KHP Willow update

A few finishing touches and 'wigloo' ready at Kings Heath Primary School.  Forest school meets here every week.  Volunteer opportunities for parents for design and upkeep of this and other garden and green playground areas - contact KHP directly.

Listen to Light from the shadows

Audio flyer to go with the wonderful 'Light from the shadows' project 

listen to ‘Light from the shadows audio flyer’ on Audioboo

Good Childhood Conversation

A fantastic event, and one we at 'Car Culture' hope to be learning from for our project and event on 30th March.

For more info see facebook: http://www.facebook.com/events/546547188696859/?fref=ts

HuGAs at Ort

Another memorable evening at Ort cafe, this time for our Convention.  After minor blip me failing to arrange childcare and turning up late, on positive side also doubling our under 12s presence (5), total of 39 people over course of evening, convention began without some of the visuals I had been preparing, but in hindsight, emphasis should be on chat anyway, so all for the best.

Brief 2 min presentations ran well and plenty of comment on usefulness of format to increase opportunity for everyone to let us all know what we're up to and where projects going.  Also plenty of time after to find the people you want to find.

Next convention I'd like to introduce 'the HuGAs' - awards for achievement and commitment to the cause of HGA - spreading arts and culture across our district!  Not sure what the categories should be, and budget restraints means it'll probably be more an honorary thing, but I think special mention should go to some of the dedicated folk out there.

You've all been wonderful, and I'm sure I've missed loads of what's been going on, but I'd like to mention a few people by name - my nominees (please add more on comments):

Josephine Reichert from the Ort has been great in hosting events, and work for Ort Gallery - I missed the Gambian band last night, but it's impressive how much else is going on at the old printworks too.

Catriona Heatherington was outstanding at Hall Green winter market and worked hard to make arrangements (and deliver workshops) with Sarah Robbins for the fantastic Springfield Creative Family Festival.

Michael Donalds working hard for neighbouring Billesley community, represented at HG Winter Market, and probably travelled the furthest from across our extended District to make it to our Convention.

John Hill-Daniel who sadly couldn't be at our Convention, but has filmed with the young folk of Calthorpe Park (Field for the Olympics), at Paganel Primary for their Archives, and is now leading Space Exploration across our district.

Foster Darby, Tony Spencer and Pyn Stockman for pulling off a fantastic event at Calthorpe Park for Torch relay and is keeping on plugging away for local communities despite major cutbacks and setbacks, and Laura Watts from Park4Play as partners and digging deep into own resources when we ran out, to host Kings Heath Park Olympic Celebrations

Clare Bell and family who have made it to most of our meetings, including Convention.  Fantastic artists, all of them, and writers too, always generous with contacts, funding sources, everything.

Siobhan Hebert treasurer of Kings Heath Community Centre Playgroup, and her family also artists who supported the Moseley Folk Festival with wand magic, and arranged the Kings Heath CC Art fete before xmas

Big Huggies, or HuGAs to all of you! and to everyone I didn't mention.

Enclosed is comments for you to read.  One not so positive one makes me realise how important it is to keep plugging at being an inclusive friendly bunch, and to make sure our structure and attitude to open dialogue and open access should reflect that.  We've worked on social media representation with open access to all information we have, a googlegroup (like a mailing list) where anyone can write directly to all our members (just email hallgreenarts@googlegroups.com), place our meetings deliberately in public spaces like cafes, and in libraries (not a room at the back, but in the library itself).  Thanks to David Hunt, and I still owe him a bit for refreshments from last Ort - will make sure refreshments sorted in advance for next one.  But as per report, I'm aware we are not having enough art surgeries to be properly sustainable, or in enough different venues.  There has been an offer to run one in a children's centre, and I'd love to do a park one sometime too (last years was rained off).  Please send suggestions how we can make our group open and inviting.

Car culture and more on cars

Below a taster video for car culture project - an everyday journey to Kings Heath Primary School?  Also a radical suggestion to road improvement from John Hill-Daniel, Space Explorer.

 

HGA Report, Survey and convention

Please take a moment and fill in our survey to review the year.  Also stats, links and general summary can be found on our end of year report.

We'll be taking a moment to review the year at our Convention next week (Thursday 21st Feb, 5:30 to 7:30 at Ort Cafe - see last post), so if you'd rather make comment in person, hope you can make it!

We are also encouraging everyone to make short presentaitons  (2 mins) at the Convention, or bring any info about work you've done, want to do, doing in our District.  Please let me know if interested.

Thanks Marcus 07784302283

Creative Families Festival at Springfield

Springfield Centre love being creative. Check out their festival this half term for families, 19-21st February.  Some great local artists and performers for 3 fun-packed days of creative fun, including: dance, theatre, music, stories, authors, poetry, animation, pottery, recycled art, outdoor art, digital art, and lots more.

Tickets are available from the Springfield centre reception at a mere £1 per day for adults, and 50p per day for children - this is the number one local family event this half term.

For more details and extensive programme, see SPRINGFIELD FESTIVAL on Springfield Children Centre's website.

Hall Green Arts Convention

We're going to keep this as an informal event to get together (like surgeries).  It'll be a chance to review last year, make plans for future of arts and culture in Hall Green Constituency at Ort Cafe.  If there is material, promotional stuff for tabletops, stuff that can be projected onto walls, anything you want to bring along, please do - please arrange beforehand with me if requires a lot of space or set up.

Meet people interested in arts, culture, in Balsal Heath, Moseley, Kings Heath, Sparkbrook, Sparkhill, Hall Green for informal chat, events, funding, opportunities, and biscuits (maybe - let's see how far our budget will stretch! If not, we are in a cafe...).

This is important date in HGA calendar - lots of changes and opportunities to be announced/ confirmed/ discussed both for HGA and from Bham City Council Arts Team.

Looking forward to seeing you all.