A Co-educational Day and Boarding School
Your complete journey to academic success
01634 828115
rochester-college.org
• Year 7 to 6th form • Average class size 8 • High performing & non-selective • 1 year GCSE & A level courses
CONTENTS 4 WELCOME 5 5 REALLY GOOD THINGS 6 NEWS 8 PQA 10 BEN CAMERON 13 WOW READERS DRAW: CLUB 35 14 LOOK AHEAD: FUSE 2014 16 MAKEGOOD FESTIVAL 18 FILM
19 NICK WALKER: THREE TO WATCH 20 MUSIC 1 22 MUSIC 2 23 CRSO/TRAVELLING TALESMAN 24 THEATRE 26 ART TRANSMISSION 28 VISUAL ART 30 NUCLEUS ARTS
EDITORIAL: editor@wowkent.co.uk 0845 388 2243 (local rate from BT landlines) ADVERTISING: advertising@wowkent.co.uk New advertiser & excellent series booking discounts available to all. All ads also appear in the online edition at wowkent.co.uk FREE LISTINGS: listings@wowkent.co.uk DESIGN: A Stones Throw astonesthrowdesign.co.uk PRINTING: Complete Print Group (CPG) 9-10 Orchard Business Centre Sanderson Way, Tonbridge Kent TN9 1QG 01732 366666 cpg-net.co.uk PUBLISHER: Emma Dewhurst WEBSITE: wowkent.co.uk CURRENT PRINT CIRCULATION: 7000 copies DISTRIBUTION: Medway Towns, Maidstone & Gravesend Copy/listings deadline for May issue: Monday 19 May 2014 ©WOW Kent magazine All rights reserved. While every effort has been made to ensure that details in this publication are correct, we cannot accept responsibility for such. Readers are advised to check information listed, to avoid disappointment. Views expressed by contributors and advertisers do not necessarily reflect those of the editor and publisher. wowkent.co.uk
WELCOME TO WOW! Your guide to the best of What’s On Where Medway, Maidstone and the accessible beyond Readers will know that WOW magazine was one of the lucky businesses awarded a place on the School for Creative Startups’ course, which comes to the end with the Makegood Festival in London at the end of the month. Have a read of the centre pages article and I’ll see you there! I’m delighted to remind you that there are two current WOW reader offers: 10% off bookings with Jetstream Tours until the end of May and the City of Rochester Symphony Orchestra have also kindly arranged a 10% off promotional code for you, when you book for their lovely concert on 24 May marking the anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth (see p.23). And if you fancy getting your glad rags on, don’t forget to enter this month’s WOW Reader Draw to win two tickets to the brand new 1930s replica nightclub, Club 35. Rush to p.13 for details! Emma Dewhurst editor@wowkent.co.uk
CONTRIBUTORS Robert Flood is a life-long Medway resident. He runs a Rochester based events company called Feet on the Ground which provides technical support for live events. He is a passionate music fan with a love of the Medway scene and a local history buff who is a member of the City of Rochester Society. COVER MODEL: MOCK DUCK STUDIOS SEE MAIN FEATURE P16
PHOTOGRAPH OF THE EDITOR BY RIKARD ÖSTERLUND
AMBASSADORS PLEASE! If you use any of our advertisers’ services, or attend an event because you saw it in WOW, please mention it! Thank you.
Find us on Facebook facebook.com/WOWMedway @EmmaDewhurst7
Dalia Halpern-Matthews is the Director of Nucleus Arts and Chair of the Halpern Charitable Foundation which she set up in 2002. Nucleus Arts is a dynamic and proactive arts organisation with almost 50 artists in studios across three of its sites, four cafés, shops and Hubs. Dalia lives in rural Kent with her husband, three children, numerous animals and a very talkative parrot. nucleus-arts.com Jane Pitt is an inter-disciplinary artist from a visual & live arts background with a particular focus on sound. She often makes work in outdoor and non-arts spaces, enjoying the direct connection this allows with both people and place. janepitt.co.uk Nick Walker is the director of the Rochester Film Society, screening Contemporary World Cinema and classics at various venues around Medway. Nick previously wrote for The Guardian, was director of National Schools Film Week and is a freelance writer, teacher and film cinema/festival programmer. For more information on the Rochester Film Society visit rochesterfilmsociety.co.uk
REALLY GOOD THINGS TO DO THIS MONTH
TREAD THE PILGRIM’S WAY: The Pilgrim’s Way Art Group is a popular, well-established group of 30+ artists who stage an annual Summer Art Exhibition in the beautiful Tithe Barn at Lenham. This is worth attending for the location alone but the art is terrific too: over 350 paintings, sculptures and ceramics. From Friday 16 May to Monday 26 May, 10am – 6pm daily (closes 4pm on final day). Good disabled access. LISTEN LIVE: Multi-media artist Jane Pitt has a particular love of sound. Read about her work on the Art Transmission project as one of three sound artists working with community groups to produce some recorded sound gems. On page 26 Jane describes how she worked with members of the Minster Golden Gloves Boxing Club to produce 3 x 3 minute sound pieces which will be aired from Monday 19 May on BRFM Bridge Radio 95.6FM. Or listen live online at tunein.com/radio/BRFM956-s92168.
STUDY FILM! Rochester Film Society director and long-time WOW contributor, Nick Walker, leads an Introduction to Film Studies course which kicks off this month. The course takes place at the Rochester Adult Education centre and examines the careers of various filmmakers and movements and how they weave together to create film culture. There are four Saturday morning sessions: 10 & 17 May and 7 and 14 June, 10am – 1pm. The full fee is £54 with concessions at £40. To enrol call 01634 338400. rochesterfilmsociety.co.uk MEET THE ARTISTS: Gravesend’s visual art scene is alive, well and growing. On the weekend of 9 and 10 May, newly-rejuvenated Gravesham Arts presents Active Artists, an exhibition of the work of eleven artists, including Fiona Spirals (pictured), Colin Wright, Deirdre Bevan and Gloria Holden. This is an opportunity to view the work and meet the artists as they work. Admission to St Andrew's Arts Centre, Gravesend DA12 2BD is free. See Visual Art listings for times. MAKEGOOD: Come along and say hello to the WOW stand at what promises to be a most unusual event during the weekend of 31 May/1 June. Over 200 new, slightly-less-new and about-to-launch businesses will be showcasing themselves in the urban landscape of the Old Selfridges Hotel, London. See Main Feature for details. makegoodfestival.com
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NEWS
MAIDSTONE MUSEUM AND MAKING ART WORK PRESENT…
THU 8 MAY TO SUN 11 MAY
The full programme for WhitLit, Whitstable’s inaugural literature festival, is out and most impressive it is too. The programme features over thirty five events and workshops, all eminently affordable, with most events at £5 and headline events at £7.50. Tickets are available from The Horsebridge Centre (tel 01227 281174) or via wegottickets.com/ horsebridgecentre. For the full programme visit whitlit.co.uk.
INSPIRE GATHER: the senses explored
FR
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FREE EVENTS - ALL WELCOME - DRINKS SERVED These ‘Inspire Gatherings’ hosted by the University of Kent are chaired by an invited specialist and explore the human senses and how our knowledge of them impacts on our understanding of ourselves.
ARTIST’S TALK with photographer RICH CUTLER Saturday 10 May 2.00pm - 4.00pm Maidstone Museum & Bentlif Art Gallery St Faith’s Street, Maidstone, Kent. ME14 1LH Rich Cutler is a Brighton based photographer who is inspired by the notion of some collectors to control nature through a painstaking collection and display of insects, as those displayed at Maidstone Museum. His fascination lies in the failure of the archive to maintain this state of control, often descending into dust… £10 Adults, £7 Concessions, £5 MMF/Making Art Work Members Talk followed with refreshments and a Q & A session with the artist. Book via Maidstone Museum on 01622 602838.
Wed 14 May – An Introduction to the Senses Keynote Speaker: Prof Fiona Macpherson, Director of the Centre for the Study of Perceptual Experience at Glasgow University. 21 May – The Nth Senses - beyond the 5 senses Keynote Speaker: Dr Mark Paterson, University of Pittsburgh Mark Paterson’s research is interdisciplinary and concerned with the senses, especially touch. He is currently writing a book entitled ‘How We Became Sensorymotor: A History of the ‘Muscle Sense’, Kinesthesia and Proprioception.’ Both talks take place in Room 203, Bridge Wardens College, University of Kent, Chatham Historic Dockyard between 6 - 8pm. More info: http://inspiregatherings.wix.com/senses Email: inspiregatherings@gmail.com
JETSTREAM TOURS
WOW READER OFFER ENDS SOON! Don’t forget to book your tour of the River Medway in ‘Twist’, Jetstream Tours nifty jet boat, before the end of May. Tours run every weekend from Sun Pier, Chatham and last an hour and a half. WOW readers are offered a 20% discount off any adult and child ticket with this offer (Adult usually £31.50; Child (8-16) usually £21.50; Family (2+2) usually £100). Book via the website and apply promotional code JST20wow when prompted. jetstreamtours.com
BEFRIEND THE GUILDHALL MUSEUM! Rochester’s splendid Guildhall Museum is setting up a Friends of the Guildhall Museum scheme to foster community involvement and further the museum’s terrific work. If you would like to join, email Museum Manager Simon Lace at simon. lace@medway.gov.uk for more details.
