PLAY IT ON ! - A world of music in Nuneaton !

June 2nd, 2010  |  Published in Projects

Dear All

Further to my expressions of interest email we are now in a position to take bookings for 18 FREE world music taster workshops* for existing groups of young people aged between 11-19 years in the Nuneaton and Bedworth area!

This is your chance to have a go and see what you think .. the only thing we ask is that you let us have feedback about the session, ie. who was involved and what they thought.

This is all in preparation for our larger youth music programme due to start in the September and so we will also be looking for young people who would like to help us shape our world music delivery in the longer term… so keep you eye out for the keen ones!

To take advantage of this offer

simply complete the booking form and return to Clare Mitchell . (We have below a menu of the types of world music currently available through Global Beats to help you and your group choose)

All of the work must take place as part of “community” type deliver ie. outside of school hours and due to limited funding we may not be able to offer a workshop to everyone…. so get booking asap!

For further information please contact Clare Mitchell 01926 742486, or email claremitchell@warwickshire.gov.uk

*workshops must take place between 7th June -1 August 2010

SPOTLIGHT-Matthew Dibbens (improvised comedy)

March 1st, 2010  |  Published in News, Projects

 

This months SPOTLIGHT! falls on Matthew Dibbens, a local improv comedian. We enter the interview nervously ready to be sliced up on a quick wit and a few verbal silver bullets … but Matt puts us at ease and tells us how we can all benefit from learning the skills associated with his art form…. 

Q. Hi Matt , tell us … What is improvised comedy ?  

A. Comedy Improvisation was made popular by the television show “Whose Line Is It,Anyway?” and is acted by young and old alike. Improvisation,like magic,is the art of creating something out of nothing.What most people do not realise is that improvising,ad-libbing etc is something that we do everyday,as we have no script for our daily lives.

 

Q. Do you need to be good at acting/drama to be good at it ?

A. You do not need acting experience to improvise.All players will need is some enthusiasim and willingness to let go and have some fun.

Q. What do you think you learn by being able to inprove your ability to improvise?

A. During improv people explore and develop certain skills such as listening,quick thinking,risk taking,self confidence and also team work.Skills that will help acting and public speaking but also good for life in general. This will be done by playing games and  performing sketches.

 

Q. OK , sounds good.  Can you tell us about what you do… 

A.  I myself have been involved in improv for the past 3 years performing shows at venues throughout the Midlands and London with Coventrys WOW Impro and Impro Vivo troupes.We competeted in the Theatresports show in London against teams from around the UK. In this I won most memorable moment of the match. We have also performed to stand up audiences as well as writing and performing our own sketches.

 

 Intertested in knowing more ?  ………..Matt is running workshops opporuntinites

 

Comedy Improvisation Workshops

 

Fun Workshops In the Summer Holidays To Help Your Acting And Comedy skills.

 

 

These workshops will help develop quick thinking,risk taking,self confidence and team work all by playing games and acting out sketches.

 

If you have ever seen “Whose Line Is It,Anyway?” and thought you would like to have a go,then these workshops are for you.

 

If interested please call Matt on 07904 448 260 to discuss costs, times etc.

 

 

 

SPOTLIGHT! - Anton Goldstein

January 29th, 2010  |  Published in Projects

Frank 2005

 

Every month we feature an interview with an artist from around the country in SPOTLIGHT!

 This months lucky contender is ANTON GOLDSTEIN!

 

I got in contact (email) with Anton though Clare Mitchell who met Anton and other artists from Spike Island Artist Studios. Having looked at his website we thought it would be a great idea to interview Anton about his work and life as an artist….

 

 Anton’s love for art and sculptures began from an early age. He had a special interest in African-European intercultural aesthetics which shaped his early experiences. Anton was born and grew up in Johannesburg. Reading Anton’s biography I can see that he has always enjoyed the hands on parts of his life. When he was a young boy he was introduced to Plasticine® which was a new object to him, he showed great interest in this material. One of the earliest memories of a fascination/interest in objects that Anton can remember is a red metallic sculpture that stands outside the Cape Town Civic Centre. Anton was never sure as to the nature of the red metal sculpture-what it was and why it was there but it a great appeal for the young boy and has remained a particular icon of his early childhood.

 

Anton got some of his artists creativity from his Grandpa, who painted the house by him self to replicate issues and memories of his and the families life.

 Now a world renowned artist he has made many amazing but puzzling artworks which replicate his childhood and how his experiences shaped his future.

 

    

1. How would you describe your art?

My work is contemporary, definitely not avant-garde (I don’t think this term applies to art- only army tactics).

My art reflects my interests, and I am interested in many things, anthropology, history, biology, human endeavours/exploits… the list goes on.

