491 Gallery Community Arts Regeneration Project Newsletter.
491 Grove Green Rd.
Leytonstone
E11 4AA
Streetmap
Link.
www.491gallery.com / info@491gallery.com
491 Community Newsletter 001 Oct 2009
Firstly we would like to thank you for joining our mailing list.
I know we have tried to set up a newsletter before, and many of you may have signed up, but received not a peep from us. For this we are sorry, let's put it down to technical problems for now, but at last we have managed to find a better service provider and make it happen.
Thanks for hanging on in there and welcome to our first newsletter :)
A big thank you to all of you.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for all of the never- ending and amazing amount of support and good will we receive towards the 491 Gallery community project.
Without this support, the project would not be possible, so thank you very much for everything you have given.
It is greatly appreciated by us all at the 491.
The 491 Gallery provides workshop space, exhibition space, garden space, internet use and more. However, its resources extend far beyond the building.
The 491 Gallery community is in itself a valuable resource, comprised of artists, musicians, environmental groups, teachers, film makers, gardeners, tradesmen and so on.
Each of us is skilled in some capacity or another and we have a space in which to share those skils.
The 491 Gallery and its community has a huge creative potential to be tapped in to. We offer a variety of creative resources and connections.
Offering educational and cultural activities to the community in an accessible way is a corner stone of our philosophy of creative community engagement.
Exhibitions Space:
The exhibition space at 491 Gallery has spent many years providing countless artists with a space to display their messages and project their voices. The 491 Gallery provides the space for artists at all different levels of their artistic career to exhibit. Whether you're a university student doing your end of year show, or a seasoned artist of many years then we welcome you to the space.
Workshops Space:
Our workshops provide an opportunity for you to learn new skills and develop your
existing ones.
Our workshops run in the evenings and are offered by donation. We welcome both beginners and the experienced to all our classes.
A Community Space:
There is a massive creative potential inside us to be realised. At the 491 Gallery, people can come together to communicate, exchange ideas, learn and meet like-minded individuals while developing art and the community.
We believe that the community and what that represents is itself is a resource to be utilised.
In a society that seems to be lacking that underlying sense of responsibility towards one another, the 491 Gallery harnesses the power of community simply by providing the space
to welcome the community in and watch it grow.
Music:
The 491 Gallery is a hub for musicians and artists. Over the years, bands have formed here, played here and set up projects here. The Vertigo project next door has a rehearsal room for musicians to practice in. The 491 Gallery has a vibrant music scene, with many of our residents being DJs or in bands that have played at some top venues including the Purple Turtle, Scala and the Edinburgh Festival. There is a vast resource of musical information amongst us here.
Tuition:
The skills amongst us are diverse and immense. We currently offer one-to-one tuition in learning the drums and the guitar, and we welcome more! If you would like to share your skill, whatever it may be, and have the chance to tutor others, then we can provide you with the space in which to do so. Email us at info@491gallery.com
(sancha)
Film Nights - Transition Films.
This is the second in a three film programme of Transition Films that we are pleased to be holding in conjunction with Transition Communities Waltham Forest on the last Sunday of each month in the evening.
This month's film:
Sunday, 25 October - A Crude Awakening. Documentary which discusses the dwindling supply of cheap energy in the form of fossil fuels and its effect on society.
The next film in the programme is:
Sunday, 29 November - 11th Hour. This Leonardo di Caprio film looks at the challenges facing our planet – and possible solutions.
'Peak Oil informs everything... if oil ran out tomorrow we would be stuffed. We depend on it for everything' (Zac Goldsmith).
Transition Communities is an exciting new group which aims to bring local communities together to watch educational films and host discussions on what people would like to see change locally, as well as what they would like to get involved with.
The discussion on the first Transition Films evening held here was very animated, and in order to capture the many ideas sparked off by the Cuban community’s response to the oil embargo, people were asked to write down their thoughts.
The three main themes to emerge were: Food, Transport, Community
People were asked to form groups around the theme they were most interested in, and to come up with priority actions we as individuals and as a collective
could accomplish.
It was an invigorating and inspiring evening where not only the ideas of responsible change emerged, but the means to put them in place were established.
Doors Open: 5:45pm - Film Screening 6:30pm
Click here for flyer
f491 Winter Community Arts Festival.
Eight days of celebrating talent within the community.
Exhibitions/Workshops/Community fun days
More Details Here.
Our May 2009 f491 Community Arts Festival was a great success here @ 491 Gallery. You can find details of it here.
We are looking for all manner of creative input in the f491 Community Arts Festival. If you are interested, please email info@491gallery.com
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Festival Events:
Workshops all week long as usual. Just check out our website for a list.
Wed 25th November 18:00-00:00 hrs - OPENING NIGHT
Opening the festival will be an evening of gathering and exhibitions.
We will be exhibiting old and new works of artists who are involved with or friends of the 491 Gallery.
Private exhibition view 19:00-00:00 hrs
Exhibition #1 - The history of 491 buildings and area: James Moriarty
With works from:
Indigo Star/Debbie Atkinson/Steven Capper/Sy Hackney/Lok/
James Moriarty/Stefan Baker/Rachel Otterway and more.
