Patrons Newsletter November 2017

November 2017

welcome If you have visited the Maltings recently I hope you will have seen that we are busier than ever. In no small part this is due to the encouragement and support that you, as patrons, give. Working with the UCA has brought a whole new, younger audience into the buildings and seeing them sit alongside members of U3A or a National Childbirth Trust group fills me with delight. It is a long held ambition that we make this an open democratic space in which everyone is welcome; I think we are getting there.

Personally I think the buildings are now largely fit for purpose and whilst, in due course, there are things we will want to improve we are now keen to build on our usefulness to the town. That is why you will see us targeting our energies in support of a whole range of people. For example we are keen to develop an intern programme for young people who are leaving Care as we know they rarely have the opportunity to engage in extra curricula activities outside of school which is often the gateway into creative employment. Thank you for your belief in our ability to contribute to making the world better. gavin stride

arts & health Meet Me at the Maltings Once again the generosity of our Patrons has enabled our Arts and Health programme to thrive. Your donations have specifically funded our Meet Me initiative which continues to be popular and plans are in place to continue next year. Meet me is a creative group open to anyone looking to try and new activity and a shared interest with like-minded individuals. A further aim of the group is to combat loneliness and social isolation in our community. Each week the focus is on a different craft or arts activity.

Angela Walker

During October, Farnham Craft Month, Meet Me at the Maltings held free quilting sessions. We created a quilt which was exhibited at Festival of Crafts (pictured left).

Many of the participants had never quilted before but have been inspired to continue their interest in the subject. We are planning a range of different activities next year.

Dementia Awareness The weekly Singing for the Mind musical group continues to be enjoyed by people living with dementia and their carers. A typical week sees more than 25 people come together to enjoy tunes new and old led by specialist music facilitator Barbara Rayner.

We have been instrumental in setting up the Farnham Dementia Action Alliance together with Right at Home where we work with other businesses to increase dementia awareness across the town. We also host quarterly Dementia Friends workshops for staff, volunteers and public.

Up & Coming‌..

1 Farnham Maltings Bridge Square Farnham GU9 7QR

charity number 305034

November 2017

At the ‘My Shout’ launch event, Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures & Re:Bourne led a taster dance workshop and explained how the dance piece will take inspiration from their production of Cinderella which is based in the Blitz. Michael Disley, the stone carver who will be leading the sculpture project, gave people the chance to try out working on limestone blocks and explained that the project will be to design and carve a bench to be housed at the Maltings.

Christine Lee

My Shout In October we launched ‘My Shout’; a new project that will see four new pieces of art created in 2018. This is part of a national Celebrating Age initiative jointly funded by Arts Council England and The Baring Foundation.

Its objective is to get more people enjoying and participating in arts later in life. We hope that ‘My Shout’ will present an alternative, perhaps a mischievous, view of what it means to grow older in England.

Michael Disley at Celebrating Age Launch

We are currently recruiting people to take part in these projects; all participants have to be aged at least 55 years, and we’re especially interested to hear from those aged 75+. For more information contact Christine on 01252 745471 or christine.lee@farnhammaltings.com Refreshers – a Festival of Retirement Farnham Maltings will be holding its third Refreshers Festival on Monday 26th February 2018. This annual event is for people who have retired, or are nearing retirement and are looking for inspiration, creative opportunities and the chance to make new connections. A choice of workshops and talks is also offered.

“A great community event! Much better than the 50+ festival I attended at Earls Court last month. It’s great that this event at the Maltings is not about selling stuff to over 50s - but encouraging people to get involved”.

Attendee 2017

children and young people participation This programme of work continues to go from strength to strength due to the hard work of our Participation Producer, Emma Jones. A number of new initiatives have been added to our existing activities.

Surrey Young Carers A new partnership between Farnham Maltings and Surrey Young Carers* was launched this autumn. This initiative offers children and young people (8 – 24 years) the chance to take part in an extensive range of art activities. The young carers benefit from taking time-out from their caring role to develop new interests and make friends. Our first event was for young people who care for a family member with autism. The next evening event in December will focus on stress and is specifically aimed at 16 – 18 year olds.

“We have had great feedback so far from the young carers and visitors; you have enhanced their experience and facilitated this greatly. Thank you Emma for co-ordinating the project …it all worked” Sue Skerritt – Action for Carers – Senior Support Coordinator *Surrey Young Carers, as part of Action for Carers, Surrey offers on-going support to young carers, advocating for them and their families to minimise the impact of caring on their lives.

2 Farnham Maltings Bridge Square Farnham GU9 7QR

charity number 305034

November 2017 Spark 2018 Following on from the success of the event this year we are extending this project from 3 to 8 months in 2018. The main part of the work will again be delivered within the community where it aims to engage vulnerable children and young people. The groups come together to perform at the Spark Festival weekend in March. The outreach work will continue for a further 5 months where participants will be encouraged to explore ideas that interest them and how these might influence future opportunities within their communities.

