WOW 1
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CONTRIBUTORS Heather Burgess is an events coordinator and festival programmer. Passionate about the creative side of Medway, she aims to unlock its potential and promote the hidden talents. medwayopenstudios.co.uk Robert Flood is a life-long Medway resident. He runs a Rochester based events company called Feet on the Ground which provides technical support for live events. He is a passionate music fan with a love of the Medway scene and a local history buff who is a member of the City of Rochester Society. Sam Froudist is a writer, blogger, and Bunting Enthusiast. Hailing from the Colonies (Australia), she’s a fresh Medway resident and has recently co-launched bunted!, a small bespoke bunting business in Rochester. Sam loves watching great theatre, getting overly passionate about things, and feeling so bourgeois that she has to throw red wine all over herself. goodbyesamantha@gmail.com Paul Warren is a retired engineer, singer, photographer and closet graphic artist! He has an enduring interest in community activities and for the past five years has run a very successful community concert programme at St Matthew’s Church, Wigmore. Cover image: Meadow by Marion Smith Photograph of the Editor by Peter Still
Nick Walker is an events director, film critic and filmmaker. His flagship Medway project, The Other Cinema, is a weekly event held every Thursday at the Chatham Odeon. Nick also set up the Screen Classics programme at the Central Theatre, Chatham. He writes, directs and produces short films and is the editor of Film Essay, for cinéastes wanting to write about film culture. Nick has worked for The Guardian and the London Film Festival. Currently he is Events Director at Film Education and Director of National Schools Film Week. Fiona Watt is a freelance scenographer and creative producer. She is currently part of the creative team leading Open Stages, a widening participation programme touring the UK as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s contribution to the Cultural Olympiad.
Photograph by Jane Sellman; Winter Trees in Snow by Fleur Alston Part of a Stepping Stones Studio exhibition at Fruitworks, 77 Stour Street, Canterbury CT1 2NR. To 18 June
WELCOME TO WOW! an arts and entertainment magazine for Medway, Maidstone and the accessible beyond… Artistic celebrations abound in June: Nucleus Arts, Chatham’s one and only arts centre throws open its doors with ArtsFest on 23 June; Medway Fuse Festival 2012 graces the middle of the month; Medway Open Studios & Arts Festival follows hot on its heels and over in Maidstone, Stepping Stone Studios is growing a fantastic programme. All in this month’s WOW! Emma Dewhurst editor@wowkent.co.uk Please mention WOW if you use our advertisers’ services or attend an event found in our listings www.wowkent.co.uk
Find us on Facebook facebook.com/WOWMedway
@EmmaDewhurst7
THE QUEEN’S DIAMOND JUBILEE Britain’s biggest national celebration for decades.
GIVE YOUR
MEDWAY’S CELEBRATIONS INCLUDE: SAT 2 JUNE: MEDWAY RIVER FESTIVAL (10.30am to 4.30pm) Chatham Waterfront. A free family event featuring river displays and races, food stalls, exhibitions and live music. SUN 3 JUNE: Special service at Rochester Cathedral. MON 4 JUNE: 10pm to 10.30pm. Six community jubilee beacons will be lit across Medway at Capstone Country Park; Riverside Country Park; Broomhill, Strood; Victoria Gardens, Chatham; Kingshill, Four Wents Road, Hoo Great Lines Heritage Park where there will also be a free fireworks display. MAIDSTONE CELEBRATIONS INCLUDE: Diamond Jubilee Proms in Whatman Park.
ARDENT SUPPORT ‘Passionate about potential’ Ardent Hare (formerly DadaSouth) is seeking patrons to invest as little as £3 per month to help a deaf or disabled artist realise their vision. This is an excellent, hands-on way to support the professional development of three very different artists, including local artist Christopher Sacre (featured in last Nov’s WOW). For more details about the artists involved and how to donate visit ardenthare.org.uk
THE DEAF CAT
ALL WORK UNDER £50!
Make your own Jubilee crown: £1 per child Plus: Maidstone Town Centre celebrations throughout Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend
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Hot on the heels of Sweeps, June gives us this annual event which this year honours the writer’s bicentenary. It’s a jolly weekend of parades, music, dance, drama and street theatre. Highlights include a Children’s Gurning Competition; make-your-own thaumatrope (!); sailing trips from Rochester Pier and a Craft Fair in The Vines. Download the full programme at whatsonmedway.co.uk
PRINTS // PHOTOS // JEWELLERY // PAINTINGS // BOOKS
25 JUNE - 8 JULY
Maidstone Museum, Drop In Activity, 2 June:
JUNE
ART ODDS & ART SODS
A GROUP SHOW AT
4 June, BYO picnic from 4pm, music from 7.30pm, fireworks 9pm
8-10
This month’s RECOLLECT MUSIC FAIRS take place at Rainham Mark Social Club on 17 June (9.30am-3.30pm) admission £1 and at Rochester Corn Exchange on 24 June (10-4pm) admission free.
Rikard Osterlund Zara Carpenter Jim Hill Wolf Howard Sara Norling Mathew Bray Darrel Hawkins Bjørn Venø
Rochester-based bespoke bunting by the metre. Your fabric or ours. Email Sarah or Sam:
Tel: 01634 322 385
A SECRET FIND A centuriesold secret has been uncovered at Eastgate House. A team of conservation workers working on the third floor, who have been painstakingly peeling away layers of paint to reveal the original décor of the Grade One listed building, were astonished to find the black lines of a man’s face looking back at them. The face appears to be part of a 16th century decorative scene. The discovery throws new light on the theory that Sir Peter Buck, who built the house in the 1590s, used the room as his office, and could look from it across to the Dockyard in Chatham. Eastgate House was awarded a first round development grant of £80,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund in 2011. This has helped progress plans to repair and transform the house into a new exhibition and community space. In September the council will submit more detailed plans for a full grant of just under £1m.
We know it feels like winter.... But our customers feel the warmth when they receive our Summer Bouquets Aqua packed,beautifully presented they can be sent, boxed, anywhere in the country Also Gifts ,Garden items, Cupcakes and Personalised Signs Ring to order 118 Maidstone Road, Rochester 01634 843024 www.sweetpeaandolive.co.uk
Saturday 30th June
Y AWA N U R HE TO T !
