Put a pencil in the hand of any 6 year old and they will draw. What Arts Express believes is if you put a hammer and chisel in the hand of any 15 year old they will carve. They have done it and what transformations result in stone heart and mind! Happy 10th anniversary Arts Express!
Antony Gormley, Patron
What a great achievement to have been running Arts Express for ten years!
The wonderful thing about Arts Express is how it seems to be the in the fabric of the art scene of South East London. People I come across have taken part in art workshops or seen art works because of Arts Express.
I was surprised to see that a Kalabari person had taken part in an Arts Express workshop (Kalabari People come from the a series of islands in the Niger Delta in Nigeria, they are a tiny minority group) . Being Kalabari myself I had not met another Kalabari fine artist in London and I was so pleased to see a print by a Kalabari child. Long story – all I can say is Art Express does reach areas others find hard to reach
Sokari Douglas Camp, Patron
Living in Devon I was unaware of Arts Express until I was invited to speak at their 2005 AGM. Listening in on the meeting, I was greatly impressed with the work of this energetic and visionary organization. It is so important for people to be given the opportunity for real hands on experience of making art themselves using a wide range of materials and techniques. I felt privileged to be involved with Arts Express and hope all those involved will continue with their important and inspirational work.
Peter Randall-Page
I came to volunteer at Arts Express as a work placement which is a required part of my design degree at Goldsmiths. I was drawn to Arts Express by what it stood for and similarly feel the importance of breaking the attitude of ‘I can’t’, especially in Peckham. And the opportunity to express without using words. My primary role volunteering was to be a project manager along side another volunteer for the Arts Express Art Club ’08. As an experience it couldn’t have been more valuable we jumped in at the deep end yet always had Damion to turn to if we couldn’t swim. The art club ran successfully, admittedly not as we expected but it reformed into something that was much more Peckham and meet children where they were at. We plan to continue the art club passing the project management from volunteer to new volunteer after a stint of leadership so it isn’t a one off project but something that can be built on. Arts Express is great because it cares, not because it has to but because it wants to and that’s why its so successful in catching the imagination of the people it meets!
Kat Hall, Volunteer
Arts Express caught my attention two years ago. I was looking for a way to be involved with people through art and this was perfect. For a year or so I volunteered at the Saturday Art School in Peckham and came across an enormous range of individuals, each with their own experience of art and the world, which we shared through the adventurous crafts of stone carving, mosaicing, printing and the like. I found the combination of interesting techniques and interesting people fascinating. Coming from a teaching background, it was also a pleasure to see an organisation interested in the process and the experience of art more than in the product or the outcome. And I found myself proud to be sharing opportunities with people who hadn’t been near a paintbrush in fifty years. And with children too. What other organisation opens it’s doors to 7 and 70 year olds at the same time?! One joyous moment for me was overhearing a conversation between two strangers, discussing how people perceived their different races and backgrounds, and why. At that moment I felt that Arts Express was one of the few organisations which really achieved its aims – bringing the community together through art.
This year I have had the privilege to organise a couple of projects, and have again been filled with joy at the creative, open-minded adventurousness of the people I worked with. Not only in the sense of artistic ideas, but in the range of communities where Arts Express works. One project on the Castlemead Estate was clearly the highlight of everybody’s week, including mine, and another project which took Southwark’s older people in a minibus into the countryside was so far onto the opposite end of the age spectrum that I was reminded of what it is to work in the community – not only with children and youth, but with everyone.
Arts Express has earned itself a well-deserved community reputation, combining a completely open-doors attitude with a way-out-there adventurous spirit that makes anything possible. It’s a joy to be involved!
Megan Dowsett, Freelance Artist
I worked as an assistant workshop volunteer at Arts Express in 2007 when I had recently moved to London and was feeling very isolated. Volunteering was an important step in helping me to feel a stronger sense of belonging in the community in terms of working with the other staff and with the people who joined the workshops. During my time there I met some incredibly positive, enthusiastic and friendly people who made me feel very welcome.
In terms of the projects, I particularly enjoyed seeing members of the public who were initially nervous to get involved in the activities, creating things of which they were clearly very proud. It was a very rewarding feeling to be a part of that
Louise Arnold, Volunteer
For the past five years Arts Express have regularly devised and taught stone carving workshops for the British Museum. They tend to be one day events which include examination of particular sculptures in the Museum and the actual experience of making an individual piece. These workshops are highly successful and always fully booked. The Arts Express tutors are very experienced and professional and so enthusiastic about the project. It is a pleasure to work with them
Margaret O’Brien, Head of Education, British Museum
When Damion Viney presented to the Peckham Community Council and he requested funds for the Carve in the Community festival. All six councillors unanimously agreed that this was a fantastic scheme and we did not hesitate in granting the funds that he requested.
