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Category: Art
The Half – the in between world the audience never sees
“A single moment, captured in time” became Simon Annand’s inspiration for a now 28 year old project, begun as a boy on his first holiday abroad.
At the behest of this young boy, a stranger gladly photographed the holidaying family “marking the moment”. The result of this initial foray is, many years later, a collection of profound theatrical culture, beautifully shot.
The first subject in this stunning collection known as ‘The Half’ was encapsulated while Simon was working in the bar at the Lyric Theatre. Griff Rhys Jones was starring in a production of Charley’s Aunt when Simon asked for permission to take some photos. An ebullient character on stage, Rhys-Jones was more introverted and melancholy off it.
It was the start of a journey giving Simon unprecedented access to the greatest actors in solitude and capturing the different energy felt in the dressing room; the audience is exposed only to the character the actor wishes them to see: “They bring in with them what they’re thinking and feeling that day.”
According to Simon, every person is in the collection for a reason: to reflect what’s happening in theatre, be it in the West End or on the fringes. This short film, commissioned by the Victoria and Albert Museum to accompany the exhibition, provides insights into the tensions and personal rituals they undertake on a nightly basis.
‘The Half’ is a theatrical term for the tense 35 minutes actors endure in their dressing room before ‘Curtain Up’. With the backstage area cleared of all but cast and crew, Simon’s photographs offer the audience a rare glimpse at the actors preparing to step into someone else’s shoes. Find out more about him here.
Meet the founder of Canterbury’s most eccentric music festival
It isn’t just happening in Medway – Kent is pretty much ruling the South East right now!
Last year, a group of friends set up a series of music festivals with a twist. Today, their last gig has attracted fans from all over Canterbury and beyond. Subversive Press asks its amicable founder, Heatha Akosua, what makes for a successful DIY concert.
When I talk to Heatha, she has just finished packing away four years of her life into boxes. After graduating from the University of Kent, she is now moving back to London to leave her musical stamp there too. It is safe to say that Canterbury’s concert lovers will miss her dearly.
Acting as the driving force behind a series of mini festivals this year, Heatha Akosua’s events have attracted students and young people from Kent and even further afield. The last in a series of sessions rounded off last week with a bang, boasting eight artists and bands, barbecue food, henna tattoos and, according to…
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But will it be on the jelly box?
One of the most exciting programmes to hit Medway and Swale in recent times (quite a statement when you consider how much is going on) is Creative People and Places: Swale and Medway, a project determined to let local people shape their arts provision and give them the opportunity of taking part in activities they wouldn’t normally think were for them. Check out the awesome video and read on …
Great news then, that the first round of funding – the Small Experiment applications of up to £2000 – will open on June 17th. This is not your traditional project funding, mind, so you must be very clear about what you want to test and why, and how it will inspire a broader range of involvement from, and collaboration with, local residents and community and voluntary groups.
To find our more about the application process and eligibility, sign up at CreativePeoplePlace.info (scroll down to add your details, and to nominate a community catalyst or three) and drop in to one of the two informal events taking place this month, so you can meet new Creative Enabler and Programme Director, Steph Fuller, plus some more of the team.
Medway: Tuesday, June 18th from 7pm – 9pm at Gillingham Library, High St. ME7 1BG
Swale: Wednesday, June 26th from 7pm -9pm at Pulse Café, 29 Park Road, Sittingbourne. ME10 1DR
No booking required is required and some refreshments will be available.
If you can’t make the above dates, some one-to-one sessions with Steph will be available across Swale and Medway until at least mid-July. Check her diary and email to say “Hello, how lovely it will be to meet you.”
Creative People and Places: Swale and Medway was awarded funding by the Arts Council, after both areas were identified as having low arts engagement within their communities. It’s an action research programme aiming to engage and re-imagine the arts as a valued and integral part of local people’s everyday life.
So, if you’re a local resident, part of an arts organisation or a member of a community or voluntary group and have the motivation to make interesting things happen locally, they want to hear from you.
I’m ready for my close up …
A new cultural event in Medway has been gaining lots of friends recently, with its eclectic mix of any and everything.
Seasonally Effected, produced by the tireless Roy Smith, occurs on the last Wednesday of the month in Rochester, usually in the Dot Cafe but last night, sad circumstances required a switch of venue to coFWD – how well did they adapt to an extremely last minute request? With their customary awesomeness, of course.
