a group of people operate a large digging machine made out of metal

Projects

b-side > Projects

Explore our current projects

b-side is not just a festival, we commission a whole range of art, research, events and activities throughout the year - take a look below.

Featured Projects

b-side festival dates Sept 08 - 11 2022
Project

Festival 2022

b-side is back this year 08 - 11 September 2022

A birds eye view of the Isle of Portland
Project

This Land

This Land is a project exploring and celebrating the unique natural and built heritage of the Isle of Portland.

Explore our archive

Uncover some of the inspiring art projects we've been running in and around Portland since 2008.

White plates, saucers, jugs and cups with images of people and objects on them
Project

Souvenirs of Place and Love

A Jubilee community project to celebrate all that we cherish and love.

Project

New Artist Mentoring Programme

A programme of mentoring, training, networking opportunities with financial support for new artists.

Image of a boys face screaming imprinted on a stone surface
Project

Here To Stay

An exploration of plant colonisation centered on a sculptural installation by artist Leni Dothan.

Image of pebbles on a hill spelling out the words opes
Project

New Curators

A programme of mentoring and training for emerging curators and producers.

An image of two maps of Portland in blue and purple
Project

That Other Place

Explore That Other Place a mirror image of the Isle of Portland, a parallel universe - but not the same.

Project

b-side festival 2021

A thousand ideas, one amazing island

09 - 12 Sept 2021

Project

New Curators

We are so pleased to announce our team of New Curators for 2021.

Over the next nine months they will be part of a programme of mentoring...

4 people with head masks
Project

B-side Assemblies 05: Show and Tell

We know that there is immense value to the sharing of intimate, small scale, creative moments with participants, communities and audiences. This...

I Scream Van by FUSE performance b-side Festival 2010 Photo Pete Millson
Project

CREATE! Developing Your Idea

About the course

b-side and Activate Performing Arts teamed up to deliver a FREE short online course exploring what’s involved in shaping creative...

Project

OUTPOST LOCKDOWN EXHIBITIONS

During the lockdown, many people have been rekindling their love of making - baking, sewing, painting, drawing and crafting we want to celebrate...

Project

The Resident Residency

Resident artists receive financial and creative support for the development of an idea over a period of time, using the overarching theme of Common...
A colour photo of the isle of Portland taken from the air
Project

Common Lands

Common Lands is the over-arching theme for our programme of work over the coming years.

Project

Platform Bursary Programme 2021

Platform bursaries are aimed at emerging visual artists or established artists interested in exploring new ways of working in a site-responsive/...

An historical painting of Church Ope
Project

The History, Myths and Legends of Church Ope Cove

From stories of the fishermen, smugglers, leisure seekers and hut owners who have used the cove for centuries, to the legends surrounding local...

A picture of an illuminated moon by artist Luke Jerram
Project

Dorset Moon at Nothe Fort

Over three weekends more than 41,000 people enjoyed Luke Jerram’s monumental Museum of the Moon installation in three stunning locations – St...

Picture of Pollution Pods in London
Project

Pollution Pods

The Pollution Pods were created by artist Michael Pinsky for the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and commissioned to test whether...

Picture of Michael Pinsky, Sara Hudston and Leni Dothan
Project

b-side Assemblies 04: Making Art in Times of Crisis

We face one of the biggest catastrophes in our planet's history. Climate change and environmental destruction are causing mass extinction. The...

archive picture of football team
Project

And the Crowd Goes Wild

In 2019 b-side was awarded funding from The Heritage Lottery Sharing Heritage fund to work with artist Laura Hopes on a film and publication...

Project

WHY? Festival 2018

The WHY? festival took place over one weekend during b-side 2018 festival. Produced and programmed by our current cohort of [intransit] Producers...

Performers at sea front
Project

b-side Festival 2018

The festival showcased the very best in contemporary art, made in response to this beautiful, intriguing and extraordinary island. Over 15,000...

Project

Intransit Producers

In 2018 we worked with a group of young people who were particularly interested in social activism, young people's rights and developing their...

A group of people walking up a hill
Project

Portland Pathways

Many of the footpaths and bridleways we use today have their origins in routes travelled hundreds or thousands of years ago – these routes are now...

Project

b-side Assemblies No 2: Embracing Change, Embracing Dementia

b-side convened an afternoon of discussion exploring how work by artists using the theme of dementia is helping to inform our understanding of the...

Woman looking into a box
Project

Shahre Farang

Imagine you could never return...

Project

Uncertain

Our identity documents categorise, divide and restrict us: a legalized piece of paper verifies who we are, when and where we were born. Our...

Speakers at the event
Project

b-side Assemblies 01: Art & Activism

b-side Assemblies: No 1 featured contributions from: Dickie Beau - Artist, Performer, Paul Soulellis - Artist, Library of the Printed Web, Paula...

Girl standing on Weymouth beach
Project

Into Dust

Following on from hosting Shame Chorus (an uplifting music project about shame and sexuality) during b-side Festival 2016 we were motivated to...

Project

Festival 2016

b-side returned to the Isle of Portland in September 2016 showcasing the very best in contemporary art made in response to this beautiful and...

man looking at stone
Project

End Matter - The Loss Adjusters

Portland has been shaped and hollowed out over centuries by convicts and quarrymen to provide stone for some of London’s best-known buildings, one...

Project

Outpost Project Space

Situated on Fortuneswell High Street on the isle of Portland, Outpost is a space managed by b-side for the use of artists and the community....

crowd on beach
Project

b-side Festival 2014

A programme of original work sometimes poignant or challenging, sometimes celebratory and frequently witty. The work was displayed on footpaths,...

Portland Library
Project

Text Outside a Book

Tophill Library and The Sugar Loaf Cafe welcomed b-side artists Ania Bas and Paul Soulellis.

Ania Bas based herself at The Sugar Loaf...

Young man at an interview
Project

b-roads Youth Employment Programme

"An exceptional pilot project that has far exceeded expectations and outcomes."

Angela Gould, Synergy Housing Customer Involvement and...

Project

b-side Festival 2012

b-side festival 2012 took place in Weymouth & Portland across two sites as part of the Maritime Mix Cultural Olympiad Programme.

Project

The 48

The 48 began on 27 July 2012 and was designed, printed and distributed across Weymouth by 31 July 2012!

Students from Weymouth College...

Project

Air Radio

Westfield School with Sue Palmer and Pedro Calero

Artist Sue Palmer worked with young people from Westfield Arts Technology College in...
Project

Impossible Architexture

'Portland Rocks' are a group of local young musicians, working with artists Ivon Oates and David Rogers they experimented with sound in new ways...

Project

Portrait Dance

Portrait are the youth contemporary dance group for Dorset managed by Activate. Working with their choreographer Carly Reader they developed a...

Project

Cut and Paste

Young people from Littlemoor in Weymouth, worked with artist Peter Snelling looking at ways of creating site-specific temporary encounters in...

Project

The BabyGrow Project

Young people from Westfield Arts College, All Saints School and youth groups at NACRO, Tides and Compass worked with artists Sally and Peter...

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