Dulwich OnView

FLAM showing tonight in Dulwich

Shapa Begum — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:38:07 +0000

Several years ago, Orlando Gough was commissioned by the Visions Festival in Brighton to compose a 10 minute vocal piece.

At the time he was a big fan of the TV comedy series Smack The Pony and had an idea for a sung comedy sketch about two women who meet in a café. Rebecca Askew and I were both singers in Orlando’s ‘vocal big band’ The Shout. Odd that he asked the pair of us frankly, as we hadn’t been particularly great friends within that set-up – I was rather suspicious of Rebecca because she was (then) a jazz vocalist and she apparently thought I was cold and aloof, hmmm, probably true!

Anyway, along with the theatre director Emma Bernard, the four of us, nervously entered the rehearsal space and began a series of improvisations which turned out to be a huge amount of fun and Orlando went away with lots of ideas for the piece which he called FLAM.

It was a tricky at first, full of gobbledegook which took forever to memorise but we loved doing it, and have since been invited to perform it at festivals all over the place. FLAM has now evolved into a 45 minute show. Come and see!

You can watch FLAM TODAY (Wed 16 May) at 8pm
Tickets: £10/8
Venue: James Alleyn Girl’s School
Bar open from 7.30pm with live music from special guest pianist John Miller

For further information or to book tickets click here.

Stik, Street Art, and Dulwich Hamlet Junior School

Ingrid — Wed, 16 May 2012 09:44:35 +0000

Stik demonstrates safe spray painting to a Hamlet student

As part of the Dulwich Festival, the street artist Stik has been interpreting some of the paintings in Dulwich Picture Gallery’s permanent collection on the walls of Dulwich.

There are many preconceptions and prejudices about both street art and classical art, with these genres being viewed as polar opposites. Often people interested on one genre find it difficult to understand the other.

Stik, a well known street artist, and Ingrid Beazley who is a teacher and guide at Dulwich Picture Gallery, are attempting to bridge this gap with Stik’s interpretations of some of Dulwich Picture Gallery’s 17^th and 18^th century masterpieces created in a contemporary medium (spray paint), in a contemporary space (street walls) and in his unique style. These attempt to highlight the similarities, encouraging viewers to make links and enjoy both styles.

Last week Stik painted his version of ‘Three Boys’ by Bartolome Esteban Murillo in Dulwich Park helped by class 3 S of Dulwich Hamlet Junior School.

Cathy Skelton, class teacher.

The children responded immediately to his gentle self-effacing manner and really engaged with the simplicity and emotions of his painting.

Working outside with a street artist was a new and exciting adventure for all of us and such fun. It was inspirational for the children to see art happening before their eyes and to feel a part of it themselves. An experience they’ll remember and be proud of for a long time I’m sure.

We’re all huge Stik fans now and you can be sure 3S will be looking out for more of his work around the Dulwich Festival and all of London from now on!

Extracts from the letters that the children wrote to Stik afterwards:

Dear Stik,

‘Thank you for letting me paint with you. I think it was a great experience and I will never forget it’ Uma

‘You did a really good version of the three boys and you decided to do it in black and white…. You are very clever to think of decorating walls for people. It makes the world look really really beautiful.’ Radha

‘That day was one of the best days of my life…. I like the way you turned a detailed picture into a simple picture. I think you were really patient and kind. I loved the end result. You got the details but not in a detailed way. I hope you keep on making street art. I like the way you got the emotions in with no mouths.’ Katie

‘I loved the way that Stik was patient and always made a laugh about everything even though it was raining a bit. I also loved the way he explained everything he did. Its so fun that Stik is doing his street art in Dulwich so we can come back and see it whenever we want to. We are SO lucky to work with Stik. It was the experience of a life time! Now Ive seen one of his pictures live I’m going to find some others.’ India

Stik in suburbia painting 'The Fall of Man'

Stik painting 'Eliza and Mary Davidson' by Tilly Kettle

Stik’s paintings in Dulwich can be seen at Push Studios, Blackwater Court; Blackwater Street; Beauval Road; Court Lane x2, Dulwich Park.

It is probable that he will be painting the wall of Property In in Hansler Road off Lordship Lane SE22 later today.

More on Stik’s Dulwich project on Dulwich OnView

Evening Standard Article – Cult Graffiti artist Stik swaps a life on the streets for starry client list

Street Art London – Interview with Stik

On Board the Cutty Sark

Cristina Fries — Tue, 15 May 2012 06:30:45 +0000

The sight of the Cutty Sark against the horizon in Greenwich is impressive in and of itself, but the opportunity to explore the historic tea clipper, from bow to stern, hull to deck, is an entirely more exciting venture.

I’ll admit, when I headed out to see the Cutty Sark, I didn’t know what the big fuss was – it’s only a ship, right? Well, when I arrived at the Cutty Sark station and turned the corner, I was confronted by the beautiful, massive sailing ship by the river. With its rigs and poles and ropes hanging in the air, I was taken aback by it’s impressive beauty and size. Contrasted with the restaurants, pubs, and stores all around, it became clear that it was much more exciting to see it in person than in pictures.

Cutty Sark is one of the nation’s greatest treasures and a World Heritage Site, preserved for it’s history, beauty, and as a memorial for those who served in the merchant service. It is lucky for us that Cutty Sark survived the rough seas during her many voyages around the world transporting various goods to London. Beginning her journeys in the second half of the nineteenth century alongside many other sailing ships, Cutty Sark outlasted the rough seas (with several rudders having been ripped off by high seas and collisions) while most others were wrecked or lost in the first twenty years.

The Cutty Sark, recently restored and presented for public viewing by Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, now houses exhibits in the upper and lower hull that that inform you about the ship’s journeys transporting tea from China and wool from Australia, presented in video form and with information written on decorated wooden cargo boxes. Scattered here and there are photographs and artifacts illustrating Cutty Sark’s nautical history.

Upon reaching the deck, the artful craft of the ship is most evident. You get to see the beautiful detail of the different parts of the ship, and are able to enter many of the rooms for the crew, including the steward’s, first and second mate’s, and captain’s quarters, and several other rooms decorated with old furniture and wood-carved walls, old photographs, maps, and various sea-faring devices. You feel transported back in time to the days in which Cutty Sark was one of the fastest tea clippers of its time.

Part of the hull is encased in a glass structure for visitors to explore the bottom of the ship, which is beautifully gilded, and floats above your head. This area of the exhibit also houses The Long John Silver collection of figureheads, including Cutty Sark’s own figurehead of a woman in white holding a horse’s tail. This woman is actually “Nannie,” the which who pulls off the tail of Tam O’Shanter’s horse in Robert Burn’s poem, Tam O’Shanter. If you want to know what a “cutty sark” is, and what it has to do with the ship, you should definitely head over to Greenwich to find out!

If you’d like to visit the Cutty Sark or for further details, please visit www.rmg.co.uk/cuttysark/ .

Xue Fei Yang, one of the world’s leading guitarists, returns to Dulwich

Shapa Begum — Tue, 15 May 2012 06:00:18 +0000

After her last sell-out concert organised by the Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery, Xue Fei Yang promised to return. She will also repeat one of her few Master Classes, a unique opportunity for every guitarist to get a lesson from what The Strad magazine calls “a most impressive advocate for her instrument.”

