10 April 2010
Dundee factory is the unlikely setting for a drive-in Saturday
A taste of 1950s Americana will come to Dundee this weekend when the large Michelin factory plays host to a special, one-off, drive-in cinema event as part of a project to take art directly to the workplace
A special high powered projector will be used to show the film Grease in the grounds of the Baldovie Road factory to Michelin staff and their families, who will be able to view the film from the comfort of their cars, on Saturday, April 10th. Appropriately, Grease, which is set in the US during the 1950s, features scenes at a drive-in theatre.
The Nine Trades of Dundee project was initiated by Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, part of the University of Dundee, to challenge preconceptions about who is an artist. The nine individual projects are run by artists who have second, non-art, jobs.
Chris Dyson, the artist responsible for organising the event, said the response from staff has been excellent, and that he expected up to 50 cars to descend on the factory’s grounds for the ticketed 8.30pm showing.
'Everyone I have spoken to has been really upbeat and positive about the drive-in cinema,' he said. 'I've spent the last few weeks working with staff at Michelin and asking them to suggest films that we can show. All the people here have engaged with the idea and I think they like how unusual it is.'
Workers at the factory have been voting for their favourite movie over the past few weeks and Chris added that it was fitting that Grease was the film chosen to be shown.
Chris (27) is a film-maker and sculptor who also works as a metal fabricator at a workshop in Glasgow. He now attends Michelin one day a week to film events at the plant and interview workers as he seeks to document life at a modern industrial factory.
He will also cover the drive-in event and the resultant film will be shown at the conclusion of the Nine Trades project at a public ‘Final Gathering event on the 17th July at the Visual Research Centre downstairs at Dundee Contemporary Arts.
Originally from Leeds, Chris received a BA (Hons) in Environmental Art from Glasgow School of Art in 2005. Since then his work has been shown across the UK and internationally. He says that his experiences of working as a metal fabricator have informed his films and sculptures and this is what interested him in Nine Trades of Dundee.
'I approached Michelin because I was intrigued by the large grounds at the factory and how this opened up the possibility of hosting a drive-in cinema,' he said. 'The company have been very helpful and it has been very interesting to hear the views of the people that work there.
'Whereas only another six people work with me in the workshop, there are 800 at Michelin, and many of them have been there for 30 years or so. The fact there is such a long-standing workforce means they have a lot of stories to tell that are both funny and reveal a lot about life in a factory.
'Hearing them speak, you understand how big a role that the company has played in Dundee over the years. The workers have a great deal of affection for the place, and this commitment comes across in their interviews.'
Nine Trades of Dundee is a project initiated by Exhibitions at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design. It was inspired by the ‘The Nine Incorporated Trades of Dundee’, an organisation that has been operating since the 1400’s. Originally concerned with commerce and standards of the city it now functions as a charity and is involved in the preservation of heritage.
'Nine Trades of Dundee' aims to increase arts access and encourage more participation for non-arts audiences by bringing art activity and creativity to the heart of the workplace.
Ian Peart, Site Personnel Manager, said that Michelin was delighted with the opportunity to work with the Nine Trades of Dundee project as it presented the workforce with a unique chance to share their experiences of life in the plant with Chris.
'This should provide a fascinating record of the life of the factory through the eyes of the people who work there. At the same time, it has also given some of our employees, friends and families the chance to see the factory turned into a little corner of the USA by attending the Drive-in Movie set up on site.'
Notes to editors:
Nine Trades of Dundee is a project devised by Exhibitions at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, University of Dundee, with major funding from The National Lottery through the Scottish Arts Council’s Inspire Fund.
Nine Trades of Dundee has also been supported by University of Dundee Graduates Council, The Nine Incorporated Trades of Dundee and Tay Charitable Trust.
The outputs of the ‘Nine Trades of Dundee’ will include nine core collaborative commissions; a ‘Nine Trades Final Gathering’ event bringing together the artists, participants and wider audience; two ‘open door’ tours to see the work in situ; nine ‘Nine Trades Apprenticeships’ for Duncan of Jordanstone students; one ‘Nine Trades’ workshop for a Dundee school; and a linked Creative Learning Resource to accompany the ‘Nine Incorporated Trades of Dundee’ display at McManus Galleries.
The project will commission nine artists with second non-art trades to lead collaborative art projects with workers from that particular trade, and commissions will be developed to fit the individual artists practice and the working environment and the artist will receive curatorial and peer support as part of the larger ‘Nine Trades of Dundee’ project.
More information is available by visiting www.ninetrades.com.
For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
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University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
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