Following its triumphant sold outness back in February 2022 the annual Good On Paper Party returns once again for its seventh outing on Saturday 4th February 2023 across three venues in the centre of Stroud, Gloucestershire - the Sub Rooms, Tomari-Gi and Weven...
First launched in 2016 the GOP Party (not the American one…) acts as a fundraiser for Good On Paper; a local arts and culture publication (long live the printed word) whilst bringing forth a hoard of artists, musicians, DJ's and more to celebrate the vibrant, creative scene which Stroud is increasingly becoming renowned for. As well as championing all things local the magazine also brings performers from further afield to join the line-up resulting in an eclectic mix of live music, art and spoken word.
Each month Good On Paper invites local musicians, DJs, venue owners, festivals, promoters and artist friends to curate a 34 track playlist for their readers and for vol.7 the lineup has been pulled from these virtual mixtapes which includes a headline set by genre-crossing Scottish composer and producer Anna Meredith (Emily Hall’s Playlist, Issue 87), London born now Stroud dwelling multi-instrumentalist musician, composer and producer Cosmo Sheldrake (John Best’s Playlist, Issue 73), Japanese musician and visual artist Yama Warashi (the Prince Albert’s Playlist, Issue 65) and the Stroud and Bristol based folktronica duo Orbury Common (Jazz Stroud’s Playlist, Issue 84)…Stone Club founded by artists Lally Macbeth and Matthew Shaw will also return to Stroud for a DJ set from West Penwith, Cornwall following their appearance at Hidden Notes Festival in September 2022 this time also joined by local all female Morris Dancing side Boss Morris.
The Good On Paper Covers Exhibition also returns featuring the works of Alex Merry (Gucci, Boss Morris + album covers for Shirley Collins, Sam Lee and Trembling Bells) , Joe Magee (the Guardian, Time Magazine, Bill Bailey), Rosalie Day, Imogen Harvey-Lewis, Emily Joy, Eleanor Harper, Mark Levy, Dan Rawlings and Adam Hinks (Hidden Notes, Good On Paper) who created brand new, bespoke art for the covers of the magazine from March 2022 to Feb 2023, issues 82 to 93.
New for 2023? Steal This Exhibition…Alongside the covers a collection of artworks, posters, photographs and images amassed from the last seven years of the magazine. Prints from previous exhibitions, ltd edition risographs, photos from GOP Parties, lineup posters from events put on by Good On Paper which ticket holders can unpin/unstick/rip off and take home with them, changing the exhibition as artworks disappear from the walls…
Across the road at Tomari-Gi; a Japanese Kitchen and one of Stroud’s most popular eateries/hubs, there will be a series of DJ sessions in their intimate upstairs space featuring sets by one of Stroud’s independent record shops Klang Tone Records, former radio producer and now Senior Director of Mixcloud’s Creative team Xanthe Fuller, music author/lecturer Ben Wardle (author of Mark Hollis: A Perfect Silence), Jazz from the High Priest and Keep It Cosmic a new duo featuring Kaoru Blackstone and Mat Blythe.
A few doors down from Tomari-Gi folk arts cooperative Weven will be featuring a new group exhibiton titled Gloaming including works by Alex Merry, Ben Edge, Daniel Sparkes, Georg Wilson, Huhtamaki Wab, Kate Merry, Lily Cheetham, Milligan Beaumont, Rhian Harris-Mussi and Ruby Kester, the first to be hosted by Weven in their new multi-purpose venue. Their shop and workshop space will be transformed into a gallery displaying a combination of painting, drawing and sculpture, with a night of talks and films curated especially for GOP vol7 party ft Ben Edge and Stone Club with workshops running throughout the week in support of the central exhibition.
