Dandifest 2017 is coming!

Norwich Dandies are preparing for Dandifest 2017.

If you would like to submit work in the festival have a think about the different themes. We have collaborated with Golden Bees from Australia and looking for submissions for a buzzing bee exhibition.
Also joined forces with Eaton Park cafe for a bicycle picture/painting to adorn the cafe during the festival.
1 square foot show will spread across Norwich in shop windows. Works no bigger then 1 square ft.
International postcard art exhibition which will be in a gallery window on St. Augustine's.
Local and International celebrity portraits show in Yarmouth Library.
Bird painting, photo, wall sculpture. Which will raise cash for Wing and a Prayer and the RSPB. This show is on at the Bridge Gallery at the Birdcage pub.

Poppyland Band at Sidestrand church

Poppyland folk music band had there first gig at Sidestrand church in North Norfolk last Sunday evening. Sidestrand church was moved in from the coast line 100 years ago and it is now just 50 metres from the coast again, as England is loosing its edge with the rising tides.
Eddie Anderson and friends have set up an archive group as this village needs one urgently. Bertie Anderson wrote some fantastic songs and music for the evening and when she started doing so she was pregnant a year ago and now she has a baby girl named after the area called Poppy. In the sketch done in red fineliner felt tip pen above I have captured the whole band that managed to fit it self in the area of the pulpit and a few I noticed were balancing themselves on the edges of the church walls.

Eddie Anderson films the band from the church pue on the left hand side.

Annie who I couldn’t fit in the first picture. Here she is playing the fiddle to a song called Sallybeans. Sally Beans was a lady who lived in a cottage near the sea, off Shucks lane and she use to help the smugglers hide there hoards. My Granny Verily Anderson owned the house and named it after Sally Beans.
The evening had a full house and I am pleased that some of my friends from beyond Norwich came along from the Wildlife Trust after they had cleaned a part of the Broads river.

Unexpected monkey in the bagging area

Earlier in the year I got invited to show my work on Ten minute drawings group on facebook which is run by local Norwich artist Andy Merrit. I returned the favour and invited Andy to show his work at Dandifest 2015. Then discovered Andy is into Green Screen movie making.
 So I asked if he would show me how it works. So we made a film in his Green screen studio in Norwich called 'Unexpected Monkey in the bagging area'. Andy spent several weeks editing the film. Here it is.

Goob signed sketches on exhibition from Q & A

Sketches of the Goob film Q&A in Norwich Cinema city are now framed and on show the Silver rooms Community hall in Norwich on Silver Road. Make an appointment with the Silver rooms to take a look round. 

The Goob is an award winning film made in Norfolk using real Norfolk actors with the Norfolk dialect. Its a fantastic film that stars Sean Harris. Sean now stars in Mission impossible films. The sketches were signed on the evening of the Q and A at Cinema City in Norwich, UK.  The DVD for the Goob will be out next week from the 21 September.

The Goob photos from Norwich Q&A

The Goob film was finally shown in Norwich after its World tour of Film festivals. I went along and saw the film and then sketched the Q&A 

Here I am with the sketch with Fergie who stars as Boo in the the film

Fergie with his adoring fans

Fergie chatting about the next film that he will be starring in

The other stars

 The end of the Q&A I caught up with Sean Harris afterwards as we had been in Brothers of the head about ten years before. Sean is now in big Hollywood blockbusters. 

The Goob Sketches Cinema City

 

The Goob film set in Norfolk with total Norfolk actors with real Norfolk accents  was finally shown at Cinema City in Norwich after spending some time travelling around the world and winning awards at film festivals. The film was raw and realistic showing another side to the horrors of the supermarket industry. Supermarkets creates low prices for the consumer but no money for the growers and workers.  

The film was really well made showing some wonderful shots of Norfolk scenery as well as creating a swirling camera effects and well cast film.

In the sketch above the director Guy Myhill is answering questions about the film.  After the film was shown and the director, producer and actors were brought on stage for a Q and A with the audience. I drew each person when it was there turn with the microphone hence why they are all holding the microphone. Also capturing some of the cinema audience which was made up of friends of the film or people who worked on the film. 

 

I knew two of the Actors, Sean Harris who I was in the film the "Brothers of the Head"  in 2004 which was a film also set in Norfolk. I got on well with Sean Harris during the making of the film Brothers of the head. Also a brilliantly cast film. I am still friends with some of the cast today. Also I am very good friends with Boo also know as Fergie in real life or Martin Ferguson. Fergie has been a ceramic artist and then a plasterer and then a builder, now an actor. He has worked on several of my families homes. But he is also an amazing character and very unique with a great imagination. 

 The sketches are signed by everyone apart from the Goob and Fergie, whom I will catch up with soon to sign it. I will frame them and put them in my next exhibition at the Silver rooms New Community hall on Silver Road in Norwich. 

