Get your popcorn at the ready! Have a look at this slideshow.

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Mass Media

Got an interview with the Echo, the Interlock magazine, announced the event on Essex Radio and BBC Radio Essex. Wouldn't it just be awesome if I could get a plane to fly across South Essex with a big banner advertising the event - dream on! I think I have done well anyway.
When I did the radio announcements I suddenly heard my voice turn into Tony Blackburn's when I said "Come down and hug those tree's you tree hugging hippies!" It made the presenters laugh anyway.
The BBC Radio Essex presenter asked me if I was a hippie and I said "Well I don't smoke anything dodgy, and I don't believe in Free Love. But I do believe in Peace and looking after our environment."
The Essex Radio guy asked me if I would be dressing up in tie-dye clothes, I said no, but would certainly be dressing like a hippie. Then he asked me if I expected everyone else to dress like hippies, and I said "It's not necessary - but hey why not."
So if you feel daring why don't you join me and wear hippie clothes - are you game for a laugh?

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Although I was highly impressed with myself at putting on the 'Vision On' music I got bored with that, then I came across this exciting song by Alison Moyet that was very big in my youth - oh so long ago! Yes it's 'Don't Go'. Has this got any deep significant meaning? Well not intentionally but it could mean I'm hanging on to the green spaces.

Northland's Park Corner Today

click on pictures to enlarge












































I was very pleased with today's event as we got to hear from people who lived at Northlands Park.
Vin started the event rolling by asking the questions 'Can people identify with Basildon?' 'Do they feel they have a thriving community?' Also a lot of people are ashamed to say they come from the area, which is sad as it has a lot going for it including a host of famous faces and a lot of green areas.
Has rocky beginnings played it's part towards a disjointed community?
Apparently when Basildon was first a new town those who already lived in the area weren't always very welcoming to the newcomers from London. Also the people from London were from close communities and were used to lots going on, and they came to this place, away from their extended families, to a place that was starting from scrap and had very little forms of entertainment.
At Northland's Park there are a few who are working very hard to try and create some sort of community, namely the 'Events Group' who from what I have witnessed are doing a marvellous job with their 'Northland's Park Fun Day' and their Christmas Fayre.

Some of the young people today are members of the local youth council, and I was glad to hear that they have often talked about their concerns and shared some of their fantastic ideas with this group.

Ideas:
Make one of the ponds a boating lake or have activities on it.
The Cafe should sell more fruit, or make Fruit Smoothies.
There should be a toilet available all the time.
One young lady was concerned about the fishermen and wanted them to have little huts as shelter, she was quite concerned about their safety.
A swimming pool in the field behind the cafe, one where you could put a roof on in winter and have it open in the summer.
A play park area for older children like they have at Wat Tyler park.

Thanks so much Vin for starting the ball rolling and having so much to say, which was all very interesting and stimulating.

Northland's Park Children's Gallery

A further thought on wanting you to send me those pictures - creating an online Gallery just for the children of Northland's Park.
Go to http://www.childrensgallery.blogspot.com/

Revamped Myspace

I've revamped the Myspace to 'The Events' Myspace now and added a new song!
There are lots of photo's there from the Fun Day - so take a look.
www.myspace.com/artcafeinc

If you're over 25 or may be older you might recognise the tune. I was an avid fan of Vision On and good old Tony, er Tony? What was his name? Anyway he was good and definitely encouraged me in my art. These days you have Art Attack and SMART to do that. I've got links to both of their websites, you just have to look down on the right, quite a way down.
I have just found a link to the potted history of Vision On, and it was Tony Hart
http://www.its-prof-again.co.uk/vision_on.htm

Updated Event's Menu

I thought I'd show you this as there has been a couple of changes like: Lisa is now doing

a Hippie Art Day as well as it being Hug a Tree Day. Also it's a bit iffy if my cousin will or will not

be coming down on the Headless Ghost Tour even though she is a fantastic actress and should

be rubbing shoulders with Dame Judy Dench - she is an extremely busy person, I just hope she can make it. This is why I have approached the Youth Council who seem pretty keen to get involved. The eventual Headless Ghost Tour sounds very promising.

Luminous Green ArtCafé Event's Menu

I decided that the Event's Menu was far too conservative and needed to be jazzed up a bit. Luminous green was the answer for me.

I laminated the old style menu's and Sarah okayed them to be used in the Café, so now they are free standing menu's that people can use to ponder over their food and drink choices.

Hippie Art Day

When we talked about the 'Hug a Tree Day' there was much excitement and talk of bringing extra things in like a sort of 'Hippie Art Day'. We could possibly do tie-dying or friendship bracelets. Maybe tie-dyed head scarves would be all the rage so that we could pose as hippies.
I imagine these activities happening outside on a sunny day, with little signs around saying Peace and Love.

