Confirmed: Asda plans for artist space

Follow-up article no.2 - Bally shoe factory studios for low-cost victuals.

Wednesday 26th May 2010

It's been confirmed - the old Bally shoe factory is to be turned into a shopping and leisure emporium. The jewel in the crown of the new 'Harford Place' facility will be a brand new Asda supermarket. Site developers Targetfollow have stated that building work could start by the end of this year.

This may come as a surprise to those amongst us with an interest in local arts/culture. The site, on Hall Road, had hitherto housed a network of local visual artists, including well-known local carnival suppliers Tin House. Known as the 'Art Factory', the site welcomed a 700-srong public audience to its exhibition last year, where it displayed work from Sprowston Day Care centre.

Yet after a full and frank investigation, exhaustive research and a programme of Thumb-Twidlling, Speculative Theory-Generation (TTSTG), those behind the new development have stumbled upon a remarkable new discovery.

The general public, it seems (and this includes you, reader), prefers Cart over Art, and would happily indulge in low-cost food purchase, window-shopping and 'allocated leisure', much sooner than countenance the pursuit of community growth through creative activity. The new development caters for these modern ideals. People must be fed, after all, and after a hard day of price-busts, paninis and pedestrian browsing, there'll even be a spankin' hotel complex where User X can bed down for the night.

Everyone's a winner in the end. After some controversy, of which I spoke on the 20th of this month (check out the article 'Shoe factory artists given the boot' on our News list), it would appear that the dust has settled.

A Targetfollow spokesman had this to say:

“News of the factory closure has generally been taken very well by the artist tenants, many of whom have expressed their appreciation and gratitude to Targetfollow for establishing a vibrant arts community at the factory, and in turn supporting the arts."

One such happy camper is Rupert Malin, a resident artist at the studios. He said:

“It is a shame because there's very little else out there where artists can show their work. A lot of us will be going into sheds or garages."

The Norfolk Open Studios exhibition, featuring more than 20 local artists and creative groups, opened in the Arts Factory on Sunday. It is to be the final exhibition held on the site. It runs for the next two weekends, from 10am - 4pm.

"The exhibition will be very much a send off to our time using the old factory.” said Malin.

Now he, along with fellow Factory residents, is looking for new premises. He asks that anyone with availble space call or e-mail. His details are below.

Further Reading:

www.artfactorystudios.org.uk - The Art Factory studios.

To contact Rupert Malin -

(07775) 870 392

E-mail - rupertmallin@supanet.com.