S U C R I C
Learn to juggle, unicycle, spin a plate and more: JUGGLEZ run a community based, non-profit making juggling club on Friday nights, based at Rainham School for Girls. All ages and abilities welcome. Next bi-monthly clubs:
Vintage & retro clothing & accessories Live entertainment Vintage Style Tea Room
Old Town Hall
High Street, Gravesend, DA11 0AZ 11am - 4pm
Admission a snip at only £2.00 includes prize draw entry
15 & 29 Jun //13 & 27 Jul // 10 & 24 Aug Time: 8 - 10pm. Cost: £2.50. Contact Pat on 07758 800521 or go to jugglez.org
www.monicasvintagefair.com facebook.com Monica’s Vintage Fair twitter @Monicas_Vintage
STEPPING STONES STUDIOS
A brand new mixed media arts venue is making waves in Maidstone SAM FROUDIST went to meet Emma Whittall, who spearheaded the project Tucked in an alleyway off the Week Street, it seems it was fate rather than my questionable navigation skills that led me to meet Emma Whittall, the driving force behind Stepping Stone Studios. A 23-year-old philosophy graduate, Whittall was born in Bournemouth but raised in the Middle East. On returning to the UK and eventually ending up in Maidstone, she was on the hunt for a personal studio space. She found herself pondering the concept of integrating a gallery space into her studio, and the idea snowballed from there. With a little help from the Kent Foundation for Young Entrepreneurs and the Citizens Advice Bureau, Whittall and a core group of participants including (but not limited to!) Chris Reddick, Dave Nunn, Tom Richards and Robert Walker, secured the former hairdressers site in Museum Avenue this April. They spent a month renovating the premises: the fruit of their labour is a simple but stylish building, which will let them incorporate all their ideas into one focussed hub. Stepping Stone Studios is a not-for-profit space run on a predominantly volunteer basis, with two further tiers of (extremely reasonable) paid memberships. These give contributors the opportunity to have their say in the management of the venue, as well as access to facilities. In addition to several studios for resident artists, the site encompasses two affordable gallery floors to display work, a cafĂŠ and a small shop.
The name of the Studios pretty much says it all. Whittall wanted the space to be a metaphoric stepping-stone for emerging artists in the region, “a space to facilitate” the start of their journey as arts practitioners to where they want to be. Experienced artists and makers are also welcome, and they are encouraged to pass on their skills to others through a fast-growing programme of workshops and lectures. Maidstone’s visual arts scene is brimming with potential, and it was this genuine interest in and engagement with the population that has pushed the Studios to programme events with specific focus on community engagement. “I thought the town could do with something different…you don’t need to go up to London to forge these creative links,” Whittall says. A Summer Arts Carnival is planned, with local entertainment and stalls for artists and makers to showcase their talents. Other developing projects are a film festival, comedy nights, open mic evenings and rather excitingly, an arts award season. The Studios theme of “Make Your Mark 2012” already seems to be well underway. Whittall references past arts fairs and publications, and whilst progressive and significant from an artistic point of view, the issue, she believes, is that “they were ephemeral… Maidstone needed something more permanent”. With a five-year lease secured, it’s reassuring that the Studios are there to grow and respond to the local community. I leave Whittall invigorated by her passion for the project, and can’t stop myself from planning spectacular events to hold there. I feel it’s this contagious energy that has already made a success of the Studios. Expect great things to come.
Stepping Stone Studios 2 Museum Ave, Maidstone, ME15 1QX The Studios have an open call out for exhibitions from individuals, colleges, universities and other organisations. Discount hire rates for a limited time. For more information as well as membership details head to www.steppingstonestudios.co.uk
(7-13 (7-13 JULY JULY 2012) 2012) AA BRAND NEW COMMUNITY BRAND NEW COMMUNITY ARTS ARTS FESTIVAL FESTIVAL CELEBRATING CELEBRATING THE THE WEALTH WEALTH OF CREATIVITY OF CREATIVITY IN IN MEDWAY MEDWAY
7-13 JULY
MEDWAY OPEN STUDIOS HEATHER BURGESS SHARES HER MOTIVATION It is no secret that people often have a negative opinion of Medway, but this can often be unjustified. Medway is spoilt for free festivals and events almost every month, heaps of local history, beautiful architecture, stunning landscapes and a fantastic arts industry. Open studio festivals are successful across Britain, with the same central rule to each: local artists and craftspeople open their doors and invite the public into their homes, studios and workshops. It’s a great opportunity to learn first-hand how different art forms are shaped, talk to the artists about their craft and see the creative spaces in which art is made In the past I’ve managed open studio events in London and have always thought Medway was a perfect place for such a festival, with so much going on in a comparatively small area. If you are an artist living in Medway there’s a whole other world in which to be involved which can go completely unseen. I wanted to open that side of Medway out to the general public and show more of what the area has to offer. In total, there are 15 venues opening their doors and over 70 local artists exhibiting. The Festival aims to highlight the quantity of artistic talent living and working locally, promoting a positive opinion of Medway as a creative hub. In the future the Festival hopes to become an established and annual event, with plenty of opportunities to develop its reach and scope. Whether you’re a seasoned artlover or a complete novice to an open studios event, my hope is that everyone learns something they didn’t know before about their community. Free festival guide is inserted in this month’s issue of WOW. To request another copy email medwayopenstudios@mail.com or download from www.medwayopenstudios.co.uk where you can also view images from all 2012 participants Twitter: @MwayOpenStudios Facebook: www.facebook.com/MedwayOpenStudio (‘Like’ the Facebook page and be entered into a raffle for £20 voucher to spend with any of the artists)
NUCLEUS ARTISTS at Nucleus Arts Centre are the largest group of artists to open the doors of their studios and share their work during Medway Open Studios & Art Festival Based at Nucleus Art Centre, Chatham (off the High Street opposite Iceland), there are 15 resident artists and craftspeople in all, with a further 14 associate artists showing their work in the conference room of the Art Centre. This is a chance to view and purchase original art by local painters, photographers, sculptors, jewellers and more. The Centre runs an affordable art deposit scheme available by arrangement, which means that you really can invest in local artists. Nucleus Arts Chatham Gallery will also be open with an exhibition by Val Weller. 7 & 8 July, 10am-6pm. The Nucleus Café will be open both days Please note: There is partial Disability Access across the Nucleus Art Centre & Studios (details available on request) nucleus-arts.com
THE PRODUCT OF A VIVID IMAGINATION: WIGMORE ARTS WEEKEND Sat 30 Jun & Sun 1 Jul A friend says
“We are lacking a focus for the arts in Wigmore…”
Peter Reeds
PRINTMAKING STUDIOS Open July 7th Please come and see what we’re doing... in the Old Coalshed behind café Moroc, Rochester High Street Workshops starting soon in relief, intaglio and screen printing
WWW.COALSHEDPRESS.CO.UK
Four months later, we have an art exhibition featuring over 50 artists; live entertainment, including a recital by internationally acclaimed New Zealand baritone and pianist, David and Christine Griffiths, to include Schumann’s Dichterliebe (Song Cycle); and a variety show hosted by BBC Radio Kent’s Pat Marsh and Lynsey Butler. There will also be an array of art and craft stalls where people can “look, try and buy” and a number of practical workshops run by local talented artists. All this jammed into two days! Being one of those people who pick up stuff and run with it, the original observation was a challenge I couldn’t resist. It has been a hard few months plotting, planning and cajoling, but as I write this everything is in place, the burger and ice cream vans are booked, painters are painting and the entertainers are raring to go. Children and adults will be well catered for so everything promises a great weekend. Paul Warren
Wigmore Arts Weekend takes place at St Matthew’s Church and Community Centre, Drewery Drive, Wigmore, ME8 0NX. For a detailed programme email wigmore.arts@hotmail.co.uk, or write with a SAE to 42 The Goldings, Rainham ME8 0AX. Or just turn up!
