Norwich Dandies update launch

The Norwich Dandies, a group of contemporary artists, poets and performers are taking over St Margaret’s Church on St Benedict’s Street, Norwich, for two weeks and filling it with art, poetry, performance and community projects. There will be a Human Library, Spoken Word Open Mike, T-shirt Printing, OUT140, crowning of the Norwich Pope (with a hand-knitted mitre!), Badger the dog, and a spectacular Launch Party on Monday 24 May from 6pm prompt – don’t miss it! Plus the Small Blue Ball, signed by artist Kurt Perschke, the man behind the big Red Ball, will be squished and squashed into various places around the church over the 2 weeks!

Artists include Vince Laws who takes poetry off the page into paintings, performance and installations; Norwegian painter Ole Skauge who creates dazzling geometrical illusions; homeboy Dugald Ferguson with his illuminated bunches of sportsmen-clad blossom; Christina Sabberton who creates exaggerated stereotypes inspired by what she observes in the world around her; Grant Dejonge, Painter and Ceramicist; Eloise O’Hare who makes Alice in Wonderland look dowdy; and Mark Scott Wood who makes curious installations. Badger the Dog will be displaying his unmade bed.

Others taking part include Shelly Telly, community film maker and the chair of Norwich Pride; poet and UEA lecturer Caroline Gilfillan; writer and comedian Paul Knight; humanist celebrant Georgina Wragg; musician and singer Maddie Cassell; photographer Paul John Bayfield; artist Jacqui Jones; the newly formed Norwich Pride Choir; flag waver Neville Holyoake; artists Gaia Shaw and Sam Epps; poet and octogenarian Jean Clark; final year art students Holly Goldberg and Angela Szczypka; Oz Osbourne from Rethink; comedian Hillary Koe; and the one and only Pequlia Bigtop;

The Norwich Dandies runs from 24 May - 5 June 2010, at St Margaret’s Church, St Benedict’s Street, Norwich, and is open daily from 10am-5pm, plus later for certain events. The Launch Party is on Monday 24 May at 6pm prompt, with Tate Curator Marcus Dickey Horley cutting the Red Ribbon at 6.30pm, followed by live performances, including The Small Frayed Knot by Vince Laws.

Contact vincelaws@gmail.com for a Launch Party invite, to get involved, or for more information.

Norwich Dandys

Photo credit: Paul John Bayfield

The Norwich Dandies, a group of contemporary artists, poets and performers are taking over St Margaret’s Church on St Benedict’s Street, Norwich, for two weeks and filling it with art, ideas and performance. There will be a Human Library, a Lunchtime Soapbox, T-shirt Printing, OUT140, Human Chess, an Alternative Pope, and Badger the dog.

Pop in and see my puppets, paintings, jewellery and cartoons.

Artists include Vince Laws who takes poetry off the page into paintings, performance and installations; Norwegian painter Ole Skauge who creates dazzling geometrical illusions; homeboy Dugald Ferguson with his illuminated bunches of sportsmen-clad blossom; and christina creates exaggerated steriotypes inspired by what she observes from the world around her for next PR. Badger the Dog will be displaying his unmade bed.

The Norwich Dandies, St Margaret’s Church, St Benedict’s Street, Norwich, 24 May - 5 June 2010, open daily from 10am-5pm, Free. The Launch Party is on Monday 24 May at 6pm with live performances. Contact vincelaws@gmail.com for a Launch Party invite, to get involved, or for more information.

Norwich bid for culture

Norwich the city of culture had a big meeting last week at the Open (old Barclay's bank). The meeting had over a hundred people at it. All from different aspects of the city from music, writing and the arts. It was the longest meeting I had ever been to starting at 9am and finishing 6pm. It was a nice event with tea and coffee on arrival and familiar people, networking before the meeting even started. I thought I might be on my own for the meeting but I got approached straight away by a lady called Shelly Telly saying "hey you were the winner of the Warhol competition". It was so early in the morning, I was trying to think back to whether I was at Andy Warhol's warehouse in the 60's which I knew so much about and had lived in so many warehouses I could have almost been there. Then she reminded me, I was the winner of the Warhol rejects costume competition last year. So I had a friend now to sit with in a large daunting meeting. We all sat in a circle, then had to write down all the things we were passionate about and topics we thought should be brought up and stick them on the wall. Which took a while to make sense. Then we had to chair small meetings at different times. I had none to chair at that time so I went in and sat in someone else's meeting. Which I was attracted to the name of and thought I might be able to have input on. More people joined the are group and it grew. Then I went and joined a meeting about artists space, which was one of my topics. I met a painter who knew my family and had heard all about me. We tried to come up with what we actually wanted. Then lunch broke out and we had a big feed. Then I went for a tour of the building which was usually for the youth of Norwich. It was the best equipped youth club one could not even imagine the great equipment and rooms, services they got at 'OPEN'.

