The Big Society in Action – Great Yarmouth event

Notice from Volunntary Norfolk:

Great Yarmouth has a well-developed partnership approach to supporting community empowerment, supported by a rich and vibrant community and voluntary sector.

The “Big Society” places this work in a new context and provides both challenges and opportunities for Great Yarmouth – a small district with a very Big Society.

The Big Society event will take place at the Great Yarmouth Town Hall on Thursday 30 September and delegates will hear more from the experiences of Great Yarmouth from a range of perspectives, most importantly from residents who have contributed significant time and effort to improving their own communities.

Pertinent to this is the link between community empowerment and recent approaches to tackling unemployment. Delegates will also engage in action-based workshops which will grapple with some of the wider policy issues emerging from the Big Society and translate their meaning into practice.

The conference is aimed at both policy makers and grassroots voluntary and community organisations with an interest in the Big Society and the agenda for Great Yarmouth.

To register for this event go to www.great-yarmouth.gov.uk/council-democracy/news-and-press/content_gybc-newpage.htm, complete the booking form and email it to Ria Day at rjd@great-yarmouth.gov.uk

Priory Gallery Group Exhibition

The Priory Gallery Group present an exhibition inspired by “The Wilton Dyptych” and other sacred art on Tuesday, 14th September 2010, 10am – 3pm, at The Priory Centre, Priory Plain, Great Yarmouth, NR30 1NWT.

These beautiful dyptychs are a result of five workshops, run for local people, at The Priory Centre earlier this year. The workshops were run by The National Gallery with their artist Mark Woodhead.

Manga murals for St. George’s hoarding

Silent Hobo is on the way to completing the 30-metre mural for the hoarding which will surround St. George’s Chapel whilst renovation work takes place.  He is depicting scenes of Great Yarmouth life through the ages – the scene represented here is from the era of Mods and Rockers congregating on the seafront.   For a fuller article on the St. George’s project click here or for  Silent Hobo’s website here.

Avatar at Great Yarmouth Community Cinema

Maritime Festival 2010

The 2010 Great Yarmouth Maritime Festival took place on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 September 2010 on South Quay, when traditional tall ships, expedition vessels, steam drifters and lifeboats were moored on South Quay for visitors to admire.   Photographs above are of the Russian ship, the Shtandart, which welcomed visitors aboard for free.  This three masted tall ship is a replica of  Peter the Great’s first Russian-built flagship (1703) and is generously ornamented with stunning carvings.  Visitors could also go on board the Excelsior and Lydia Eva and enjoy trips on the Southern Belle and MV Coronia, a pleasure steamer which was built in Yarmouth in 1935.

Shanty and maritime music was performed throughout the festival at three different venues, all with bars, up and down South Quay, with a packed programme of artistes, including the Dutch Shantycrew Buitenboord photographed above on their first visit to Great Yarmouth.   

Painting, ceramics, knot tying, net mending and lace making were all on display in the popular demonstrator’s marquees.   Tasty food stalls were abundant including the Feast of Fish marquee, whipping up some delicious fish dishes. Walk about entertainment included The Giant Seagulls, Horatio Herring and Mrs H !  The BBC  presented Bang goes the Theory performances on Stonecutter’s Quay!  The weather was superb on both days and the festival seemed busier than ever.

Out There Festival

Welcome to the third incarnation of Out There – a massive free festival of international performance and participation taking place in St. George’s Park, Great Yarmouth on the 18th and 19th September. Out There is now the largest street arts festival in the region.

Joe Mackintosh of SeaChange Arts says, “We love being Out There! Out on the east coast, we think we’re a little bit special – perched on the edge of the UK and tipping a wink to the continent! Our programme reflects that. This year we welcome one of the titans of international street arts,Générik Vapeur who will perform the English premier their long- running street show, Bivouac. From France we also welcome Chamboule Touthéatre and two of the original founders of the parkour phenomenon in a show called Fusion. Add to that performers from Sweden, Belgium, New Zealand and Australia all bringing us a sense of the weird, the wonderful and the unusual.

We’re also supporting local artists with a series of local commissions and performances around the festival park and there’s plenty of opportunity to get Out There yourself with a number of participatory workshops.”

Out There has been developed with the support of the ZEPA network, an innovative project partnering nine French and English festivals to create and share artists, tours and expertise. While born of international partnerships the festival is founded on the historic qualities that make Great Yarmouth unique with its rich heritage of circus and seaside entertainment.

The Out There festival is pure fun and not to be missed! For more information click here.

Heritage Open Days

A great opportunity to discover hidden Greater Yarmouth over four days of free events with special guided tours and visits to buildings not usually open to the public, Heritage Open Days spans four days from 9th – 12th September 2010. 

Amongst  the many great buildings to explore are HS Smoke House , five traditional old smoke houses in South Denes, over 150 years old and still using traditional methods for smoking herring.  Prebooking is required for guided tours on Friday at 11.00 am and Saturday 10.00.    Also the wonderfully ornate Regent Theatre, now Mecca bingo, designed by Frances Burdett Ward and decorated in the Louis XVI style.  Opened in 1914,  it has been well preserved by its current owner. Pre-booking is required here too for guided tours on Thursday and Friday 11.00 am and Sunday 12.00 am.   But these are just two of  the 42 participating venues.

For more information visit the Heritage Open Days site by clicking here.

Exhibition opportunity for artists

Artists Needed for Exhibition in September 2010

The St James Health & Resource Centre is hosting a collective art exhibition on 24th, 25th & 26th September 2010.

I am looking for artists to come along with their artwork (any media), and exhibit it over the weekend.

Please get in contact with us and let us know what kind of work it is i.e size, media, special requirements.

If you are interested please call Rosina on 01493 335790 or e-mail on rosina.haskell@nwes.org.uk

Deadline for applications 01/09/2010

Sunday Circus at Time and Tide

Roll up, roll up! Meet Rollo the Clown for fire eating, magic and escapology. Visit ‘Showtime’, our circus exhibition and hear a talk on the history of clowning by Great Yarmouth’s Don Stacey. Have your face painted and join in with circus themed crafts and dance. Tap your feet to live music from Great Yarmouth Youth Brass Orchestra and enjoy tasty treats in the delightful Silver Darlings cafe. 10am – 5pm, museum admission only.  Sunday 8th August 2010

Great Yarmouth Community Cinema