Saturday 6 December 2014

Norwich Dandies fundrazr




Norwich Dandies are fund raising for next year. They have quite a few big plans for next year and they have applied for Arts council funding but in order to receive the funding from the arts council they have to raise 10 percent. So I started a crowd funding campaign as we have quite a few perks to offer that make donating easier. Next year we plan Dandifest 2015 bigger and brighter and better and also to major shows in London for disability week and a tour of Norfolk round the villages. Please do donate and if you cant do share the funding page. A big thanks from the Dandies and we hope you can come and join in our events next year we try to make as accessible as possible for everyone. Click here to link to page

Saturday 22 November 2014

Fundraz for Norwich Rising 2015



Norwich Rising is happening again next year 2015 but we need some funds for basics like insurance and posters or petrol for people teaching or petrol for school buses. We have so far over the years had people to come together and had a lot of people support the cause. Everyone puts there time in for free and is on the same page of wanting to end violence against women in Norwich and the rest of the world. This year we are going for crowd funding to try and help make it happen next year. I set up a crowd funding page here. 



Shelly will be leading the Norwich Rising next year  and we are going to keep it simple with the dance again and some star guest performers and a speaker. Also hoping schools and clubs can join in as its on a Saturday in 2015. Shelly has made a great film previously and looks after the website here



Norwich Says NO campaign this week run by city hall is focusing on Men saying no to violence.



2013 the crowds of dancers was enormous with people of all ages. 
We also now have a bank account and a core team leading. If you would like to fund raise or help with Norwich Rising for 2015 please let us know we have a group on facebook you can leave a message there.  In January we are going to have a Disco organised by Jasmine from Future radio. 

Thursday 6 November 2014

Art policys for the govenment



After going to a paying artists meeting last night at City Hall in Norwich. I have decided write some things down. This country has got into a cycle of not paying artists expecting them to work for free in all sorts of areas. Also paying minimum wage for gallery attendant work which is skilled and knowledgeable work. People might say oh its a hobby job doing art. Well I am sorry its not a hobby job I spent 10 years at College and Uni and been working at the skill all my life. I don't have time for hobby's. Just like my allotment is not a hobby it is a piece of land to grow food on because I cant afford to buy vegetables/food. I don't want to work for free but all these charity's organisations etc seem to organise stuff that requires artists to carry out the work but there is no money to pay them. 
What is the point of putting on an exhibition if no one can buy my art because they are being paid minimum wage and they cant afford on that wage to pay the rent and feed the kids. 
Tax credits are for people who have children a freelance artist doesn't get tax credits.
Housing benefit to top up income well the Housing Benefit department in Norwich does not know anything about self employed people and asked me to pay back a years worth of rent when I earned Zero money that year. So that doesn't work.
Signing on. Signing on does not work because you get signed up to a job that is exhausting on min wage and don't have time to do the art that your skilled at. 
Comparing being an artist to a prostitute well the prostitute is much better off as they get paid.
Arts council funding and other funding. So this only works if you are specialised in filling out forms. I have been on several grant form filling courses and still fail to get a grant from filling out my own forms. Having lived in other countries it would seems that this is the case world wide that the people in most need of money have to fill out form and jump through hoops for funding and they will never get it unless they get that one person who people pay to fill out the forms in the whole country this person is completely shattered because they are always filling out forms. 
Also when there is a chance of being paid the employer doesn't make it easy to part with the money its a 6 month to a year chase. 
Either there is a shake up for the whole country to start paying and respecting artists or the government gives every artist a wage so they get on with it and make art and do work for the charities and organisations and public funded organisations that don't pay artists.
National Insurance I haven't been able to pay that for years because I don't earn enough money so I am not entitled to a pension or health. So the list goes on once in the poverty trap of being artist I also cant afford to get my teeth done because that requires money or to be on benefit's. I could hide away and pretend that life as an artists is glamorous but it just isn't a soon as an actor gets off stage goes back stage to the changing room which could be mistaken for a stinky men's urinal and sometimes is a men's urinal, you know there is no glamour. I can keep going. I am a woman maybe I could say all the stuff about how women artists when they do earn money it will be 37 percent less then men. More stats here on countess. Also there is A-N for lots of info on artists and I just bought my artist insurance as this is very cheap on A-N but covers the awful inevitable. 
I was disappointed at the meeting hearing an artist say she volunteered on the London Olympics and another one say it just wouldn't happen without volunteers which is complete bullshit. The Sydney Olympics paid artists. The Olympics is a complete rip off for artists full stop, because of the Olympics there is going to be less funding in the arts in the UK and Sydney for decades. The Olympics causes people to be evacuated from there homes for good, it closes down small businesses, it causes mass evacuation of tourists and people that live in the city it is held in. It is a carnival that comes to town and rips people off. I would recommend any city to pull out of it now. A student mentioned how her school teacher told her not to take up art as a career and she said that was very degrading and that there is careers in it. Everyone in the room was shaking there heads. I could not believe how many disillusioned artists that were in the room or that they were planted there by the government. Another artist talked about tours and how venues take 50 percent of door takings and if there is little turn out because they have done nothing for publicity then the artist continually run at a loss. 


Saturday 11 October 2014

Dandfiest the movie


The Norwich Dandies are proud to release this short film, which includes the performance poem My Mental Helmet, on World Mental Health Day. Let's all be a little bit kinder, less quick to judge, more accepting of difference… our own lives will be enriched. Have a look at the movie here. Vote for the Norwich Dandies who have been nominated by the people of Norfolk for Art award

Wednesday 8 October 2014

Vote for the Norwich Dandies



Photo with permission from Ruski 2014©

Norwich Dandies have been nominated for the EDP Peoples Choice Arts Award 2014. Vote now for Norwich Dandies in the medium arts category. This year Norwich Pride has been nominated for the large festival so vote for that too. Click here to vote on EDP web page scroll down and click on voting that is highlighted. 
Norwich Dandies have been doing some great events this year and next year will totally amazing and put Norwich on the map, move over Cotman. Check out what the Norwich Dandies have been up to on there blog

Monday 29 September 2014

Washi tape and Goblins everywhere at the NNUH


I found another plant in the garden



Play nurse bringing the children to the garden



The elderly made some Japanese art in the wards and enjoyed the company of Japanese visitiors



Flowers from Gunton station but also coincidently are the national flower of Japan



Japanese art foot prints



Lilly and my washi tape face



Morning hospital art meeting



Kappa water creatures workshop in the Buxton ward



Murals of Goblins spreading to the 2nd floor



Opps the walls too



Me modeling my goblin's everywhere



Two goblins Mum and daughter goblins


dancing goblin



twin goblin



Happy Professor at the window


 

Photographer autographing photo he took for the Japanese artists



Nurse goblin


NNUH arts goblins



Waiting for the visitors to arrive for there fair well drinks



Everyone talking by candle light



having a laugh at my sketch I drew.


Sunday 28 September 2014

Washi Tape mural Japan meets NNUH


Washi tape mural on the 1st floor of the hospitals 




Lunch all together in the hospital restaurant.





A little bit of lunch time play making some origami birds




Dr. Goblin and his Washi tape mural



Dr. Goblin help we need some art on the windows and white walls. 



Students and patients help make the mural



Outside in



Jaide reaches the top of the Washi tape mural



Dr. Goblin in Washi tape action



Washi tape pack man.


Saturday 27 September 2014

Pond Bingo in the Super natural Garden


Pond Bingo with Herb Fondevilla



Supernatual garden with special plants to find for the Bingo.