Stallholders
WANTED MONICA’S MAKERS MARKET, part of Gravesham Riverside Festival to be held in Gravesend on Saturday 19 July. The market will be curated by the capable team behind popular Monica’s Vintage Fair. If you would like to be part of this summer event email monicasvintagefair@ hotmail.co.uk or call 07805 477973.
LAUNCHING SOON…CHATHAM MARITIME FOOD & DRINK FESTIVAL
WIGMORE ARTS WEEKEND 28 & 29 JUNE ‘Arts in the widest sense’ This year’s event is on 28 and 29 June at St Matthew’s Church and Community Centre, Wigmore. Organisers are asking for performers, stallholders, workshop leaders etc who would like to be involved to get in touch. For an information pack and booking form email wigmorearts@outlook.com or send an SAE to 332 Maidstone Road ME8 0HS
incorporating a visit by the Dunkirk Little Ships
Whitsun Bank Holiday weekend sees the launch of a brand new festival to be held on the waterside near St Mary’s Island. Timed to coincide with the Commemorative Cruise of the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships, there will be an array of locally produced fine foods and drink from producers, brewers and artisan farmers across the south-east, as well as vintage stalls, music and entertainment for all the family.
Monica’s
Vintage Fair Saturday 14th June 2014 10.30am-3.30pm St John’s School Rochester Road Gravesend DA12 2SY
FREE parking
Admission £2.50*
Find out more, including how to get involved, at facebook.com/chathammaritimefestival.
Swingtime Sweethearts
singing live
Vintage & retro clothing, accessories & homewares Dancing with the ‘Medway Lindy Hoppers’
Pop up Beauty Parlour
*With this copy of WOW a snip at £2 One copy per person required please
Bank Holiday Weekend, Sat 24 - Mon 26 May at Chatham Maritime
Spacious Vintage Style Tearoom
Monica’s Vintage Fair
@monicas_vintage
www.monicasvintagefair.com
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THE PAULINE QUIRKE ACADEMY OF PERFORMING ARTS is bringing two fine new courses to Rochester in its own, inimitable style After 12 years of being on tour and performing, exBRIT School student Verity Rae Martin began to look for a way to combine her love of acting and singing with her other passion of working with children and young people. “Working with kids gives me the same buzz as being on stage,” she says. “Seeing a previously shy child grow in confidence and blossom is one the most rewarding things in the world.” The opportunity to do just that came along in 2009, when Verity was offered the chance to open a new branch of The Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts in Rochester. Founded in 2007, PQA offers weekend performing arts training to children from 4 to 18 years, offering modules in Comedy & Drama, Musical Theatre and Film & Television, along with opportunities to perform in the West End and see their own movie screened at a local cinema. “Right from the start, it felt like something very different, fresh and exciting,” Verity says. “The whole company is creatively led and the ethos is one of offering the very best training we can, whilst being great value for money for parents. I’ve found it an incredibly supportive company to work with and the way PQA nurtures the students, builds their confidence and rewards their hard work is exactly what I was looking for.” It wasn’t just what Verity was looking for, as it turns out. The Academy at Rochester proved so popular that a second Academy was opened in Tonbridge in 2011, followed by an afternoon session in Rochester in 2012. With three full Academies, and another on the horizon, to what does Verity attribute her success? “It’s a mix of things. There’s no doubt we like to do things differently at PQA. The Head Office team are constantly coming up with new ideas and projects that will inspire the kids, but it’s also a very collaborative organisation. PQA runs 60 Academies across the UK, so that’s a lot of very talented, brilliant Principals and teachers who are all passionate about
what they do and love sharing ideas with each other. It’s like a big family – and that’s the feeling across the whole company.” This summer PQA will be running a unique filmmaking workshop during the August holidays. Aimed at 4-25 year olds (split into appropriate age groups), the students will make short films and music videos, from devising, scripting and storyboarding through to acting and shooting. In addition, for the first time, Verity is also setting up a dedicated session aimed at 16+ students, to give both PQA leavers and older students from elsewhere a chance to further their skills and work towards joining the industry professionally. Participants will work on a professional showreel, which they will be able to send out to potential agents and casting directors. “It’s never too late to get involved and benefit from performing arts training,” Verity says. “I’d encourage anyone to get in touch, come along and join the fun!” PQA Short Course for Adults (16+) runs on Tuesday evenings from 27 May at The Brook Theatre, Chatham from 7.30-9.30pm. All welcome. Summer School (4-25 year olds) takes place in Rochester from 4-8 August and in Tonbridge from 11-15 August. Email Verity at verity@pqacademy.com or call 07961387798 for more details. pqacademy.com This feature is sponsored by PQA
TIMBER FENCING GATES
Scan here to book
Treat your Garden to a Spring Make-Over
Fence Panels Trellis & Lattice Post & Rail Timber & Stakes
Explore the River Medway on this Wet & Wild Boat Tour!
Wire & Concrete
new
Sleepers Gates Decking Arches & Arbors Garden Furniture
& excit
ing
This is Medway’s newest and loudest tourist experience. Explore the history and heritage of the River Medway on this incredible sightseeing journey. Our commentated tours leave every 2 hours during weekends, from the new Sun pier at Chatham, where your discovery will include the Historic Dockyard, Upnor Castle, Cookham Fort and the estuary islands.
Join us on this unforgettable Jet boat adventure!
Adults £31.50 • Children £21.50 • Family (2+2) £100
Private hire and other trips available, see jetstreamtours.com for more details and bookings
01622 611 988 217-223 Sutton Road Maidstone Kent. ME15 9BJ (Opp Police HQ)
Over 60?
New coloured Range available online
Every Tues 10% off
Products on Display OPENING HOURS Mon-Fri 7.30-5pm Sat 8.00-1pm
www.challengefencing.com Deliveries available throughout Kent, East Sussex and SE London
“Rochester’s Best Kept Secret”
Serving the highest quality coffees, teas, hot chocolate and pastries made on the premises by award winning pastry chef, Bruno Breillet
Fantabulous FLEA MARKET! Saturday 24th May 11am-4pm
BRICABRAC VINTAGE BOOKS WOT NOTS CAMERAS JEWELLERY CLOTHES ART&HANDMADE COLLECTABLES BAKES&CAKES BAR MUSIC l
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10 High Street Rochester ME1 1PT Hours: Tue - Sun 9am-6pm; closed Mondays Late opening til 9pm on Thursdays T: 01634 780 506 www.brunosfrenchbakes.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/brunosfrenchbakes Twitter: @brunofrenchbake
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The Gordon House Hotel & Car Park 91 High Street Rochester ME1 1LX For more info & bookings www.therochesterflea.com email: therochesterflea@gmail.com www.facebook.com/therochesterflea
HELPING BUSINESSES AND STUDENTS SUCCEED, TOGETHER
“MAD Creative is a creative agency with a difference... We're different because our priorities are different. We work with MidKent College to give the next generation of creative people the chance to gain employment skills by working on live projects. Managed by industry professionals, you get the widest range of creative ideas from our pool of talent but with the guarantee that your work is of exceptional standard from our professional team. So we offer chances of employment, work experience and huge value for your money. Everyone's a winner, so let's go MAD!”
Launched by MidKent College in Summer 2013, MAD Creative is a company set up to help nurture the skills possessed by the College’s media, art and design students by providing them with real life projects to work on, providing them with valuable work experience to hone their skills and vastly increase their future employability. Local businesses which team up with the agency have hundreds of creative hours poured into their projects and get to choose from a wide range of concepts, which are then refined by MAD’s team of professionals into final, polished products.
