Unless otherwise stated alongside an event, tickets and further details are available from the Centre - details above. If you wish to pop in, our Administrator (Angela) is usually onsite on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings, 8:00-12:00
For some events, as marked, tickets are available from the Centre AND from the Record Shop, 99 High St, Crediton, 01363 774299
Programme - Summer 2008
Welcome to our brochure of theatre, music, dance and visual arts. Crediton Arts Centre exists for you and we hope you will join us at our events and classes. Come along ... you'll be very welcome.
Thurs 15th May 7:30pm -
Opera Glass presents: A night at the Opera
This award winning presentation from the
Exeter Autumn Festival contains a
wonderful variety of choruses, arias and
ensembles to include:
'O Isis and Osiris', 'They call me Mimi', 'On
with the Motley', 'The Flower Duet', 'Song to
the Evening Star', excerpts from Rigoletto
and Don Giovanni, 'The Chorus of the
Hebrew Slaves' and 'Softly awakes my
Heart'.
Enjoy all your favourites performed by this
highly respected group of wonderful singers.
It is good to find that Exeter can produce
such talented performers. Indeed the whole
evening was most enjoyable -
Express and Echo (Nov 07).
All tickets: £7.50
- The Record Shop. BAR.
Fri 23rd May 7:30pm - Dreams
To celebrate the publication of the book "Dreams", there will be an exhibition of the original photographs and readings of poems and stories at the Crediton Arts Centre. You will have the opportunity to view the highly acclaimed set of images by Gabi Krukenberg-Tayler.
The photographs were used as stimulus at the Crediton Arts Centre Writers' Workshop, and Roy Eden and Roger Tayler have written poems and stories inspired by the images.
The book is on sale at £7.50 and can be obtained on the evening or through the publishers at terryolarge@aol.com Tickets, just £3. BAR
Fri 27th June 7:30pm -
Africa Odyssey
Africa Odyssey is an
energetic, impressive
African music trio
from Uganda who
aim to share the
African storytelling
tradition, through
music and interactive
performance with a
family audience.
Comprised of a
percussion section, a
guitar and a wide
selection of other
Ugandan and African
wind and string
instruments, the
group showcases the
music from different
parts of Uganda,
fusing the songs,
rhythms and dances
of Africa,
occasionally with
European sounds.
Kinobe Herbert from
Bugerere has been
touring with musical
groups throughout
Africa and Europe
since age 10 and has
played alongside Youssou N'dour, Salif Keita,
Angelique Kidjo, Toumani Diabate and
Baaba Maal amongst many others. Kinobe
also runs his own band, Soul Beat Africa
and his debut acoustic album was released
on the Multicultural Media / Rootstock
label.
Denis Kigongo from Busu, learnt to play
drums as a child and is a trained teacher, a
youth worker, African Educator and
musician, well-known and respected locally
through his work in Devon schools.
Ouma Michael, a maestro musician from
Eastern Uganda, has developed his own style
of playing acoustic guitar by combining
traditional Ugandan rhythms & melodies
with western contemporary vibes. He has
earned credit as one of the notable
contributors to African contemporary music
and co-founded Soul Beat Africa with
Kinobe giving African vibes to the people
and leaving messages of joy and peace
through world music.
Come and join in an evening of African
music and tradition with an array of
instruments and a chance to dance.
BAR.
Tickets (Record Shop) : £ 10 / (£7 under 16s) / (£28 family of 4.)
We have a provisional booking at the Hotel Mediodia in Central Madrid (Hotel website) from Sunday 26th October 2008 for 6 nights B&B in twin rooms. The hotel is situated in the so-called Golden Triangle, close to all the major museums and sights.
We are delighted to be able to offer this trip at the same price as the Arts Centre's very successful last trip to Florence in 2006, i.e. £250.00 per person (which includes a small amount towards the Arts Centre, (there is a £115.00 supplement for single rooms, please specify on booking form if required). This price is for B&B accommodation only, participants will need to make their own travel arrangements.
If you would like to go on this trip, please could you send the completed booking form to the Administrator at Crediton Arts Centre, together with a deposit of £30 per person (cheques made payable to Crediton Arts Centre) as soon as possible, and by Wednesday 5th September 2007 at the latest.
If you require further information, contact Paul & Daphne Cartwright
tel: 01363 774115 or email: pfc_art@lineone.net
Mon 4th to Fri 8th August, 10:30-3:30 - Adventures in Dance Making, for girls and boys 7-11 years old
A week of exploring ideas, memories, pictures, music, stories and poems through Creative, Contemporary dance - with choreographer and teacher Sue Way, with a sharing of work for family and friends on Fri 8th August at 2:30pm.