I attended the festival and was impressed by the commitment and diversity of the volunteers and staff. I saw some of the Artists’ work on display and it was some of the best sculptures that I have ever seen. I observed the way they encouraged members of the public to try stone carving. Several young people tried and I was amazed by their patience. This certainly went against some of the stereotyped views of the young people in Peckham. Long may Arts Express success continue
Mary Foulkes, Southwark Councillor
Arts Express has a genuine commitment to conveying an experience of making art at the highest possible standard. All the people I have worked with at Arts Express work unselfishly and without cynicism. The best thing for me about working with Arts Express is that it is teaching by doing which means that I really can make use of my skills and knowledge as a practising artist. I enjoy teaching the over 60s painters very much as they are a supportive ,interesting and sociable group. It is rewarding to help people to find confidence in their abilities and make progress in ability and understanding .The painting excursions themselves have been magical experiences(even in the rain!)and have defined the summer – glimpses of nature painted outside the city
Chloe Cheese, Freelance Artist
To all at Arts Express,
Congratulations on your 10 anniversary and due respects to you all. Your efforts are very much appreciated and have all made a real contribution towards local quality of life and raising local aspirations
Peckham, as we know, is a multi cultural, very diverse, increasingly complex but lively inner city area. It is a very challenging place where our local communities are changing all the time. This being so, to those of us charged with the responsibility of helping to make the area better for every one, it has been a real comfort to know that some members of the local community, such as Damion, and organisations such as Arts Express, can always be called upon to help and advise us over this task. Not only has this been done through organising a range of enriching experiences for young people in a variety of contexts – in schools, parks or in Peckham square – but also through undertaking a rich mix of fun, creative and exciting tasks that from time to time, has brought together members of the community so we could explain or get grass roots feedback about the many challenging projects we have to deal with over the years.
On behalf of Southwark Council’s Peckham Programme, I am really very pleased to be able to add grateful thanks to you all for your assistance thus far and look forward to being able to continue to work with you all in helping to face up to the challenges of the future
Russell Profitt, Head of Area management, Southwark Council, September 2008
Arts Express recognizes the hunger within communities to be creative, and the organisation provides contexts within which children, young people, adults and seniors can express this need. The numbers of people who both return to annual Arts Express events, and who are willing to queue patiently (often for quite a while!) to participate are testimony to this.
While the Art activities offered by Arts Express are varied and engaging, one of the strengths of the organisation is that it offers ways in which people can pursue an activity they have had a taste of. The ‘Carve in the Community’ annual Festival, can be a one -off activity, which people look forward to each year, or it can be extended in weekly evening classes offered by Arts Express.
The organisation celebrates art making in its own right, and also as a way of engaging people; the ‘Life in Peckham’ project used art as a way in to exploring the history of the area with students in several schools. The project offered young people an opportunity to work alongside artists in producing imaginative responses to their historical research, using a wide range of techniques and technologies. The quality of the work that came out of this project was excellent
Kathy Bor, Visual Arts Consultant, Southwark Childrens’ Services
I was approached by Arts Express to find two groups of young people to work with artists for the ‘I Love Peckham’ Festival. Damion came to visit the school and gave me information about the project. He was very enthusiastic about the project and conveyed a genuine passion for young people and the arts.
A few months after that the artists arrived with the voluntary assistants. I was impressed by their skill, enthusiasm and their creativity for working with young people. The groups of pupils got to experiment and learn on a variety and scale that I could not achieve on my own. It was very heartening for me to see the pupils being genuinely excited and engaged and working as young artists rather than pupils in an Art lesson. The exhibition at the end of the project was in a beautiful space that gave proper credence to the work and collaboration of the artists and students.
