Arts News
Ashford Visual Arts Festival, August and September
2010!
Do something amazing this
summer!!!
Preparations are underway for this year’s Ashford Visual Arts
and Architecture Festival, and as always, young people are invited
to help bring the festival to life. Workshops will take place
throughout August to create some of the art installations and
performances that will feature in the festival in September, from
legal graffiti to creating your own soap opera.
Every year, artists and young people join forces to celebrate
Ashford’s unique architecture and local artistic talent with a
month-long festival. This year’s theme is Shared Space, and
young people aged 12 years+ are encouraged to join as many
workshops as they like.
Workshops include:
There is also a chance for budding young
composers to give Eastenders a run for its money by penning their
own soap theme tunes and sending it on a disc to festival
organisers. Spaces on all workshops are limited, so book now
to avoid disappointment! (full details below).
Arts development officer at Ashford Borough
Council Chris Dixon said: “In recent council surveys we have
had lots of requests to provide more arts, outside family events
and more opportunities for young people - the Ashford Visual Arts
and Architecture Festival bring all this together and more!
This is a must for any budding artist, composer or anyone who just
wants to have fun this summer. It’s a good job that I am
involved in the organising, otherwise I would be bombarding the
council with all my theme tune ideas!”
More details of the festival and workshop can
be found here or see below.
To request a booking form or for further
details email us here or write to
Shared Space c/o Chris Dixon, Arts Development, Ashford Borough
Council Tannery Lane, Ashford, TN23 1PL.
Flipbook
animation:
When: Monday 16th August 1:30
– 4:30 pm OR Tuesday 17th August 1:30 – 4:30 pm
Where: Ray Allen Centre, 1 Stanhope Road,
Ashford, TN23 5RN
Create your own filmic sequence using flipbook animation
techniques using existing paper back books or simple book blocks.
Learn how to create simple drawings and flip the pages, create
animation without a film in sight!
Legal graffiti:
When: Monday
16th August AND Tuesday 17thAugust 10am – 4pm (bring a
packed lunch)
Where: Meet outside Ashford Magistrates Court,
corner of Tufton St & Church Rd
Create your own graffiti designs and then paint them – legally.
Working with professional graffiti artists, create your own designs
and transform a public area for all to see. The designs will
feature on the hoardings around the construction site of the new
Ashford Gateway Plus on Church Road.
Line portraits:
When: Thursday
19th August 9:30am – 12:30pm OR Friday
20thAugust 9:30am – 12:30pm
Where: Ashford Adult
Education Centre, Associate House, Upper Queens Road, TN24 8HJ
Can't draw? Think again! Create simple line
drawn portraits using photographs and tracings to capture the
character and turn them into portrait sketches.
Create your own soap
opera:
When: Daily from Mon
23rd to Fri 27th August, and Tuesday
31stAugust 09.30 – 12.30 Rehearsal and performance
Saturday 18th September 10am – 4pm
Where: Ashford Adult
Education Centre, Associate House, Upper Queens Road, TN24
8HJ
Think you could do better than Eastenders?
Create your own mini soap series and perform live it at the
Memorial Gardens. Write your storyline and script, rehearse and get
ready to perform in public.
Write a theme
tune:
When: Anytime - deadline Tues
31st August. Selected theme will be played on
18th Sept
Are you a budding composer? Enter our theme tune competition for
our soap by writing your own theme tune, burn it on a disc and post
to us along with a competition entry form. Email us here for an entry
form.
11,000 visit Create
Festival 
This year’s Create Festival has broken all previous records with
an amazing 11,000 people attending the free music extravaganza
throughout the day.
The event, organised by Ashford Borough Council and
generously supported by Regency Marquees, Audio Energy, Right
Track Music School and a host of other local businesses, is now in
its 15th year and is fast becoming one of the biggest free music
festivals in the South East.
Thousands of people flocked from far and wide to Victoria Park
to see a stellar line-up of musicians on the three main
stages. More than 11,000 people passed through the gates
throughout the day, and an average of 3,600 people partied in the
park at any one time. Create’s previous best has been a total of
5,000 visitors, and organisers were delighted the event has more
than doubled in popularity.
Ashford Borough Council’s arts development officer Chris Dixon
said: “Create 2010 has been phenomenal, and no doubt the best
yet. “It is amazing what can be achieved when local talent,
audiences, event organisers, businesses and sponsors all work
together to deliver something as positive as this for our community
- Ashford can be very proud of itself this week! After seeing
so many smiling faces and families getting together on Sunday, I
can safely say Create will be back for July 2011. As for
value for money, the numbers speak for itself - if only every town
had a Create!"
Green Day tribute act Green Date headlined the
Audio Energy Main Stage, and put on a sensational show for the
packed out crowds. Other acts performing on the day were Kent
singer-songwriter Nic Bennett, acoustic
fusion band Maia, Ashford-based Flat Lung and DJ Adam White.
Aside from the music, there was plenty to keep people
entertained with the new beer tent and cocktail bar, a hog roast,
face painting, bungee run, assault course, surf simulator, fun fair
rides and a live paint by artist Oliver Winconek.
Get ready for the Tenterden Folk Festival
Organisers are getting ready for the annual Tenterden Folk
Festival, Ashford which is set to be the biggest year yet!
Events include concerts, sing-a-rounds, music sessions, barn
dances, workshops and not forgetting the famous street
procession! The festival runs from Thursday 30th
September - Sunday 3rd October 2010. For the full line
up and event listings please visit the
Tenterden Folk Festival Website.
This webpage was updated on
8/9/2010