Wild Flower Mini-Festival – 24th to 25th May 2014 – Ranscombe Farm Reserve – Cuxton

Sat 24 & Sun 25 May
Wild Flower Mini-festival
Join us in celebrating our wild flower landscape with a variety of activities over the two days. Drop in and see us – find us next to the main car park on the A228, just south of the M2. No booking required.

Sat 24 May 1pm-4pm
All afternoon: Geocache Challenge: Try your hand at navigating Ranscombe for our hidden treasures – using maps, apps or GPS, there are 6 caches to be found.
1pm-2.30pm: Discover Wild Food: Explore nature’s larder and taste some locally foraged food.
3pm-4pm: Botany for Beginners: An inspiring introduction to identifying wild plants, with Ranscombe as your classroom.

Sun 25 May 10am-3pm
All Day: try your hand at craft activities, or learn bush-craft skills
10am-11am: Botany for Beginners: An inspiring introduction to identifying wild plants, with Ranscombe as your classroom.
12-1pm: Morris Dancing by Kettle Bridge Clogs.
1pm-3pm: Orchid Hunt: May is the month for rare orchids. Join us on a hunt for some of Ranscombe’s jewels.

Details of location – www.plantlife.org.uk/nature_reserves/ranscombe_farm

Arty Elephants Near You – Elephant Parade – Various Locations 2014

Creative and Art Events

Elephant Parade is back in the UK for its first ever national tour: 14 venues over 375 days, featuring more than 100 Elephant Parade statues.

Elephant Parade is the world’s largest open air art exhibition of decorated elephant statues that seeks to raise public awareness and support for Asian elephant conservation.

The national tour is being presented by intu, owner and manager of some of the UK’s leading shopping centres. For the first time, and as an integral part of the parade, intu is running a national schools programme. Thousands of designs have already been submitted and dozens of schools with contribute elephants to the tour. In addition to this, there will also be a digital tour, where thousands of design ideas will be broadcast at intu tour venues around the UK.

Engaging half the UK population, this is the people’s parade. Be part of it.

More details at http://intuelephantparade.co.uk

Tour Dates

16 Jul 2013 London preview day
22 Jul 2013 Watford (intu Watford) – 4 weeks
19 Aug 2013 Manchester (intu Trafford Centre) – 4 weeks
16 Sep 2013 Gateshead (intu Metrocentre) – 4 weeks
14 Oct 2013 Newcastle (intu Eldon Square) – 4 weeks
4-8 Nov 2013 Nottingham Trent University (Carbon Elephant Week)
13 Nov 2013 Cardiff (see list of locations) – 3 weeks
5 Jan 2014 Nottingham (intu Victoria Centre/Broadmarsh) – 5 weeks
10 Feb 2014 Glasgow (intu Braehead) – 4 weeks
10 Mar 2014 Stoke (intu Potteries) – 4 weeks
7 Apr 2014 Norwich (intu Chapelfield) – 4 weeks
5 May 2014 Essex (intu Lakeside) – 4 weeks
2 Jun 2014 Uxbridge (intu Uxbridge) – 4 weeks
30 Jun 2014 Bromley (intu Bromley) – 4 weeks
26 Jul 2014 Auction Ends

Comics Unmasked Art and Anarchy in the UK – British Library – Open until 19 August 2014

Creative and Art Events

Comics Unmasked
Art and Anarchy in the UK
Open until 19 August 2014

Parental guidance required for visitors under 16 years.

Featuring such iconic names as Neil Gaiman (Sandman), Alan Moore (Watchmen, V for Vendetta), Grant Morrison (Batman: Arkham Asylum) and Posy Simmonds (Tamara Drewe), this exhibition traces the British comics tradition back through classic 1970s titles including 2000AD, Action and Misty to 19th-century illustrated reports of Jack the Ripper and even medieval manuscripts.

You are strongly advised to book ahead to avoid disappointment
Weekends are very busy (tickets for Tue evenings often available)
Please note that photography is not permitted
Parental guidance required

Comics Unmasked is the UK’s largest ever exhibition of mainstream and underground comics, showcasing works that uncompromisingly address politics, gender, violence, sexuality and altered states. It explores the full anarchic range of the medium with works that challenge categorisation, preconceptions and the status quo, alongside original scripts, preparatory sketches and final artwork that demystify the creative process.

Enter the subversive and revelatory world of comics, from the earliest pioneers to today’s digital innovators.

Content advisory notice
The Comics Unmasked exhibition contains imagery and language which some visitors may find offensive or disturbing, including exhibits with violent and sexual content.

Parental guidance is required for visitors under 16 years of age; visitors under 16 years of age who are unaccompanied by an adult will not be admitted. Please be aware that the Library may request proof of age.

Within the exhibition, there is a separate section examining sexual themes which visitors can by-pass if they wish.

Book now

Ticket prices and visitor information

Image by Jamie Hewlett, 2014

Fund Raising Dance Night – 18th July 2014 – Maidstone

Creative and Art Events

Once Upon a Time is a grown-up disco/dance evening with Spectrum Disco at the Hilton Hotel in Maidstone on Fri July 18th from 7.30pm – 1am. Tickets cost £20 and as well as a disco there will also be a buffet, prizes for the Best Dressed, a belly dance cabaret, a jazz trio and a fundraising raffle. Free secure parking at the venue. Tickets are available from Eventbrite:

http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/once-upon-a-time-dance-the-night-away-tickets-11441559011

Each year around 8,500 people in the UK are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It has the lowest survival rate of all cancers – just 3% of those diagnosed survive for five years. It is also the only cancer that has seen no improvement in this figure over the last 40 years. In 2011, the year my Dad was taken, pancreatic cancer attracted just 1% of research funding from the major funding bodies. Pancreatic Cancer UK is a charity very close to my heart, as you can imagine, so any support of any kind is very gratefully received.

Theatre, Circus, Dance and More Planned For Fuse Festival 2014 – 13th to 15th June – Medway

Creative and Art Events

– all free of charge- 13-15 June

Free outdoor arts festival Fuse Medway Festival is this year presenting a strong and innovative programme of circus, aerial shows and dance alongside its usual mix of street theatre, visual arts and music. Acts include urban dance, physical theatre and aerial spectacular as well as comedy, slapstick and cabaret. The festival’s programme includes, among others, masters of aerial theatre Wired, breaking phenomenon Southpaw Dance Company and local act Black Eagles, who learnt their acrobatic skills aged 6 on the streets of Dar-Es-Salaam.

Creatabot’s very own art vending machine CreataboX will also be there all 3 days!

Circus skills, parkour and dance combine in a new piece for 2014 by C-12 Dance Theatre. Following the runaway success of Trolleys in 2012 and 2013, C-12 has created a captivating new high-octane piece – Market Stall – which uses movement in, around and on top of a fully-functioning stall to inspire and delight its audiences!

In a re-imagining of Goethe’s Faust Southpaw Dance Company continues to redefine the vocabulary of Breaking. In the setting of the Speakeasy Faust is manipulated to both comic and tragic effect, into a deal with the devil where his very soul hangs in the balance. Faust features a unique fusion of world-class breaking and Lindy Hop, Charleston and swinging big band music of the roaring 20s.

Makers of dance theatre Dante or Die and Peut-etre Theatre Company have joined forces to create a brand new outdoor ‘dance-theatre mini-gig’ – CLUNK – specially for the under-5s and inspired by the absurd children’s poetry of Russian Daniil Kharms. The crazy stories are interpreted through Balkan music, song, imagery and movement.

Acrojou Circus Theatre blend street theatre, promenade and circus and in Frantic they draw heavily on the circus traditions of wheel and aerial acrobatics. The show examines our dogged devotion to work and is one man’s journey to change his relationship with the rest of the world.

