'Growing up Games'

My friend and stand-up poet Jude Simpson will be performing her solo show at Norden Farm Centre for the Arts in Maidenhead on Thursday 17 April at 7.45 pm. Check out http://www.nordenfarm.org/.

Gift opens Friday 4th April 6pm

To watch over, look on, survey, daydream: the inhabitants of place. Collecting moments of fascination: passers by and the places they move through – a gift, a give and take between place and people moving through space, shaping our shared place, the flow of people and the nature. Pausing to watch the world go by.

Jo Thomas showing work alongside Alex Buhagiar at Ovada - April 4th - May 24th 2008.

www.jothomas.net

Would you like to meet other local artists for discussions, crits and sharing?

Julia Rogers sent me this earlier:

I wondered if you could let people know of a small group that has been meeting as a result of the creative workshop the Arts development team set up before xmas. We initially kept it open for those that attended the workshop but there are only 4 of us that meet regularly and we thought it would be good to open it up to anyone else who may be interested.

As we are not all from a visual art background the format is to bring something of interest to show, talk about, or work that you may have been working on, finished etc, but not essential. We aim to do a short creative exercise and generally have a chat and get to know each other.

We are hoping that as it grows we would act as a support group, have crits, etc and are open to ways of moving forward with this venture. We have been meeting every 6 weeks or so, when we can get the room.

We meet in the San Francisco room, upstairs at 21 South St, 6-8pm with the next meeting on Thursday 3rd April

* * * *

If you are interested, please leave a comment here and I will endeavour too pass on

GIFT at Ovada

A series of new works in video, installation, painting, photography, performance, text and social intervention in Oxford and beyond by artists in The Ideas Exchange. For details of events and performances visit theideas-exchange.org and ovada.org.uk.




April 5th – May 24th
Opening – April 4th, 6 pm to 8 pm (closed Sunday/Monday)


image from Alex Buhagiar

What do we do when faced with constant and disturbing news reports of world events?

Full of admiration for their work, Alex Buhagiar contacted Amnesty International groups in Oxford and Reading, who have worked closely with her on this project, which considers personal responsibility and choice. She focuses on their on-going letter-writing campaigns, when Amnesty members write letters to heads of government and prisons across the world, ensuring that people imprisoned for peacefully expressing their views, for example, are not forgotten.

The letters arrive in sackfuls.

During GIFT, members of Amnesty sit in the gallery writing such letters of support. The completed letters mount up beside them. A video accompanies this piece. A sense of responsibility is translated into a simple action – pen to paper.

part of
GIFT exhibition at OVADA

All welcome (closed Sunday/Monday)

OVADA gallery, 21 Gloucester Green, OX1 2AQ (01865 201 782) ovada.org.uk

Artists’ Interaction & Representation
Friday 28 March, 6.30-8.30pm
South Hill Park, Ringmead, Bracknell RG12

Please come along to the next AIR Open dialogue - a chance to hear about artists’ experiences and approaches, to share ideas and network.

Presentations by Oxford-based artist Marc Allen (www.marc-allen.co.uk) and Winchester-based artist Anna Cady (www.annacady.com ) who will share their thoughts about points of departure and reflection within their practice. These short presentations will be followed by a facilitated discussion, enabling all artists to air views, concerns and issues around their practice.

FREE event open only to AIR members, however pre-booking is essential

To reserve a place, just RSVP to AIR@a-n.co.uk (put AIR Bracknell in subject box) by Tuesday 25 March at the latest and we'll email back to confirm you’re on the guest list and give you the detailed directions.

There are 9,000 artists in AIR, the membership scheme attached to the a-n Artist subscription. If you know other artists who’d like to join AIR and reserve a place come to this event, please direct them to www.a-n.co.uk/subscribe

Once they join, they’ll automatically receive all AIR benefits including £5m Public and products liability insurance, unlimited free what’s on listings + image onwww.a-n.co.uk/interface, event invites, discounts, and fast access to all new jobs and opportunities posted on www.a-n.co.uk/opportunities.

For more information about AIR benefits and current and previous e-Bulletins go to
www.a-n.co.uk/AIR

hang-on meets here

This is the new online home of hang-on artists' network group. You can find us in the real world, the last Friday of every month (mostly at Picnic, Butter Market Reading from 4.30pm) and sometimes on other days in other places - just watch this space to find out where. There are currently 84 artists on the mailing list in Reading so we are slowly emerging as a larger group of artists.

This blog will host information, events, reviews, things to see and work from artists.