creative website
Stepping Stone Studios – Maidstone – Kent
Creative Communities and Inspiring Websites, Creative Opportunities
Stepping Stones Studio is a community interest company set up and driven to promote aspiring and established artists in Kent.
Their vision is to encourage and enable visual artists by providing:
- An affordable studio space in which to create work, and attend/ hold your own workshops
- A cafe in which to connect and collaborate with other artists
- A gallery and shop to showcase the range of emerging talents
- A subscription to the studio granting incredible opportunities and discounts
Their space will stay affordable for artists and – unlike most studios and galleries – will favour applications from those without previous exhibition credentials. The aim is to keep the studio neutral, to play host to a variety of artistic groups in this area, and to showcase under-represented artists. Through the central location and overarching love of visual arts, they aim to create a centre of art activity for the artists and art enthusiasts of the Maidstone and wider Kent district.
This opportunity offers a professional environment in which to gain indispensable experience in the organisation and publicity of ones own exhibitions, and brings local artists together as a collective.
The studio encourages artists to hold their own classes, workshops and open studios for the public.
This unique artist’s venture is run by artists, for artists, and the only space in this area promoting local untapped talent through a collaborative voluntary effort.
To find out more visit www.steppingstonestudios.co.uk
Area – South East
West Sussex Opera Return With Cosi Fan Tutti – July 2012
Creative and Art Events
Following their successful productions of ‘Hansel & Gretel’ (December) and ‘Dido and Aeneas ‘(March), WSO return with Mozarts most popular comic opera ‘Cosi Fan Tutti’. WSO will bring a night of sheer delight not to mention Fianceé Swapping under the baton of renowned tenor Jon Grave.
Two rascals decide to put their lovely fiancées to the test and pretend to be conscripted and go away to war. Secretly they return in disguise and try to woo each other’s girl with hilarious results – this great opera is up their with any Whitehall Farce. But Whitehall farces don’t also give you the Mozart’s wonderful music.
The company was formed by Artistic Director and tenor Jon Grave, who performs worldwide in famous concert venues; on major film soundtracks, Radio, TV and solo recordings. Classic FM said ‘one impressive tenor’. Through his work lecturing at the University of Chichester and Prebendal School, the company has formed strong educational ties, providing opportunities for local talented musicians to perform in the chorus and alongside the professional orchestra.
Principal Guest Conductor Rachel Grave is an exceptional cellist, film composer and has conducted the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. Her award winning work has lead to her music being heard in cinemas all over the world.
Soloists have performed at the Royal Opera House, Glyndebourne and with other top international opera companies.
‘Cosi Fan Tutti’ takes place from 7.30-10.00 (bar opens 6:30pm):
Fri 13th July at West Wittering Memorial Hall.
Sat 14th July at the beautiful Assembly rooms, Chichester
Tickets cost £5-20 at West Wittering and £6-£25 at Chichester Assembly Rooms. These prices include concessionary discounts and half price for under 16’s.
Tickets are available online at www.wsopera.com – book in advance for special ticket offers.
Disabled access is available
Area – South East
Wigmore Arts Weekend – 30th June to 1st July 2012 – Wigmore – Kent
Creative and Art Events
St Matthew’s Church and Community Centre will be holding an arts weekend on the 30th June and 1st July. Over 100 artists and crafts people will be exhibiting and demonstrating their work. Paintings, crafts, dance and live music feature throughout the weekend. Entry is free to the general public and the event will be start at 10.00am (to 4.30pm) Saturday and 11.00am (to 4.00pm) Sunday.
The art show will be held in St Matthew’s Church and the demonstrations and workshops in the community centre and grounds. About “100 metres run” of art will displayed in a variety of media, including poetry, ceramics, and all paint media. The art show will fill the church. Also on Saturday as the art show is in progress there will be some live music entertainment. Outside, there will be demonstrations of Morris Dancing, Fire Breathing, Fire Poi, Belly Dancing and some Bollywood Antics!! A lot of fun for everyone.
Children are well catered for with puppet making, face painting, lino cutting and plenty of other activities to keep them interested.
There will be a Variety Show on Saturday featuring many of Medway’s talented people and on Sunday a recital by David Griffiths (accompanied by his wife Christine). They are internationally acclaimed musicians from New Zealand and they will perform Schumann’s Dichteliebe (Op 48) and a range of songs from New Zealand.
There will be art workshops taking place and a few places are still available, but be quick and book a place.
We hope you will agree that there is something for everyone. Do come along and put Wigmore on the Arts map!!
A full programme is available, so e-mail wigmore.arts@hotmail.co.uk, sae to 42 The Goldings, Rainham ME8 0AX or telephone 01634 372508
To book a place on a workshop e-mail wigmoreartsworkshops@hotmail.co.uk or sae/telephone as above.
Picture:
Paul Warren of St Matthew’s Church, Wigmore.
Wigmore Arts Weekend organiser
Area: South East
Hansel Of Film 2012 – Travelling Film Screenings
Creative and Art Events, Creative and Art News
A ‘hansel’ is a Shetland dialect word meaning a gift that marks an event such as the launch of a new boat, the birth of a child or the creation of a new enterprise. John J Graham – The Shetland Dictionary.