Account manager Steve Cole says: “Our crowd-sourced creative process is unique and incredibly exciting. Rather than just having a single freelancer or a small team at an agency working on building your brand, we can put dozens of hugely creative minds on any given task which produces an incredible range of ideas.” “Working on live projects for real clients is a great experience for the students, who thoroughly enjoy putting theory into practice and gaining valuable employability skills as a result. Already, we have a selection of students we’ve worked with who are ready to take the step up to self-employment and start sourcing their own clients, which is something we as an agency are very proud to have had a hand in.” “We are keen to increase the number of partners we work with to ensure our students continue to benefit from real life experience that will serve them well in the future.” Built around a team of professional creatives, MAD Creative offers the full range of design services for print and digital, including website design, brochure, flyer and poster design, full branding for business, audio and music production, photography, videography, infographics, social media branding and management, animation, illustration and more. Backed by the world-class resources and facilities of MidKent College, there’s nothing that MAD Creative can’t produce! Could your business benefit from some new and fresh creative thinking? Get in touch and have a chat with a MAD creative on 01634 383 546.
wearemadcreative.com
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Welcome to the
Chath a Antiqu m e Vintag s, Collec e& tables Fair
Rochester’s friendly designer florist Same day delivery Unique plants and gifts 118 Maidstone Road, Rochester ME1 3DT Tel: 01634 843024 sweetpeaandolive.co.uk FIRST SUNDAY OF EVERY MONTH Chatham Historic Dockyard ME4 4TY Upcoming Fairs: Sun 4 May, 9am-2pm Sun 1 June, 9am-2pm ANTIQUES, CURIOSITIES, COLLECTABLE ITEMS AND MORE!
Contact 01634 648309 or 07799 678333. Email: phoenixfairs@ yahoo.com facebook.com/ ChathamDockyard VintageAndCollectablesFair
Refreshments available. Entry only £1.50, under 16s go free Please note: you don’t need a ticket to the Dockyard to come to the AVC, though your Fair admission gives you a discount to a day ticket to the Dockyard!
Sleep clinic & reflexology
Trisha Wood MGHT
Do you have trouble sleeping? Do you suffer from stress & anxiety? Does this affect your work & relationship? I can help you. Practical advice combined with relaxing treatments, changing your chaos into calm! Welcoming relaxing treatment room in Maidstone
For a free no obligation enquiry or to book call Trisha on 07861 801 063 www.trishawood.com
renew and restore stained glass design and restoration based in rochester: design - creation - repair restoration - installation steve harries - 0779 608 0338 steve.harries@blueyonder.co.uk
ROOMS TO HIRE Rochester Quaker Meeting House
We have daytime and evening vacancies in our pleasant rooms for long or short-term hire WHEELCHAIR ACCESS, HEARING LOOP, KITCHEN Our hirers are sympathetic to Quaker testimonies of Truth, Peace and Simplicity
Contact: Thelma West 01634 408796
CLUB35 WOW READERS DRAW
WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS TO CLUB 35! Recognising the current resurgence of interest in all things retro and vintage, two enterprising local women, Sarah Ayonmike and Sarah Clarke, have come up with a lovely idea for an entertainment venue for adults which hopes to reflect the sophistication and excitement of the nightclubs of the Thirties. Their very first Club 35, an attempt to replicate an original 1930s nightclub, takes place on Saturday 7 June.
An important part of each club will be an auction in aid of a local charity. The charity chosen for the very first Club 35 is Pathways to Independence, which assists people who find themselves to be homeless. From the moment you step inside Club 35, the two Sarahs hope to transport you to another era. There will be a 14 piece live band and period entertainment, including interactive swing dancing, burlesque, retro dj, sweetie shop and more. Performing Arts students have been enlisted to play the part of door people, hat check girls and waiting staff to sustain the evening’s authentic feel.
WOW READERS DRAW! For your chance to win two tickets to Club 35 on 7 June, email the Editor at competitions@wowkent. co.uk with your name, address and contact telephone number by 31 May. CLUB 35, Saturday 7 June, 7pm The Royal Function Rooms, Star Hill Rochester ME1 1XB Tickets are £10 from event.bookitbee.com/586/club-35. A club supper is also available at an additional £5 and there is a staffed bar. For more on Pathways to Independence visit hope-kent.com Club 35 blog: helloclub35.wordpress.com
outdoor arts festival FUSE 2014
13 – 15 JUNE
All FUSE 2014 events are FREE wiredaerialtheatre.com fusefestival.org.uk
Saturday 14 June, 9.30pm. Write that down. It’s the date of this year’s Fuse Medway Festival’s big night-time spectacular, Wired Aerial Theatre’s ‘As the World Tipped’, billed as ‘a sensational piece of outdoor storytelling’ which combines film and aerial performance high in the sky. It’s to be staged on the Great Lines, Gillingham; all are welcome; and it’s free. I say this because I was privileged to be one of not-enoughpeople who witnessed last year’s headline show, ‘Mobile Homme’, a jaw-dropping, wondrous performance which culminated in a deceptively raggle-taggle group of drummers and acrobats
with whom we had laughed and joked on the ground dangling from a gigantic mobile from a crane over Rochester Castle Moat. Sounds strange? It was a glorious piece of international theatre, the like of which does not often grace our towns. ‘Mobile Homme’, and, no doubt, ‘As the World Tipped’, are marvellous examples of why I love Fuse. Of all the festivals with which we are blessed in our corner of the world, this outdoor arts festival, while it has admittedly taken a good few years to establish itself, seems to me the least prescriptive, most experimental and most likely to surprise.
Photo: Jason Van Lith
This is Artistic Director Megan Donnolley’s second year in post, but the first to see her programme the festival in its entirety. She, too, is delighted to have secured Wired Aerial Theatre’s ‘action movie in the sky’ for the Saturday Night Spectacular. The company is led by two members of the groundbreaking Argentinian aerial theatre company, De La Guarda, whose ceiling-running antics beguiled audiences in the late 1990s (myself included) at London’s Roundhouse. The work comes with a pedigree, then, and it’s not the only ‘Don’t Miss’ show during this year’s long weekend. The festival’s programme intends to fill the streets and public spaces of Chatham, Rochester and Gillingham with the very best in international and UK outdoor arts. Look out for The Smallest Theatre in the World (mounted on a motorbike sidecar!); big band swing from Bad Taste Company; Les Enfants Terribles’’ Imaginary Menagerie’, which is an exotic caravan of Vaudeville acts, live musicians and puppeteers and a lovely Art Market. Students from the Central School of Speech and Drama will also be taking part once again, to work with a professional director on a family friendly show marking the anniversary of the First World War. In addition, the three Fuse commissions awarded each year give local artists an opportunity to develop their practice.
This year there are three interesting and very different propositions: Nicole Mollett (of Kent Cultural Baton fame) is bringing together ten artists of different disciplines to give each of them an opportunity to use the Baton to engage with audiences for one day; Richard Jeferies’ Squarecube Artisans’ Comic Cuts will create huge black and white comic book silhouettes to fill public spaces around Medway and Knuckle and Joint Theatre Company are creating a walkabout street theatre spectacle. FUSE 2014 is preceded by Lighting the Fuse, a week of community activity towards the big event.
Parade and Festival Opening: Friday 13 June, 4.30pm High Street Gillingham ME7 1AQ
Fuse Street Arts Day: Saturday 14 June, 12 noon to 4.45pm, Chatham High Street ME4 4DH and various venues including Nucleus Arts, Chatham where students from Mid-Kent College will be performing and whose artists will be holding drop-in Open Studios all day.
