Contents Page
Inside the 3rd issue of the Quarter....
03 04 06 07
No Quarter: Everything You Never Wanted to Know About Sex...
Internet: Creatively Unveiling Discrimination
Crouch End Open At Karamel
Jane Roberts : Patrons Portrait
08 10 11 12
Oscar Zarate Interview
Haringey Literature Live
Poetry and Paella
Jazz at Karamel
Introduction Welcome Back! You have in your hands issue number three of the Chocolate Factory’s very own guide to all the great and good going on in the arts world, in Haringey and even further abroad. As well as all the usual fun you’ve come to expect from us, including music, literature and entertainment for the little ones, we’re very proud to announce the introduction of two new original nights to our thrilling line up of regular events. But it doesn’t end there! We’ve also got a friendly chat with Illustrator and graphic novelist, the amazing Oscar Zarate, a full report on Collage Arts’ recent illuminating visit to Barcelona, and a load more in the way of fresh and exciting content for you to get stuck into. With the summer finally around the corner, what could be better than relaxing in the park with a nice, cool drink, and a nice, new edition of Haringey’s favourite free paper? Created and distributed by Collage Arts www.collage-arts.org
Editorial Team
Andreas Stylianou Manoj Ambasna Preeti Dasgupta
Design
Evelyn Ofosu
Contributors
Xantoné Fayeton-Blacq Dominic Hunte Paul Lyalls Richard Peacock Kate Pemberton
13 14 15 16 17
Breaking the Sound Barrier
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Border Crossings
PramDepot: Karen Lois Whiteread
Karamel Kids Apprenticeships
Chris Sheehan Phil Sherman Conor Supka Jamel Taylor Sian Tomlin Michael Walling For any comments or enquiries, or to suggest an article: andreas@collage-arts.org or 0208 829 1318
The Quarter | Issue 3 | Chocolate Factory Artists | Collage Arts
No Quarter:
Everything You Never Wanted to Know About Sex...
It’s the equal curse and blessing of our digital age; that previously unimaginable ability to share and disseminate information like nobody’s business, and put everybody’s business in the open for all to see. The tabloid newspapers, and sites like TMZ and Gawker, do a brisk trade in exposing the infidelities of sports personalities and stars of reality TV, feeding into the never ending “build ‘em up, smash ‘em down” cycle of popular culture. The cult of celebrity is real, and whether you choose to engage in it or not, you can’t ignore its power. But away from the web’s ambivalence and the sensationalism of the red top press, there exists a kind of celebrity separate from the common flock , held in higher regard, the thinking person’s pin-up. Let’s call them artists. That artists are not necessarily good people is not really a surprise. The biographies of many of the great innovators and masters in all fields of artistic expression are filled with debauchery and ASBO-worthy behaviour, from bigotry, to addiction, to murder, and worse. But to deny the value of the art they produced is impossible, so those transgressions are put aside for the sake of preserving their work for later generations. And, if we’re talking about Caravaggio, for example, that’s easy. He’s long dead and gone, and so is that moral obligation to be shocked. All that’s left now is the art for us to study and revere, totally independently of the person or any criminal behaviour they may have committed.
But reverence for the person is nothing new either. Liszt generated a frenzy in his audiences comparable to the Beatles or Biebers, and is often cited as being the first celebrity back in the 19th century. So where does the difference lie? When it comes to the creators of the art we love, are we spreading muck just because our new toys let us, or is there a genuine need to expose the crimes of the supposedly unassailable, and see real social justice done? Would we rather stay in the dark? How to reconcile love for a piece of art with the possibly horrific actions of its author is a debate that recently has been unavoidable, although for some it’s apparently simple. In many media discussions of the resurfaced allegations surrounding Woody Allen, people referred to the novelist Lionel Shriver and her assertion that Allen the man is unimportant; his work is separate from his personal life, and his actions won’t taint her affinity for it. While many would see that as correct, to many others it’s irresponsible and does a great disservice to those really affected. When similar incidents keep occurring, eventually so will the apportioning of blame and the most readily available target is always the most visible, the creator and performer. Sadly, similar incidents do keep happening, with actor James
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Franco the latest to be embroiled in a scandal involving a much younger girl, and experiencing an inevitable backlash from his fans, who, for what it’s worth, are not solely comprised of the kind of 17 year olds he would meet on the internet. Still, the idea that boycotting a film, or song, or exhibition could change someone for the better or force them to confess to a crime is a noble one, but pretty farfetched in reality. It’s easy to see why many advocacy groups would choose to do so; however, it leads to a kind of negative reinforcement which can have the same deifying effect on a person’s psyche as putting them on a pedestal. Until the media stops canonising and condemning artists, we’ll never be able to objectively view their creations without them being coloured, positively or negatively, by thoughts of their personal lives. Only by letting our favourite artists be human first can we create an environment where admission of personal guilt doesn’t signify the end of a career, but is the first step to curing the ills of society it helps to illustrate. No amount of witch hunting or blind eye turning does any good, but who knows, compassion might. After all, artists are people too; let’s make them behave like it.
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Internet: Creatively Unveiling Discrimination The steel of a machete blade flashes, cuts through the air, still heavy with lingering profanity and mocking laughter. For a second, it’s all dark and quiet, a title card stamps the screen; ‘This is England.’ All of a sudden we’re back in the room, in Barcelona’s majestic CCCB building, learning not about Britain’s ugly Eighties, but about the real challenges faced by Italian youths in finding their own identity and seeing the world through each other’s eyes. Although jarring and disconcerting at first, Roberta Lulli and Marco de Cave’s highly impactful presentation was impossible to ignore, and a great introduction to the work they’re doing to highlight the unseen stories of Italy’s overlooked minorities. This was just one of many fascinating highlights of the recent i:CUD conference, a two day exploration of all the various issues that surround our online lives, and how to create a safe and healthy space for all users, regardless of their differences. Against the backdrop of Barcelona’s magnificent and eccentric architecture, Collage Arts was one of several organisations that gathered in the Catalonian capital to share new ideas and valuable, ground-breaking research. With contingents from all over Europe, the Centre de Cultura Contemparania de Barcelona became a buzzing hive of multi-lingual conversations and international networking, allowing for some great progression to be made in the project’s ultimate goal: creating a crossnational framework for exposing and destroying discrimination online, through education and positive activism. Even from Harvard researcher Danah Boyd’s impassioned welcome message, it was clear that we were in for an informative and illuminating journey, guided by some of the foremost experts in the field.
