'Rakuart' provides a mobile pottery facility for Bath and North East Somerset. This could include one-off workshops, experimental course of workshops, longer training events, commissioning specific pieces, through to pyrotechnic shows and lecture demonstrations. They can be booked by organisations, individuals, groups, schools Youth / Community Centres, Festivals and projects. Whatever your need, they will try to accommodate all requirements. Previous experience in this area includes, The Bath Children's Arts Festival, Bath Area Play Project, various Youth Clubs and Community Centres. Rakuart works to make its art-form accessible.
Rakuart's visual poetic language can enthuse everyone…
For more information, contact Peter Attenborough, 7 Barton Buildings, Bath. Tel: 01225 442839 Fax: 01225 402607

National Youth Arts Festival
4th - 9th June 1999
The National Youth Arts Festival, now in its 8th year, provides a unique national platform for youth arts. It also provides training for young people who are involved in planning, organising and running the Festival itself. The Festival is open to all young people aged 14 - 25yrs. It is non-competitive and you do not have to bring a performance to come. If you do bring a performance, the venue is arranged for you. You will see youth arts work from Fife to Penzance showcased in Ilfracombe and meet other participants in the Festival Club. This year, Forkbeard Fantasy will be offering training. Sun sea, surf and sand for you to relax too!
Booking, more details and a Festival information pack contact:
The National Youth Arts Festival Office,The Ariel Music Centre, Mullacott
Ilfracombe, EX34 8ND
Tel: 01271 862419 Fax: 01271 867989 :E-mail: nat.yth.artfest@dial.pipex.com Web: http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/nat.yth.artfest

 
Local Information, Exhibitions and Performances:
Event: 'Wellsprings' A joint exhibition between The Craft Guild and Bath Artist Printmakers.
Dates: April 21st – May 5th 1999
Private View – Wednesday 20th April 6 – 8pm.
Venue: Hotbath Gallery, City of Bath College, Bath.
Admission: FREE. Daily 10am – 4.45pm (not Sundays).
Contact: Jill Bartlett – 01225 461825
(also more at this site)

Details: The 'Wellsprings' exhibitions will be one of the first amongst the arts events and activities leading up to the completion of the Bath Spa Project – the new Spa building is due to be opened in 2000. The exhibitors all live and work in the Greater Bath area and they have given special attention to themes relating to the hot springs, the use to which they have been put and their influence on Bath's development over the centuries. In creating their work the artists and makers have taken a broad view of the interpretation of the theme.
During the show there will be a demonstration of lead working such as bossing techniques and making lead rainwater pipes – some of which can be extremely decorative. This has been stimulated by the links between lead mined from the Mendips and its use by the Romans to line the Great Bath. There will also be lunchtime lectures, one by a member of The Coracle Society, and demonstrations of printmaking at the adjacent studio of the Printmakers.

Thumbs Up for Community Millennium Festival!
£25,000 cash windfall for communities in Bath & North East Somerset will help boost key local arts festivals during the millennium year. This bid was put together by the Bath City Centre Partnership, led by Bath & North East Somerset Council with local business community, and local arts festival organisers. The bid stressed that the festival would be an opportunity to bring together dispersed communities and local groups.
The Millennium Community Festival will be a year-long programme of specialists in music, writing and community arts working with local communities on projects which reflect the local area. Their work will culminate in a three day festival across Bath &
North East Somerset which links in with the three existing festivals (The Keynsham Music Festival, Norton Radstock Gala Day and Bath Fringe Festival).Anna Crosbie, who spearheaded the successful partnership bid said "This project began some years ago as an initiative to devise a community festival representing the whole of Bath & North East Somerset. The success of this bid is tremendous news for that initiative and will help secure the community's involvement in festivals of the future."
Now the partnership is turning its attention to securing a remaining £20,000 funding to complete the funding targets. As well as officer expertise and time, Bath & North East Somerset Council has already committed some £5,000 towards that total.
Anyone interested in supporting the project or donating money can contact Anna Crosbie 01225 477256 or Annie Beardsley, freelance project manager 01225 730082.
The Council's Arts Development Team also has the relevant information.

Calling all Community Musicians Paula Jardim, NESA's Music Co-ordinator, is keen to here from experienced community musicians interested in working on a range of music projects. Paula is currently fundraising to set up a number of new projects for people with mental health problems, older people from ethnic minority groups in Bath, young people and housebound people. Please send CV to Paula at the NESA office.


