Art Classes

Great Yarmouth Potteries are delivering the following courses between 21st March – 15th April 2011:

Most courses are for a 2 hr. session a week for four weeks.  Places are limited, so please pre-book by email or telephone 01493 850585.

Great Yarmouth Potteries also offer tuition on the potter’s wheel, as individual lessons, group bookings or for birthday parties. £9.50 per person.

Great Yarmouth Potteries, 18-19 Trinity Place, NR30 3HA.  For more information about the potteries, the museum, education and the art of Ernie Childs, click here

National Gallery Workshops at the Priory

Exciting news from Great Yarmouth Community Trust – The National Gallery are once again offering 4 workshops to people who live in the Borough. (March 16, 17, 23, & 24 plus a trip to The Gallery itself on May 17th). All levels are invited. The subject is “Still Life”. To apply you must be over 50 and unemployed and/or have a long term health condition.

Application forms from The Priory reception, Priory Plain or call 01493 743000 for a form to be sent. Or email kate-platt@gyctrust.co.uk.

Closing date for applications is March 4th. There are only 12 places so names will be drawn from a hat.”

Circle Dance Workshop for Children

Half-term activity at Bracecamp Hall, Ormesby St. Margaret.  Wednesday 23rd February, 10.15 – 11.45 am.  £2 adult, £1 child. 

The workshop is led by a qualified and experienced teacher.  The dances come from many different countries including South America, Africa, Greece, Hungary, Romania and the UK.  If there is sufficient interest more workshops may follow.  Each child must be accompanied by a responsible adult over 18. Please ring 01493 748830 for further details or to book.

At Wickhampton Farm Barn near Reedham

“THROUGH THE MAGIC OAK DOORWAY”

An exhibition celebrating the enjoyment of Nature here and in other parts of the World. Contemporary artists from New Zealand, Poland, Spain, Norfolk .

A day out with a difference. Wickhampton Farm Barn invites you to take a step into a more relaxed and rural world, and appreciate with us some of the amazing enchantments of Nature. Our private Gallery in a converted barn offers you stress-free, rural hospitality. Browse a large variety of exhibits, both handmade and computer images, cards and crafts.

Stay for as long or short a time as you wish- Refreshments are available, for which a small donation towards sea conservation would be most welcome.

You can also go for a ramble in the surrounding countryside, or visit the nearby church to see the historic wall paintings – and come back for another cuppa!

  Drawing by Elizabeth Kozmian – Ledward

If you wish to view this ever changing exhibition – OR – come for a workshop,  please call Elisabeth and Peter on 01493 700008 or email mailto://tree_402@fsmail.net.

Five Ways to Wellbeing

An exciting new programme of workshops and activities aimed at improving mental wellbeing  is being run through a partnership between Great Yarmouth & Waveney Mind, Seachange Arts and Community Wellbeing Company.

The workshops will introduce the Five Ways to Wellbeing concept, which outlines five simple actions that when practiced regularly can improve our mental wellbeing. These can be simple things such as being active, learning something new or doing something nice for a friend. Participants will also be given a Five Ways to Wellbeing diary to help them chart their own progress throughout the project.

Included in the programme is a series of Five Ways to Wellbeing Heritage Walks where participants will have the opportunity to create an arts project based on observations and what interested them on the walk. This might include film making, photography, music, dance, theatre or creative writing with participants being encouraged to showcase their work.

‘The Five Ways to Wellbeing programme is open to everyone’ explained Corrina Giles of Seachange Arts ‘It’s a great way to meet people; it encourages you to try something new and we hope people can see the benefits and progress they are making as a result of the Five Ways to Wellbeing activities.’

The project participants are also encouraged to volunteer in their communities, with the opportunity to volunteer at Great Yarmouth’s Mardi Gras which will take place on Tuesday 8th March. See earlier blog for more details about the Mardi Gras event.

To volunteer at Mardi Gras or to take part in the Five Ways to Wellbeing programme or for further information, please contact Corrina by email mailto://corrinaatseachangearts@googlemail.com or call 01493 846550

Information provided by SeaChange Arts.  For further information visit www.seachangearts.org.uk

FREE DANCE WORKSHOP

Try Something New!

Israeli folk dance for beginners.

Tuesday 1st Feb  from 10 to 12 am  at The Priory Centre, Priory Plain,  Great Yarmouth (between St Nicholas Church and Sainsbury’s)

No partner needed and all dances walked through first.  Regular class to follow if numbers are sufficient.   Tel Pam 01493 748830  to book a place or email to broadland.cd@tiscali.co.uk

Mardi Gras

   Mardi Gras 2011

The 2011 King Street Mardi Gras took place on Tuesday 8th March from 4-6.00 pm. The event  featured entertainment, food and customs with an international theme, both in the street and inside the event’s tented area on King Street.  This is the second Mardi Gras event to be held on King Street: the weather was much kinder than in 2010 and there was a good crowd.  The event is organised by SeaChange Arts to celebrate the international festival that is Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day .

The theme this year drew heavily on the notion of spring versus winter –  represented throughout the event in the form of ‘Fatso’ and ‘Hempen’ – two characters from the Lithuanian culture who do battle to signify the changing of the seasons. “We introduced Fatso and Hempen at last year’s event,” explained SeaChange’s Chief Executive, Joe Mackintosh, “This year, we’re developing their role and they will be central to the afternoon’s activities.”

The roles of Fatso and Hempen were filled this year by performers from Générik Vapeur, a French street arts company who SeaChange Arts work closely with as part of a European partnership, called ZEPA. The partnership enabled SeaChange to bring the full Générik Vapeur Company to Yarmouth last year to showcase their legendary street show Bivouac as part of the Out There festival.

