Gallery

f491 Community Arts Festival. 01st/10th May 2009.

10 days of celebrating the talent of our community

Our May Festival marked more for us here then the beginning of Spring, although the new blooms of colour & life definitely added to the magic. It also marked the beginning of a new turn in our community arts & regeneration project.

Thank you to all who took part, all who shared a talent & all who came & enjoyed it.

Much to our delight, Steve Capper, a professional blacksmith, transported his coal & coke powered forge equipment from his forge on a stunning expanse of farmland in Shooters Hill, Welling, to share with us this ancient, beautiful & now exceedingly rare craft by hosting a workshop. (photos below)

The workshop was an instant success. Many people had never seen blacksmithing in action & were incredibly keen to try it out! The coke was fired up, hammers thudded on anvils, art was created & fun was had. We already can't wait to have Steve back to host this workshop for us again, & look forward to letting you know when the next one will be.

Steve hosts regular blacksmithing workshops at the forge in Shooters Hill. For more information you can contact Steve at steve@ironfighters.co.uk or visit his website www.ironfighters.co.uk.

Younger friends of 491 (f491) members are an inspiration.

Having so many of the children from the community here, & so greatly involved, was a delight and an inspiration. We find it inspirational to have so much input and enjoyment from the younger community that utilise the 491 Gallery space.

During the May Festival we held for them a recycled instrument making workshop, an egg hunt, may pole dancing, a cartoon strip & toy making workshop, a musical performance workshop & a chinese lantern making that the kids soon turned into a chinese fort building workshop! A big well done to Jules who's input was astronomical & continuous all day, & included the construction of the sun to hang in the middle & light up the fort.

N.P.S Nature Protection Service.

We were incredibly proud of the Nature Protection Service kids and would like to spend a special "Well Done" to Sam, co-founder of the N.P.S. kids group with Lewis & Ali for their excellent presentation to the other young f491 members on the N.P.S day.

The NPS believes in kids 'learning by doing,' giving young people responsibility, working in teams and thinking for themselves and is co-organised with Sam Lee, now aged 12.
We also welcome parents who wish to, to be part of the NPS by sharing a skill/knowledge etc. with the group so the whole family can be involved.

Maypole Dance: Mon 04th May 2009.

The ancient tradition of may pole dancing at our special May Day gathering.

Both children & adults alike got heartily involved, some donned costumes in celebration & most learned this centuries old folk dance & fertility rite for the first time. It was a good laugh as much twisting & turning is demanded by this dance, so those dancing to it had a good giggle, as did all the spectators.
Thanks Indigo, Steve & Sophie for your work in constructing the may pole. A spectacular job!

A big thanks to Becky Dell, Steve Crew, Lynette Blackhurst, Issy Robins, Raul & Kevin &Jennifer Wolf, everyone here at the 491 project and everyone else (you know who you are) for all the amazing help & for making it happen. loveNpeas