Shetland Arts is taking a UK-wide part in the London 2012 Festival celebrating the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. ‘A Hansel of Film – Shetland to Southampton and Back’ is a relay of screenings of short films made by the public in each of the nations and many of the regions of the UK.
It will be launched in Shetland on 10th June with the arrival of the Olympic Torch in the isles as it reaches its UK most northerly point. The films will be relayed between participating venues by ‘runners’; that is, creative and energetic individuals who will employ whatever means of transport they can devise to get the right films to the right venue on time. This will culminate in a marathon screening of over 100 short films at Shetland’s annual film festival, Screenplay 2012, between 4th and 9th September.
The project will take films made by Shetlanders and others to twenty one venues around the country and will form a celebration of ‘home made’ short films similar to that which takes place annually at Screenplay.
Acclaimed film critic Mark Kermode and film historian Linda Ruth Williams, who are the curators of Screenplay, will be very active in promoting the project across the country, although they will not be able to attend all the events. They will be greeting the ‘runner’ at The Harbour Lights Cinema in Southampton at the project’s half-way point, and will visit some of the other participating venues in between.
The Hansel Team is delighted to be launching this exciting, nationally inclusive film relay, spreading the spirit of the London 2012 Festival from Shetland in the north to Southampton in the south and back again, and taking in many points east and west along the way. We are looking forward to partnering up with cinemas, arts centres, film societies and film-makers across the UK who are as enthusiastic as we are about watching films, about people making their own films and about taking movies on the road.
The project also comes at a very exciting time for Shetland Arts in the opening year of Mareel, Shetland’s new £12.2m music, cinema and creative industries centre. We will be inviting representatives from the participating regions and nations to come and join us back in Shetland for Screenplay 2012, making it a truly celebratory event.
The London 2012 Festival is the culmination of the Cultural Olympiad, the largest cultural celebration in the history of the modern Olympic and Paralympic Movements. Spread over four years, it is designed to give everyone in the UK a chance to be part of London 2012 and inspire creativity across all forms of culture, especially among young people.
Medway filmmaker Mdhamiri Á Nkemi will be having his short film “String Theory” shown on the following dates:
Kino Digital, Hawkhurst Monday 9 July
Salisbury Arts Centre, Salisbury Thursday 12 July
Harbour Lights, Southampton Sunday 15 July
“String Theory” follows a couple of school boys who invent the world’s first cup and string telephone, which gets popular as more and more people find out about it. Their playful existence is threatened however, when a business-man makes an unexpected appearance.
To find out if there are screenings in your area please visit:
http://hansel2012.org/get-involved/attend-an-event
Area: UK Britain East of England East Midlands London North East North West Yorkshire Scotland South East South West Wales West Midlands
Billy Childish – Frozen Estuary Exhibition – Review
Editorials
Cult labels can obscure the viewer’s perspective of the artist’s work, with associations of niche celebrity given meaning by sycophantic fans and media observers. Childish is touted as a ‘cult’ figure in his latest exhibition at Chatham dockyard. This could scream popular or ‘cool’ to the ‘right’ people or celebrate an alternative and underground status. Childish’s character(s) loom large, set on pleasing themselves before courting the crowd, perhaps at the risk of eclipsing his work. In a 2010 video for the Tate’s ‘Sound and Vision’ series, he dons the costumes of painter and musician to playfully interview himself, with respectably awkward questions. When the artist asks about his influence on the musician, the answer is ‘no’ followed by a wistful smile.
The frozen estuary series offers something pleasantly different. The dockyard exhibition gives some space to history and personal mythologising – displays of album covers, books and memorabilia to greet the audience. Maybe this is a triumphant return to a place he left with little love lost.
13 oil and charcoal on linen paintings cover the main walls, some with the paint still wet. Despite featuring friends and family, the subject seems less personal, the focus is the river itself, depicted in vivid blues and whites and frozen in time and canvas. Inspired by photos of the winters of 1895 and 1947 when both estuaries froze over, Childish captures a stark landscape, where workers pose with boats locked in ice, dominated by blue skies and glaring white. Details run in earthy browns, a muck upon the landscape, as wet paint dribbles down many of the canvases, forming icicles of dirt and snow.
Here is something about place rather than person, escaping the ‘cult’ cliché and exploring the relationships between time, place and identity. A full size nude stands by the entrance, leading visitors through the memorabilia to something else entirely. Something brave.
The exhibition is on at the Historic Dockyard, Chatham, until 30th September 2012. Details are available at: http://www.thedockyard.co.uk/NetsiteCMS/pageid/1023/Billy%20Childish.html
By Roy Smith
Guest Writer
Area: UK Britain East of England East Midlands London North East North West Yorkshire Scotland South East South West Wales West Midlands
Tracey Emin – She Lay Down Deep Beneath the Sea – Margate Exhibition Review
Editorials
Like most people my earliest memory of Tracy Emin’s work and most prominent is the unmade bed from 1999.
