SamiArt - 'To Inspire & Share Through Creative Communication'
January 2010
31st Jan
Well it seems that the upstairs den will not be happening. The space was only intended for storage and as such I have now been correctly informed that it is not usable as a storytelling den! It has also come to my attention that a retailer is interested in renting the unit and we may have as little as 2 weeks left. It is hoped that we may be able to use a larger unit in another part of the centre and discussions are happening at the moment. All I can say is WATCH THIS SPACE (or one just around the corner!)
Sarah, who runs Crafty Kids Club, was in the space on Saturday showing us and passers by some traditional stitches, which I bodged completely (I was regularly distracted, that's my excuse) and a few mums popped in from the Epsom & Sutton Home Educaion group and enjoyed creating lovely suncatchers (currently on display in the window). Sarah will be back at the weekend for more stitchin'!
Sunday was another busy day and a treat for us, as a family of 4 came in and created a themed silk - mum, dad and 2 kids! It was a real joy to see them working together. Come on Sutton, this is the way to do it!
Thanks to help fom the lovely volunteers, Araceli & Hanat, we made it through another busy creative weekend spreading good vibes to the heart of the community

21st Jan
The Art in Empty Spaces project is gathering momentum, we are now calling it a Community Art Space and are arranging free creative workshops for all ages. The mezzanine level will be cleared by Saturday and we look forward to hosting storytelling sessions in the Den! The spiral staircase to Heaven!

5th Jan
Sutton Town Centre have decided to place art in empty spaces and are utilising empty shop units in Times Square shopping Centre. The Silk Roads and a few creations made during Imagine 2009 will be on display for the month. If you have taken part in creating any Silk Roads, this is an opportunity for you to see your handiwork.

This will also be the first time the Silk Roads created 'privately' will be on display - Sutton Housing Society, Friends of the Elderly, Sutton Mental Health Foundation and Sutton Carer's Centre Silks will be on show

The exhibition will be open from Monday 4th January to 30th January. Open to the public every Sat & Sun from 2-5.45pm, every Monday, Wednesday & Friday from 12-2pm.

I am aiming to use the space as a workshop and get around to creating some of my own work - it's been too long! Send me an email or call before coming...

FULL DETAILS at www.SamiArt.co.uk

Anyone interested in booking the space for a month for their own/group exhibition, should contact me directly.

Lots of other events coming up - the local Sutton Festivals plus the Surrey Open Studios Event in June - more details nearer the time

Workshop, Parties, Commissions, Community Events, Team Building: please email all enquiries to info@samiart.co.uk

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Review of 2009

November
SamiArt took part in organising the Rosehill Christmas Lights Switch On Event which happened on Thursday 19th November. There was festive fun, carol singing, opera and the Mayor of Sutton switched on the lights. This event was organised by Cllr Dave Callaghan with support from sponsors, Optique Opticians also LB Sutton, Sutton Housing Partnership, Safer Neighbourhoods Team, Radio Marsden, Hair Location with a lovely festive Santa’s Grotto being created for the event by a team from the Epsom & Sutton Home Education Group. The event took place on the corner of Wrythe Lane and Rosehill.

September
SamiArt took the Silk Road to Key Largo in Florida as part of a fundraising event for the Florida Keys Down Syndrome Educational Trust. Participants from the Key Largo community included parents, volunteers, kids of all ages and DS kids. We created a Silk Road that will be used by the Trust at future events. FKDSET aims to encourage excellence for Down Syndrome children of all abilities, nationalities & groups. It funds extra-curricular services & therapies & is a resource for finding grants, scholarships & sharing information. www.FKDSET.org – pictures of the event here and on the SamiArt website.
As a result of this event, SamiArt was invited along to the Treaure Village Montessori School and gave a presentation of the Silk Road Project to 2 classes of 9-11 year olds. The 10metre Sutton Silk Road was brought out and all the children took turns to hold it up and walk underneath it. They shared their thoughts on the project in 21 thank you letters. I replied to them all individually, which was a very moving experience. It was a pleasure to return to the school at the end of the week and donate my time to make 2 silk flags with each class.
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The gallery pages of www.SamiArt.co.uk have been updated with images from Florida Keys & the Silk Road designed at London Borough of Sutton’s Imagine Festival Launch Day. There’s also a beautiful 1m square silk banner designed & painted during workshops I ran for the festival at Sutton Carer’s Centre which was put to great use during Carer’s Week in June.
Both the Hackbridge Carnival & St Helier Festival were successful and we enjoyed taking part in the Hackbridge Carnival Parade & running silk sun catcher sessions at St Helier. Chagstock was a great event this year & the highlights for me had to be Adrian Edmonson’s band, The Bad Shepherds & Squeeze. The windy Devon Moors weather took its toll on the marquee we were due to work in, so we were happy to kick back & thoroughly enjoy the festival, the camping & beautiful location.

