You may remember our recent features, one of mine and one written by Tauf, that expose the goings-on at Northlight Arts Centre…..now also see Chapel Allerton Arts Centre. (A rose by any other name…..)
I received an email from Tim Miller’s solicitor 8 weekdays ago, to ask me to refrain from taking any further action. The email was good news. After a year of trying to get Miller, Cruse and Burton to take legal advice, at last one of them has. I had paused whilst Miller made an appointment with a solicitor. It took him 12 days. Perhaps he thought the name change and some more wall paint would magic everything away.
I have had a conversation with Nia Ward, a black lady of mature years who is also an artist and is a wheelchair user. Nia’s opening words were telling: After thanking me for calling, she expressed the view that the Northlight trio are not so smug now they’ve been challenged and they can’t hide behind those cold smiles. That their fakery is so obvious, like a cold draught in winter.
Now, that’s a bit dramatic, you might say. You had to be listening to really hear it. Nia’s words were coming from her own experience of Northlight, experience of feeling excluded, in premises the next door neighbours to a Leeds postode where 45% of the community is black.
Nia told me about her first meeting with Burton and Cruse. Burton was in dreadlocks, a symbol of spirituality, one love, peace and happiness. Nia asked Burton how long she’d had the dreadlocks. Instead of appreciating the interest shown, Burton merely uttered ‘not long’ and walked away. She clearly had no interest in striking up a conversation. So much for being greeted warmly on your first visit to Northlight.
Cruse, however, did engage in conversation – about how proud he was of ‘his’ cafe! (Paul’s cafe, taken forcibly from him.) Cruse said he would be in touch. At the time of writing, he hasn’t.
Nia told me that Hyro, the artist whose art Miller threw onto a skip, organised a weekend at Northlight for young people whose work was exhibited in the gallery, and was part of an online auction. Hyro’s plan was to create a programme of learning about the urban and graffiti art genre, Hyro’s own expertise having been honed over the past fifteen years. He wanted to use art to help young people tackle their negative behaviours and gain the perspective he had achieved for himself over time. (So – which organisation in Leeds will come forward to offer space or a contribution towards setting up a project with the true spirit of community and the wellbeing of the youth of our communities in mind? One for a future campaign, perhaps.)
This was a major project, involving outdoor work, 8ft high wooden panels and a whole team of enthusiastic helpers. Yet despite the exercise in sincerity performed by Cruse, no contribution was forthcoming from Northlight other than from Paul, not even a little encouragement nor any praise or congratulations for a job so well done from Miller.
Nia recalled asking about a ramp, so that wheelchair users could access the garden from the conservatory. No response, even when she suggested she bring her own ramp. Burton continued her cold shoulder treatment whilst demonstrating welcoming proactivity with the white females visiting the centre. Coffee was offered – but not to Nia.
When Nia asked about the CIC agm, there was no response. This was clearly not an inclusive community interest company. There was no interest in Nia, a local artist who uses water colour and more recently acrylic to reflect the enduring spirituality of art.
So – here we have two artists, Nia and Hyro, whose hope was to work in the community for the community. And then we have the members of a community interest company with no interest in at least 45% of their population.
The link to this article has been forwarded to the CIC Regulator, the latest in a series being sent to the Regulator so that they have what they asked us for – evidence of a CIC unwilling to operate/incapable of operating as a CIC. Hopefully, the Regulator will recognise that changing the CIC website homepage to place a black lady in sharp focus amongst other ethnicities in soft focus is not evidence that the CIC is inclusive! There is taking people for fools and there is being fools, Northlight CIC. UPDATE: After I pointed this out to Cruse and mentioned the CIC Regulator, the homepage image has been changed – again.
If you have any resource or any information on sources of funding that you can offer towards Hyro’s graffiti project, just email [email protected] and/or [email protected].
Photography by Paul Simon.
More people have come forward to share their experiences. Members of Leeds’ art community who have links with Northlight are asking for our opinion on the safety of users, prospective tenants are requesting references – and local Press have invited me for coffee. What began as an effort to recover just a part of our investment has become more. What it mustn’t become is a revenge project, which is why we are declining invitations, limiting references and carefully measuring our view on Northlight users’ safety and the risks of using Northlight/”Chapel Allerton Arts Centre”.