Saturday Night Spectacular Saturday 14 June, 9.30pm, Great Lines, Gillingham ME7 5DE
Big Picnic Sunday 15 June, 11am - 6.45pm, Rochester High Street ME7 1AQ & Castle Moat and Gardens ME1 1SW 15
makegood festival of culture, creativity and entrepreneurship
THE FINAL EVENT IN THE SCHOOL FOR CREATIVE STARTUPS YEAR OF BUSINESS TRAINING IS A VAST POP-UP MARKETPLACE FEATURING THE CREATIVE BUSINESSES WHO MADE IT THROUGH THE S4CS YEAR INCLUDING WOW! In 2013 Kent County Council funded 100 Kent-based creative businesses to attend an intensive programme of training with the School for Creative Startups (S4CS). WOW magazine was lucky enough to be awarded one of the coveted places. Serial entrepreneur and ex Dragon’s Den investor, Doug Richard, founded S4CS in 2010 with a core belief that entrepreneurship can be taught, and the fact you are an artist/maker/creative thinker does not mean you are doomed to live in a garret for the rest of your life. Nearly four years later the School for Creative Startups programmes are the leading authority on creative entrepreneurship, globally. It’s impressive but not surprising, given the level of excellence I experienced during my eight months racing up and down to Folkestone, notebook in hand, ready to learn how to knock the business side of things into shape. That notebook has become probably one of my most precious possessions, packed as it is with tips, tools and advice spoken by some of the biggest names in business. Makegood Festival is the culmination of the S4CS year. In addition to the marketplace, there is a dazzling list of inspirational speakers from across the creative industries, including Cath Kidston; Dan Germain (of ‘Innocent’); Cleo Rocos and of course Doug Richard himself. Save by booking early online and come and say hello! Emma Dewhurst
MEET SOME OF THE S4CS BUSINESS FRIENDS I MADE ALONG THE WAY… Helen Ayres’ gloriously named TAFFETA PUNK is one of the shiny new businesses which have been preparing for months to launch at Makegood. Helen makes beautiful, tactile jewellery from original vintage postage stamps, preserved under magnifying glass for rich detail, and finished with gleaming silversolder. Each unique piece is handmade in her 17th Century Tenterden studio. So when you wear a piece of Taffeta Punk jewellery, you're preserving a little corner of history. Helen also works to commission, capturing precious photo moments in bespoke jewellery. Rather a wonderful special gift. And she assures me that every piece comes beautifully wrapped and boxed, for that extra shiver of delight. Contact Helen Ayres to discuss a potential commission on 01580 766 556 or 07900 000013. taffeta-punk.com (goes live with Makegood)
CLEMENTINE & BLOOM Emerging British design duo Sandra and Sophie Penford, a most glamorous mother and daughter team, are the creators behind Clementine & Bloom, an innovative brand recognised for its bold and colourful homewares. Their current ‘Entomology’ collection features hand drawn designs that explore the repetition of archived beetles, bugs and butterflies, embracing eclectic, geometric patterns and a terrific, strong use of colour. Sandra and Sophie also offer a bespoke service, hand printing a lampshade or cushion from their bestselling ‘Gilded Butterfly’ range. The newly released ‘Archive’ design is popular with those looking to create a bespoke interior. Clementine & Bloom is available online and via select stockists. Contact Sandra Penford on 07939 598235 or email info@clementineandbloom.com. clementineandbloom.com
MOCK DUCK STUDIOS Founder Astrid Goldsmith has always had a fascination for film. Hers is another of the Kent-based startup businesses working around the clock to be ready to launch at Makegood. Astrid worked for 12 years as a freelance model maker, creating props for film and television, making characters for advertising campaigns and puppets and effects for music videos. She is bringing all this experience to bear in launching her own model-making service that specialises in creating engaging characters for animation, live action and stills. Using a wide range of materials and techniques, her expertise is in creating entertaining, tactile puppets and models which bring a narrative to life. Astrid is also working on a stop-motion film of her own creation. It’s a “sci-fi thriller about squirrel apartheid…” You can find the main character on this month’s cover. Love it.
READING FAIRY Prior to becoming a mother, Reading Fairy founder Emily Guille-Marrett worked for some of the world’s leading publishing houses creating print and digital books to help children learn to read. When her own child was born, she discovered friends wanted advice and practical ways to support their child’s reading at home. What started as a light-hearted chat over coffee grew into a passion for wanting to pass on her previous knowledge to help parents and carers give their child the best possible start for learning to read. The idea for Reading Fairy was born. 50% of a child’s learning happens in the first four years, so Reading Fairy’s programme develops crucial building blocks for learning to read from 0-6 years. Designed by children’s reading experts, and based on the latest research and best early years practice, there is an emphasis on fun learning through play, using props, instruments, picture books and more. Reading Fairy offers regular activity classes; holiday workshops; sessions for private nurseries and preschools and a rather special children’s parties for 0-6 year olds! If you would like a Reading Fairy class in your area, please contact hello@readingfairy.com to register your interest. ReadingFairy.com Makegood Festival, Old Selfridges Hotel (entrance next to Selfridges Food Hall), London W1H 6HQ. (No disabled access; some stairs). Friday 30 May: Industry & Business Focus Day open to the public between 12pm and 7pm. Saturday 31 May & Sunday 1 June: Public Opening 10am-6pm Tickets: £5 online, £10 on door. Concs available with ID, Under 12s free. Weekender and Platinum Pass tickets also available.
makegoodfestival.com schoolforcreativestartups.com
Email Astrid at info@mockduck.co.uk mockduck.co.uk 17
FILM AFTERNOON TREAT Central Theatre, 170 High Street, Chatham ME4 4AS 01634 338338 £4.50 inc drink and teacake SAVING MR BANKS (PG) 2013 Tue 20 May 2.30pm Dir: John Lee Hancock Cast: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks How ‘Mary Poppins’ came to be made. 125 mins medwayticketslive.co.uk LIVE FEEDS AT CINEWORLD Medway Valley Leisure Park, Chariot Way, Strood ME2 2SS. 0871 200 2000 Regular screenings of performances from around the world via a live feed, including interviews, behind the scenes shots and more. For prices contact Cineworld. MET OPERA: CENERENTOLA (Cert tbc) Sat 10 May 5.55pm Rossini’s joyous twist on the Cinderella story. RSC LIVE: HENRY IV Part I (12A) Wed 14 May 7pm With Anthony Sher as Falstaff. 180 mins NT LIVE ENCORE: THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME (15) Thu 22 May 7pm. 180 mins cineworld.co.uk MEDWAY FILM SOCIETY The Brook Theatre, Old Town Hall, Chatham ME4 4SE 16mm prints. Members’ season tickets (7 shows) £38 (concs available). Non-members per show: £6.50, concs £5.50. CAT PEOPLE (USA) 1942 Fri 30 May 7.45pm Dir: Jaques Tourneur Cast: Simone Simon, Kent Smith, Tom Conway, Jane Randolph Subtly sinister original. 73 mins HOLD ME WHILE I’M NAKED (USA) 1966 Dir: George Kuchar. Voted one of the 100 best films of the 20th century by Village Voice critics. 17 mins medwayfilm.org.uk
ROCHESTER FILM SOCIETY RFS screens contemporary world cinema and classics at venues around Medway. The films are introduced and followed by a postfilm discussion over a glass of wine. rochesterfilmsociety.co.uk RFS @ CHATHAM ODEON Maritime ME4 4LL 0871 2244 007 Every Thursday, 7.45pm. £9.80 Conc £7.20, Student £3.60 (+ Student 2 for 1 offer)
THE DALLAS BUYERS CLUB (15) 2013 Thu 1 May 7.45pm Dir: Jean-Marc Vallée Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Jared Leto With acclaimed central performance from McConaughey. 117 mins HER (15) 2013 Thu 8 May 7.45pm Dir: Spike Jonze Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson Writer falls in love with his newly purchased operating system! 120 mins
THE MONUMENTS MEN (12A ) 2014 Thu 15 May 7.45pm Dir: George Clooney Cast: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, Bill Murray, Unlikely World War II platoon rescue art masterpieces. 118 mins GODZILLA (12A) 2014 Thu 22 May 7.45pm Dir: Gareth Edwards Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston Science-fiction movie based on the Japanese film monster. 123 mins
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (15) 2014 Thu 29 May 7.45pm Dir: Wes Anderson Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Saoirse Ronan, Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton, Bill Murray ‘Whimsical comedy’ (The Guardian.) 100 mins RFS @ ROCHESTER PICTURE PALACE Princes Hall, Corn Exchange, Rochester ME1 1LS £5.00, Students £3 JEUNE & JOLIE (18) 2013 Tue 6 May 7.30pm Dir: François Ozon Cast: Marine Vacth, Geraldine Pailhas, Frédéric Pierrot See Nick Walker opposite. 95 mins SUMMER IN FEBRUARY (15) 2013 Tue 13 May 7.30pm Dir: Christopher Menaul Cast: Dominic Cooper, Emily Browning, Dan Stevens Love and scandal among Cornish Edwardian artists’ colony. 100 mins CHILD’S POSE (15) 2013 Tue 20 May 7.30pm Dir: Calin Peter Netzer Cast: Luminita Gheorghiu, Bogdan Dumitrache, Natasa Raab See Nick Walker opposite. 112 mins BASTARDS (18 ) 2013 Tue 27 May 7.30pm Dir: Claire Denis Cast: Vincent Lindon, Chiara Mastroianni, Julie Bataille “Darkly impressive revenge tragedy”(The Telegraph). 100 mins RFS @ THE CINE LOUNGE Sun Pier House, Medway Street, Chatham ME4 4HF 01634 812805 New venue hosting monthly (first Sunday) classic film screening. Doors open 6pm. Tickets £3, no need to book. Currently no disabled access (lift coming soon). WITHNAIL & I (15) 1987 Sun 4 May 7.30pm Dir: Bruce Robinson Cast: Richard E Grant, Paul McGann, Richard Griffiths See Nick Walker opposite. 107 mins
ROCHESTER FILM SOCIETY
WITHNAIL & I
JEUNE ET JOLIE
CHILD’S POSE
When: Sunday 4 May, 7.30pm Where: Sun Pier House, Medway Street, Chatham ME4 4HF Tickets: £3 students
When: Tuesday 6 May, 7.30pm Where: Rochester Picture Palace, Princes Hall, Corn Exchange, Rochester ME1 1LX Tickets: £5, £3 Students
When: Tuesday 20 May, 7.30pm Where: Rochester Picture Palace, Princes Hall, Corn Exchange, Rochester ME1 1LX Tickets: £5, £3 Students
Almost immediately since its original 1987 release Bruce Robinson’s semi-autobiographical tale has played out as a cult classic. It’s partly a hideous imagining of a period; a ghastly series of characters both desperate and ugly; and more often than not is stupid in its depiction of representations of homosexuality. That said it is also a marvellously joyous film to watch. Its depiction of drunkenness and drug excess masks the real tale: that of friendship and loyalty and the misery of the acting profession at the level of our heroes, Withnail and Marwood (‘I’), gloriously played by Richard E. Grant and Paul McGann, with the amorous Uncle Monty, as played by the sadly departed Richard Griffiths, married to an almost threadbare hold on reality. Superb one-liners and brilliant set pieces make this a treat to watch again and again…
Director Calin Peter Netzer’s tight morality tale deservedly walked off with both the prestigious Golden Bear and the Fipresci (International Federation of Film Critics) awards at last year’s Berlin Film Festival.