Sue will be working with a visual artist to help make simple costumes for each piece. Bring a
packed lunch each day, lunch will be supervised. Wear clothes you can move in. Sue Way, M.A. Dance Studies and B.Ed. Hons is a qualified and experienced dance teacher, passionate about supporting young people to express themselves coherently through dance. She has taught Dance in schools for over 15 years and worked for Devon's 3D Youth dance Project for 6 years. There are 2 places for trainees on this course, so if you are interested in these places please contact Sue on 01392 214880 or 07817 002665.
Fees £80 for the week, or £20 per day. To book a place contact Sue on 01392 214880
10 weeks from 21st April. £52.
This informal friendly class is individually taught and
is suitable for both the beginner and the more experienced. A wide variety of media is encouraged
to explore the basis of composition, tone, form etc., as well as work to develop the imagination. Daphne Cartwright 01363 774115
Mondays 1:30-3:30pm - Painting for All
10 weeks from 21st April. £50.
As above with the emphasis on the use of colour.
Daphne Cartwright 01363 774115.
Daphne will also help to prepare portfolios for entry to further or higher education if required.
Concessionary rates available for certain benefit holders.
Mondays 7:30-9:30pm - Watercolour
10 weeks from 7th April. £50.
Create successful paintings using watercolour. Course emphasis is on values, edges, colour and light over a range of subject matter. Suitable for all abilities.
Places limited to 10.
Details: Richard Teasdale 07985 314008
12 weeks from 21st April. £8 session / £40 for 6 weeks
(no half term session).
An inspiring 12 week course to nourish bodies, minds and hearts. Invigorating, rejuvenating and fun sessions for men and women to develop strength, relaxation, flexibility, creativity and healthy touch. Wear loose clothes and bring a relaxation mat and an open mind. No class during half term. Concessions available.
Details: Sue Way MA Dance, British Wheel of Yoga Diploma, Swedish Massage Diploma. 01392 214880
Tuesdays 9:30am-12:30pm - Life Drawing
10 Weeks from 22nd April. £65.
Working from the nude model. Suitable for beginners to professional. In addition to fees, cost of model is shared between students.
Details: Daphne Cartwright 01363 774115
Tuesdays 1:30-3:30pm - Watercolour
10 Weeks from 8th April. £50.
Create successful paintings using watercolour. Course emphasis is on values, edges, colour and light over a range of subject matter. Suitable for all abilities.
Places limited to 10
Details : Richard Teasdale 07985 314008
From 22nd April. £3 per session, payable half-termly.
Activities include games, physical and vocal
warm-ups, drama exercises, lyric and song
writing and working through improvisation
to develop characters and create original
musical theatre. We do not hold auditions
and all members get a speaking and singing
part in our productions. You do not need
previous experience but a positive attitude is
required.
Early booking is advised!
To book
your place, please call 01363 773260 (leave
a message) or email: Jez
Wednesdays 7:30-9:30pm - Life Drawing
10 weeks from 23rd April. £50.
Details the same as Tuesday's session.
Fridays 9:30-11:30am - Portrait Club
From 28th Mar. £2 per session including coffee, tea & biscuits.
A friendly group that meets in the art room on Friday mornings. Bring own materials and take a turn at modelling.
Further details: Sandra Chalton 01363 773518, or Hilary Hamilton 01363 772365.
Book Club
The Arts Centre hosts 2 book clubs. One meets in members homes around the district, and the other at the Lamb Inn in Sandford. The groups are very informal, tending to focus on the books rather than on food, for example ! Meetings are held throughout the year, roughly every 6 weeks. For information about both groups, contact Pam Barnard (01363 772357).
The Friends of the Arts Centre support its programme through taking part in activities, attending performances, giving time as volunteers and through a modest subscription. Current membership is around 160. An elected committee of The Friends meets about 10 times a year with various sub-groups taking responsibility for different areas of our activities. Annual subscriptions at present are £14 for an individual and £24 for family membership, though many Friends choose to give more than these basic sums. The money goes towards the running costs of the Centre, but Friends also receive the three termly brochures with information about forthcoming activities along with, where possible, regular email updates about future shows, classes etc. The Friends are the core audience and the most frequent participants in those activities. However, the last thing the Friends want to be is some sort of exclusive 'club', so we always try to offer the warmest of welcomes to newcomers - the Centre is there for the community. Further information is available either from Angela Catlow, the Centre's Administrator (contact details at top of page), or the Friends' subscriptions secretary, email Geoff Fox (01363 772357)
The building which now houses the Arts Centre was previously part of Hayward's School. When new buildings for the school were constructed elsewhere on the site in the early 1960s, the enterprising Drama Adviser for Devon, Derek Bowskill, transformed the building into a well equipped drama studio, painting the space as a 'black box' and installing modern lighting equipment which students themselves could learn to use. These were exciting times in educational drama, with an emphasis upon improvisation and evolved performances developing alongside continuing, but more imaginative, work on scripted plays. For several years, the Devon Drama advisory team - in those halcyon times consisting of seven or eight members distributed around the regions of the county - used the Centre, meeting weekly to plan their work and testing out their ideas through practical dramatic explorations. The space was also used by other organisations - for example, local schools developed drama projects and education students from Exeter University came out each week to learn about teaching workshop drama.
