Florimania at the Tudor House May 3rd-5th 2008

Click for full size PDF flyer

Poetry reading at University of Kent, May 12th

An exciting event!

May 12th

Rutherford Poets will read a selection of poetry from their latest publication: Stubborn Mule Orchestra, by Luigi Marchini (Winner! Canterbury Writers Poetry Prize 2006), Christopher Hobday (editor Canterbury Poets blog) and Gary Studley (Winner! UKC T.S. Eliot Poetry Prize 2007) has just been published.

The 76-page volume features more than 50 poems on a variety of subjects, in a multitude of styles, with free verse and regular metre. Honest confessions rub shoulders with flights of fancy. Written with a commitment to producing the best possible standard of work, this collection marks a plateau for the poets, and features their best work of the past few years.

“…the avenues and alleyways
of her waking hours…”

“…a night bird hovers, petal-winged,
takes perch on the tower for a beat then blinks…”

“…confusion of puppets
in untutored hands…”

Regular contributors to Night Train, members of the Save As writing group and currently on the editorial board for Logos, the University’s prose and poetry journal, these three poets have produced a startling, ambitious and impressive body of work. Stubborn Mule Orchestra sets the bar high for future local publications, and adds another facet to Canterbury’s burgeoning poetry scene.

There will be a chance to buy the poetry after the readings. For more information, and to see samples of their work, visit http://www.canterburypoets.bravehost.com/.

6.00pm May 12th 2008
Rutherford Staff Common Room
Rutherford College

Followed by Fairtrade drinks and nibbles (donations towards the drinks costs are most welcome)

Free of charge and open to all

See you all there!

Haiku Day 21.6.08 in Broadstairs

The BRITISH HAIKU SOCIETY

is bringing a Haiku Day to Broadstairs
21st June 2008


Felicity Brookesmith will host the Day

10 am - 4pm
in the Bradstowe Room
the Royal Albion Hotel
6-12 Albion Street
BROADSTAIRS
CT10 2TZ

BHS hopes to start a haiku poetry group in the area. The Day's events include :

- a talk by Dr Martin Lucas (Editor of haiku journal Presence) about haiku
with reference to Stepping Stones:a way into haiku (the recent BHS publication)

- a workshop facilitated by Annie Bachini (BHS President) that will incorporate Lunchtime observations and a kukai and writing your own haiku

- readings by Felicity Brookesmith
from a selection of her haiku inspired by the local environment


Lunch can be purchased at the hotel or in one of the many eateries nearby, or you may like to bring your own to eat on the beach!

To reach the ROYAL ALBION HOTEL, walking/driving from the train station, go straight down the High Street to the end, turn left into Albion Street, and you'll see the hotel immediately in front of you over on the right. There are paying-car-parking spaces behind the station; on the High Street; and in the car-park at the end of Albion Street in Nelson Place.

RSVP

Places are limited, so please let Felicity know as soon as possible if you are planning to be there/would like more details.

Thankyou! Looking forward to your reply at


felicity493@btinternet.com

or write to her at

19 Magdala Road
St.Peter's
BROADSTAIRS
CT10 2TZ

Poetry Reading - 16.4.08

Table poetry readings this wednesday 16th April at 8 pm

Venue:
Belgian Cafe, 98, Harbour Parade, Ramsgate, CT11 8LP
Situated in the Royal Harbour, opposite the Casino and the Obelisk

Margate Rocks: website now live

www.margaterocks.com is now live!

Margate Rocks 08 is a contemporary visual art festival situated in Margate, on the beautiful east coast of Kent. Taking place between 2 – 11 May, this year’s festival has the theme of art and ecology.

Click here to find out more about Margate Rocks 08.

Art at the Substation

Against the obviousness of obviousness / My friends and I couldn’t do punk, somehow.

Opening: Friday 4th April 6-9pm
Saturday 5th April 1-5pm
Sunday 6th April 1-5pm

Substation - Studio 1, First floor, Substation Project Space, Bilton Square (off High St ), Margate CT9 1DX

Map of how to get there

Press release

Upstairs at the Substation, juxtaposed on a landscape of automatic lifts that carry you through purples and woodlands of heather, an art exhibition finally emerges that reaches deep into the truant’s worst moments and turns him into a proud thief.
What is the thing? A species that flicks feathers into waterfalls whilst watching the truth as told being a lie: a flagrant lie of disobedience to its medium.

Don’t listen to the trolls…listen to the art.

Looking at the art in groups of five thousand and three, wavering over the icy grit locket folders, muscling in on the grave distinct figures and trip-fever blue (blue is light that glows, blows the blue wind), you sense its character is so deep that, at that very moment, Allah (everything combined) reaches its loving arms to welcome you to art. You will find the phligma of beauty and the answer specified, and influences taken from Ghandi, Hitler, Jude Law, Simon and Garfunkel, Madam Twanky, and many other misrepresented philosophers who speak to you in a profound whisper. Just tell yourself one day, if you will, tell it good massive one to yourself.