Fuse’s Saturday night spectacular is provided this year by As the World Tipped – combining dramatic film and visuals with breath-taking aerial performance high in the night sky. The piece is directed by Nigel Jamieson, one of the World’s leading creators of outdoor spectacle (Sydney Olympics, Liverpool Capital of Culture) and created by the pioneering team from Wired Aerial Theatre, known for their gasp-worthy cutting-edge aerial work. Billed as a real life ‘action movie in the sky’ As the World Tipped tells a powerful tale of a world on the edge of ecological crisis

In addition Fuse’s artistic director, Megan Donnolley, has programmed a new and beautiful romantic aerial show from Circle of Two, acrobatics and energetic dance from Black Eagles, the multi-talented performers, actors, jugglers, unicyclists and comedians Garaghty and Thom, eccentric clown and slack-rope dancer from Chicago George Orange, the wonderful madness of Cocoloco’s cabaret and street theatre with a twist and the equally zany young Flemish Collectif Malunés with their cocktail of teeterboard, flying trapeze and Cyr wheel.

Megan says of the injection of circus and dance performance to this year’s Festival; ‘Fuse has a reputation for presenting high energy outdoor dance and circus and 2014 will be no exception. This June, Fuse will expand and present a more cutting edge and interactive dimension and public of all ages will be invited to create work with artists.’

FUSE 2014 will take place from 13to 15 June. It is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council’s Grants for the Arts Scheme and Medway Council. For more information about Fuse Medway Festival visit the website at www.fusefestival.org.uk, or join them on Facebook or Twitter. For more information about Medway visit http://www.visitmedway.org or for Kent visit www.visitkent.co.uk

An Evening of Silent Cinema with Stephen Horne – 7th June 2014 – Canterbury

Creative and Art Events

Saturday 7th June 2014

7pm

Gulbenkian Cinema, Canterbury.

Back by popular demand!

Stephen Horne will be returning to the Gulbenkian Cinema for the second year to accompany some of the silent era’s greatest comedy shorts. The evening will display the works of silent film icons; Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd and more.

This will be a magical evening of cinema you will not want to miss!

Stephen Horne has long been considered one of the leading silent film accompanists. Based at London’s BFI Southbank, but playing at all the major UK venues such as the Barbican Centre and the Imperial War Museum, he has recorded music for DVD releases, BBC TV screenings and museum installations of silent films. Although principally a pianist, he often incorporates flute, accordion and keyboards into his performances, sometimes simultaneously. Visit his website for more.

“It is very rare to hear a score for a silent film that you think of as definitive, but that really felt like the case… anything else will simply be redundant.” Robin Baker, Head Curator, BFI National Archive.
“The film itself is powerful, but with Stephen Horne’s accompaniment it achieved the sublime.” Rob Byrne, President of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival.

Tickets:

£18 Full/ £12 Students

Tickets are available here: http://365projects.co.uk/whitstable-events/an-evening-of-silent-cinema-with-stephen-horne-2014/

Whitstable Biennale 31st May – 15th June 2014

Creative and Art Events

Whitstable Biennale stages a festival every two years of new visual art film and performance. The event has grown out of Whitstable’s extensive artistic community, and has developed an international reputation for showcasing the UK’s most exciting up-and-coming artists, and engaging audiences in a rich programme.

Programme below and more details at www.whitstablebiennale.com

A coach will travel from Bethnal Green to Whitstable on Saturday 31st May, for the first day of the festival. Leaving in the morning, and returning to Bethnal Green in the evening (in time to catch tubes).

Email us at info@whitstablebiennale.com to find out more.

Book a place on the Bus, coming to Whitstable from London in the morning of Saturday 31 May 2014 for the first day of the Biennale, and going back to London the same evening. SEATS ARE LIMITED.

Pay by PayPal or credit card: £12 RETURN

Departure point:
V&A Museum of Childhood
Cambridge Heath Road
London E2 9PA
at 11:00 on Saturday 31 May 2014

Walking directions from nearest tube: Bethnal Green

Head north on Cambridge Heath Rd. V&A Museum of Childhood is less than 5 minutes away, on the right.

Arrival Point in Whitstable:
Nearby the Horsebridge Art Centre
11 Horsebridge Road
Whitstable CT5 1AF
at 12:30 on Saturday 31 May 2014

Return:

Departure Point:
Nearby the Horsebridge Art Centre
11 Horsebridge Road
Whitstable CT5 1AF
at 21:30

Arriving at V&A Museum of Childhood, London at 23:00.

Email us at info@whitstablebiennale.com to find out more.

Installations and film screenings

Rosa Ainley

Building 519

Rosa Ainley is creating an audio and text work focusing on what was the sprawling Pfizer pharmaceutical complex outside Sandwich. The text includes quotes from extensive interview material, coupled with a narrative based on the impenetrable building 519 and uncovering remains of its secret garden.

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Bronwen Buckeridge

The Sorrowful and Immaculate Fall of One Hundred Grazing Sheep

Bronwen Buckeridge’s sound installation is for one person at a time, and uses layered soundscapes to transport the listener to another place – a treacherous beach with falling cliffs, powerful tides and sinking mud.

Read more

Louisa Fairclough

Absolute Pitch – Film Sculpture

Absolute Pitch is a 16mm film installation, developed out of research with composer Richard Glover and Gloucester Cathedral choristers. The work takes as its starting point a sketchbook by the artist’s sister, and continues a notional collaboration between the artist and her deceased sister. Filmstrips from the projectors echo the lines of the sketchbook monoprint, criss-crossing the space, slicing through the semi-darkness and throwing diffuse colour and shadows around the space.

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Neil Henderson

Tidal Island

A video work by Neil Henderson shows time lapse footage of an artificial island off the Lincolnshire coastline. Constructed in the 1970s as an experimental freshwater reservoir, Outer Trial Bank is accessible only at low tide across an expanse of mud flats. Henderson set up his cameras at low tide, leaving them in position to capture a view normally only seen by seabirds, who nest in their thousands on the island.

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Una Knox

Arising where two surfaces border each other

Shot by Una Knox in Beijing, this video follows a local tailor as he makes a traditional Chinese suit out of light-reflective material, highlighting the culture of traditional, bespoke tailoring in a country associated more with mass manufacture. As the tailor labours in his workshop with improvised tools including an old cigarette box, people from outside enter the shop, providing a glimpse of the wider world around him.

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Louisa Martin

The Lighthouse: Scenes 1 and 2

Louisa Martin’s new film features a shifting character, a dancer, who at once plays the part of a socially withdrawn extrovert, and a screen for the audience’s own projections.

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Jeremy Millar

XDO XOL

Jeremy Millar’s new film is about a place and the man who lives there, a man who may be a saint or madman, perhaps even the Last Man. Dressed in a suit and overcoat, he certainly seems out of place, but then this is a place which itself seems uncertain: a place between light and dark, between land and water.

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Katrina Palmer

Did Anyone Read the Book?

In this new audio installation by Katrina Palmer, shown in a lecture hall above Whitstable Library, we hear what sounds like members of a dysfunctional reading group trying to recall the opening paragraph of an influential piece of C20 literature. The source text, in which a character moves between a state of wakefulness and dreaming, is half-forgotten and misremembered by the group.

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Colin Priest

The Dance of the Neptune Plant

Colin Priest takes a seaweed known as Sea Fir as its inspiration, presenting it as an evanescent character bridging animal and vegetal existence, for this new film. The soundtrack is by Romantic Kent-born John Jenkins composed in 1650.

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Kieren Reed

From the Ground up, (A) Social Building

From the Ground Up, (A) Social Building is a new social artwork by Kieren Reed, creating a unique space that is, in effect, functional sculpture – acting through the Biennale as our visitor information centre, the HQ. Reed is interested in exploring participatory practice, and the possibility of creating innovative learning environments within the public realm. Within the HQ, Abigail Hunt’s limited edition for children will be available throughout the Biennale. Also, Collaborative Research Group (CRG), an alternative education programme, will be in residence at the HQ, creating a programme of talks, tours and other events.

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Margaret Salmon

Oyster

Oyster is a short black and white film by Margaret Salmon, shot on 16mm and presented on video accompanied by a flip book. The film is a minimalist documentary, or cinematic poem, exploring the form and fragility of the oyster, the oyster trade, and ultimately the future ecology of its habitat, while being experienced as an avant-garde work, bringing elements of modernism and abstraction to its natural subject.

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Mark Aerial Waller

Welcome to the Association Area

Mark Aerial Waller’s film programme Welcome to the Association Area presents new and classic artists’ film and video alongside science fiction tv, video sharing and digital photography to explore the disjunctures that distance us, then connect us to contemporary art, and includes works by artists including Vito Acconci and VALIE EXPORT, alongside footage from video-sharer Wet Canuck.

