Arts Council Film - importance of arts on the well being of older people

Please see below a link to a new film from the arts council on the importance of arts and the wellbeing of older people

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUlSZt7GDKU&utm_source=When+They+Get+Older&utm_campaign=8c51d67318-Newsletter_26th_January_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_581afb282d-8c51d67318-88402521

Jump Start - next event, 22nd March, Old Rec, Worcester, 7.30pm - 11pm

Our next Jump Start informal networking event is taking place on Tuesday 22^nd March at the Old Rec Pub in Worcester from 7.30- 11pm.

 

Lots of great chat, good beer, fine wine and a friendly informal vibe. Come along!

Stephen Wilson

County Arts Officer

01905 765754

Recyclyed Sculpture Competition

Hello!

We thought you may be interested in a recycled sculpture competition in Worcestershire, if you know any groups who may be – please pass this on!

 

Over the past two years Worcester Roots Foundation have been working with a group of hardworking young people to completely transform the abandoned railway that ran through The Fold at Bransford.

The result is a picturesque nature trail created with mainly recycled goods that is easy to access and gives explorers the chance to see a variety of indigenous wildlife.

As the trail prepares to open we are holding a competition for community groups across Worcestershire to submit an outdoor sculpture, made of recycled goods that could be displayed for the world to see. All you have to do is create your sculpture, make sure it fits into our guidelines; then take a photo of it and email it over to us at emma@worcesterrootsfoundation.org.uk, along with a description about why your group thinks it’s great by 31^st March 2016.

 

To make things even easier, Worcester Roots Foundation offer recycled craft making workshops for free (although your donations to the charity are always appreciated) so that you can get ahead of the crowd and make sure that your work is immortalised forever!

 

Our shortlist will be announced in early April and everyone will be invited down to our launch event on Saturday 30^th April where the winners will be crowned and their sculptures will be displayed on the trail.

 

Your Sculpture Must Be…

-          Portable

-          Sturdy and as weatherproof as possible

-          Created using recycled materials

-          Fit into the themes of ‘Wildlife’ or ‘Railway’

 

This competition is open to:

Community groups or groups who work with young people (up to 25) in Worcestershire.

Groups are welcome to submit as many entries as they wish.

 

All decisions will be made by staff and core volunteers at Worcester Roots Foundation and their decision will be final.

 

 

 

 

Heidi Murphy

Programme Coordinator

 

Educate. Explore. Enrich.

 

www.caged-arts.com

Garage Open Lecture Series

 

 

Press Release                                                                      January 2016

Garage Open Lecture Series

Dates: From 2^nd February to 19^th April 2016

Times: Lectures take place at 5pm on Tuesdays

Venue: Lecture Room (TG008) at the University's Garage Studios

 

Meadow Arts is delighted to support a series of talks by contemporary artists at University of Worcester’s Garage Studios. The series gets off to an excellent start with acclaimed artist Bedwyr Williams.

Williams represented Wales at the Venice Biennale in 2013, exhibits his work internationally and will have a solo show of his work at the Barbican Centre in London in 2016. He creates performances, video, sculpture and text, mixing art and life with his own inimitable comedic twist on it all.

The Garage Open Lecture Series is a collaboration between the University of Worcester’s School of Art’s ‘Fabrication Research Group’ and Meadow Arts in partnership with Worcestershire County Council and Worcestershire Arts Partnership. It presents a series of talks around aspects of research, fabrication and display.  This semester the visitors include: Bedwyr Williams, Alice Channer, Simon & Tom Bloor, Mike Cooter, Alison Wilding and Keith Wilson.

The talks take place at 5pm on Tuesdays in Lecture Room (TG008) at the University’s Garage Studios (behind Worcester News).

The talks are free and open to all, though booking is recommended for the public via sean.edwards@worc.ac.uk

For more information visit:

uwgaragestudios.tumblr.com

www.meadowarts.org

 

 

 

 

Open Lecture - Garage Studios

Free Theatre Workshop for people with Mental Health Issues

Reaction Theatre Makers are running free theatre workshops for people with Mental Health issues.

 

  Informal workshops, run from the Cube in Malvern with theatre professionals, encourage participation in a variety of theatre skills to support self expression and confidence.

 

  Anyone interested, please contact Tiffany Hosking on tiffyhosking@gmail.com

Interactive Family Workshop with Richard Hayhow 30 January

Family Physical Theatre Workshop at Worcester Arts Workshop

A fun, physical and interactive drama day with Richard Hayhow, Director of Open Theatre Company (http://www.opentheatre.co.uk/), one of the UK’s leading companies that works with young people with learning disabilities. Richard has many years’ experience of working within special schools and with young people in all sorts of community and professional theatre settings.