As time went on I discovered she studied in Medway at what is now known as UCA, and in the last few years she has held various exhibitions in the South East. On a recent visit to Margate I felt I couldn’t miss a walk around the Turner gallery to check out her current exhibition.
Something that I love is Emin’s neon writing work as it shows her variety of creativity. Unfortunately only two neon pieces make an appearance in this exhibition. Reflecting very much on her life’s history the work on display is very expressive with some containing text that gives extra input into the concept behind the piece.
My favourite piece was called furniture. It was part of a series of paintings that were of the same theme, but I felt they had an added depth to them compared to the other pieces in the exhibition as a whole. I do really like the blue ink on canvas, and this is the form of most of her pieces in the exhibition.
The majority of work on display were inspired by Turners female nudes, but personally I felt they lacked the warmth of an artist trying to capture the bodily form of a female. Of course Emin is often very open about her sexuality and this is nothing new, but I felt from the work that she captured an element of disappointment within her own sexuality, which of course was not really Turners aim in his erotic paintings – his nude paintings were often termed as beautiful. If you want an interesting read on that subject see “A Censorship story Goes Up In Smoke“.
A painting by Turner.
She Lay Down Deep Beneath the Sea, Tracey Emin.
There are a lot of repeats in the exhibition, which unfortunately I feel shows a lack of imagination in regards to a theme, and baring in mind 3 large rooms of the Turner gallery are taken up with repeat imagery until September, I can’t help but feel disappointed for the local art scene. I realise that a big name will attract numbers but I wonder how other artists will get to reach a big name status if so much space is taken up by one artist in what I feel should be a gallery for creatives no matter how big their audience.
I would be interested to hear how others feel about the exhibition…
Natasha Steer
Area: UK Britain East of England East Midlands London North East North West Yorkshire Scotland South East South West Wales West Midlands
Somehow Education-like – By George Langridge
EditorialsWe Don’t Need No Education
This week I went to my local country park to meet with a fellow photographer. However, she wanted me to teach her to shoot in manual. So my theme was ‘Education’.
So here are a few of my favorites from the trip. The rest are on my Flickr in beautiful full resolution.
One of mine.
We went walking around some huge wooded areas and fields looking for some good shots. First of all I took some sample images, this one was hidden amongst some leaves and branches. This is the first time I have consciously looked for small insects, I actually am amazed by the idea of these little creatures going about their day hidden away from us. I think this ties in well with the next picture.
This is one from my ‘pupil for the day’.This picture actually amazed me this morning when I -finally- got to editing. The only thing that let the RAW file down was the exposure, which was changed during post. This is one of those shots that if you blink you miss, which I guess is what drew me to this particular image. I think Kudos go to my ‘pupil for the day’ on this one. I’d love to get your opinion on this photograph.
Another from my ‘pupil for a day’.The origional RAW file seemed almost pointless, until I imported it in to Lightroom, where I had a play with the levels. This shows that my ‘pupil for a day’ can really think outside of the box and through to post production. I am excited to see what she does with it in her edit. This was another one which was a little ‘iffy’ as regards exposure, but I really ‘dig’ the feel of it.
My pupil for a day was – Hanna Havoc
Next weeks theme is ‘RoadTrip’, another friend and I will be riding along the A20 towards Ashford via villages such as Pluckley, Kent.
Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike (CC-BY-NC-SA) George Langridge
Area: UK Britain East of England East Midlands London North East North West Yorkshire Scotland South East South West Wales West Midlands
Working For An Indie Record Label – Part 1 – By Luke Crook
Editorials
As some of you may know, I work for an Indie Record Label. It’s a blast, but not what everyone thinks it is. So, I thought it would be interesting to do a little blog about what the day to day is like working for an Indie Record Label because as much as I make it sound like gigs galore and nights out in reality, it’s really not!
Paperwork. Data entry. There’s lots of it.
Before this job I thought getting a record made meant going to the studio, getting the tracks done and then sending them off for mass production. If only.
So, we’ve got the music. Great. Then you need to get it Mastered. Which is fine. So long as you remember to deliver the relevant ISRC codes (Unique, trackable numbers for each track) with it. Oh, and the correct track listing for the Redbook/DDP (final format for delivery to manufacture). Forgot to write “feat. Blah blah blah”? That’ll be an extra £40 to get it amended.
Then, you enter the lovely world of Metadata, or the spreadsheet of doom as I like to call it. You enter ALL the track/album info into a spreadsheet. Title, artist, feature artist, release data, catalogue number, publisher, composer, producer. Everything. 10 track album? Not to bad. 5 formats? Not so easy. CD, LP, Digital, iTunes Exclusive, German Exclusive? Yup, need to write a separate one for each. And make sure you get a new barcode for each. And the right catalogue number. Did you know Scandinavia can’t take iTunes videos? So an exclusive with video means a separate entry all together.
Oh, and the price. Easy you think? “We’ll sell it for £xx”. But then you have to talk to separate countries about their price, and if you don’t, it wont show up on their system. And they don’t tell you till the last minute. Handy.
And between all that, you’ve got the Label Copy. Label Copy is a document that holds all the information about the release. Contributors, publishers, copyright holders. 9 guest artists? Better get all the separate publishing information for them, ASAP!