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Laura Wilson

Black Top

Laura Wilson’s project, Black Top, focuses on Brett Aggregates, who have been based in Whitstable Harbour since 1936, when they sited their first tarmacadam plant there. Wilson’s work, including film and sculptures, will be sited in the Harbour, in the shadow of the factory.

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Performances and one-off events

The ARKA Group

Beginnings

The ARKA Group’s Beginnings is an immersive installation that tells the story of our universe from the point of view of a meteorite.

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Louisa Fairclough

Compositions for a Low Tide

As day turns to dusk, a group of Rochester Cathedral choristers will walk out with a small group of people along the line of an ancient shingle spit in Whitstable that stretches out a mile out into the sea at low tide. As the group make their way out to the distal end of the spit and back, the choristers perform a new composition, taking loss and consolation as their theme.

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Force Majeure

SUM PLACES: In the real world, we’ve been active

Inspired by Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities, singers will wander through Whitstable during the day staging impromptu performances in odd, out of the way public spaces in the town, each singing parts of a whole At the end of the day the singers will come together to perform the composition in its entirety on the beach, around a fire.

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S Mark Gubb

It all began with Richard Burton…

S Mark Gubb will be giving a performance lecture on a coach winding its way through east Kent, revealing a peculiarly personal relationship with the place the artist grew up in. The work, titled It all began with Richard Burton….. will feature a landscape of strange connections and events, hearsay, C-list celebrities and coincidences. It’s the kind of history that exists anywhere, but one that can only be gathered over a lifetime of being somewhere.

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Fiona James

The Incident, A Diagram for Whitstable

Fiona James works as an artist and choreographer, and this new performance will take as its starting point enacted simulations of disaster situations that beach lifeguards use as training exercises. Taking place on the beach at 1pm on the first day of the Biennale, accompanied by flares and whistles, the work will examine how attention plays out in heightened, stressful, situations where individuals have to think for themselves and, at the same time, act as a team.

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Ben Judd

Vast as the Dark of Night and as the Light of Day

Ben Judd’s Vast as the Dark of Night and as the Light of Day, is based on research into collectivity and ritual, such as the annual Blessing of the Waters ceremony held annually in Whitstable associated with St James, patron saint of oystermen. This new performance will take place at sea, on a traditional Thames Sailing Barge, with audience members and performers creating a temporary, fragile community.

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Hannah Lees

Everything That Happens Simply Happens

Wine and home-made bread will be served by Hannah Lees for Everything That Happens Simply Happens, to be consumed at a long communal table. A 1970’s rock music film will play in the background – an alternative ritual of communal gathering, excess and worship.

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Samuel Levack & Jennifer Lewandowski

Das Hund & the Pilgrim Shells

In a large, old boatshed full of Harbour equipment and paraphernalia of fishing boats, Samuel Levack & Jennifer Lewandowski will present a new multi-disciplinary work including a performance by their band, Das Hund, video projections and an elaborate stage set.

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Rachel Reupke

Letter of Complaint

Known for her films, Letter of Complaint will be Rachel Reupke’s first live performance. Formed of three tableau vivant (living pictures), each pose will be held for ten minutes, allowing the audience time to scrutinise the scene down to its finest detail. A live narrative will feature a bitter, neurotic voice, drawing from Reupke’s research of complaint letters.

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John Walter

Turn My Oyster Up

John Walter is transforming a beach hut on the seafront into a ‘slang bar’ where he will act as host, serving gin and tonics and (local delicacy) gypsy tarts. Featuring videos, special wallpaper and flooring, and including special performances by Max Leonard Hitchings and Susannah Hewlett, Turn My Oyster Up will use the local oyster culture as a linguistic hook upon which to engage the audience in verbal and visual games addressing slang.

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Richard Wilson and Zatorski + Zatorski

51° 21’ 45″ N, 1° 01’ 13″ E: Whitstable Sounding

Beginning in the last hour of light on 21 June, the longest day of the year, 51° 21’ 45″ N, 1° 01’ 13″ E: Whitstable Sounding is a special event by Richard Wilson and Zatorski + Zatorski. Taking place offshore, and designed to be viewed from Whitstable’s beaches, a number of historic vessels will paint the seascape with steam, smoke and light, as the sounds of ships’ steam whistles, bells, horns, hooters, flares and sirens drift back to shore.

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Special events, workshops & talks

Martin John Callanan

Wars During My Lifetime

Martin John Callanan’s Wars During My Lifetime is Whitstable Biennale’s first permanent online commission. The digital work gathers together wars that have taken place all over the world during one individual’s lifetime so far. Read by a newsreader, the film makes no comment, but quietly and forcefully brings the long list to our attention.

Trifarious Projects

Foreign Agents: Jonathan P Watts in discussion

Talk: Jonathan P Watts chairs a discussion with Clunie Reid and John Walter, about the relationship of contemporary fine art practices to design, advertising and fashion.

Jeremy Millar, Rachel Lichtenstein

Estuary Talk

Talk: exhibiting artist Jeremy Millar in conversation with writer Rachel Lichtenstein in conversation about their new works, both of which are set in the Thames Estuary, and about some of the characters and myths that inhabit this complex body of water, where the river meets the North Sea

Laura Wilson

Black Top talk

Talk: exhibiting artist Laura Wilson talks about her new work, in the Harbour, in the shadow of the aggregate factory, Bretts.

Children’s Workshops

Two workshops for children in response to Margaret Salmon’s new film Oyster run by the artist together with children’s reading expert and storyteller, Emily Guille-Marrett.

Kent Students Open Call

Students studying film, or recently graduated, from the University of Kent, the University for the Creative Arts and Canterbury Christ Church University, were invited to enter short films by open submission. Competition was fierce, and six entries were selected to be screened at a special evening.

Scriptwriting Courses – 26th April 2014 – Chatham

Creative and Art Events

A script, as published, isn’t a play. It’s simply the words and actions in blue-print. What fires the performance of the actor, what drives the dramatic action and really grabs the attention of the audience is everything that isn’t said. The great mass of thoughts, feelings, desires, hopes and fears that truly skilled playwrights embed, iceberg-like, beneath the surface of the words. What sits between and under the lines you speak.

In this succinct and focussed workshop you’ll look at some of the key techniques for uncovering and using the sub-text. You’ll also apply, in practical scene-work, what you learn.

No formal way to book for this session – just email me saying you want a place: pdtheatreworkshops@hotmail.com See you there! Paul

Limber – Call For Application For 66 Day Residency – Based at UCA Canterbury – Closes 25th April 2014

Creative / Artist Wanted, Creative Opportunities

East Kent Cultural Conversations are looking for an artist who is concerned with the relationship between pictorial and physical space and materiality.

They would like to offer him or her the opportunity to develop their practice as a part of a collaborative process with artists, graduates / writers/ academics, involved with the research questions raised in the Limber; Spatial Painting Practices project;

The successful candidate will be paid the sum of £10,000 for a period of 66 days between 28th April and 1st March 2015.

This will be on a 1-2 day per week basis to be negotiated as the residency takes shape.

Travel costs will be paid or a base provided.

More details here in this application document: http://goo.gl/4liSY7

Film The House 2014: Vote now for Rochester and Strood’s nomination

Creative and Art Events, Creative and Art News

Mark Reckless | UKIP

Mark Reckless is calling on Rochester and Strood residents to help choose which film-maker will represent his constituency in this year’s Film The House competition.

Sponsored by industry and supported by a host of celebrity Patrons, Film The House is an innovative and fun Parliamentary initiative to raise the profile of the importance of copyright to film makers, of film itself and the creative industries in general among Parliamentarians and the Government. It is also a great way for British film-makers to gain priceless exposure and win fantastic prizes.

Founded by Mike Weatherley MP, the competition offers the opportunity for the UK’s ‘creatives’ to have their work judged by the leading lights of industry and win a wide range of prizes.

Highlighting the cultural powerhouse which is Medway, Rochester and Strood has, for the first time, two entries from local talented film-makers in this year’s competition. Unfortunately only one of them…

View original post 236 more words

Family Friendly Print and Embroidery Workshop – Mad Hatters Tea Party Theme – 11th April 2014 – Chatham

Creative and Art Events

Topsy-Turvy Print and Embroidery Workshop Inspired by the Mad Hatters Tea Party!

