Calling all babies and toddlers (and their mums and dads). On 2^nd September Jackie Chase will be back with her Da Capo Music for Kids sessions on Thursday mornings at 10.30.

These award winning music workshops for babies and toddlers are a good foundation and tremendous fun! Music activities are extremely good for children’s development from the start of life, and a great place for parents to meet others too. Jackie has 27 years’ experience and three awards for her teaching.

For further information contact Jackie on 07799 564620 or 01273 601804; or visit www.brightonmusicforkids.wordpress.com.

Two events for your diary: a Holistic Arts Fair and the Hanover Local Food Festival – both at the Hanover Centre!
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Feel like an early start? Rise with the birds on Saturday 8th May at 5:30am!

The Friends of Queens Park, Kim the Park Ranger and RSPB for Brighton invite you to join them on a guided walk and bird survey in Queens Park, to celebrate International Dawn Chorus Day 2010 (one week late, but who’s counting).

Meet at the southern end of Queens Park Pond.

Hot drinks will be provided. Dress warm, bring binoculars if you have them. Everyone welcome!

The Hanover Centre is an Artists Open House on the Hanover Art Trail on Sundays in May. We are hosting an exhibition of work by our Art for Women group, there is a craft market with changing stalls each week, and a Fairtrade café. To top it all, we’re running workshops where you can try out new skills each Sunday too (with generous discounts for Hanover residents).

Ancient Times / Ancient People

This year the work of the Hanover Centre’s Women and Art group – Gaia’s Gals – has been inspired by the wonderful 6,000 year old artefacts, tombs, and megaliths of the Carnac region of Brittany. This is an exhibition not to miss, where you will see 21^st century versions of ancient works, and where you will find a moment to pause and reflect on the pace of life today.

There will also be an opportunity for visitors to participate in an art activity themselves, and talk to the artists.

Look out for the signs to the Small Meeting Room, at the very top of the back stairs.

Café and craft markets

In the main hall local arts and craftspeople will be bringing unique hand-made items for you to browse and buy.  People working in a range of new and recycled materials including willow, fabric, silver, and card have signed up, so there should be something for everyone – including your cat! Pop in each week to see what’s new.

And while you enjoy a little something from our famous Fairtrade café, you’re welcome to share our needles and yarn and try your hand at a bit of knitting or crochet. Experienced knitters willing to donate some leftovers from their stash and/or a bit of time are particularly welcome.

pARTicipate in our workshops

Following on from the successful children’s events during last year’s Art Trail,  we’re offering activities for all ages this year that re-use and upgrade the ordinary into something unique and beautiful. Places are limited so please pre-book via the Centre office. Charges cover expert tuition, equipment and materials. Participants from our “area of benefit” qualify for a generous discount on the full price.

See separate posts for each day -

• 2nd May: Fun With Caveman Dave and Basketry & Willow Work
• 9th May: Fashion Workshops with Julia Sissons
• 16th May: Recycled Cardboard Sculpture with Andrew Mockett
• 23rd May: Contemporary Performance Workshop and Icon Workshop

Our final Brighton Festival workshop on 23^rd May is an opportunity to create your own icon. Come and create your own visual vitamin boost to restore the soul – featuring a particular quality you may currently be in need of – peace, clarity, forgiveness, hope; through a glance in passing, or a period of focused meditation.

• Afternoon 3.00 to 5.00pm – Adults £10 (£8 Hanover residents)

Booking essential – contact us or ring 01273 694873

Icon

Janina told us, “I started making icons when I was a member of a local art group called ‘the Red Hens’ – our first exhibition was in the decommisioned, but very beautiful St. Andrews Church in Waterloo Street, featuring icons – although we all interpreted this in our own way – computer icons; icons of the silver screen; gay icons; and my religious icons.

“Although my father was a staunch Polish Catholic, and my mother of the Russian Orthodox faith I wasn’t brought up in either tradition; and yet it would appear the rich centurys old traditions are in my blood. I surround myself with scraps of torn paper – ‘rubbish’ and watch as my hand knows exactly where to place them. I particularly like that I use that which is seemingly worthless to make  something beautiful for God – an act of creative redemption. I like to believe that in the same way we can turn all the ‘rubbish’ and waste to good use, the mistakes and upsets we’d rather forget, so that everything be made sacred. I would like this thought / creative spark to come to mind as we glance at the work done here in the workshop – whether the image is ‘religious’ or not – perhaps focussing more on nature – or domestic symbology – everything can be a reminder of the how the qualities we seek can be found in the humblest of things.”

