Local Gift Experiences – how to giftwrap a city online

roberto — Wed, 12 May 2010 15:47:05 +0000

Local Gift Experiences website offers everything from Thai hand massage and balloon flights to the chance to be a popstar for a day. It’s an online gift shop for experiences and it’s got a great USP – everything on the site is located in Sheffield…

For Digital Entrepreneurs, Cathy Hakes’ Local Gift Experiences website presented a real challenge. Here was a site that needed to provide easy access to an ever growing roster of gifts running the gamut from circus training to chocolate tasting. The focus was on navigation, well thought out section headings, iTunes style content boxes to allow customers to browse the experiences easily, and smart use of colour to provide a visual GPS and prevent people getting lost!

Cathy Hakes adds “Digital Entrepreneurs’ Electric Village built a fantastic website for the business and taught me how to use and develop the website further. DE’s Rob Barker was always available to provide support and creative inspiration when necessary which made all the difference in the start-up phase. I am surprised at how much I enjoy managing the site – but I guess that’s down to good tuition!”

Visit Local Gift Experiences site here.

Steve Montgomery – Creating an ‘impasto’ website

roberto — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 10:48:09 +0000

Steve Montgomery’s paintings do away with the idea of dusty canvases roped off in sterile galleries. Dauntingly oppressive in tone more often than not, his work is nonetheless also very tactile (a result of using an ‘impasto‘ technique, which lays on paint thickly enough to see the knife and brush strokes) and he’s chosen informal spaces like Bakewell Arts and Design Centre over more sterile backdrops. “Given that a lot of my work is very heavily impastoed, people just can’t help touch the paintings, which helps people engage with my stuff…” Says Steve, and his Digital Entrepreneurs designed website has been put together to showcase this touchability with a luxurious close up of one of his most rugged works forming a horizon above the main gallery content.

The site also offers the opportunity to watch the many videos Steve’s put together which offer insight into his work, as well as find out more about future projects, including an ambitious anti war triptych and forthcoming exhibitions. Clients can also reach Steve directly via the site’s contact form to discuss comissions and shows. Click here to visit.

Over the Moon for ‘Under the Stars’

Daniel — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 20:32:39 +0000

Under the Stars Nightclub is our latest digital entrepreneur to go live. Their new website launches today – just in time for their latest club night. Generated by and for people with learning disabilities, Under the Stars offers some of the funkiest beats in Sheffield, as well as open mics for the brave – and Digital Entrepreneurs will be there to produce content for the site this very evening! The Sheffield Independent Film crew will be putting together movies and photo galleries from the event so make sure you’ve combed your hair.

Come along to see it in action or you can watch video footage by visiting www.underthestars.org.uk and find out more about the Under the Stars experience.

Hunt for art starts online

roberto — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:42:39 +0000

Andrew Hunt’s figurative and portrait paintings offer a snapshot of life in pubs and on settees. His builders, bingo callers and boxers have been resident at both National Portrait Gallery and London’s Cadogan Contemporary Gallery.

But as a long time Sheffield resident, developing a website with Digital Entrepreneurs has provided a chance to bring it all back home with a focus on his Steel City credentials. Now live, Andrew’s site offers a gallery, commission information and a contact form as well as a blog providing updates on his work from Andrew himself and a regular ‘On the Easel’ photo feature.

John Cox talks us through Sheffield Art history

roberto — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:47:00 +0000

Talking to John Cox about his painting, life drawing, fashion design and teaching it’s easy to feel like you’re in the presence of a Sheffield art Maharishi. With a take on the history of art that touches on everything from Vivienne Westwood to Manor Lodge, he’s a terrifically knowledgeable and engaging character, but he’s no internet guru, and dyslexia meant he wasn’t too keen to spend hours toiling at a keyboard for his website with Digital Entrepreneurs.

So we came up with the idea of providing an online version of the ‘Audio Tours’ you sometimes get in art galleries, recording a freewheeling audio which discussed the paintings, life drawings and commissions we’d uploaded to the site while also leaving room for John’s entertaining diversions through pre-Raphaelite brotherhoods and greek sunlight.

You can see the results on John’s site, Drawing The Line, but we’ve also put together a special highlights reel covering three of John’s favourite pieces, which you can listen to below.

Stoneface’s city sculpture to remember war heroes

roberto — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:47:26 +0000

Stone sculptor Andrew ‘Stoneface’ Vickers, who started out carving faces into dry-stone walls, has been commissioned to create a new war memorial in the centre of Sheffield.