FILM MEDWAY FILM SOCIETY The Brook Theatre, Chatham ME4 4SE 020 7638 0012
World cinema programme on 16mm prints. Single shows £6.50 (concs £5.50). Membership available Friday 29 June, 7.45pm MILDRED PIERCE (PG) 1945 Dir: Michael Curtiz Cast: Joan Crawford, Jack Carson, Zachary Scott, Ann Blyth Crawford stars in the black and white original as a powerful businesswoman competing with her daughter for the attentions of a playboy. 113 mins With PUTTIN’ ON THE RITZ (PG) 1974 (short) Dir: Antoinette Starkiewicz medwayfilm.org.uk THE OTHER CINEMA Chatham Odeon Cinema, Maritime ME4 4LL 0871 22 44 007
A weekly showcase of quality films from around the world, with a post-show discussion led by Nick Walker over a free glass of wine. £8.25/£6.25. theothercinema.info THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL (12A) 2011 Thu 7 June, 7.45pm Dir: John Madden Cast: Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson, Dev Patel, Penelope Wilton, Celia Imrie Well-received comedy drama about a group of British retirees who take up residence in a hotel in India. 124 mins CARANCHO (15) 2010 Thu 14 June, 7.45pm Dir: Pablo Trapero Cast: Ricardo Darin, Martina Gusman Gritty Argentine thriller. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language film. 107 mins
BEL AMI (15) 2012 Thu 21 June, 7.45pm Dir: Declan Donnellan, Nick Ormerod Cast: Robert Pattinson, Christina Ricci, Uma Thurman, Kristin Scott Thomas Based on Guy de Maupassant’s novel about a young man’s rise to power in late nineteenth century Paris. 102 mins SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN (PG) 2011 Thu 28 June, 7.45pm Dir: Lasse Hallstrom Cast: Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt McGregor as a fisheries expert asked to bring the sport of flyfishing to the desert. Easy romcom with fine acting. 111 mins SCREEN CLASSICS The Central Theatre, 170 High Street, Chatham ME4 4AS 01634 338 301
A big-screen celebration of cinema classics introduced by programmer Nick Walker. £6/£5 (booked online). Students £3.50. See four Screen Classics and get a fifth free. medwayticketslive.co.uk THE GREAT DICTATOR (U) 1940 Mon 18 June, 7.30pm Dir: Charlie Chaplin Cast: Charlie Chaplin See Nick Walker’s article opposite. 120 mins BEST OF JUNE RELEASES: A FANTASTIC FEAR OF EVERYTHING (Cert tbc) New British comedy starring Simon Pegg as children’s author with murder on his mind. Rel 8 June
RED TAILS (12A) Produced by George ‘Star Wars’ Lucas. Story of World War Two’s first African-American fighter squadron starring the irrepressible Cuba Gooding Jnr. Rel 8 June FAST GIRLS (PG) Story of all-female sprint relay team directed by award-winning young British filmmaker Regan Hall. Rel 15 June COSMOPOLIS (15) David Cronenberg’s latest. Dark modern fable. Rel 15 June THE FIVE YEAR ENGAGEMENT (15) Rom-com starring Emily Blunt, Jason Segel and Rhys Ifans. Rel 22 June Showing at the following: ODEON CHATHAM, Dickens World, Leviathan Way, Chatham Maritime, Chatham ME4 4LL. 0871 22 44 007. odeon.co.uk ODEON MAIDSTONE, Lockmeadow, Barker Road, Maidstone, ME16 8RG. 0871 22 44 007. odeon.co.uk ROCHESTER CINEWORLD MULTIPLEX Medway Valley Leisure Park, Chariot Way, Strood,ME2 2SS. 0871 200 2000. cineworld.co.uk THE ROYAL CINEMA, Faversham, Kent, ME13 7AG. 24hr info line: 01795 591211, Box Office: 01795 591211. From £4.50-£5. royalcinema.co.uk SHOWCASE BLUEWATER, Water Circus, Bluewater, Greenhithe, Kent, DA9 9SG. 0871 220 1000. showcasecinemas.co.uk/ bluewater
NICK WALKER PREVIEWS THE GREAT DICTATOR, CHARLIE CHAPLIN’S ‘MOST SERIOUS, MOST TRAGIC, MOST HUMAN WORK’
Like most Charlie Chaplin films, he wrote, produced, and directed ‘The Great Dictator’, in addition to starring as the lead.
In ‘My Life’, Chaplin would agree: “Of course! As Hitler I could harangue the crowds all I wished. And as the tramp, I could remain silent.”
Chaplin was clearly motivated by the escalating violence and repression of Jews by the Nazis throughout the late 1930s, the magnitude of which was conveyed to him personally by his European Jewish friends and fellow artists. Chaplin and French filmmaker René Clair viewed Riefenstahl’s ‘Triumph of the Will’ together at a showing at the New York Museum of Modern Art. So he put the Little Tramp and $1.5 million of his own money on the line to ridicule Hitler.
In the classic Chaplin tradition, the film has a richness of visual gags and comic pantomime, with the comedy never neutral, as he creates Adenoid Hynkel, a vain, strutting buffoon given to egomaniacal rages and ridiculous posturing. The most famous scene skilfully depicts the dictator performing ballet with an inflated balloon that makes the globe his plaything. There is also the depiction of fellow dictator of neighbouring ‘Bacteria’, Benzini Napaloni (Jack Oakie). The character of Napaloni is a loud, cheerful, idiotic clown obviously modelled on Mussolini.
His popularity throughout the world was greater than ever; he was mobbed by fans on a 1931 trip to Berlin, which annoyed the Nazis, who published a book in 1934 titled ‘The Jews Are Looking at You’, in which the comedian was described as “a disgusting Jewish acrobat” (despite the fact that Chaplin was not Jewish)! In fact Chaplin looked a little like Adolf Hitler (cartoonists and comedians in the 1930s often noted the resemblance), in part because Hitler had chosen the same toothbrush moustache as Chaplin’s the Little Tramp character. Exploiting that resemblance, Chaplin devised a satire in which the dictator and a Jewish barber from the ghetto would be mistaken for each other. In a way, the Tramp’s heartfelt closing plea for peace and human brotherhood is spoken by Chaplin himself, stepping out of character to make a personal statement on the eve of the war with Hitler. French film director François Truffaut noted that early in the production, Chaplin said he would not play The Tramp in a sound film, and he considers the barber an entirely different character.
Although it won five Academy Award nominations, the film’s mockery of Hitler led to its banning in Spain, Italy and neutral Ireland. The film also prophesied the persecution of the Jews, and the scenes of storm troopers terrorizing the Ghetto were thought at the time to go too far: despite this it eventually became Chaplin’s highest grossing film. The film is possibly Chaplin’s most serious, most tragic, most human work and definitely sends a message of hope for the world, calling for humanity in general to break free from dictatorships and use science and progress to make the world better instead – now there’s an idea! THE GREAT DICTATOR IS SCREENED IN THE SCREEN CLASSICS SEASON ON MONDAY 18 JUNE, 7.30PM AT THE CENTRAL THEATRE, CHATHAM
CHATHAM’S NUCLEUS ARTS IS TEN EXCELLENT YEARS OLD It is holding a free one-day ArtsFest to celebrate EMMA DEWHURST went to meet NAC Founder and Director, Dalia Halpern-Matthews From the moment it first opened its doors on 22 June 2002, Nucleus Arts in Chatham has provided a welcoming, affordable space in which local artists may set up studio, meet like-minded souls and exhibit their work. Its lovely, surprising little café opened just one month after and to this day provides a haven of calm, comfy sofas, and good coffee. Set back from the High Street (look out for the silver arch opposite Iceland), it is quite possibly one of Chatham’s best kept secrets. Dalia Halpern-Matthews, the centre’s founder and director, tells the story: “We met up with loads of artists and sent out a questionnaire to work out what was really wanted and needed. The point was to provide affordable studio and affordable exhibition space which is constantly rotating to give as many people as possible the chance to exhibit.”
Dalia clearly feels tremendous pride in watching the centre expand, its artists interact and their work evolve. There have been, she says, some amazing highlights in the Centre’s first ten years. Most of all she values the exhibitions of the many artists who have crossed the centre’s threshold, seeing these as opportunities for the public to broaden their appreciation of art in Medway and wider Kent, and for the artists, in showing their work in the only well-lit whitewalled gallery for miles, to experience their work anew. If you have never visited Nucleus Arts Centre it is worth making the trip. Take a break in the café, browse the art in the Gallery space next door and chat to someone at the next table. Chances are they have a studio upstairs and will happily give you a tour.
Images Clockwise: Sian Bostwick, Malcolm Attryde, Darrell Hawkins, Alastair Riley
Nucleus Arts is a non-profit arts organization, a branch of the Halpern Charitable Foundation. It became a charity in 2003. The centre in Chatham has expanded over the years and now boasts a conference room, darkroom and kiln for hire, and continues to rent out space to artists, host workshops and provide Chatham with a rare, unexpected creative oasis.
A veritable feast of a d ay, all for FREE! At N ucleus Arts Chatham:
EXHIBITION : Ten – new work by Nuc Arts studio leus artists past and presen volunteers. t, staff and Runs 15 Ju ne - 5 July LIVE MUSIC : Local band s play the co stage, 11am urtyard -9pm. Con firmed acts The Flowing, include The 27s, Th e Hamelins Steve Giffor and d. ART MARK ET: Stalls, cr aft, affordab from local ar le art tis Open Studio ts and makers. 11am-5 s: Visit the pm work places Nucleus ar of tists
“We wanted to give the public the opportunity to interact with artists and art in an area not well-known for cultural activities”.
ART WORK SHOPS: Org anised by U drop-in, fam CA, these ily-orientate d workshops the the Con ference Roo are in m. COMEDY: N igel Adams and appear on th e music stag others will e between liv music acts e ELSEWHER E… The Pentago n Centre pl ays host from to early afte 11am rnoon to so me of the 13 dance and pe local rformance troupes play the Central ing at Theatre betw een 12-4pm them: Roche , among ster Cathedr al Choir Chatham G rammar Sc hool for Boys Jazz B and Dance Alley Medina Bel ly Dancers and many m ore The Central Theatre is a drop-in, non-tickete d ev Kaplan (‘Las ent compered by Julie tte t of the Sum mer Wine’). All acts are free. ArtsFest ru ns from 11am to 9pm on Saturday 23 June Nucleus Art s, 272 High Street, Cha ME4 4BP 01 tham 634 812108 . There is also a Gallery sh op run by th on Rochest er High Stre e centre et and in M (see Visual aidstone Art listings )
NA run an A ffordable A rt Scheme you to purc to enable hase work by local artis See nucleu ts s-arts.com for ArtsFes t update
MUSIC BILLABONG CLUB 12 Star Hill, Rochester ME1 1XB (under Royal Function Rooms)
KIDS UNIQUE Fri 8 June With support tbc and DJ. £4 on the door
SKA, REGGAE & NORTHERN SOUL DJS last Sunday of every month 7-10pm No entry fee www.theeagletavern.org.uk
NAGS HEAD 292 High Street, Rochester ME1 1HS
UP-C-DOWN-C Sat 23 June Rock music… loud. See Rob Flood’s preview. Free
THE BARGE 83 Layfield Road, Gillingham ME7 2QY 01634 850485
GAFFER AND HORSE Sat 2 June 8.30pm BARDS @ THE BARGE OPEN MIC Wed 6 June 8.30pm GLENN BARNES Sat 9 June 8.30pm Medway-based singersongwriter SALLY IRONMONGER TRIO Wed 13 June 8.30pm GREG McDONALD & GEMMA GAYNER Sat 16 June 8.30pm ZEN ELEPHANT + THE BUTTERFLY CARTEL Sat 30 June Bristol-based folk band. See p17 thebargepub.co.uk THE BROOK THEATRE Old Town Hall, Chatham ME4 4SE 01634 338338
JAZZ AT THE BROOK: DEREK PARAVICINI Tue 12 June 8pm Gifted pianist, blind since birth £11 FOLK AT THE BROOK: HOBO JONES & THE JUNKYARD DOGS Thu 14 June 8pm £10 Book online at medwayticketslive.co.uk
money for the ME Association. Tickets £15. Call 07922 794035 hazlittartscentre.co.uk
ORCHARD THEATRE Home Gardens, Dartford DA1 1ED
HORSEBRIDGE ARTS & COMMUNITY CENTRE 11 Horsebridge Road, Whitstable, CT5 1AF 01227 281174
JAZZ WITH THE BLUE RHYTHM KINGS Fri 15 June 8pm (doors/ bar 7pm) Iconic music of the 1920s. £9, £7 concs horsebridge-centre.org.uk THE DEAF CAT 83 High Street, Rochester ME1 1LX
TEA CONCERTS present TIGERCATS with support (tbc) Fri 29 June, 7.30pm Catchy London indiepop band tipped to be the next big thing. £4 advance, £5 door. teaconcerts.co.uk
ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA: LAST NIGHT OF THE PROMS Sun 17 June 7.30pm. Conductor: Steve Bell, Soprano: Deborah Norman. Popular favourites, including Elgar’s ‘Nimrod’, Gershwin’s ‘Summertime’ and a special tribute to the Viennese waltz. £15.50-£32, concs available. Under 16s £10 on selected tickets orchardtheatre.co.uk ROCHESTER CATHEDRAL ME1 1SX 01634 810061
ROCHESTER CHORAL SOCIETY WITH ROCHESTER SINFONIETTA Sat 23 June, 7pm Directed by Roger Sayer. Mendelssohn “Elijah”. £18, £14 & £7 (students £3) 01634 401049 or email tickets@ rochesterchoral.co.uk
THE BOTTLENECK BLUES CLUB
ROCHESTER 144CLUB
The Roffen Club, 41 New Road, Rochester ME1 1HS
The Roffen, 41 New Road, ME1 1DX
THE PRODUCERS London blues. Tue 26 June Doors 7.30pm Show 8.45pm bottleneckblues.com THE EAGLE 124 High Street Rochester, ME1 1JT 01634 409040.
LIVE MUSIC Thursdays From rock ‘n’ roll to indie, soul and more CLUB NIGHT Fri and Sat to 12am LIVE JAZZ Sunday lunchtime from 12 noon
HAZLITT THEATRE Earl Street, Maidstone ME14 1PL 01622 758611
THE BLUES BAND Thu 21 June 7.30pm New album tracks alongside classics. £18, concs £17 EXCHANGE STUDIO: THE BIG FAT JAZZ LOCK-IN Sat 23 June 7.30pm Local jazz swing vocalist Kieran Mellish and friends raise
STEVE RUBIE Wed 13 June Jazz flute player. Doors 7.15pm for bar and food; show 8.15pm Nonmembers £12 (£22 with food); membership concs available 144club.co.uk WHATMAN MILLENNIUM PARK Maidstone ME16 OSX
DIAMOND JUBILEE PROMS IN THE PARK 4 June 7.30pm Light classical music with fireworks at 9pm. Bring a picnic from 4pm. Free
s l a i c e p s r e m m u S
WOW ARTWORK_WoW advert 22/05/2012 14:44 Page 1
Tue, 12 June 8pm
Derek Paravicini
Blind from birth and with severe learning difficulties, Derek is an exceptionally gifted pianist. Marvel at loving recreations of jazz piano gems. £11, concessions jazz mailing list and Theatre Loyalty Scheme members Thu, 14 June 8pm
Hobo Jones & The Junkyard Dogs Tongue in cheek comedy and a brilliant blend of originals and reworked covers that will have you tapping your feet, laughing and singing along. £10, concessions folk mailing list and Theatre Loyalty Scheme members
Sun, 24 June 2pm Kipper Tie presents The Ugly Duckling A tale of an unhappy duckling that grows into a beautiful swan. Catchy tunes, magical storytelling and a whole heap of farmyard fun. Suitable for the whole family. Adults £6, children £5, four for £20
ays Saurne dforatkids re ok Theatre The Bro
Tue, 3 July 8pm
Heads South
Five-piece that combines Latin rhythm and melody in a superb repertoire for both listener and dancefloor mover. £11, concessions jazz mailing list and Theatre Loyalty Scheme members Thu, 5 – Sun, 8 July 7.45pm Sparkle and Dark’s Travelling Players present
The Girl With No Heart
Stark yet beautiful fable from award-winning writer Louisa Ashton, performed with stunning puppetry, shadow play and live music. £7, concessions available Thu, 12 July 8pm
Los Salvadores Plus Wheels and The Flowing Kent-based quartet that combines traditional folk with a wide range of orchestral and world influences, creating a multilayered blend of melody and rhythm. £8, concessions folk mailing list and Theatre Loyalty Scheme members
www.medwayticketslive.co.uk 01634 338338
whatever floats
YOUR boat
AL IVAL STIV FEST AY FE DWAY MEDW SE ME FUSE TH ’S FU AR’S YEAR ON IS YE THIS IS AS PHASIS ON EMPH OMEE EM LCOM WELC A WE IS G A ING ACIN PLAC IS PL IONN ATIO IPAT ICIP RTIC PART Y PA CO ITY UNIT MMUN COMM
Theatre designer FIONA WATT describes her involvement with one of the Festival’s commissions aiming to make a grass-roots difference WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR BOAT represents for me a rare opportunity to bring the theatre design and community strands of my practice together in the place I realise I now call home. I work all over the UK and more recently in Europe. I have based my studio in Medway for the past eight years and alongside my theatre design practice, have initiated a number of community projects exploring our relationship with our very specific surroundings. This year’s Fuse festival feels like the first since I have been here truly to embrace the participation of a wide range of communities. The design of the show has been inspired entirely by this place and what happens here, and in particular by our site visits to the parks and community gardens that the show will be touring to. It was while standing in the amphitheatre at one of these spaces looking out at Medway’s extraordinary views, that a lady with an amazing tattoo of the Day of the Dead across her back recited the strange names of places surrounding the park that I had never heard of and spoke of her community’s pride in creating and maintaining this space.
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There is a pathway that comes over the hill here into the park and I instantly imagined a motley band of strolling players appearing over the brow of the hill as they travelled from one park to another collecting and telling stories of Medway.
fusefestival.org.uk
We have decided to describe these strolling players as ‘cultural magpies’ and the premise is that, like the Central School of Speech and Drama students who have been devising the show, they have spent time in Medway observing our culture through our festivals and historic sites. If you look carefully, you will see hints of Sweeps, Dickens, Chinese New Year etc. re-interpreted in their own unique way in their ‘magpie’ costumes made from the flotsam and jetsam of everyday life. In the UK I think we have a major tendency towards nostalgia and while WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR BOAT celebrates and acknowledges our amazing history, we hope that by playing to family audiences, it also looks forward, as Fuse seems to be doing, to the future stories still to be made and told by and for our communities. WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR BOAT plays during Lighting the Fuse week as follows: Monday 11 June 3.30pm – Hillyfields, Gillingham Wednesday 13 June 3.30pm – Broomhill Park, Strood Thursday 14 June 3.30pm – Millenium Green, Luton Friday 15 June 5.30pm – Balmoral Gardens, Gillingham It also plays in Chatham High Street at 12 noon on Saturday 16 June and in Rochester Castle moat at 11.30am on Sunday 17 June prior to The Big Picnic in the Castle grounds. For further information about the Festival visit the WOW website or see fusefestival.org.uk
We are working with Nina and Kerry to create the piece and musician, fantastic storyteller, writer and all round good egg, Dave Arthur. Dave is working his magic with Nina and Kerry to create a new piece of music to accompany ‘Reel to Real’.
Moose Azim
Traditions will get people dancing, yes dancing! It’s an inspirational dance idea led by remarkable dance artists Nina Atkinson (Contemporary Dancer) and Kerry Fletcher (Traditional Dancer…everything from stepping to clogging to waltzing!). As part of Traditions, there is ‘Reel to Real’ which is a brand spanking new dance that is steeped in traditional dance culture and highly influenced and developed using contemporary dance practice.
If you are a step dancer, clogger…contemporary dancer and everything in between you can get involved! There is a great opportunity coming up in July for you to learn ‘Reel to Real’ (watch this space). If you are interested in traditional dance, music and storytelling and generally have bags of energy and are willing to roll your sleeves up and get stuck in, then we want to hear from you! Keep in touch! Phone 07903 016937 Email traditions@btinternet.com Twitter @traditions3
MEDWAY MUSIC: ROB FLOOD previews JUNE’S HIGHLIGHTS Following on from the excitement of last months’ Music Event One festival announcement (in case you haven’t heard, PiL and the Wedding Present are coming to play Rochester Castle Gardens on 28 July), our June gig highlights kick off with ME1 support band and The Preservation Society Presents hip-hop act ‘Kids Unique’. Their “sharp darkly comic observations, swirling samples, shuffling rhythms and pulsating bass cacophony” will be rockin’ the Royal Function Rooms, Rochester on 8 June. The bands’ second single ’Love Tunnel’ will be released that night. Check out the great video on You Tube – it was filmed in a pedestrian tunnel between Hempstead & Wigmore and has a dance troupe and a rubber duck in it!! (kidsunique.co.uk) ‘Up-C-Down-C’ return to Medway on 23 June when they play the Nags Head in Rochester. If you like your rock music euphorically loud and cinematic
with effects drenched guitars and lots (and I do mean lots) of drums, then this gig is for you. Sure to be packed out but worth going to pick up a copy of their recently released and excellent Christmas ’86 EP. (supcdownc.com) And finally, on 30 June, The Barge in Gillingham welcome Bristol-based folk and roots four-piece Zen Elephant. In between recording material for their debut album and performing at numerous festivals, this is a great chance to catch one of the most exciting acts on today’s folk scene up close, personal and for free. (zenelephant.co.uk) Royal Function Rooms, 12 Star Hill Rochester, ME1 1XB Nags Head, 292 High St Rochester ME1 1HS The Barge, 63 Layfield Rd Gillingham, ME7 2QY