The Mardi Gras event is designed to bring communities and businesses from around the King Street area to work together. The area is earmarked as a new cultural quarter for the town, focused around the £8m redevelopment of St Georges Chapel into a multipurpose Arts Centre.

For further information on the event visit www.seachangearts.org.uk 

(Information provided by SeaChange Arts)

Spray Art workshops

Street artist Silent Hobo will be in Great Yarmouth on Saturday 6th November to work with the community to finish a large street mural being commissioned for the town, funded with a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The drop-in workshops take place outside Great Yarmouth library from 10am-4pm, where the local community will be given the chance to finish off filling in the mural in a paint by numbers spray art workshop.

The finished mural will then be used to decorate the hoardings around the St George’s Chapel development whilst work is under way to renovate the building.

The work depicts key points in Yarmouth’s heritage and cultural life, from earliest beginnings, through maritime and tourist heritage up to its focus in 1960s youth culture with the Mods and Rockers.

The mural has been created by Bristol based artist Silent Hobo. A character-based artist who works on large-scale street murals, Silent Hobo mixes comic art influences, graffiti and Manga. His work is featured on buildings around Bristol and has been exhibited at The Tobacco factory in Bristol and Selfridges in London.

“My main idea for the piece was to represent the people through this period of history right up to the present day with elements of history passing by in the background” explained Silent Hobo. “To manage such a large mural, I broke the periods of history into sections and I’d originally sketched out a design for approval from the board and pretty much stuck with it. It is so important to have a good design before attempting a mural of any kind.”

The mural also features a local man, Michael Blank, who is chairman of “Comeunity”, the local Neighbourhood Management organisation. Michael is also Treasurer of the Middlegate Community Association. He was nominated and won a public vote to feature in the mural in recognition of his work to improve the lives of people from South and Central Yarmouth.

The works have all been created on panels, which will be attached to the hoarding around the chapel during its renovation into a multi-purpose arts centre and it is expected these will stay in place until major works are completed. Work on erecting the hoardings is due to start within the next few weeks.

Silent Hobo’s Spray Art workshop takes places outside Great Yarmouth’s Central Library from 10am-4pm on Saturday 6th November

THE UPSTAIRS GALLERY BECCLES AND GREAT YARMOUTH

The Upstairs Gallery has been named as one of BARCLAYS BANK top 100 businesses, for trading places. This means that PR is now going national for this award. The gallery is expected to have a major impact throughout the following months.

Supporting East Anglia, we encourage and support our own homegrown artists.  We are a not-for-profit organisation, we need your support too. We are currently seeking sponsorship and funding, if you are able to help, please contact the gallery, details are below.

The gallery is now expanding due to that popularity – trebling in size!

YOUR INVITATION

Extension to the gallery is opening on September 10th 7.30pm – 9.30pm. This coincides with a series of works by Harry Baker and John Midgley in the main gallery, this is an opportunity for all visitors to view the new extension, and talk to the artists about their work.

Michelle Payne, owner and manager of the Upstairs Gallery will be on hand that evening to discuss the new extension and the impact on the Greater Yarmouth arts communities, including schools and colleges.

Workshops

We are also planning to extend into workshops for the community – these will include adult workshops, incorporating oil/watercolour/mixed media, jewellery making, felt and silk workshops. A series of childrens after school art classes will also be available. Please keep up to date on the galleries websites: www.theupstairsgallery.co.uk

Further Artists information.

We are currently looking for new exhibitors, student to professional, community artists, college students, university degree shows, and much more to take pride of exhibitions and shows in both the Beccles and Greater Yarmouth Arts Galleries.

Workshop Tutors Required from September – Tutors for all media required, for new arts school in Greater Yarmouth.

FUNDRAISING SHOW December 2010

MAJOR Fundraising Show in BOTH GALLERIES for December 2010. We are asking for donated works from ALL artists, large or small pieces, for a major exhibition.  To take part please contact either gallery on 01502 717191Suffolk, 01493857574 Norfolk or deliver your work direct to the galleries throughout November .  Students, Amateur, Working and Professional Artists all required for this exciting show.

For further information on the articles or expansions, please contact Michelle on 01502 717191 or email bigartgallery@aol.com

Great Yarmouth’s Circus Story

‘Showtime’, a vibrant exhibition about the history of the circus in Great Yarmouth, opens at the Time and Tide Museum on Saturday 27th March and will run until 31st October.  Items of marvellous memorabilia collected by Peter Jay, owner of Great Yarmouth’s Hippodrome, and Don  Stacey, are included in the exhibition, along with studies by Bruer Tidman and paintings by Katherine Hamilton of the modern day circus .

Amongst the related events at the Time and Tide are Rollo’s Circus Skills Workshops on Mondays between 26th July and 30th August, and Circus Sunday, 8th August, 10.00 -17.00 hrs.   For more information about events visit www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk.

Visitors to the exhibition will receive vouchers for £2.50 of a full price adult seat at the Hippodrome.

The Time and Tide Museum on Blackfriars Road, Great Yarmouth, is open Monday – Sunday, 10.00 – 17.00 hrs.  (Note: Winter opening hours from 2nd November 2010- 31 March 2011 are 10.-16.00 hrs Mon-Friday and 10.00-16.00 hrs Sat. and Sun.) 2010 admission to the Time and Tide museum:  adult  £4.50, concessions £3.80, young person (4-16) £3.30.  Discounts are available for pre-booked groups.  For more information tel: 01493 743930 or visit Norfolk Museums website www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk

For full information about all the museums in Great Yarmouth, with admissions times and prices , click here and download the 2010 Great Yarmouth Heritage Quarter Guide.