CANVAS
A tour of contemporary art will be visiting Ubley, Paulton and Keynsham in May. Participating artists will be offering workshops to schools and community groups as part of the tour. If your group would be interested in exploring the theme of 'identity' with a practicing artist get in touch with NESA now.

 


Over 50's Movement. The classes led by Reni Brown will involve a gentle programme of movement exercises and give older people the chance to try out a variety of dance styles.
Mondays 10am - 12 noon
The Old Town Hall, Midsomer Norton,
20 weeks from 8th March.


2001 a Lake Odyssey!
The Chew Valley Community Performance Project will be creating a show to be performed by the lake in the summer of 2001.
A touring exhibition will visit Chew Valley villages from 19th to 13th April to drum up interest.
On 22nd & 23rd May there will be workshops at Bishop Sutton Village Hall to generate ideas for the content and structure of the show.
See NESA Newsletters for full details.


Get Dancing in Keynsham
If you fancy doing some dancing but none of the existing local dance classes appeal, a new series of dance taster workshops might be just the thing for you. Seven weeks of dance classes with a difference. Try Arab/Egyrtian, Flamenco, Bhangra, Salsa, Folk/stave, Contempaorary and African dance styles. Funded by Bath & North East Sommerset, workshops will run from Thursday 15th April to Thurdsay 27th May 7.30 til 9.30. Venue to be comfirmed contact NESA for details.


Bands Wanted
Nesa is on the look out for bands and musical groups of all types to perform at Keynsham Music Festival on Sunday 4th July. Volunteers will also be needed to help stage the event. Join our team of musically motivated volunteers and we can promise you the fun and mayhem of being involved in a large-scale outdoor arts event, Contact Paula Jardim at NESA.

NESA, Leigh House, 1 Wells Rd, Radstock, Bath BA3 3RGN Tel: 0176143

 


Useful Information

Sound Sense, the National Development Agency for Community Music, has
produced a new booklet to help promote the significance and value of community
music. It contains details of the type of people, places and organisations involved in
community music and short descriptions of seven community music projects.
Tel: 01449 736287 Fax: 01449 737649
E-Mail: 100256.30@compuserve.com


The Independent Theatre Council has recently relaunched its website. The new resource features an open area, offering access to all, and a passworded area of the site, accessible to members only. www.itc-arts.org


Space for Free!!
Wall-mounted, glass-fronted display case available at Milsom Street Clinic, for exhibiting artwork. Prior booking essential. Full details from Alexandra Rice, Milsom Street Clinic, 28 Milsom Street, Bath, BA1 1DG. Tel: 01225 463502.

 

Voluntary Arts Network.
Local arts groups are being given the opportunity to subscribe to the Voluntary Arts Network (VAN). VAN is the UK's development organisation for the voluntary arts, who work to promote participation in the arts and crafts. Subscribers will receive their quarterly magazine 'Update' which is packed with networking and funding opportunities, news of training, conferences and events and details of organisations around the UK who want to pass on their success and good practice to others. Each edition also carries with it two jargon-free briefing sheets full of essential practical advice for voluntary arts groups, e.g. planning a marketing campaign, evaluation, getting charitable status and incorporation. Subscriptions are priced at £25.00.
For more info contact VAN at PO Box 200, Cardiff CF5 1YH.
Tel: 01222 395395 Fax: 01222397397 E-mail: info@vanmail.demon.co.uk


Public Art Consultancy across the four Unitary Authorities of Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Bristol.Supporting the work of the Arts Development Planning Forum, a joint collaboration between officer and members responsible for arts matters, the four unitary authorities have commissioned Public Art Consultant, Alastair Snow to conduct research into public art in partnership with Public Art South West. The work will identify the individual needs for public art development within the individual authorities and highlight potential areas of joint working across the four authorities, thus maximising opportunity and sharing expertise to further public art practice in the region. It is recognised that each authority is at different stages of development. With respect to Bath and North East Somerset…watch this space!

