100 SOUNDS - A call for musicians ....for the Stoke Olympic Torch Relay parade

100 SOUNDS for the OLYMPIC TORCH RELAY COMMUNITY PARADE (STOKE)

WE are looking for brass and woodwind and percussion musicians (any age) of a basic level and above (room for beginners) to take part in a street band of 100 and a carnival of 1000's :)

Here is an opportunity for musicians to get involved with a fun street band for the Stoke on Trent leg of the Olympic Torch relay.

We are looking for brass, woodwind and percussionists to take part in a series of workshops in Stoke on Trent leading up to the procession on 30th May.

Musical Director, Dan Fox is writing new music for the procession. He has over twenty years experience working with street-bands. His playing has taken him all over the world, from playing a heated trombone at the Winter Olympics in Albertville to playing in a wetsuit whilst flippering across a lake outside the Dutch Parliament. He currently plays tuba with the Boom Bike Band and bass drum for Macnas theatre company (Galway).

Dan co-founded and made the drums for Boom Dang, a new style of street drumming that combines Dhol/ Surdos and funky street rhythms.

There will be four Sunday workshops leading up to the parade.

No experience of parading is necessary but musicians must be willing to process with their instruments. Although the project can cater for a wide range of playing abilities, some playing experience is preferable.
Please ask around if you think you may know somebody interested :)


INTERESTED???
Join the 100 Sounds Facebook group  to find out more 
- once you have joined the facebook group you can write on the wall and ask Steve any questions you may have about how you can get involved the project. 
If you would rather talk than type ....you can contact Steve by phone on 07704788937

Olympics Torch Relay Opportunity - FLAG MAKING

100 Flags for Stoke Olympic Torch Relay Community Parade

Calling flag makers and people who can use a sewing machine based in North Staffordshire
An opportunity to learn a new technique and take part in major event in Stoke in May 2012.

On 17th March we will be running an open audition at B arts (Newcastle under Lyme) to recruit a team of flag makers, no previous experience in flag making needed but machine sewing an essential skill.

You will be working with Wendy Meadley (www.flickr.com/workingwiththewind) a freelance artist who has successfully applied the technique of reverse appliqué to flag making in the UK creating unique installations and site décor.

You will be instructed in this technique and then, if selected, you will use it as the method to create 100 large processional flags under the supervision of Wendy Meadley, for the Olympic Torch Relay in Stoke on Trent in May.

We need a team of flag makers who will be:

·     competent at using a sewing machine.
·     have their own machine which they can use for the project and audition
·     resident in North Staffordshire and are over 18yrs
·     available for the following dates:
Saturday17th March (the open audition)
Mon 23rd - Fri 27th April & Wed 30th May ( the actual flag making sessions)

We are able to offer a small amount of money to cover expenses

We would like you to write to us (max of 2 sides of A4) telling us:
·     why you would like to be involved
·     your relevant experience
·     how will you use this new skill in the future

Please send your information, by email info@b-arts.org.uk 
... by snail-mail: c/o Hilary Hughes, B Arts, 19 Barracks Square, Barracks road, Newcastle under Lyme. ST5 1LG


Your info needs to arrive with us before 5pm Friday 9th March
All phone enquiries to Hilary on 01782 717326

A few more photos... memories of Summer School

Save the Last Dance...

Save the Last Dance...

'The Last Train for the last Waltz'

The Barefoot Doctors Summer School 2011........was an absoulte joy to be apart of , I'm very happy to have met lots of like-minded creative indivduals.  Through an exciting and creative three days this has allowed me to renew my creative juices and allowing great ideas to grow. It was another discovery gateway for me as an artist and has enabled me to realise that I can take inspiration from absoultly anywhere :).


The piece I helped create was inspired by the one of the verses of the song 'Take this Waltz' by Leonard Cohen, intertestling enough the inspiration that Leonard Cohen took to write the lyrics for the song, came from the poet Federico Garcia Lorca and the poem is known in English as 'Little Viennese Waltz' . I in turn found this exteremly inertesting and saw this as almost like looking through a window, or a journey of sorts.


And so in my groups mini film/performance of our inspiration/journey that orginated from Federico Garcia Lorca poem, which then became a beautiful music and lyrical piece to then again change into a visual and at times aural stokie piece. I found great enjoyment at mixing different art-forms that of old and new to essentially create a piece of live art.

Oh.... the hokey cokey.....

