Church Of Noise brings DIY punk, art and film to Canton’s Arthole

A Canton art shop became a meeting place for punk musicians, photographers and community organisers when Church Of Noise moved into Arthole after a fire at its planned venue.

Organised by Mark Gubb as part of Cardiff Music City Festival, the programme combined poetry, film screenings, discussions and gigs. According to Buzz Magazine, the original venue — an unused church in the city centre — caught fire during Gubb’s final inspection with council officials ahead of health and safety approval.

Arthole, which displays work by local artists and illustrators, provided an alternative. US punk photographer Julia Gorton offered free portraits in a temporary studio each afternoon, while visitors could help themselves to free homemade vegan chilli. Performances included local noise acts and The NaNaz, whose appearance marked Gorton’s photography exhibition.

Connecting DIY communities

The Build Your Own DIY Utopia discussion brought together Mark Wilson, guitarist with The Mob and founder of Rockaway Park, and Scott Satterwhite and Valerie George from Florida’s 309 Punk Project.

Wilson described the work behind turning a former quarry scrapyard between Bristol and Bath into a community with homes, studios, workshops, gigs and a vegan café. Satterwhite and George discussed preserving punk history at 309 N. 6th Avenue in Pensacola, a house that has accommodated artists, musicians, writers and activists.

Gubb, who spent a month at 309 as an artist in residence, had wanted to bring the speakers together for some time. The film programme also explored how music scenes develop, through Jörg Steineck’s Lo Sound Desert and the teenage band documentary In Bed With Chris Needham.

Gubb told Buzz Magazine that conversations after the discussion had raised the possibility of transatlantic collaborations.

Source: Buzz Magazine