Getting ready for Dandifest

Dandifest is on in Norwich from the 28th of April to the 10th of May at St. Margaret's church of art and the Norwich Arts centre.

DANDIFEST!
Art collective extraordinaire, The Norwich Dandies, are planning Dandifest! a two week happening, launching on Monday 28 April 2014, running through the May Bank Holiday, and ending on Saturday 10 May 2014. The Norwich Dandies, established in 2010, have worked separately on a vast array of projects, but always have the most fun when they work together. An impressive line-up of Guest Artists will be announced in the run-up to the launch.

Feedback from Helen Jones, after MindOut’s Wellbeing Day in Brighton. “The Norwich Dandies were a delight… They artfully created a corner of creative inspiration and got everyone involved… whatever their level of skill… they were generous, gentle, gorgeous and we can’t wait for them to come back...!”

Current Norwich Dandies are:

Eloise O'Hare, artist and campaigner, currently co-organising the Norwich Rising event, Drum For Justice, an international One Billion and Rising event on Valentine's Day, highlighting violence against women. Eloise also works for Hospital arts and is a leading campaigner in stopping junk mail to save trees.

Chrissy Sabberton, artist, performance artist, and campaigner, explores the way women are portrayed in the media, and wears a lot of pink.

Dugald Ferguson, artist and actor, is currently working in Berlin. His multi-media show Torrents of Rapture, received Arts Council England funding, and has been seen in London, Madrid, and Brighton, where it touched the hearts of millions.

Ann Nicholls, photographer, photojournalist, and campaigner, regularly photographs protests, campaigns, and celebrations. Her work often features in the media.

Vince Laws, founder of the Norwich Dandies, is a poet, artist, and campaigner. Channel 4 News broadcast live from Vince's last happening - a protest against Russian President Vladimir Putin on the eve of the Winter Olympics. He was Arts Council England funded for the B.Right.On Festival last year.

Between them the Norwich Dandies have worked with partners as diverse as: 76Crimes, Adult Literacy, Anglia TV, Anti Atos, Anti Domestic Violence, Anti Legal Aids Cuts, Area 10, Barbefellas, Barrington Farm, Baseline magazine, Battersea Arts Centre, BBC News, The Big Row, Bear Patrol, The Best of Norfolk Gala, Brighton Gay Men's Chorus, Big Gig, Brighton Dance Flash Mobs, Brighton Museum & Gallery, Brighton Pride, Camden Peoples Theatre, Centro Neimeyer, Channel 4 News, Chauncy Maples hospital ship Malawi, Chilli Film Festival, COAST, Cromer Crab and Lobster Festival, Cromer Library, Cromer Pier, Crude Apache, Disability Arts Online, Drum for Justice, EDP, Falmouth University, The Forum, Football Against Homophobia, Galley Beggar Press, Gscene magazine, Hackney Downs Studios, Hostry Art Awards, Houghton Hall Revisited, Hullabaloo Community Quire, Human Library, Inside Out and Proud, ITV News, Knitted Rainbow Scarf for City Hall, LGBT History Month, Leeway Women's Refuge, Lunch Positive, Matadero Arts Centre, Mind, MindOut, Mustard TV, NDPAC, NNF BETA Festival, N&N Hospital Arts, National Theatre of Spain, Norfolk Show Ground, Senator David Noris President of Ireland, Norwich Arts Centre, Norwich Library, Norwich Pride, Norwich Puppet Theatre, Old Vic Tunnels, One Billion and Rising, The One Show, OUT140, Outline Magazine, Out Write, Outside In, Pleasance Theatre, Pride Live radio, Reels of Fire film, Stop Junk Mail, Strange Cargo, Sing With Pride, Shunt, Sodium Valporate Syndrome, Panorama, Peter Tatchell, Tate Modern, Time For Change, Trinity Buoy Wharf, Tullynally Castle, Words and Women magazine, The Women's Art Movement (WAM), Young Carers Association…

Norwich Dandy photographer, Ann Nicholls, as LookSeeClick Photography has documented many public celebrations and demonstrations including:
- We Are Norwich demonstration against English Defence League, November 2012 -Norwich
- Unite Against Fascism demonstration against English Defence League, October 2012 - Tower Hamlets
- Unite Against Fascism demonstration against English Defence League, February 2013- Cambridge
- Unite Against Fascism demonstration against English Defence League, 2013 - London
- Demonstration against supporters of Golden Dawn, January 2013 - London
- Rally of so-called 'Patriots', January 2014 - Lincoln
- Demonstration against privatisation of NHS, 2013 - Manchester
- Demonstration to mark the death of Margaret Thatcher, 2013 - Trafalgar Square, London
- Photo documentation of Occupy Norwich encampment, October 2011-February 2012
- Photo documentation of anti-ATOS demonstrations, Norwich - 2012-2013
- Photo documentation of actions organised by Norwich People's Assembly against austerity - 2012
- Norwich Rising V-Day events against violence against women - 2012 and 2013
- Celebration of Cultures event organised by Inclusion Mind (Norwich) - 2012
- Member of photography team for Norwich Pride - 2011, 2012, 2013
- No to Hate Crime Vigils, Norwich - 2012, 2013
- Norwich Trades Council May Day celebration - 2013
Ann's images have appeared in the Guardian, Eastern Daily Press, Disability Today and Socialist Worker.

Dandifest! will centre on St Margaret's Church of Art on St Benedict's Street, Norwich, with art, poetry, politics, live events, workshops, photography, and whatever else turns up between now and then.

Feedback from Oz Osborne, organiser of Norwich Forum’s Wellbeing Festival: “I'm delighted we booked you as you were an absolute highlight… I will recommend you to anyone I can in the future. You're all brilliant and I can't wait to work with you again!”

If you want to get involved, get in touch. Volunteer Dandies are always welcome.