 

 

2. Can you tell us which artist influenced your work?

One of my big influences was my great uncle- Jack Barnett who was an architect and artist.

Other influences include Jeff Koons, Martin Kippenberger, All the great Italian artists of the past, especially Botticelli, Vladimir Tatlin and the Russian Constructivists, Takashi Murakami, Casper David Friedrich, Glen brown, John Currin, (there are many more, as well as an extensive list of artists I like who haven’t directly influenced me)

  

 

3. You use animals in your work a lot, but the animals you use have a human look about them, why is this?

The main reason is that when placing animals in the position of people it gives the viewer an objective position, so human exploits and endeavours can be seen from the outside and be re-analysed to see how odd or ridiculous things are. Especially formula one racing, something I can only imagine monkeys/apes could enjoy watching.

 

  

4. You seem to have a pattern in your paintings with primates but there is then one which is just a rhino, why did you go out of pattern?

Thanks to your question I have put some other paintings on my website so that lone (most recent painting) doesn’t seem out of place.

 

 

5. You don’t seem to have titled your work, is there a reason for this?

Again thanks to your question, I have updated my web-site, making a web-site is new to me so really appreciate the flaws being pointed out.

 

6. How do you think people interpret your work?

I find people have much richer and more interesting interpretations of my work than I do. Largely people read what I intend them to, I try to utilise the languages that media and society use and ‘talk’ in those languages.

I am really interested in the study of language, it fascinates me. I do think that it is the responsibility of artists to make art that is understandable, otherwise they should just stay at home and not show their work to other people.

When the audience doesn’t understand the work, often the artist is at fault. I always use the example of an artist making a black painting and telling us it is about his dead dog and a depressing Monday, but all we can see is a black painting, nothing more. The rest is make believe.

 

 
7. In your photographs your animals have a cartoon/graffiti look about them, was this the intention, if so why?

It’s not my intention that the work looks cartoony or like graffiti, I guess it comes down to my influences and love of cartoons. I don’t know if this is good or bad, even Da Vinci drew cartoons.

 

8. What advice would you give to young artists who are starting out?

Yikes, well its not necessarily a career that will make you money but if you want to follow your dreams, in any direction I say (like Nike) Just Do It. Get experience volunteering to work with artists and arts organisations, go to lots of galleries and look at lots of art in books in advertising everywhere.

Mainly take criticism on the chin, it is the best thing, its never really personal and can only help, mostly find people who’s opinions you respect, not just people who say nice things- that wont get you anywhere. Also, pick up as many skills with as many materials as you can, never accept limitations, from yourself or others,

 

Report by Joe Malin  

 

 

 

WANT TO SEE  MORE OF ANTON’S WORK ? - VISIT http://www.wix.com/antongoldenstein/empire

 

Beingfrank makes U:Dance

January 25th, 2010  |  Published in News, Projects  | 

Beingfrank Youth are going for strength to strength….

We’ve been working with them for over 2 years now developing boys dance in Warwickshire. posted below is the result of a successful Youth Opportunities bid that enabled them to make a new peice of work to tour. The new work will be featured as part of the U:dance showcase and BDE at dance exchange - but here a sneak preview of the lads in action ……. enjoy the show…………….

Visit their YouTube site at - www.youtube.com/user/rubeingfrank

This video is of the Dance group “Beingfrank Youth- Deja vu”. The footage is of them auditioning for U:Dance which is a nationwide programme which aims to give every child and young person in England the opportunity to take part in a dance performance each year. U.Dance currently has approximately 39,767 children and young people from over 1,253 schools, taking part in over 198 dance performances across the country. The boys took their audition in Stoke and they were accepted and pleased the pannel of judges. Now the boys will represent U:Dance across the contry performing pieces of dance in all different locations in the UK.

Beingfrank Youth makes U:DANCE!

January 25th, 2010  |  Published in News, Projects, Uncategorized

Beingfrank Youth are going for strength to strength….

We’ve been working with them for over 2 years now developing boys dance in Warwickshire. posted below is the result of a successful Youth Opportunities bid that enabled them to make a new piece of work to tour. The new work will be featured as part of the U:dance showcase and BDE at dance exchange - but here a sneak preview of the lads in action ……. enjoy the show…………….

This video is of the Dance group “Beingfrank Youth- Deja vu”. The footage is of them auditioning for U:Dance which is a nationwide programme aiming to give every child and young person in England the opportunity to take part in a dance performance each year. U.Dance currently has approximately 39,767 children and young people from over 1,253 schools, taking part in over 198 dance performances across the country. The boys took their audition in Stoke and they were accepted and pleased the pannel of judges. Now the boys will represent U:Dance across the contry performing pieces of dance in all different locations in the UK.