Workshops:
A very special evening drumming workshop around the fire pit here @ 491.
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Sun 29th November 10:00-20:00 hrs - Community Arts and Crafts Day
Sunday is our community gathering workshops day with fun for all the family.
We will have workshops, stalls, kids activities and much much more...
We will have for your delights:
- A knitting circle (A dedicated knitting area for all you needle users out there)
- Tea and 'bring your own cake' stall (Bring a cake - share it with the cake lovers)
- Thor's metal working workshop with Steve Capper (Banging and heating and all the fun of making your own metalwork)
- NPS workshops for all the young folk with Sancha.
- Independent film showings from Cracked Films.
- Transition Communities will be showing the film 11th Hour. This Leonardo di Caprio film looks at the challenges facing our planet – and possible solutions.
and much much more!
Project History:
Can you help? Project history needed for 491 Gallery website.
We are currently adding as much of our history as we can to the 491gallery.com website.
This is to give a better picture of our history here in Leytonstone via the website.
A chance to name all the great work done by everyone here over the years at the 491 Gallery
You can find the 491 Gallery history within the '491 Gallery' section of the website.
This is split into 3 areas:
1. A creative history section.
This is where we put all our events, exhibitions and creative happenings.
www.491gallery.com/491/creativehistory.htm
2. A project history section.
This is where we put all the projects' major turning points and community
outreach events.
www.491gallery.com/491/projecthistory.htm
3. A regeneration history section.
This is where we keep a record of the regeneration of the project space.
www.491gallery.com/491/regen@491.htm
We now need your help to make this as rich a tapestry as possible.
If you were ever involved with or came to an event or exhibition here at 491, we would love to hear about your experiences.
Do tell us about any thoghts or details of the event you were at, and if possible its name and date as well.
If you worked on a regeneration project here at the 491 Gallery, be it in one of the buildings or the garden, we would love to have it remembered.
Please just let us know what it was and when, and we can add it to the regeneration history section.
Please send us all the pictures you can find and any good memories you have.
And if you have some 491 Gallery history, please let us know :)
Thanks a lot. Your input will help make www.491gallery.com a great website in honour of all the work that has been undertaken to make 491 what it is.
Exhibitions @ 491 Gallery:
The 491 gallery is an incredibly versatile place. We offer a space
for artsits of many different mediums to exhibit their work in
a completely unique exhibition space in East London.
Over the years we have had a diverse and exciting
range of art displayed here, some of which can be seen in our exhibitions history and artist
@ 491 sections of the 491 Gallery website.
Our upcoming exhibitions can be found on the future exhibitions page in the
Art Gallery section of the 491 gallery website. (sjb)
Upcoming exhibitions:
Sy Hackney: New and recent works.
9th-18th October 2009
Sy creates complex layered paintings with dripped grids of paint, taking areas back to reveal the hidden structure underneath the chaotic surface.
Sy Hackney is a resident 491 artist and last exhibited in Woolworths during this year's Arts Trail.
Private View: Friday 9th Oct 20:00-00:00 hrs
Kimi Wylde:
22nd–31st Oct 2009
Private View: Friday 23rd Oct 19:00-22:00 hrs
Workshops:
Kundalini Yoga with Kwali.
Kwali's kundalini yoga workshop @ 491 Gallery.
Monday and Wednesday evenings. Click the flyer for more info.
TAI CHI with Andi Hall:
Tuesday Evenings: 20:15-21:30 hrs
Upstairs at the 491 Gallery.
Tai Chi is the physical embodiment of the principles of Taoism, an ancient Chinese philosopy.
Simple to learn, it can have a number of benefits including better health, more calmness and greater clarity.
In this class you will have the opportunity to learn the John Ding foundation form and the Yeung Chi Kung exercises.
No special equipment is required other than loose clothing, soft shoes and a willingness to have fun and learn.
More details here.
Email
Andi @ adh@blueyonder.co.uk
Waged: £5, unwaged: by donation.
Check out our other great workshops here.
(NPS) The Nature Protection Service Group:
One of the special contributions of the Young Friends of the 491 Gallery has been the Nature Protection Service.
This group was originally started by three children from the community about two years ago when they were aged between seven and ten. The kids had come to Community Open Gardening Days with their parents, and they wanted to get stuck in and to help out.
They decided to set up the NPS with the intention of protecting the garden, its wildlife, their parents' work and their own.
The NPS, now facilitated by a 491 project member, now holds regular events at the 491 Gallery.
It aims to provide intellectual and creative stimulation, and space where children are encouraged to develop a wide range of skills, as well as knowledge on wildlife, gardening and environmental and global issues in an accessible and fun way.
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 be part of the NPS by sharing a skill or knowledge with the group so that the whole family can be involved.
The next NPS event date is Sunday 29th Nov 2009 @ the Open day - Friends of 491 Community Arts Festival.
For more information, email: sancha@491gallery.com
Regeneration News:
Garden Project - new garden area and TOP SOIL NEEDED.
