PROCESSIONS - Week 2 - Inspirations and Designs

In our second PROCESSIONS session at Swan Gardens Phiona showed more video clips relevant to the project

We were unable to show this film but here is a link to Silk, Satin and Suffrage an lovely film showing some to the original Suffragette banners

Ann Leonard brought in a beautiful hand painted banner made in 1930 by The Womens' Co-operative Guild in 1934 and shared images of other Co-operative Womens' Guild banners. 

We were also able to enjoy the wonderful Corby Town Map banner made with the community by Corby Community Arts brought in by Kate Dyer who was able to share the spirit of those making sessions and why they were so important to the women who helped create it. It was made using a variety of sewing and dying techniques and features important Corby landmarks that were in place before the regeneration in the town took place.

We then gave the group papers and materials to use and invited them to start sketching out their banner ideas in the light of the PROCESSIONS Brief

THE BRIEF

Your PROCESSIONS banner should represent the lives, ideas, hopes and concerns of women today. It should be bold, beautiful and uniquely yours. Whatever you put on it should be heartfelt. Onlookers will only have a short time to see its message, so make it simple, punchy and clear.

Please make sure that you: 

1. Incorporate the colours green, white and violet into your banner somewhere. You can choose any shades of these colours and can do anything from the PROCESSIONS logo stitched in the corner – to the whole thing being made from these colours.

2. Back your banner in black or very dark material. This is so that we will be able to pick them out in photos.

At the end of the evening were shared all the sketches, chose the elements the group wants to use and decided that as well as the DEEDS NOT WORDS slogan they also wanted to incorporate the slogan from our youngest participant - WE WILL CHANGE THE WORLD!

Mythical Beasts House Banners - Corby Old Village Primary School

Artist Kate Dyer and I were invited to work throughout the year groups at Corby Old Village Primary School to help the pupils create a banner for each class. Their theme was Mythical Beasts - Unicorn, Centaur, Phoenix, Dragon, Griffin, Pegasus, Pixie. Kate went in and explained the brief to the children who made line drawings of their mythical creatures. We enlarged them on the photocopier and I cut out the stencils ready to print.

The children worked with me to screen print their designs and whilst some of the group were waiting Kate helped them to draw and decorate paper flags. After the designs were printed the children stamped words to represent the virtues of their mythical creatures.

We had a week to work on the project in order to 

have them ready for the end of tern Fun Day

International Gymnast Daniel Keatings opening the Fun Day 

New Town Pioneers - How Was It For You?

Photograph by Andrej  Berezin

Taking part in the New Town Pioneers was an amazing experience and if you'd like to read Barb Jungr's impressions follow this link to her Blog bouquet of barbs. 

If you'd like to join the choir there is a new Deep Roots Tall Trees website here

Deep Roots, Tall Trees - A Race Against the Rain

It was a race against the rain in Coronation Park on Saturday evening, as we all came together on stage the clouds gathered amongst the deep roots and tall trees. After some safety advice in case of rain, Barb Jungr guided Corby Community Choir  fearlessly through our songs. Rumour has it that you could hear us in the town centre. The children playing and dancing, friends, family and community members who came to see us made it a very special evening. We had to start a little early so some of the audience missed the set but the atmosphere was wonderful and our celebrations later that evening showed once again that people in Corby just know how to have the best time!

Barb Jungr and Gareth Fuller

Mark Brennan

Eddie Askew and Annette Driver

Kate Dyer and Barb getting us organised!

Paul Balmer

Photograph byTerrence Driver

"We had a ball at Coronation Park - the weather - frankly - sucked - but we sang and played and triumphed. Thank you Gareth Fuller, Kate Dyer, Rosalind Stoddart, Mark Brennan, Nick Finn, all the choir and Head of Snakes." Barb Jungr

You can catch the full magic of Barb Jungr performing Form Stockport to Memphis, a selection of songs including those of Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Northern Soul and much more at the Queen's Hall, Edinborough, August 21st. We were lucky enough to see this at The Core earlier this year, it's a treat for the ears and a tonic for the heart!

Photograph by Andrew Rushton

The choir is guided by Gareth Fuller who has done much work to improve our breathing, blend and confidence since our first performance last year. It is a wonderful way to spend time with a great group of people doing something that really boosts wellbeing and happiness! The choir is taking a break until September but will be rehearsing back at the Core on Friday evenings after that, if you would like to join us please contact Kate Dyer at Corby Community Arts for more details. 

Barb Jungr Presents Deep Roots Tall Trees - Free Concert in Coronation Park July 27th

Come and see the fabulous, inspirational Barb Jungr, the mighty Head of Snakes, the awesome Gareth Fuller and the very excited Corby Community Choir who will be performing in Coronation Park on Saturday!

Pen Green Banners & Silks Completed

Here are the completed silks and banners in situ

All photographs by Kate Dyer and Lorraine Dziarkowska , Corby Community Arts

Dusk, East Carlton Park, Winterlight

The Winterlight Team and children from Kingswood Primary School had a fantastic late afternoon at East Carlton Park. The torches were installed round the lake, soup and crusty bread was served and there was a wonderful film about the fungi found in the Kings Wood. The children were totally captivated, giving a rich and comical commentary as each image appeared. Sadly the children didn't see their torches in complete darkness but they were very impressed by the installation. 

Whilst Sophie and I waited for Kate and Lorraine to come and take the last pictures of the day we were struck by the birds busily calling and splashing in the chill of the evening. The picture quality is a bit grainy but turn the volume up and enjoy! For Corby Community Arts images from the  Winterlight project there is a gallery here

More Winterlight

Artists Sophie Cullinan, Kate Dyer and Carole Miles 

have been up to their Torchtastic tricks again working 

with groups to create winter torches. 

You can join them at their woodland event.

5.00 pm, Feb 19th, East Carlton Park

Meet at the Log Cabin

There will be Soup!

There will be walking. 

The torches will be will be glowing.  

East Carlton Park is a magical place.

There may be frost, rain, wind, snow or assorted wintery 

weather so ....wrap up warm and wear walking boots or 

Wellingtons.

for more information contact Corby Community Arts

and if you'd like to see images from the  Winterlight project there is a gallery here

Celebrating Winter Light

It had been a strange week of hard frosts and heavy rain but the day of our installation arrived with fair weather and blue skies. Having made about 100 torches, all that remained was to install them in the Kings Wood and wait for Friends of the Kings Wood, walkers and participants to find us! 

The Winterlight Team getting ready

Sophie Cullinan supervising the installation

Kate Dyer's epic pan of apple and parsnip soup

Lorraine Dziarkowska doing a spot of documentation

Torches tied to a tree

Light fading

replaced by a

mysterious blue glow.

We were joined by a lovely group of people, some whom had been involved in the making, others who had just stumbled upon us by chance 'Come and join us for hot soup and a marvellous slide show of fungi found in these very woods!" we cried, and they did!

It was a lovely way to explore the woods and feel connected to it's ancient roots and branches. At 5.00pm we took everything away, not one of us had thought to bring an actual torch to light our way out of the woods again, so we edged our cautious way through mud and puddles, laughing as we went. On the pavement by our cars, saying our farewells till next meeting a light drizzle of rain misted us, windscreens and tarmac.