Whilst all this is going on, you’ve got artwork. Pricing for artwork. Working out the unit cost of each product. Did you know you can’t release a CD in Europe if it’s not shrink-wrapped?
*Breathe*
That’ll do for now I think. For me, its fascinating to see what goes into actually getting a CD released to the public, and how it works. Above is just a teeny part of what goes on. There’s also marketing, sales notes, picking singles and remixes, track ordering and much more. I will be back with more about what it is like working for an indie record label soon.
By Luke Crook
Area: UK Britain East of England East Midlands London North East North West Yorkshire Scotland South East South West Wales West Midlands
Whatever Floats Your Boat – Open Air Family Theatre – Medway – June 2012
Creative and Art EventsTaking place during Medways Fuse Festival “Whatever Floats Your Boat” is an open-air family theatre show presented by Students of Drama, Applied Theatre and Education (DATE) from London’s Central School of Speech and Drama.
Area: UK Britain East of England East Midlands London North East North West Yorkshire Scotland South East South West Wales West Midlands
Introducing A New Creatabot Contributor – Luke Crook
Creative and Art News, Editorials
Luke Crook works for indie music label “Sunday Best” and he will be writing about what it is like to work for an indie label as well as what is going on in the world of indie music. We knew you would like to know some more about Luke so we asked him some questions so that you can get to know him better.
So whats your creative background?
Creatively my background has more or less always been musical. I found my Dads rock vinyl, told my Mum I wanted to play guitar and ended up learning piano for about 3 years! Then I went on to teach myself guitar, and after that a bit of bass and drums. Jack of all trades!
After that I got into sound engineering, mixing and the like. From there I did my A levels in Music Technology then trotted my way up to De Montfort University in Leicester to do a BSc in Audio Recording Technology. Maths, Physics, expensive mixing desks and general madness. Lots of fun!
What made you get involved in the indie music field?
I’ve always been a fan of local music, and Medway has always been a hotbed of musical talent. I spent most of my early teenage years getting down to Bar M and the Rafa Club to watch bands, or trying to get gigs myself. I played in a variety of bands myself, and I had a pretty eclectic musical upbringing, so it varied from heavy metal to pop to bluesy bands. I loved and still love the ethos behind local and indie music. Trying to make it, doing it for the love and fun.
The journey at local level is beautifully organic and frustrating.Out of Uni, I wound up working in my local indie record/guitar shop, Sound & Image, for a year which was an education in genres! From there, I was finding myself looking more into independent record labels and independent artists, and how their popularity can vary. People forget sometimes, I think, that Adele goes out on the label XL, who are an indie, not a major, and just look at her success.
Then, from there, I sent a very innocent e-mail to Sunday Best inquiring about a job, and on a Sunday at about 9pm I got an email asking me if I’d like to start as intern! That was 10 months ago, and now I’m neck-deep in the indie industry!
Who inspires you both locally and universally?
Locally, my biggest influence has to be the wonderful Manny Rossiter. Long standing supporter of local music and also my mentor, what the man doesn’t know isn’t worth knowing! Also, when I was younger local bands like Innersense and Back To The Drawing Board were favourites of mine and they probably helped start my musical bug. There’s also an old boy who regularly comes into the shop called Pat. He’s probably one of the best guitar players I’ve had the privilege of knowing. He played with a lot of great bands back 60-70 years ago and watching him play has been a big game changer for me.
Universally, it’s not limited to music. Musicians like John Martyn, Jeff Buckley, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Nina Simone. Composers like Tim Burton and John Williams. Music that breaks the mold and makes you go “Wow, how did he/she do that?!”. Writers like Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams who take wacky ideas to the extremes. What’s more inspiring than one man who’s written nearly 40 books about a turtle that flies through space with 4 elephants on its back, or another who wrote about a robot with depression and a restaurant at the end of the universe which recreates the big bang over and over?!
What would you like to achieve in the future?
Good question. I’ve only just started out in the career path, but I’d like to take it as far as I can. I wouldn’t mind heading up an indie label one day, that would be amazing! I’ve got a few musical projects in the pipe line that, personally, I’d like to get done and have some fun with.
I guess I’d like to be known as someone who influenced or helped others. It’s a nice way to be remembered I think. Plenty of people have helped me along the way. Soppy, I know!
Can you recommend a creative website you love?
Tricky! There are so many!
http://fd2d.com/ is a great website/magazine I found at Uni for Midlands based creatives.
http://www.thisisfakediy.co.uk/ is great for music.
Also, check out http://amazingradio.co.uk/ It’s a great online radio station for unsigned and new music. It should be back on DAB radio soon too.
Thank you Luke for bringing some news and information from the indie music world to Creatabot!
Area: UK Britain East of England East Midlands London North East North West Yorkshire Scotland South East South West Wales West Midlands
SureShotFilmsUK Launch New Video
Creative and Art News
SureShotFilmsUK are a small production company of 10 film makers lead by Director Cameron Ward with the assistance of Henry-Ashton-Ward. Set up in August 2011, the aim of the Blackpool based crew is to create special effects videos through limited means. Launching their new video ” Sentinel 22″ they hope to create a bigger, more consistent fan base and continue to bring out high quality videos on a weekly basis.