Then after lunch we continued meetings and then typed up all our notes and put them on the wall. So before the next meeting, we had to do one thing to help towards the next meeting. So I put my work on the Norwich city of culture website.

Sweet 16, Cromer Crab line newspaper front cover

What a wonderful surprise I am on the front cover of the Cromer crab line newspaper and on page 6 and page 11. Famous at last! The whole of North Norfolk will be talking about my work. Go and take a look for yourself at Cromer carpets next to the Tourist information centre at the big car park. There is also 82 other lobsters and crabs painted by artists and community groups around Cromer and Sheringham, pick up a map and try and find them all and check out the festival on the 21 to 23 of May.

Remember to look out for my Lobster called sweet 16.

Cromer Crab and Lobster festival

Friday morning I headed down to the gangway at Cromer beach to see all the giant hand painted crabs and lobsters for the Cromer and Sheringham Crab and lobster festival that will be held on from the 21 to 23 of May. There will be lots of bands, concerts, children's activity's, comedy and food demonstrations. This photo was taken by my Uncle Eddie Anderson who has just finished a film for the Chauncy Maples hospital ship, a ship, that needs restoring on lake Malawi in Africa so it can be a floating hospital for the people on the lake. Uncle Eddie came down to the gangway to see all the action. In this picture is the Chris Taylor studio taking really nice pictures of the event. If you click on the link above the first picture in his website you get more pictures of the lobsters and crabs and a couple of nice pictures of me.

I spent a month painting my lobster in the back garden, dodging the rain that seemed to never give me a break. It is covered in flying ice creams, sting rays, strawberry's, star fish, and is a camouflage design in sea colours. On the 30th of May at Cromer Pier 4pm there will be a charity auction and the 80 lobsters and crabs will be sold off to lots of happy people. The fundraising from the auction will go to lifeboats and the help for the heroes. Personally I would like the funding to go to the lifeboats, who are on call day and night saving people from the sea.

On a arriving at the gangway I met John Morgan who was carrying all the heavy sculptures down to beach. John has been helping organise this event and has kept me informed of everything going on. I have spoken to him many times on the phone and through email and it was great to see him in real life.

My Mother Marian O'Hare who came down to see all the fun. She was going to help paint a crab with the West Runton art group but she put her back out mid project. Very keen to be involved she came and helped me varnish the lobster outside Cromer carpet shop, who sponsored my lobster and a crab. The carpet shop was a hive of activity there was a crab in the front of the shop being airbrushed by Mark Wootten his crab will be going on display in Sheringham as a mark of a new era with Cromer and Sheringham now becoming friends. The carpet shop had lots of carpets and floor lino and they were friendly and laughing, joking and made us a cuppa tea. We set to work and painted the varnish on and lots of people came up to embrace the lobster as if it were there long lost lover. It was hard work keeping them off the lobster, but some I didn't manage to and they went a way with varnished hands. The Cromer Crab line newspaper reporter Philip Keddell was hanging out in the shop too and having a laugh with the owner and my sponsor Graham Burdett. If your looking for my lobster its on Louden Road, opposite the car park and tourist information. If your really stuck as to where it is give the carpet shop a call on 01263 514065.

Here I am being interviewed by top East Anglia reporter Natalie Gray who said kind words about my lobster, which I recon she liked. David is on camera. He got some nice cutaway close up shots of my lobster. This interview should be on About Anglia on Sunday night 6pm ITV but I am not really sure.

There is also a 2 minute film festival at the Crab and lobster festival that I will be entering. They will take the best films and make them into a DVD to raise money for the RNLI. So if you like making little films in your spare time this is where you can show one off.

The group shout shot at Cromer beach. A nice English tradition of the town crier with his bell lets the public know of the good news in town. The sponsors, artists and two Lord Mayors were present. The Right Worshipful The Lord Mayor of Sheringham stood by my lobster and asked me "If I was famous" and shook my hand. I told my Lord Mayor Noel Gant, "Yes I am famous" and whispered "Now!" afterwards.

Here I am with a few of the lobsters that will be around Cromer and Sheringham. I am wearing a red fisherman's top which my Dad gave to me. It is a tradition for artists to wear fisherman's tops while painting. This was the first time I broke mine in to paint the lobster, which got me into the spirit of the sea and kept me warm while painting outside.