Knitting Saturday

Knitters arrived en masse at Forest Arts on Saturday – and managed to make more than 45 metres of bunting ready for our first ever Spring Tea Party* next month.

Enthusiastic knitters chatted and drank tea as they helped us to create the brightly coloured bunting that will be hung around the Centre on Friday 1 March ready for our tea dance.

Even Forest Arts boss Harriet Webb and Arts Development Officer Jackie Goddard got their needles out and joined in! Regulars from our Friday morning Sit, Knit and Stitch group also came to lend a hand (or two!)

• The Spring Tea Party takes place Friday 1 March, 2pm – 5pm in our theatre.
  Tickets are £6 each and there will be live music from 'The FB Pocket Orchestra', tea and cakes!
  Please book in advance.

Boomer fruit, blue chillis …even fluggs spotted at Forest Arts as part of the Big Draw

More than 70 people enjoyed a tasty harvest lunch while ’growing’ a fantastic drawing at Forest Arts on Saturday (Oct 27).

The event was organised as part of this year’s Big Draw, in conjunction with Forest Arts’ GREEN SPACE team.

Mums, Dads, Grannies and Granddads joining youngsters to draw a huge forest garden, complete with trees, birds, animals, flowers, fruit and vegetables.

Imagination was overflowing … with some rather unusual fruit invented, including the boomer fruit, blue chilli, orange-brella and lime banana, and insects such as the Manbird and Flugg (a beautiful flying slugg!)

“It was a fun day,” said Arts Development Officer Jackie Goddard, “It is great when different generations can get together – and the lunch was fab too!”

A recent Green Space 2 volunteering day at Forest Arts Centre in New Milton was a huge success.

The site is looking great and ready for Fruit, Plant and Vegetable action when April comes.

The 'indoor' team managed to plant over a hundred planters ready for both sites (Artsway and Forest Arts) and the 'outdoor' team managed to make more raised beds, fill with soil and clear the side beds (as well as making a soil volcano) A fantastic effort by all, despite the chilly conditions. (I think the delicious lunch helped!!)

Also, GreenSpace, an EDGE Project initiative, is featured in the March 2012 edition of The English Garden Magazine.

The English Garden Magazine is a monthly, national magazine for all the garden enthusiasts out there!

The feature is included in the volunteering & community section.

Arts Award

Young people can now achieve a national qualification called an Arts Award here at Forest Arts Centre.

The award supports young people to develop as artists and arts leaders. It fosters creative, communication and leadership skills and helps to prepare them for further education and employment.

So, while learning new skills, meeting new people and having fun … youngsters can also be adding to their CV!

Drama tutor Jacqueline Goddard is our qualified Arts Award adviser, and initially she is offering the award through her Forest Youth Theatre classes.

The first seven youngsters (all aged 14 – 16) from FYT have just achieved their Bronze Award – with excellent comments from the official moderator.

He described them as “inspiring” and having “good team spirit” and being a “highly articulate” group.

Arts Award Winners Celebrate!
(starting second left back row)
Oliver Chapman, Sam Watson and Kevin Baker.
Emma Snaddon, Amelia Crampton and Chloe Bellamy.
Anna Knight passed but is not in photo….

There are bronze, silver and gold Arts Awards, and they are open to all young people aged 11-25. They can choose to gain their award in any art form. This includes all arts and media activities from creative roles such as writing, directing, performing and painting, to technical and support roles such as web design or stage lighting.

Arts Award is managed by Trinity College London in association with Arts Council England.

If you are interested in taking part in the Arts Award please contact Jackie Goddard on 01425 619983 or email Jackie.goddard@hants.gov.uk

Monday Club Film Makers!

Youngsters with additional needs who enjoy our regular Monday Club drama class are being introduced to film-making.

The Short Breaks funded project, in partnership with SCARF, will form part of a wider ‘Cultural Olympiad’ projects which culminates in June.

Artist, film-maker and animator Matthew Dean is working with drama tutor David from Curious Arts in regular weekly sessions.

They will be exploring storytelling, directing and filming, as well as creating characters, choosing soundtracks and finally devising and creating their own film.

The group will also take part in a one off event in March where family and friends will be invited to take part in some filming.

A screening of the finished film will be shared at the end of the project.