Using just a Canon 600D, tripod and a homemade fig-rig they have managed to create short films with special effects, which is something they want to make people more aware of in the UK. FreddieW (YouTube) has made this genre popular in the US and they would also love to create their own series of shows based on a storyline.
The video was made in Poulton-Le-Fylde near some abandoned buildings, it took about 5 hours to shoot and 25 hours to edit.
Cameron Ward
Area: UK Britain East of England East Midlands London North East North West Yorkshire Scotland South East South West Wales West Midlands
Bikeminded Launches ‘Cycle Shorts’ Filmmaking Competition – Closing 15th June 2012
Creative / Artist Wanted, Creative and Art News, Creative Opportunities
Bikeminded, a cycle campaign run by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea has launched ‘Cycle Shorts’ a filmmaking competition open to anyone interested in the filmmaking process from raw talent through to the more experienced.
The entries, which need to be submitted by Friday 15th June 2012 at 5pm, will be judged by award winning film director and bicycle enthusiast Richard Loncraine.
The shortlisted films will be shown at an exclusive viewing at the Electric Cinema in Notting Hill. The winning entry will be shown at the Portobello Film Festival and the Olympics Festival on Exhibition road, and the winner will also receive £1000 for their next film whilst the people’s choice winner will receive £500.
To bring the competition to life, Bikeminded has launched its own animated film to be shared among the filmmaking community and to encourage entries:
Entrants can let their creative talents run wild by submitting a film of any genre, be it for example, humorous, gothic horror or romantic comedy, and it can be shot with a pro-camera and crew, on mobiles, or could be animation or stop-motion. The end result must be a short film of just 90 seconds which challenges people’s barriers to cycling in the city, and inspire them to get back on their bikes or take up cycling for the first time. It must also reference the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in some way.
Richard Loncraine, judge of Bikeminded ‘Cycle Shorts’ says: “Everyone has their own idea of cycling and in particular what cycling in a big city such as London is like. Through this competition we want to tap into the incredible creative talents of filmmakers throughout the UK and through their films inspire people to dust off the bike and get back on two wheels and enjoy the city from a different perspective. As a passionate cyclist myself and with so much untapped talent out there, I’m very much looking forward to judging the entries.”
Councillor Nick Paget-Brown, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea says: “There are many people across the borough who love cycling and exploring the local area on two wheels. However, there are some who have never considered it for a number of different reasons. This competition aims to show people just how much fun cycling can be especially in such a visually beautiful and well-known part of London. We hope that film-makers are inspired by our streets, and that, through their films our residents and visitors will be inspired to start cycling.”
To see full competition and entry details and Bikeminded’s own short film please visit: http://www.bikeminded.org/2012/04/bikeminded-launches-cycle-shorts-filmmaking-competition/
Area: UK Britain East of England East Midlands London North East North West Yorkshire Scotland South East South West Wales West Midlands
A Medway Vision 8: Monster Ambition
Editorials
Taken by Phil Dillon
It’s so often not just about the talent. It’s about work rate too. The distinctive artistic blossoming of the Medway Towns, that vibrant feeling that something special is happening, the ‘Medway Vision’ as I call it, can’t merely happen from wanting it to happen. Work goes into it. A lot of sweat needs to be leaked if you are going to get your art seen or heard. If hard work brings rewards then up-coming Medway band Crybaby Special and the Monsters will be reaping heap loads very soon.
The band only came into being in September last year but have already played in virtually every venue the Towns have to offer culminating in the release of their first ever EP ‘Man in the Woods’. And let’s not forget all their London and other Kent gigs. Starting out as an acoustic two piece (Josh Carson, Jason Stafford ) they wrote a few songs and spent one day rehearsing (yes, ONE day, these boys want things done fast) before debuted them at an open mic night. In the words of Josh Carson “it’s been non-stop ever since, with Lewis Crennell joining the band on drums at the end of January 2012”. Before this, the band was just one man, singer Jason. He performed solo as Crybaby Special for the best part of a year before deciding he wanted to play as a band.
And so, endless gigging led to their first EP ‘Man in the Woods’ The EP was recorded in February 2012 with Mik Whitnall (Babyshambles guitarist) and Adem Hilmi (who also records Babyshambles and Peter Doherty solo). Mik even plays on three of the 6 tracks. Their sound has been described in a number of ways. As Josh points out “Bob Dylan on Crack…Creepy, Eerie, Spider, Jiggery…Folk Punk sung by Fagin…our favourite though is probably Exuberant Garage-Folk-Punk from the Medway Delta from Bug Bear promotions who put on gigs in London” Oddly enough those descriptions sum up their sound pretty well.
However, seeing as Mik Whitnall from Babyshambles produced the EP you can’t help but hear the Pete Docherty influence too. Add to that, if you will, a bit of ska as imagined by Midnight Oil and you’re getting the picture. But, as cute and cool those Babyshambles/Ska tracks are it’s their most original sounding work that excites me most. The almost middle-eastern tinged title track feels most vital. It’s not only the best track on the EP, but, if there is any justice, it will be on repeat play on radio stations throughout the summer.