Xue Fei Yang had to fight to become a guitarist. She was born in China 1977 following the Cultural Revolution, during which no Western music or instruments were allowed. She started playing at the age of 7 and at the age of ten she made her first public appearance at the China International Guitar Festival. She received such acclaim that she decided to make it her career eventually. Her parents did not approve of her choice as they felt it would not provide a secure future for their daughter. How wrong they were.

She became the first ever guitarist in China to enter a music school and became the first to launch an international career. Xue Fei Yang was also the first Chinese student to be awarded an international scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music and is now honoured by the title Associate of the Academy.

So far she has performed in over forty countries and in 2003 she took part in fifty- four concerts for the “Night of the Proms” tour playing to a combined audience of 800,000. Xue Fei Yang has also played with the finest orchestras in the world and many of the leading conductors.

And now she comes to Dulwich. She will start her programme by playing Bach’s Violin Sonata, which Fei has transcribed herself for guitar. In a recent interview with Classic FM she admitted that she loves Bach. “He is the greatest Baroque composer and I am sure that he would have written for the guitar, if it had existed then. He did write for the lute after all.”

EMI has recently launched a disc with Bach Concertos, all transcribed by Xue Fei Yang. It took her a year, “but it was very enjoyable and I learnt a lot of details about Bach’s music.” In her Dulwich concert she will also play works by De Falla, Villa-Lobos and Barrios. The evening’s programme might not contain any Chinese works, but there will be a Chinese touch to the proceedings. Wedding Trikes will provide Chinese finger food to buy during the long interval. And the concert goers may bring their own wine.

In China Xue Fei Yang is seen as a musical pioneer. “I never think about it. All I wanted to do was to play my guitar,” she said to Classic FM. She did admit, though, that she feels privileged to be a role model for young musicians, both in China and outside. “I never had a role model myself.”

The Master Class takes place in the afternoon of the day of the concert. “Some come to learn, others just to listen,” says Judy Mewburn, the concert organiser. “Last time was an electric occasion and I specially remember a fourteen year old boy from Ghana, who turned out to be a star. It is really a unique opportunity to learn from the best.”

At the concert Xue Fei Yang will play a Smallman guitar – maybe it is one of the two given to her by that other star guitarist John Williams, when he first heard her play in Beijing?

Concert - Guitarist Xue Fei Yang

Saturday 26 May at 6.30 pm

St. Barnabas Parish Hall, 23 Dulwich Village.

Tickets: £17, £15 Friends, includes a glass of fizzy wine. Available at the Friends Desk at Dulwich Picture Gallery, by phone 020 8299 8750 or via email: friendsticketing@dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk.

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Please ring Judy Mewburn on 020 8699 1878 or contact her at gizmo.com@virgin.net to register for the Master Class, costs £15.

Rye Books Launches Richard Guard’s New Book

Cristina Fries — Tue, 15 May 2012 05:50:56 +0000

Rye Books is a wonderfully quaint independent bookstore on Upland Road, boasting fiction, travel, art and design, children’s, hard-to-find, and a selection of previously owned books. They have a small café in the store, selling hot drinks and freshly baked goods to accompany the good reads.

Rye Books frequently hosts events in store, such as book readings and launches, and I attended Richard Guards’ launch of Lost London on 3 May. Free wine, a record playing some jazzy tunes, and a room full of books greeted me as I waited for Guard and his publisher to say a few words.

While waiting, I picked up a copy of his Lost London and began reading. It is a collection of buildings, parks, and landmarks of London that have been destroyed, overgrown, or abandoned over time, each of which has a story to tell. As a collection, they tell us about the often strange or quirky past of London and its people. From asylums for the mad, to pleasure gardens, theaters, pubs, hospitals, castles, and dance halls, Guard’s collection of places of London’s yesteryear is eclectic, giving us readers a broad range of knowledge to dip into.

London has historically been a place of intermittent destruction and construction – of course the Fire and the Blitz come to mind – and this book reminds us of London’s spirit of perseverance and, apparently, commitment to entertainment along the way. Maybe it was the bleakness of the city that made people yearn for that pint of beer or that theater for a distraction. Guard’s book certainly seems to have a lot of examples of entertainment-related venues.

With black and white drawings rather than photographs, the book contains a visual charm that is hard to find in most historical books. Each historical anecdote is short and sweet, written in an entertaining, and at times witty, voice, making it an easy read for those with short attention spans.

So there I sat, in the corner of the store on a plush velvet armchair eating a chocolate chip cookie, intermittently reading Guard’s new book and Kafka’s Metamorphosis, a welcome find in the ‘previously owned’ section of the store. After Guard read a few words aloud to us, he sat down for a quick book signing session while some of us browsed the book selection, drank wine, and chatted with fellow store-goers. It was cozy, quaint, and friendly – a wonderful atmosphere for a mellow, literary evening out with friends.

If you’re interested in more events at Rye Books, please visit www.ryebooks.co.uk for more information. In addition to book launches, they also have regular in-store events for children.

FLAM at the Dulwich Festival

Ingrid — Sun, 13 May 2012 16:41:09 +0000

Orlando Gough

Composed by Orlando Gough & directed by Emma Bernard, FLAM (a mini opera and a musical one-off) explores the vocal, physical and comic skills of two extraordinary performers to present a moving portrait of human interaction over a simple cup of coffee!

Dulwich OnView was delighted to interview Orlando Gough – the fab composer and renaissance man.

How do you choose the voices to perform your music and lyrics?

I’m looking for people who are frisky and adventurous, and who bring an interesting cultural slant to the music. I like working with extremely sophisticated and skilful professional singers, and with large groups of volunteer singers whose only qualification is their enthusiasm.

FLAM

I spent twenty years happily writing music for dance, and I love writing for theatre, but my favourite medium is the big site-specific piece involving large groups of (usually) amateur musicians. These pieces are mad, impossible, delightful, frustrating, exhilarating, hilarious. They make you excited to be alive.

Do you enjoy performing as much or more than composing?

I’m a lousy performer, but I do enjoy MCing. My MCing is quite experimental.

Do you write the music or the lyrics first when composing? Does it differ for each genre?

It differs. Sometimes I set existing texts, sometimes I work with lyricists, sometimes I write the words myself as I’m composing. I’m very keen on nonsense lyrics which somehow make perfect sense – Flam has this kind of lyric – it’s not normal English but it’s clear what’s being said.

FLAM

What inspired you to create FLAM?

I wanted to find out what might be possible with just two people singing – what kinds of conversations, arguments, games. It became very theatrical, not surprisingly, very much about the on-stage relationship between the two women. I also wanted to experiment on a purely musical level with two voices.

FLAM started out in Brighton designed for small audiences – did you think it would grow to become so popular and have you had to make any modifications for larger venues and audiences?

No, we didn’t think it would become so popular. We have made a lot of modifications since the first performance, but most of them have been to do with making the relationship between the women clearer. The action is extremely unpredictable, but there’s now a very believable relationship there I think. As far as playing in bigger venues is concerned, it’s a great help that Melanie and Rebecca as so familiar with the material – they have the confidence to adapt their performance to different situations.

What would say to anyone about to experience FLAM?

Expect a higgledy-piggledy, hugger-mugger hodge-podge of flip-flop flim-flammery: a tornado of hum-drum tittle-tattle, flashes of vocal ping-pong, some topsy-turvy tit-for-tat, plenty of sing-song, a teeny-weeny bit of argy-bargy, not to mention the occasional ding-dong, interspersed with some harum-scarum chit-chat about hanky-panky and rumpy-pumpy. Some of it frankly mumbo-jumbo. But zero tolerance of namby-pamby rugger-buggers and silly-billy whipper-snappers, very little razzle-dazzle, and no shilly-shallying. At times, willy-nilly, pell-mell into helter-skelter roly-poly hocus-pocus. It almost gives you the heeby-jeebies.

