GemArts Autumn Winter Season 2018

As the lovely warm weather continues our Autumn Winter Season brochure has arrived and brings an eclectic mix of new commissions, exhibitions, workshops and events to the region for that Indian Summer glow. Download your full brochure here GemArts Autumn Winter 2018 Brochure

Thank you to everyone who came to our Masala Festival in July and made it such a huge success! You still have time to see Sumit Sarkar’s fantastic Everything Nothing Exhibition at Gateshead Central Library on until 2 October, featuring new commissioned work by GemArts, including a new marble sculpture created by a robotic arm!

Launching our exceptional Riverside Ragas programme this Autumn we have spectacular Sitar players, Purbayan Chatterjee , accompanied by Gurdain Rayatt on Tabla, and rising star Jasdeep Singh Degun presenting groundbreaking sounds from the traditional to the contemporary.

Setting a new benchmark for Indo-Western collaboration, later in the season we are excited to present the official launch performance of GemArts supported, Trilaka epic double album of Simon Thacker’s Svara-Kanti.

Purbayan Chatterjee

Jasdeep Singh Degun

Gurdain Rayatt

 

With something for all the family, you can delight the kids in October half term, with Jungle Book, where you can follow fearless Mowgli’s wild adventures through the jungle with inventive shadow theatre, powerful music and colourful digital projections.

Marking the festive season, November brings our annual Diwali festival of lights with delicious Indian food and a night of Bollywood and Bhangra Beats, bring your dancing shoes!  Outstanding vocalist Swati Natekar will take you on a musical journey in December with an evening of Ghazals, Thumris and old Bollywood Songs and we have a fantastic opportunity to hear novelist, Preti Taneja, reading from her debut novel We that are Young, a powerful retelling of King Lear set in contemporary New Delhi and winner of the Desmond Elliott Prize 2018.

Celebrating the New Year we welcome star of the future Kaviraj Singh on santoor in January, as part of the exciting New Year, New Artists Festival at Sage Gateshead. Visit our website for more information on this soon.

As always we will be delivering workshops and projects for schools and with community groups over the coming months and launching our new animation to raise awareness of Mate Crime. Projects aim to support equality, promote diversity and tackle inequality. For more information about projects please visit GemArts Projects.

We look forward to seeing you over the coming months. Keep up to date on our news by following us on Facebook and Twitter.

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AWAKENINGS

by Bobby Tiwana, curator of AWAKE at GemArts Masala Festival.

Still from ‘Hearing in the Bardo’

Again it’s a pleasure to be curating a film programme for GemArts Masala festival. This year’s programme is inspired by my father’s bladder cancer and mother’s atrial fibrillation diagnoses and spending much time in hospital waiting rooms. The irony was they’d both led clean lives. Regardless it got me thinking about lifestyle choices, long-term health outcomes and our inevitable mortality. Whilst waiting, I read NHS information leaflets, I observed the faces and postures of others, there were conversations; and there was time for much reflection.

I knew I didn’t want to show finger-wagging information films or documentaries about how to live better. The starting theme was health and well-being. Upon mining into this further it got me thinking about ‘what does it take to stay alive?’ Whilst my father’s news was a bolt out of the blue he was soon surrounded by a ring of love, followed by much listening, talking and compassion. I had some heart-warming conversations whilst waiting with strangers. People talked, wanting to share. There was no shame, embarrassment or judgement. Instead there was a shared empathy. Human contact and social interaction feel like vital components to being well.

Six shorts have been carefully selected in response to the programme’s theme. Whilst they are not explicitly about health they do strive for consciousness or there is an awakening; and they do embody a sense of humanity, because that is what I think gets us through. Psychology is a theme through all of the films, the mental health of our interior landscapes. We meet characters at a juncture, sometimes young – sometimes old, through live action narrative, stop motion and 2D animation, documentary-fiction and an experimental short.

Still from ‘Three Brothers’

The programme kicks off with two British shorts. In the first, THREE BROTHERS, (a BAFTA Nominee, by Aleem Khan), Hamid, (played by Zain Muhammad Zafar) finds himself at the helm of family responsibility in the absence of his parents.

See the trailer for ‘THREE BROTHERS’

Still from ‘Don’t Think of a Pink Elephant’

This is followed by DON’T THINK OF A PINK ELEPHANT (by Suraya Raja). Set in Liverpool, Layla fights her daily compulsions, her fear of certain objects. Now that Mum’s out what will happen between her and her brother Naz?