Print with an embroidery hoop and draw with the needle!

A family Flag making workshop for children from 5 years upwards

(All children must be accompanied by an adult.) £6 per child

Friday 11^th April 10am-12pm or 1-3pm

Sunpier House, Medway Street, Chatham, ME4 4HF

(Please be aware there is no disabled access to the building)

To book: www.iprintedthat.com/topsy-turvy

Please wear old painting clothes!

Jenni Burrows (www.jenniburrowscontemporarytextiles.co.uk) and Rachel Moore (www.Iprintedthat.com) will turn your thinking on its head as you experiment with printing and embroidery.

Life Drawing Class – 22nd March 2014 – Canterbury

Creative and Art Events

On the 22nd March 2014 there will be an all day life drawing session with a black male model at the Jolly Sailor pub in Canterbury.

Saturday March 22nd 10am to 5pm

Cost £25 (including tea or coffee and a light warm lunch; vegetarian option available)

Bring your own easels and materials
(a few stand up easels and table easels will be available on request as well as Georgian oils, acrylics and pastels if your forget something; good quality painting paper will be provided but bring your own canvasses)

Location: first floor meeting room Jolly Sailor pub, at the corner of Northgate and Broad Street; parking available nearby.

To book and for information contact yfontanel@aol.com

New Art Classes – Stepping Stone Studios – Wednesday Evenings – Maidstone

Creative and Art Events, Creative Communities and Inspiring Websites

A new range of art classes have been organised at Stepping Stone Studios in Maidstone from 7pm-9pm on a Wednesday evening.

The aim is to give people the opportunity to try a variety of art techniques. They will be looking at Lino cuts, Still Life, Monoprints & drawing with wire over the next few months.

The organiser, Suzie Dafforn, can be contacted through email on suzie.dafforn @ gmail.com and further information regarding the art classes can be found on the Facebook page, ART POOL Art Workshops https://www.facebook.com/pages/ART-POOL-Art-Workshops/1412878402286087

There are also details on the Stepping Stone Studios website, http://emmawhittall.wix.com/thestudio#!-studio/c1mvt

Posted March 2014

Bulb Planting Event – Luton Library – 25th March 2014 – Chatham

Creative and Art Events

Get “Green Fingered” this Spring!
Plant bulbs with us at Luton Library
Tuesday March, 25 2014
2pm – 4pm
Event organised by Kent Wildlife Trust, the E.U. Project DNA and

Luton Library

For further information contact Noreen Ryan mob: 07740 590400

Sequins on My Balcony – Saturday 5th April 2014 – Gillingham

Creative and Art Events

Performed by Yvette Cowles and directed by Peta Lily, Sequins on My Balcony is a new one woman show that offers a fresh perspective on breast cancer, body image, belly dance and sisterhood through a blend of stand-up, dance, drama, clowning and lots and lots of sequins!

Join Yvette on her funny, touching and sometimes surreal journey, beginning in France with her first sheepish shimmies, through medical mishaps, her mother’s misgivings and breast-free dating disasters to a life now spent pursuing her passion. The show celebrates the gorgeousness of women, whatever their age, shape or size, and asks “can a woman with no breasts still believe in herself enough to continue to belly dance”?

Some audience feedback:

More uplifting than a Wonderbra! – Wonderfully entertaining, glamorous and hilarious – Moving and fabulously funny – Life affirming – I loved it! – Delicious and delirious! – I came out with a big smile on my face – Haven’t laughed so much in ages. Ladies – and gents – you must try this! – Pure magic! – Made me proud to be a woman! – Thank you for one of the best nights out I’ve ever had!

It’s been described as “More uplifting than a Wonderbra!” and promises to be a great night out.

BOOK NOW AT http://www.sevenveils.co.uk

Screen Printing Workshop – 4th April 2014 – Chatham

Creative and Art Events

Order tickets via Eventbrite:
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/t-shirt-bag-screen-printing-workshop-tickets-10594194521?aff=efbevent

Screen Printing Workshop Hosted By Rachel Moore

Friday 4th April
7.30pm start
2 hour screen printing session
£20 per person
Bag/T-Shirt included in price

Location: Nucleus Riverside Hub, 13 Military Road, Chatham

The final design will be a one-colour print onto a white t-shirt or canvas tote bag.

Before you come please create your design at home – simple shapes and silhouettes work best. If you need some inspiration please feel free to have a nose at my Pinterest boards or Facebook page.

Draw your design onto an A4 piece of paper and don’t forget to bring it with you!

You can print onto a tote bag or a T-Shirt

This will be provided as part of the ticket cost.

You can confirm your size on the ticket order form.

Tea/coffee and fruit provided!

Rats Bay Shindig – Saturday 5th to Sunday 6th April 2014 – Chatham

Creative and Art Events

A new family friendly extravaganza is taking place on the first weekend of the Easter Holidays. On Saturday 5^th and Sunday 6^th April the area surrounding Sun Pier in Chatham will come alive with a large celebration of arts and culture.

Between 11am and 5pm each day the weekend is host to variety of special art events and festivities. In the past 2 years the Medway art scene has seen a massive boom of activity and there is certainly a lot to celebrate in the west end of Chatham.

Overlooking the pier, Sun Pier House is opening the doors to the new Sun Pier Gallery and Tearoom for the first time. Launching with a large exhibition of work by the 15 resident artists; ‘Presenting, Sun Pier House’ incorporates a variety of art, craft and fashion. With panoramic river views the 2^nd floor Gallery and Tearoom is set to become a scenic retreat in the busy town centre.

The weekend witnesses the launch of the first charter boat trips in a generation from the newly refurbished Sun Pier, with the Sailing Barge Edith May and Jetstream Tours providing unique River experiences for all ages.

The weekend will also mark the inaugural Sun Pier Arts Market, a new outdoor market that is set to take place regularly throughout the year. Stallholders will be offering a variety of work to buy, food to sample, activities to try and classic carnival games for all the family.

The Rats Bay Shindig has been instigated by the managers of new creative venue Sun Pier House, with the intention to bring some much needed life back to the west end of Chatham High Street. Over the course of the two days there is a full spectrum of entertainment on offer. Including; art workshops, live music performances, river trips, dance classes, exhibitions, history tours, evening functions and a Sunday night cult film screening.

A weekend not to be missed!

Time Lapsed – Exhibition By Marissa Mardon – 28th March to 1st June 2014 – Rochester

Creative and Art Events

Marissa Mardon will debut pictures of the historic town amongst a new display called ‘Time Lapsed’.

Mardon is known for her paintings of traditional landscapes using monochrome colours, but this exhibition shows an experimental side of the artist as she moves away from her usual style. Many of the oil paintings will illustrate Medway’s rich history and reflect on the area’s ongoing regeneration. Her canvases are bare in places, revealing visible pencil marks and brush strokes to show how a painting has developed over time – a fact that has helped inspire the name for this exhibition.

Visitors will also be able to watch a short film, capturing the process of Mardon’s work and how an image evolves from beginning to end.

Also on display at the exhibition will be ceramics by two other artists.

Imogen Noble will be presenting a selection of her crafted pots, rich in colour and inspired by natural patterns such as weathered stone and wood.

She will be joined by Raewyn Harrison, who will display her clay creations based on the themes of architecture, industry and tidal landscapes.

The artists’ work will be further complimented by historic objects loaned from the Rochester Guildhall Collection.

Felt Brooch Making With Jenni Burrows – Workshop – Chatham – 19th April 2014

Creative and Art Events

Order tickets via Eventbrite:
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/felt-brooch-making-with-jenni-burrows-tickets-10899934999?aff=efbevent

Tickets just £10

Textile artist Jenni Burrows presents an evening workshop that will show you how to make a beautiful felt brooch to take home. All materials will be included, so all you need to bring is your lovely self.

Venue: 13 Military Road, Chatham, Kent, ME4 4JG

Time: 7pm-9pm

Please note – This venue does not have disabled access.

http://www.jenniburrowscontemporarytextiles.co.uk/

18 Things Highly Creative People Do Differently – From Huffington Post

Editorials

Andy Ryan via Getty Images via Huff Post!

