HULL ARTS LAB

PETER: It's a great space, how did you come about occupying the building?
ESPEN: The building we got through a friend who has helped us in the past with funding applications a guy called Rick Welton and basically he knew the guy who owns it a guy called Mike Ellis the fruit market traders, so he owns the building, he doesn't use it so we got it July 2004, basically it was up for grabs and we came to an arrangement with Mike. We had some people in to empty it out, it was full of crap, the roof was damaged and spent a month or so maybe more to clear it out and fix it up and started running events in November 2004.
PETER: Did you have a space before moving here, anything site specific?
ESPEN: Pubs usually, we formed in March 2004 and when we got this space we established this as an office as well, before then we just met where ever we could. It's nice to have a space like this but to function as an organisation we use can whatever.
We have improvisation nights, some at the Adelphi, because we haven't got a PA, some of the things we do are not suitable for here so we source other venues, we've got an in house and out house program.
PETER: Obviously projects dictate the venue.
ESPEN: Yeah, most stuff we can do here but there will be certain things we can't do here, public art or anything that requires a clean space. But this is a versatile space we've had everything from straight performance work, exhibitions, screenings to improvised music and the space takes on the stride, incredibly versatile.
PETER: Has anyone utilised the big screen in the city square.
ESPEN: Yes we did something for the Humbermouth Festival, part of that was a Canadian Artist called John Gywn, he works in film but predominately a sound Artist and we had two of his films shown on the screen, it's a bit problematic but it can be used.
PETER: Is there a network for Artist's in Hull? You've got HAL and RED.
ESPEN: It's quite informal, regarding the Artist run Contemporary spaces organisations there's ourselves RED, Independant Art School, 54 Degrees North, we're all friends, we hang out with each other, there are overlaps, there is a network but it's completely informal, occasionally the City Arts unit puts out an e-group bulletin, lets you know what's going on, you tell them and they tell the rest of the groups.