Judging by the continuous cycle of gigs then the EP seems to have cemented their following. But you know full well that these lads are not going to be happy with that. There is an ambition here, a desire to get to the top. This is already a touring band, a band that develops its sound the more it interacts with its audience. Josh confirms “our plans for the future are to too just carry on as we are by playing at every given opportunity and anywhere we can”
It’s ambition; it’s hard-work; it’s about having a vision. A Medway Vision. Crybaby Special and the Monsters will carry on growing and adapting and reaching out to whoever wants to hear them next. I think it was Paul Weller that said something like the people who ‘made it’ are the ones that didn’t give up. If true then you can be sure that sometime soon, Crybaby Special and the Monsters will have ‘made it’.
‘Man In The Woods’ EP is available to buy from iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/album/man-in-the-woods-ep-ep/id525040739
http://www.facebook.com/crybabyspecialandthemonsters
http://crybabyspecialandthemonsters.tumblr.com/
Mr Young
Independent Filmmaker
www.facebook.com/themoontheeye
Area South East
Fuse Festival Programme Released – Medway – 15th to 17th June 2012
Creative and Art Events
The timetable for Fuse Festival 2012 has been released and you can now plan your inspiring weekend!
http://fusefestival.org.uk/festival-programme/
Area South East
Call For Illustrator – Single Artwork
Creative / Artist Wanted
James Colah requires help from an illustrator to design cover art for his new single which will be available to download through iTunes. The track entitled ‘Cha Cha Chiwawa’ requires artwork of a Chiwawa dog dancing the Cha Cha Cha.
James is a very successful Smooth Jazz artist and record producer with his music being played all over the world. He has also just won the ‘Coffee Talk Jazz Radio International Songwriter of the Year Award’.
James is looking for someone who would like more exposure of their work as the song will be released on all major digital music platforms including iTunes, cdbaby and Amazon. He has a huge fan base around the world which will add to the illustrators publicity when the single is released. There is no budget available so he hopes that the amount of promotion the illustrator will gain through the opportunity will make up for this.
For more information about James, please check out his website here:
http://www.jamescolahproductions.com
If interested please send examples of your work or link to your website to jammy.c@hotmail.co.uk
Area: UK Britain East of England East Midlands London North East North West Yorkshire Scotland South East South West Wales West Midlands
Artists & Illustrators launches the 2012 Artists of the Year competition – Closing 16th August 2012
Creative / Artist Wanted, Creative and Art News, Creative Opportunities
For the fifth consecutive year, artists of all abilities are being invited to submit their best artworks for entry into the Artists & Illustrators Artists of the Year competition, in association with the Victoria & Albert Museum.
Last year saw a record number of more than 3,000 works submitted from around UK and abroad and this year is set to be even bigger.
Artists from around the world are encouraged to send in their very best artworks for consideration for this year’s prizes and, to further encourage creativity, there are no categories for this year’s submissions to fall into. Participants are free to submit their very best artworks, whatever the subject or medium may be.
“We are very excited about this year’s competition in particular as the new ‘open entry’ system will pave the way for all kinds of interesting and imaginative works to come through,” says Artists & Illustratorseditor, Steve Pill. “Since its inception in 2008, the competition has steadily generated more and more interest, both among our regular readers and also the general public. Remarkably, the standard of work also seems to get better and better with each passing year.”
After the 16 August 2012 closing date, a shortlist of works will be drawn up by a panel of expert judges, lead by Royal Watercolour Society’s new president, Thomas Plunkett. Readers of Artists & Illustrators will also have the chance to vote for their favourite works online.
The creator of the overall winning artwork will be crowned the Artists & Illustrators Artist of the Year 2012 and will receive gallery representation from a leading London art dealer and a practical art course of his or her choice at Newlyn School of Art.
Three additional prizes will also be awarded to outstanding artworks of our panel’s choosing. These are The Maimeri Watercolour Prize, The Society for All Artists (SAA) Prize and The West Design Prize. All four winners will also take home a £200 voucher to spend on Canson products and receive a free year’s membership to Artists & Illustrators online art community, Portfolio Plus.
To find out more about Artists of the Year visit www.artistsandillustrators.co.uk/artist-of-the-year
Or, for further information, please contact will.delmont@chelseamagazines.com
Area: UK Britain East of England East Midlands London North East North West Yorkshire Scotland South East South West Wales West Midlands
Summer Arts Carnival – 14th July 2012 – Maidstone – Call For Artists – Stepping Stone Studios
Creative / Artist Wanted, Creative and Art Events
Stepping Stone Studios are holding an Arts Carnival on Museum Avenue , Maidstone, on the 14th of July. They are joining up with local businesses and want to involve the town’s art groups. This is the call out to get stall holders and performers involved.
They are thinking bunting, hot food, arts and crafts stalls, performance. If anyone has any suggestions simply pitch your ideas in!
Here are some things to get you started:
1. Pitches and Stalls going for £6! Be one of the 15 stalls taking part.
2. Ideas for entertainment / food / performance. Know any awesome musicians or street performers? Pass the details on – the more acts the better!