Altogether, pretty arty-farty (not for the riff-raff), but far from airy-fairy. Okey-cokey! A must for culture-vultures.

What is the best production you have seen recently?

Unquestionably London Road at the National Theatre. It’s a verbatim piece by Alecky Blythe about the Ipswich murders which Adam Cork has set brilliantly to music. And the performances are stunning.

London Road

You co-founded ‘The Shout’ and have been fundamental in pushing the boundaries of choirs. Has it exceeded your expectations as an organisation and are there any upcoming projects?

The Shout

When I started The Shout I had no idea what was going to happen. We have achieved a lot, and I’m very proud of it. But the choir is sadly dormant, maybe even extinct. It has become very difficult to run it in the present economic climate. It’s frustrating, because I think there’s more to be done artistically.

What is next for you?

A glorious Commonwealth rabble singing on a boat for the Jubilee pageant, a big outdoor piece ‘The Tree of Light’ for the Cultural Olympiad, a site-specific piece on the HMS Belfast, a community opera Imago for Glyndebourne, a piece for the Kronos Quartet. Lots of amateur performers and the odd professional.

You can watch FLAM on Wed 16 May at 8pm
Tickets: £10/8
Venue: James Alleyn Girl’s School
Bar open from 7.30pm with live music from special guest pianist John Miller

For further information or to book tickets click here.

Live Music at Dulwich Festival 2012

Shapa Begum — Fri, 11 May 2012 05:55:10 +0000

When composer and pianist Simon Wallace and I moved to East Dulwich from Battersea eleven years ago, we noticed how green and less urban Dulwich was compared to Battersea. Though I missed strolling across Battersea Park to go shopping in The King’s Road, I began to cherish the open spaces and lushness along Dulwich Common and the beautiful twin green hearts of Dulwich Park and its smaller sister Peckham Rye Park.

Dulwich Park

As Max A Rush’s beautiful photos showed in his recent DOV article, Dulwich is still one of the greenest oasis of South London, with the South Circular meandering through it. Lordship Lane had just a handful of restaurants and a few trendy shops like Ed and Grace & Favour. The Cheese Block and Pretty Traditional greengrocers had already been there for years by the time we moved in and the Blue Mountain Cafe was established as the hub of North Cross Road. Little did we know, however, that East Dulwich was about to blossom into one of South London’s most des res areas.

Adam Glasser playing harmonica

Another pleasant surprise was how many musicians were already living here. It’s hardly surprising then that there’s a really thriving live music scene, with a folk club run by The Goose Is Out, at Dulwich Hamlet Football Club and upstairs at The Magdala, whose guest performers have included the awe-inspiring Dave Swarbrick and Martin Carthy and now there’s jazz on the last Saturday of every month at The Clock House pub, on the Rye at the bottom of Barry Road. There’s a plethora of thriving choirs and the area even has its own orchestra – the eponymous Dulwich Ukelele Orchestra.

As one would imagine this year’s Dulwich Festival, organised by Director Alpha Hopkins and her team of volunteers, also features some cutting edge musical events, details can be found here. And there’s our new show FEMMES FATALES, but more of that in a moment. All in all, the Festival is a fantastic 10 days of walks, talks, music, shows, readings, sport, exhibitions and dance plus Goose Green and Dulwich Park Fairs and pram-racing in the Village.

Me (Sarah Moule) - FEMMES FATALES

Simon and I decided that the Festival would be the perfect opportunity to launch our new songshow, FEMMES FATALES, upstairs at the EDT in Lordship Lane (Friday 18th May 8pm, doors 7.30pm). The upstairs room is an elegant, airy space with its own bar and has traditionally been a live entertainment venue, with music, theatre and comedy going on there for at least the last twenty years, when East Dulwich was a lot more rough and ready than it is today. Long before I lived here I saw writer, poet and stand-up John Dowie (Jesus My Boy and the inimitable Dog Man) at the East Dulwich Tavern, as it was then called, and if I remember correctly I sat in as a guest vocalist that night, with Simon on piano.

FEMMES FATALES is primarily a songshow, celebrating the phenomenon of the Femme Fatale in all her feisty glory, featuring songs ranging from blues to jazz to pop and back again, and premiering some new lyrics from the late, great Fran Landesman, who died last July. Fran was a New Yorker who took up residence in the UK in the mid 1960s and never went home again. At her first London dinner-party she found herself sandwiched between Malcolm Muggeridge and Peter Cook and never looked back.

She met The Beatles, wrote songs with Dudley Moore and Georgie Fame and enjoyed the Bohemian London life to the full in every sense and put her experiences into her lyrics and poems. A true wordsmith, she was one of the last links with the great tradition of American popular songwriting which flourished from the 1930s to the end of the 1950s. My husband, Simon, was her songwriting partner for 18 years and I’ve recorded 3 CDs of their songs and am shortly to do another one. Fran had a great way of depicting character economically, and Simon, being Welsh, has a fantastic ear for melody, so their witty and sometimes acerbic songs suit my collection of Femmes Fatales down to the ground.

Ava Gardner sitting

The original idea for a show about this diverse set of women was suggested by my friend and fellow singer Barb Jungr, a mistress of the one-woman show herself. I knew I wanted to do something just for piano and voice – a new departure for me, as I usually work with a quartet featuring double bass and drums – and Barb’s suggestion immediately appealed.

The Femme Fatale is such an iconic theme, though I must admit when I began my research I didn’t know that much about what really lies behind the name. Seductive and dangerous, she was an important trope in painting, opera and theatre at the turn of the 20th Century. However, most people’s idea of the Fatale comes from Film Noir, a style of gritty American film-making, at its height from the mid 1940s to mid 1950s. She’s often a central character who leads the hero into danger in pursuit of her own independence. Raymond Chandler (an allumnus of Dulwich College) wrote the novel The Big Sleep which was made into one of the best known titles in Film Noir. There’s a lot more to her than Film Noir anti-heroines, but you’ll just have to come along to see the show to find out just how long she’s been around and the sort of things Femmes Fatales have got upto.

Festival brochures are already dropping through people’s letterboxes, so I’m off to book my tickets before events sell out. See you around – and hopefully at FEMMES FATALES! www.sarahmoule.net.

Details and tickets for all Dulwich Festival events can be found here: www.dulwichfestival.co.uk, facebook or twitter.

Do you have any unwanted books?

Shapa Begum — Fri, 11 May 2012 05:50:30 +0000

Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery bookstall at Dulwich Park Fair 2010 (Anna Bonavia, Judy Mewburn and Sally-Ann Johnson)

This is the fifth year that the Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery will be running a bookstall in Dulwich Park during the Dulwich Festival 2012.

It is always a fun and people packed day, with many stalls, entertainment and wonderful food. We are looking for any second hand books that you have siting in the loft, in the garage or just being insulation for the walls!

If you do have any please can you bring them to the stall at Dulwich Park on Sunday 20 May, any time from 10.30am onwards (ask for Judy Mewburn). If you have a large box of books, you can drive into the park before 11.30am, and the person at the gate will direct you to our stall.

In advance, thank you for your book donations, all money raised will go to the Gallery. We usually make £400 plus, so it is a worthwhile and fun day.

Second Hand bookstall – Dulwich Park on Sunday 20 May 2012, 12pm – 6pm.