Writer/director François Ozon’s films are mostly memorable and distinctive (‘In The House’, ‘Swimming Pool’, ‘8 Women’) and ‘Jeune et Jolie’ is no exception. Here he focuses on the gorgeous 17 year old Isabelle (Marine Vacth), from a wealthy Parisian family who strategically loses her virginity on a family summer holiday then develops a side-line in high end prostitution. The film takes place over four seasons, each one seeing her development and four songs telling something of her character and place. Subtle themes of adolescence and sexual awakening run through the film alongside some sexually explicit scenes, which add depth and meaning to her journey. This elegant and well-observed melodrama is keen to push the limits whilst appearing in a relaxed and natural format – an intriguing and compelling watch.
This scornful caution of life in contemporary Romania centres on the ‘Mildred Pierce’-esque bullish matriarch who is unable to suppress her impulses. In the lead role of ‘blonde bombshell’ Cornelia, Luminiţa Gheorghiu (winner of the European Film Award for Best Actress) shines bright with often hard edged expressive words and deeds – often at the expense of her family. Her campaign to keep her son from prison and more importantly perhaps her reputation intact involves both emotional and social manipulation as she delves into the murky waters of power and corruption. This wonderful film about morale decline is partly a bleak sociological view of Romania and part Oedipal mother-son melodrama – an intense but worthwhile experience. Nick Walker For more information or to book seats in advance visit: rochesterfilmsociety.co.uk 19
MUSIC 1 BANK HOLIDAY MUSIC! ROCHESTER SWEEPS FESTIVAL Sat 3 - Mon 5 May with pre-fest gigs on Fri 2 May Folk music, family activities and entertainment and over 60 Morris sides. The best place for updates is facebook.com/ RochesterSweepsFestival and you can download the programme from visitmedway.org/events/ sweeps-festival-2014 MAIDSTONE FRINGE FESTIVAL Thu 1 May – Mon 5 May Vast line-up of acts in venues across the town, all genres. See last month’s preview and visit maidstonefringefestival.co.uk ALEXANDRA HOTEL Railway Street, Chatham ME4 4RJ 01634 830 545 Free entry to all gigs Fri 2 May from 9pm: MIKE LAWRENCE, LEO KELLY-GEE, UNKNOWN REPORT + CHAPTER ONE LIVE BAND Sat 3 May 8pm: MR ZENN (mrzenn. co.uk) Soul/Rock/Pop/Funk. Thu 9 & Fri 10 May from 8pm: SOUL CAPITAL + guest: Soul/Rock-80's & 90's Fri 16 May from 8pm: THE RATPACK SHOW Fri 23 May 9pm: BAD PENNIES Rock & Pop Fri 30 May 8pm: THE CHAUNDELIERS. 60's psychedelic punk band facebook.com/thealexchatham ANCHORIANS RUGBY CLUB Darland Avenue, Gillingham ME7 3AN 01634 365352 or 07544 312743 Fri 16 May 8.30pm: ‘TENOR MADNESS’ featuring three of the UK’s top tenor saxophonists in concert: DEREK NASH, ROBERT FOWLER and VASILLIS XENOPOULIS with John Pearce on piano, Bobby Worth on drums and Paul Morgan on Bass. Admission £10
THE BARGE 63 Layfield Road, Gillingham ME7 2QY 01634 850485
CENTRAL THEATRE 170 High Street, Chatham ME4 4AS 01634 338338
Music starts 9pm, free entry Fri 9 May: ADAM MARSLAND (USA) + BEN JONES Sat 10 May: MR BRIDGER + ANDY COLLIER Fri 16 May: THE PARADE Sat 17 May: ROKOKO Sat 24 May: TROY FAID thebargepub.co.uk
Sat 3 May 7.30pm: FAIRPORT CONVENTION. Sweeps headliners. Tickets: £20, £18 Sat 24 May 7.30pm: CITY OF ROCHESTER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 450th Anniversary of Shakespeare concert. See feature page 23. Discount for WOW readers! medwayticketslive.co.uk
BEACON COURT TAVERN 128 Canterbury Street, Gillingham ME7 4RY 01634 853186
THE CROWN 2 High Street Rochester ME1 1PT 01634 814874
Music starts 8.45 pm Thu 1 May: LIMEHOUSE LIZZY:£10 Sat 17 May: JOHNNY 2 BAD: £8 advance, £10 on the door Sat 31 May: REPTILIA: £6 beaconcourttavern.co.uk
Thu 1 May: KICK-BACKS Doors 7.30pm thecrownrochester.co.uk
THE BOWERHOUSE 20 Warwick Place, Maidstone ME16 8SE 01622 763448 Sat 3 May: JONNY KEARNEY & LUCY FARRELL Doors 7pm. £10 thebowerhouse.info
EAGLE TAVERN 124 High Street Rochester ME1 1JT 01634 409040 Doors 7pm. Free entry. Thu 1 May: VELVET GLOVE Sun 4 May 4-6pm: MRS BROWN’S BHOYS Folk rock band Thu 8 May: BEER PRESSURE Thu 15 May: RED ROOSTER Thu 22 May: ZEUS Thu 29 May: TOP GUNS theeagletavern.org.uk EARLS 30 Earl Street Maidstone ME14 1PS 01622 751286
BROOK THEATRE Old Town Hall, The Brook, Chatham ME4 4SE 01634 338338 FOLK AT THE BROOK: LISA KNAPP Thu 15 Apr, 8pm BBC Folk Awards 2014 nominee in two categories, Best Album & Best Original Song. £12 medwayticketslive.co.uk
Doors 9pm unless stated. Free entry. Thu 1 May: FANTASTRONAUTS + BLACK LION COURTIERS + FUNKE & THE TWO TONE BABY Fri 2 May: ONE DAY ELLIOTT + OPTIONAL RUBBER DUCK Sat 3 May: EARLS ALLDAYER from 2pm: THEATRE ROYAL + THE JACS +more Sun 4 May: EARLS ALLDAYER from 2pm – BEN JONES + ANDREA MAGEE + RITCHIE SWANN & RHONDA MERRICK, folksy-funkrock singer-songwriters at 3.45pm with special guest JOHN CLARK on percussion earlsmaidstone.co.uk
DERI HUGHES MSc MA Dip RSA UKCP reg Professional Member of Nafsiyat
Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist Suite 9, Cheldgate House 45 High Street Rochester ME1 1LP
...puting the pieces together with knowledge, compassion and understanding
Registrant
Yoga Therapy 1-2-1s Develop daily practices tailored to your needs Support other treatments for health conditions Yoga Nidra/Yoga Sleep Relaxation, meditation & mindfulness Bridget Reader bridget.reader@gmail.com 07962 077597 www.VitalityTherapies.com
soon...