So good: we had to share this article!

Creativity works in mysterious and often paradoxical ways. Creative thinking is a stable, defining characteristic in some personalities, but it may also change based on situation and context. Inspiration and ideas often arise seemingly out of nowhere and then fail to show up when we most need them, and creative thinking requires complex cognition yet is completely distinct from the thinking process….

New Gravesend Arts Project – Footfall – From March 2014

Creative and Art Events

New Gravesend Arts Project – Footfall – From March 2014

A £2,000 Art Commission for One Lucky Emerging Artist – Closes 21st March 2014 – Medway

Creative Opportunities

A unique art project is currently looking for applications from young Medway artists to win a £2,000 commission and create outdoor site specific work for a village church yard.

The St. Peter’s Prayer Walk is a public art project, to create a series of installations as part of a permanent Prayer Walk at St. Peter’s Church, in Bredhurst. The aim is to offer one young artist or a recent graduate the opportunity to develop, design and deliver outdoor art for a woodland site alongside St. Peter’s Church. The awarded artist will be supported throughout the process and gain valuable experience to aid their art career.

Heather Burgess is the coordinator of the Medway Open Studios and Arts Festival and has been working with St. Peter’s Church to develop this opportunity. “We hope that this commission will offer an early career artist a really big opportunity to kick start their career. The awarded artist will be given a budget to design and create some amazing site specific work, and gain valuable insights into the world of a professional artist. The support on offer is very hands on, with business advice available throughout the process and mentoring from an experienced artist in this field. When the Prayer Walk is complete I will work with the awarded artist to create and promote a showcase and exhibition of the finished work.”

To apply, you should be from Medway and under 21 years old or graduated in the past 5 years from a creative course. Other criteria apply and to find out more you should refer to the attached Commission Brief and Application Form

The closing date to submit an application is Friday 21^st March, with a launch event planned on Easter Saturday, 19 April at St. Peter’s Church.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2prhr13qojvw6bi/The%20St.%20Peter%27s%20Prayer%20Walk%2C%20Application%20Form.pdf

https://www.dropbox.com/s/was2vw5xq34fdw3/The%20St.%20Peter%27s%20Prayer%20Walk%2C%20Commission%20Brief.pdf

For The Fallen – Free Film Making and Heritage Workshops – March to April 2014 – Medway

Creative and Art Events

FOR THE FALLEN

When the grass has grown over the battlefields, do we forget?

When the last gun is fired, do we forget?

When the last wound is healed, do we forget?

2014 is an important year. A hundred years ago the First World War began. At the time it was said to be the war to end all wars and now a century later, wars still rage across the globe.

We’re looking for the next generation of storytellers, those who can tackle the issues the war raised that are still prevalent today and look beyond to tell real stories about real lives past and present.

We’re running a series of master classes including writing, scriptwriting, directing, cinematography, editing & acting for those wishing to improve existing skills or looking to learn a complete new skillset

PLUS great bite sized chunks of World War One history designed to inspire and stimulate your imagination.

Royal Engineers Museum, Library and Archive (REMLA), Blue Town Heritage Centre (BTHC) and Violafilms have received funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for For the Fallen a new project , for the Medway and Swale and wider Kent area. Awarded throughHLF’s First World War: then and now programme, The project has also been lucky enough to receive funding from Creative People and Places Swale and Medway.

Masterclasses include directing, acting, cinematography, editing and much more – NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY and ALL AGES WELCOME !

We also arrange free transport from a central point to the venue for the workshops such as Sittingbourne Station, Gillingham Station, RE’s Museum and Blue Town Heritage so we can get you there

From Viola Films

St Patricks Day Parade – 16th March 2014 – Gillingham

Creative and Art Events

Just one month to go until Medway’s first St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Sunday 16th March 2014.

This fun-filled, family event will start in Smith’s Square, Gillingham High Street, at noon.

After the Parade, festivities will continue with a showcase of Irish culture at St. Mary’s Social Club, Belmont Road, Gillingham.

In the build up to the event, there is a drop-in arts and crafts session for children, in Gillingham Library, on Saturday 15th February, at 10.30am.

Full details at:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/St-Patricks-day-Parade-Medway/280255528771812

http://www.stpatricksdaymedway.org.uk/

International Anti-Art School – Dr Sketchy’s – Comes To Medway

Creative and Art News

The Medway branch of Dr Sketchy’s will be opening it’s doors after the collaboration between 3 sassy ladies who decided that the area would definitely be a brighter and more magical place with the addition of the Dr Sketchy’s.

Run by Lisa Carpendale, Michelle Woodland and Tracy Affleck the events will run both on Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons across the Medway area starting with events in Rainham and Rochester (just for starters). Each event will be a unique mix of anything goes drawing (where mistakes are welcome), sumptuous cabaret acts, tuneage, unique themes and models that make you go ‘ooh’. And of course there will be booze including special Sketchy Medway only cocktails mixes. On a Sunday afternoon you can attend Sketchy’s in Rochester, where as well as the opportunity to partake in a weekend tipple there will be wonderful gooey homemade cakes and tea (how civilised) and a chance to meet with some mates and make some new ones.

Dr Sketchy’s Medway is about having a bit of fun and having a go at drawing in an inspiring atmosphere. You do not have to be an ‘artist’ in the traditional sense and don’t have to be able to draw ‘perfectly’. Just bring yourself and your va va voom. There’s will be shorter sketching warm ups (to flex your drawing muscles) and an opportunity to draw longer poses. Boards, paper and pencils are provided but you can bring your own sketchpads or different media that you would like to work with.

Keep up to date with the latest planned events at www.drsketchy.com/branch/medway

Upcycling Workshops At Sun Pier House – Chatham – Feb to May 2014

Creative and Art Events

Laura Murphy has organised a programme of upcycling workshops at Sun Pier House, Chatham.

PIMP YO’ CRAP!

Saturday 22^nd February, 10am – 3pm, £25 per person

Come along for a fun and friendly workshop to ‘pimp your crap!’ Do you have items at home that you love but need updating? Want to make them into something new and more useable? Then bring them along and give them a makeover! Learn upcycling skills and have something pretty to take home.

Chairs, small tables, lampshades, bric-a-brac, any random bits and bobs…bring it along. The more crap the better!

BEGINNERS GUIDE TO UPCYCLING

Saturday 22^nd March, 10am – 3pm, £25 per person

Come for a fun and educational day to learn about upcycling… Learn how to paint furniture (properly- no drips or dribbles!). We will have some items for you to upcycle or you can bring something to work on. Get expert advice on how to finish your pieces, where to find items to upcycle, and get inspired and get confident to make items for your home!

CHAIR UPCYCLING

Saturday 26^th April, 10am – 3pm,

£25 per person if you bring your own chair (£30 if not)

A fun day, where everyone will upcycle a chair to take home. Learn to paint furniture properly and get a professional and durable finish. We’ll have a range of fabrics for you to pick from for new seat pads, or if you have something in mind already bring it along.

Go home with an individual & funky chair… just for you!

CHALK PAINT – A BEGINNER’S GUIDE

Saturday 24^th May, 10am – 3pm, £40 per person

Always wanted to use Annie Sloan paints? Want to know what the fuss is all about? Chalk paint is a versatile paint that can be used on most materials (wood, glass, matte plastic) without any primer or prepping. If you’re into shabby chic then this is the one for you! Come and experiment with Annie Sloan & Autentico and learn how to make your own chalk paint for a fraction of the cost! Bring any furniture you want to work on or we will have some items for you to purchase on the day!

Booking is essential!

For more information & to book please email heather@sunpierhouse.co.uk

http://www.sunpierhouse.co.uk

Hand Embroidery Taster Workshops for Children: Wednesday 19th February 2014 – Rochester

Creative and Art Events

Hand Embroidery Taster Workshops for Children: Wednesday 19^th February 2014

Morning workshop: 10-12pm- Afternoon workshop: 1-3pm.

Come along and try drawing with the sewing needle!

Experiment with paper, fabric, recycled materials and threads to create your very own work of Art!

Jenni Burrows; a practising Textile Artist and qualified Art Teacher will lead the workshops. www.jenniburrowscontemporarytextiles.co.uk

The workshop is for children ages 5-10 years and children must be accompanied by an adult.

