THE Byker scrapyard fire, which was seen from more than 30 miles away as smoke billowed over the city last year, inspired a project which culminates this evening in a special event at the Lit & Phil in Newcastle.
Black Cloud features photographs by Newcastle-based artist Ben Jeans Houghton of the fire which altered the city centre skyline and they manage to be both powerful and strangely beautiful.
They’re in a book being launched as part of the project at the Lit & Phil drawing connections between the fire at Byker and a great fire which raged in the city 158 years ago.
During that fire, in 1854, as in the one last May when the scrapyard blaze burned for 24 hours, people took to the streets to watch the drama unfold.
The idea of this shared experience is examined alongside the photographs in the Black Cloud book, a special edition of only 100 copies, which has text by local writer Iris Priest.
She will be giving a reading at this evening’s event alongside short talks by speakers who will describe similarly strange or alternative experiences as a kind of “further reading” on the theme.
The speakers are scientist Dr George Wake, whose two-part talk will take in plant-based drugs and asteroids, and Dr Gail-Nina Anderson who will look at the etiquette behind museum displays of human remains.
Experimental musician Rhodri Davies, meanwhile, will be giving an improvised performance symbolising a “conversation” between 1854 and 2011. This is the result of his burning 157 holes into a piece of sheet music from 1854 (one for every year between then and now) with the idea of “collapsing” the intervening time period to create a new piece.
The Black Cloud project forms part of a series of events run by Circa Projects to raise funds for its work.
Proceeds from the event (entry costs £3 and a print and the book will be available to buy from www.circaprojects.org and, for a discounted price, also on the night) will go towards Circa’s future programme of free events and exhibitions.
Tonight event runs at the Lit & Phil in Westgate Road, Newcastle, from 6-9pm.
No booking is required but numbers are limited so email info@circaprojects.org to ensure a place.