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YOGA AND YOGA THERAPY
Coming
KENT
Tel: 01634 828 528 Mobile: 07788 412 701 Email: dhh@btconnect.com
MAY 2014
Thurs 1st Fri 2nd Sat 3rd 2pm 8:45pm Sun 4th 2pm 8:45pm Mon 5th Tues 6th Wed 7th Thur 8th Sun 11th Wed 14th Thur 15th Sun 18th Tue 20th Wed 21st Thur 22nd Sun 25th Wed 28th Thur 29th
Kingsize Slim Ash Mandrake Rosie Eade Band Den Raw Folk Hartley Singers Fate the Juggler 12:30pm Starlane Ukulele Jam Night Ian Petrie and Steve Shorey Sweetchunks Titus Gren Bartley Two Man Ting Jam Night Quiz Night Frank Terenzi & Pete Shaw ‘As is’ Glenn Barnes and Question 17 Jam Night We Ghosts Tener Duende ANDROID
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MUSIC 2
EDITH MAY THAMES BARGE Sun Pier, Chatham, ME4 4DN 01634 365343 Hatches open 7.30pm Sat 3 May: SCHEEPSFOLK: £10 Sun 4 May: KIMBER’S MEN: £12.50 edithmay.co.uk GOOD INTENT John Street, Rochester ME1 1YL 01634 843118 2, 3, 4 & 5 May: SWEEPS FESTIVAL - folk and ale with SINGAROUNDS from 1.00pm on Sat, Sun and Mon hosted by Simon Barlow and Richard Bridge Sun 4 May 6pm: TANGLEFOOT APPALACHIAN CLOGGERS Fri 9 May 8pm: The Travelling Talesman from Roch LitFest. See feature p23. Free but please support the jug and raffle Tue 6 & 20 May 8pm: FOLK SINGAROUND Wed 21 May 8pm: WOLFSHEAD AND VIXEN with BISHOP GUNDOLPH STAND Thurs 8 & 22 May at 9pm: OPEN MIC NIGHT hosted by Andy Whyte HASTINGS ARMS FUNCTION ROOM Lower Rainham Road (leading to Danes Hill) Gillingham ME7 2YD Free parking Thu 29 May 8.30pm: ROCHESTER SWING PRESERVATION SOCIETY plus special guests the Millieresque Saxophones. Glenn Miller favourites
Sat 17 May: CHRIS CORCORAN TRIO £14 Fri 23 May: BECKI BIGGINS & HER DREAM TEAM £15 Sat 24 May: SHANE HAMPSHEIR £14.50 Fri 30 May: FOWOKAN £14 Sat 31 May: HULLABALOO £14 pizzaexpresslive.co.uk
plus more from the Swing era. Admission £7, raffle plus free nibbles. For further details or to reserve a table tel: 01634 712217. ‘Like’ them on facebook: ‘Rochester Swing Preservation Society’
POCO LOCO 60 High Street Chatham ME4 4DS 07814 950442 Doors 8pm. Free entry Fri 2 May: RAGWEED + PUNCHING SWANS + THAT MASSIVE BEREAVEMENT + KILL RPNZL poco-loco.co.uk Steve Fallon
THE MUSIC INDUSTRY VILLAGE is a new organisation founded by professional music artist T Jae Cole to help promote and establish professional music industry profiles for new and established artists. If you are a singer, dancer, photographer, artist, web designer, band, solo artist, promoter looking to forge a career in the music industry, please log on to the new website and register your interest at musicindustryvillage.com.
MAN OF KENT ALEHOUSE John Street, Rochester ME1 07772 214315 See May gig listings opposite Music 1 SWEEPS highlights: Fri 2 May 8.45: ASH MANDRAKE Sat 3 May at 2pm: ROSIE EADE and at 8.45pm: DEN RAW FOLK Sun 4 May at 2pm: HARTLEY SINGERS and at 8.45pm: FATE THE JUGGLER Mon 5 May 12.30pm: STARLANE Jam night every Sunday evening. Free entry, Kentish ales PIZZA EXPRESS MUSIC ROOM 32-34 Earl Street, Maidstone ME14 1PF 01622 683548 Doors 7pm, show 8pm unless stated. Thu 1 May: MARK MORRISS £10 Fri 2 May: JTQ £29 Sat 3 May: GLENN TILBROOK £20 Sun 4 May: GOOSEBUMPS £12 (6.45pm) Fri 9 May: THE CHILLBILLIES £14 Sat 10 May: SNAKE DAVIS BAND £15 Fri 16 May: SARAH JANE MORRIS & IAN SHAW £19
RAFTERS 62 High Street, Maidstone ME14 1SR 0792 5773 041 Sat 3 May, doors 9pm. : TOM WILLIAMS & THE BOAT + THE BLACK WATERSIDE + AUDIOWHORES £6 Sun 4 May, doors 8pm: SLAVES + PUNCHING SWANS + MOURNING BIRDS £6 ST MARY’S FRIDAY NIGHT ALTERNATIVE Belmont Road, Gillingham ME7 5JB 01634 573032 Doors 7.30pm. £1 entry. Fri 30 May: THE DREDGERMEN plus OPEN MIC stmaryssocialclub.com STEPPING STONE STUDIOS 2 Museum Avenue, Maidstone ME14 1QX 01622 675923 Sat 3 May doors 7pm: UPCDOWNC + YOUTHBLOOD + THAT MASSIVE BEREAVEMENT + FRAU POUCH: £5 steppingstonestudios.co.uk
WOW Readers’ Offer
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHAKESPEARE THE CITY OF ROCHESTER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA IS MARKING THE 450TH ANNIVERSARY OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S BIRTH WITH A SPLENDID CONCERT FOR ALL.
Formed in 1969, the City of Rochester Symphony Orchestra (CRSO) is one of the pre-eminent amateur orchestras in the UK, with over 60 playing members, both amateur and professional musicians. To mark the 450th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s birth, the CRSO are performing a special programme on Saturday 24 May at the Central Theatre in Chatham. The orchestra will perform works by a wide variety of composers, including Weber’s ‘Oberon’ overture, inspired by the character in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’; Elgar’s Symphonic Study in C Minor, his depiction of Falstaff; and the 2nd suite of Hector Berlioz’ ‘Roméo et Juliette’, inspired by the Shakespearian tragedy.
SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR WOW READERS! We’re grateful to the CRSO for giving WOW a special promotional code to receive a 10% discount on bookings. Quote 10CRSO when you book online at medwayticketslive.co.uk, by phone to the box office on 01634 338338 or in person at The Central Theatre, 170 High Street, Chatham, Kent, ME4 4AS. TICKET PRICES ARE AS FOLLOWS: Adults: £10 stalls, £12 side balcony, £16 balcony Concessions: £9 stalls, £10 side balcony, £14 balcony Students & Children (up to 18yrs): £1 Group discounts are also available crso.org.uk
THE
ROCHESTER LITERATURE FESTIVAL
TRAVELLING
talesman
The Good Intent, Rochester ME1 1YL Fri 9 May 7.30pm
Last summer I visited Corfe Castle in Dorset with my family. In the grounds there were a series of re-enactors demonstrating medieval craft skills and local archaeologists with finds from within the castle walls. My daughter noticed a gloriously hirsute chap wearing a smock and leather boots sitting on a hillock with a small group of people around him. As we approached, he’d just started to recount a story of how King Edward was murdered by his stepmother so we joined the audience to listen for a minute or two. Over an hour later, we’d walked the walls of the castle with an ever expanding crowd and been totally enthralled by the ‘Travelling Talesman’. Thankfully you won’t need to journey to Dorset to meet the Talesman (aka Cliff Eastabrook) as he’s visiting the Good Intent in Rochester on Friday 9 May as part of his ‘Away with the Fairies’ tour. I asked him to explain a bit about what people can expect from the evening. “Our folklore is full of stories of the Small Folk... and they weren’t always so small. I delve back to their origins, like the godlike Celtic Tuatha De Danann who retreated into the ancient burial mounds, only to be seen processing or dancing on starry nights in the valleys of their former domain. From woodland glades to rocky hills, Fairies come in many sizes and types. The Spriggans, Pixies, Piskies, Sidhe (pronounced “shee”), Good Folk and Fae populate many of our traditional fairy yarns and I’ve sifted out the finest to bring to you.” The Travelling Talesman has over twenty years’ experience telling myths, legends and folktales, and last year he was nominated ‘Outstanding Male’ in the British Awards for Storytelling Excellence. Book soon as it’s sure to be a sell-out. Rob Flood ‘The Travelling Talesman’ is the first event in Rochester Literature Festival’s programme for 2014. Admission is free but you can book and make a donation at www. eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-travelling-talesmantickets-10713080111
THEATRE BOOK AHEAD! PATIENCE AGBABI Internationally acclaimed poet Patience Agbabi visits Rochester next month on her 2014 England Book Tour. She will be reading from her newly published book, TELLING TALES, a brilliant retelling of Chaucer’s MiddleEnglish classic ‘The Canterbury Tales’ for the 21st Century. ‘21st Century Cathedral Tales’ calls at Rochester Cathedral on Wednesday 25 June 7.30pm. Tickets £6 per adult, £5 concs. Box Office: 01634 810064 or in person from the Interpretation Manager at the Cathedral (call in to Garth House). ‘Telling Tales’ is published by Canongate, price £14.99 ISBN 9781782111559. A book signing will follow the event. The tour calls at Gravesend’s Bridewell on 6 June. Visit renaissanceone.co.uk for tour updates and details.
