Lolcal News is a brand new exhibition celebrating Norfolk’s finest creatives. Featuring 30 local designers, illustrators, artists and photographers, each piece of work is based on a Norfolk related news headline. The concept for this exhibition is that of Norwich designer Sinead Birmingham, who moved back home from London after ten years working the creative industries, and immediately found comfort and joy in the local headlines and Norfolk humour. Sinead has collated Norfolk news headlines over the past year, which include such gems as “Person stuck in bathroom, fire service called in” and “£300 operation by vet on constipated goldfish” were the inspiration behind the exhibition. After collecting a strong selection of news gold, Sinead approached Norfolk’s design talent including; Owen Mathers, who recently completed a mural in Norwich’s Ivy Restaurant, Matt Whitehead, the creative behind Patterns of Play and the OTBC match day programme, as well as her talented designer colleagues at borne, one of Norwich’s leading design agencies. Wanting for the exhibition to remain local in every sense, Lolcal News ticket sales profits and profits from the artist’s prints will be donated to the OPEN Youth Trust (OPEN), a charity which develop high-quality arts initiatives helping children and young people express themselves through creativity. Sinead Birmingham, Lolcal News creator said: “The exhibition is a vehicle for building an even stronger design community within the city. With Norwich University of the Arts’ Course Leaders involved, along with alumni, Sam Harrons from the Shhhh collective and London based Norfolk native designers, the standard of the work will be as high as the headline humour.” All the headlines have been kept under wraps until the private view on 4th April, but until then archive headlines are being featured @lolcal_news instagram account. The exhibition will then be open to the public at OPEN Norwich, from 10.00am – 10.00pm on Friday 5th April and from 10.00am – 4.00pm on Saturday 6th April. Tickets are £5 + booking fee (under 12s free with a paying adult). Available from https://opennorwich.org.uk/whats-on/gigs-events/lolcal-news/ or call OPEN’s Box Office on 01603 763111