A critical and practical workshop session on 23rd May investigating what is at stake for audiences today when they attend a live event.

• Morning 11.00 to 1.00pm – Adults £10 (£8 Hanover residents)

Booking is essential – contact us or ring 01273 694873

The Many Headed Monster is another in our series of Brighton Festival workshops. It is an original and inventive performance lecture and workshop for anyone interested in contemporary performance practices and their relationships with audiences.

Across a range of artistic disciplines, artists are dealing with audiences in innovative and creative ways, placing the audience at the heart of their work. Contemporary culture is marked by the emancipation of the spectator and the transformation of the audience from passive recipient to active participant. The Many Headed Monster is a critical and practical workshop session investigating what is at stake for audiences today when they attend a live event.

Victoria Melody is a performer and filmmaker with a curiosity for other people’s passions. Part artist, part ethnographer she gives audiences brief glimpses into the worlds of people they would not normally meet or experience. Victoria immerses herself into their everyday lives, attempts to join their inner circle and examines national characteristics and international phenomena. What appears to be suburban or domestic can become something political or steeped in ritual.

From living with pigeon fanciers to learning Northern Soul dance moves, Victoria strives to preserve, celebrate and document cultural peculiarities. Her performances are based on observed behaviour, unexpected revelations and a sense of being adrift in other people’s environments.

Victoria is a curator, filmmaker and performer, showcasing Nationally and Internationally including Artsway, New Forest; Centre for Contemporary Art, Russia; Study Gallery, Poole and Arts Claims Impulse Gallery, Berlin. As part of a solo exhibition a publication entitled ‘Ventilation’ was commissioned by and available from Millais Gallery, Southampton. Victoria has performed, curated and worked with Station House Opera, Billy Cowie and ‘Supper Club’, The Basement, Brighton. She is supported by Arts Council England and The Basement.

For our 16th May workshops in the Brighton Festival we only ask you to bring in some cardboard boxes and take home a work of art!

• Morning 11.30 to 1.30pm – Children (6-12) £6 (£5 Hanover residents)

• Afternoon 2.00 to 4.00pm – Adults £10 (£8 Hanover residents)

Booking essential – contact us or ring 01273 694873

Local to Brighton, Andrew Mockett is an artist who has worked as a printmaker and textile designer for many international clients including Givenchy and Paul Smith.

See more of Andrew’s work at the “Precious” exhibition at Hove Museum and on his website www.mockettandmoquette.co.uk

On 9^th May  Juliana Sissons is running two fashion design workshops for us.

• The morning session is for adults from 11.00 to 1.00pm – bring any garment along  and reconstruct it. £15 (£12 Hanover residents).

• The afternoon session is for teenagers aged 12-16 from 2.00 to 4.00pm – bring a tired old Tshirt and re-energise it. £6 (£5 Hanover residents).

Booking essential – contact us or ring 01273 694873

When Juliana Sissons graduated from the University of Brighton in 2003 she received the outstanding Achievement Award for her degree show. Her collection sold to shops in London and Los Angeles and won her a student knitted textile award. Her own fashion label was launched in 2005 with the help of a business development award from The Crafts Council. She now produces diverse and exciting ranges of knitwear as well as teaching pattern cutting, textiles and fashion in London, Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings. Textiles and knitwear are more recent examples of Juliana’s work as she has a background in Theatre and Film costume design, Savile Row tailoring, and pattern cutting for many designers in the fashion industry including Alexander McQueen, Antoni & Alison and Shelley Fox.

Children and dogs have had their own separate areas in Queens Park for 30 years.

This amicable arrangement has allowed fair use of the park by everyone, but now there is a risk of it failing because the council forgot to renew the relevant order last year.

There is a petition on the council web site asking them to put it right. If you want to keep things as they are in Queens Park, please sign the petition.