Cult Graffiti Artist Stik is painting Dulwich as part of the Festival

Ingrid — Tue, 08 May 2012 12:19:19 +0000

Street Art and Classical Art meet in Dulwich.

Outside Push Studios, Blackwater Court, SE22. Stik painting his version of The Guardian Angel by Marcantonio Francheschini in Dulwich Picture Gallery. Image of original below.

Stik’s art is well known on the streets in East London, and now it will be seen in Dulwich. One of the capital’s most influential street artists has been inspired by the old master paintings in Dulwich Picture Gallery and is bringing them to the streets this month in his own inimitable style so that others can be inspired too.

Stik’s art has universal appeal.

Everyone can identify with his figures because they are all about human feelings and emotions, love, anger, joy, fear, jealousy, pride, friendship and very often, vulnerability, which we have all experienced.

Stik’s figures are stripped down to the pure essence of a human being. He does not confuse the message with clothes, hair or any props which could imply status or wealth; his people are not individuals who may be beautiful or ugly, old or young, black or white, they are generalised figures packed with feelings that everyone can recognise. His is a universal language that transcends period, gender, education and age.

When Stik visited the old masters in the permanent collection at Dulwich Picture Gallery recently, he did not see Gainsboroughs, Rubens, Poussins or Murillos, he saw a deep friendship between two sisters, a conflict between love and hate, an adult helping a child.

The Guardian Angel by Franceschini, Marcantonio, Dulwich Picture Gallery. Image of original below

It is this aspect of the old master paintings that he has reinterpreted in his own style, and amazingly, without the help of costume or background, tone or colour, they are instantly recognisable. In fact perhaps you learn a little more about the picture than when, impressed by the artist, you marvel at the brush strokes, the perspective and the nuanced chiaroscuro, but miss the essence.

It is not easily done. His simple lines create a very subtle body language. And for facial expression there are only eyes. Mouths are hugely helpful in expressing feeling, but Stik seems to manage without them.

Stik's Mother and Child photo by Claudie Crommelin

A child clings to its mother’s hip for safety and security, and from that vantage point has the courage to watch passersby. The mother looks in another direction, secure in the knowledge that she is protecting her child so can continue on her way.

Stik is now taking classical art out of the museums where it is revered and guarded and can be off putting to ordinary people. He is demystifying it and making it accessible to all.

These interpretations of old masters will be seen around Dulwich in May as part of the Dulwich Festival. A reproduction of the Dulwich Picture Gallery original will be found near the street work, with directions as to where to find Stik’s original inspiration.

Stik’s Dulwich works will bridge the gap between street art and classical art to the benefit of both genres.

Stik and Ingrid Beazley will be leading a walk around his Dulwich pieces on Saturday 19 May at 2.30pm starting at Push Studios, Blackwater Court, Blackwater Street and ending at Dulwich Picture Gallery. More info on the Dulwich Festival website.

Due to popular demand there is a possibility of another walk on Sunday 20 May. Keep an eye on the DF website.

Whitecross Street Party 2011

Evening Standard Article – Cult Graffiti artist Stik swaps a life on the streets for starry client list

Street Art London – Interview with Stik

‘Walk’ - Stik’s sell out show at Imitate Modern – everything sold out within 5 minutes of the doors opening and many pieces can be found on eBay selling for up to five times its original value.

A Twist in the Tale

Shapa Begum — Tue, 08 May 2012 06:00:39 +0000

Milly Hutchinson interviews London Theatre Award nominee and Winner of Best Performer in Theatre, James Hyland, as he celebrates the Bicentenary of Charles Dickens’ birth with his acclaimed stage adaptation, ‘Fagin’s Last Hour‘ at the Michael Croft Theatre on 19 May.

He talks about Charles Dickens, receiving his Commendation from Her Majesty The Queen, his time at Alleyn’s School, his current London Theatre Award nomination, his ground-breaking productions, and working with Grime artist, Tinie Tempah.

James Hyland

Best Performer in Theatre Award

The last few years have been something of a whirlwind. Last December, I completed the third consecutive tour of my critically acclaimed one-man show ‘A Christmas Carol – As told by Jacob Marley (deceased)‘. The reaction to it has been astounding, culminating with last year’s record-breaking performance at The Stephen Joseph Theatre and winning the award for ‘Best Performer in Theatre’. It is currently in competition with ‘Matilda The Musical‘ (winner of 7 Olivier Awards) for ‘The London Theatre Award‘. This is a great honour for me as the award recognises an artist or performer who has made an outstanding contribution to their art form. The London Theatre Award will be announced on Wednesday 20th June and you can see details of the nominations here http://londonfestivalfringe.com/general/2012nominations/awards/theatre/?award=theatre.

Fagin’s Last Hour

A Commendation from Her Majesty The Queen

Last month, I was delighted to receive a Commendation from Her Majesty The Queen for my Dickensian adaptations: ‘Hard Times’, ‘A Christmas Carol – As told by Jacob Marley (deceased)’, and ‘Fagin’s Last Hour’. The Commendation was received by way of an invitation to Buckingham Palace to mark the Bicentenary of the birth of Charles Dickens. I had the privilege to meet The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Duke of Gloucester, Princess Alexandra The Honourable Lady Ogilvy, and The Duke of Kent who took great interest in ‘Fagin’s Last Hour’ which we discussed for a greater part of the evening. To be recognised for my work by The Queen has been a highlight of my career and to spend time in her company alongside her family at Buckingham Palace was a very great honour.

The Bicentenary of Charles Dickens

Touring the world with ‘Fagin’s Last Hour’ during the Bicentenary of Charles Dickens is also exceptionally meaningful to me. I have always adored Dickens’ works, having read many of his novels repeatedly over the years.

Charles Dickens

He is, in my opinion, our greatest author and to celebrate him in this way is not only fulfilling to me as an actor and a writer but is also a way of connecting with the spirit of the man, being as he was a remarkable storyteller as both a novelist as well as as an actor of one-man shows , the most famous of which were his performances of ‘A Christmas Carol’ and ‘Sikes and Nancy’ from ‘Oliver Twist’. Based on the latter novel and inspired by its most unnerving chapter, ‘Fagin’s Last Night Alive’, I have chosen to tell the story of ‘Oliver Twist’ through the words of literature’s most controversial villain, Fagin the Miser, one hour prior to his execution, condemned to death by the societal laws that created him; in order to lend poignancy to its uncompromising truth, that the order of the civilized, and the principles therein diffused, must be held accountable for the devils it seeks to purge.

Tinie Tempah

Confined to workhouses, starved, and mistreated, the poor had no way of redeeming themselves from misery and death except by running away or turning criminal. Should then the judgment of Fagin be confined to his crimes or should the blame be shouldered upon the injustices of the Poor Law? As a dedicated socialist, the treatment of the poor held tremendous concern for Dickens, and his stories resonate with issues that have continued to hold great significance even in today’s climate.

The subject of capital punishment is no less relevant. Sister Helen Prejean, a long-time campaigner against the death penalty, can recite every argument against its usage: It’s immoral; it’s reserved for the poor; it’s racially selective; it’s a political decoy. “Basically, it’s an act of despair,” she says. “It’s society saying we don’t know what to do with some people – and when you don’t know what to do with some people, it’s okay to kill them.”