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Among the participants was Martin Schmalzried from the project #DeleteCyberbullying, who has been instrumental in developing an online identity toolkit for young people, whereby they can create avatars of themselves and join like-minded others in a digital protest with a physical presence, dubbed The Big March and set to take place on June 11th 2014. Martin described the phenomenon of Cyberbullying, as a ‘continuation of bullying in general’, with much the same effects, and went on to discuss the increased level of police intervention in the area, and the issues that can arise from their involvement. With the recent prosecution in Britain relating to journalist Caroline CriadoPerez, it’s easy to see why the law’s response to the issue is so relevant, and such a crucial aspect of the discussion which surfaced in many of the presentations and my following conversations. Speaking with Marco de Cave, from the Italian project National Youth Work Network Against all Discrimination, it became clear just how difficult things could be for a young person living in Italy, with the pressure coming not only from peers, but from the institutions supposedly in place for their protection. Using the inventive technique of a purpose-made role-playing computer game, the organisation seeks to highlight these issues by putting you in the shoes of a young immigrant, living exactly as they would, within pretty paltry means. It’s no easy feat, and really drives home the struggle faced by many people all over Europe. However, despite all the hard work the organisation puts in, Italy has seen no new laws introduced to help these vulnerable members of society, and no ‘This is England’ type expose to prompt those new laws along. I asked Marco whether he could envisage a film like that being made, and, he indicated that, although there
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are Italian artists striving to make a difference, such as Fred Kuwornu, the message is difficult to spread. Back in the UK and Ireland, it’s a slightly different playing field, marked out by our long history of immigration and a level of secular liberalism we’re lucky enough to enjoy. Overt racism has, in the public eye at least, been pushed underground, leaving behind a residue of more coded, less vociferous, but no less aggressive, discriminatory speech. Now, academics like Brunel University professor Dr Sanjay Sharma are taking up the cause, helping to identify and track what he describes as ambient racism, the general undercurrent of racially charged language, online. Through use of signifiers like the #NotRacist hash-tag, social media users are able to disseminate insensitive material and perpetuate stereotypes with pretence towards disinterested observation or creating a dialogue, relatively simply and with very little repercussion. But is that isolated to the internet, or spilling over from the real world? ‘There are certain environments, institutions, or cultures where ambient racism can be prevalent’ Dr Sharma suggested, pointing to the feeling of being subtly judged by skin colour in a professional context, ‘But online is not a reproduction of real life’. Given that anonymity and perceived lack of genuine influence, many still believe the web can be a beneficial tool for allowing invective to be expressed without turning into physical violence. ‘I don’t buy into that pressure cooker theory’, said Gavan Titley, from the National University of Ireland. His presentation on Legitimating Hate Speech was an enlightening look into the methods and excuses bigots use to justify themselves to themselves and society at large, including the abuse he has personally suffered on newspaper comment threads. Perhaps most tellingly, I enquired whether he felt affected by it, and was informed that it paled in comparison to the abuse directed at women and writers of colour on those same threads. So what’s next for the project? Already, strides are being made towards bringing about the kind
of changes that can make a real difference. Philippe Coen, from the French organisation Hate Prevention Initiative, introduced us to their proposed Anti-Hate label, a digital badge that websites can wear to align themselves with the anti-hate movement, and help to warn people if they are about to view discriminatory content, without getting into the tricky area of censorship. Its tools like these, and an increased level of education that will have the most lasting impact, not only in cleaning up the internet, but in changing perspectives and creating a more tolerant society. The ICUD project is a huge step towards that progress and will undoubtedly be a vital facet in developing new legislation to reflect the changes in attitudes we’ll be
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seeing in the future, and with so many young people on board across the globe, it’s only a matter of time. The ICUD partnership led by CEPS Barcelona are preparing an educational anti-discrimination pack and presenting it in Brussels on 26th June 2014. For more information on the i:CUD project, partners and participants, please visit www.digitaldiscrimination.eu
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Crouch End Open at Karamel 2014 marks the 10th running of Crouch End Open Studios, an event that has grown into an important date in Haringey’s artistic calendar. This year, 30 artists will be showing their work at venues within walking distance of Crouch End’s famous clock tower, over the weekend of 10/11 May, with a group exhibition representing all of the artists running in the Original Gallery in Hornsey Library from 2 – 15 May. One of the questions often asked of Crouch End Open Studios artists is why the event is concentrated on only one weekend. As many artists show their work in their own or other peoples’ homes, there are practical questions around transforming their domestic space into a gallery for more than a few days. But this year is different. For the first time in the event’s history, a group of artists will be showing together for an extended period. At the invitation of Collage Arts, 17 artists from the group will be exhibiting at Karamel from mid-June to mid-July. It promises to be a vibrant and diverse show, bringing together the talents of artists who have shown with the Open Studios for many years with those who have joined the group for the first time this year. Examples include Martin Davidson’s stunning black and white woodcuts, Yana Stajno’s uplifting paintings designed to be a “joyful antidote to these austere times” and Ahmed Farooqui’s sculpture that combines multiple elements in an investigation of scientific insight into the hidden patterns of the natural world. The Crouch End Open Studios began as the “brainchild” of local artists Helen Lindon and Kim Valdez in 2003. Since then, the Open Studios has grown: new artists have applied each year and been selected, others artists have left. The audience has also grown year on year, with hundreds of visitors walking round from venue to venue, talking to the artists about their practice, seeing work in a range of setting from shops, cafes, houses and galleries, and buying directly from artists without the need to pay gallery commission. Crouch End Open Studios has also been successful in attracting sponsorship from local business even during the hard times of the recession. On this, the 10th anniversary, several artists have created works that celebrate the support of the Crouch End Open Studio sponsors, to be exhibited at the Original Gallery from the 2 – 15 May. Crouch End Open Studios are also actively involved in working with the inspirational local charity Action for Kids. Artists from the group recently ran an art workshop at Islington Arts Factory, and the Original Gallery show will feature some of the postcards produced by the young people that the charity supports. One of the artists who participated, Liz Brown, commented on the workshop: “The students... produced some wonderful images inspired by the creative input of the CEOS artists...we all had a good time and laughed a lot too”. For more information on Crouch End Open Studios please visit: www.crouchendopenstudios.co.uk www.karamelrestaurant.com
