More watercolour masterpieces on show at Temple Newsam

Caption: Turner's 'Llanbethian Castle' is one of the watercolours which will be on display

Works by some of the finest British landscape artists of all time will go on display at Temple Newsam House next week as part of the exhibition devoted to JMW Turner and his contemporaries.

Starting on Tuesday 4th August, the second half of the exhibition entitled ‘Watercolour Masterpieces: Turner and his Contemporaries’ will show off a selection of landscape masterpieces from the UK and Southern Europe by some of the most famous names in the history of British art.

Aside from JMW Turner whose name is synonymous with landscape scenes capturing the power and beauty of nature, the exhibition also features celebrated works by John Robert Cozens (1752-1797), Thomas Girtin (1775-1802), John Varley (1778-1842) and John Sell Cotman (1782-1842) alongside those of Turner (1775-1851).

The works, which have been drawn exclusively from the collections at Leeds Art Gallery, include well-known pictures such as Cotman’s ‘A Ploughed Field’, Turner’s ‘The Lorelei Rock’, Girtin’s ‘The Coast of Dorset near Lulworth Cove’ and Paul Sandby’s ‘Harlech Castle’ among many others.

The second half of the exhibition devoted to the ‘Southern Landscapes’ follows on from the success of the first part devoted to the ‘Northern Landscapes’ which attracted over 15,000 visitors to Temple Newsam in three months.

Leeds City Council executive member for Leisure Councillor John Procter said:

“This is a fantastic exhibition which has already proven very popular attracting thousands of visitors to Temple Newsam and I’m sure the second half will be just as successful. It is wonderful to be able to put these well-known and famous watercolour landscapes on display together for everyone to enjoy and I encourage people of all ages to come along and see them.”

Landscape painting is an area in which British artists have always excelled, and the exhibition reveals the eclectic subject matter landscape artists have chosen to paint and the varied ways in which they have interpreted it. In contrast to the picturesque, romantic style of Turner and Cozens, the exhibition also showcases the topographical tradition of artists such as Sandby and Francis Place.

Many of the artists represented in the exhibition travelled extensively throughout Europe, and the climes and terrains of countries such as France, Italy, Germany and Switzerland can be seen in the landscapes on display.

‘Watercolour Masterpieces: Turner and his Contemporaries’ will be accompanied by a special events programme including talks, meet the curator and family activities. The exhibition will showcase in Mrs Aston’s Room at Temple Newsam. The exhibition is free on general admission to the house. Adults £3.43, child £2.44, family ticket £8.81. LEEDSCard holders free.

The exhibition is part of the Summer of Fun in Leeds, with details of all the council-managed free or low-cost events and activities going on around the city able to be accessed through the new web portal at www.leeds.gov.uk/summeroffun.

Notes to Editors:

Exhibition Curator:
James Lomax, Curator, Temple Newsam House. James Lomax.leeds.gov.uk,
0113 39 01089.

Temple Newsam House:
Temple Newsam Road, Halton, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS15 0AE.

Opening Times:
Winter: (until 29 Mar) Tues-Sun, 10.30am-4pm.
Summer: (30 Mar-26 Oct) Tues-Sun, 10.30am - 5pm.
Last admission 45 minutes before closing. Closed Mondays, except bank holidays.
www.leeds.gov.uk/templenewsamhouse

Temple Newsam is one of the country's great historic houses and estates. Situated in 1500 acres of stunning "capability brown" parkland it is home to outstanding and nationally designated collections of painting, furniture, textiles, silver and ceramics. It has an ever-changing programme of exhibitions and events.


For further information about Temple Newsam visit www.leeds.gov.uk/templenewsamhouse

ENDS

For media enquiries please contact:
Roger Boyde, Learning and Leisure Media Relations Officer,
Tel 0113 247 5472, Email: roger.boyde@leeds.gov.uk

Morley conservation area under review

People in Morley are being asked for their views on the future of the town’s conservation area - what they think is special about the town and how it could be enhanced.

Morley currently has two conservation areas that help safeguard the special architectural and historic character of the town and protect important buildings from demolition. It has been protected by conservation legislation for over 30 years, and now Leeds City Council is looking to update it with the help of local people.

