ODETTE JOHNSON - I look at the world visually, but at the same time I hear it. It's a sort of a synesthesia, but it's not. What I've moved more in towards looking at is sound as an art form.
LEWIS HARROWER - I wanted to develop my skills in more experimental and creative radio production. What better way to do it than go to somebody that makes art with sound? And somebody who's creative production skills I admired.
ODETTE JOHNSON - I see sound, I think that's about the best way to describe it. I suppose that's why I say that I create like "art", more than "music". It can be quite overwhelming at times...
ODETTE JOHNSON - You're the sort of person that's got bits of information out of me that I would never have said to anybody else, or I don't really discuss.
LEWIS HARROWER - Take that on and make something, and to learn in that way.
LAURA BREWIS - Sunderland sort of has all the raw ingredients to be an amazing creative city. It needs some help sort of galvanising those things together.
SARAH CARR - It's a project that is really driven by a really strong partnership, animating those spaces and just bringing people into historic buildings that would've just been empty until work start in terms of restorations.
DR. LOES VELDPAUS - People are just interested in the exhibition, but actually walking into the building, and then they're like… "Oh! This is actually.. I've never been in here, this is quite interesting.
SARAH CARR - You know, they're landmark buildings as well, that people have like really personal connections to.
LAURA BREWIS - It's been really successful. We've had people through the building. It's made people see what this space could be used for.
DR. LOES VELDPAUS - And it starts a conversation, which I think is an important one to have with people in the neighbourhood and the city, to come together and make this stuff happen. And know that there are places where you can make this stuff happen.
JO HOWELL It's just such an interesting blend, because there's 10 different artists, vastly different approaches, and it's just a really eclectic way of showing how people can respond in an artistic fashion.
JUDY DIBIASE I wanted to have a collection that people could take out of the museum, because the museums are our property...
LADY KITT And I thought I was just a missed opportunity, isn't it? Like, that's a great way to bring LGBTQ history into the museum and to talk about that. And it's sort of been.. It's been missed. Straight away, I knew that that's why I would be interested in doing here.
JAY SYKES For the past year, this building, Mackie's Corner has been used as a space for artists and creatives to exhibit their work. You might recognise it as the old Sweet Home Alabama building, as it's been for many years, and soon it's going to be redeveloped into another commercial property. But, this evening - it's not quite a memorial. It might feel like it in a way, especially to some of our artists. But we are celebrating the year of Mackie's Corner being used as an arts venue in the city of Sunderland. The legacy that is has left on the city, and the artists involved, and also looking ahead to the future. Barrie West please introduce yourself as an artist.
BARRIE WEST I'm Barrie West. I'm a conceptual artist, but I'll try anything.
JAY SYKES Barrie you are the co-ordinator of a group called Sunderland INDIE.
BARRIE WEST Yes, guilty. We had our opening show here about this time last year, and we had a footfall of well over a thousand people through; which showed quite a lot of popularity and a lot of interest in the arts.