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Jane Smith
Richard Peacock
Lydie Gallais
Paul Berry
Jacqueline Lewis
Constanze Schweda
Martin Davidson
Eva Turrell
Yana Stajno
Elizabeth Brown
Ahmed Farooqui
The Quarter | Issue 3 | Chocolate Factory Artists | Collage Arts
Jane Roberts
Patrons Portrait
All the way back in Quarter number one, we were pleased to introduce Jane Roberts, the fortunate winner of our 2012 Open Studios competition, and proud recipient of an exclusive portrait from the hugely talented Sadie Lee. At that stage, the completed portrait was a fairly long way off, but Jane was already so enamoured with the experience, she pledged to give her son the opportunity to join the ranks of Sadie’s ‘Patrons’ series, having his face immortalised in the artist’s unmistakable style. Following the traditional grand unveiling of the series at the 2013 Open Studios event, Jane’s portrait was finally ready to be presented, and, as pictured, she was delighted to receive it. True to her word, the torch will now be passed to her son, who’ll begin sitting soon for a portrait to be debuted in November 2014, and supporting Sadie’s continued work as one of the most engaging and inimitable oil painters around. www.facebook.com/sadieleeart
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O: I approached the publisher… I had this idea for a series of books about London, a kind of visual encyclopaedia. Like a Diderot encyclopaedia, but I wanted to do it about London, looking at it from different points of view; London after 11pm when the pubs have closed, the sounds of the city, you understand? The music that London has as a city, the smells. All these different books, different ways of reading and trying to understand the city. And then I went to the publisher. I did the book about 18 years ago for Serpent’s Tail. And that was the first picture book they did. The book was alright, but they did not manage it very well, because it’s not what they were doing, they were doing fiction. So the whole project ended, and then, this publisher (Self-Made Hero) came and said if I would like to reprint it, and it was a chance for me to work with all the people I chose, writers and makers, all my friends and visual artists, people I really admire. So it was a fantastic thing to do. You got to hand choose the other people you were working with?
OSCAR ZARATE Illustrator and self-described foreign Londoner Oscar Zarate’s artworks have been a mainstay of the British comics scene for three decades, appearing in seminal fortnightly publication Crisis, which helped to popularise a more mature and thematically deep kind of graphic storytelling in the UK. In that time, he’s worked with national comedic treasure Alexei Sayle, helped Richard Appignanesi introduce readers to Freud, Lenin, and Existentialism, and even developed an acclaimed graphic adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello. Although probably best known for his work with luminary Alan Moore on the Eisner-Award winning A Small Killing, Oscar has recently taken the plunge into writing with his own graphic novel, The Park, released in late 2013 by publisher Self-Made Hero. Filled with rich, expressive watercolours and a wry, yet genuinely touching perception of society, The Park is a visual exploration of the author and artists fascination with psychoanalysis, and real love of the city he’s come to call home.
O: I chose everything. I chose the writer and then married the writer with the artist, and some marriages worked very well. I did a story with Alan (Moore) because it was easy for us to work together. Overall I was happy with the book. It came out about two or three years ago, I was pleased that it seems to have that kind of resonance. You mentioned Alan Moore. He’s quite vocal about his dislike for screen adaptations of his work. Do you feel the same way? O: Not necessarily. It depends on their approach. For example, if Channel 4 approached you about doing a TV adaptation of The Park, would you consider it? O: We can talk. I’m not going to say no. I wouldn’t close the door. With A Small Killing, something very peculiar and nasty happened. Walt Disney made a film with Bruce Willis called Walt Disney’s The Kid. And I saw that film on an aeroplane, I’m watching this film and I think; this is familiar. It’s A Small Killing.
Meeting at a café in North London, adjacent to his geographical muse Hampstead Heath, Oscar Zarate is immediately charming, engaging, and raring to go, with our discussion already underway before I can even get the recorder on, touching on the interview questions he’s already perused. O: You asked about me as an editor…. He chuckles warmly, a sound which punctuates much of our conversation O: …it’s a pain. So you do feel that there’s a bit of a conflict between you as an artist, and you having to play the role of editor? O: A bit of a conflict, because you know… because you’re also on this side, you know we’re all very delicate creatures. We all think of ourselves as incredible so you have to be very careful. No egos, you know... With something like ‘It’s Dark in London’ (ed: which Oscar contributed to and edited) did you have the idea, and you took it to a publisher, or did someone approach you with the idea?
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“I hope people can feel my joy of working on this book.” Then it changes, but it’s definitely that book. I talked to Alan, he watched the film, he said ‘I don’t want to do anything, but you go ahead if you want’, but I said ‘Alan, what can I do? I don’t have money’. It’s very similar, about a man being chased by his younger self. Did that make you angry? O: Yes, definitely. I was very upset. I don’t know why they didn’t talk to us. It’s not the whole book, the ending changes, but no doubt that someone looked through our book. Even the profession of Bruce Willis’ character is very similar. But if Channel four approaches, or the BBC, I would listen. If Hollywood comes to me, I would listen, but of course, with more terms, because then it becomes something else. But you would never consider that your ultimate goal? O: No. What I think about is whether it’s going to come out nicely printed, that’s it’s not too far away from what I made… the artwork. And people going to the bookshops to buy it. And that the book sells enough so I can carry on. You know, it’s a business, there’s a lot of money involved.
characters is very tough.