By the way right now I want one of these Volkswagon Buses or an equally jazzy Volkswagon Beatle.

Had a really good meeting today at the ArtCafe

Had a meeting with Lisa, Charlie, Nick, and Jack. It was really good, very creative.
Expect extra bits in the forthcoming events as we've all been brainstorming.

Hug A Tree Day - Sunday July 22nd

The original 'Hug a Tree Day' was 'Mass Tree Hug' featured in Andrea Mason's series of events and in her Diary she publicised. It was held on Sunday 11th of March, I was there, it was a sunny day and we had some very important people there, Angela Smith namely one of them.
I have brought it back again as it was a popular event and two people have requested that I do it. I also think it is important to appreciate our trees, and one time, a few centuries ago Essex was covered in tree's.
I think it's important that we show our appreciation of our trees and outside spaces. (Another thing to shout about on the day of 'Northlands Park Corner'! (Sun July 15th).
I went to Dorothy Perkins today and bought a limited edition T-shirt and bag from the Woodland Trust range. £5 from the price of the T-shirt goes to charity and £1.50 from the sale of the bag. The T-shirt cost £12 and the bag was £10, you can see them on http://www.plantmoretrees.net/ The Woodland Trust site is: http://www.woodland-trust.org.uk/
To see all the photo's of the original 'Mass Tree Hug' go to:
http://thebasildonblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/mass-tree-hug-sun-11-march.html
Plus I did an article on Spread The Art Word about it, take a look:
http://creativityisme.blogspot.com/2007/03/hippy-crowd-spotted-hugging-trees-in.html

In search of inspiration....

I've been using acrylic paints for quite a while and fancied a change, my aim was to come down to the park prepared with watercolour and drawing pens and do a bit of line and wash.

Unfortunately the weather was adding it's own signature to my picture so I had to abandon the idea and headed to the Café for a bite to eat.

Advertising and what not

This morning I got up early to guillotine the Art Competition adverts, putting them in sets of 30 ready for the schools on Monday.

I got thinking about advertising for the Workshops.
I thought how about a cafe menu, advertising the workshops first, then Sarah's Menu (in slightly more brief form), I think people who don't normally come the cafe will be pleasantly surprised by what they have to offer. Obviously they would be available in the Cafe but I would have to seek other places to put them - perhaps the local shops, libraries and Northlands Centre.
I think I would like to have a scene with the parks ducks at the front of the menu as Sarah has them in the cafe (photographs of them of course!) and they are very endearing creatures. Plus in the menu some illustration by me.

I've got a slight bit more time to think about the design so shall play around with some ideas.

IDENTITY

IDENTITY

His-story
Her-story
Your-story

Identifying with place - BASILDON
What do you want from your town, your neighbourhood have your say.

How this works out with the Events:
Poetry Corner now possibly Story Corner - emphasis on a personal history - his story, her story, your story. (Francis Clamp well known childrens book/history writer may do this workshop - yet to be confirmed.
Speakers Corner - Identifying with your town, your neighbourhood - what do YOU want from it. Vin Harrop will be down to say what he would like from his town - but what do you want?
Puppet workshop - Using personal history or local personalised history/identity as a theme, Nick Bond and Lisa Horner to do this one.

Mask workshop - Identity - Faces of Basildon - Charlie

Animation workshop - The identity of Basildon - Jack Norris
Headless Ghost Tour - Identifying with Basildons supposed history - ghoulishly delightful. Sara Vaz
Picnic in the Park, Painting in the park with treasure hunt, Nature walk and arty workshop all identifying with Northlands Park - Lisa Horner

Tony Guyon

I met Tony Guyon today, we had a really useful meeting. First of all I didn't know that Northlands Park Fun Day is on 24th June, this could be a day where we show the community art, Tony even said he would provide a stall for it.
After further thought I said perhaps we could have a 1st 2nd and 3rd prize in age categories, I certainly know some artists who may want to be judges.
The schools may well want to get involved with this, and it is also an opportunity to advertise the other events.
He reminded me how hard it can be, even in the summer, but he could provide me with a list of contacts.
Friends of Nevendon Bushes do Bat Walks, well this could be something we intertwine with
'The Headless Ghost Tour.'
Looking forward to my list of contacts, this will help me get the ball rolling.

Other ArtCafé's

Community Art Around The World

Inspirational for all!