My feeling on a whole was that the project was run smoothly and professionally with a lot of fun. It was one of the high points of my teaching year
Gillian Ali, Art Teacher, St Thomas the Apostle Secondary School
The events team at Southwark Council are really pleased to wish Arts Express a happy 10th birthday and take the opportunity to say thank you for all their hard work and enthusiasm in supporting a huge amount of events in Southwark and especially in Peckham. From exhibitions in Area 10 Project Space and t-shirt printing on The Blue to a river of flying fish over Rye Lane and especially ‘Carve in the Community’ on the Peckham Square . There is always something importantly engaging being produced with the local community. People sometimes dismiss the importance of community and education based arts projects but Arts Express prove how it works, why it works and the important role it plays in bringing communities together to learn and celebrate.
Congratulations
Paul Cowell, Events and Film Manager, Southwark Council
Arts Express has worked with Langbourne School at various times over the last seven years. It has been a valuable and rewarding relationship providing wonderful enrichment opportunities for children. The wonder of seeing your own creation gradually come into being from nothing is an amazing experience for all children. Through creativity children can unlock so many talents that ‘normal’ classroom work would not uncover. The resulting increase in confidence and heightened self esteem has a positive impact on children’ attitude to life and learning and their aspirations for the future. Being involved with Arts Express has given the children here the opportunity to excel at something they would not otherwise have known they could do. An example of this was ‘The Colour of Music’ project where children used paint to explore their responses to music. Every child in the school created a piece of work – many of these were startlingly evocative and beautiful. We know that the work that Arts Express has done here has opened a window for children to a world they might never otherwise have seen
Carol Field, Headteacher, Langbourne Primary School
I stumbled across Arts Express at Danson Festival 2007 when their were hoards of people crowding around a table to print a t-shirt and have been working with artists from Arts Express ever since and hope to continue to do so. I have been delighted the quality of the artistic outcome that students produce when working with artists from Arts Express, particularly Rachel Howard. Students aren’t talked down to, and the medium isn’t dummed down and therefore the result is spectacular even from a 5 year old, and they thoroughly enjoy themselves. I have files full of positive parent and student comments after taking part in Arts Express workshops that the board are more than welcome to see.
As a Borough Council it is important to us to foster relationships with high quality artists and craftspeople who are willing to make the journey to work in our borough to allow our community access to high quality arts provision, and for that reason we already have planned more work with Arts Express
Rachel Stanway, Cultural Services, Bexley Council
Arts Express have been a joy to work with! Their innovative approach and engagement techniques of working with young people and the wider community are commendable. The end products are high specification, robust and very imaginative. Hats off to Arts Express and I look forward to working with them in the near future!
Charlotte Glazier, Southwark Council
Carve in the Community
At the seventh carving festival in Peckham, stone and wood plus the necessary tools are available, free of charge, to anyone who wants to try their hand at sculpting their own artwork. There”s no need to book, you can stay as long as you like and if you need inspiration Zimbabwean sculptor Antony Sarieni will demonstrating his skills, working alongside participants to create his own pieces. On the final afternoon, participants will be able to enter their creations into a competition. Suitable for adults and children over seven.”
Around Town “And Don’t Miss” section
Time Out Aug 2004
Well stone the crows!
Forget the Sunday joint, now there is much more artistic material to carve – stone! Carve in the Community a stone carving festival took place throughout last week under the canopy of Peckham Town Square. The event was open to anyone and event co-ordinator Damion Viney, a professional carver at SANA in Peckham said “Who knows, we might find the next Michelangelo”. The event was supported by many local organizations including Southwark Council, Whitten Timber, Mowlem construction and Camberwell College of Arts. Carver Pennie Elfick of Bromley said “I’ve always wanted to have a go at carving so I thought I’d come along. It’s great fun but quite hard on the elbows!
South London Press 1998
The artists organised everything – provided materials etc, and made everything run smoothly. Their enthusiasm and professionalism meant the children became fully involved and gained a tremendous amount from the experience. Fanatastic
Carol Field, Head of Langbourne Primary School
The artist were flexible and creative in working with local groups. Results were a clear progression form the public consultation
Chris Rostron, Groundwork Southwark
I am a nearly young pensioner and fond this an immense opportunity to learn a little about stone carving
Priscilla
Well done! This is the kind of thing that is needed for a good community spirit. Having been in the entertainment industry all my life I recognise happy looks on faces and how important it is to keep good relations among all ages, creeds and religions
Today is the day my stone transformed into something that is part of me. Carving and creating is my way to express a lot of my ideas
Timeo
Fantastic, never done anything like this. Now I want to be an artist
Adis Akiinmolayan
It’s relaxing, artistic, in the fresh air. People meet and talk. Perhaps this is how community spirit starts
James McIntyre, Doctor