The theme of this cultural open mic is to be the time of year, interpreted any way you like. A highlight last night, for example, was the ‘Mollusc Mayday’ film – complete with maypole dancing snails. It’s an image I won’t forget quickly for its brilliance – kudos to Chris of Hand of Stabs for that one.
I made my debut at the mic, with a tiny piece about the first Oscars ceremony and first all-colour talkie, On With The Show, both premiering in May 1929, and linking in a video from the film. This I followed with the official Skyfall teaser trailer and the collaborative, much more professional home made version by coFWD (which I’m in and have shared with you before). Then I showed Richard De Soussa Silva’s Sunny Day video (which I’m in and have shared with you before!)
And that’s when I thought I could sit down and relax. But Mdhamiri decided to show his short film (which I’m in but can’t share yet, due to competition rules he’s entered into) and then up popped Stuart Turner of The Flat Earth Society with his new song and video, The Making of Landscape. And guess what? Yes, I’m in it and I can share, since it’s already out there on Youtube! The zombies come courtesy of Mdhamiri and Roy, who were making a film called Zombocity (I’ve shared a couple of photos and a very short trailer previously, see the Sunny Day link above for that) which sadly, suffered a bit of a malfunction and is now in a dry lab hopefully being recovered. Anyhoo, here’s the video:
And you’d think that would’ve been quite enough showing off for one night, but no. 2013 BBC Writer’s Prize winner, Sarah Hehir, asked if I could play one of the parts in her short play (impressed by my earlier performances, clearly ;)) so I ended up in the final piece, rounding off a cracker of an evening.
Another wonderful aspect to the night was having artist Nigel Adams respond with live art as the event unfurled. The image at the top of the post is his work from Part One; this is Part Two:
A massive thanks to Roy for instigating this rapidly growing cultural must – check out the Seasonally Effected blog for pod casts of each event and dates for the next. The hasty venue change means we may not have the pod cast for this month, but don’t let it stop you enjoying the rest. A full list of last night’s participants will appear there shortly too.
Famous Authors’ Handwritten Outlines for Great Works of Literature
This is why I never throw away any notebooks or post its 🙂
Call out for an MA in Doing: Collaborative Research Group
CRATE are pleased to announce a call out for applicants for a Collaborative Research Group, an alternative education programme conceived of as an MA in Doing.
Collaborative Research Group will bring together a group of 6 regional arts practitioners (artists, curators, organisers, writers, researchers and thinkers) based in Kent who are interested in collaborative working and the pluralities of contemporary visual art practice (producing, curating, organising, writing, etc.). It is envisaged the researchers will already hold a qualification at degree level in a related subject, and have started to establish a practice post-University. This programme is proposed to be both an alternative and complimentary to post-graduate and research-based education, and places itself directly in the art-world and academia.
CRG will run from September 2013 until April 2015 and is generously funded by ICR European Regional Development Fund, Kent County Council and University of the Creative Arts.
Please refer to the website http://www.collaborativeresearchgroup.co.uk for further information about CRG and details for how to apply.
Hear that lion roar!
Yep, that would be me! I recently took part in a sweding workshop at coFWD, the coworking space at 161 Rochester High Street, and brilliant fun it was too! The awesome Sophie and Mdhamiri led us through it, overseeing roles such as Director and Location Manager, although we all mucked in with props and sound effects. This is the result – you can also see photos on the coFWD blog.
Sweding is becoming more and more popular – basically taking your favourite movie or trailer and remaking it from scratch, sourcing all your own props and creating your own scenery and locations. This is the Skyfall teaser trailer we used – why not get a bunch of mates together, take your pick from all those fantastic movies out there and give it a go?
If you’re in Medway and you don’t have a bunch of creatives to hook up with, you’ll find some of the coFWD community at the Deaf Cat in Rochester High Street on Monday morning, from 9.30am. Otherwise known as Tuttle, it’s a chance to mingle with a bunch of like minded souls, bounce a few ideas around over a coffee and otherwise chill out in company who might just spark a few ideas inside you. See you there 🙂
Photo Gallery: Rochester Sweeps Festival – Wolfshead and Vixen
As a member of Wolfshead and Vixen (in training), I did rather go overboard with photos of them – specially Vixen dancing ‘Vixen’s Revenge’ since that’s the one dance I know!
Jaye Nolan 