GOOD INTENT John Street, Rochester ME1 1YL 01634 843118 TRAVELLING TALESMAN Fri 9 May. Rochester Literature Festival’s first event of 2014. Free but donations welcome and you can book your place via Eventbrite. See article page 23. rochesterlitfest.com HAZLITT THEATRE Earl Street, Maidstone ME14 1PL 01622 758611 EXCHANGE STUDIO: THE TRIALS OF OSCAR WILDE Sat 3 May 7.30pm. £13, £11 Chickenshed Theatre’s ALL I’VE KNOWN Fri 9 May 1pm (schools perf ) & 7pm. A revealing and uplifting picture of family life told using Chickenshed’s characteristic physical style. 12+ with parental guidance. £5 hazlittartscentre.co.uk (£2 online booking fee applies) ORCHARD THEATRE Home Gardens, Dartford DA1 1ED 01322 220000
BROOK THEATRE Old Town Hall, Chatham ME4 4SE 01634 338338 SNAKES AND LADDERS Thu 1 May 7pm The terrific Cathy Tyson (of Mona Lisa and Band of Gold fame) tours this show inspired by true stories from black hairdressers in Brighton. £12, concs available. medwayticketslive.co.uk CENTRAL THEATRE 170 High Street, Chatham ME4 4AS 01634 338338 GRUMPY OLD WOMEN: Fifty Shades of Beige Fri 23 May 7.30pm. Jenny Eclair and friends. £20, £18 medwayticketslive.co.uk
RUBY WAX: Sane New World Sun 4 May 7.30pm. £18 TAP FACTORY Mon 5 May 7.30pm. High octane dance. £22.50, £19.50. Under 16s: £16 SCIENCE MUSEUM LIVE: The Energy Show Tue 6 7pm, Wed 7 May 1.30pm & 5.30pm. ‘Family theatre for curious minds’ produced by London’s Science Museum. For 7+. £16, under 16s: £13. Family £52 (four tickets). CHARLIE & LOLA’S EXTREMELY NEW PLAY Mon 26-Tue 27 May, Mon 11.30am, Tue 10.30am, 1pm & 3.30pm. £13.50, £12.50. Under 16s, £1.50 off. Children’s menu available. orchardtheatre.co.uk (booking fee applies)
COMEDY
BILLABONG CLUB Victoria Street, Rochester ME1 1XJ Top Uk comedians, last Thursday of every month. Doors 7.30pm, show 8pm. Next gig Thu 29 May: EDINBURGH FRINGE PREVIEW: VIKKI STONE with ‘Instrumental’ and JOLLYBOAT Comedy musical duo. £12 on door, £9 in advance from wegottickets.com/billabong; in person at Cafe@172 (formerly Dot Café) or call 01634 242731 or 07717 713667. Students £5 with ID. billabongcomedyclub.co.uk BRITANNIA THEATRE Dickens World, Chatham Maritime ME4 4LL Box Office: 0844 858 6656 Fri 30 May: JOHN MOLONEY, DIANE SPENCER, IMAAN the world’s smallest comedian and compere DOUGIE DUNLOP. Tickets £15, £13.50 group bookings (10+), with disco til late. Food available from 7pm. Comedy 8.30pm. britanniatheatrechatham.co.uk BROOK THEATRE Old Town Hall, Chatham ME4 4SE 01634 338338 LAUGHING BOY COMEDY CLUB Thu 8 May 7.45pm. KEVIN McCARTHY MC, GAVIN WEBSTER, MATT REES + HENRY PARKER. Over 18s only. £11 medwayticketslive.co.uk HAZLITT THEATRE Earl Street, Maidstone ME14 1PL 01622 758611 MITCH BENN IS THE 37TH BEATLE Fri 23 May 7.30pm. Tickets £14 hazlittartscentre.co.uk (£2 online booking fee applies) JOKING WITH INTENT The Good Intent, 3 John Street, Rochester ME1 1YL OPEN MIC COMEDY CLUB First and third Thursday of the month. Next gigs: Thu 1 and 15 May, 8-10pm. Line-up tbc. £2 admission. Find Joking with Intent on Facebook
distribution
9-10 Orchard Business Centre Sanderson Way Tonbridge Kent TN9 1QG e: enquiries@cpg-net.co.uk t: 01732 366666 www.cpg-net.co.uk
DESIGN
l
STORAGE
POS l LITHO l DIGITAL FULFILMENT l DISTRIBUTION
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TONBRIDGE KENT e: enquiries@cpg-net.co.uk t: 01732 366666 www.cpg-net.co.uk
25
ART TRANSMISSION A RADIO EXPERIMENT
Minster Golden Gloves Amateur Boxing Club is the brainchild of local businessman Terry Dodd. The club aims to provide friendship, respect and achievement for young people on the Isle of Sheppey. Using a state of the art sports venue the club runs programmes for all ages on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings.
JANE PITT is a multi-disciplinary artist with a particular focus on sound. Recently, she has been working on a most unusual project‌
As an artist who works with sound I’m keen on radio: there’s something magical about a medium that can float into people’s ears wherever they are. In our visually focused world, audio transmission still allows the public room to imagine or perceive the world differently, to ‘see’ things through sound. As a kid I used to roam up and down the airwaves tuning into distant music, pings, whooshes and strange voices, imagining I was travelling through space… now I can surf the net for radio stations too. There’s an incredible global network of community radio. So I’m thrilled to be one of the three artists commissioned for Art Transmission - a radio experiment devised by FrancisKnight and BRFM Bridge Radio’s Daniel Nash. Funded through Ideas Test’s ‘Out of the Ordinary’ programme, Art Transmission aims to support and inspire clubs, groups and societies to step out of their comfort zone and work with an artist to try something new. For the first commission, sound artist Jim Whelton has been working with Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway and for the third commission, writer, producer and director Kate Chapman is creating a series of ‘sound postcards’ with the members of Sheppey Horticultural Society.
back…good boy/girl… jab-JAB-JAB…move…push ‘em out…almost there…one more…almost there… one more..’ The intensity builds second by second until a trainer shouts ‘TEN SECONDS’ and everyone pushes as hard as they can to that final ‘BRRRRRRRriiiiiNg’ and the reminder to ‘BREATHE’,’ STRETCH OFF’, then move from bags to ropes, shadow boxing to pads, sparring or body work; stamina and strategy developed through hours of practice. Inspired by the Amateur Boxing rules and the training routine at the club, I’m planning 3 x 3 minute sound pieces that will be aired from Monday 19 May on BRFM Bridge Radio 95.6FM; or listen live online http://tunein. com/radio/BRFM-956-s92168/ . There’s been time to get to know the people as well as the sounds at the Boxing Club, to appreciate the discipline and sense of family there; and for them to get used to me. Interaction is an important element of my work so I’m drawing on their activity to devise a vocal score to record with the boxers for one piece. Daniel has been a great sounding board and his ongoing interviews for BRFM are a valuable way to share the project with the public as it evolves and to widen audiences for radio and soundart. You can hear my interviews with Daniel here:
Since January I’ve been visiting Minster Golden Gloves Amateur Boxing Club in Blue Town, Isle of Sheppey with my recording equipment and notebook, getting my ears tuned in by inveigling myself around the gym recording the unique soundscape and making phonetic sound notes, mining the sonic layers.