Emma Jones

Dance in the Meadow On 3 June 2017 over 1,000 people came to Gostrey Meadow to watch the first ever Dance in the Meadows Festival. This event celebrated the talents and artistic achievements of dancers from across Farnham and Waverley and premiered a newly created piece ‘Farnham by the Sea.’ Farnham Maltings commissioned New Adventures/Re:Bourne & The Dance Movement to write and co-direct this new performance piece for 12 – 21 year olds. The feedback was very encouraging as the following quote testifies.

“Thank you so much for yesterday. Please let Alan Vincent know how inspiring he is and what a difference it makes to have male dance role models. Noah had a fantastic time as did we. The collaboration between the Dance Movement and Re-Bourne is adding so much to Farnham and our children.”

Parent of a performer from the Dance in the Meadows 2017 Up & Coming…..

Theatre FairPlay, based in Denmark, will be visiting Farnham Maltings in February 2018 for their third study visit bringing 12 Danish students to Farnham to take part in workshops, watch professional performances and experience British culture! The project is part of our cultural exchange programme.

Liz May

The summer and autumn have been busy at the Museum with a lively programme for children; the John Henry Knight and Olive Edis exhibitions and a new venture - the museum Pop-up Café.

The café was run by museum staff and volunteers and took place in the Museum garden during July and August. Based on the success this year we plan to run the Pop-Up Café again next summer and also over Easter if weather permits. Do make a note to join us next year and enjoy tea served in vintage china and some delicious cake.

Christine Lee

museum

Sound of the Night was another new initiative this autumn. It was part of the nationwide Museum’s at Night scheme. For an 18+ audience the event provided live music, craft activities and performance artists, as well as a bar service stocked from the Hogs Back Brewery. The event was well received, and the museum team are already exploring possibilities for their next evening event.

3 Farnham Maltings Bridge Square Farnham GU9 7QR

charity number 305034

November 2017

Up & Coming…..

In 2018 we will be celebrating the 300th anniversary of Willmer House, the home of the Museum of Farnham. This is a huge milestone for the Museum, and we would like to mark the occasion in style. We have planned a series of events to take place over the course of the year, including an anniversary exhibition co-curated by Potters Gate School. A special Fundraising Gala will be held in May with a Georgians and Gin themed event later in the year. Our usual range of family-friendly summer activities will be given the Georgian touch, and our summer Archaeology exhibition will help to discover the history beneath the feet of Willmer House. For more information follow us on Twitter, Facebook and on our website.

theatre One of the newest Caravan collaborations is the UK-based tour of Factory Girls, a play from South Korea set in a factory during the Japanese occupation of the country in the 1930s. Produced

by Farnham Maltings, it’s an adaptation of a short story by Chin-O Yu and is co-funded by the arts councils of England and Korea.

A scene from the UK-based tour of Factory Girls

Brilliance by Farnham Maltings For those of you that joined us for the dress rehearsal of Brilliance and experienced ‘theatre in the round' you will not be surprised to hear that it is receiving plaudits from around the country. One could not help being totally immersed in the storyline from start to finish with superb acting and singing from all. We are so pleased that the production is achieving exactly what we set out to do with our regional theatre programme as the following comments testify. It will be touring again next autumn due to popular demand.

“The atmosphere generated by the music and the talented acting was incredible.” Audience member Bredhurst “Thank you for bringing great theatre out to our rural area, long may it continue. It is fabulous to be able to watch, enjoy and sometimes participate in such well written, beautifully scripted and brilliantly performed theatre without having to even get in my car or train to travel to a larger theatre. In many ways it is far better than the performances I’ve seen in the West End and genuinely wait and watch with anticipation for the next time you come to our village.”

Audience member Charlwood Village Hall Our house team has been busy with some diverse productions which included JRR Tolkien’s short story, Leaf by Niggle. Edinburgh-based Puppet State Theatre Company presents a staged version of this littleknown work. This storytelling show, created and performed by Richard Medrington, draws on Richard’s personal family history as an introduction to Tolkien’s original story.

In December, Farnham Maltings will present a number of artists, including Catherine Ireton – one of our produced artists – to perform at various venues in Shanghai, with the aim of helping them to make new connections in South East Asia. Gavin Stride and Hannah Slimmon, our International Project producer will accompany the artists in China for part of their trip.

In January Dan Canham and Catherine Ireton will undertake a month long residency at Duri Theatre, Seoul collaborating and developing new ideas with a South Korean artist. At the end of the month they will share what they have done with the funders and audiences at South Korean venues. The activity is jointly funded by the Arts Councils of England and Korea.

4 Farnham Maltings Bridge Square Farnham GU9 7QR

charity number 305034

November 2017

other news Upgrades to the lifts have now started. The Great Hall Lift has been completed and new lift at the main entrance is due to be installed early in January. The external east wing lift and a NEW lift to the performance area in the Great Hall will be replaced towards the end of January/early February. A full list of funders will be included in the next update.

The new motorised cinema screen is due to be fitted in January. A large part of the funding for this has been provided by Waverley Borough Council, Farnham Town Council and Farnham Care.

Starting soon at the Riverside you will find our Christmas menu full of festive treats. Why not indulge when you next visit‌.It is the season to be merry after all!

Our new Spring Brochure will be available to collect from the Box Office early in December.

5 Farnham Maltings Bridge Square Farnham GU9 7QR

charity number 305034