Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Last week I visited Yorkshire Sculpture Park as part of my Curating Art module at the University of Manchester. The majority of the sculptures are outside and luckily we had a nice day (for the majority of it anyway!) The whole park is dotted with sculptures and with such vast grounds it is easy to spend a whole day wandering the park and soaking in the sights.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park has a lovely, modern visitors center with a quaint little sop full of products that were designed especially for sale in the park. The cafe is beautiful, with a huge glass wall that overlooks the park and a large and varied menu that has something for everyone (I helped myself to the delicious homemade chips served in a cute little bucket). 

The sculptures that are placed outside have a certain affinity with the surrounding landscape. They seem as if they were always meant to live in the park and be at one with nature. It is also particularly novel for the avid museum-goer that you can also touch many of the sculptures on display outside, adding another dimension of engagement between the visitor and artwork.

The park is so appealing because of its exploratory value. The main sights are marked out on the park map but on the way there are plenty of other sculptures and statues to discover around every corner and behind every tree. A variety of different sights and scenes keeps the visitor entertained, one minute you are in a rose filled green house and the next you are on a bridge overlooking a trickling stream. The delightful variety of sculptures and the exploratory nature of the park means that Yorkshire Sculpture Park offers something for everyone and would be a delightful day out if you are 7 or 70. Even though I did not have brilliant weather on the day that I visited, I enjoyed the natural atmosphere of the park immensely, so I can only imagine how beautiful the park would be in the height of summer! 

Katja Glieson Reveals an Exclusive Look at Her Brand New Music Video!

BEAT100 can now offer an exclusive preview of Katja Glieson's newest music video release! The Australian songstress is set to officially release 'Look At Us' tomorrow but has kindly allowed her BEAT100 fans to view the official music video before the release date. Katja, a BEAT100 Ultimate Musician, was chosen by the A&R team as one of BEAT100's Picks of the Year 2014 and definitely seems to be living up to her title!Katja has shot to fame this year after starring as Princess Elsa in the viral YouTube video Disney Princess Rap Battle alongside Whitney Avalon. The comedy hit now has well over 23,000,000 views and has catapulted the singer and her own original pop tracks into the limelight.

Katja's newest track 'Look At Us' is set to be her most popular hit yet with an upbeat and catchy tune along with an eye catching music video that is sure to have all listeners on their feet. 'Look At Us' is set to form part of Katja's ongoing PRIDE festival tour and anti-bullying campaign. The young star performed on the main stage at LA PRIDE and CAPITAL PRIDE last year alongside worldwide superstars such as Jennifer Hudson and Rita Ora, as well as featuring on radio stations all over the US. The 'Look At Us' video also features YouTuber Zedakiah Koterba along with well-known drag performer ‘Ongina’, who shot to fame after being part of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Katja's newest track embodies female empowerment and celebrates being true to who you are and confidently inspires everyone to ‘look at us’. Katja has struggled with bullying and confidence issues throughout her life and now acts as an advocate for those causes that are closest to her heart. The 21 year old singer has only just overcome many of the challenges of her past, events that ‘go beyond bullying’, according to a recent blog post by the Aussie pop star.

'Look At Us' has deep meaning for Katja, speaking about the creation process for the song and video, the songstress states 'It is a celebration of overcoming deep pain and fear. Learning how to stand up for myself. As a young lady, trying to make her mark on the world. I have the right to be healthy and confident without asking for sexual harassment and assault. We have a right to speak up for ourselves. We don’t have to be sorry all the time and it is not our fault when we are the target of bullying or sexual harassment or assault. I am certainly not ever asking for it. And the only thing you need to change is knowing that you deserve to be heard and respected.'

In the new video, we hear Katja both singing and rapping, as well as performing the full choreographed dance with six other princesses (her dancers that also perform live with her). Taking inspiration from her previous success with the Disney Princess Rap Battle, the style inspiration for Katja and her dancers are those of the Disney princesses that have also stepped out and owned who they are - characters like Tianaand Esmerelda and Megara. To give them that ‘Modern Princess’ look, Katja reached out to Aussie fashion brand ‘Showpo’ as a sponsor, who were more than happy to provide their clothing for the girls. Katja has a strong admiration for the 'Look At Us' team, saying 'The people I have chosen to surround myself with are wonderful people. They are supportive of me as my true self. My dancers and choreographer are not only talented but are bright, beautiful souls who radiate love. I shared the spotlight in the video with the fabulous‘Ongina’ from RuPaul’s drag race, and the YouTuber Zedekiah, who has also been bullied growing up. These people made the experience very special and I can’t wait for you to see it.'

With 'Look At Us' set for official release this week, Katja is sure to have her hand's full with promotional activities and performances but we can also reveal that will we be seeing more of the Aussie pop star very soon as she is currently preparing for the release of a brand new rap battle featuring Sarah Michelle Gellar! Until then, you can grab an exclusive look at Katja's newest track and music video below as well aspurchasing the track from her website.....

Written for www.BEAT100.com