The Park is your first major solo project, was it something you’ve had in mind for a long time? O: What I’ve had for a long time is the setting, Hampstead Heath. Because I live ten minutes from here, it’s like my back garden, and I walk with friends and I have my ideas; I think while I’m walking. And then I thought to work around my walk. So what I had first is the place.
I also noticed the narrative elements of The Park have a Greek chorus type quality, that feels like an unseen observer. Is that you? O: Apparently there is a third voice. There is no third voice, it’s the journalist. It’s not me.
I thought it was a unique place. I don’t know what is a unique place but it was for me quite singular, and it sustained for me the idea of building up a story. And then there were one or two characters more or less that were somehow in the back of my head, waiting for a story, and then came this idea of connecting. Actually the question of connections, for me it’s very important, the geography, the space, because that determines how people are going to move. How they behave. And some of how they’re going to feel, so there’s all this kind of dialectic going on. Talking about the characters. They are all very relatable. Do you think that comes from the situation or from observing real people? O: It’s a mixture. I’m very interested in the things people disregard. That’s what I take.The things they think are not important. That’s what a psychoanalyst does, picks up on those things you say, ‘it’s not important but I’ll tell you anyway’, and for me that’s very interesting. But if I have to draw them, and I have to live with them for a couple of years, they have to have a kind of real resonance. We have to have a conversation that makes sense, so the building up of these
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Then, whether I like them or not is irrelevant, they are real.
There’s this idea that when the book is out, it’s no longer yours. It was mine for two and a half years. Now, it’s up to the people who are going to read it, and people read other things, not necessarily what you meant. Which is incredible, how people pick up on different points and develop that point, that I never thought was interesting. I like it because it has to do with the person and the book. When it’s printed, people have a relationship with the book. Do you think it’s possible for the audience to have the same concept as the author? O: I don’t know, but with this book I am very happy. I don’t recall a single day that I wasn’t happy to be there. I hope people can feel my joy of working on this book. So there is this response, I feel that you can communicate that. I tell you about my experiences with this book, which is the first book I have made on my own, the other books I share, all the good things or the criticism, we share. But this is different, with this, I wrote the music, and I play the instruments. Oscar Zarate’s The Park is available from all good retailers, and he’ll be working on future projects with Self-Made Hero.
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“
Come along to Karamel on the first Thursday of each month from 7pm, for our special, happy mix of great readers, books for sale, delicious drinks and tapas, and open mic. This is what people have said in online reviews:
I’ve been to two of these now, and they’ve both been the
highlight of my month!
A real oasis, a chance to switch off and let beautiful and interesting stories and poetry wash over you. And free of charge! I’d heartily recommend booking a table.
Fantastic night out. Love these evenings, great unstuffy atmosphere and lots of interesting writers.
Robert Shearman
Robert Shearman has written four short story collections, and between them they have won the World Fantasy Award, the Shirley Jackson Award, the Edge Hill Readers Prize and three British Fantasy Awards. His background is in the theatre, resident dramatist at the Northcott Theatre in Exeter, and regular writer for Alan Ayckbourn at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough; his plays have won the Sunday Times Playwriting Award, the Sophie Winter Memorial Trust Award, and the Guinness Award in association with the Royal National Theatre. He regularly writes plays and short stories for BBC Radio, and he has won two Sony Awards for his interactive radio series, ‘The Chain Gang’. But he’s probably best known for reintroducing the Daleks to the BAFTA winning first season of the revived Doctor Who, in an episode that was a finalist for the Hugo Award.
Rebecca Swirsky
Rebecca Swirsky graduated from her MA in Creative Writing by winning the A.M. Heath Prize for her short fiction. She was recently mentored by the writer Stella Duffy through winning the Word Factory Apprenticeship for her novel-ofstories, A History of Symmetry. Rebecca’s fiction is featured in Matter, Ambit, The View From Here, Ink Sweat & Tears, The Pygmy Giant, Stories for Homes Anthology for Shelter, Cease, Cows and a number of British anthologies, including the Bridport Anthology. Her work has been placed or shortlisted for The Manchester Fiction Award, Fish, Bath, Bristol, Sean O’ Faolin and both the Bridport Flash Fiction and Short Story Prizes. She was also awarded a bursary from The Literary Consultancy. In a former life, she was a Play Development Worker in Dalston and a support worker for children with learning and physical challenges.
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5th June, doors 7pm, Karamel A Celebration of the Frogmore Papers
1st May, doors 7pm, Karamel Fiction Night with Robert Shearman and Rebecca Swirsky
Join us to celebrate one of the greatest of the ‘little magazines’, which started in 1983, and for many years was edited just moments from the Chocolate Factory, on Vernon Road. Poets, fiction writers and editors will gather to present the best of the Frogmore Papers. Wonderful back issues and poetry pamphlets from The Frogmore Press will be on sale, and Founding Editor Jeremy Page will be there to answer any questions you might like to throw at him! www.frogmorepress.co.uk
3rd July, doors 7pm, Karamel A Midsummer Night’s Party!
Come along for our last reading of the season, and celebrate all things Summer with Haringey Literature Live. Readings will be on the theme of midsummer madness, heat and misadventure, and delicous cocktail jugs will be available from the bar to cool things down a little (or at least that’s the aim...) Readers will include fiction writers Jon Fortgang and Gwen MacKeith, and poets TBA. Be sure to bring your shades!
Family Day at Karamel, June 21st
Haringey Literature Live is joining the fun for the Collage Arts Family Day at Karamel! Spoken word genius Paul Lyalls will lead a workshop to get the whole family writing poetry! And children of all ages can write their own book to take home in Kate Pemberton’s Picture Book workshop. See page 16 for the full line-up of activities and performances taking place.
Book Exchange
Our free book exchange at Karamel is up, running and going strong! People are loving our shelves of books to swap - so take along a book you no longer want, and exchange it for one you do. Yes, it really is that simple!!
Young Writers’ Club
We are pleased to announce that we will be launching Haringey Literature Live Young Writers’ Clubs in September. These will be after school clubs, at the fabulous Pickled Pepper Books in Crouch End. They will run in various age categories, and are aimed at promoting a love of writing from the imagination in a fun and friendly setting; the perfect after school club for a budding writer. Details will be posted on our website in the summer.