Tinie Tempah

Aside from Charles Dickens, I have also been working with Brit award-winning Grime artist, Tinie Tempah, on his short film/music video, ‘Disappoint You’, in which I play the lead role of a nasty cop and also serve as writer of the dialogue. The video has recently won ‘Best Urban Video’ at the UK Music Video Awards and has also been nominated for ‘Best Music Video’ at The London Independent Film Festival. Described by the press as “one of the best short films, not to mention best music videos, ever made”, the film has been hailed by industry executives as the must-see video of 2012.

You can watch ‘Disappoint You’ here:

Alleyn’s and The Michael Croft Theatre

My teachers at Alleyn’s were a great inspiration to me and offered terrific support throughout my seven years in attendance. In particular, my Theatre Studies teacher, Eileen Chivers, and my English teacher, Paul Kingman, will always be remembered with thanks and respect, as well as the Head Master, Derek Fenner, and Michael Croft himself of whose National Youth Theatre I was a proud member. I very much look forward to coming back to Alleyn’s and performing ‘Fagin’s Last Hour’ at The Michael Croft Theatre on 19th May. In many ways it will be like returning home again.

You can find out more about Fagin’s Last Hour here http://faginslasthour.moonfruit.com/.

Fagin’s Last Hour comes to the Michael Croft Theatre in Dulwich on Saturday 19 May at 7.30pm. Tickets are £14 (£8 concessions) and you can book tickets at www.michaelcrofttheatre.org.uk.

A Trio of Imaginative Works at the Scarf Gallery

Cristina Fries — Tue, 08 May 2012 05:55:12 +0000

Pat Keay’s exhibition at the Scarf Gallery in Crystal Palace is a wonderfully vibrant series of paintings and drawings that explore lighting, color, pattern, and the imagination.

There are three collections, each in different rooms within the Scarf Gallery. Fittingly, the first collection of paintings incorporates the patterns and colors of Sarah Campbell’s scarves on display on the ground floor. Keay draws inspiration from these vibrantly colored patterns for the backgrounds of her still-life paintings. She creates a balance between the patterns of the background with the shapes, colors, and textures of the objects in the foreground, drawing out the similarities between two seemingly different objects.

After descending a quaint spiral staircase, you will enter a plum-colored room with Pat Keay’s “Westerton Series” hung on the walls. In this series, Keay depicts atmospheres and environments seen through screens and barriers, such as trees, vines, and hedges. Inspired by a visit to Scotland, the compositions explore natural landscapes rendered in rich colors and dynamic brushstrokes, and seem to have Impressionistic influences in her close attention to the depiction of light.

The broad range of colors found in the spectrum of light is explored in these scenes, and she infuses each scene with a sense of reality mixed with the bright types of color schemes only found in the imagination. Each work depicts a heightened sense of reality, of the physical world seen through the lens of an imaginative spirit.

In the last room, we find Keay’s “Lyric Series,” which she describes as her “imaginative and emotional response to the words and meanings of significant sings from [her] past.” It is clear that, rather than directly representing physical scenes, she delves into her imagination to create abstract images.

Keay told me that she created these works like a stream of consciousness, listening to a particular song and releasing her emotions and imagination onto paper. Though not as colorful as the other series, this “Lyric Series” is just as dynamic and spirited in its monochromatic schemes and abstract compositions. The muses of her work, the eight songs she drew inspiration from, play in the room, and it is quite clear which work corresponds to which song because of Keay’s masterful ability to sense subtleties of song and to depict emotion.

Having returned to London after living in Kenya for 21 years, Pat Keay draws from her broad range of visual experiences in her environs to depict scenes, both physical and abstract, with strong attention to the subtleties of lighting within diverse spaces.

Make sure to stop by the Scarf Gallery in Crystal Palace. It is charming, colorful, and quaint, and be sure to have a chat with the super-friendly Keith and Pat.

The exhibition ends on 31 May. For further details, please visit: www.thescarfgallery.co.uk.

Postcode Art

Shapa Begum — Tue, 08 May 2012 05:50:31 +0000

Ahead of the Artists’ Open House 2012 which is part of the Dulwich Festival, Dulwich OnView speaks to three artists who are taking part in this annual event as well as its organiser, Rachel Gluyas.

It has been a busy year for the organiser of the largest Artists’ Open House festival. Alongside Liz Boyd, Rachel has had the job of organising 250 artists who are showing their work over 185 locations across SE London on 12-13 & 19-20 of May.

“The event has grown in a way I could never have imagined seven years ago and has maintained a really loyal following of artists and visitors,” Rachel explains. “I first got involved with Open House when I met Janet Whittaker who organized Open House in 2005. As I knew some artists in the area I was really interested in the format and when she asked if I would like to take it on for 2006 – I was really keen. In 2006 we had over 50 artists and this has grown steadily each year so that this year we have around 250 artists showing at 185 locations across Dulwich and surrounding areas.”

“I love the fact that visitors have the chance to meet established and world renowned artists alongside newcomers. Open House provides an unmissable opportunity to see behind normally closed doors and to watch artists art work. Each year there seems to be something new and exciting too. For 2012 street artist Stik will be bringing his take on Dulwich Picture Gallery‘s collection to the area.”

SE22 – Ruth Stage

An elected member of the New English Art club, Ruth Stage has an established reputation as one of the leading contemporary figurative painters of her generation. Her paintings are in egg tempera on handmade gesso board and she is known for her depiction of water. They have a distinctive texture due to the unusual medium, a strong sense of pattern and spatial perspective and they depict landscapes that she has visited.

“Coal Seam on the Fossil Coast is the largest painting that I will be exhibiting,” explains Ruth. It is a particular favourite as it depicts the coast at Whitby in my native North East England. I feel that the intricate detail of the cliff face contrasts well with swirling waters of the foreground and I love the fact that the cliff shows rocks, sediment and fossils layered down millions of years ago.”

As well as exhibiting on the first weekend, Ruth hopes to get the chance to visit some of the other artists on Crystal Palace Road taking part in Artists’ Open House 2012 as well as the textile art of Charlotte Clowes and the furniture of Sixninethree at Push Studios.

Ruth Stage - OPEN 1ST WEEKEND

304 Crystal Palace Road, SE22

www.newenglishartclub.co.uk
theruthstage@yahoo.co.uk

Category: fine art

SE27 – Carys Davies

Carys Davies throws pots on the wheel in porcelain in simple shapes, ovals or cylinders as well as plates or jugs and then glazes them with rough volcanic glazes. Her work is smooth inside and rough outside. One has a surface like the inside of an Aero and another is like the pebbles on a beach and they are all definitely three dimensional.

Carys explains, “Recently I’ve started writing on the pots – lines of poetry, for example. These pots are in smooth shiny glazes so that you can read the writing. Sometimes I arrange them in boxes that you can hang on the wall but you can still use the pots though!

“I’m very proud of a piece called “Llestri RS” which is a stack of porcelain plates with RS Thomas’ poem ‘the bright field’ written on the sides. I won a prize at the Welsh National Eisteddfod in 2011 with this, which to my parents was better than being in the Tate!”

Carys loves having people visit the studio, because she feels she can show a lot more work, in a more relaxed way and really talk to people about what they like or don’t like, explain what she are trying to do, show experiments as well as polished work. “It’s also nice to show the local community what you are doing – neighbours and friends too.” Carys adds.