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Silk Road melody maker, Paolo Tossio was busy for the summer’s Hackbridge Carnival, working in collaboration with local eco artist Simon Honey & Carshalton Boys School. Simon created instruments from recyclable materials & Paolo ran percussion workshops & the boys played their instruments during the parade.

Paolo is currently leading youth music workshops for Crystal Palace FC’s Community Youth Program, KICKS, based at the Salvation Army in Sutton. The group of mixed age teen participant boys are creating a song with lyrics they write & music they compose with a final production of the track to take place in a professional studio. It’s a mix of Vivaldi’s Autumn with a slice of Grime
The girls have chosen to practise singing on cover versions of their favourite songs from Leona Lewis and Beyonce - some great, unique voices are coming out!
www.MrPeace.org

Paolo is also busy creating a new psychedelic trance sound in the studio working alongside record label owner & producer, Fabrizio Motta, from PointZero Records. www.pointzerorecords.com

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Silk Road artist Hana Horack Elyafi building on her success exhibiting at the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition exhibited at the prestigious ING Discerning Eye Exhibition at the Mall Galleries in Pall Mall. http://www.axisweb.org/seCVPG.aspx?ARTISTID=14430

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OTHER NEWS

VACCINATIONS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw43QDiaDnE – if you are thinking about vaccinations you might be interested in this information, some of the best I’ve seen on the web.

HOMEOPATHY

Successful Homeopathy – I went to my dentist with an abscess, caused by the brown skin of popped corn getting stuck behind one of my wisdom teeth under the gum. My face swelled with the inflammation, I was prescribed a course of strong antibiotics and told to come back when the infection had cleared. I was told by the pharmacist that antibiotics would take at least 2 days to start working. Instead of taking them, I contacted my homeopath and took a course of homeopathic remedies. The first thing that happened, the swelling reduced and the throbbing pain withdrew from my ear and my jaw, back towards the tooth. As the inflammation went down, the pain reduced and 3 days later I was completely back to normal. If you don’t have your own homeopath, The Homeopathic Helpline is open daily until midnight and calls cost £1.50/minute tel : 0906 534 3404. Or check out the BHA website at www.trusthomeopathy.org

Homeopathy is also available on the NHS by referral from your GP. Usually there needs to be a funding agreement in place between your local PCT and one of the 4 NHS Homeopathic hospitals in the UK Once referred, you will be seen by a Homeopathic GP who will report back to your own GP. You would usually be referred for ongoing medical conditions. Please refer to the BHA websiteto download relevant leaflets to take along to your own GP as they may not even know that this service is available. I was referred for treatment of an overactive thyroid in 2005. I no longer have a problem with my thyroid.

Low-Cost Homeopathy Clinic
Sadly not in LB Sutton yet but if you are in the Bellingham/Catford area you can benefit from low cost homeopathic consultations and remedies from £10-£20 at the Goldsmiths Community Centre on Tuesdays from 3-6pm, Castillion Road, Downham. Call 020 8461 4520 or 020 8851 4228 to make an appointment with Elwood Amey or Rowland Smith. Allow one hour for your first consultation and half an hour for follow ups

SOUND HEALING with Tuning Forks
Local Sutton based practitioner Ingrid Hennze is seeing great results in her patients as their ability to heal themselves improves after a course of sound healing treatments. Used to treat all levels of dis-ease in humans and animals. For more information see www.cosoyo.co.uk


With any ‘illness’ I always check with my medical health professional first and you should too