Barefoot Friday - join us!

What will we be doing this month?: We will be looking at our European project and uploading some short films.... no experience necessary, so don't worry about technical stuff. Plus you don't have to be an established Barefooter already , first timers are always welcome, and any folks who may not have been for a while - come and say "hello"

Date: Friday 25th June ( The last Friday of the month, as usual )

Time : 6pm start with 8pm as the end time.

Venue: Upstairs at the b arts offices

- 19 Barracks Square, Newcastle under Lyme. Staffordshire ST5 1LG

Need more info : You can contact me via email at deborah.nicklin@b-arts.org.uk or call the office for a chat 01782  717326. Check out the new b arts website too at www.b-arts.org.uk

Barefoot Doctors Summer School- details announced.

Barefoot Doctors Summer School.

3 special days of skills-sharing and personal development

for all creative souls in North Staffordshire.

• Three days, 11am - 4pm
• Tuesday 18th to Thursday 20th August
• Light lunch & refreshments provided.
• All Summer School sessions will be taking place in Newcastle-under-Lyme, North Staffordshire.
• Participants can live anywhere in North Staffordshire, plus any artists who want to work in North Staffordshire communities.

FREE.

3 enjoyable days of collaboration and activity that aim to establish a strong and diverse network of artistic people who want to be Barefoot Doctors - people who want to develop and share the skills they currently have, maybe learn some brand new skills and make positive and creative things happen in North Staffordshire.

Attendance on all full three days is preferred , but if that is difficult just let us know before hand and we'll try to be as flexible as possible to make it work for you.

Over the 3 days we will:

• have a unique opportunity to develop our own arts practice and community skills
• learn from the skills and experiences of other people in the group
• celebrate our strengths and recognise our weaker skills
• feel relaxed to share our time and knowledge to develop others
• work collectively in a bigger project
• put our creativity to good use
• learn something about ourselves
• have fun!

These 3 days of participation and conversation will involve practical and enjoyable activities, dialogue and creative tasks with people of all skill levels and backgrounds. We will have fun and work in a relaxed and artistic atmosphere, with some outdoor exploration in the town centre.

Remember - it's for all current arts leaders ,budding artists and performers of the future,who are interested in visual arts, performing arts , new media arts, at any level of confidence and experience. We need a diverse range of people to make this work, so spread the word, perhaps your friends would like to come or you know someone who this might suit... let them know.

To get your booking form please contact us :

Email: deborah.nicklin@pandaemonium.biz

Telephone: 01782 638775

Booking is essential,

Reply before 5pm on Monday 10th August 2009.

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The Barefoot Doctors Summer School is suitable for people aged 16 years and over.

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Are you are under 16?

Would you like to be a Barefoot Doctor?

Still get in touch with us.

....just give us a call or email ( details below)

There will be several drop-in workshops for young people in August that will form the basis of a younger Barefoot Doctors group which will meet after the Summer too.

B Arts project are organising sevaerl sessions for young people this summer in Newcastle called CHIPS. It's or people aged 12 -18 years. CHIPS sessions will also be an ideal place to be creative and share your skills with people of your own age group using digital technology and new media with visual arts and music skills.

These particular sessions are mainly aimed at young people living in the Newcastle Borough due to funding requirements.

Session times: 11am - 1pm and afternoon sessions 2- 4pm

Dates :12/13/14/15/17/21/24/25/26 August 2009

The sessions held on 24/25/26 August will be based in outlying areas of the Newcastle , the rest will be in the town centre.

Interested in the CHIPS sessions?

Please contact Ben McManus about CHIPS.

Telephone: 01782 638775

Email: info@pandaemonium.biz

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Review- First Barefoot Doctors Open Surgery.

Thanks to everyone who came along on Saturday 11th July, taking part in the first Barefoot Doctors Open Surgery, held in Newcastle under Lyme. Thanks to Rachel at 'picl' too, for opening their venue and staying around all morning.

We had 27 fabulous folks at the Open Surgery session. It was a friendly atmosphere, lots of smiling, everyone chatting , drinking tea and eating biscuits.

Essentially everyone had the opportunity to get away from their daily pressures and to talk to some like minded people - catch up with some familiar faces and make some new friends.

(Nice networking)

Everyone took part in the fun "Creative Symptoms"task, using various vessels and containers to mix our collective creative potion.

During the task people wrote down their symptoms - how they currently felt - about their skills and abilities, artistic ideas, artistic direction,the path they are on now, the path they want to take, opinions on community arts practice and their long term aspirations.

Folks said how useful they had found it and how they were looking forward to the next opportunity to get together.

So if you are itching to meet up again or if you couldn't make it last Saturday but still want to get involved in Barefoot Doctors please keep checking the blog.

New faces are always welcome, any age , any art form, any ability.

Details of how you can involved in the next Barefoot Doctors opportunity will be outlined in the next post. (Coming soon ... well, as soon as a I can type and upload!)

Hello to Barefoot Doctors!

Barefoot Doctors is a creative skills-sharing initiative, running for the next three years in North Staffordshire. We will be enlisting the help and expertise of artists ( Barefoot Doctors) who want to work with either a collective of like minded individuals or to work with established community groups, to create vibrant and exciting arts projects across the area. The projects will also feed into the B arts schedule to create bi-annual performances - visually exciting events of engaging physical theatre, using all art forms in their creation. The Barefoot Doctors will also be looking out for talented emerging artists, people within the community who may want to develop their own skills - to become trainee Barefoot Doctors. All art forms . All ages. All abilities. Come along to our first Barefoot Doctors Open Surgery event. 11am - 1pm. Saturday 11th July 2009. The Old School Rooms,14a King St, Newcastle under Lyme. Just drop in, even for 10 minutes, and find out what its all about and get involved in something creative, maybe sign yourself up as a potential Barefoot Doctor.

Coming by car or need disable access?

There is better disabled access from the back entrance to the room we are using, via Hanover Street and there is a small car park there which might be useful too. Because space is limited can everyone else please use pay and display parking on King St, or one of the various car parks in the town centre, just a few minutes walk away. Thank you.