Norwich Dandies fundrazr

Norwich Dandies are fund raising for next year. They have quite a few big plans for next year and they have applied for Arts council funding but in order to receive the funding from the arts council they have to raise 10 percent. So I started a crowd funding campaign as we have quite a few perks to offer that make donating easier. Next year we plan Dandifest 2015 bigger and brighter and better and also to major shows in London for disability week and a tour of Norfolk round the villages. Please do donate and if you cant do share the funding page. A big thanks from the Dandies and we hope you can come and join in our events next year we try to make as accessible as possible for everyone. Click here to link to page

Dandfiest the movie

The Norwich Dandies are proud to release this short film, which includes the performance poem My Mental Helmet, on World Mental Health Day. Let's all be a little bit kinder, less quick to judge, more accepting of difference… our own lives will be enriched. Have a look at the movie here. Vote for the Norwich Dandies who have been nominated by the people of Norfolk for Art award

Dido Belle is an O'Hare

My ancestor Dido Belle has been made into a movie and is out now in cinemas near you. It was about 10 years ago that my Aunty Margaret told me that I was related to Dido Belle on the O'Hare side. On my mothers side my Granny was a genealogist and historian so she had every relation discovered but the O'Hare side needed digging out, so my aunt went to the trouble of finding out the history. I am not sure if the film is completely correct. But I shall find out when I had to the cinema this week. 

Drum for justice photos of event on 14th February 2014

The Drum for Justice sheets blowing around in the wind. In the morning of the event I wasn't sure if it was going to go a head. I had been up all night making costume for Boadicea and tying up loose ends. When morning came I a phone call came from a school teacher who was unsure about taking the children out in the rain and wind. So I am pleased I prepared myself for an early start as there was plenty of people in the morning wanting to mess up my timetable. Always be prepared and start much earlier then you intend to. There was no alternative arrangement for bad weather because last year we practised weekly in the snow and thought we could do this in any weather condition. 

My friend Rachel from Yarmouth art college came along to join in the fun.

Shelly Teddy even showed up and wasn't at all bothered about getting her fur wet.

Future radio came and set up the technical side for the sound system and Mary the signer also came along. 

All the school children from Catton Grove school dancing to Break the Chain.

Fire service came along which was great. I also invited the police to come along as they also have to deal with domestic violence. 

Bucket collectors from in the rain collecting for Leeway women's refuge charity.

Robert from Beepmode web design making a film 

More photos can be found on the One Billion and rising website

Here is a link to a video made by Beepmode web designs

Boadicea giving a speech and Mary signing to speech

Catton Grove school made some banners

Mr. Dods Hoola hoops that the children are playing with

Shelly Telly who also put lots of work into Norwich Rising is making a fridge magnet art piece

 Me and Shelly standing in front of the poster with V-day signs

Doing the One billion and rising sign in front of my poster

Doing the One billion and rising sign in front of my poster

Shelly, Eloise, Poppy and Maddi of Dogs chasing tail community music in front of the poster

Group school style photo in the rain

Group photo with Maddi and Eloise in the front 

Maddi and I in front of group photo

Maddi conducting the group

One billion and rising flag waving in background

Mr Dod hula hooping and dancing break the chain

Children and people drumming with pots and pans to break the chain to stop violence against women

Dancing and drumming

Action shot of Maddi waving her feather dusters conducting drum for justice drummer

The drummers were put in separate groups to get the layers of levels and types of drumming to make up the Morse code beat which spelled out Enough is enough!!!!!

Mr Punch helped organise the event and he says he was rising to stop abusers from abusing women.
Mr. Punch also made a pledge not to Punch anyone again.

Leeway charity collecting money and Mustard TV

Anna Mudecka African dance and drumming

Ladies drumming with pots and pans

Anna Mudeka dancing and everyone drumming

Anna Mudeka dancing

Here Anna Mudeka and her dance partner are jumping off the ground

Also helping collect money is Virgina monologues actors that are performing at the UEA on 26th and 27th of February 2014

Ann in the back round and the justice sheet with Future radio

Hitchin Dance and rise girls came to dance in Norwich

Firemen drumming there helmets

Ian Brownlie from CME was also leading the beat for all the beginners

Anam Cara Tribal dance group

People came in wheelchairs, fire service and Anam Cara dance group

Kids drumming on a big drum at the Drum for justice event

DGAS drum group came with there real drums.

Catton Grove kid with tray and utensil drum

Catton Grove kid with tray and utensil drum

Focus and concentration was very important to get the drumming right

Children hooping

Anam Cara tribal dance group

Drummers waiting for the Cue to begin

Chloe Smith drumming with a bucket

Mustard TV filming the action