She works in Parade Mews, which is tucked behind the co-op opposite Tulse Hill overground station. It’s an old Victorian mews for horse stabling but now a mixture of artists, potters, gilders, upholsterers and some car mechanics too. Carys has part of a newer concrete shed, which is a large open space, which she is gradually filling with shelves, clay, kilns and wheels.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing other artists in Parade Mews,” Carys says. “A lot of new people have moved in recently and although I’ve said hello I haven’t seen their work yet! Although it’s often quite hard to escape from the studio and my own visitors…. I’m also looking forward to the Thursday night opening at Bainbridge studios.”

Carys Davies - OPEN 1ST WEEKEND

22 Parade Mews, Norwood Road, SE27

carysdavies@fastmail.fm
www.carysdavies.com

Category: ceramics

SE24 – Lucy du Sautoy

With encouragement from family and friends Lucy du Sautoy will be showing her work for the first time at this year’s Artists’ Open House. “The Open House is an exciting opportunity to expand my audience in a friendly and informal setting.” explains Lucy, “It is a great event, unique in that it includes and welcomes artists at every stage in their career.”

Lucy will be showing large and medium-sized canvases exploring elements of light and water in our natural environment. “I have tried to create evocative landscapes which capture the feelings we might have as we observe nature’s routines – such as the run of raindrops on glass on a rainy day or the changing colours of calm ocean waves in summer,” says Lucy.

Lucy has returned to painting in the last few years having left behind a successful career in relationship marketing to look after her four young children. She is currently studying for a diploma in Fine Art at the London Art Academy.

Lucy ends the interview saying, “I hope to get the chance to see Liz Charsley-Jory’s work because she is obviously well established and her work resonates with me but I might not get the opportunity as I’ll be based here alongside jeweller Mitzi Broadbent.”

Lucy du Sautoy - OPEN BOTH WEEKENDS

9 Stradella Road, SE24

Lucy is showing current works in oils and in ink. Inspired by the natural environment, Lucy explores the timeless qualities of light and water, creating sensitively painted evocative landscapes.

lucy@lucydusautoy.co.uk
www.lucydusautoy.co.uk

Category: fine art

Artists’ Open House is part of the Dulwich Festival which runs from 11-20 May. Look out for this year’s booklet which is a show stopping red and is available in local shops, bars and cafes or visit www.dulwichfestival.co.uk for more information.

Jewellery Making Workshop

Shapa Begum — Fri, 04 May 2012 06:00:47 +0000

I’ve always loved fashion jewellery. I have a whole drawer at home dedicated to necklaces, bangles, pendants and cocktail rings in various colours and styles. It is my opinion that accessories are as important to an outfit as support undies – they hold it all together.

Over the years, I have often wondered about signing up for an evening class in beading to learn to design and make my own jewellery, but it is something that has been bumped down the list every time a major life event took place – like having a baby, returning to full-time employment and starting a blog.

So, I just keep Stella & Dot in business instead.

However, last week I was lucky enough to experience a little taster at the April East Dulwich WI event, which was a jewellery making workshop with Vanessa from Mini Print Jewellery.

The plan was that Vanessa would briefly talk through some of the different types of jewellery that we could make at home and then teach us how to make one or two pieces of our own.

Tables set up with beads and tools

Each table already had a selection of beads and tools set out when we arrived.

Vanessa showed us how to cut and roll wire that would then secure the beads on to a charm bracelet.

It looked easy enough.

I laid out my intended design on the mat in front of me and waited for my turn with the wire cutter.

Now, meeting in a pub has many obvious advantages.

But, inexperienced hands working with sharp tools in candle light is not one of them.

It was not long before someone (we’ll just call her Tina) on our table elbowed a glass of water while trying to manoeuvre one of those slippery little beads onto a wire.

All over my foot!

Waiting for the wire cutter

I quickly jumped up and in doing so, knocked over all of my neatly lined up beads onto the floor.

Then as I bent down to pick them up, crash went the professional display of jewellery that was set up behind me.

Someone else on my table (we’ll just call her Katie) stood up to help, and in doing so dropped another of the necklaces and watched in horror as the beads started to unravel onto the floor.

Vanessa’s lovely mum was there and was very understanding about the situation when she came to see what all the commotion in the corner was about.

Much more than she should have been, considering our apologies were muffled by sounds of hysterical laughter.

Ladies working away

We sat quietly back down after that with tears streaming down our cheeks and started to take our jewellery making more seriously.

I took a pin, I took a bead, I took the wire cutters and I turned the pin to a 90-degree angle. It snapped.

I took another pin, I took another bead, I took a hold of the wire cutters again and I gently turned the pin to a 90-degree angle. It snapped.

It was not easy as it looked, and my dream of one day having my own Stella & Dot empire was crushed.

So, I decided to just watch others in action instead.

Gorgeous pair of earrings

Then, I got a bit bored.

Then Vanessa came over and helped me to make a gorgeous pair of earrings.

Sadly, my ears are not pierced so I have decided to give this beautiful pair of handmade earrings away to one of my dear Grenglish readers.

If you are interested in attending one of Vanessa’s workshops then please visit her website for more information: http://www.miniprintjewellery.com

The EDWI meet on the first Wednesday of each month at The Lodge, above the East Dulwich Tavern. Meetings start at 7.30pm. Guests are welcome.

Sarah Pylas blogs at http://grenglish.co.uk. You can also find her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter @smudgerella.

Get your GLEEK on!

Shapa Begum — Fri, 04 May 2012 05:55:03 +0000

After the massive success of our Christmas Holiday Workshop in 2011, we are excited to announce that this Summer The Glee Project returns to Gleekschool, and this time for a whole 1 week workshop!

From Monday 6 to Friday 10 August (10.00am – 4.00pm daily), The Glee Project will be an action packed, fun filled week, where budding singer/dancers will be taught by many professionals from the West End and music industry!

Students can expect a fun, yet challenging week learning new skills (or developing what they already have) in all three disciplines of Singing, Dancing and Acting. Students will get to show off what they have learnt in an end of week show, for parents and friends to come and watch!

As well as group singing we will be encouraging budding soloists too and our fantastic tutors will be only too happy to develop the individual styles and talents of those who wish to present solo material!

So whether its musical theatre or pop/rock music you want to sing, or Street Dance and Hip Hop that you want to dance to THE GLEE PROJECT has something to suit everybody!

Our Christmas workshop in 2011 saw over 50 students (including a whopping 35, 15-18 years teenagers) learning vocal arrangements and routines to the most up to date and current chart hits, as well as some classics that we introduced them too!

The course takes place at the wonderful JAPS hall at JAGS on East Dulwich Grove and places can be booked by contacting the Principal either by e-mail, spencer@gleekschool.com or by telephone on 0203 566 9710.

The 5 day workshop costs £120 per child, (with discounts siblings) and all ages are welcome from 7 – 18 years. All students will be split into age appropriate groups where they develop their love of music and dance with like minded students!

What are you waiting for? It’s time to get your GLEEK on!

My Family in Miniatures Art Competition extended

Andrea Szeplaki — Fri, 04 May 2012 05:45:38 +0000

Due to popular demand the My family in Miniatures art competition deadline has been extended until 16 May. If you have a lovely painting, drawing or photograph picturing your family, children or friends send it to us and you could win an art course! To vote for your favourites visit the Facebook competition photo gallery and like the best ones until 18 May when the voting will close!

My Family in Miniatures - which one is your favourite?

New East Dulwich Film Club – ‘The Bigger Picture’

Ingrid — Tue, 01 May 2012 06:00:53 +0000

The Bigger Picture @EDT - the bright new Dulwich film club.

A new film club is having its first screening on 17 May as part of the Dulwich Festival, upstairs at the East Dulwich Tavern.

