hold for the night markets, do you plan to move to other cities?

Well, having brought the night market to Nottingham, I am now applying to other cities and towns with the recent possibility of it being accepted in a town in Derbyshire. 

7. Have you got any other creative plans up your sleeve?

 I am planning on doing a gallery exhibition of my past and present work, sculptures and fashion and headwear....but I’ve been saying that for 12 months now....hoping I’ll get the time and chance.

So, in or around Nottingham on the 7th July?? Pop down to the Lace Market and see what the Night Market has to offer! (The images from previous years in Derby look pretty impressive!)

To find out more about Sheena's creative work, visit: http://www.sheenaholland.com/index.htm

Photo Credit - Sheena Holland (all photos from Derby Night Market)