50th year reunion Central School of Art and Crafts

On the 1st of November this year past pupils that studied theatre and costume design at the Central School of Art and Crafts in the late 1950's and early 1960's will be holding a reunion in London. My parents met each other at the college and were studying the came course. It was the time of rock and roll and beatnik's. My Mothers feet still hurt from wearing winkle picker shoes for the sake of rock and roll. She has the photos to prove it and many photo albums from there time at the college. They will be taking them along to the reunion. If your parents or friends were studying theatre and costume design at the college at this time please do get in touch. You can leave a message in the comments box or join the facebook group. The art school is now called Central Saint Martins college.

NNUH hospital Fete

This Saturday at the Norfolk and Norwich University hospital there will a fundraiser fete, raising money for the Neonatal unit. Starting at 11am going on till 4.30pm. Please do come along. The stalls will be in the car park, so catch a bus there. Many stalls, a car boot sale, games and the hospital arts project will have lots of art inspiring creations for all ages to make.

Government fund the arts

The time we are in is when the industrial machine age is nearly over. Fossil fuels are running out and according to people in the industry it will run out completely in the next 5 to 10 years. This means there will be even less jobs.

My plan of action is the government backs the arts even more then ever. People will then learn how to use there imagination, the use of there hands, learn craft and traditional skills. There is so little funding in the arts in recent decades I have never seen a penny from it. If I lived in Holland or France I would be given a weekly wage and a pat on the back. In the UK, I volunteer my time as an artist nearly 50 weeks of the year. I make two weeks pay last me a whole year. When the Bishop that came to visit the UK said that the UK was like a third world country I was pleased he said that, because for most of us it is. The divide between rich and poor is enormous. There may be an illusion that poor people are rich because they have a car or TV, but this is just an illusion they took out a loan to pay for it and have become even poorer from the loan gaining interest.

One would hope that the government puts more money towards the arts to get a greater return in jobs and happiness. If not then the richest people in the country should be forced by the government to put some cash into the arts, after all the rich people not long ago use to commission artists to do portraits and murals, plays, music and performance.

If you think the government should at least talk about it. Then please sign the petition here

Archaos Circus Band sketches

Archaos Band playing on a boat on the Thames for the Archaos crew reunion. The drawing is signed by the band.

20 year reunion of the world famous Archaos circus at the OXO tower on the Thames in London where there was a large exhibition of photographs, films and press cuttings. Plus nearly all the people that were involved with the circus were there in person, excited as the public to be back together. There were no chainsaws being juggled which the nanny state were in, feared so much by the pen pushers. The circus was never about juggling chainsaws, it was much more then that it was a collective of creative talent from all over the world that brought about a social change. No longer was circus about taming wild animals, it was about letting humans go wild with expression and freedom. The circus was together for only two years, but is still talked about as if they are still happening and the circus had so much impact on anyone that saw the show, it triggered people to go out and show there talent.

I met up with Annabel lines and Chris Axelsen who had flown in especially from Australia to be with there Archaotic family once again. Annabel had not changed in twenty years, she still kept her beauty and glamour. Annabel has kept up her performing since she left the circus and still retains the highest level of talent. Everything she does becomes inspirational for others to copy. The hoola hoop toy business should give her 50 percent of there profits. She has twirled for many years and even toured with Peaches round the world. She has done so many different types of performance that she designed herself, it makes lady Gaga look like she is a child that has been messing around with Annabel's dressing up box.

Chris Axelsen may not be a human cockroach getting running over by motorbikes. He has done many entertaining theatrical shows since Archaos, including helping with the running Sydney CarriageWorks arts centre.

The Archaos band played all the circus tunes and went for it more then any band I have ever seen. The crowd rocked out and danced the night away and screamed "More" so loud, the whole of London would have heard.

Dan on saxophone. Dan is in his own band called the Spanner Jazz punk.

Tony the lead singer.

The Band altogether playing.