He was approached by the Lord Mayor of Sheffield to produce the piece, which will remember those who have lost their lives during wars of the last 50 years.

The commission comes hot on the heels of Andrew’s most recent project, which involved turning 12 acres of woodland in Storrs Wood between Dungworth and Loxley into an open air gallery for his work.

Andrew said: “To be honest, I feel really privileged to be asked to do this work and as far as I’m concerned it’s the most significant thing I’ve been asked to create to date.”

It came as a bit of a surprise for Andrew, who at first was not sure if the approach was genuine.

He said: “I got the phone call one Friday night and at first I thought it was a joke, I just went along with it as it’s not something you expect, to be invited to the Chamber by the Lord Mayor for a cup of tea.”

But genuine it was and a fundraising drive for the memorial was launched by the Lord Mayor and David Blunkett MP, with the memorial to be installed at Barker’s Pool.

The exact design of the sculpture is yet to be finalised, but Andrew hopes Sheffield people will have an influence on it, especially the families of those who have lost loved ones in battle.

STONE SCULPTOR ANDREW ‘STONEFACE’ VICKERS, who started out carving faces into dry-stone walls, has been commissioned to create a new war memorial in the centre of Sheffield.

He was approached by the Lord Mayor of Sheffield to produce the piece, which will remember those who have lost their lives during wars of the last 50 years.

The commission comes hot on the heels of Andrew’s most recent project, which involved turning 12 acres of woodland in Storrs Wood between Dungworth and Loxley into an open air gallery for his work.

Andrew said: “To be honest, I feel really privileged to be asked to do this work and as far as I’m concerned it’s the most significant thing I’ve been asked to create to date.”

It came as a bit of a surprise for Andrew, who at first was not sure if the approach was genuine.

But genuine it was and a fundraising drive for the memorial was launched by the Lord Mayor and David Blunkett MP, with the memorial to be installed at Barker’s Pool.

The exact design of the sculpture is yet to be finalised, but Andrew hopes Sheffield people will have an influence on it, especially the families of those who have lost loved ones in battle.

Joey Talks About His Time With Us On Radio Sheffield

Joey — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:42:17 +0000

Our intrepid PR Intern Joey Winson was on air at BBC Radio Sheffield on Thursday morning (February 18) to talk about his work with us here at Digital Entrepreneurs. Joey has also been nominated for a Yorkshire Internships Award by us. From 2:14:34 onwards on the BBC iPlayer below you can listen to him and our Project director Deborah Egan on the show.

Viva Lost Vegas at The Riverside!

Joey — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 09:53:58 +0000

Sheffield’s theatre hub in a pub, The Riverside at Kelham Island, will be hosting Viva Lost Vegas, ‘a cabaret unhinged’ on Wednesday February 24.

The glitzy showbiz compere turns up, as does the audience… but where are the acts? Get yourself there to find out!

Tickets are limited so get in touch quick on 0114 272 4633, or email info@riversidesheffield.co.uk

Tickets are £5 (£4 concessions), and doors are at 8pm, starting 8.30

Madame Zucchini’s Valentines Night!

Joey — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:19:17 +0000

Madame Zucchini invites you to come and share an evening of love and vegetables with her.

Be beguiled, teased and amused by music and variety acts including: Bay Whittaker, “The Molly Rodgers”, Thorsson the disco dancing fisherman, Madam Mango, Agony aunt Ms Carnall, introducing Lord Parsnip, Mlle Chouffleur and special guests. Oh and of course some vegetable theatre…

Friday February 12th, 8pm onwards, at Walkley Community Centre, Fir St, S6, £6 on the door, £5 if you bring a rude vegetable.

There will also be prizes for odes to your favourite veg, a fully licensed bar, chocolate, and of course you the delightful audience, so come dressed up x (reserve tickets on 0772 4655527)

Village Life

Daniel — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:05:10 +0000

Title: Village Life
Location: Point Blank Theatre Company, The Riverside Cafe Bar Venue, 1 Mowbray Street, Sheffield
Link out: Click here
Description: Digital Entrepreneurs promotes the work of local companies and in January they’ll come together to celebrate and promote any work or projects that have Sheffield in the title! Presentations of work in progress will range from film to football clubs!
The event will be hosted by one of our clients Point Blank Theatre Company at their HQ at the Riverside venue, Mowbray St on January 27th 2010 at 7:30.
Entry is free to all our friends and network members please RSVP to correen@digitalentrepreneurs.co.uk.

Start Time: 19:30
Date: 2010-01-27