3. Exhibit over the week! With all the fuss of the carival, increased footfall and a summer of exciting events it’s pretty good exposure in town centre.
4. Fabric donations required! For bunting workshops to start in June!
The event will kick off at 12pm
Please get in touch via bookings@steppingstonestudios.co.uk
www.steppingstonestudios.co.uk
Area – South East
Half An Hour At The Beach – Photography Feature By George Langridge
EditorialsEvery Friday I go out and take some photographs, usually based around a theme. My original theme this week was ‘anti-fun’, however this week I found myself at the beach with my camera, and no tripod. This is a far cry from the ‘anti-fun’ theme I was supposed to be basing my shooting around. So here are a few of my favourites from the trip. The rest are on my Flickr in beautiful full resolution.
Half An Hour At The Beach
By George Landridge
As I was walking along the path just off of the shingle, I noticed this little plant growing from the cement. I was almost amazed at how out of place this little group of plants looked. Just after I took this photograph a gentleman stood flat on the plant which must count as anti-fun, no?
Further along the beach I saw this sign, instantly it was ‘anti-fun’. Also further back I had seen a dead fish so it was almost ironic. I love the way that the sign points down along the length of the beach, and as you look further down the beach it looks ever more out of focus.
As we were walking along my sister found this little shell, which I instantly stole and took a photograph of, in that way that I do. This image shows everything to love about abandoned beaches; the wood, stones, sand and shells. The warmth of the photograph also makes the beach seem nicer than it actually was. In that half an hour the light changed very quickly.
Next weeks theme is “Education” – in which I will be teaching a fellow photographer how to use manual mode on a DSLR.
All full resolution photographs from “Half An Hour On The Beach are here.
By George Langridge
Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike (CC-BY-NC-SA) George Langridge
Area: UK Britain East of England East Midlands London North East North West Yorkshire Scotland South East South West Wales West Midlands
Win Tickets To Weald of Kent Craft Show – 7th to 9th September 2012 – Penshurst Place – Kent
Creative and Art Events
The Weald of Kent craft show returns in September for another weekend of showcasing creative talents from across the UK. There will also be a stunning show garden and delicious food and drink.
Over 200 skilled craftspeople from all over the UK will bring you the very best in handmade gifts and treats. With unusual wares you wouldn’t often find on the high street, there’s something for everyone from ceramics to glass, and jewellery to paintings.
Following their success with an award winning garden at the 2011 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, “How Green Nursery” along with “Chilstone of Tunbridge Wells” will be returning to the Weald of Kent with ‘The Chilstone Ice Garden’. This stunning show garden will house some of the fantastic ‘ice’ sculptures from the renowned sculptor Jane Robbins and showcase a sumptuous selection of plants and flowers that will whisk you off into the Garden of England.
Brand new to this year’s show, the Informed Design Graduate Marquee will showcase the work of the best newly qualified designers and makers from across the UK.
The Good Food Live area is a must-visit for foodies and you can match the perfect wine to your feast at the Tutored Wine Tasting. With a selection of wines from around the world, it’s your chance to pick up tips from the experts and leave ready to impress.
If you have always wanted to see a hawk, eagle or peregrine falcon in action make sure you visit the Birds of Prey Display where The Hawking Centre, based in Doddington, Kent will bring this thrilling experience to life. Two of the UK’s most famous falconer’s and television presenters, Leigh and Jo Holmes, will be bringing their favourite birds along to wow the audiences and give both young and old an unforgettable experience.
COMPETITION NOW CLOSED
All winners have been notified.
Show Details
Weald of Kent Craft Show
7-9 September
Open 09.30 – 17.00 (17.30 Saturday)
Tickets:
Adult £6.50 (Advance £5.00) Senior £5.50 (Advance £4.00)
(Advance tickets need to be booked before 5:00pm on 3 September 2012)
Child under 16 free if acc by parent – otherwise £3
BUY 10 ADULT OR SENIOR TICKETS Get One Adult Free (In advance only)
Combined Weald of Kent Craft Show & Penshurst House & Gardens
Adult and Senior £10.00 (In advance only)
Buy tickets online at www.ichf.co.uk or phone Ticket Hotline 01425 277988
*COMPETITION TERMS AND CONDITIONS
- Closing date is 12th August 2012
- One entry per person.
- There are 4 pairs of tickets on offer, a total of 8 tickets.
- Employees (and immediate family members) of any company involved in the Competition or, if relevant, any advertising agency connected with the competition are not eligible to enter the Competition.
- In the event that any entrant is disqualified from the Competition, in our sole discretion we may decide whether a replacement contestant should be selected. In this event, any further entrant will be selected on the same criteria as the original entrant and will be subject to these Terms.
- You must not sell the tickets. If you are unable to attend the tickets may be passed on to another creative or returned to Creatabot so another winner can be selected.
- Competition entries must be made in the manner and by the closing date specified on the Competition Notice. Failure to do so will disqualify the entry.
- We reserve the right to disqualify any entrant if we have reasonable grounds to believe the entrant has significantly breached any of these terms and conditions.