Well, it is now Friday.. on Tuesday I would never have anticipated reaching Friday... but thats how it goes with weeks I suppose, espescially one's that involve B-Arts and the Barefoot Doctors Summer School! Day Three: Tying together of all our work from Wednesday and performing it live on t'internet... interesting visual effects due to live streaming, adding to the mystique of the performances :-) Each individual giving something different to each piece and each audience member taking something individual with them from it too. Just shows that when you throw a bunch of creative people together that they'll come up with 2+2 = infinity. Even the spaces between the pieces were filled with creativity of some sort.. the dance of moving tables and chairs, the dance of setting up equipment, each intermission choreographed with movement.. would be nice to see a time-lapse of the whole event to watch the rhythms of everyone. Each individual performance piece was outstanding considering the time contraints involved and proved that creative people don't just add creativity they multiply creativity by a million! A lunch of soup, bread and salad, everyone open and chatting, several conversations about life, the universe and all inbetween. Discovering similarities and differences and finding that each person utterly supportive of each other. Now to Flashmob hokey cokey!!! I had taken it upon myself to tag "Newcastle Town Centre" in my facebook status update that morning.. just to see if it would have an impact on what we were doing... the message went out: "Flashmob hokey cokey 4pm Newcastle Town Centre" The pixies of mischief were fully in control. The interesting part was trying to look inconspicuous and at the same time hang around ready for the "signal". The new sweet shop seeming to be a favourite haunt of potential hokey-cokey-ers. So carried away was I with the plethora of confectionary, I nearly missed it.. Luckily the Guildhall reminded me, with its chimes! On your marks.. get set... go!!! It was over far too quickly... the little boy who brought his toys to it, the dog tied to the man's belt (the dog loved it!!!! It would seem that Dog's really "get" what B-Arts is about... such is their sense of humour). Phew!! Its over.. HURRAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Time to melt into the background! "What was that all about?" I was asked, "Is it going out on YouTube?" asked another.. such is the power of social media. It touches all our lives whether we realise it or not.. Social media, blogging, Online home made movies, and all the rest were once the domain of the "geek", the "nerd".. the socially isolated, who used it as a means to communicate with their friends.. Its now been adopted by the whole world... this world has now shrunk.. it is smaller... it is however, still full of possibilities, the infinity of conciousness that can come together for a few days and create together. A group of strangers who have become good friends. Individuals who through social media will continue to create, share projects and go out into the world!!! Thank you Barefoot Doctors Summer School, thank you B-Arts... for inspiring, giving space and time to allow for this to take place. ((((HUGS)))). rofl.

Well that was fun...

Great week with you guys. Kinda want to build a house of creativeness and have us all live in it. By the sea...of tranquility.

Summer Lovin'- had me a blast, Summer Lovin'- it happened so fast!

Three whirl-wind days where strangers became friends.
We would like to thank the amazing group of people we have had the pleasure of working with these last three days. 
You know who you are 
Thank you for displaying such a willingness to share your ideas, collaborate and create magical and beautiful moments with your candles and incense, the senses of sounds, seeing her memories in a ghost coat with the feasting pigeons and the journey of their dance.You know what we mean.
Thats what it's all about...!
Flashmobbing Newcastle  - Relive some of it with Ustream
Don't forget to tag us in your facebook photos
We'll carry on uploading stuff over the next week - so please do keep calling back to the blog and leave your thoughts over the next few days - once you've had chance to get your breath back !

a horrible warning from real life!!!

... look what happened to this ordinary young Newcastle-under-Lyme man after just two days of Barefoot Doctors workshops.

He did not take appropriate precautions!

Make sure that you don't end up affected in this way - take necessary prophylactic measures now - or suffer the appalling consequences.

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Destination unknown...

The 'Barefoot Doctors' has a fascinating air of mystery about it...We never know what to expect from one moment to the next.

Here is a glimpse of the beginning of my journey, looking through the window of the Barrack's studio.

Destination unknown.

Difficult to express my journey today in words.

Perhaps everyone can make their own individual interpretations as to what direction may be taken next and what your personal journey may look, sound, feel, smell, taste like...?

Roxy

Live action.

Info on how to see the live streaming of all your hard work tomorrow
Streaming Instructions (this post will take you via facebook)


So tell you friends to gather around their computers this will be the one they don't want to miss!


Plus we are flashmobbing in the town centre tomorrow at 4pm. 
Definite location to be announced here on the blog, on twitter and on facebook tomorrow. 


So tell you friends they can either join us or avoid us !!!


We're going to have so much fun tomorrow
 - thats what its all about! 
OOOOoooooooooooo.........

DAY 2!