Find out more/follow us at www.haringeyliteraturelive.com Haringey Literature Live is a Collage Arts initiative and is sponsored by Karamel and Haringey Council.
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Poetry and Paella
Joining our ever exciting and ever expanding line up of totally unique free events at Karamel, Poetry and Paella is a brand new monthly celebration of spoken word, alongside a delicious menu of global cuisine. Featuring performers hand-picked by compere, local author and educator Paul Lyalls, the line-up is already filling up with the cream of British poetic talent. In May we’ll be visited by former World Slam Poetry Champion and anti-violence activist Kat Francois, as well as burgeoning talents Dan Cockrill, and Julian Fox, who’ll be commencing the series with their own humourous, poignant, and bizarre takes on modern living. Then, in June, we’ll be hosting the absurd and sometimes misanthropic genius Simon Munnery, one of the top poet/ comedians around and an act you can’t afford to miss. There are still loads more very special guests to be announced and it really looks like Poetry and Paella is set to become the premier destination to see amazing live performances from some of your favourite spoken word artists, and sample food from around the globe in a charming environment close to home, and free to attend .
Thursday May 15th
Kat Francois Is not one to stand still. She was the
first performance poet to win the BBC Poetry Slam Competition; a year later, she become the World Poetry Slam Champion. She has toured nationally with Spoken Word All Stars and devised her own production Seven Times Me which debuted at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East, She has also released a book of her own work Rhyme and Reason and a CD, Blessed By Words. ‘An ability to perform and bring the topics she deftly writes about to life with such energy and comedic precision’ - Hot Minutes Magazine.
Dan Cockrill Delicously
charming poet with a great sense of the subtle magic of life and at the same time a great understanding of what makes life funny and liveable. ‘He has never been a lost wandering soul, but is open to offers and is resolutely hip’ The Independent
Julian Fox
‘Offering a bizarre scrapbook of geeky facts, choppily edited video diaries, tinder-dry humour and bedroom indie tunes. Engrossing, endearing and wholly entertaining. With the earnestness of a child, and the surprise of a grown-up who can’t quite believe he’s on stage being stared at by strangers. It’s a winning combination.’ The Guardian
Hosted By Paul Lyalls. The 2013 /14 Poet in residence for Roald Dahl will sizzle it all together in his unique playful worded way ‘playfully Comic’ The Glasgow Herald
Thursday 19th June Simon Munnery
A beautiful, extravagant mess of POETRY, foaming bubble hats, bad guitar riffs, sublime jokes, delightful monologues. Star of BBC2’s Attention Scum, London Shouting, Radio 1’s The League Against Tedium and Radio 4’s Where Did It All Go Wrong?. As seen on BBC2’s Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle. British Comedy
Award Nominee, Sony Radio Award Winner, Perrier Award Nominee.
Thursday 17th July - A very special guest! Collage Arts | Chocolate Factory Artists | Issue 3 | The Quarter
‘There are more brilliant ideas in one of Simon Munnery’s shows than most comics will manage in a lifetime’ The Times, 2011 ‘Simon Munnery is nothing less than a genius’ The Guardian, 2011 ‘He remains a weird and wonderful maverick. Probably one of the funniest things you’ll see this year’ The Metro, 2011 ***** www.simonmunnery.com
Visit www.collage-arts.org, find us on Facebook, or join the mailing list to find out who!
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JAZZ AT KARAMEL
MAY 28 “MONK & MILES” - Chris Biscoe (reeds), Robbie Robson (trumpet), Kate Williams (piano), Steve Watts (bass), Stu Butterfield (drums) Quintet reworkings of two seminal recordings: “Miles Ahead” by Miles Davis with the Gil Evans Orchestra, and “Monk’s Music” by the Thelonious Monk Septet. CHRIS BISCOE has appeared as a soloist on more than 40 albums, including records with George Russell, Mike Westbrook, Andy Sheppard and The Brotherhood of Breath. Major tours include the Hermeto Pascoal Big Band and the New York Composers’ Orchestra. He leads a number of ensembles including the 7 piece Mingus Moves with Henry Lowther, Pete Hurt and Kate Williams, as well as his Profiles Quartet with Tony Kofi, and British Standard Time with Alan Barnes and John Horler. ROBBIE ROBSON is a member of The London Jazz Orchestra, the Gareth Lockrane Big Band, and the Frank Griffith Nonet, and leads his own bands, Dog Soup and Clamour, as well as the Robbie Robson-Josephine Davis Quintet, featuring acclaimed guitarist Phil Robson (no relation). He has also worked with Tony Bennett, Jamie Cullum and Phil Woods. KATE WILLIAMS leads her own Quintet, Quartet and Trio. Her Trio was a major feature at this March’s Guildhall Jazz Festival, at the Milton Court Concert Hall, performing new orchestral arrangements of jazz pianist Bill Evans’ compositions interspersed with works from great Impressionist era composers, Ravel, Dubussy and Satie.
“A superbly lucid and inventive pianist and composer” - Jim Mullen
JUNE 25 - Art Themen (tenor sax, soprano sax), Colin Oxley (guitar), Julian Bury (bass), Stu Butterfield (drums) ART THEMEN became part of the early London Blues scene, playing alongside Alexis Korner, Jack Bruce, Mick Jagger and Chuck Berry. He fronted the Stan Tracey Quartet for 20 years. He has toured worldwide and played and recorded with many US and British luminaries. Nowadays he is most often seen with a variety of top British jazz players and is known for his individuality and original style. COLIN OXLEY As a long standing member of vocalist Stacey Kent’s band, Colin has recorded and toured extensively, including appearances at the Montreux and North Sea Festivals and residencies in New York and San Francisco. He has performed with many top US and British players and is a Professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Karamel Music Club
These past couple of years, The Karamel Music Club nights have nurtured a hive of consistently high level emerging talent, and this quarter’s news is that Karousel Music – the heartbeat of the KMC evenings – have just agreed a deal with legendary music publishers Wixen Music (Neil Young, Tom Petty, George Harrison, The Doors, The Black Keys, etc) to administer a new publishing catalogue that Karousel are curating. On the back of her stunning performance in Karamel on Feb 19th – alongside Saturday Sun and Kate Threlfall – Karousel have secured their first synch license for Danish act Penny Police’s Marie Fjeldsted for a 12 month TV and online advert for the NSPCC for her track ‘I Do Care’. Proof that the consistently high level of curating at the KMC has put it on the map with the industry; and also that we continue to attract the best acts from across the UK, Scandinavia, Europe, the US and beyond. We’re currently applying for some funding to help us sweeten the deal even further for the acts – we’re hoping in the near future to be able to record the shows as multitracks that we can then give to the artists as a thank you for entertaining our treasured community; as well as streaming the shows worldwide to our friends abroad.