Area: South East
Call For Artist / Creative – Exhibition In Orpington – July 2012
Creative / Artist Wanted, Creative Opportunities
Chloe Robinson is a young composer from Orpington in Kent who is currently planning an exhibition involving her recordings at the ArtStyle Gallery in Orpington.
Chloe plans to use a collage of voice recordings that reflect the way we discuss our life through social media and how we share information about our private lives. She is looking for a creative person to collaborate with from any field – priority being that the space of the gallery is used in the most fulfilling way.
The gallery is already booked for 6 days from the 10th of July so all costs involved for hiring the gallery have been catered for. This is a fantastic opportunity for a creative to gain exposure of their work and experience the productivity a collaboration can bring.
If you are interested please email Chloe Robinson on chloepiarobinson@hotmail.com
To find out more about Chloe visit www.wix.com/chloepiarobinson/colonies
Area South East
Putting the Spark Into Education
Editorials
As we move into the future more engaging ways are needed to educate, support and inspire todays youth. Enter Sparky – a puppet from another planet. Originally created for the project “Imagination Our Nation” Sparky takes a unique role in encouraging young people to actively engage with their creativity.
With the direction of co-producers Ciaran McKay and Charlie Ralph, a team of creatives take Sparky to visit schools in the Medway area and run workshops with the pupils. The goal of the workshops is for all the pupils to collaboratively hold an annual event involving Sparky for the local community in Medway.
The workshops begin with teaching pupils how to animate Sparky in a way that mirrors their own movements. The class then develop their ideas for the theme of the community event, often using various art mediums and creative writing.
The way Sparky engages with children is unique and this impresses the teachers as much as the children. Discussing the positive effect Sparky has, Ciaran responds by saying “Sometimes you go into a class and there are children who lack so much self-confidence, but by the end of the workshop these quiet children are the ones most involved! Sparky puts so many smiles on children’s faces and I really love the joy that brings to all involved”.
The theme for the 2012 event is “The River” and this year it will take the form of a parade that will be held during Medway’s “Fuse Festival”.
Sparky and his more recently created brother Magma are just two of a family of 20 puppets that were created to represent different regions of the UK for “Imagination Our Nation” – a project devised by international carnival design group Kinetika.
If you would like to find out more about Sparky, Magma and the rest of their puppet family please contact:
Ciaran ceem@live.co.uk or Charlie charliecookdesign@gmail.com
By Natasha Steer
Trace – Call for Artists and Contemporary Craft Makers – Closing 1st June 2012
Creative / Artist Wanted, Creative Opportunities
Covered By Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) Creative Commons Licence – Credit http://www.creatabot.co.uk
Background and Concept: The exhibition will explore the boundaries between art and craft, creating an environment where each are the same and each deal with the idea of a Trace.
Dates: 24th & 25th Hanging the exhibition, 26th to the 29th Exhibition Open, 26th Private View – July.
Venue: Motorcade/Flashparade Gallery, Bristol
Other details: This is a free opportunity to exhibit in Bristol at one of the leading galleries.We’re looking for Contemporary Craft Makers, Visual Artists, Film Makers, Performance Artists, Sound Artists and Text Artists that create work with an idea that there is a Trace – a Trace of something that once belonged, a Trace of something that once happened, a Trace of a suggestion.
The title can be taken literally or ambiguously as we invite a variety of ideas and art forms to create a collaboration between artists, ideas and mediums. The brief is open so as to hopefully inspire and conjure recognition in the subject. We welcome all applications.The exhibition will be curated by Context, a project led group that aims to create opportunities to provide support and provision for both artists and audiences. Within the exhibition held at Motorcade/Flashparade there will be a Private View which will include a short introduction to the exhibition, those exhibiting, and a debate about the differences and similarities between art and craft.
How to apply: Applications are invited from all who find this brief and exhibition relevant to their work, geography is no boundary.To make an application please submit a covering letter introducing yourself, your work and a proposal for the piece(s) you’d like to exhibit, along with documented examples of your work.Applications will be considered by Emily Bull, the project manager for Context and the Curators at Motorcade / FlashParade.
Please send applications by email to context.arts@googlemail.com
Should you need to post applications please send them to 15 Sidmouth Road, Bristol, BS3 5HT.
Deadline for applications:The deadline to receive applications is Friday 1st June.
Contact details:Emily Bull, Context Project Manager07720646314
Area: UK Britain East of England East Midlands London North East North West Yorkshire Scotland South East South West Wales West Midlands
An Interview With Zara Carpenter – Milliner and Head Piece Creator
Featured Creatives
Usually found busily sewing away in the Deaf Cat cafe in Rochester, Zara Carpenter is an inspiring craftswoman who leads the way for many creatives. Maybe by learning some more about her we can draw even more inspiration…
An Interview With Sian Bostwick – Jewellery Designer and Craftswoman
Featured Creatives
Sian Bostwick is a jewellery designer in Rochester, Kent with incredible skill and talent. Her work, inspired by fairytales and fantasies, truly please the eye and each piece is beautifully crafted in its design. To find out more about her skill and in the aim of inspiring others I asked Sian some questions about herself and her craft.
Creatabot 