Cost: £2 per child

To book either workshop please email sales@ccbsewing.co.ukor phone Caroline 01634-841597

The workshops will take place at C.C.B. Sewing Machines at 304-308, Rochester High St.ME1 1HS

Free Lego Workshops For Kids – Bluewater – Kent

Creative and Art Events

Right. Lego’s definitely the best kids’ toy, and we know a few adults who are fans too. We won’t hear any arguing that it’s Barbie, Playdoh or Xbox – Lego wins it hands down (OK, OK, that’s just my opinion – MSE Charlotte).

But there’s an issue which we can’t block out – Lego can be SO expensive. So hopefully this deal will help you out.

If you’re between six and 14 (sorry grown-ups, this one isn’t for you, so please let your kids know!), go into your nearest official Lego store (there’s more info on where below) on the first Thursday of every month between 4-6pm to take part in the Lego Mini Build.

Get there as soon as you can, as stock is limited to 200-300 models per store (depending on size and location), and it’s first come, first served. Staff will show your kids how to make the model, which Lego told us is worth around £5 (but it’s not for sale). Once it’s been made – it should take about 10-15 mins – the kids can take it home for free.

The models are different each month, and you don’t know what you’re going to get till you get in there.

Thanks to Money Saving Expert for the above post!

Medway Open Studios Placement – Festival and Marketing Assistant – Volunteer placement (unpaid)

Creative Opportunities

Medway Open Studios & Arts Festival

Festival and Marketing Assistant – Volunteer placement (unpaid)

1 or 2 days a week, 3 month placement (February – April)

Medway Open Studios & Arts Festival is an independent non-profit arts festival celebrating the wealth of creativity in Medway. The first festival took place in July 2012 with the aim to highlight the quantity of artistic talent in the area. Now heading into its third year, the Medway Open Studios and Arts Festival has doubled in size since its conception in 2012 and is offering a volunteer placement to anyone wishing to develop their career and learn more about marketing and event management.

For more information about the role please see the attached description. If interested, please send your CV and a short cover letter about yourself, to info@medwayopenstudios.co.uk. Deadline is Wednesday 5^th February 2014

www.medwayopenstudios.co.uk

Studios in Margate

Creative and Art News, Creative Communities and Inspiring Websites

Various Studios and Project Spaces In Margate

Revolutionary Arts

Revolutionary Arts relocated to Margate in 2013, after a lifetime in Worthing, interested in a place full of spaces for artists. There’s a rich mix of studios and project spaces, each with their own clique of artists. So here’s a short guide to Margate’s art studios:

Pie Factory are based in the regenerated Old Town, where they have five artists studios on the first floor, with a beautiful, slightly-industrial gallery space at street level. Every studio has access to a roof terrace that can be used for working, social events or simply relaxing.

Resort Studios are based in the old Pettmans Furniture Depositary, just off Northdown Road. They advertise full time studios & desk spaces, an open plan workshop area, a print studio, photography space, and a hang out area. There’s an open-plan area bookable for events and a gallery space in a former shop below.

Skylight Studios have eight spaces…

View original post 132 more words

Felt Making Classes at Sun Pier House – February to March 2014 – Chatham

Creative and Art Events

Workshops led by Jenni Burrows; a practising textile artist and qualified Art teacher. The aim of the workshops is to introduce you to the art of felt making, and to equip you with the basic skills that will allow you to branch out and be adventurous evolving your own style. There are a range of courses for adults and children, with all materials are provided. (You will need to bring your own lunch for the all day courses, but tea, coffee and juice will be available).

Perfect for beginners! All materials provided!

8^th February and 1^st March: 10-4pm: Taster Day for Adults–experiment with a range of felt making techniques. Cost £35 per person (max: 10 places)

18^th February: 10-12pm: Family Workshops for children Ages 3-6 years. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Max of two children per adult. (10 places maximum)

Cost: £10 per child

18^th February: 1-3pm:Family Workshops for children Ages-7-10 years. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Max of two children per adult.

(10 places maximum). Cost: £10 per child

20th February: 10-4pm:Young People’s Workshop Ages 11-16 years.

(10 places maximum)

Cost: £25 per person

Adult Evening Workshops

A six week course beginning on Tuesday 25^th February: 7-9pm experimenting with a range of techniques and materials to create a wearable piece of art.

Cost: £90 for six week course every Tuesday evening.

Location

The workshops will be held at Sun Pier House.

Full address is: Sun Wharf, Medway Street, Chatham, ME4 4HF

(We’re next to Staples and BBC Radio Kent)

Free parking is available on site for the Tuesday evening class attendants. Alternatively, there is a pay and display car park within 1 minute walk; we are 8 minutes’ walking distance from Rochester train station; 5 minute’s walking distance from Chatham train station and 2 minute’s walking distance from Chatham bus station.

The workshops will take place in a studio environment on the first floor of Sun Pier House.

Please be aware, the building is over 25 years old and while Sun Pier House CIC are in the early stages of transforming the 1980’s offices into a creative centre, there is currently no lift access. The workshops will take place on the first floor, accessed via a set of external stairs. If you have any questions or concerns about the access please contact the venue in advance of booking.

To book a place on one of the courses please email: jenniburrows@yahoo.co.uk or phone 07505899623.

www.jenniburrowscontemporarytextiles.co.uk

Famous Children’s Author Brings The Gruffalo To Chatham Dockyard – 15th Feb to 1st June 2014

Creative and Art Events

The Historic Dockyard Chatham opens for the 2014 season on Saturday 15th February with the perfect exhibition for families – “A Squash and a Squeeze: Sharing Stories with Julia Donaldson”, running until 1st June.

Julia Donaldson, author of children’s modern classics such as The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, Princess Mirror-Belle and The Troll, has worked with Seven Stories National Centre for Children’s Books to bring these best-selling children’s captivating stories to life, allowing visitors to enter the imagination of this much loved author and discover how she inspires her readers with story, rhyme and rhythm.

Julia’s journey can be followed from song writer for children’s television to Children’s Laureate 2011-2013. Families can share stories, cuddle the Gruffalo, crawl into the Squash and a Squeeze House, climb into Cave Baby’s cave and enjoy dressing up, looking in the funny mirrors. They can follow in Toddle Waddle’s footsteps, and even sing-a-long to her songs on Julia’s Jukebox or perform a play on the special stage! Visitors can view the amazing original artwork by her many illustrators – most famously Axel Scheffler, but also Lydia Monks, David Roberts, Nick Sharratt, Karen George and Emily Gravett – a must for any art enthusiast.

Pam Wood, Visitor Services Manager at The Historic Dockyard Chatham said; “This is going to be the perfect experience for both the young and the young at heart. We are so privileged to have Julia Donaldson’s work here at Chatham and we cannot wait to see the little ones having a “squash and a squeeze” with the Gruffalo in the gallery, not to mention listening to them during our various musical story telling sessions during the school holidays!”

About the exhibition, Julia Donaldson said; “I am thrilled that my work, and that of my illustrators, is to be presented in such a stimulating and child-friendly way, with so many mini-words and activities. Because of my love of drama and song, I am particularly excited about the theatre and the juke box!”

Kate Edwards, Chief Executive at Seven Stories said; “We are delighted to be working with Julia to bring many of her much loved stories and characters to life within this exhibition in ground breaking and interactive ways. We will also explore the importance of rhythm and rhyme in language acquisition. This not to be missed exhibition will delight her huge following of fans and will also attract new audiences to her ever popular books and songs.” Seven Stories explores the impact sharing stories has on child development through learning projects in partnership with Action for Children and children with hearing impairments.

The Historic Dockyard will be running a number of engaging and exciting school holiday family activities, all inspired by A Squash and a Squeeze exhibition:

Books, Glorious Books: 15 February – 23 February
Brilliant books are brought to life with musical storytelling and craft activities. Make your own peg Freddy or Fairy!

Monkey Business: 5 April – 19 April
Musical activities, Monkey Puzzle storytelling and the chance to produce your own paper primate!

Marvellous Monsters: 24 May – 1 June
Monster story telling with a musical difference! Make your own monster mask and take part in a ‘Monster Safari’.