 

Opening Night Procession
This year, Bath Festivals Trust will again be collaborating with Carnival Arts to work with schools and community groups to create another dazzling procession for the Opening Night Celebrations.
Organisers want this years procession to be bigger, better, louder and more colourful so have chosen the theme of colour. Entries can be any size, shape or creature - as long as they are colourful! You can fly your colours as flags, birds, insects, dragons or puppets. The plan is for each group to feature one bright colour so that the procession will be an explosion of all the colours of the spectrum. You can be primary, secondary or complimentary or fundamental - anything but dull!
Carnival Arts is a collective of community artists who specialise in making costumes and structures for festival celebrations. They will be supported by students from City from Bath College Community Arts HND and University of the West of England Fine Art in Context course. They will be available to lead workshops, consult on ideas and technical problems, and to ensure the event runs smoothly on the night. Workshops will be booked on a first-come, first served basis. They will be available for daytime workshops in schools or early evening for sessions with community groups.
The procession will be accompanied by street performers and musicians who will help make it as fun and entertaining as possible. If you have a band who are prepared to turn out in colourful uniform and join the fun, get in touch.
Marks & Spencer will again be awarding prizes for the best individual and group entries.
Start planning now! Let's see you in your true colours! Enlist the help of your community group, school, family and friends now and contact Susanna Watson or Gemma White or Bath Festivals Trust, Tel: 01225 462231 for more information.

 

Circus Musica
Closing Night Celebrations: Sunday 6th June 1999
Calling all wind players!
We need to gather 200 clarinets, saxophones, brass players and percussionists to join in one of the most amazing events in Bath - a musical composition created especially for and performed in the Circus on Sunday 6th June - the Closing Night of the 1999 Bath International Music Festival.
The work has been commissioned from composer and saxophonist, Will Gregory, who has devised the project in association with community artist, Annie Beardsley. The core work will be partly notated and partly improvised and will use the architecture and extraordinary acoustic of the Circus to the full, ranging musicians around its circumference, in the basements and at upstairs windows. A meeting has already taken place with the Circus Residents' Association, who will be kept informed as the project develops.
Circus Musica will be put together over a 4 week period preceding the Festival in a series of workshops led by artists and musicians, including Annie Beardsley, Will Gregory and members of the Apollo Saxophone Quartet. They will work with individual groups from local schools and colleges, amateur orchastras and bands, who will then come together for the final rehearsals and performance.
Rehearsals
Everyone will need to attend one evening rehearsal in Bath, Midsomer Norton or Keynsham between Monday 17th and Thursday 20th May. Alternatively, if a whole ensemble wants to take part in the project, it may be possible to arrange for the composer to attend one of their regular rehearsals.
Everyone will come together on Saturday 5th June for a day of rehearsals and workshops from 10am - 1pm and 2pm - 5pm.
For more information, contact Gemma White on 01225 462231.
Kneehigh Theatre Company present 'the itch', based on 'The Changeling' by Middleton and Rowley, and directed by Emma Rice. "Beatrice Joanna has got an itch. In fact she has several and she doesn't quite know how to scratch them. She's got a man she doesn't want, wants a man she can't have and, to top it all, loathes her servant with a passion. She embarks on a remedy of sex, lies and murder. the itch is about who we are, not who we want to be, and the possibility of love in the strangest and darkest of places".
Touring: June 14th - August 30th 1999. Created for outdoor sites or unusual indoor venues. A show best savoured after dark.
Target audience: Teenagers and adults. (Not recommended for under 12yrs)
The company and the event:
5 Kneehigh performers and a technician. We are continuing to develop our partnerships with promoters to make our shows even more exciting. Creating a decorated focused space to make as much of a special event as possible. Improving comfort and site lines. To increase the atmosphere and excitement of this event, we recommend a late start – ideally dusk – 9 – 10pm.
Technical requirements:
A flat, focused space 10m x 10m, height 5m clearance. Power for light and sound.
Booking: This tour is being booked on the basis of a full week residency on the site, or a split week in the same county.
More Information: Contact Dave Mynne Tel: 01872 223159
Fax: 01872 260487
14 Walsingham Place, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 2RP.

* Newsletter Update* April 1999
AWARDS FOR ALL

Please see this *Awards for All*

You will see that the criteria is clearly set out, with an underlying objective to reach as many people as possible who have not received Lottery funding.

If you have an idea for a Millennium project that you would like to discuss, then do contact me rebecca_quick@bathes.gov.uk ( please mention your read this newsletter at'The Process').
Please do think about this scheme, I feel it could provide financial support to those who are struggling to take their next development steps and for those bursting with ideas and expertise.

Rebecca Quick

also see * Regional Funding

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