Year of the Artist Residency, First Direct Bank Plc
15 Jan - 23 Feb 2001
This was a six week artist residency in the headquarters of First Direct bank. A visual artist and theatre practitioner worked developing their own artistic practice in response to the environment of the First Direct Call Centre. Leeds Metropolitan Gallery and Studio Theatre designed and delivered this project in partnership with First Direct at one of their sites in Stourton, Leeds. the other partners were the artists Sheila Gaffney and Luke Dickson.
Inside Out, 2001
video, artificial light, xerox print
Photography: © Steven Goodwin
A temporary installation at the First Direct Bank plc headquarters in Leeds. Images of the toil taking place inside the fortress-like building were projected onto its glazed outer skin. The workplace, the 24/7 call centre, always open, always staffed, became visible albeit briefly to the public outside. The invisible public space of the call centre was made visible.
Sheila Gaffney made one-to-one contact with individuals by making wax casts of their hands which she then made into plaster sculptures. She invited staff to meet her by leaving a collection of bespoke calling cards on the hot seated workstations.
She made a series of photographs focusing on the ways people individualise their desks / computers. As a final presentation she produced many of these images on acetate and projected them on the outside of the building.
Photographs by Sheila Gaffney: