WOW Kent Nov 2016

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CONTENTS 4 WELCOME 5 4 REALLY GOOD THINGS 6 NEWS 9 REVIEW: ALLGEN GAMING 10 BEN CAMERON: TRAGIDOODLES 12 DAVE MCKEAN: BLACK DOG – THE DREAMS OF PAUL NASH 14 FILM 15 NICK WALKER: 3 TUESDAY SCREENINGS 16 MUSIC 18 THEATRE/COMEDY 19 SEE and CREATE 20 VISUAL ART 22 THE ARTIST’S SPACE

EDITORIAL: editor@wowkent.co.uk 0845 388 2243 (Calls cost 5p per minute plus your network’s access charge) ADVERTISING: advertising@wowkent.co.uk New advertiser & excellent series booking discounts available. All ads also appear in the online edition.

FREE LISTINGS (magazine) listings@wowkent.co.uk FREE/PREMIUM LISTINGS (website) Submit your content at wowkent.co.uk

WELCOME TO WOW!

DESIGN: A Stones Throw astonesthrowdesign.co.uk

Your guide to the best of What’s On Where Medway, Maidstone and the accessible beyond

PRINTING: Complete Print Group (CPG) 9-10 Orchard Business Centre Sanderson Way Tonbridge Kent TN9 1QG 01732 366666 cpg-net.co.uk PUBLISHER: Emma Dewhurst WEBSITE: wowkent.co.uk Distribution: Medway Towns, Maidstone, Gravesend, Canterbury and Whitstable COPY DEADLINE for joint Dec/Jan issue: Wednesday 23 November 2016 ©WOW Kent magazine All rights reserved. While every effort has been made to ensure that details in this publication are correct, we cannot accept responsibility for such. Readers are advised to check information listed, to avoid disappointment.

Views expressed by contributors and advertisers do not necessarily reflect those of the editor and publisher.

Congratulations to Ben Cameron, WOW’s resident doodler, whose first book ‘Tragidoodles’ appears in book stores this month. Sam Froudist (welcome back, Sam!) catches up with Ben to write the sequel to his story, having interviewed him for the magazine three years ago, when his career as a melancholy doodler began.

For our main feature Anna Morell interviews renowned illustrator Dave McKean: do pay a visit to Ashford’s Revelation to see his extraordinary show. Elsewhere, I talked to Christopher Sacre about SEE and CREATE, his new project for Deaf families in Medway.

Finally, a new video gaming centre is in our midst and even I, who does not know her Xbox from her elbow, am impressed. My little one has spent many a happy hour there, and I can thoroughly recommend the AllGen team. See p9 for more. Happy gaming!

Emma Dewhurst editor@wowkent.co.uk

CONTRIBUTORS Emma Dewhurst (Founder and editor) is a mother and actress with a career in theatre, TV and film. You can spot her in the recent release of ‘Our Kind of Traitor’, adapted for the screen by Hossein Amini from a novel by John le Carré.

Sam Froudist is a writer, blogger and teacher. She is a passionate advocate for community arts and young people’s need for creative outlets. Sam blogs about drama and education over at www.creativeteacherproject.wordpress.com.

Anna Morell is a writer, editor, mother, house gig impresario and awardwinning WWI film-maker. She lives in the Medway Valley.

Cover image: Dave McKean (see Main Feature).

PHOTOGRAPH OF THE EDITOR BY RIKARD ÖSTERLUND

BE A WOW AMBASSADOR! If you use any of our advertisers’ services, or attend an event because you saw it in WOW, please mention it – it really helps. Thank you Find us on Facebook facebook.com/WOWMedway @EmmaDewhurst7

Darren Randle is a keen retro computer enthusiast, writer and video media producer. Darren's media creation business launches in November with the aim of providing media support for local Kent based businesses, offering professional media solutions for modest outlays.

More at: www.purpleverse.com.

Nick Walker is the director of Rochester Kino, screening contemporary world cinema and classic films at various venues around Medway and in London. Nick previously wrote for The Guardian, was director of National Schools Film Week and is a freelance writer, teacher and film cinema/ festival programmer. He currently works for London’s famous Phoenix Cinema. rochesterkino.co.uk

FOUR

REALLY GOOD THINGS TO DO THIS MONTH! MISERY LOVES COMEDY It’s an interesting question: do you have to be miserable to be funny? One that more than 50 funny people attempt to answer in this month’s documentary screening from Nucleus Arts’ Underground Cinema, including Jimmy Fallon, Lisa Kudrow, Tom Hanks and many more. Lynne Parker, founder of Funny Women, the UK’s leading female comedy community, gives a talk discussing the connection after the film. Amusing, thoughtprovoking and free. See Film for details.

WATCHING THE RIVER FLOW This is the second solo exhibition by photographer Tom Phillips. Subtitled ‘The Medway and its Moods’, Phillips has been photographing a six mile stretch of the Medway from Tovil to Wateringbury for several years and while the river is the focal point of the exhibition, it’s often the sky that gives an image its mood and character. The exhibition is at Below 65 Gallery, Maidstone until 29 November.

SIGNS OF ID Historic lightship, LV21, newly moored at Gravesend Pier (DA11 0BG) is the venue for the latest emotive installation by artistic duo Sergei Furst and Francesca Ori exploring themes of danger, fear, control and manipulative science.

Taking visitors on a journey into the bowels of the ship, the artists have used the vessel as a warning of impending danger to inform their new installation, integrating their works into its machinery and hidden spaces. Interesting, serious work from international artists of some renown. Runs 11 November to 8 December 2016. lv21.co.uk

A CHRISTMAS CAROL Actor John O’Connor has created a one man show of class in his rendering of this festive classic.

Dickens himself enacted the work more than 150 times and the effect on the public was, according to his own notes, phenomenal. You can experience what it might have been like to have been in the audience with a free performance at Rochester Independent College on Monday 28 November at 7pm. You need to register via Eventbrite and if you can’t make that date, the show visits The Woodville, Gravesend on the following night and makes a short tour of Kent theatres between now and Christmas.

5

FAIRS

l MARKETS CHRISTMAS CRAFT FAIR Sat 19 Nov 1 – 3pm St.Margaret's Church, Lower Halstow ME9 7ED Popular Christmas sale, with a wide range of crafts, gifts and home baking. Refreshments and parking available. thesix.org

DREAMLAND VINTAGE MARKET Sat 3 December 12pm-9pm In the newly refurbished Hall By The Sea The Margate Christmas Parade will also take place the same day, finishing at Dreamland.

Free for members, £1 online in advance, £3 on the door Vintage, antique, up-styled, industrial and repro stock. An eclectic alternative to high street shopping.

TRADERS! Dreamland is keen to hear from prospective traders selling vintage, antique, up-styled, repro and industrial stock. Visit the website for more: dreamland.co.uk

CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL & MARKET The Historic Dockyard, Slip No.5 ME4 4TE Sat 26 Nov 10am – 4pm FREE entry Santa, hog roast, craft and gift stalls, food stands, Carol singers and more!

Tel: 01634 338348

CURATING AS A PRACTICE, A RESPONSIBILITY AND A PROCESS Tue 8 November 6.15pm Visiting talk by Martin Clark, former Artistic Director for Art Sheffield 2016, Artistic Director of Tate St Ives and Curator at Herbert Read Gallery, Canterbury UCA. LIFE, LABOUR, GENDER AND LOVE IN A FULLY MEDIATED WORLD Tue 15 November 6.15pm Visiting Artist Talk by Erica Scourti (Athens/London based artist) FREE to attend. Both talks held at Royal Dockyard Church, Chatham ME4 4TE. Booking via Eventbrite.

And… from Friends of Eastgate House: EASTGATE HOUSE REVIVAL Wed 9 November 7.15pm Rochester Library ME1 1EW Doug Evans from Thomas Ford and Partners will deliver an update on the refurbishment of this Rochester jewel. Tickets £5 (buy on door). Members of the Friends of the Guildhall Museums, Friends of Medway Archives and the Friends of Eastgate House can purchase tickets at the special price of £3.00.

CALLOUT

The Fair will take place between 10 Dec – 8 Jan in the SPH Gallery between 10am and 4pm Tuesday to Saturday, and 12 – 4pm on Sundays (closed Sundays and over Christmas from 24 Dec – 2 Jan).

Terms as follows:

• Work is free to exhibit, with 30% commission on all sales.

• Work must have a minimum sale price of £5.00, and a maximum of £300.00.

• No gift cards/ postcards accepted.

• Work to be delivered no later than Wed 7 December, to the Tearoom.

• Work to be collected between 10 and 13 January.

• All work selected will need to If you would like your work be labelled, priced and ready to to be part of a month long exhibit.

AFFORDABLE ART FAIR at • Images, prices and descriptions Sun Pier House, Chatham, of work to be sent to gallery@ enter your artwork, crafts and sunpierhouse.co.uk for antiques for selection now. consideration.

FOR FESTIVE TRADERS

OPPORTUNITY!

4 PRINTMAKING BURSARIES Medway Council is offering exhibition bursaries to four Medway printmakers, to enable them to create a body of work inspired by the Guildhall Museum’s collection of outstanding historic Dutch Prints, for a shared exhibition at Rochester Art Gallery as part of Medway Print Festival 2017 (9 – 25 June) and the major Battle of Medway 350th Commemorations.

Interested applicants are invited to attend a preapplication ‘Inspiration Event’ at the Guildhall Museum on Tuesday 8 November 7 - 9pm to find out more about the bursaries, view some of the relevant collections and learn more about the Battle of Medway from the Museum team.

To be eligible to apply for a £500 Exhibition Bursary, printmakers must be currently living, studying or working in Medway. Applications are particularly welcomed for innovative approaches to printmaking and/or interesting ways of interpreting the historic themes in a contemporary way. Application will be by a short proposal no more than a side of A4.

Full details, dates, eligibility criteria and how to apply are available by emailing the Arts Team arts@medway.gov. uk. Applications will be accepted from Wed 9 November and up to 12 noon on Fri 2 December 2016.

RFS NEEDS YOU! The Rochester Film Society is always happy to welcome new volunteers to help out with publicity, marketing and generally help out.

For more information email: secretary.rochesterfilmsociety@gmail.com

PUBLIC

LECTURE SUN 13 NOV 6.30 - 8pm

ANGLICAN SOCIAL THEOLOGY

by Rev'd Dr Malcolm Brown What does the tradition of Social Theology mean for the Church of England today?

BAR | BISTRO

BUY 1 GET 1 FREE

ON MAIN MEALS

WITH THIS VOUCHER TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY. PLEASE VISIT WWW.KENT.AC.UK/CATERING OR CALL US ON 01634 582615 FOR MORE DETAILS.

VICTORY PIER, BLOCK T, GILLINGHAM, ME7 1RL

Lecture, refreshments and discussion time.

St William’s Church, Walderslade Village ME5 9LR Open to all. FREE to attend. southchatham.org 7

HAZELNUT PRESS

Workshops and short courses available

ARTS CAFE 1st Sunday of the month

SUN 6 NOV CLUTCHING AT STRAWS ALTERNATIVE FOLK TRIO 1 Ridley Road Rochester T: 07702 269972 E: Heatherhtt@Mac.com Hazelnut-Press.com

UNIQUE CHRISTMAS CARDS

limited print from original oil paintings £1.50 each l £5 for 4 l £10 for 9 Email: jjhowardfineart@gmail.com facebook.com/Jessicafitzhowardfineart

SUN 4 DEC STEVE PRICE MAGIC, COMEDY & SLEIGHT OF HAND WHAT IF...? Gallery

Art exhibitions & workshops Open daily 11 - 4 pm (closed Sun) 67-69 High St Dartford DA1 1DJ whatifgallery.co.uk

Admission is FREE and open to all Doors 6pm for 6.30pm start St William’s Church Walderslade Village Centre ME5 9LR southchatham.org

PET PORTRAITS Stephen Harries

Clas ses AvaiNow labl e

Stained Glass design and restoration

E: stephenharries.glass@gmail.com T: 0779 608 0338 Facebook: Stephen Harries Stained Glass strangepaul.com Rochester & Goldfinch Galleries Whitstable

www.emmabaker.me.uk

AN ASSEMBLANCE OF JUDICIOUS HERETICS:

reimagining Shakespeare the Medway way BARRY FENTIMAN HALL talks about the third year of Wordsmithery’s text-art project This year, to mark the 400th anniversary of the death of the man who probably wrote all those plays, we asked our word artists to be inspired by an aspect of Shakespeare's work. We received sonnets, stories and poems of all sorts, but sadly we haven’t received any plays!

We then passed on the anonymised writing to our visual artists who were

inspired by the original writing to make/paint/draw/photograph their interpretation of it. The textual and visual art is on display until the end of November at Rochester Library.

The words and art will also be available to view in the latest issue of our online magazine, Confluence.

A new video gaming centre games has opened in the ev boasting both new and retro Rochester DARREN RANDLE er-evolving Intra area of reviews Picture if you will a Saturday morning when my long suffering partner casually asks: “Have you seen that a video game centre is opening in Rochester”? That sounds fun, I thought... She then comments, “It has a retro section”, which piques my interest still further. With a long time love affair of retro computing I jumped on to the internet in search of this new venture and soon discovered AllGen Gaming.

With a tagline of ‘Video gaming from all generations for all generations’, a Facebook page showed sneak peaks of what was being built. Pictures of current generation consoles such as Xbox One, Nintendo Wii U, PS4 and most importantly for me, Commodores, Spectrums, Amstrads, 3DOs and just about every other machine I had either loved as a child or craved more than chocolate.

With anticipation I waited for the launch day, watching the update posts online and enjoying the tantalising photos of consoles being stripped down, cleaned, refurbished and readied for the good people of Rochester. On Sunday 28thof August, AllGen Gaming finally launched. I arrived at the old Featherstone House building which houses AllGen, bouncing with excitement, wearing a ZX Spectrum T Shirt and expecting to be the only ‘geek’; but no - a larger than life Super Mario is already walking around!

People are packed into the 3,000 sq. foot empire of gaming, wandering around with drinks, cake and smiles. These are real gamers, from all ages and all generations. The first area I enter is fitted with the current generation consoles. I can see PS4s, Xboxes and Wii Us, all being enjoyed by children and adults with a gathering of people chatting around a handy snack bar area.

e rear of ing is at th , AllGen Gam ouse, 375 High Street ne H o st er h at Fe ME1 1DA Rochester é Moroc). af C (behind m 3.30 to 11p nday-Friday lidays: o H Opens Mo k n Ba l/ & Schoo Weekends 11pm to n o o n 12

I walk through into what I can only call paradise. I squeeze through a huddle of gamers into what I now refer to as the AllGen Retro Arena.

Around fifty plus computers and games consoles of yesterday were all fired up, playing on old school CRT TVs with retro sounds blaring.

Since its launch the centre has constantly evolved, bringing more consoles, some so obscure and rare you'll never see them anywhere else, let alone get to play on one... Vectrex anyone?

Shane Clark, who owns the centre, has a clear vision to build a family and community gaming centre for people of all ages: a place to visit as a family, on your own or in groups. A place to make new friends, interact and game together. I wish him every success with this new venture: AllGen is a real jewel for Rochester and a truly unique experience.

r 12 years Pricing: Ove 0 £1 Daily rate: £5 : te ra y rl Hou e ars (must b Under 12 ye by an adult) d ie accompan £7 Daily rate: : £4 £30 Hourly rate (Daily rate): et ck ti ily Fam s) 12 er 2 Und (2 adults + aming m/allgeng facebook.co 9

We welcome back past WOW contributor SAM FROUDIST, as she catches up with illustrator BEN CAMERON on the eve of the publication of his first collection of doodles

It’s a real pleasure to be speaking again with local illustrator Ben Cameron for WOW magazine, 3 years to the issue since I welcomed him to the WOW family as our resident cartoonist. In all honesty I see Ben quite a bit socially, but having a legitimate journalistic excuse to go for a pint lends a thoughtful, retrospective mood to the evening.

We’ve met to discuss the imminent release of his first book, ‘Tragidoodles’, a collection of ‘101 doodles that will break your heart’, published by Unbound. Cameron is initially reticent to talk about the success he’s attained in the last few years, although looking back, he admits he’s created a rather impressive body of work.

Unbound is both a funding platform and a publisher, and the process, Cameron explains, is a delightfully simple one. Authors can pitch ideas, or, as in Cameron’s case, are approached by the company if their work is a particularly good match with the company’s ethos.

A crowdfunding campaign is launched, and if it meets the target, the book is published with all net profits split 50/50 with the author.

I ask how the deal came to pass. “I was approached by Unbound about 18 months ago, and initially turned them down,” reflects Cameron. He wasn’t aware of the company until that point and wasn’t sure if it was the “right fit” for his work. Six months later he was contacted again: “By that point they had published ‘Letters of Note’,” Shaun Usher’s fascinating collection of correspondence.

The classic Cameron attitude of “Why not?” was duly applied and Cameron acknowledges it was nice to have a longer-term project in the works.

“All in all it has been about a year since the first yes,” says Cameron. “We agreed on 101 tragidoodles for the book, and initially I thought I had about 80 already prepared,” he continues. “I ended up having about 20% completed, so 80% of the work in the book is new material”. I asked if it was a difficult workload to manage, and Cameron admits it was a “bit of a stress”.

The current year, however, has been his quietest to date sales wise; although this is something he feels is largely a response to the overwhelming success of the crowdfunding campaign for the book. Cameron has built a hugely dedicated following, who want to see his work in print, as proven by the Unbound model.

The most stressful part, he reveals, was the lead up to the crowdfunding campaign launch. He hoped to reach the funding target within 3 months. Although exciting at first, it was soon apparent that Cameron himself would play a vital role in getting the book to print. Utilising his marketing platform of choice, Twitter, Cameron stepped

DOCUMENTARY FILM SCREENING up to the plate and hustled like he had never hustled before.

How did that feel, I ask, given that his move into illustration was partly fuelled by a desire to get out of retail? “I’m not too bad as a salesman, actually,” he smiles, and “without support, the book wouldn’t actually have been made.” So he asked for support, financial support to be exact, in a move that reminds me of Amanda Palmer’s ‘Art of Asking’ TED talk. If you genuinely ask, more often than not, people will have your back, something which I have found to be true on more than one occasion.

The proof is in the pudding, and ‘Tragidoodles’ was funded in two weeks to the day. With Unbound, Cameron says, “The only books that get funded are the ones people want.” I daresay people are quite keen on the idea of ‘Tragidoodles’, as it is currently sitting pretty at 142% funded. It’s in the bag, as they say.

When and where can you get a copy? Pledgers in the initial campaign have already received their books (my totally biased opinion: I have mine, I love it, it’s delightful, it’s painful and you should buy it), and it will be released to the general public on Thursday 3 November, from, as Cameron says with a grin, “Anywhere you can buy books.”

MISERY LOVES COMEDY

SATURDAY 26TH NOVEMBER 7PM FREE ENTRY

“Do you have to be miserable to be funny?”

With Tom Hanks, Lisa Kudrow, Jimmy Fallon & more.

Followed by a talk by Lynne Parker from “Funny Women” The Underground Cinema 13 Military Road, Chatham ME4 4JG To book call 01634 812108 or go to: www.nucleusarts.com

Christmas!

Unusual Floral gifts, wreaths, garlands, table decorations FREE Local DeliveryOrder online or tel: 01634 843 024 rochesterflorists.co.uk

‘Tragidoodles’ by Ben Cameron, author of the World’s Saddest Doodle is priced at £9.99 from all major book retailers.

For more information about Ben, or to take a look at his previous work and commission something, head to doodlesbyben.com. He is currently taking orders for Christmas until the end of November.

Professional tuition in maths & English Qualified teachers Individual tutoring programmes Medway 11+ preparation

172b High Street Rochester ME1 1EX 01634 400240

rochester@kip-mcgrath.com

BLACK DOG

I am no longer an artist. I am a messenger who will bring back word… to those who want the war to go on forever.

It will have a bitter truth, and may it burn their lousy souls. Paul Nash, writing home from the frontline

Internationally acclaimed artist DAVE MCKEAN talks to Anna Morell about his graphic novel and multimedia work 'Black Dog' – a dreamscape reimagining of the life and works of World War I artist, Paul Nash.

One hundred and two years ago, aged just 25, the artist Paul Nash signed up for home service in the Great War. Three years later, he was posted to Ypres. Already recognised as a visionary landscape artist, in the trenches he painted the landscapes around him, overlaying them with the emotions inherent in the fabric of the battlefield: beauty, calm, a sense of the eerie, violation, terror, horror. As man destroyed copse and corpse, leaving both ravaged and bleeding, under Nash’s brushes, the figurative forms of these works were transformed into psychological studies. He wrote: “No one in England knows what the scene of the war is like... If I can, I will show them.” And he did.

This year, we are at the mid-point of remembrance of the centenary of the Great War. At the end of last

year, Dave McKean was commissioned by 14-18 NOW to create an interactive multimedia work; part graphic novel, part narration, part music and part screening, about the Great War. ‘Black Dog – The Dreams of Paul Nash’ will be performed at Revelation, Ashford ahead of a sell-out performance as part of a Nash retrospective at Tate Britain in London. I interviewed him to find out more about the work, his art, and why he chose Nash as the focus of his commission.

What exactly is this work?

It’s a kind of imaginative response to Nash’s work and life, and to that particular time of huge upheaval, social change and madness. Everything in the book is biographically correct, but it’s structured as a series of dreams – like a dream it conflates events, interprets events and moves people around – you travel quickly from London to the battlefield, then back to childhood, then off to Dymchurch in a sort of dreamlike logic, but essentially it’s biographical.

What is it specifically about Nash that you are drawn to?

I have always loved that era of creativity – it was the birth of cinema, modernism, and a much more psychological, personally expressive kind of attitude to art and culture generally. I live near where he lived just after the war, so I feel a connection to his work, and geographically. I think he came back with the most – still – relevant and troubling views of the war. He didn’t make work that was consoling in any way. He felt he wasn’t an artist so much as a messenger – he communicated the sheer bloody hell of war – I like that power in his work.

What is the ‘black dog’?

Almost the very first thing that Nash talks about in his autobiography is his first dream. He remem-

bers being a little boy in a dark tunnel and the walls are coming in and its very oppressive and suffocating, and there’s a black dog that he sees in the shadows, and it leads him out of that dark place. I love that that’s the first thing he chose to write about – that the first thing he remembers is a dream with this strange avatar that’s a dog. I picked on ‘black dog’ partly for the link to depression and partly because it’s his first memory, and also as a way of being a sort of shadow that follows him through his life.

There is one particularly striking image in the book of a cockroach.

What does that signify?

That’s a strange one. It starts as a scene where he meets his brother John behind the lines. Paul had a relatively easy experience in the war and had a breakdown, whereas John had a much tougher experience, yet seemed to be able to deal with it all in an easier way. I found a film that had some wonderful foot-

age of banter in the trenches. One moment shows the men talking about the cockroach races that they have. So the scene grew out of that, and turned into this moment where there’s this huge explosion which completely destroys the dream. For everybody else, these explosions happen all around them, but for Nash, the explosions happen inside his head.

Do you think society has lost touch with a sense of the importance of mythology and dreams?

I think it’s more that people have lost touch with the reasons why they are important. There are a lot of stories around at the moment that are merely escapist – about running away into those worlds. It’s a way of getting away from those things which are important in the world, rather than shining a light on them, to focus on conflict, to focus on the world in a new way or with a different clarity.

What do you hope people take away from ‘Black Dog’?

The reason Nash’s work lasts is because those pictures are as relevant now, looking at images coming out of Aleppo, as they were then. I hope people get a sense of what it was like to go through that experience psychologically. I hope they see that comics are a medium that can deal with this material; that comics can go anywhere.

‘BLACK DOG – THE DREAMS OF PAUL NASH’ is at Revelation, St Mary the Virgin, Ashford TN23 1QG on Friday 11 Nov at 7.45pm. Tickets £12/£14 (on door).

Read the longer version of this article at: wowkent.co.uk revelationashford.co.uk

Images: Dave McKean

13

FILM AFTERNOON FILM TREAT Central Theatre, 170 High Street, Chatham ME4 4AS 01634 338338 Tickets £4.50 in adv, £5 on door inc. hot drink and teacake. £12 when you book three Afternoon Treats.

THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN (PG) 1957 Tue 15 Nov 2.30pm Dir: Jack Arnold Cast: Grant Williams, Randy Stuart, April Kent Great visual effects, both poignant and terrifying.

81 mins. medwayticketslive.co.uk CANTERBURY CURZON Westgate Hall Road, Canterbury CT1 2BT Telephone: 0330 500 1331.

Ticket Price varies. Check website for details.

ROH LIVE: MACMILLAN’S ANASTASIA (15) Wed 2 Nov 7.15pm Full-length ballet set in the wake of the Russian Revolution. 180 mins THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS (U) 2016 Sat 5 Nov 10.30am Dir: Chris Renaud, Yarrow Cheney Cast: Eric tonestreet, Kevin Hart, Louis C.K., Lake Bell Animated feature. 91 mins BFG (PG) 2016 Sat 12 and Sat 19 Nov 10.30 am Dir: Steven Spielberg Cast: Ruby Barnhill, Mark Rylance. 117 mins

GULBENKIAN THEATRE University of Kent Canterbury CT2 7NB 01227 769075. Ticket Price varies. Check website for details.

ROH LIVE: MACMILLAN’S ANASTASIA (15) Wed 2 Nov 7.15pm (Live) and Sun 6 Nov 2.00pm (recorded) See Curzon for details. Approx 180 mins ANDRE RIEU – CHRISTMAS WITH ANDRE Sat 19 Nov 5pm Festive celebration, featuring a recorded Christmas concert packed with all the favourites.

130 mins I AM BOLT (15) 2016 Mon 28 Nov 6.45pm Raw, revealing and inspiring. thegulbenkian.co.uk FREE SCREENINGS: UNDERGROUND CINEMA Nucleus Arts Creative Riverside Hub. 13 Military Road, Chatham ME4 4JG Please note: no disabled access.

FINDING NEMO (U) 2003 Sat 26 Nov 10.30am Fishy classic. 100 mins MISERY LOVES COMEDY 2015 Sat 26 Nov 7.00pm Documentary, see p5. 94 mins. nucleusarts.com

ALAN BENNETT’S DIARIES LIVE (TBC) 2016 Wed 16 Nov 8pm Feature documentary followed by live Q&A (broadcast by satellite). 120 mins

ROCHESTER KINO @ BROOK THEATRE Old Town Hall, The Brook Chatham ME4 4SE Fortnightly on Wednesday Evenings at 7.30pm. Screening the best of classic and cult films. £8, Students £3. (£1 off for anyone dressed as a Mod or Rocker!).

Twitter: @RochesterKino

PETE’S DRAGON (PG) 2016 Sat 26 Nov 10.30am Dir: David Lowery Cast: Oakes Fegley, Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford Re-imagining of Disney’s cherished family film. 103 mins curzoncinemas.com/ canterbury

QUADROPHENIA (15) 1979 Tue 8 Nov 7.30pm Dir: Franc Roddam Cast: Phil Daniels, Leslie Ash, Ray Winstone, Philip Davis, Sting. See opposite. Preceded by live performance and an intro by The Stinking Pause Podcast. 115 mins.

ROCHESTER PICTURE PALACE @ THE HUGUENOT MUSEUM The Huguenot Museum 95 High Street, Rochester ME1 1LX £6, £3.50 concs. Pre-film intro and post-film chat.

THE WITCH (15) 88 mins (USA) Tue 1 Nov 7.30pm Dir: Robert Eggers Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie Special Day of the Dead screening. 88 mins GREEN ROOM (18) 2015 Tue 15 Nov 7.30pm Dir: Jeremy Saulnier Cast: Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, Patrick Stewart Suspenseful horror-thriller Saulnier (‘Blue Ruin’) in which a punk rock band faces off a gang of neo-Nazis intent on covering their tracks. 95 mins.

LOVE & FRIENDSHIP (U) 2016 (IRI) Tue 29 Nov 7.30pm Dir: Whit Stillman Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Chloe Sevigny, Xavier Samuel See opposite. 93 mins CHILDREN’S FILM CLUB @ THE HUGUENOT MUSEUM The Huguenot Museum, 95 High Street, Rochester, ME1 1LX £3 per person.

CINDERELLA (PG) 2015(USA) Sat 26 Nov 10am Dir: Kenneth Branagh Cast: Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden Disney live action version of the classic fairytale. 105 mins rochesterfilmsociety.co.uk PAUL GREENGRASS CINEMA @THE WOODVILLE Woodville Place, Gravesend DA12 1DD See website for more information and ticket prices.

MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN (12A) Tue 1 Nov – Thu 3 Nov (times vary) Dir: Tim Burton Cast: Eva Green, Asa Butterfield, Samuel L. Jackson. 127mins

STORKS (U) Fri 4 Nov – Sat 5 Nov (times vary) Dir: Nicholas Stoller, Doug Sweetland Cast (voices): Andy Samberg, Katie Crown, Kelsey Grammer BRANAGH THEATRE LIVE: THE ENTERTAINER (12A) Sun 6 Nov 7pm Dir: Rob Ashford Cast: Kenneth Branagh John Osborne's modern classic. 180 mins.

DEEPWATER HORIZON (12A) 2016 Mon 7 Nov – Tue 8 Nov 11am Dir: Peter Berg Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, Douglas M. Griffin A heroic true story of survival and sacrifice. 108 mins BAD MOMS (15) Sat 5 & Thu 10 Nov 7.30pm Dir: Jon Lucas, Scott Moore Cast: Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hann, Kristen Bell. 101 mins TROLLS (U) Fri 11 Nov - Sun 20 Nov (times vary) Dir: Mike Mitchell, Walt Dohrn Cast (voices): Anna Kendrick, Zooey Deschanel, Gwen Stefani. 92 mins INFERNO (12A) Fri 11 Nov – Wed 16 Nov (times vary) Dir: Ron Howard Cast: Tom Hanks, Felicity Jones, Sidse Babett Knudsen Action! 121 mins I DANIEL BLAKE (15) 2016 Sun 20 Nov – Mon 19 Dec (times vary) Dir: Ken Loach Cast: Dave Johns, Hayley Squires, Sharon Percy Heartfelt and emotional. 100 mins woodville.co.uk SCREEN@THE AVENUE Avenue Theatre, Sittingbourne ME10 4DN. Tel: 01795 471140 ME BEFORE YOU (12A) 2016 Fri 4 Nov 7.45pm Tickets £4.00 Dir: Thea Sharrock Cast: Emilia Clarke, Sam Claffin, Janey McTeer A girl in a small town forms an unlikely bond with a recently-paralyzed man.

110 mins avenuetheatre.co.uk

3

NICK WALKER previews

TUESDAYS IN NOVEMBER

ROCHESTER KINO @ THE BROOK THEATRE

THE UNDERGROUND CINEMA @ NUCLEUS ARTS RIVERSIDE HUB

ROCHESTER FILM SOCIETY @ HUGUENOT MUSEUM

QUADROPHENIA (1979)*

THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN (1957)

LOVE & FRIENDSHIP (2016)

Franc Roddam’s cult mods and rocker classic, set in 1964, is a must see for anyone interested in youth culture and great music. However Roddam is as concerned with the general experience of adolescence as he is with these particular groups of people. Phil Daniels stars as the pent-up, parka-wearing, pillpopping Mod whose need for tribal acceptance leaves his relationships in tatters. Based on The Who album, the gritty youth-centric realism blends laughs with symbolism, psychology and some driving rock music. Quadrophenia is something very special.

Based on Richard Matheson's novel ‘The Shrinking Man’ and directed by cult sci-fi and horror guru Jack Arnold (of ‘It Came from Outer Space’, ‘Creature from the Black Lagoon’, and ‘Tarantula’ fame), this is considered one of science fiction's best films. Increasingly (and interestingly) existential as it plays out, ‘TISM’ seems the product of a very sensitive and frightened young man questioning his very vulnerable place in the universe. With great visual effects, this tense existential gem of a film is both poignant and terrifying.

Director Whit Stillman (‘Metropolitan’, ‘Last Days of Disco’) has created a witty adaptation of the little-known Jane Austen’s novella, ‘Lady Susan’ written in 1794 but not published until fifty years after her death and a literary cousin of Austen's ‘Emma’. Kate Beckinsale is certainly stretched as an actress however she rises to the challenge to give a tremendously charming and funny performance. Stillman's films are often concerned with the absurdities of human interactions and here his own screenplay is pure joy. Such a brisk, breezy delight…

TUES 8 NOV 7.30PM

*£1 off for anyone dressed as a Mod or a Rocker!

TUES 15 NOV 2.30PM

TUES 29 NOV 7.30PM

See Film (opposite) for full details, prices and times.

15

MUSIC ANCHORIANS JAZZ CLUB Darland Avenue, Gillingham ME7 3AS Fri 18 Nov 8.30pm: BOOTH/ HORLER/ROZZE/TOMKINS/ WELLS QUINTET. £10 Enquiries: 01634 365353 or 07544 312743. coljazz.webs.com THE BEANEY HOUSE OF ART AND KNOWLEDGE Explorers and Collectors Gallery 18 High Street Canterbury CT1 2RA 01227 862162 Tue 22 Nov 2 – 4pm: HEALTH GROUP CANTERBURY SKYLARKS perform a wide variety of songs under the direction of Professor Grenville Hancox MBE. Free drop-in. canterburycantatatrust.co.uk CENTRAL THEATRE 170 High Street Chatham ME4 4AS Box Office: 01634 338338 Sat 19 Nov 7.30pm: City of Rochester Symphony Orchestra presents MUSIC FROM THE MOVIES including John Williams’ ‘Schindler's List’ and ‘Jurassic Park’ and Klaus Badelt’s ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Suite. Tickets £11£17, concs £9 - £15; Children and Students (up to 18): £1. medwayticketslive.co.uk EARLS 30 Earl Street Maidstone ME14 1PS 01622 751286 Doors 9pm unless stated.

Free entry.

Thu 3 Nov: MAKE SOME NOISE Fri 4 Nov: ROCKSTOX Sat 5 Nov: TIMMY MOORE Sun 6 Nov: ALICE BAND Fri 11 Nov: HEADLONG Sat 12 Nov: ALL DAY FALLING Sun 13 Nov: REPTILLIA Thu 17 Nov: MAKE SOME NOISE Fri 18 Nov: PROJECT 5 Sat 19 Nov: VINCE VORTEX & THE CUCUMBERS Fri 25 Nov: AC/DIZZY

Sat 26 Nov: MASTERCLASS Sun 27 Nov: IAN NIX BAND earlsmaidstone.co.uk THE FLIPPIN‘ FROG 318 High Street, Rochester ME1 3ET Regular intimate unplugged gigs 2nd & 4th Tuesdays. From 8.30pm. Free entry.

Find Unplugged Tuesdays at the Frog on Facebook.

THE FLOWERPOT 96 Sandling Road, Maidstone ME14 2RJ 01622 757705 Free entry.

Every Tuesday from 8.30pm: OPEN JAM NIGHT: ELECTROACOUSTIC PLUG-IN AND PLAY Full sound system available. flowerpotpub.com GALVANISING SHOP Chatham Historic Dockyard East Rd, Chatham ME4 4TY Wed 30 Nov 11.30am – 1pm: School of Music and Fine Art ENSEMBLE LUNCHTIME CONCERT. FREE: Book via kent.ac.uk/ smfa/events.html GOOD INTENT 8 John Street, Rochester ME1 1YL Fri 4 Nov 8.30pm: JAZZ with TRACEY MENDHAM (Sax); GABRIEL KEEN (Keys); TONY TOTTS (Drums).

HORSEBRIDGE ARTS CENTRE 11 Horsebridge Road Whitstable CT5 1AF Tel: 01227 281174 Fri 4 Nov 8pm: FLAMENCO EXPRESS Vivid night of music and dance. £14 (advance), £15 on door, Conc £13. horsebridge-centre.org.uk MAN OF KENT ALEHOUSE 6 - 8 John Street, Rochester Tel: 07772 214315Tue 1 Nov: UKULELE JAM NIGHT Wed 2 Nov: GUM BOOTS

Thu 3 Nov: HENS TEETH Wed 9 Nov: RON TRUMANBORDER Thu 10 Nov: DAVE MALONE & THE LONGTAILS Mon 14 Nov: QUIZ NIGHT Wed 16 Nov: THE LOWLY STRUNG Thu 17 Nov: KRIS DOLLIMORE Wed 23 Nov: ARCELIA Thu 24 Nov: HOWLIN MAT Wed 30 Nov: MISSOURI GUTS JAM NIGHTS on Sundays BOARD GAMES on Mondays (replaced by Quiz Night on Mon 14 Nov) Find Man of Kent Ale-House on Facebook

Fri 11 Nov 7.45pm : BLACK DOG – THE DREAMS OF PAUL NASH See Main Feature. Multimedia performance. £12 (£14 on door); concs available.

Sat 12 Nov 7.45pm: JON BODEN & BLAIR DUNLOP £18 (£20 on door, concs available) Wed 23 Nov 10.30-11.30am: THE WHEELS ON DEBUSSY Family friendly concert for children. £5 (£6 on door); Child £3 (£4 on door) revelationashford.co.uk

THE MOAT INN 8 Crow Lane Rochester ME1 1RF

Thur 10 Nov 7 for 7.30pm: Two Women Events present FIL STRAUGHAN Luther Vandross tribute artist. Tickets £12. Tel: 01474 814819/07831 756306.

Sat 26 Nov 7pm: Community Centre Presents MODEL VILLAGE + OWL & MOUSE + support Tickets £6 in advance from wegottickets.com/more on the door.

ROCHESTER CATHEDRAL The Precinct, ME1 1LX Sat 19 Nov 7pm: ROCHESTER CHORAL SOCIETY’S AUTUMN CONCERT Includes Faure’s Requiem. Conducted

by Scott Farrell. Tickets £15 (nave); £7 (restricted view); £5 (Students). Tel: 01634 401049 or book online at rochesterchoral.co.uk.

PIZZA EXPRESS MUSIC ROOM 32 Earl Street, Maidstone ME14 1PF 8.30pm show unless stated Fri 11 Nov: NELL BRYDEN £20 Sat 12 Nov: MARI WILSON £20 Fri 18 Nov 8pm: NICK HARPER £12 Fri 25 Nov: GOOSEBUMPS £14 Sat 26 Nov: JAY RAYNER QUARTET £25 pizzaexpresslive.com REVELATION St Mary the Virgin, Ashford TN23 1QG

ST MARY MAGDALENE CHURCH Cobham DA12 3BD

THE SHIP Court Lodge Road Gillingham ME7 2QU 01634 850485 Music starts 9pm, free entry Sat 5 Nov: DAVEY MALONE & THE LONGTAILS Fri 18 Nov: KRIS DOLLIMORE Sat 26 Nov: RICHARD TOWNEND shipgillingham.com ST WILLIAMS CHURCH ARTS CAFE Walderslade Village ME5 9LR Sun 6 Nov 6pm for 6.30pm: CLUTCHING AT STRAWS Alternative folk trio. Free. southchatham.org THE WHITE HORSE 46 London Road, Maidstone ME16 8QL Music starts 9pm.

Sat 5 Nov: THE SOUNDCASTERS Sun 6 Nov: JAM NIGHT Sat 19 Nov: MASTERCLASS Sun 20 Nov: JAM NIGHT Sat 26 Nov: FAMILY AFFAIR Sun 27 Nov: JAM NIGHT Every Sunday: JAM NIGHT from 8.30pm. whitehorsemaidstone.co.uk

Two Women Events present…

RICHARD DURRANT A Candlelit Christmas Guitar Concert With Amy Kakoura & Nick Pynn Thurs 8 Dec 2016 7pm for 7.30pm

St Mary Magdalene Church Cobham, Kent DA12 3DB Limited seats: tickets in advance only £12.00

Call Anna: 01474 814819 / 07831 756306

VIDEO GAMING FROM ALL GENERATIONS FOR ALL GENERATIONS

ALE-HOUSE Proudly serving Kent Ales, Lager, Ciders, Wines, Gin, Vodka and locally sourced soft drinks including Rochester Fruit Pressé alongside German and Belgian Beer

375 High Street, Rochester ME1 1DA (behind Café Moroc) Opens Mon – Fri 3.30-11pm Weekends/School & Bank Holidays: 12 – 11pm facebook.com/allgengaming

WE CAN Sing UKTM charity fundraising CHRISTMAS CONCERT Showcasing our Kent community choirs from

IWADE l MEDWAY l MAIDSTONE and special guest Powerhouse Gospel Choir

Live music from singer-songwriters Sunday Jam Nights SEE MUSIC LISTINGS FOR GIGS

BOARD GAMES EVERY MONDAY At: The Royal Historic Dockyard Church, THE Historic Dockyard, Chatham, Kent ME4 4TE Friday 16th December 2016 4.00pm School Choirs | 7.30pm Evening Concert Matinee Schools: £5.00 Evening Concert: £8.00 adults in advance £10 on the door Visit our website to reserve your tickets. www.wecansinguk.com

Hosted by DICING ON THE CAKE

MON 14th NOV QUIZ NIGHT

6-8 John Street, Rochester ME1 1YN Tel: 07772 214315

THEATRE/COMEDY AVENUE THEATRE Central Avenue, Sittingbourne ME10 4DN Tel: 01795 471140 Fri 11 Nov 6.30pm: SING FOR NGWANA. Evening of songs and dances from Southern Africa in aid of the Ngwana Development trust. £8.

Thu 24 Nov – Sun 27 Nov (various times): PUSS IN BOOTS (Pantomime) £5-£20. avenuetheatre.co.uk BROOK THEATRE Old Town Hall, Chatham ME4 4SE Box Office: 01634 338338 Fri 11 Nov 8pm: Dizzy O’Dare Cabaret of Curiosities BURLESQUE SPECIAL £12.50, concs available.

Fri 18 Nov 7.30pm, Sat 19 Nov 2pm & 7.30pm: Play on Words present PINOCCHIO Puppets, playfulness and pazazz. £8 (concs available) medwayticketslive.co.uk CENTRAL THEATRE 170 High Street, Chatham ME4 4AS Box Office: 01634 338338 Tue 8 Nov 2pm: CHRISTMAS MEMORIES Sat 12 Nov 7.30pm: VAMPIRE’S ROCK: GHOST TRAIN £24.00, £26.00 medwayticketslive.co.uk GULBENKIAN THEATRE University of Kent Canterbury CT2 7NB 01227 769075 Wed 10 Nov 7.30pm: MACBETH – DIRECTOR’S CUT Volcano Theatre re-visits the classic. Suitable for 14+. 90 mins (no interval) £8.50-12.50.

Fri 11 Nov 7.30pm: FALL OUT Set in empty studio spaces, audiences enter a nightclub, dance becomes interspersed with story/movement/ dialogue. Suitable for ages 14+.

60 mins £8.50 - £12.50.

Sat 12 Nov 7.30pm: ALL ABOUT THE BOYS. WW1 drama encompassing Wilfred Owen’s poems. £10-£15 Sun 13 Nov 7.30pm DEPTHS OF MY MIND. A journey

into the teenage brain: an immersive show combining breathtaking aerial skills, pulsating soundtrack and stunning projections. £8.50 – £12.50.

Tue 15 Nov 7.30pm KEY CHANGE Raw and illuminating portrayal of women in prison for ages 13+. £8.50-£12.50 Wed 23 Nov, Thu 24 Nov, Fri 25 Nov 10.30am and 1.30pm Thu 24 Nov 10.30pm. Sat 26 Nov, Sun 27 Nov 11.30am, 1.30pm and 3.30pm. WE’RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT suitable for ages 2+. Puppetry production with music by Barb Jungr. £1 £8. thegulbenkian.co.uk HAZLITT THEATRE Earl Street, Maidstone, ME14 1PL 01622 758611 Tue 8-Sat 12 Nov 7.30pm: HABEAS CORPUS. Alan Bennett’s blissfully funny 1973 farce. £13-£14 Fri 11 Nov 7.30pm WRECKING BALL Funny and unsettling play about who is really in control. £8-£10 parkwoodtheatres.co.uk/ Hazlitt-Theatre MARLOWE THEATRE The Friars, Canterbury CT1 2AS 01227 7877 Tue 15 Nov & Fri 18 Nov 7.15pm: DON GIOVANNI. Revival of Glyndebourne’s acclaimed 2010 production. £31-£57 Thu 17 Nov 7.15pm: DON GIOVANNI: BEHIND THE CURTAIN. Presented by BBC broadcaster Paul Rissmann.

Includes performances by the Glyndebourne cast and orchestra, to provide a behindthe-scenes exploration of putting an opera on stage. £15-£20. Wed 16 Nov & Sat 19 Nov 7.15p: MADAMA BUTTERFLY. Glyndebourne Returns: Italian opera at its best. £38 - £62 Fri 25 Nov – Sun 8 Jan (times vary): DICK WHITTINGTON with Stephen Mulhern, Ben Roddy as Dame and Lloyd Hollett. £11-£35

THE MARLOWE STUDIO Tue 1 & Wed 2 Nov 8pm: METHOD IN MADNESS Stunning new piece of physical theatre. £12.50 Fri 4 Nov 8pm DR FAUSTUS. Modern physical re-telling. 100 mins, £12.50 Sun 6 Nov 8pm HARROGATE: Al Smith’s seminal play on tour from the Royal Court. 60 mins £12.50.

Tue 29 Nov 8pm: MANPOWER A celebration of everyday maleness. £12.50 marlowetheatre.com (concs available, booking fees apply) ORCHARD THEATRE Home Gardens, Dartford DA1 1ED 01322 220000 Tue 8 Nov 7.30pm: RICHARD ALSTON DANCE THEATRE £15-£25. Mon 21 – Sat 26 Nov 7.30pm (Wed & Sat mat 2.30pm) Willy Russell’s BLOOD BROTHERS £20.50 - £38.50 orchardtheatre.co.uk (booking fees apply) THE WOODVILLE Woodville Place, Gravesend DA12 1DD 08442 439480 boxoffice@gravesham.gov.uk Tue 8 Nov 7.30pm: FRANKENSTEIN. New adaptation fusing ensemble storytelling, live music and stunning theatricality.120 mins £13-£16.

Wed 9 Nov 4.30pm: STICK MAN – LIVE ON STAGE. Suitable for children 3+ with their family and friends. £10£13.50. Thu 18 & Fri 19 Nov 7pm: SHAKESPEARE SCHOOLS FESTIVAL £10, conc £8. STUDIO: Tue 29 Nov 7.30pm: A CHRISTMAS CAROL John O’Connor recreates Dickens’ famous performance of his best-loved story. £13, coonc £11 (£1 per ticket donated to Barnardo’s charity). woodville.co.uk

COMEDY

BROOK THEATRE Old Town Hall, Chatham ME4 4SE Box Office: 01634 338338 Thu 10 Nov 8pm RICH HALL. Suitable for ages 14+ Adult content/language. £16 Wed 16 Nov 8pm JEREMY HARDY. Suitable for ages 14+ Adult content/language. £14 medwayticketslive.co.uk MARLOWE THEATRE The Friars, Canterbury CT1 2AS. 01227 787787 Tue 8 Nov 7.30pm AL MURRAY: LET’S GO BACKWARDS TOGETHER Adult themes/language. £27.50. Mon 28 Nov 7.30pm: JOSH WIDDICOMBE Adult themes/language. £18 MARLOWE STUDIO Tue 22 Nov 8pm THE ALTERNATIVE COMEDY SHOW. Contains adult themes and language. Line-up subject to change. £10. Sat 26 Nov 8pm THE MARLOWE COMEDY CLUB with Jarlath Regan, Jack Berry and Glenn Moore. Adult themes. Line-up subject to change. £14 marlowetheatre. com (booking fees apply) ORCHARD THEATRE Home Gardens, Dartford DA1 1ED 01322 220000 Thu 10 Nov 8pm: JOSH WIDDICOMBE Adult themes/ language. £22 Sun 13 Nov 8pm: ROUND THE HORNE 50th Anniversary tour with the original radio scripts by Barry Took and Marty Feldman. £22.50 or £42.50 Dining Seats orchardtheatre.co.uk THE WOODVILLE STUDIO Woodville Place, Gravesend DA12 1DD 08442 439480 boxoffice@gravesham.gov.uk Thu 24 Nov 8pm: LAUGHING BOY COMEDY CLUB – TOM ALLEN, ANGELA BARNES AND MIKE GUNN. Line-up subject to change. £10-£14.50 Sun 27 Nov 8pm: RUSSELL KANE – RIGHT MAN, WRONG AGE £18. woodville.co.uk

A new website aimed at making arts events more accessible to Deaf Families in Medway launches this month, to be followed by 24 fully accessible creative events in 2017 EMMA DEWHURST interviews project founder CHRISTOPHER SACRE ED: What gave you the idea to make seeandcreate.org.uk?

Having worked for various galleries, museums, organisations and my own projects providing British Sign Language (BSL) accessible creative events for Deaf Families in the last 16 years, I was struck by how often Deaf Families miss out on events because they haven’t been able to find out about them. I felt there was a need for an easily accessible way for Deaf Families to find out about events suitable for them and, equally, for providers to be able to ensure they can reach out to Deaf Families and make them aware of what’s on offer.

ED: Can you describe its journey in the making?

Becoming the father of a deaf child brought the issue more into focus, and it was a question of finding the right time to get started.

I wanted to suss out demand and was privileged to get funding from Ideas Test and support from Medway Council for a series of workshops over the past two years. These provided strong evidence of local desire for events Deaf Families can access. Following this I decided to apply for project funding from Arts Council and here I am!

ED: Tell us about the project’s workshops.

Absolutely. It’s great when providers such as galleries and museums show sensitivity to the needs of deaf people, and provide access through BSL. However, it’s a terrible shame when information about those events doesn’t reach its intended recipients. Deaf Families miss out, and providers can be left scratching their heads about why so few are turning up and may think twice about devoting resources to providing accessibility in future.

The project is funded by the Arts Council and Medway Council to provide 24 fully accessible, exciting new creative events throughout 2017, with 12 monthly workshops specifically for Deaf Families run in collaboration with six local artists and three Deaf artists. A further 12 creative events for all families will be made accessible to Deaf Families through having a BSL user present.

ED: And arts practitioners can also use the site?

ED: How should people get in touch?

Yes, as long as they are creative events accessible to Deaf Families in BSL – whether it’s the practitioners themselves delivering in BSL, or through having a BSL interpreter present - then the website will provide a way to get information about the event to the right audience.

Any enquirer, potential partner or supporter is most welcome to email me via the website.

ED: Has lack of information been a factor in stopping young deaf people and their families from attending arts events?

ED: Do you have plans for the site to expand beyond Medway?

Once the project is firmly grounded in Medway I have plans to expand further afield into other areas of Kent, London and the South-East.

The SEE and CREATE public launch event is on 25 November at Café Nucleus, 272 High Street, Chatham ME4 4BP, 6-8pm.

All welcome. seeandcreate.org.uk #seeandcreate 19

VISUAL ART ARTIZEN GALLERY 15 High Street, Heritage Quarter Gravesend DA11 0BQ Throughout Nov: DAY OF THE DEAD: MEXICAN FOLK ART THE BEANEY HOUSE OF ART AND KNOWLEDGE 18 High Street, Canterbury CT1 2RA 01227 862162 Mon to Wed 9am to 5pm, Thu 9am to 7pm, Fri and Sat 9am to 5pm, Sun 10am to 5pm.

To Sun 27 Nov: GEORGIE MEADOWS - STITCHED DRAWINGS. Free Admission.

To Sun 4 Dec: GRAYSON PERRY: THE VANITY OF SMALL DIFFERENCES Mustsee series of six large scale tapestries. Pay what you can.

To Sun 30 Apr: HOME FRONT BRITAIN, 1914-18: THE CARTOONIST’S VIEW thebeaney.co.uk

BELOW 65 GALLERY Gilbert & Clark Frame and Print 65 High Street Maidstone ME14 1SR 01622 685146 Open Mon-Sat 9.30am-4.30pm.

Free entry Tue 1 to Tue 29 Nov: MOVING MOUNTAINS Photographs and more by Tom Phillips. gilbertandclark.com THE BOWERHOUSE 20 Warwick Place Maidstone ME16 8SG Sat 19 to Sat 26 Nov 11am4pm: SEN5ES by Making Art Work. makingart-work.co.uk CAFÉ MOROC 365 High Street, Rochester ME1 1DA 1 to 29 Nov (9.30am-3.30pm): DESPAIRING NOT SNEERING New paintings and drawings

by RICHARD CURTIS. THE FLIPPIN' FROG 318 High Street, Rochester ME1 1BT 07889 214000 Open Tue 3-9pm, Wed & Thu 12-9pm, Fri & Sat 12.30-11pm,

Sun 12.30-7pm To Wed 16 Nov: JANE PRANGNELL: PRINTS AT THE FROG. FRANCIS ILES GALLERIES 103 High Street Rochester ME1 1LX 01634 843081 Open Mon-Sat 9.30am-5.30pm.

Free entry Throughout Nov: QUARTERLY COLLECTION FOUR francis-iles.com GRIERSON GALLERIES 48a High Street Sevenoaks TN13 1JG Thu 17 Nov to Sat 17 Dec: SOUL HOLES (REPAIR STUDY) 50+ pieces by Whitstable based artist CHRIS F CLARK griersongalleries.com GUILDHALL MUSEUM High Street, Rochester ME1 1PY 01634 332680 Open Tue-Sun 10am-5pm.

Free entry Sat 19 Nov to 16 April 2017: WEIRD AND WONDERFUL featuring sensory arts project THE VALUE OF TOUCH. guildhallmuseumrochester. co.uk HISTORIC DOCKYARD CHATHAM ME4 4TE To Sun 27 Nov: POLE OF COLD: EXTREME COLDS AND EXTREME LIVES Photographic study of life in the Arctic North. thedockyard.co.uk HUGUENOT MUSEUM 95 High Street Rochester ME1 1LX 01634 789347 Opens Wed-Sat 10am-5pm + Bank Hol Mon 10am-4pm £4, concs £3, family £10, under 5s free.

To Fri 18 Nov: EXODUS: THE JOURNEYS OF UNACCOMPANIED YOUNG REFUGEES expressed in a number of unique pieces of art. huguenotmuseum.org MAIDSTONE MUSEUM & BENTLIF ART GALLERY St Faith's St, Maidstone ME14 1LH. 01622 602838 Open Mon - Sat 10am-5pm, closed Sun & Bank Holidays.

Free entry.

To Sat 7 Jan 2017: COMING HOME: CONFLICT & CARE IN 1916. Based on two paintings

by artist Frank Hyde. museum.maidstone.gov.uk NUCLEUS ARTS 272 High Street, Chatham ME4 4BP 01634 812108 Gallery: Mon- 10am-4pm (café to 5.30pm) Closed Sun. Free entry To Wed 2 Nov: IT'S MADE IN MEDWAY. Thu 3 Nov to Wed 16 Nov (Preview Thu 3 Nov 2pm): KENT AUTISTIC TRUST: WILD AND FREE. Sculptures, wild pressed flowers, painting & photography.

Thu 17 to Wed 30 Nov (Preview Thu 17 Nov 6-8pm): DAVID WILKES and CHRIS RUSSELL Paintings & ceramics. nucleusarts.com NUCLEUS ARTS ROCHESTER 75 High Street, Rochester ME1 1LX Open 9am-5pm Mon-Fri; Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 11-4pm 01634 812108 Shop gallery, café and garden.

ROCHESTER ART GALLERY & CRAFT CASE Medway Visitor Information Centre 95 High Street Rochester ME1 1LX 01634 338319 Open Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10.30am – 5pm. Free entry To Sat 12 Nov: OCCUPATION

by Steve Mace. Last chance to see!

From 25 Nov: TRACE ENGINES Drawings and painings by GARY CLOUGH Find ‘Rochester Art Gallery & Craft Case’ on Facebook.

ROYAL ENGINEERS MUSEUM Prince Arthur Road, Gillingham ME7 1UR Tel: 01634 822839 Open Tue-Fri 9am-5pm; Weekends & Bank Hol: 11.30am-5pm In the Bridge Study Centre to Tue 20 Dec: EXHIBITION: SAPPERS AND THE SOMME. Free entry. re-museum.co.uk

ST ANDREWS ARTS CENTRE Royal Pier Road, Gravesend DA12 2BD graveshamarts.co.uk STEPHEN OLIVER STUDIO & GALLERY Orchards Shopping Centre High Street, Dartford DA1 1DN 01322 278674 Open Thu - Sat 10am-4pm; Sat to 5pm.

Affordable contemporary art. stephen-oliver-art.co.uk SUN PIER HOUSE GALLERY Medway Street, Chatham ME4 4HF Open 10am-4pm Tue-Sun. Sat 5 Nov (Launch Party 1-4pm) to Thu 1 Dec: POSTHUMAN: THE FIGURE IN RUIN Powerful double act by Daisy Parris and Matt Bray in a new exhibition of paintings. sunpierhouse.co.uk TURNER CONTEMPORARY Rendezvous, Margate CT9 1HG. Free admission.

Open Tue - Sun and public holidays 10am - 6pm To Sun 8 Jan: JMW TURNER: ADVENTURES IN COLOUR The fullest survey of the artist’s watercolours of Margate yet to be shown at the gallery.

To Sun 8 Jan: JOHN AKOMFRAH: VERTIGO SEA. Multi-screen installation.

To Sun 8 Jan: HANNAH LEES New commission.

Sat 19 Nov - Wed 31 May 2017: THE THREE GRACES by Kashif Nadim Chaudry turnercontemporary.org CREEK CREATIVE 1 Abbey Street, Faversham ME13 7BE Open Tue -Sun, 10am-4pm 1 to 13 Nov (PV 3 Nov 6-8pm): WEST END STUDIOS: 30 YEARS ON. See The Artist’s Space p22.

PAUSENBROT CAFE Doust way, Rochester Riverside ME1 1FG

WHAT IF GALLERY 67-69 High Street Dartford DA1 1DJ 0794 855 7464

Throughout Nov: JESSICA FITZ-HOWARD & WYNFORD VAUGHAN THOMAS. More info: 01634 840361.

Open 11am-4pm every day.

Mon 21 Nov to Sat 24 Dec: CHRISTMAS FAIR whatifgallery.co.uk

MAIDSTONE

MUSEUM

Coming Home Conflict and Care in 1916

design Occupation repro Works by Steve Mace 26 Aug > 12 Nov 2016 Free admission litho Rochester Art Gallery and Craft Case, Medway Visitor digital Information Centre, High Steet, Rochester, ME1 1LX www.enjoymedway.co.uk storage fulfilment distribution

Saturday 24 September 2016 to Saturday 7 January 2017 An exhibition exploring the experiences of the people in two paintings of 1916 in the Museum’s collections - ‘Trones Wood’, a battle scene from the Somme and ‘Arrival of a Convoy of Wounded Soldiers at Maidstone East’.

Supported by:

and the Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment Museum Trust

Seaweeds and their Secrets Talk by Ian Tittley

Saturday 26 November 14:00 - 15:00

e: enquiries@cpg-net.co.uk t: 01732 366666

Come and hear a fascinating talk by Ian Tittley of the Kent Field Club and Natural History Museum. Ian will be talking about the amazing variety of seaweeds around our Kent coast and their sometimes surprising uses in products found in our kitchens, bathrooms and elsewhere!

www.cpg-net.co.uk

Adults: £4, Concessions & MMF members: £3

9-10 Orchard Business Centre Sanderson Way Tonbridge Kent TN9 1QG

DESIGN l POS l LITHO l DIGITAL STORAGE l FULFILMENT l DISTRIBUTION

TONBRIDGE KENT e: enquiries@cpg-net.co.uk t: 01732 366666 www.cpg-net.co.uk

Maidstone Museum & Bentlif Art Gallery, St Faith’s Street, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1LH

www.maidstonemuseum.org

WOW 2 - November 2016.indd 1

9/30/2016 9:54:55 AM

THE ARTIST’S SPACE

WEST END STUDIOS: THIRTY YEARS ON West End Studios in Chatham, Medway’s oldest and longest running art space, celebrates its 30th anniversary with an exhibition at Creek Creative. The Studios were founded in 1986 as an artists’ co-operative with the belief that sharing a space would help members grow and deal with the difficulties of making art.

Over the years West End Studios have spawned some of the region’s best known artists and the exhibition will showcase work by members past and present, including Stephen Turner, Ann Welch, Louise Nevett, Sarah Wright, Pam Dodds and Richard Curtis. Also exhibiting are newer members Like A Magpie and stencil artist and muralist Caz Miqui AKA 1 Stop.

‘West End Studios: Thirty Years On’ is at Creek Creative, 1 Abbey Street, Faversham ME13 7BE from Tuesday November 1 to Sunday 13 November. Closed Mondays.

Private View: Thu 3 November, 6pm to 8pm.

Open to all. thewestendstudioschatham.wordpress.com Image: Frida Kahlo by Ann Welch

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An exhibition celebrating some of the more quirky items in the Museum’s collections

19 NOVEMBER 2016 - 16 APRIL 2017

FEATURING

From giant eggs, sawfish snouts, a rare Indian crocodile skull to a glow in the dark mineral – Some of these items have not been seen by the public for more than 50 years!

‘the Value of touch’ Sensory arts project, ‘The Value of Touch’ is displayed alongside the ‘Weird and Wonderful’ exhibition, showcasing art created by blind and partially sighted artists, and inspired by the objects in the ‘Weird and Wonderful’ exhibition. The artwork is accompanied by tactile interpretations by Wendy Daws, who masterminded the project.

Guildhall Museum, High St, Rochester ME1 1PY Open 10am - 5pm Tue to Sun. Free entry.

(Access around the museum is limited) guildhallmuseumrochester.co.uk Photos Gary Weston

INVITATION TO THE LAUNCH: Wendy Daws, Kent Association for the Blind: Medway Art Group and the Guildhall Museum invite you to the launch of ‘The Value of Touch’ at the Guildhall Museum: Friday 18 November 4pm - 6pm.