The Peace or War Wall is an expanding creative exploration into the local community's feelings about peace and war.






www.members.aol.com/peaceorwarwall/








Graffiti Art for Peace!







artsnetwork.ca/?q=about






The people of Japan involved in community art - I guess they are doing good things not planning a global take-over.





www.n-pocket.jp/com-art/index.en.html


The LIFECYCLE project was a community cultural development / community art project. This initiative was a celebration of culture of indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse peoples, honouring the contribution of diverse ethnic community to Griffith’s cultural life. The public artworks created through the LIFECYCLE project charts the various journeys and relationships different cultures have with this region, from the Wiradjuri people to the soldier settlers to the recent arrivals. LIFECYCLE provided an opportunity to develop community cohesiveness through the strengthening of our sense of place, shared culture and community identity. The LIFECYCLE model has striven, and continues to strive, towards meeting and advancing the aspirations of our community members. LIFECYCLE also provided a framework to enable sustained participation and interaction between service providers in the community.


http://www.griffith.nsw.gov.au/Page/Page.asp?Page_Id=106&p=1


Community art galleries
In February 2000, the two footbridges adjoining Lam Tin Station were converted into a community art gallery for the display of paintings and drawings by students from schools or artists from local groups in the Lam Tin area.
Following this success, community art galleries have been extended to other stations of the network. There are now a total of 32 such galleries in the MTR system. All have become highly popular venues for the local community to showcase their artworks.
Could we do this in Tescos or other supermarkets???? Maybe our stations???

http://www.mtr.com.hk/eng/whatsnew/artinmtr04/art_community_e.htm

Frogwood Community Arts Project

www.frogwood.org/local_artists.html

The Puppet Show Story

I have to start thinking about the puppet show storyline, I think I have already got a story to work from in mind. Town Mouse - Country Mouse, I remember a story from childhood about a town mouse who went to live with the country mouse, well this could be a start.
Obviously in the war people were evacuated to the country, or it could be they move there with their family, they are used to big city and might be bored in New Town Basildon. But where would the ancient history come in?
How about country mouses family had lived in the area of Basildon for centuries, when the Canti (tribe from Kent) fought with the Trinovantian (tribe from Essex). Could have lots of mice fighting wearing basic cavemen clothes.

In the 1300's, wood was the only fuel used in Essex as most of the area was covered in forest. Trees were used to mark the parish boundaries until recent times, elms and wych elms being very popular.

In the 17th Century beer was a normal drink for all the family since the water was often impure and tea and other beverages were unknown. In those times, most farm and large houses had brewhouses.

Between Domesday and the 18th century there were many spellings for Basildon:1176 - Berdlesdon 1200 - Bretlesden 1240 - Batlesdon 1510 - Bastelden1594 - Basseldon 1602 - Basildon 1650 - Bassendon

Recent History: For centuries there were just small villages in the area with farmhouses and cottages. Until the farmers faced a big problem -cheap wheat began to be imported from America. Farmers in South East Essex found their wheat was too expensive and of poor quality. Many of them decided to sell their land. Some land agents moved in and bought the farms so they could resell the land in small plots.

People who wanted to get away from London came down to the Plotlands and bought these plots. They couldn't afford to build houses, instead they put tents and wooden huts up, even a ships cabin. Some old buses became homes and there was even a railway carriage on one plot of land. During the 2nd World War life in London became very difficult. Some people who used their plots just at weekends moved down and settled in their Basildon homes even though most of them didn't have running water, electricity, gas or proper toilets.

The town mouse comes in when the Londoners are encouraged to move down to Basildon, and town mouse finds it really strange living in all the countryside in basic conditions.
He makes friends with country mouse.
This is my fodder which I have to make something with, I'm not telling you anymore you will just have to come and see the puppet show.

JUST AN IDEA - HAVE MANY IN THE PIPELINE

Alas in the end I had to leave this all to Nick to work on as I was too busy coordinating everything else. Nick's idea's I think are very suitable towards children and is used to young children so catered the storyline well to the age group.

The Art U Need Artists' Seminar

I didn't know what to expect from this but in fact I got a lot out of the day. Particularly when we spoke in groups to the artists. Educationally it widened my perception of public art, personally it was like a brain-storming session.
These are the ideas that sprung from today:-

At the Northlands Park Corner I would like to bring the subject up 'What do people think should be done with the Gloucester Park swimming pool when it becomes de-commissioned.
a) Knocked down and become a hotel
b) Made into an art gallery - there's a huge collection of art to store and a lot of local artists would love a grand place to exhibit.
c) Remain for the use of the sports.


Bob and Roberta Smith was talking about one of his projects called 'Make Your Own Damn Art Fair' where the locals made their own art and put it on display - this coincides with one of my earlier ideas of having art tied to the railings - well it seems more viable in community project that the community are providing their art work - this doesn't mean that artists like myself and others who live around there can't join in too.
I just wonder if we could get permission to use the railings to tie the art too like they do in London.