The two existing conservation areas; Morley Town Centre and Morley Dartmouth Park, currently cover the town centre, running from Morley Bottoms, Queen Street to Town End, and the residential area around Dartmouth Park.

As part of the proposed alterations the two conservation areas would be joined together to form one extended conservation area. The boundary would be extended to the north to include the area around St Peter’s church, to the east to include the residential and industrial area as far east as the railway station and Lewisham Park, to the south to Tingley Mills and to the west to bring in Morley cemetery, development along Bruntcliffe Road and Fountain Street.

A draft appraisal document has been produced outlining the special character of the conservation area and identifying opportunities for enhancement. Members of the public are being asked for their comments on the appraisal and the proposed alterations to the boundary. A exhibition is available to view at Morley Library from Monday 20 July until the end of consultation period on 14 September. A Leeds City Council conservation officer will also be on hand at the library on Wednesday 2 September from 3pm to 7pm and Saturday 5 September from 10am to 2pm to answer any questions people may have on the review.

The council’s South (Outer) Area Committee, which is made up of local councillors for Morley, Ardsley and Robin Hood and Rothwell, have made this work a priority and allocated the funding from their ‘Well Being Fund’ to ensure the Morley conservation area is up to date.

Chair of the South (Outer) Area Committee, Cllr Terry Grayshon, said:
“In the 1970s national planning policy for older buildings changed suddenly from demolition to conservation. To stop the bulldozers, Conservation Areas were set up quickly without much account of what was inside them. We need the Morley Conservation Area to be brought up to date so that, we can ensure buildings are protected from demolition and that planning decisions take full account of the conservation area issues, and that any demolition that needs to take place is controlled and properly authorised.”

Buildings within the conservation area are protected from unauthorised demolition, and new development has to meet higher standards of design than elsewhere. Other planning rules are slightly different and permission is needed from the council for certain activities such as tree felling.

The public consultation began on Monday 20 July and runs until 14 September. Feedback from the consultation will be used to shape the final version of the appraisal which it is hoped to be adopted by the council in October.

During the consultation period paper copies of the draft appraisal will be available to view at the library and the Town Hall. The draft appraisal document will also be available on-line at:
www.leeds.gov.uk/Environment_and_planning/Conservation/Conservation_area_appraisals.aspx.

For further information people can contact the Conservation Team at: Sustainable Development Unit, Leeds City Council, Leonardo Building, 2 Rossington Street, Leeds, LS2 8HD, building.conservation@leeds.gov.uk, 0113 222 44 09.

ENDS
For media enquiries please contact:
Sara Hyman, Leeds City Council press office(0113) 224 3602
Email sara.hyman@leeds.gov.uk

Summer of Love in South Leeds

Picture caption: One of the talented youngsters performing in the I Love South Leeds Junior Superstars competition.

Young people from the inner south area of Leeds will be enjoying another summer of fun with sports activities, dazzling talent shows and exciting musical workshops, when the I Love South Leeds festival returns this summer.

Young people from the communities of Beeston, Holbeck, Cottingley, Hunslet, Belle Isle and Middleton are being invited to get involved with loads of fun and free activities all summer long. The fourth year of the festival promises to be the best ever yet, with more activities than ever.

Turn It Up! is a great opportunity for young people aged between 11 and 19 to have a go at music-based activities. With 22 different workshops there’s something for everyone including; joining a rock band, becoming a DJ or learning how to sing. There’s even a workshop on how to be a musical journalist for the less musically-inclined!

Turn It Up also includes activities such as ‘Do You Wanna Be A Pop Star?’, where budding pop idols can sing along to their favourite songs and get advice on their performances; ‘I Can Do Radio’, where young people get to present their own radio show on South Leeds Community Radio, and ‘Samba Band’ where young people can learn to drum different instruments and form their own band.

The activities are all free and open to anyone aged between 11 and 19 from the inner south Leeds area to get involved with. There are a limited number of places available on each session, so please book in advance by contacting South Leeds Community Radio.