Dinosaurs and Greek gods may well have existed. (Can we say in this context that the name God can be used?) Many practicing artists would and should disagree. After all, they are only basic, and they do have to cope with having a skunk-like demeanour that cannot compare to the achievements of men.

This art turns its nose up at men because of their arrogance and impertinence. I base this on the Greek god Adonis and the diplodocus and Pythagoras, and the desperate nature of too many men in current society.
My personal starting point is that art rhymes with art. You can say that two words that are exactly the same rhyme because they do.

“So elegant in trance vision that bold undertones of paint with a splish a splosha A sad a splish splish splosha. I said from a splish to the splish to the splish splish splosha.”


Is art a trade? Yes it is, for the purposes of this ellipse. Artists of calibre whistle and sing whilst they work, and so do tradesmen. I will say it again, “To the splish splish splosha!” Can one man’s achievements be enough? Can every man’s achievements be too much? Only a frog can save us with the nerve impulse of a massive vacuum cleaner tied to a fence.

Many famous artists would say,

“To be or not to be? That is the question.”

Ah my friend, the age-old psychosis of getting dragons mixed up with dinosaurs. It’s a semantic disability, to see the lamp turned on straight in front of your weary eyes. Shocker. And then to see that the shutter has been disabled too! Some artists would use as material Tutankahmun being carried off into the sunset on a double-decker bus, just for the sake of one sentence of stupid description. You can decide where scrutinising politics gets us, but I can tell you where: no diggity. Nowhere. It’s the same with scrutinition politics of art; it’s like trying to eat a prune before its ready.

Honesty is the best way of viewing art, not sanctimonious people talking about honesty.
That’s not the point, definitely don’t try and be honest when you are observing art. That’s not what it’s for. Looking at art honestly will get you most of the way - just be honest and you can’t go wrong. Lastly, on the subject of honesty: Not the way forwards. You would be better off trying to turn a computer into Alicia keys, so let’s just agree with the idea of honesty in art: Oh man, it’s cool.
Gregor Lypiatt

TROPICAL ROBOTS present THOMAS TRUAX

Friday April 4th @ Belgian Café, 8pm

TROPICAL ROBOTS present THOMAS TRUAX

"From New York City, an anti-folk legend"

"In a conventional world, this man is the superhero of nonconformity"

"A mad music scientist"

"Tom Waites' weird younger brother"

A true one-off, there is no one else like him as no one else in the world has home-made instruments like The Hornincator, Sister Spinster and The Cadillac Beatspinner Wheel which all look like contraptions found in a zany inventor's workshop. However Truax is no gimmick, he writes mesmerising songs and the noises these weird machines make set them off rather nicely.
In short, a must-see act.

A bewildering melange of garage rock songs, avant garde sounds and cabaret showtunes, full of whistles, toy piano, ice cream chimes and invented instruments... with shades of Tom Waits' storytelling, Nick Cave's theatricality and Lux Interior's howling-at-the-moon madness. - SoundsXp
www.myspace.com/thomastruax
http://www.thomastruax.com/

Video: Prove It To My Daughter by Thomas Truax

+ special guests:

Captain Blood Blood and The Sea Dogs (Leigh-on Sea, Essex)
Weirdly brilliant ska flecked sea shanties from our seaside cousins accross the estury
www.myspace.com/captainbloodbloodandtheseadogs


Sky:Lark (Margate)
Awesome ensamble shreading guitars through swooping melodies
www.myspace.com/skylarkylark

Southwood (Ramsgate)
Punk and role from Costa Del Thanet
http://www.myspace.com/southwooduk

Margate Rocks

Margate Rocks The Margate Rocks festival of contemporary visual art returns this 3 to 11 May, with a very special public launch night on Friday 2 May. This year’s festival explores the relationship between art & ecology through a fantastic and fun programme of art exhibitions, family drop-in workshops, talks, films, music and events for everyone! There’s also new commissions being made for Margate, including one from internationally renowned artists, Heather & Ivan Morison, who represented Wales at the 2007 Venice Biennale. Highlights include: Sat 3 May All day Kentish Food and Arts & Crafts Market, and Street Festival. FREE, Market Place and High Street Sat 3 and Sun 4 May Various times The Magnificent Revolution present the Cycling Cinema – watch films on the UK’s only bicycle powered cinema! FREE, The Pie Factory Sat 3 May 9-10pm His Dark Materials – A late night café-style talk with materials scientist, Dr Mark Miodownik, of the Materials Library at Kings College London and Tate Modern. FREE, Café G Mon 5 May 7.30pm Billy Childish’s May Day Music Show – Catch a rare performance by this internationally cult musician, artist and poet at The Theatre Royal Margate. Tickets £10, Theatre Royal Margate, call 01227 787 787 to book or buy on the door Thurs 8 May 2-6pm Green filmmaking master classes led by internationally acclaimed activist filmmaker, Franny Armstrong. Followed by an intimate screening of her award-winning film, ‘Drowned Out’. FREE, booking essential. Email mailto:charlie@margaterocks.com To find out more about Margate Rocks visit www.margaterocks.com or email hello@margaterocks.com