This is a unique opportunity for families to work together and discover new ways of engaging and interacting with each other through the medium of theatre. Plenty of laughter guaranteed!

Saturday 30 January 10.30am – 3.30pm

Prices: Adult £10 | Concession (Under 16) £5 | Group of 4 people £20

To Book: please email info@worcesterartsworkshop.co.uk or call 01905 25053 Monday - Wednesday 10am -3pm.

Please note: Disabled access is available but limited, please phone before to discuss your requirements on 01905 25053

Creative Engagement Conference

 

We would love you to join us at our forthcoming Creative Engagement Conference in Barnsley

 

Please find info below and please feel free to share to your networks.

 

Best wishes

 

Bev Adams

Artistic Director

Faceless Arts

 

 

BOOK HERE

 

 

£40 from 1 Feb

£30 early bird till 30 Jan 2016

 

Event organisers are becoming increasingly aware that good events often need more than good programming to succeed and that locally communities need to gain a sense of ownership to make an event sustainable and successful.

 

The challenge often lies in making the events meaningful and relevant to the local communities and engaging them beyond their role as an audience. Faceless Arts have over 25 years’ experience in engaging communities creatively and placing them at the centre of the event, encouraging them to create fantastic works of art or brilliant performances which add a sense of purpose and create a lasting legacy.

 

The Faceless Arts team will be joined on the day by an eminent panel of speakers who will share their personal experiences of what makes an engaging event. The confirmed panel currently includes:

 

• Julie Ward MEP & Trevor McFarlane, Culture Manager European Parliament - A European Community Perspective
• Ian McMillan, Poet and Broadcaster - Poems of Place
• Bev Adams, Artistic Director & Anita O'Donovan, Marketing Manager, Faceless Arts - Follow the Dearne Stories of People and Place 
• Andrew Kim, Handmade Parade - The Making and Celebrating of Community
• Richard King, Dearne Valley Landscape Partnership - Community Engagement in the Dearne Valley Coalfields
• Jessica Farmer, Relationship Manager, Touring, Arts Council England– Funding Arts Projects in Places Least Engaged by the Arts
• Andrew Loretto, Creative Producer, Right Up Our Street – Doncaster’s Creative People and Places Programme
• Lisa Mallaghan, Senior Producer, Mind the Gap - Working in Partnership with Disabled Artists

 

To book your place the conference visit http://www.facelessarts.co.uk/#!creative-engagement-conference-24-feb-16/fo2bv

Update from Steve Wilson

Happy New Year to you all.

 

I am pleased to give some news and dates for the next couple of months for the Worcestershire Arts Partnership.

 

Children and Young People

 

To begin with our Children and Young People Group are looking ahead to  some fantastic events.  On Sunday 17^th January we complete our search for the 5^th Young Poet Laureate. The event takes place at The Hive and as ever the standard and quality is quite exceptional.  To complete our poetry events the Middle School Poetry Slam is taking place at The Palace Theatre on Tuesday 26^th April and we have the high school one planned for Tuesday 12^th July.

 

The Group are working closely together on developing a much wider offer for Voices and Visions and we are planning two major pieces of work this year. There is  the cathedral exhibition taking place from Friday  13^th May to Sunday 12^th June as well as two performances at the Cathedral taking place on Tuesday 24^th and Wednesday 25^th May  and a further one at The Hive on the 26^th May.  

 

Worcestershire Youth Music are working closely with u on Voices and Visions s and are planning a week long music festival with us from the week beginning 3^rd of July. More details to follow but this will include an innovative performance at Number 8 in Pershore on Wednesday 6^th July.

 

Arts and Health – New Prescriptions

 

The Group is now planning a new event based on the subject of Ethics. We are in the planning stages of this at present but hope to do the event around spring time.

 

We are pleased to announce some funding from The South Worcestershire Community Safety Partnership to develop a further Chipp shop this time at The Museum of Royal Worcester. We are looking for an artist to run the sessions with a closing date of Jan 29^th. Please contact Diane Thomson for more information. We are running the sessions throughout March and April.

 

Jump Start

 

We are running our 4^th Jump Start performance event which takes place at The Worcester Arts Workshop on Saturday 5^th March. We will be showcasing at least four new pieces of work as well as having a post-show chat too. Our other events have led to at least two full length plays being produced so come and see new work, raw and exciting, Earlier that day we will be having a youth theatre showcase as well where you can see some future stars too. This will be a great day!