The film is ‘Anonymous’ (2011)

Directed by Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, Godzilla). Starring Rhys Ifans and Vanessa Redgrave.

It is an award-winning political thriller advancing the theory that it was in fact Edward De Vere, Earl of Oxford who penned Shakespeare’s plays, set against the backdrop of the succession of Queen Elizabeth I, and the Essex Rebellion against her.

Sebastian Armesto

7pm: David Brett will be playing Early Music

8pm: Introduction by Sebastian Armesto who plays Ben Jonson

More about Anonymous - Was Shakespeare a Fraud?

£7 Buy tickets here

More about The Bigger Picture@EDT

We will be showing films on the third Thursday of every month (and the occasional children’s film on Saturday afternoon), upstairs at the East Dulwich Tavern.

If you haven’t been, it is a lovely, relaxed space and you can view the large, four-metre screen with a drink in hand from the comfort of a deep buttoned sofa or a comfy chair. You can order drinks from the upstairs bar, and if you want a bite to eat before or after the film, you can choose from the pub’s extensive menu – or enjoy one of the special dishes that link to the theme of each film.

It is our aim to offer more than just films but to create a really good evening for everyone who attends.

Films are sometimes accompanied by talks from actors, production crew, critics or writers. Sometimes there is music.

The aim of the small team who have set up The Bigger Picture is to give you a great time whilst giving our profits to support local charities.

So come along, enjoy the films, tell your friends and Contact Us to suggest other films that we could screen and things we could do to make the club even better.

All tickets £7 (family films £5)
Buy tickets here

*Find out more on our website

*Join our mailing list

*Email us at contact@thebiggerpic.co.uk

*Follow us Twitter
*Like us Facebook

Expect the Unexpected at Space Station 65

Cristina Fries — Tue, 01 May 2012 05:55:04 +0000

Space Station 65: Expect clowns, expect dogs, but don’t expect them to comply with your expectations. In Shari Hatt’s exhibition, the title of her work, “I just want to be taken seriously as an artist,” says it all – this cliché phrase, repeated by so many aspiring artists, is the object of ridicule in this quirky installation.

Clown Portraits

If it weren’t for the friendly doorman to guide me in the right direction, I would have walked right past the gallery. Situated behind giant metal gates on Kennington Road, Space Station Sixty-Five is a small gallery with a friendly staff, currently hosting a series of Shari Hatt’s photographic, video, and watercolor works.

The first series you encounter upon entering is a collection of dog portraits, each with the same emerald green background. The general effect is comedic, yet it has a hint of intimacy, as the dogs look directly into the camera and at the viewer. It is definitely not what you would expect upon entering an ordinary art exhibit, but neither is the rest of her collection. After another series of dog portraits, featuring different breeds of black-haired dogs on black backgrounds, you enter a room showcasing Hatt’s film, “The Studio Visit.”

Dog Portraits

“The Studio Visit” depicts a clown who alternates from expressing angst and frustration, to painting with determined concentration upon an imaginary canvas. It is difficult to understand what is happening when you first begin to watch. You expect the clown to perform typical comedic clown acts, but instead you are forced to watch a clown-as-artist act out the drama, the cliché angst, that goes along with “being an artist” in her studio; the only kind of typical clown antics she performs are her exaggerated, melodramatic expressions of emotion and body language.

Later, another clown enters the studio and mimics a typical pretentious art critic – he stares at her work of art for a while as the artist anxiously awaits his approval, then he leaves the studio unimpressed, while the artist is left in a state of suppressed joy. Why would she be happy about this? Again, Hatt fiddles with our reception as the work fails to deliver the expected outcome.

The work satirizes the lives of aspiring artists and the pretention of art critics in the cutthroat art world. The clown, a figure of joke and ridicule, is used as a medium to transmit the feeling of a crossing of boundaries – boundaries of spectacle, art, and reality. Like the dog portraits, there is also a hint of intimacy in this work, in the sense that the viewer is thrust into the uncomfortable scene of a clown in a state of distress rather than an expected scene of humorous foolery. However, reality is depicted through this medium of foolery, thus fusing the two poles into one satirical work of art.

"The Studio Visit" still

In the next room, you will find another video installation titled, “I Just Want to be Taken Seriously as an Artist,” which features a series of clowns performing jokes with punch lines that fall flat. To compliment this video, Hatt also features several watercolor paintings of written jokes with anticlimactic punch lines, such as “Knock! Knock! Come in,” and “Your momma’s so fat. She eats too much and doesn’t get enough exercise.”

In these works, Shari Hatt places the viewer in an uncomfortable place where expectations are not met – they are instead met with a blatant rejection of compliance. The works assure unexpected reactions by the viewer, which in essence, is the whole point of Hatt’s collection of works. She simultaneously satirizes the art world while creating art, and this paradox leaves her audience ruminating at the end of the exhibition.

Be sure to check out this quirky exhibit at Space Station 65 before it ends on 25 May 2012!

Change is coming to Rosendale Allotments!

Shapa Begum — Tue, 01 May 2012 05:50:03 +0000

Not many people know that hidden behind the houses in Rosendale Road is one of the largest allotment sites in London. There are over 450 plots, spread out over a hill where from the top the views over London are magnificent.

Plot holders can see the towering City buildings, The o2, the London Eye and in other directions, views over Dulwich stretching to Norwood and Camberwell. This is when they are not looking down at their plants to catch the slugs and snails and tend their seedlings!

The allotments are leased from the Dulwich Estate and have been in existence since the 1920’s. Plot holders lived through the 1930’s Depression, the Second World War, the 1940’s and 50’s when many local people were particularly hard up. The chance to supplement their family income by growing cabbages, potatoes and copious supplies of lettuces and runner beans in the summer was welcomed.

Photos of the site during the early days show endless rows of neatly tended plots all looking rather alike, with evenly spaced paths, DIY sheds, and hardworking plot holders anxious to abide by the committee’s rules. The older plot holders, some of whom have had plots for over 50 years recall how they lived in fear of the plot inspections and if they had not kept the paths to the requisite size, they would be ordered out… with no appeal.

Nowadays it’s all very different. Few people wanted an allotment in the 1970’s and 80’s. The exceptions were newcomers often coming from rural communities such as Ireland, the West Indies, Portugal, Spain and Greece, bringing new traditions of food growing, exotic vegetables and fruits. Many of them are still working their plots, alongside those lucky enough recently to work their way up the huge 800 strong waiting list which has now had to be closed. The oldest plot holder is in his 90’s and still managing to get to his plot every day…despite his arduous trek up the hill.

The site is completely self- managed, with an elected committee presiding over what needs to be done and encouraging volunteers to give up some of their time to maintenance tasks like clearing ditches, mending broken notice boards, and – recently- helping to clear the site for two new buildings.

Rachel Sharp, a committee member, says: “it’s all very time consuming helping to manage the site, but very rewarding. “The really exciting development in the last few years is that we have managed to attract grants to improve the amenities and also give something back to the community”.

We have made a few plots available to schools and community groups working with people with special health needs. But our big achievement this year, after a long and arduous process, was to be awarded a big Lottery grant of almost £230,000 to replace our dilapidated old wooden building and provide a new meeting room. “The buildings are going up now, and once completed they will make a big difference to members. We have never even had a toilet for all our members, until a compost toilet was provided several years ago. Now we will at last have a meeting place, a hub for socialising and be able to avoid crouching behind the sheds when nature calls. Good for the soil, no doubt….”