The 491 Galley garden projects are in full swing at the moment, with the gardens looking the best they ever have.
We are creating a flower bed at the front of the project (the left side of the end left building).
This regeneration project will help make the approaching walk to the gallery from Leytonstone tube a treat instead of an eye sore to the local community.
When complete, the bed will be planted with some hardy and colourful shrubs, and a mix of wonderful smelling plants.
It's not the project's land, but has been an overgrown eye-sore since the project began.
It was cleared and made tidy by London Transport last year, but was left unfinished with rubble and weeds.
This again was just an eye-sore, and a litter dump for the passing public.
So a project member decided to get on with a 'let's make it look better' plan.
Using recycled materials like bricks, logs and tyres, a wall was made 1.5m back from the pavement-facing front wall to create a large planter bed.
Even an old toilet has been used to make up part of the back wall (and has already been planted with a lavender shrub)
Soil spill from another job on the project has been used to fill the bottom of the enormous planter to the height of about eight inches. And about two inches of the bed has been filled with top soil, then planted with mint.
Top soil is now needed to finish the bed off, and lots and lots of it!! (We estimate about two tons at least)
If anyone out there can help us with our quest for top soil, we would be very grateful indeed!! One bag of soil at a time is all it takes, so if you have any soil you can spare, or some already sitting in bags not wanted, we would love to take it off your hands :)
We unfortunately suffer from a lack of transport here at the 491 Gallery, so collection can be very hard :(
If you think you can help, or have some good ideas for planting this new front planter, please let Stefan know. Email: stefan@491gallery.com
Thanks for reading this. We hope to see you soon. Stefan and all the 491 Team. (sjb)
(photo: sjb)
A Look at the Future: News, new ideas and directions.
* We will unfortunately not be able to host a child-friendly event at the 491 Gallery this new year, as the idea as turned down in favour of a more adult-themed affair.
More details soon.
* A new market style community gathering day idea is being looked at by some of the community members. Starting early 2010. Watch this space!
* For all you Sofa Sundaze fans out there - 2010 will see some new dates
and a new setup for the Sofa events which have been missed here at the 491 Gallery this year.
Project Security: CCTV camers now installed at the 491 Gallery.
After a number of attempted break-ins by burglars here at the 491 Gallery, we have now installed CCTV recording equipment throughout the project. This is only for the safety of the project, and to help the authorities catch any burglars who might get in. Let's hope the CCTV stops them!
The recordings are kept for a week before being deleted and are only reviewed if necessary. Your privacy here at the 491 Gallery will not be affected.
Donations/Wanted: Any old iron?
A huge thank you to everyone who has donated to us here at the 491 Gallery in any shape or form. Many useful donations have been made this year. :)
The 491 Wish List.
Man with a Van: We need some real help! We have so much rubbish from the Vertigo building refurb and we just can't shift it fast enough.
It's creating a bit of a problem at the back of the project and we would love to get it cleared.
However, we have no usable transport. If you can help, please let us know.
Drop in for a chat or email stefan@491gallery.com
Wood Burner:
The 491 Gallery is looking for a wood burning fire for the downstairs area of the gallery building. Well, we're actually looking for three wood burners in total for all the houses... We have wanted a fire for warmth in the winter since the first winter, back in 2001/2002, but never put the idea into action.
We are looking for medium sized wood burners.
We might be able to find some funds for a good one :)
If you can help please email us at info@491gallery.com
Art Materials - Plywood or Wooden Boards:
We are looking for plywood cut-offs to make some new drawing boards for use in our life drawing class. Pieces 1m x 60cm and larger.
If you can help please email us at info@491gallery.com
Fan Oven:
The 491 Gallery cafe area needs a fan oven! Our last one has given up after many years of good service.
If you can help, please let us know. Drop in for a chat or email info@491gallery.com
Top Soil:
The garden projects here at 491 are in full swing. We need over four tons of top soil to complete three new areas of our great gardens.
Any amount you can find will be greatly received. Bag by bag we will get there.
If you can help, please let us know. Drop in for a chat or email info@491gallery.com
Cement and Sand:
Please don't tip it! We will happily take it off your hands.
If you can help, please let us know. Drop in for a chat or email info@491gallery.com
Logs/Burnable Wood:
We always accept donations of burnable wood.
Both Vertigo and the 491 Gallery buildings use a lot of fire wood.
Please don't tip it! We will happily take it off your hands.
If you can help, please let us know. Drop in for a chat or email info@491gallery.com
Space @ the 491/Vertigo Projects:
We have been able to offer space for some very interesting things in our past.
We have provided a set for films and music videos, a space for group meetings, projects and so on.
If you need a space to help your idea/project, why not see if we can help you?
Rehearsal Room @ Vertigo: Email for details.
Theater, bands, DJs, producers and so on.
The 491 Gallery also offers rehearsal space.
We have a raised stage area and dj/producer space suited to most needs.
We unfortunately cannot offer the regularity of use that the Vertigo rehearsal room can offer, but we are certainly open to for discussion on the matter :)