youtube.com/watch?v=-jJLTmfdfVI&feature=youtu.be youtube.com/watch?v=tWavZmdXhiM&feature=you tu.be
There’s no idling as the young boxers get stuck in, their focus sharpening as the session unfurls… A shrill ‘BRRRRRRRriiiiiNg’ hails the start of each three minute training round, a cyclical soundscape including the tup of deft footwork, expelled air ‘Issch-Issch’ or ‘tssch-tssch’, underscored by the ‘thwAhP’ and ‘DwUHp’ of glove on bag or pad, interleaved with the ‘hwhirr’hwhirr’whhirr’hhirr’ of breathtaking ropework. Trainers coax and motivate, praise and push: ‘hook… backhand…roll underneath it…backwards…right
arttransmissionradioexperiment.wordpress.com
You can find all Art Transmission’s archived words and sounds, including blog posts by the artists, at:
Images by Project Photographer Simon Martin: flickr.com/photos/110507427@N06/ Producers: francisknight.co.uk – For Art Transmission, go to Projects, then click on ‘Community Engagement’. Jane Pitt: janepitt.co.uk
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VISUAL ART MAIDSTONE FASHION WEEK: FASHION SHOW Thu 15 May Local textile artists, each with a budget of £5, teamed up with the town’s charity shops to buy an outfit and transform it under the ‘make do and mend’ – or in this case, transform – motto. The clothes will be auctioned off to raise funds for the charity whose shop they came from. Great idea! THE BEANEY HOUSE OF ART AND KNOWLEDGE 18 High Street, Canterbury CT1 2RA 01227 862162 Mon to Wed 9am to 5pm, Thu 9am to 7pm, Fri and Sat 9am to 5pm, Sun 10am to 5pm TEDDY BEAR STORY Sat 10 May to Sun 27 Jun. Free entry. thebeaney.co.uk BELOW 65 GALLERY Gilbert & Clark Frame and Print 65 High Street, Maidstone ME14 1SR 01622 685146 Free entry Open 9.30am-4.30pm Mon-Sat MVAN: COMFORT AND CHALLENGE Thu 1 May – Sat 31 May Group show by Maidstone Visual Artists Network exploring the theme of comfort and challenge. Works in a variety of media, including painting, textiles and photography. mvan.info gilbertandclark.com FRANCIS ILES GALLERIES 103 High Street, Rochester ME1 1LX 01634 843081 Opens Mon-Sat 9.30am-5.30pm SPRING EXHIBITION featuring Jill Barthorpe plus new works from Gallery Artists. Free entry. francis-iles.com GRAVESHAM BOROUGH MARKET Gravesend DA11 0AZ FOOTFALL To Sat 31 May. Great project to revitalise the market. Exhibitions every Sat
9.30am-12.30pm and free community workshops 1.30pm & 3.30pm. facebook.com/ GravesendArtsConsortium HISTORIC DOCKYARD CHATHAM The Historic Dockyard, Chatham ME4 4TY 01634 823800 Open 10am-6pm. Adults: £18.50, children £11.50, concs available: unlimited returns for one year. A SQUASH AND A SQUEEZE Sharing stories with Gruffalo creator, Julia Donaldson. To 1 June. thedockyard.co.uk/juliadonaldson MAIDSTONE MUSEUM & BENTLIF ART GALLERY St Faith's St, Maidstone ME14 1LH 01622 602838 Opens Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, closed Sun & Bank Holidays A LADYBIRD CHILDHOOD To Sun 11 May. Free entry museum.maidstone.gov.uk MEDWAY ARCHIVES & LOCAL STUDIES CENTRE Clock Tower, Civic Centre, Rochester ME2 4AU 01634 332714 VERSES & EXTRACTS – 80 YEARS ON To 17 June. Medway School of Arts & Crafts from 1934 to present day. Free NUCLEUS ARTS 272 High Street, Chatham ME4 4BP 01634 812108 Gallery: Mon- 10am-5pm, closed Sun. Free entry A KIND OF RETROSPECTIVE: ROY SPARKES Sat 3 May – Thu 15 May (1pm). Preview 2 May 6-8pm LIGHT, LIFE & LANDSCAPES: EMMA FLYNN Sat 17 May-Thu 22 May (1pm). Preview 16 May 6-8pm IN THE MIND’S EYE: MARION SMITH Sat 24 May- Thu 5 June (1pm). Preview 23 May 6-8pm) OPEN STUDIOS: NUCLEUS ARTISTS Sat 3 May + 17 May (see article p30). nucleusarts.com
NUCLEUS ARTS, ROCHESTER 75 High Street, Rochester ME1 1LX Open 10am-5pm Mon-Sat; Sun 115pm 01634 812108 Gallery shop full of local goodies. NUCLEUS ARTS, MAIDSTONE Gabriel’s Hill, Maidstone ME15 6JR Open 10am-5pm Mon-Fri; closed Sundays 01634 812108 New arts hub & café for Maidstone. TITHE BARN, LENHAM ME17 2QD Open daily 10am-6pm, free entry PILGRIM’S WAY ARTISTS EXHIBITION Fri 16 May – Mon 26 May. Terrific annual show with over 350 works. Artist’s demo eve: 21 May til 9pm. Craft stalls 23-25 May. More info: tel 01233 770425. pilgrimswayartists.org.uk ROCHESTER ART GALLERY Visitor Information Centre, 95 High Street, Rochester ME1 1LX 01634 338319 Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10.30am-5pm Free entry TIME LAPSED : MARISSA MARDON To 1 June. CRAFT CASE: Imogen Noble & Raewyn Harrison. From 14 May : Artist’s Residency in the gallery (see marissamardon.com for exact dates/times) + two exhibitionrelated workshops: Sat 10 May & Sat 24 May. Details at visitmedway.org SUN PIER HOUSE Medway Street, Chatham ME4 4HF 01634 401549 Open Tue-Sun 10am - 4pm (closed Mon) APART GROUP: Exhibition of Affordable Art at this new art gallery and café with stunning views. (disabled access coming soon). sunpierhouse.co.uk ST ANDREW’S ART CENTRE Royal Pier Road, Gravesend DA12 2BD ACTIVE ARTISTS Weekend of Sat 10 May (1-5pm) & Sun 11 May (11am5pm). See p5.
ART PILGRIMS WAY ARTISTS
EXHIBITION
TITHE BARN LENHAM KENT ME17 2QD
16th-26th May 2014 10am - 6pm Daily CONTACT NO: 01233 770425
The Vintage & Retro Summer Fair 31st Ma
2014 y
Doors Open 10:30am - 3pm Admission 50p Free Parking
Rainham School for Girls Derwent Way Rainham, Kent ME8 0BX Stall Enquires Contact Amanda
timelessretro@mail.com
NUCLEUS ARTS
is celebrating twelve successful years with four splendid ArtsFest Saturdays Founder DALIA HALPERN-MATTHEWS reviews the journey It is hard to believe that 12 years have passed since that momentous day when I first saw a very sorry looking building with rubbish piled up in front, a hundred toilets (actually it only seemed like that many when we were trying to clean them to make the building presentable), and several deserted vehicles on the tarmac forecourt! So why was I there that day, waiting to meet people from the Council and the Arts Council? Well…. My father, Hilary Halpern, had recently retired from a long and successful career as an international architect and town planner. Dad wanted to return in his retirement to his first love - sculpture. He thought that in an area as creative as the Medway Towns there would be plenty of arts facilities he could make use of. Unfortunately he thought wrong. Despite the number of creative people living and working in Medway, there really was nowhere that provided studios, allowed artists to get together to discuss and develop their work and offered affordable and accessible exhibiting space. So there was I, in March 2002, with an empty building and very little in the way of funds. Not to be daunted, we scrubbed, arranged rubbish clearance, and towed away cars. I left leaflets all over Medway, in libraries and colleges and ended up with a list of over 100 artists. Many of the artists met with us a few times to talk about what they really wanted, and using that as the basis for the Art Centre we did the minimum needed to the building to get it open and working. Three months later, on 22 June 2002, the New Art Centre opened its doors for the first time. So, do we still look the same after 12 years? After several refurbishments of the outside space, cafe and gallery, the purchase of our second building, the creation of Rochester and Maidstone retail shops and the recent inclusion of Café Nucleus pods in each location - plus of course the Creative Riverside Hub, successfully opened last September – absolutely not! We’ve even been through a gradual name change, from the New Art Centre, to the NAC, Nucleus Art Centre, bringing us to where we are now: Nucleus Arts. Has a nice ring to it don’t you think? We now have close to 50 artists working out of studios across three sites; 104 artists exhibiting at any one time in our shops; and around 30 exhibitions per year in our main gallery of work by local, national and international artists.
Every year we like to celebrate in style, and this year we are producing not one but four free ArtsFest events! Saturday 17 May is when it all kicks off, with an afternoon of free entertainment at our Centre in Chatham. On 14 June we are having even more free fun, alongside FUSE 2014. Senior music performance students at Mid Kent College will be providing acts including solo and band performances. Keep an eye on our website for details. 12 July sees ArtsFest 3, tying in with the River Festival, and then we have our Welcome Back event on 13 September. Even better, our artists will be holding Open Studios on each of these dates. Can you afford to miss it? nucleus-arts.com
Saturday 10 May to Sunday 27 July 2014 Special Exhibitions Room Exhibition organised by V&A Museum of Childhood, London
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High Street, Canterbury thebeaney.co.uk
Image: Teddy bear, Chad Valley Company Limited, England, c1955 © Victoria and Albert Museum
Teddy Bear Story
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PhotoŠMark McNulty