The big Lottery grant is also providing 3 part time positions to run workshops on food growing and do outreach worker to try to encourage an interest in small space urban gardening and increase the amount of space in South London for food growing. “There are lots of unused spaces in our area, on housing estates, doctors’ surgeries, spaces where enterprising people are establishing pop up gardens, community garden and even planting herb gardens on the side of the road.”

Rachel says she hopes the grant will provide an inspiration to more people to try growing their own, even balconies, patios and window sills offer great opportunities.

Friendly scarecrow

“Those of us with plots are enormously privileged but allotments don’t exhaust the possibilities of food growing. We want to link up with others hoping to reduce London’s reliance on imported food, multinational supermarkets and large scale agriculture. These often degrade the environment with a reliance on fertilizers and pesticides and frequently destroy local subsistence farming. We hope we can devise an imaginative educational program so that we can strengthen an interest in climate change, and the need to work towards environmental sustainability through growing our own food.”

“There is a huge range of talent on our site. It is probably the most diverse community you could imagine. We have got self-taught prize winning cooks, older members with a wealth of experience who know what to do to avoid drought leading to crop disasters, people who work professionally in horticulture, DIY wiz kids who build raised beds, and trendy sheds, bee keepers, jams and pickle makers, and even experts in wine and cider making; besides the skills of our new part time staff, we want to train our members to plan and deliver workshops so that all this wealth of experience can be passed on.”

For further information or if you are interested in applying for one of the positions (closing date is 8 May 2012), please visit: www.rosendale-allotments.org.uk.

Photographing the Dulwich landscape

Shapa Begum — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 06:00:35 +0000

Dulwich Landscape with Painted Evening Mist

About five years ago I was a landscape photographer trapped in the grey confines of London, always ready to lament the fact that I couldn’t get out to the countryside as much as I’d like. I had quite a nice park on my doorstep, but in terms of artistic inspiration it seemed entirely barren.

I’m glad to say that in the course of those five years, I’ve moved. I now live amongst beautiful green hills, gardens and forests. On nearby slopes, climbing beans rise into the summer skies over a landscape full of trees, rivers and the distinguished spire of a brick-red castle.

The Beauty of the Fog

As an artist I’ve discovered just how dramatic, picturesque and even wild south London can be and also how few people ever see it at its best. When I spend time here I realise that south London is one of the great beauty spots in the country, far more green than grey and a place to escape to rather than from.

It’s no longer a challenge to find ways of depicting this beauty, but more of a mission to do what doesn’t seem to have been done before, at least with photography.

Sweet Peas and Onions in Summer Twilight

Each one of the following locations presents a different facet of southLondon’s beauty, as well as evidence of its history. I’ve returned frequently to each one to show some of the extreme visual contrasts that the passage of a year brings.

If I’m successful, I hope my pictures will help others appreciate how exciting it can be to watch the Dulwich landscape on a good day, our great buildings and trees painted with the same soft atmospheric light that artists have admired for centuries.

Dulwich Wood

Dulwich (and Sydenham Hill) Wood is the last remaining tract of the Great North Wood which once covered much of south London. The abandoned railway track that divides the two parts is a remnant of the High Level Line to Crystal Palace, built to carry visitors to the ambitious new attraction at Sydenham.

Life in the Great North Wood

Cox’s Walk Bridge, which crosses the track was the location of Camille Pissarro’s painting of Lordship Lane Station. What he saw as a clear, open hillside is now deep in the tangle of the woods, giving an unusually vivid sense of the timescale over which woodland can regenerate.

Secret Glade after Autumn Rain

For somewhere so close to central London, its amazing how wild and secluded these woods are, full of wildlife and with the true character of ancient woodland.

Light of Spring

Dulwich Park

Birches in Snow with Divided Circle

I hope this photograph isn’t a source of too much sadness. Dulwich Park still has many great features, but the Divided Circle was a favourite of mine, not as much as an isolated sculpture but as an intrinsic part of the landscape that had nothing but aesthetics to explain its presence. Its verdigris seemed to compliment every other colour in the park, and in the rain it had a lustrous solidity that accentuated the delicacy of the overhanging birches.

The Allotments

Guardian of the Great North Wood

I caught a glimpse of these allotments just over a year ago, and although they are not open for visitors, I knew immediately that they would be one of the most visually interesting local places. I obtained permission to photograph here, but am keen to respect the plot holders’ privacy and concerns about intrusion, so haven’t given details of the exact location. I think this is one of the best viewpoints for seeing Dulwich in the wider landscape, and yet with its rural character it’s another world from the urban expanse beneath it.

The Evening Watch

The great landmark here (below) is Dulwich College, which on many mornings emerges from the mist like a Gothic castle. As described elsewhere on Dulwich OnView, the clock tower was modeled on a Venetian Campanile which appears in Canaletto’s The Stonemasons’s Yard.

Dulwich is a sea of green trees, out of which only the occasional spire emerges, adding a little angular contrast to the rounded shapes of the land. The city beyond is lost in the haze, its glass towers gleaming only faintly through the river’s veil of mist, and the din of its traffic unable to traverse the considerable distance. Instead, the sounds of blackbirds, woodpeckers and bees fill the air, ready to calm the nerves of anyone who feels tired of London and chooses to explore their home rather than escape from it.

Dulwich College in Spring Evening Mist

My photographs are made using quite antiquated technology, a simple film camera and no colour filters or other special effects. I do work hard to see the best of the weather though, and constantly study the relationships between clouds, light and the air’s clarity.

When I’m not out photographing, I spend a lot of time trying translate the original image into a good print, which is another challenge altogether. My project on Brockwell Park was the subject of two successful exhibitions last year and this year my south London photographs, including the Dulwich allotments have appeared in both the Landscape Photographer of the Year and the International Garden Photographer of the Year exhibitions. When I’m not photographing or printing, I play the piano in the South London Jazz Orchestra.

You can see more of my south London photographs on my website: www.maxarush.com. Any enquiries: info@maxarush.com.

The Crystal Palace Transmitter Illuminates more than the Digital Switchover

Shapa Begum — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 05:50:33 +0000

Bye Bye Analogue TV

On Wednesday 18 April, Arqiva the communications infrastructure and media services company, delivered a light show celebrating the UK’s digital switchover.

The Crystal Palace Transmitter tower had dressed up for the occasion and as crowds gathered, the tower was resplendent in a lit overcoat of purple and red.

Despite the drizzle audiences wrapped in winter woolies gathered around puddles under large umbrella’s, Crystal Palace Park itself was noticeably busy as was the CP triangle. Westow House was packed with live music, steamy windows and bar staff that had never known such a busy Wednesday night.

Sir David Attenborough, Professor Brian Cox, Chris Evans and Sir Peter Bazalgette

As the crowd waited for the light show, a tad delayed, spirits and expectations were high; the atmosphere was reminiscent of New Years Eve, Guy Fawkes and Olympic Opening ceremonies.

At 9.30pm, the transmitter removed her overcoat of purple and red and lit up London. The crowds were delighted with a rainbow of shades, combined with white lights that streamed into the foggy night sky.

Within the park itself a stunning glass roofed marquee was in place for invited guests including Sir David Attenborough and Professor Brian Cox; twitter was a flutter with snippets of their debate and cheer. Pictures can be found on twitter and flickr.

The light show was enjoyed by many and the only disappointment for the crowd was a lack of music or sound to accompany the transmitters dance into yet another spectacular of 2012.