 

This forms part of a two day event where we will be working with Vamos Theatre. On the Friday 4^th March 2016 together we are running an open space event for all practitioners to get together. The event is called 'A Meeting of Creative Minds' and is an  open space style forum for arts professionals in Worcestershire and the surrounding region. Bringing together the movers and shakers of  the West Midlands’ arts scene, we will explore how we can work together to realise more exciting projects and create the conditions for us all to thrive.
Facilitated by independent Artistic Director Orit Azaz (NoFit State Circus), this will be a positive and inspiring day, exchanging ideas, making new connections, nurturing collaborations, sharing, learning and simply, making things happen. As a reminder the event takes place on  Friday 4th March, 9.30am - 4pm again at Worcester Arts Workshop, 21 Sansome St, Worcester. WR1 1UH

Cost? Free of charge, but tickets must be booked in advance through Eventbrite. To book your place please go to: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-meeting-of-creative-minds-tickets-19441177084

 

On the Visual Arts side we are planning our next event in Kidderminster on Wednesday 27^th January/ Time and venue to follow.

 

The Festival Group is planning our next event which is taking place at The Hive on Friday 11^th March 2016 to recap the year's work and to catch up on the year and to have a presentation by Steve Heap from the Association of Festival Organisers. The festivals group has had some really interesting and inspiring guest speakers so please come along.

 

Many thanks for your on-going support

 

 

Steve

 

 

 

Job Opportunity - Number 8 Theatre

Number 8
Marketing & Programme Assistant
Full-time, Salary: £16,000 - £17,000 (dependent on experience)

Number 8 arts centre in Pershore is recruiting for a Marketing and Programme Assistant to support the work of the Programme Manager in the areas of marketing and programme administration. Number 8 is a thriving community arts centre offering a vibrant programme of film, live events (including music, theatre and dance), events beamed in via satellite, art and crafts exhibitions and creative courses. The centre also includes a busy coffee bar and spaces to hire.  A registered charity Number 8 is governed by a Board of Trustees and managed by a small team of paid staff and over 200 volunteers. 

 

The post holder will support the Programme Manager across the full range of Number 8’s marketing activity, in the maintenance of internal and external communications and with the administration of Number 8’s programme of events and activities.

 

We welcome enquiries from everyone and value diversity in our workforce.

For further details and to download, a job description, person specification and an application form see www.number8.org/downloads or contact Harriet at admin@number8.org

 

Closing date for applications: Thursday 11 February 2016, 9am

Interviews of successful candidates will take place on Wednesday 24 February

You're invited: 'A Meeting Of Creative Minds'

Please see details of this event that WAP is running with Vamos. Should be a great one and hope to see you there.

 

The following day we are running our next Jump Start event at The WAW too

'A Meeting of Creative Minds'

Vamos Theatre, working alongside the WAP (Worcestershire Arts Partnership), is hosting 'A Meeting of Creative Minds': an open space style forum for arts professionals in Worcestershire and the surrounding region. Bringing together the movers and shakers of  the West Midlands’ arts scene, we will explore how we can work together to realise more exciting projects and create the conditions for us all to thrive.

Facilitated by independent Artistic Director Orit Azaz (NoFit State Circus), this will be a positive and inspiring day, exchanging ideas, making new connections, nurturing collaborations, sharing, learning and simply, making things happen.

'A Meeting of Creative Minds' is supported by Worcestershire County Council and Arts Council England.

 

When? Friday 4th March, 9.30am - 4pm

Where? Worcester Arts Workshop, 21 Sansome St, Worcester. WR1 1UH

Cost? Free of charge, but tickets must be booked in advance through Eventbrite. To book your place please go to: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-meeting-of-creative-minds-tickets-19441177084

If you'd like more information please contact Vamos Theatre's General Manager Charlotte Gregory: charlotte@vamostheatre.co.uk / 01905 312921

 

We do hope you'll join us for what promises to be a refreshing day of networking, reflection and inspiration. 

 

 

And why not join the WAP for their linked theatre scratch night 'Jump Start' on Saturday 5th March, also at Worcester Arts Workshop? 'Jump Start' is a networking and performance opportunity for makers of live performance within Worcestershire.  Find 'Jump Start' on Facebook on https://www.facebook.com/groups/248446278623071/. For further information about the event please contact Steve Wilson, County Arts Officer on swilson@worcestershire.gov.uk 

 

 

Best wishes

 

Charlotte Gregory
General Manager

Vamos Theatre
Worcester Arts Workshop
21 Sansome Street
Worcester
WR1 1UH

01905 312921

Bromsgrove Music Competition in 2016 for your talented young musicians with generous cash prizes

This is a rare performance opportunity for selected young musicians in Worcester to play their chosen pieces to an audience in Worcester’s glorious Huntingdon Hall on Thursday 10^th March 2016. Two awards will be given on the night by an experienced panel of adjudicators for the most outstanding performances in each of two categories and those musicians will receive a financial award in the form of a bursary.