A Squash and A Squeeze: Sharing Stories with Julia Donaldson runs from 15th February until 1st June in No. Smithery: The Gallery and is included in the normal dockyard admission price. All tickets are valid for a year, giving families the opportunity to visit again and again.

Assistance For Artists, Creative Individuals and Creative Businesses – January to September 2014 – Medway/Swale

Creative and Art Events, Creative Communities and Inspiring Websites, Creative Opportunities

Ideas Test (Creative People and Places: Swale and Medway) is pleased to announce the launch of Kent Creative Live Swale and Medway, a support network for artists, art organisations and creative individuals and businesses.

The programme will start on Tuesday, January 14th 2014 and go on for 9 months, with events in Chatham, Faversham, Rochester and Sittingbourne.

Kent Creative Live helps creative professionals develop business skills and connections, enabling them to become more self-sufficient and achieve their goals. The aim is to nurture a more business like outlook, vital for their survival, and which will strengthen the professional creative community as a whole.

Thanks to funding support given by Ideas Test, the whole programme – comprising nine workshops and eight meet-ups – is a unique opportunity for creatives to grow their practice at the very affordable rate of £112, extraordinarily good value at just £6.59 per three hour session.

Kent Creative Live includes a series of practical and participatory workshops presented by experienced professionals, to improve the skills required in running a creative business. The workshops will cover business planning, project evaluation, marketing, money management and legal issues, all tailored to creative practitioners. The workshops are available to residents of Swale and Medway only.

It will also include meet-ups to talk to and exchange ideas with like-minded people, to develop relationships and get feedback from peers on specific projects, as well as opening up opportunities to build new relationships.

Nathalie Banaigs, Project Manager for Kent Creative Live, said: “Group interaction is key for the attendees at both types of event, to receive support from peers and professionals – especially valuable for those who work alone. The feedback we’ve received from previous, similar events means we’re confident that creatives from both Swale and Medway will gain valuable knowledge from their attendance, which they can apply to their practices with confidence.”

Existing members of Kent Creative Live agree, with artist Frances Beaumont saying: “I have benefitted enormously from joining. It has given me a direction and confirmed my purpose to be a practising artist.” Illustrator Mark Thatcher said: “The guest speakers and business workshops are interesting eye openers to the financial, copyright and social media stuff that I otherwise avoid even thinking about!”

For full details about the programme and to book your place, please visit the Kent Creative Live website or contact Nathalie on 01795 597 576 or email: info@kentcreativelive.org

Opportunity For Artists and Curators At Stour Valley Arts

Creative / Artist Wanted, Creative Opportunities

2 new opportunities for artists and curators

image: Rehearsals for Marks Measures Maps and Mind by Dog Kennel Hill Project. Photo by Anthony Wadham.

We are proud to announce 2 new ways for artists and curators to get involved with Stour Valley Arts.

1. Pop-up exhibitions at SVA:Cornershop
From mid-February Cornershop will host 5 back-to-back micro-shows that celebrate the strength and diversity of artists‘ exploration of landscape, the natural environment and sense of place.
If you would like to propose a group exhibition that addresses these themes (however obliquely) that could be mounted in sympathy with the spirit of pop-up ventures, then we’d love to hear from you.

2. Forest Studio residency opportunities
From February 2014 Stour Valley Arts will offer artists working in any discipline the opportunity to undertake self-directed residencies in our newly converted Forest Studio on the edge of King’s Wood, Challock.
Whether you are an artist who wants to explore the forest and be inspired, test a new idea or way of working, or just get away from the daily routines of the studio, this resouce offers you the opportunity to invest focussed time and thought in your practice.
The Forest Studio welcomes sculptors, choreographers, musicians, video makers, painters, poets and much more. Residencies can be arranged for periods of 2-6 weeks. Use of the Forest Studio is free of charge.

Applications for either opportunity must be made by means of the simple forms (see below)
Application is free.

http://stourvalleyarts.co.uk/news-2/svacornershop-call-proposals/
http://stourvalleyarts.co.uk/news-2/forest-studio-call-residencies/

Huttson Lo, Director
huttsonlo@stourvalleyarts.org.uk
Stour Valley Arts, Elwick Road, Ashford, Kent TN23 1NR
01233 664987

Alan Kane’s exhibition Documentarium will be at SVA:Cornershop from 18 January – 8 February 2014, open 11am – 4pm Wednesday to Saturday or by appointment

Stour Valley Arts
Gallery and Office, Elwick Road, Ashford, Kent TN23 1NR
Open 11am-4pm Wed-Sat and by appointment – 01233 664987
Forest Commissions, King’s Wood, Challock, Kent TN25 4AR

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Rochester Film Society Programme – 16th Jan to 13th Feb 2014 – Medway

Creative and Art Events

For more information please visit:

www.rochesterfilmsociety.co.uk

Facebook: www.facebook.com/rochesterfilmsociety

Twitter: @RochesterFilm

SUNSHINE ON LEITH
CHATHAM ODEON
Thursday 16 January [7.45pm]
Director: Dexter Fletcher
Cast: Peter Mullan, Jane Horrocks,
Based on the sensational stage hit of the same name, featuring music by pop-folk band The Proclaimers. The film follows the stories of Davy and Ally, Bho have to re-learn how to live life in Edinburgh after coming home from serving in Afghanistan. Both struggle to learn to live a life outside the army and to deal with the everyday struggles of family, jobs and relationships.FRANCES HA
ROCHESTER PICTURE PALACE (CORN EXCHANGE, ROCHESTER HIGH STREET)
Tuesday 21 January [7.30pm] £5 / £3 students
Director: Noah Baumbach
Cast: Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner
A story that follows a New York woman (who doesn’t really have an apartment), apprentices for a dance company (though she’s not really a dancer), and throws herself headlong into her dreams, even as their possible reality dwindles.THE FIFTH ESTATE
CHATHAM ODEON
Thursday 23 January [7.45pm]
Director: Bill Condon
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Daniel Bruhl, Stanley Tucci, Peter Capaldi, Laura Linney
A dramatic thriller based on real events, the film reveals the quest to expose the deceptions and corruptions of power that turned an Internet upstart into the 21st century’s most fiercely debated organisation.

LOOKING FOR HORTENSE
ROCHESTER PICTURE PALACE (CORN EXCHANGE, ROCHESTER HIGH STREET)
Tuesday 28 January [7.30pm] £5 / £3 students
Director: Pascal Bonitzer
Cast: Kristen Scott Thomas
A wife pressures her husband to solicit work papers from his civil servant father.

LE WEEK-END
CHATHAM ODEON
Thursday 30 January [7.45pm]
Director: Roger Michell
Cast: Jim Broadbent, Lindsay Duncan, Jeff Goldblum
A British couple return to Paris many years after their honeymoon there in an attempt to rejuvenate their marriage.

WHAT MAISIE KNEW
ROCHESTER PICTURE PALACE (CORN EXCHANGE, ROCHESTER HIGH STREET)
Tuesday 4 February [7.30pm] £5 / £3 students
Director: Scott McGhee, David Siegel
Cast: julianne Moore, Steve Coogan
In New York City, a young girl is caught in the middle of her parents’ bitter custody battle.

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS
CHATHAM ODEON
Thursday 6 February [7.45pm]
Director: Paul Greengrass
Cast: Tom Hanks, Catherine Keener
The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.

THE GREAT BEAUTY
ROCHESTER PICTURE PALACE (CORN EXCHANGE, ROCHESTER HIGH STREET)
Tuesday 11 February [7.30pm] £5 / £3 students
Director: Paolo Sorrentino
Cast: Toni Servillo, Carlo Verdone, Sabrina Ferilli
The story of an ageing writer who bitterly recollects his passionate, lost youth – a beautiful portrait of today’s Rome.

ENOUGH SAID
CHATHAM ODEON
Thursday 13 February [7.45pm]
Director: Nicole Holofcener
Cast: James Gandolfini, Julia Louise Dreyfuss, Catherien Keener, Toni Collette
Romantic comedy about a divorced woman who decides to pursue the man she’s interested in learns he’s her new friend’s ex-husband.

Call Out To Artists For Exhibition In Sevenoaks – Ends 19th Jan 2014

Creative / Artist Wanted, Creative Opportunities

Call out for ‘A Fine Line‘

11February – 15 March 2014

Artists originating from, educated or currently working in Kent are invited to submit existing or proposed work for consideration relating to the title ‘A Fine Line’. Work could relate to the title of ‘A Fine Line’ either physically or conceptually.