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May sees the arrival of a couple of new faces, as well as an old friend. 17 year old George Wilding has been causing something
JULY 30 - Alan Barnes (alto sax, clarinet), Nigel Price (guitar), Dave Green (bass), Stu Butterfield (drums) ALAN BARNES has won the prestigious BBC Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year Award on several occasions, has produced over 40 CDs on his own Woodville label and frequently comperes major Jazz Festivals. He recently featured on the Bryan Ferry “Jazz Age” recording, and on the Great Gatsby film soundtrack. He has extremely busy freelance and teaching schedules, while leading ensembles from Duos to Big Bands . NIGEL PRICE has performed with the legendary David Axelrod, was a member of the Sheena Davis Group for more than two years and then spent more than three years with the UK’s leading Jazz/Funk band of the time, the James Taylor Quartet (JTQ) He is much in demand in all kinds of musical contexts, and leads his own acclaimed Organ Trio, featuring Pete Whittaker.
“Great chops, great taste and a great
sound - he and his trio are way up there with the best” - Jim Mullen
of a stir in the industry, with Sony offering a development deal on the spot when they heard him. With consistent spot plays on BBC Radio 2 and 6, as well as local radio, George has all the makings of a Syd Barrett meets David Bowie age 17 – tall and elegant, quietly confident, lyrics beyond his years (check out ‘My Backwards Head’, which he wrote when he was 14) and a maturity chord wise that astounds – where his contemporaries slap on a capo and play the usual chord blocks, George is filling in the three passing notes in between. You’re going to love him. Also making an appearance are the outrageously fun and 70’s-tastic ‘Itchy Teeth’ – superbly tight rhythm section, chord changes that would have Supertramp dancing along in a T-rex T-shirt while the Kinks crackled out of the transistor radio. Great performers, and sure to be a tremendously good night. If you then add into the mix solo artist and former Seahorses frontman (and great pal) Chris Helme – a man who himself knows a thing or two about the 70’s, as well as having laid claim to a number one album in both the UK and Japan – then you get the idea. And as always, it’s free. Our way of inviting the local Haringey community into our world of ethical promotion and the supporting of great, original music. We’ve shows coming on June 4th and July 2nd with similarly exciting line-ups - as ever – and all that remains to be said is if you care about great music, top notch Songwriting and the cream of musicianship - you’re always welcome at The Karamel Music Club.
The Quarter | Issue 3 | Chocolate Factory Artists | Collage Arts
eaking br t h e s o u nd b a r r i e r In London, when people think of places to go for great live music especially venues focusing on Jazz, Soul, Funk and related genres, the mind is likely to think of the West End. Or perhaps, East London with its recent Urban Renewal and trendy spots. West London and increasingly South London are offering greater and greater opportunities for the working musician and the live music fan, but North London doesn’t often spring to mind. Xantone Blacq explains: Prior to my full time career as a musician, I worked for 7 years in North London and enjoyed being part of a diverse and multi-faceted community. I still have many friends and students living in North London and it is for them and the greater community at large that I am working in partnership with Collage Arts and Karamel Music Club to offer North Londoners a series of top level live music performances.
Gareth Lockrane Big Band: “Alive and Raising Hell”
21st May 2014. 8pm. Tickets: £8. Master Flautist, Composer and Arranger, Gareth Lockrane is a musician’s Musician! His big band is serene, menacing, joyful and intense all at once How DO they do that?? It can’t be explained, only experienced! Come and see for yourself.
Why is my live music series called Breaking The Sound Barrier? The sound barriers that were very apparent to me while working in North London were: 1. The lack of a well-known and reputable Live Music Venue in North London. 2. Leading music artists in Jazz, Soul and Funk not perceiving North London as a potential area to perform. 3. The lack of performances by top artists with reasonably priced tickets for the audience. The Solution 1. The Karamel Music Club in Wood Green, N22 is a beautiful venue with a wonderful stage and ambience. It is 7 minutes walk from Wood Green Tube
Manuela Panizzo: “Don’t Fall In Love With Me”
18th June 2014. 8pm. Tickets: £8. Leading Italian Soul-Jazz Singer and Composer who has shared the stage with Amy Winehouse, Chaka Khan and George Duke, to name a few. Expect Soul grooves, Latin rhythms and exceptional group interplay topped by flamboyant singing.
Collage Arts | Chocolate Factory Artists | Issue 3 | The Quarter
station on the Piccadilly Line. 2. I am fortunate to have worked with International master musicians, many who look forward to coming to play in Wood Green as part of the Breaking The Sound Barrier series. The artists that are set to play in this series have shared the stage with Chaka Khan, Incognito, Sting, George Duke to name a few. 3. Each of the 3 upcoming music events that I am presenting have a ticket price of £8. One could easily pay 4 times that amount to see these artists in most of their other working situations. A real treat! North London deserves great live music and this is a great opportunity to introduce music lovers on both sides of the barrier; musicians and the music loving audience, to each other. North London’s Changing! #BePartOfIt
Joy Rose (EP Launch)
23rd July 2014. 8pm. Tickets: £8. A very rare and unique opportunity to hear the original music of globe-trotting Sting and Incognito singer, Joy Rose. A master vocalist, Joy is known for her passionate and open-hearted singing voice and is a first-call singer for many world leading artists. Expect an evening of beautiful musical stories and songs.