T H E AT R E THE BROOK THEATRE Old Town Hall, Chatham ME4 4SE 01634 338338
STUDIO THEATRE: The Life and Times of Stanley Crumpet and It’s Only a Game Isn’t It? Wed 6 June 7.45pm Original comedy double bill £6.50, concs available COMEDY CLUB: EDINBURGH SPECIAL Mon 11 Jun 8pm Some of the best standups on the UK circuit £10 THE UGLY DUCKLING Sun 24 June 2pm Lovely entertainment for the very young (3+) £6, under 16s £5 A FAIRY TALE MASH-UP Wed 27 June 7pm Family show from fantastic resident theatre company, Icon Theatre. £4, £3 concs, family tickets (two adults, two children) £10 medwayticketslive.co.uk THE CORN EXCHANGE
HORSEBRIDGE ARTS & COMMUNITY CENTRE 11 Horsebridge Road, Whitstable, CT5 1AF 01227 281174
SHE WRITES Wed 20 June, doors 7pm, show 7.30pm 17% presents an evening of new short plays by women. £5, concs £4 horsebridge-centre.org.uk MEDWAY LITTLE THEATRE 256 High Street Rochester ME1 1HY 01634 400322
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOOS NEST adapted for stage by Dale Wasserman 21-30 June 7.30pm £8, Mon £5 mlt.org.uk THE ORCHARD Home Gardens, Dartford DA1 1ED 01322 220000
DREAMBOATS AND PETTICOATS Mon 11-Sat 16 June 7.30pm, Wed & Sat Mat 2.30pm
High Street, Rochester ME1 1LX 01634 338112
Musical featuring classic rock ‘n’ roll tracks from the 1960s. ROCHESTER DICKENS FESTIVAL £21.50-£31.50 Concs: £2.50 off EVENTS: MR SLEARY’S GRAND Mon-Thu performances CIRCUS SHOW Fri 8 June 7.30pm £8, under 16s £5 HORRIBLE HISTORIES by Terry AN EVENING WITH GERALD Deary Tue 19-Sat 23 June, varied DICKENS Sat 9 June 8pm A times. Terrible Tudors and Vile newly devised piece from the Victorians (playing at different great-great grandson of Charles times) £13, £15, £17. Dickens. Preceded by wine and Concs: £2 off cheese reception (included in orchardtheatre.co.uk ticket price) £18 HAZLITT THEATRE Earl Street, Maidstone ME14 1PL 01622 758611
HAIRY MACLARY AND FRIENDS Sun 17 June 2.30pm Adaptation with music and song of Lynley Dodd’s glorious books for children. £8, concs £6 (55 mins) AS YOU LIKE IT Hazlitt Arts Centre and Changeling Theatre’s summer Shakespeare tour. 22 June-21 July. Wonderful comedy performed in some gorgeous outdoor settings. For full list see: hazlittartscentre.co.uk and changeling-theatre.com
ROCHESTER CATHEDRAL GARDEN, The Precinct, Rochester ME1 1SX Enquiries: 01634 810066
CHARLES DICKENS – HERO OR ZERO 2 and 9 June, 12.30pm & 7.30pm A new play performed by members of the local community written by Alis Hawkins. Bring a picnic and a blanket to sit on! Free THE GOOD INTENT 3 John Street, Rochester ME1 1YL
JOKING WITH INTENT Thu 7 June, 8-10pm Rochester’s new comedy night. £2
FUSE MEDWAY FESTIVAL 2012 Fri 15 June, Sat 16 June and Sun 17 June A plethora of outdoor theatre some really classy acts, local, regional and international will be gracing this year’s Fuse. For the full programme go to fusefestival.org.uk
THE HAZLITT ARTS CENTRE AND CHANGELING PRESENT
2 2 n d J u n e – 2 1 s t J u l y 2 0 1 2
SUPPORTED BY
HAZLITT BOX OFFICE 01622 758611 WWW.HAZLITTARTSCENTRE.CO.UK
Directed by Rob Forknall
THE LIFE & ADVENTURES OF NICHOLAS NICKLEBY EMMA DEWHURST PREVIEWS A THEATRICAL TREAT One of the most remarkable pieces of theatre I have seen in recent years was a production of ‘Les Misérables’ at the Hazlitt Theatre, Maidstone. It was remarkable both for its high production values and the courage of its actors, who were all students at Valley Park School. The school is a remarkable success story. With a formerly poor reputation, new leadership was brought in to capitalise on its most successful subjects, which led to Specialist Status in Performing and Visual Arts being awarded in 2007 and an Outstanding Ofsted report in 2009. With the long-term commitment of a handful of teachers it has become known for astonishing end-of-year productions staged in professional venues, giving students an experience of the arts they are likely never to forget. This year, Artistic Director Giles Gleadall, the driving force behind these ‘more-than-schoolshows’, has chosen possibly his greatest challenge to date: the students are bringing David Edgar’s adaptation of Dickens’ novel ‘The Life & Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby’ to Dickens World Courtyard in July.
First performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1980, the piece is a two-part, modernday classic, affording audiences a glorious theatrical feast. Make an effort to see what can be achieved when young people, passion and belief meet. You won’t be disappointed. The Life & Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby plays at Dickens World Courtyard as follows: Part1: 9, 11 & 13 July, 7pm Part 2: 10, 12 & 14 July, 7pm Adults: £10, Children: £5. Concs available. Box Office: 07805 178664
VISUAL ART KENT AFFORDABLE ART SHOW Tearnden Farm, Bethersden, TN26 3HE
Affordable art in unique setting. All profits go to the global campaign for the eradication of polio. Free CRANBROOK LIBRARY Cranbrook TN17 3JT
THE WRITING ON THE WALL – Eight VIR-Art artists, eight books 14 June-19 July vir-art-artists.blogspot.com THE DEAF CAT COFFEE BAR & GALLERY 83 High Street, Rochester ME1 1LX
Open all week 9.30am-5pm ALEXANDRIA WELCH - To 10 June NEW DIRECTIONS – RIC students 12-24 June (see box) ART ODDS & ART SODS – 25 June-8 July Art by eight local artists all under £50 thedeafcat.com
Dockyard attractions for one year. Paintings, drawings and work relating to the artist’s life in Medway and his 2011 Residency at the Dockyard. NEW DIRECTIONS
NO.1 SMITHERY The Historic Dockyard Chatham, ME4 4TZ 01634 823800
BILLY CHILDISH: FROZEN ESTUARY and other Paintings of the Divine Ordinary 1 June30 Sep Daily 10am-4pm. Adults £16.50, Children £11, concs available. Ticket gives unlimited return to all Historic
Gallery space and shop. Times as Rochester nucleus-arts.com ROCHESTER ART GALLERY & CRAFT CASE
12-24 June 9.30am-5pm
Medway Visitor Information Centre, 95 High Street, Rochester ME1 1LX
Enquiries to the College: 01634 828115 Rochester Independent College have taken every available wall at the Deaf Cat for this exhibition by their A Level Students. The College has a formidable art department and the students produce work of great quality and vigour. Free
01634 338319 Mon-Sat 10am5pm, Sun 10.30am-5pm. EVALUATION OF SPACE To 29 June Andrew Mackenzie, Oliver Barratt, Rosie Lesso, Dan Stafford. In the CRAFT CASE: Bud Latven, Lesley Risby Free. FREE FAMILY WORKSHOP (6+): Sat 9 June 12.30-3.30pm with Wendy Dawes. Booking essential on 01634 338319 or email arts@medway.gov.uk ROSE YARD WINDOW GALLERY Earl Street, Maidstone ME14 1PL
THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS June features MVAN artists Kay Gretton Free
Hazlitt Arts Centre, Earl Street, Maidstone ME14 1PL
MAIDSTONE TOWN CENTRE MVAN ART TRAIL 2-30 June 43 shops host the work of 35 local artists. Download a trail map from mvan.info
2-4 Granada House, Gabriel’s Hill, Maidstone ME15 6JR 01622 690337
Deaf Cat, 83 High Street, Rochester ME1 1LX
GRAHAM CLARKE GALLERY
Open Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm. Entrance in Rose Yard. StARTle ARTS PRIZE 2012 – Trevor Barnard 4-30 June. The winner’s first solo exhibition, with runner-up, Kathy O’Keefe. See The Artist’s Space. Free hazlittartscentre.co.uk
NUCLEUS ARTS, MAIDSTONE
NUCLEUS ARTS 272 High Street, Chatham ME4 4BP 01634 812108
Gallery opens 9-5pm, closed Sunday Free IT’S ELEMENTARY - BEVERLEY BUNN Gorgeous glass art 8-14 June. Meet the Artist Thu 7 June, 6-8pm TEN – Nucleus Arts 10th Anniversary Exhibition – Various artists 16 June-5 July Plus see centre pages article for ArtsFest 23 June NUCLEUS ARTS, ROCHESTER 75 High Street, Rochester ME1 1LX 01634 780932
Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-5pm Gallery shop with artworks, cards and jewellery by local artists.
STEPPING STONE STUDIOS 2 Museum Avenue, Maidstone ME14 1QX
Brand new mixed media arts space with regularly changing exhibitions, life drawing classes and much more. See article p6 steppingstonestudios.co.uk TURNER CONTEMPORARY Rendezvous, Margate CT9 1HG 01843 233000
Tues-Sun 10am-6pm plus Late Night Live to 10pm one Friday every month. Closed Mon (except Bank Holidays) TRACEY EMIN: To 23 Sept. Emin’s first major solo show at TC, inspired by Margate. Also, Rodin’s iconic sculpture THE KISS (to Sept 2012). Free turnercontemporary.org
Festival ad_WOW quarter page#2:Layout 1
s imply ART
Framing Services
...scintillating music,
unforgettable world premieres, Kent's most entertaining street theatre, open air opera in stunning parkland, Shakespeare, touching movies and the best of Dickens'
bicentenary celebrations...
What larks, Pip! Canvas Stretching . Box Frames Conservation . Sports Shirts
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Studio at Nucleus Arts 75 High Street, Rochester ME1LX Te l : 0 7 9 5 0 2 9 5 1 0 8
For full programme details visit www.dealfestival.co.uk
29 June - 8 July 2012
BOX OFFIC E OPEN S 22 MA Y
19
Winner: Ochre sands, spring morning, Shellness by Trevor Barnard “My work at the moment concerns big bold skies, earthy grounds or the violent sea captured on recent sojourns to Cornwall and the Kent coast and its environs.” trevor barnard@hotmail.co.uk Runner-up: Brief Encounter by Kathy Keefe “I make original bespoke fabric covered books for all occasions. I am passionate about collecting fabrics and adornments from a bygone era and giving them a new lease of life by making them into my creative book art.” kathy@keefe01.wanadoo.co.uk www.facebook.com/kathykeefe01
T H E A R T I S T S ’ S PA C E StARTle ARTS PRIZE 2012 The annual StARTle Arts Prize awards a local artist of any genre their very own first ‘solo’ exhibition in the Graham Clarke Gallery at the Hazlitt Arts Centre in the heart of Maidstone. Mon 4-Sat 30 June. hazlittartscentre.co.uk
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EDITORIAL: editor@wowkent.co.uk
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Current print circulation: 5000 copies. Excellent discounts for series bookings available to all advertisers. All ads also appear in the e-edition of the magazine at wowkent.co.uk Copy/listings deadline for Jul/ Aug issue is 19 June 2012 ©WOW Kent magazine.
All rights reserved. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that details in this publication are accurate, we cannot accept responsibility for such. Readers are advised to check listings information to avoid disappointment. Views expressed by contributors and advertisers do not necessarily reflect those of the editor and publisher. wowkent.co.uk
facebook.com /WOWMedway @EmmaDewhurst7 WOW Medway is printed on 100% recycled paper
AT THE MAN OF KENT ALE-HOUSE ROCHESTER JUNE 2012
Tuesday 5th: Ukulele Jam Wednesday 6th: Hot Rats Duo Thursday 7th: Babar Luck Wednesday 13th: Fate the Juggler Thursday 14th: Pass the Cat Wednesday 20th: Keith James & Louise Spencer Thursday 21st: Denise Black & Graeme Taylor Wednesday 27th: Andy Smythe Trio Thursday 28th: Tener Duende Every Sunday - Jam Night
6-8 John Street, ROCHESTER, ME1 1YN 07772 214315 www.themanofkent.com
medwayfestival world-class performance Friday, 15 to Sunday, 17 June
Friday, 15 -
Festival opening Gillingham High Street
Saturday, 16 - Street Arts Day Chatham High Street and Riverside
Barricade
Great Lines Heritage Park
Sunday, 17 -
Fuse Big Picnic Rochester Castle Gardens
it’s arts. it’s yours. it’s free.
www.fusefestival.org.uk
fuse