Estuary Festival 2021

The Water Replies is a participatory creative writing and journalling project which ran in 2020 the year the Estuary Festival was originally scheduled to run. See this page to watch each of the 80 journals which have been digitalised to overcome current restrictions, it's a beautiful collection which I really enjoyed taking part in. 
https://www.estuaryfestival.com/water-replies-films.html

School Arts Week (May 2021)

This month is beginning to feel a bit like old times, including having the opportunity to work with a whole primary school of real live children and teachers in actual non digital form.  The school has been using Charles Mackesy's 2019 book The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse which reflects how many of us have felt about the past year or so. The idea of journeying through a storm comes up throughout the book and offers lots of opportunities to discuss the process of change and resilience. Each year group will be making their own storm cloud which will rain ideas, feelings and reflections. Something like this wonderful drawing made by Leonardo da Vinci c.1510, its title varies but 'Cloudburst of Material Possessions' sums it up well as it depicts all manner of domestic objects raining down to earth.

Diversity workshop for teachers

This workshop is a celebration of Black, Asian and culturally diverse British artists from the last 60 years. Learn about a range of notable artists, who they are, what inspired them, and why they are relevant today. This session is a mixture of art history, open discussion and hands-on activities to gain plenty of cross-curricula ideas. 
Delivered online on Thursday 22nd April through Animate Arts, this session is targeted at primary school teachers but would be useful to anyone interested in diversifying the range of artists they reference in education. 

More info here: https://animateartscompany.com/product/diversity-workshop/

Be-Coming Tree (4) April 24TH 2021

The 4th Be-coming Tree Live Art event will livestream 36 ecoart performances happening simultaneously in 22 countries and 6 continents. Artists will perform in 3 groups: the first 11.00- 12.00 BST, the second 12.30-13.30 BST, the third 14.30-15.30 BST. I will be joining in group 2.

These Live Art events showcase artists from all over the world interacting simultaneously with trees in their local environment. On a shared Zoom screen, audiences witness actions, stillness, dance, ritual, and hear a live soundscape created from digitised tree data by TalkingTrees.com.  Each pay-what-you-can ticket includes a donation to plant a rainforest treee via TREESISTERS. 

With performances by and from:  

Sashiko Crafternoon APRIL 25TH 2021

I'll be hosting Animate Arts' Crafternoon this month where we'll be learning about the traditional Japanese embroidery stitch Sashiko. Participants will receive a kit including all they will need to master some traditional forms before being given the chance to go freestyle and apply these skills to the visible mending known as Boro. The parcel will also contain some japanese treats for a lovely Sunday afternoon together.  

Tickets are available here: https://animateartscompany.com/product/crafternoon_sashiko/

Art Builders MARCH 2021

Animate Arts Company's brilliant Art Builders programme continues into 2021 with a series of bootcamps for primary schools. It'll all be online this year which may feel a bit less active but does make things really inclusive. I can't wait to take part and support teachers in embedding the arts and creative learning into their classrooms. When you sign up you get a pack of Top Trump cards featuring the Animate Arts Art Builder team, that's mine above.