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Border Crossings It’s an exciting time for Border Crossings – the intercultural theatre company based at Chocolate Factory 2. In early May, they are performing in Palestine, in a new coproduction with Ashtar Theatre; and later in same month they are bringing the show to London, performing in the fabulous Testbed 1 space in Battersea. The play, called This Flesh is Mine, is written by Brian Woolland, and directed by Michael Walling. It’s loosely based on Homer’s war epic The Iliad, but is also very relevant to the contemporary Middle East. Michael Walling explained: “We’ve wanted to work with Middle Eastern cultures for a long time – the region is so important right now. The challenge is to find a way of making theatre that engages with the region but doesn’t apportion blame. I really didn’t want to do a piece with goodies and baddies. When Brian suggested that we use the myth of the Trojan War as a way in, that made a lot of sense to me. It allowed us to look under the surface of the news stories, and to explore what it actually feels like to live through a long war. Oddly, it actually makes a lot of what’s happening in the region right now much clearer. You take out the religion, and it becomes so obvious how leaders manipulate people through vague excuses to cover up their power-grabs. And it also shows just how huge a challenge it is to work towards any kind of reconciliation.” Ashtar Theatre is based in Ramallah, just a few miles from Jerusalem, in the West Bank.
“The project is just so important – people just really wanted to be involved. It’s going to be an “I have nothing but admiration for them”, extraordinary production.” They have been to London before, visiting the Globe to Globe Festival with Richard II in 2012, and are always keen to show their work beyond the Occupied Territories.
said Michael. “They are making theatre in incredibly difficult conditions – and the theatre that they make is a response to those conditions. What’s more, because they do so much work with children and young people in their community, their theatre also contributes to the bettering of the conditions. It’s at once an artistic vision and a programme for development and peace.”
More information at www.bordercrossings.org.uk
Border Crossings is a kindred spirit for Ashtar in the UK. At the same time as presenting the play, they will be offering workshops to Middle Eastern community groups and schools across London, helping people to explore the issues behind the play through their own theatre pieces. The cast of This Flesh is Mine includes three Palestinian performers from Ashtar, and three UK actors, each with an impressive pedigree at theatres like the National and the RSC. “It’s an incredible cast,” said Michael.
Streetz ahead
Mainly focussing on performing arts; Streetz ahead is a registered charity which coaches over 300 young people each week in dance and drama, both at schools and in their Chocolate Factory studio. Throughout their time at Streetzahead, children are given the opportunity to try out many different aspects of performance, including creating a music video and working towards large scale productions, which take place at North London’s renowned Arts Depot. Young people who show promise and dedication can then be invited to continue with the organisation, working on projects involving filming and touring and even taking on a tutor role for the younger groups. www.streetzahead.org
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“This Flesh is Mine” performs at Testbed 1, 33 Parkgate Road, Battersea SW11 4NP from May 19-25. Tickets from £10 to £15. Book via Rich Mix: 020 7613 7498 or www.richmix.org.uk.
Bilimankhwe International Theatre Bilimankhwe International Theatre is an organisation dedicated to promoting artistic collaborations between world cultures. They aim to bring artists together from around the world, using local performance styles and traditional art forms to create vibrant, innovative, inclusive theatre of excellence that is a fusion of East and West, North and South. The company was set up in 2005 by Kate Stafford, who had previously founded Nanzikambe, an award-winning theatre company in Malawi in East Africa. Nanzikambe is Chichewa (Malawi local language) for chameleon; Bilimankhwe also means chameleon, a creature central to Malawian culture, appearing in many traditional folk tales. It also changes its outward appearance to fit in with its surroundings - echoing the methods used by Bilimankhwe Arts in creating art from bringing cultures together, collaborating to find a new form of expression. www.bilimankhwe-arts.org
The Quarter | Issue 3 | Chocolate Factory Artists | Collage Arts
PramDepot
Karen Lois Whiteread
It was from the goodness of her heart, and her artistic flare that lead Karen Lois Whiteread to start her new charity project. PramDepot is an arts-lead installation that explores donation, recycling, and austerity, linked to the other organisation Birth Companions, which supports vulnerable pregnant women and new mothers who are, have been, or are at risk of being detained. I had a chance to interview Karen and ask her more about her PramDepot journey.
How did PramDepot start? Basically, Pramdepot started because I started training as a birth companion. Birth Companions are an organisation run by volunteers who support women. It was originally set up for women in prison and it’s to support women who haven’t got anyone to be with them while they’re in labour. Its about a years training, every weekend, and part of the training was that people started recycling baby clothes and giving baby clothes to women that didn’t have any money. Then that got really problematic because they then started a community service, where it wasn’t just women in prison it was women in the community that were referred to us by people leaving prison, mental health services, vulnerable midwife teams etc., and a lot of the women that were being supported through the community had much fewer resources than women who were in prison or leaving prison. So it would be women that had no access to child benefit and that sort of thing because they’re waiting for their asylum outcome or whatever. The community aspect started building, so the needs for the people to get this recycled stuff started growing.
I project onto buildings and do that sort of stuff, so I just wanted to come into the studio and do something more meaningful and more connected to the other aspect of my life which is the Birth Companions thing, so it’s bringing a lot of different things together. I never exhibit in galleries, or do that sort of work so it was a bit more engaging, with a different type of person other than, I don’t know, why do you do anything? There’s no deep meaningful answer to that, it’s more of how things progressed in my life .
How many women does Birth Companions support? I’ve got no idea, but I’ve been running this since November and since then probably supported 20 or 30 people. What we do is usually give people a Moses basket with blankets, sheets, and enough clothes for at least a week for a new-born. Then at the end of supporting them, which is usually 6 weeks, we give them the next age so 3 to 6 months and some toys for both ages. Then, if they need, things like sterilizing units, bouncy chairs, buggies, etc.