Please don’t let any of your young musicians miss this valuable opportunity to perform. The deadline to apply is now only a week away -17^th January 2016.  Applications can be made online via the website below.

This exciting new classical music platform is only for the school children of Worcestershire aged 9 - 17 who play instruments or sing.  They have to be of a standard that is equivalent to Grade 4 (Junior Section aged 9-13) or Grade 6 (Senior Section aged 14-17). There will be an audition round prior to the concert and those musicians selected will play before a live audience at the Huntingdon Hall in Worcester.  This opportunity carries on the traditions of the well-known Worcestershire Young Musician of the Year which the renowned Bromsgrove International Young Musician’s Platform have now taken over from the County Council.  The total bursary monies of £2,500 can buy many lessons, much music or new instruments. 

Please look at the website link to see the details of this new Junior Platform opportunity at http://www.marywhiteyoungmusiciansplatform.com/ and note its association with the existing Senior Competition, The Bromsgrove International Young Musicians' Competition, now in its thirty-sixth year. 

Artist Brief - Chipp Shop, Worcester - deadline for submissions 29th January 2016

 

       

 

 

 

Artist Brief for Museum of Royal Worcester, Chipp Shop

 

 

CHIPP Shop is an exciting, award winning and innovative arts and social care project run by Worcestershire County Council and the Worcestershire Arts Partnership which is aimed at providing high quality and enjoyable arts activities to adults who receive social care.  The project has been running successfully in Kidderminster, Evesham and Bromsgrove and we are delighted to be working jointly with Wychavon and Worcester Community Safety Partnerships and the fantastic Museum of Royal Worcester.

 

CHIPP Shop runs on a weekly basis for a period of up to 10 weeks.  It combines different art forms and allows individuals to take part in various activities over a 2 hour period.  It is a great way of giving a high class arts experience to people who are traditionally excluded from such activities.

 

Adults pay £6 per session and either come alone or are accompanied by a family member / carer etc.  There is also a strong social element within CHIPP Shop and each session must contain enjoyable (and good humoured) activities.  Having said that, CHIPP Shop is first and foremost an arts project.

 

We are looking for 1 artist to run a weekly 2 hour workshop taking place on a Friday from the 4^th March 2016 to 20^th May 2016, not including Good Friday on March 25^th from 10.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. in at least 1 or more of the following artistic systems:

 

ú   Visual arts / film

ú   Creative writing

ú   Music / singing

 

We would be especially interested in working with artists who have an interest in the Museum of Royal Worcester's collection and/or who have an interest in working with heritage based collections and being inspired by it.

 

How to apply

 

Application

To apply, please send your CV and letter of no more than 2 sides of A4 outlining your skills, suitability for the job and the following information to Diane Thomson, Project Support Officer, dethomson@worcestershire.gov.uk:

 

ú   Evidence of previous experience working in an inclusive arts / social care environment

ú   Detailed description of what artistic skills you have

ú   Experience of running weekly workshops to a wide group of participants

ú   Have creative ideas for working with adults who have previously had very little access to the Arts

 

 

Fee

£100 per session or £1,000 in total although additional costs can be requested for materials. If however, numbers are low after the first 4 weeks / sessions, we will unfortunately have to end the project.

 

Closing date

Applications to be emailed to dethomson@worcestershire.gov.uk by no later than 4pm on Friday 29^th January 2016

 

Shortlisted applicants will be invited for an interview and to do a 20 minute workshop with a group of service users on the morning of Friday 19^th  February 2016.

 

Please note we would prefer to receive applications from artists based in or have a track record of working in the Worcestershire area.

 

If you require any further information or have any questions, please contact either Stephen Wilson, swilson@worcestershire.gov.uk, tel 01905 765754 or Diane Thomson, dethomson@worcestershire.gov.uk , tel 01905 765770.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mouth and Music Kidderminster Tue 12th January 2016

On Tuesday January 12th, Mouth and Music spoken word and acoustic music night kicks off a new year by celebrating its 4th birthday! The evening will also be a tribute to its award-winning venue, the Boars Head, Worcester Street, Kidderminster. Featuring will be Sarah Tamar, poet with 'great presence and a persuasive perspicacity' and the biting, observational acoustic wit of singer/songwriter The Humdrum Express. Open mic slots can be booked from 7.00pm for a 7.30 start. Admission is £3 (free to performers). Mouth and Music is a monthly event set up by Sarah Tamar and this evening's MC, The Worcestershire Poet Laureate, Heather Wastie. See www.mouthandmusic.co.uk for more.