The ‘I Love South Leeds Festival’ is funded by the Inner South Area Committee. The festival also has already run a successful Junior Superstar competition, attracting over 1000 young people aged under 11 to get involved.

For more sporty types the ‘South Leeds Olympics’ will encourage more young people to be get active, with dance sessions, a football tournament, as well as tag rugby and dodgeball tournaments. On Saturday 5 September, there will also be a ‘Celebrate South Leeds’ event held at John Charles Centre for Sport, where young people involved in all festival activities will be invited to come along and show the community that south Leeds has talent.

Councillor Angela Gabriel, chair of the Inner South Leeds Area Committee, said:“I Love South Leeds is one of the highlights of the summer and it’s great to see it back for another fun-packed year.

“This is a chance for the area’s young people to take part in free activities, display their talents, make new friends and learn exciting new skills along the way.

“It promises to be another great summer in south Leeds.”

For further details, please contact South East Area Management on 2243040 for a festival activity booklet or check out the festival website ilovesouthleeds.com

ENDS
For media enquiries, please contact:
Emma Whittell, Leeds City Council Press Office, on (0113) 2474713
Email: emma.whittell@leeds.gov.uk

Improvements to registrar service in Leeds

Registering births and deaths in Leeds is set to get easier from next week.

A new registrar’s office is opening in St George’s One Stop Centre in Middleton on Monday, 3 August. People will be able to make appointments to register births and deaths only. Office hours will be as follows:
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 1.30 – 4pm
Wednesday 9am – 4pm

Opening hours at the Armley and Garforth offices will also be extended from next week. These offices deal with birth and death registrations only. Details as follows:

Armley: Armley Council Offices, 2 Stocks Hill, Armley, LS12 1UQ
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 9am – 12 noon

Garforth: Garforth Council Offices, Main Street, Garforth, LS25 1DU
Monday and Friday 9am – 4pm
Tuesday 9am – 12 noon
Wednesday 9am – 4pm

The number to ring to arrange an appointment to register a birth or death at any of council’s 10 registrar offices is 0113 222 4408.

Councillor Richard Brett, council leader and executive member with responsibility for corporate services said:
“We are constantly working to improve the accessibility of our services, and these changes will provide 50 extra appointments per week at the one stop centres across the city. This will give the people of Leeds a better opportunity to register in the areas where they live, hopefully avoiding having to travel into the city centre to see a registrar.”

ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact;
Claire Macklam, Leeds City Council press office (0113) 395 1578
Email: claire.macklam@leeds.gov.uk

Care leavers get more help to set up first home

Young people leaving the care of Leeds City Council can now get more support to help set up their first home.

Leeds City Council has announced that the leaving care grant – money which young people can use to purchase the essential items needed to set up a first home - will be increased from £1,290 to £1,600.

A number of care leavers from Leeds with support from social workers from the council’s Pathway Planning team, campaigned for an increase in the grant as they felt the current amount was not sufficient to purchase the essential items needed when setting up a new home from scratch.

The young care leavers carried out some research with young people and social care professionals, which showed that the costs of setting up a home, on average, came to around £1,600 – including purchasing items, such as a bed, cooker and kitchen utensils, as well as unexpected costs such as delivery and fitting. The research concluded that as well as needing over 20 essential items there were also a number of non-essential items which were also important to help the young person feel more comfortable and improve personal wellbeing.

Councillor Stewart Golton, executive board member responsible for children’s services, said:“Setting up your first home is normally an exciting time when most young people would turn to their families for support, but for young people who have been looked after by the council for a number of years it can be a very daunting prospect.

“This additional money along with support from the Pathway Planning team, should help young care leavers set themselves up in a comfortable new home, and help with their transition from the care system to financial and social independence.”

Leeds City Council’s Pathway Planning team supports 16 and 17 year olds who are about to leave local authority care. The team’s main aim is to help them with the transition from being a looked after child into adulthood, which can involve helping them find accommodation, training or employment and help them with health, finance and any other issues a parent would normally be there for.
ENDS
For media enquiries, please contact:
Emma Whittell, Leeds City Council Press Office, on (0113) 2474713
Email: emma.whittell@leeds.gov.uk