What inspired you to do this and how is it art? I went to Paris to visit my daughter and we went to the Palais De Tokyo which is a contemporary art museum and saw a piece there by Christian Boltanski called The Museum of Children. It was a room filled with these shelving units all the way round with just thrown in clothes, stuffing the whole thing, and it was about memory within the garment and storing these memories within the four walls of the museum. It just really struck me, it really hit a nerve and I found it very moving and just thought ‘hmm, that looks like something that I could think about’. I’ve always worked in a participatory way so there have always been people involved in the work that I do, but I wanted it to be people participating, not necessarily in the art, but in the process of the idea of turning something that isn’t art into art.
So from your practise as an artist, what are you exploring through the project?
Where do you get donations from? Well, one of the birth companions posted an ad on free cycle 2 weeks ago and I’ve had a couple of emails from that. A lot of people are just curious and will Google and we come up occasionally. I keep meaning to hash-tag everything more so that PramDepot comes up and, I’ve also been thinking about doing a website. We’re on twitter! @PramDepot
What happens to the clothes after the women are finished with them?
www.pramdepot.wordpress.com
Collage Arts | Chocolate Factory Artists | Issue 3 | The Quarter
Some of them give them back and some of them pass them on to their friends that are having babies. Most of the women are either in hostels, temporary accommodation, or living in bedsits where there are other women in their situation, so we’re happy for them to pass them on or sell. A lot of the women are living on £36 a week, so if they can swap it for other stuff or whatever, we’re more than happy for them to do that.
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Karamel Kids
Sat 31st May, 11am Mike Dodsworth Storytelling
Mike specialises in physically energetic telling with an emphasis on interacting with his audiences and bringing stories to life. He is a collector and performer of stories and will tell a range of folk and fairy tales from near and far.
Sat 21st June Karamel Kids Midsummer Family Fun Day. 11am to 6pm.
Karamel Kids Midsummer Family Fun Day
Summer can be a difficult time for both parents and kids alike, with a real lack of valuable original ways to spend time together that won’t bankrupt you for the next few months before school starts back up. This summer Karamel Kids aim to help with the introduction of the first Family Fete Day for ages four and up. Taking place on June 21st Booster Cushion Theatre and a host of friends will be taking over the area around Karamel in Wood Green to bring a range of exciting activities for the whole crew to enjoy. As well as Booster Cushion’s engaging, interactive plays, there’ll be performances from all your favourites from the Karamel Kids calendar, including Mike Dodsworth and his collection of realer-than-life stories, and puppetry magic from the Imagination Station gang. You can also try your hand at creating with book making workshops from Kate Pemberton, poetry with Paul Lyalls, and drawing with illustrator and author , Yana Stajno, who all promise to get the creativity flowing and give you some great ideas of how to fill the long summer days with fun. Don’t miss out, and don’t let the boredom win, come and join us at Karamel on June 21st for a party in the street you won’t forget!
Featuring… Imagination Station Puppets Story Telling from Mike Dodsworth Paul Lyall’s Poetry Haringey Literature Live’s Kate Pemberton presents Book Making Artist Workshops Live Music, And More And including…
Booster Cushion Theatre’s Old McDonald for the 3 Pigs Plus… This is a comical show weaving the song ‘Old McDonald’ with the story of the Three Pigs. The pigs get fed up singing ‘eieio’ and move out of the barn to the other side of the farm. They build their own houses only to be visited by a hungry wolf. Luckily, our pigs have planned ahead and have enough dog toys to play with.
This colourful, solo show is ideal for younger children, playing from 3 years old and up. The children help identify farm produce, sing, take part as animals and rear pigs. www.booster-cushion.co.uk All events are free. We just ask for a donation into the hat for the artists.
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The Quarter | Issue 3 | Chocolate Factory Artists | Collage Arts
Apprenticeships In my time on the apprenticeship I was always busy… never a dull moment. If I wasn’t helping out at art exhibitions or doing sound setup for events, I was at my placement getting experience in a real work environment. You meet other young people like yourself and train together, realise your skills and put them to use with help, and secure any placement you feel is the right one for you. I haven’t been here long but with all the support and help I got, I know I’m not the only young person who could benefit from this apprenticeship. Everyone you meet is different and everywhere you go there are new opportunities. I heard live jazz for the first time on the course and even though it’s not something I’m usually a fan of, it was still a great experience and insight into culture. Another time I helped to do the setup for a group who played contemporary Indian style music, which I was definitely not already a fan of , but I still appreciated the opportunity to hear the music, and have that experience under my belt. It’s all about trying new things, putting yourself out there and reaping the rewards: all these unique experiences, creative opportunities, pay, and a work placement or potential employment. In all honesty; I’m a lazy guy who’s never been very motivated but it’s amazing that doing something you have a passion for can actually be all the motivation and coaching you need to get into a programme or apprenticeship and better yourself for real.
Dominic Hunte
Pictures by Jhamel Taylor
The documentary that I created during the apprentice programme was probably the most enjoyable part- at least it was for me. This is due to the fact that I was completely in control of my own project from start to finish, allowing me to take on any artistic approach that I wanted, whereas in a group I might have had to make a lot of compromises. All I had to do was include a few aspects of a brief that I was supplied with for the course. Bearing this in mind, as you can imagine, I was a full of ideas that otherwise would never have got a look in before – so I decided to include as many as possible. The purpose of the documentary was to show my journey from the start of the course to its audacious conclusion in addition to the skills that I obtained, the skills that I want to develop along with any products that I made and how they were made. It took 3 months to complete with explosion effects, falling debris & electrical sparks flying everywhere, the brief said to be creative so I made sure I was and, as I`ve always wanted to have those effects in my videos, I took advantage of the situation. However this was a very risky approach as I was the only apprentice to do this and it could have backfired if it was thought I was focusing too much of the effects rather than the content of the brief. If this had happened it would have meant that a large amount of time-consuming editing would be needed to bring the video into line with the brief, time I could not afford to lose with the amount of coursework that I had to do. Fortunately for me, the video was met with nothing but praise from my tutors, peers and examiners which led to me passing the criteria for the unit. Due to the success that I got from this video, I am determined to keep on making more short films in order to improve my skills as a filmmaker as it is something that I enjoy doing and wish to continue developing. Conor Supka
Collage Arts | Chocolate Factory Artists | Issue 3 | The Quarter
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