Your mission, should you choose to accept it... ... ... The Viennese Waltz!!! Having not done anything resembling "ballroom dancing" since 15 and my school leavers "do". It came as rather a shock to find we were off to The Rialto Dance Studio in Sunny Stoke to learn it from Helen, another Barefoot Doctor!!! To say we giggled with embarrassment is perhaps an understatement... we (I'm using we, as "we" were a group and I don't think any of us escaped!) were taught how to move, how to stand, how to hold, and vaious other things that you get taught in dance class... It was like being back in school. After dance class, back to Newcastle... to "find our space".... which we did, and sat like children on a school trip eating our specially packed lunches, surrounded by pigeons, shoppers and screaming children! This whole day seemed rather like certain memories from my past... From dance classes attended in youth, through to polling people in town which I engaged in during my adolescence... B-Arts Summer School is nothing less than surprising!! It takes you places you would never think possible... :-)

Deja vu

Well that is bloody weird - blogging here made me go back and look at my old blog, only to discover that the last time I posted, was during the 2009 Barefoot Doctors summer school - two years ago.

For a while blogging was real lifeline for me - I had recently been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and had to give up a job I had been doing for 18 years - I was faced with many months on the sofa and blogging was one of the ways in which I filled my time (I narrowly avoided succumbing to daytime TV). So two posts in one day after two years of silence seems like some kind of testament to the power of collaborative creative activity.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow, but slightly worried about whether fatigue will get me (for those not in the know severe fatigue is a major problem for people with RA) - still I coped today, so a good omen for the morrow.

See you all tomorrow, lovely people :) x

Finally!!!

I just wanted to say a very big Thank you to all of the team at B-arts for today introducing me to the world of blogging! I have now taking the very brave first step to my own site! I have now set up my very own blog, and bought my own domain names. This is a work in progress, but I have at least added my very first blog to my site! I couldn't have done this without all of the advise that I received on day 1 of B-arts summer school. I am very excited about where this could possibly lead! The possibilities are endless, and for the first time, I am excited by this, rather than scared!

I will see you all again tomorrow! :)

Blooming Flip... what a day!!

Well, well, well... What have I learned today? Thanks to Carly, that 33% of people want to know why, and only 18% want to know what... so I'll post a sly why and see if I can grab your attention.. Why???? Well, because it is... totally insane day, as would be expected with B-Arts really... I came because I was "encouraged" to... Deb once said "You'll love it Sheena, come on down" So I signed up. I was told to bring my mobile phone to arrive for 10am and that was basically it.... Well, the days ticked by, babysitting was arranged, and I got up, had half a coffee and turned up.. slightly nervous.. to be greeted by smiley faces (I think Susan demanded that we wore a smile), maybe people were smiling because they had wind, either that or they were just nervous, in the pricise way that children are not nervous on their first day of school. Ice breakers began... hmm... Not sure... Sipping apple juice (Where's the coffee Deb???) Ah-ha moment!!!! Getting the idea now.... Not so silly these people. Ooh, learning interesting things and sharing interesting experiences. Nomnomnomnom.... COFFFFEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! You want us to do what???????!!!!!!!!!!! Oh well, in for a penny......... Which? what? endless void that is "t'internet" Oooh... lunchtime - communal meal, very polite, very healthy, nommy food. Was it objet d'art now... think it was..... Fascinating presentations. Overall, wonderful first day.. now for eggs, chips and peas a mug of tea (need to dilute the coffee!) then off out (text from "t'other arf".... we're going The Glebe later!) See you all tomorrow!!!!

Thanks

Hi ...I'm here! Thank you for a great day :) I feel very energised and excited ..

Responses to performance pieces

As a group, we have been working on a performance piece in response to object-driven performance. We had to tell stories etc. with random objects, and then come together for a big performance later. We decided to highlight the use of the internet and digital media through sharing information in the form of objects to represent various things people put online.

Are we all good to go?

People are about to show us their responses to the great performances they have just seen. Are we OK here Carly - This is my interpretation of the world - Clapping - We are just watching them and doing them - Are we alright here Tone - Yeah what ever - Cool - Slamming - Clapping - Laughing - Are we alright here Susanne - The buses just went quiet - Clapping - You say you are innocent so talk - You don't say much do you - I'm here if you need me - Clapping - You just eat boundaries Susan - Army coat in the courtyard - Silence - Flash! - Laugh - Clapping - Shall we all hide?

current pics

connections

So it's just after lunchtime and the room is heaving with conversation and making, tearing paper, snatches of working chatter come past me like "Are we going to do this with no words," 'Shall we shout out?", "make it quite simple","maybe it's like a work bag". "this is what punishment for kids was.." We have all spent the morning open space-ing our digital landscape,making connections and working out how to join up- so many things- reconciling the public and the private, how do we engage and make the world wide web and engaged and creative space- not just a platform for ranting, mind games and pretence of the least positive kind. A definition of performance is about to be redefined. Here we go Susan