Sadly we have said goodbye to our Director Chris Warner, whose place has been ably filled by Hayley Field and Alex Casey who have taken over jointly as Co-Directors.

Hayley is a visual artist who has worked with Suffolk Artlink for the past seven years and has recently exhibited at The Cut in Halesworth; Alex specialises in the performing arts and she has appeared in many productions by Mouth to Mouth Theatre Company; she has been with us for six years with a short interlude during which she travelled the world.

We are very fortunate in being able to benefit from their combined experience, and their immediate plan is to build on the successes of Suffolk Artlink and take the charity forward with a number of exciting new projects.

 

Our latest publication is the Suffolk Artlink Annual Report 2010/11 which is packed with information about the many creative projects that have taken place across the county in the past year. Working with a whole range of visual artists, musicians, writers, dancers, drama teachers and even clowns, we have taken the joy of art out to hundreds of disadvantaged people and just as importantly to their carers too, hopefully inspiring them to carry on the good work when an activity comes to an end. You can ‘read all about it’ online by following this link Download Annual Report or if you would prefer a paper copy, please let us know.

After much planning and discussion our exciting new 15 week arts courses for adults with learning disabilities get under way in early September. JumpstART, supported by a grant from the Big Lottery Fund, will take place in two towns in the East and West of the county, each led by professionals in their field.

In Lowestoft participants will learn various aspects of digital photography, leading to their own public exhibition, while in Bury St Edmunds the students will try their hand at script writing, puppet-making and performing a play. Although the emphasis is on team-building, communication, creativity and increasing self-confidence, the groups will also produce a portfolio of their work and with help from tutors they will think about their aspirations for the future.Through partner organisations they may have the chance of further training and work experience, helping them move towards their own goals.

Project Development Officers Charlie Meyer and Fran Speight are delighted to be working with a number of specialists including artist/photographer James Fletcher, who has worked for newspapers, magazines, private and corporate clients and is especially sensitive to capturing images that portray people and emotions. Albert Robb is an award-winning photographer who teaches students how to capture stunning images, edit and present them in creative, thought-provoking ways.

Scriptwriter Laura Watson, who has written for Eastenders and Casualty, is experienced in running playwriting projects, and Gomito Productions, the London-based theatre company are veterans of the Edinburgh Fringe and many more venues besides. Freelance producer Mhari Gallagher has led workshops and taught drama to various age groups as well as helping to bring numerous memorable productions to the stage. The tutor at Bury St Edmunds will be Rachel Bennet who is a drama practitioner working with children, young people and people with learning disabilities.

JumpstART promises to be a positive, inspiring and unforgettable experience for all concerned – watch this space for updates!

We would love to be able to provide each of our students on the JumpstART! photography course with a digital camera to use, but we currently haven’t enough to go round. If anyone has a digital camera they no longer use, please consider donating it to this very good cause. We can collect – kindly phone our office on 01986 873955 or email us: [email protected]

Our new Co-Director Hayley Field will be a guest on the SAM Show on Ipswich Community Radio, on Thursday 15th September between 2 and 3pm. Hayley will talk about the work of Suffolk Artlink, and hopes to give a flavour of the many creative projects that we run, helping to bring creative opportunities to all kinds of vulnerable and disadvantaged people. If you would like to listen in, the station can be found on 105.7fm or you can listen live via their website, www.icrfm.co.uk

Giving a donation to Suffolk Artlink has never been easier. Any donation, large or small, will make a difference to our work.

You can donate up to £10 by mobile phone. Simply text SFFK08 £2 / £5 / £10 to 70070 to donate now. e.g. SFFK08 £5

Alternatively, if you’d like to donate a larger amount or send us a cheque by post please download our donation form.

http://www.suffolkartlink.org.uk/documents/DonationForm_000.pdf

Suffolk Artlink inspiring creativity for people and communities

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Charity No:  1110898

Monarch Catering Services, Norfolk, Suffolk