Camberwell Arts Festival 2010

I’m nursing a strong coffee and a small hangover after last night’s Camberwell Arts Festival opening party, hosted by Moona in St Giles Crypt, and contemplating what the rest of the week has in store.  The theme of this year’s Festival is to put art in some unexpected places, and get people to explore different parts of the area.  So there’s film screenings on a rooftop, (Well)water-inspired installations in various eateries, trails to follow around and about Church Street, and — we hope — three new permanent artworks to — eventually — be unveiled.

The events I’m personally looking forward to this week are:

The Myatt’s Field Park Tea Dance, taking place today (Sunday 20th), courtesy of Home Live Art.

Also today,  Daniel Lehan’s ‘Your Art Here Too’ on the Green, which follows on from last year’s successful event that drew many passers-by to have a go at creating some art and exhibiting it on the railings.

The Green becomes Speaker’s Corner on Monday evening, and, this being Camberwell Green, who knows how that will pan out…

The mysterious promise of ‘An Introduction to the Art of the Funerary Violin’ on Tuesday will, I expect, maintain the feeling that we’re entering the unknown where anything could happen.

Summertime Sounds in Grove Chapel should bring a sense of calm and civility back to proceedings on Wednesday.

Just in time for the Camberwell Beauty (see what they’ve done there?!) Fashion Day, hosted by the SE5 Forum, on Thursday.

We’ll get back to Midsummer Madness on Thursday night, though, as Creative Routes do what they do best in their Muses Cafe in the Crypt.

And the unpredictability continues on Friday with some story-telling and much more from the Honourable Society of Faster Craftswomen.

All of which brings us to next weekend, featuring a pop-up travel agency on the Green and the now traditional mayhem of The Chutney Preserves Fair on Sunday.

Phew!  I’m going to be busy.  And besides all that I have to fit in a visit to the Camberwell School of Arts end of year show, get a gander at the expanded and refurbished South London Gallery opening on Saturday 26th, and have a quick nosy in the various artist studios open this weekend and next.

There’s lot’s to see and do folks — so get out there and have a look.  The Camberwell Arts Festival is run on a small grant from Southwark Council, put together by our impressively serene and cheery Director, Kelly O’Reilly, and relies on the goodwill and enthusiasm of lots of artists.  It’s no mean feat, and it’s something Camberwell should be proud of.  Make the most of it!

Full info about all events can be found here: www.camberwellarts.org.uk

57 thoughts on “Camberwell Arts Festival 2010”

  1. The South London Gallery extension looks magnificent…I will be visiting sometime next week…but it needs to work in conjunction with another innovative arts/cultural space for it and Camberwell to genuinely thrive 😉

    This week has been extremely busy work wise but i’ve still managed to squeeze in a couple of Spain footie matches…One at the S&D which has been most enjoyable — the cheeseburger with blue cheese and chips is always a pleasure, never a chore!

    I’ve still had time to plug the Camberwell Arts Festival every day this week on the Cinema for Camberwell Green/Camberwell Village Hall facebook page — I hope it helped…

    On the subject…would it not be beyond the realms of consideration,probability and lateral thinking for the North Peckham Civic Centre on Old Kent Road to become a permanent place for an Evangelical Church — leaving the extremely important building and site location of the ex-Gala Bingo Hall for a Camberwell Village Hall?

    A location which is more than ideal for North Peckham/North Camberwell residents who the former building was originally designed for?

    The North Peckham Civic Centre is a fine building but was an afterthought and it’s location has always meant it has been severely underused since it opened. — I know this because I used to use it in the 80’s after school to listen to all the latest albums and do some homework — it was always empty! — This is a scenario which has remained to the current day, more so since Peckham Library opened.

    Perhaps this is why a church has been given permission to use the building — not sure if they have bought it off the council or are just leasing it…but the precedent has already been set.

    Also there is an abundance of free parking availiable in the retail parks surrounding the centre…especially at morning mass and 6.30pm when the majority of church services are held.

    In addition to this, it is also a stones throw from an existing R.C.C.G church on the junction of Ruby Street and another on Ilderton Road — the photos are on the CVH website…it this not a potential compromise scenario?

    Just a thought 🙂

  2. There is still two hours of the animal fair left on the Green. This will be a lot more fun than the carry on we have just seen on the pitch. Serbia beat Germany a few days ago, let us not forget. Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, these have done the old Yugoslavia proud. Maybe they should think of reforming.

  3. That was, indeed, a laid-back gathering and one could have had total surgery, everything done, and not really have noticed. One could have emerged as a new person and one’s familiar fond friends would say that one was the same.

    And yet, as the prophet said, “Nothing is as it seems, nor are things otherwise than as they are.”

    After the Animal Fair, I went for a wander and found myself on same waste ground at the bottom of Benhill Road surrounded by half-demolished council flats.

    Where there used to be some garages and concrete walls bearing interesting graffiti and graphic motifs referring to the Rio Massive, is now some waste severely fly-tipped waste ground.

    There, I found an old Spanish guitar made in the old GDR — East Germany. I will restore this instrument and play only German tunes on it, or tunes from Greater Germany, like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, a tune crafted by the young Mozart.

    “Football is sad. It is such an illusion. People feel they have achieved something when their team wins, but of course they haven’t.”

    The learned English Professor John Carey said that, but then he is not German. When Germany win, everyone who lives there has contributed in some way, whether they hail from Poland, Turkey or Ghana.

    Talking of which, come on Ghana!

  4. Ghana have been superb

    Nice to see the celebrations along Walworth Road, on Saturday Night…Which comfortably outdid the ones from 4 years ago

    It would be great to see an African team reach at least the semi-finals or final for the very first time

    Football is just a pastime to be enjoyed — I wish the media and marketing companies would realise that money doesn’t guarantee results — because at heart it is and always will remain, just a pastime.

    One which I enjoy — Come on Dulwich Hamlet! Promotion for 201011!

    🙂

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