The impetus for what now makes up the life of the Centre began in the mid 1970s when Peter Hamilton was appointed by Devon County Council as Community Drama Tutor. In 1983, things took a huge step forward when a community play, Today of All Days, with a cast of 120, was produced under the guidance of the Colway Theatre Trust. A series of productions followed that event as a group of people came together to develop a range of artistic ventures. In 1992, the Crediton Drama Centre was formally instituted.
Over the years, the Centre has provided a home for many initiatives. The Brown Paper Bag Theatre Company actually pre-dates the Drama Centre, and continues to thrive, most recently producing a version of The Canterbury Tales in which the Centre became the interior of The Tabard Inn, with the pilgrims just back from their journey into Kent. There have always been classes in the visual arts - at present some six groups meet every week. The Centre has hosted a regular Street Jazz Dance group, a Photography group, two Reading groups, a Creative Writing class and Drama Clubs for younger children. In recent years, there have been projects in which nine new stage plays have been written, directed and performed, largely by new writers, directors and actors. In 2007, a dozen new radio plays were created and performed. Both these projects were taught by artists with national reputations. Various other groups hire space at the Centre, including Queen Elizabeth's Community College and the Woodcraft Folk.
The town is probably most aware of the Centre through its major outdoor productions of Shakespeare, begun in 1995 with Henry IV Part 2, and the annual festivals in Shobrooke Park. Four of the Shakespeares took place in specially erected arenas on the council carpark down Market Street - and those productions were a major influence in the town deciding to build a new piazza-style square on that site. In 2007, a 400 seat theatre was built in the new town square for the production of Measure for Measure. All of this work has been on a grand scale with budgets in excess of £25,000 secured from funding from well-wishers in the town community and other funding agencies such as Arts Council England South West and Mid Devon District Council. Before the Fire Station was razed to the ground to make space for the new square, the Centre performed a specially written play about firefighters in the station itself (and outside, for that matter, ignoring the November chill and rains); a handsomely illustrated book, Fire! Fire!, was produced to chronicle the work and lives of Crediton's retained firefighters. The project photographer was so impressed by what she was photographing that she has become a retained firefighter herself.
The Shobrooke Festival (with bands, artistic work by and for children, outdoor films et al) arose from a project funded by the Millennium Festival Fund. An amphitheatre, with power and water supplies, was sculpted from a gentle hillside leading down to the lake in Shobrooke Park, a beautiful landscaped estate about a mile from the town centre; the Shelley family, the owners of the Park, were willing and enthusiastic collaborators in the project. On the day of the amphitheatre's opening, over 1000 people visited the park to attend and take part in a daylong series of arts events mounted by local groups. Subsequently, the amphitheatre has seen schools productions, touring Shakespeare, and plays from the Brown Paper Bag Company.
Outstanding among our other activities has been a series of overseas trips led by Paul and Daphne Cartwright, both artists and teachers. Groups have visited Florence (twice), Barcelona and Venice. Plans are already made for a trip to Madrid in 2008.
A glance at past brochures would show how the activities and entertainment offered at the Centre have broadened in their appeal. We have had dance events, music, juggling, stand up comedy and a variety of self-help funding events, some of which beggar description.
In 2004, we took the decision to acknowledge the broadening of our base by translating ourselves from a Drama Centre to an Arts Centre.
Peter Hamilton retired as Artistic Director in 2004 and was replaced by printmaker Simon Ripley - though Simon's tenure was short-lived as running the Centre left too little space and energy for his own work. Both Peter and Simon remain very active members of the committee. Our Administrator is now Angela Catlow, who has brought a wonderfully secure administrative framework to our activities, without losing the sense of artistic inventiveness. She is supported by our ever-resourceful Caretaker John Downes, who doubles as a County Councillor as well as serving on the Management Committee of the Centre.