All media will be considered, including proposals for site specific or performance pieces. Please specify any technical installation and display requirements in your application and the gallery will endeavour to accommodate these requirements. Selected artworks should be available for installation on the 10^th February 2014.

Please email images (up to 1Mb) along with a short statement. Submissions and enquiries should be directed to svaf@outlook.com

The deadline for receipt of submission is 12 midnight on Sunday 19^th January 2014

The curatorial team will endeavour to select work that is not only strong in itself, but that will develop a conceptual and/or aesthetic relationship, in order to produce a coherent show. Successful artists will be notified within a week of the deadline to make arrangements for delivery of the work. ‘A Fine Line’ is co-curated by Rosalind Barker, Sue Evans and Franny Swann as a Sevenoaks Visual Arts Forum concept.

The Sevenoaks Kaleidoscope Gallery is a contemporary space run by Kent County Council to show new and experimental work from established and emerging Kent artists.

Images from previous shows at the gallery can be found here – www.kent.gov.uk/arts

Call for Submissions – LGBT Exhibition ‘Pride Against Prejudice’

Creative and Art News, Creative Opportunities

Kent & Medway LGBT Community Action group, supported by Nucleus Arts, are curating an exhibition of work by lesbian, gay, bisexual & trans artists and/or work inspired by sexuality & gender identity, as part of Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans History Month 2014. The exhibition will celebrate the LGB & T Community in Kent & Medway as well as raising awareness of issues related to sexuality & gender identity.

Exhibition theme: We are inviting submissions of artwork which explore the theme ‘Pride Against Prejudice’ and that are inspired by sexual orientation & gender identity

Exhibition dates: The exhibition will run from 7th – 27th February at Nucleus Art Gallery, High St, Chatham. A launch/preview event will take place on Friday 7th February from 6 – 8pm.

Please send submissions to sarah.white@nucleusarts.co.uk by 9am Monday 27th January. You will be notified whether your work has been selected by Friday 31st January. For each piece of work submitted (maximum 5) please include artists name, title, medium & price along with a digital image of the piece.

Upon being selected for the exhibition:

Collection & delivery of artwork: All work must be delivered to Nucleus Arts Chatham by 10am Friday 7th February & collected on 28th February and must be framed/mounted and ready to hang.

Sales of work: Nucleus Arts will take 20% commission and Kent & Medway Community Action Group will take 5% commission.

Insurance. loss & damage: Nucleus Arts public liability insurance covers the gallery space, but artists are welcome to also insure their own work. Nucleus Arts assumes no responsibility of damage or loss of work.

New Film Studies Courses Starting In Rochester

Creative and Art Events, Creative and Art News

By Adam Foster | Codefor

Two new film study courses are being provided by the adult education centre in Rochester, Kent, which are being presented by Nick Walker from Rochester Film Society.

The courses are starting in March 2014. To register interest only at this stage please email:

maureen.yates@medway.gov.uk

The 2 courses cover the following topics –

· Classic British Cinema:

Including: Silent Cinema, Documentary Film Movement, WWII, Hitchcock, Lean, Powell and Pressburger, Ealing Studios, Boulting Brothers, British New Wave

· Golden Era of Hollywood:

Including: The coming of sound, studio system, start system, Hays Code, WII, Musicals, Film Studies, Film Noir,

The courses will run once a week for 10 weeks and examine the careers of various filmmakers and movements.

They will analyse how these visionary directors employed cinematography, editing and narrative to tell their stories, looking at how their creative signatures developed, and how their body of work took shape.

They will also examine how various movements and genres co-existed, investigative their cultural and political influences and observe their lasting legacy, with supporting clips to demonstrate key moments.

Medway Fuse Festival 2014 – Spark Commissions Open For Application

Creative / Artist Wanted, Creative and Art News, Creative Communities and Inspiring Websites

The FUSE Medway Festival taking place from 13^th to 15^th June, is a free, outdoor arts festival for the people of Medway and visitors. For one weekend in June, Medway’s public spaces are transformed, creating exciting, unexpected happenings and spectacular events.

FUSE is committed to the development of new work and to supporting local artists. It is offering three local arts commissions for 2014: one commission of up to £5,000 and two commissions of up to £2,500.

The commission provides an opportunity to explore new ways of working and to develop your practice. The criteria are as follows:

Applicants must be living or working in Medway.
Projects must take place in Medway.
Projects must be specifically designed for the outdoors.
Applications are welcomed from any art form.
Projects must have an element of community engagement, which can be delivered in the 2 weeks prior to the main festival.
Projects must be accessible and innovative.
The work must be delivered within a realistic budget.
The finished performance / installation must take place between 13 – 15 June.

Applications can be submitted by post (FUSE Medway Festival, Arts Team, The Brook Theatre, Old Town Hall, Chatham, Kent ME4 4SE) or by e-mail to fuse@medway.gov.uk. The deadline for submissions is 12 noon on Friday 31 January 2014.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to interview on Monday 17February 2014

For further information and a full copy of the commission brief and an application form, please contact fuse@medway.gov.uk or call 01634 338319.

UCA students document creative hubs across England and France

Creative and Art Events, Creative and Art News

Five BA (Hons) Photography students from UCA Rochester, who travelled to and documented creative hub spaces across England and France, are having their work displayed at the Zandra Rhodes gallery until January.

The student’s work was part of the UCA Rochester Photography ReCreate project. ReCreate is funded by the Interreg IVA France (Channel) England programme to engage the creative and cultural industries in the UK and France.

As part of the project, which was conceived by Course Leader Heike Löwenstein in response to ReCreate’s requirements for documentation, students photographed the transformation of vacant commercial and cultural premises into a cross-border network of studios and workspaces. As well as documenting the sites, they also had to capture what these spaces meant for the local community.

The students spent two weeks on the road in August accompanied by staff member and Creative Director Sam Chick. The trip started with a break-of-dawn visit to The Old Bank in Margate to capture the town in early morning lighting followed by The Fuse Box in Brighton, Sun Pier House in Medway and then across the Channel to the Paul Bert School in Lens and completing the trip at Les Bains Douches in Flers.

Robert Roach, second year student who was on the trip said: “We met some wonderfully friendly and helpful people and saw some lovely places and found out what is being done to some of these old buildings. They really are breathing new life into them.”

This trip has given UCA students an invaluable opportunity to work professionally with a diverse range of partners, affording them a chance to put into practice what they have learnt on the course.

Rosie Squires, another second year student who took part in the project said: “ReCreate allowed me to experience a commission for the first time, teaching me how to work practically and professionally, whilst still staying creative. It’s allowed me to get to know new people and places that could help me once a I graduate and opened my eyes to the creative community in each of the locations.”

The student’s hard work over the summer resulted in a fantastic body of work that spreads itself across the Zandra Rhodes Gallery and into the stairwells at the UCA Rochester. Their work was first displayed at a private viewing on 21 November from 4-7pm, but it will remain on exhibition until January.

The documentation of sites will continue over the coming year where another group of students, led by Course Leader Heike Löwenstein, will work more closely with the sites over a series of visits to document the development as building work progresses, as well as capturing some of the activity that will be taking place by creative enterprises and individual residents.

Amie Rai, Interreg Project Co-ordinator said: “UCA is delighted to be a partner on the ReCreate project and looks forward to the many opportunities that this rich cross-border project will continue to provide for staff, students and the local creative communities over the coming year.”

For more information contact:

Angela Chadwick

T: +44 (0)1252 892731
E: achadwick@ucreative.ac.uk

From http://www.ucreative.ac.uk

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To book: www.iprintedthat.com/topsy-turvy

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Some audience feedback:

BOOK NOW AT http://www.sevenveils.co.uk

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To book a place on one of the courses please email: jenniburrows@yahoo.co.uk or phone 07505899623.

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The Historic Dockyard Chatham opens for the 2014 season on Saturday 15th February with the perfect exhibition for families – “A Squash and a Squeeze: Sharing Stories with Julia Donaldson”, running until 1st June.

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2 new opportunities for artists and curators

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For more information please visit:

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