See the trailer for ‘DON’T THINK OF A PINK ELEPHANT’

Still from ‘Moongfali Wala (The peanut seller)’

MOONGFALI WALA (THE PEANUT SELLER) (recent winner of the Satyajit Ray Short Film Award 2018) takes us 5,000 miles east to the megapolis of India’s capital Delhi. Every day Shakeel searches for his mother until life’s lottery has its way. Does the past define your future?  We find ourselves at a juncture. Made by filmmaker Etienne Sievers.

Still from ‘The Day’

THE DAY (is made by experimental filmmaker Hilusha Hewagama). A serviceman experiences flashbacks of the past – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or psychosis? What’s real and what’s unreal – does it matter? This film forms part of a recent wave of filmmaking attempting to make sense of post-war Sri Lanka after 26 years’ of civil war.

Still from ‘Hearing in the Bardo’

HEARING IN THE BARDO is a visual and aural meditation exploring the transient nature of life, death and rebirth. Shot in Nepal with the Sherpa people, filmmaker Isaac McCardle has created contemplation through film. The mountains of the rooftop of the world and the ethereal narration by Tenzin Phuntsok ease us to the next state of our existence.

Still from ‘Maacher Jhol (The Fish Curry)’

We conclude with the animated MAACHER JHOL (THE FISH CURRY (by Abhishek Verma). Lalit, a 34-year old bachelor has something on his mind. He’s making fish curry, his father’s favourite dish. Set to a score of Bollywood classics which play out on the radio.

See the trailer for ‘MAACHER JHOL (THE FISH CURRY)’

The films will be followed by a post-screen discussion with industry professionals facilitated by myself, Bobby Tiwana.

GemArts Masala Festival: AWAKE, FRI 20 JUL, 7pm, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, South Shore Road, Gateshead NE8 3BA

Tickets £5 Buy here

Ticket includes welcome drink

Age 14+

Running time 2 hours

GemArts Masala Festival 2018

Masala Festival is back, bigger and better this year, from 14 – 22 July 2018, with 9 days of the finest South Asian Arts and Culture in the North East featuring music, poetry, dance, exhibitions, workshops and more.

Launching with the Odissi Dance Ensemble and the creation of a giant Rangoli by Ranbir Kaur on Performance Square on 14th July, 11am – 3pm.

Exhibitions and workshop with Digital artist Sumit Sarkar, delicious food from Dabbawal and Ashiyana Cafe@Arch16, award winning poets, Jazz and Classical Music and much more.

See the full programme GemArts Masala Festival 2018 Brochure FINAL

JOB VACANCY: COMMUNICATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICER (part time)

Job Title: Communications & Development Officer

Purpose of the Post
There is now an exciting opportunity to join GemArts in this role. As Communications
and Development Officer you will take lead responsibility for the implementation of
GemArts press and media activity and contribute to our communications and fundraising strategies.
We are looking for a highly motivated person, a creative thinker whose experience will
enable them to raise and maintain the profile and awareness of GemArts locally,
nationally and internationally. This role calls for a proactive, dynamic and reliable person who can make limited resources go far with an integrated approach.

For full job spec and how to apply see Job Pack and Application Form listed below.

Location – Based in GemArts office in Gateshead Central Library, Prince Consort Road, Gateshead, NE8 4LN with occasional regional or national travel.

Working Arrangement – A Part-time employment contract for 3 days per week or 22.5 hours is offered for a 2 years fixed term period. Some work during evenings and weekends will be required; time off in lieu will be granted for additional hours worked on a one to one basis.

Annual leave entitlement – 21 days per year pro rata

Salary – £20000.00 per annum pro rata, plus pension

Responsible to: Director and Board of Trustees and Steering Group 

How to Apply

Applications should be made on the Application Form below. Please follow the instructions on the Application Form carefully. The Job Pack and Application Form contain the key information needed to make an application.  CVs will not be accepted.

Application deadline: 10am Monday 14^th May 2018

Send your completed application form to: vikas@gemarts.org

Interviews will be held on Thursday 24^th May 2018

Full job spec and application form see below:  

GemArts Communications and Development Officer Job Pack April 2018

GemArts_Application_Form_April 2018

 

THE MOONWATCHER

Find out more about the beautiful show here.

PROCESSIONS 2018

 

This year 100 women artists are being commissioned to work with organisations and communities across the UK, to create 100 centenary banners for PROCESSIONS, as part of an extensive public programme of creative workshops. The project marks 100 years since the Representation of the People Act gave the first British women the right to vote and stand for public office.

Community banner-making has started up and down the country, and GemArts is one of the organisations chosen to work on this exciting project. GemArts is working with GVEMSG’s Women’s Feel Good Group, on participatory textiles and visual arts sessions offering the group a creative, active, educational and safe environment, to overcome barriers and build confidence, through interacting, socialising and supporting each other.

Members of the Feel Good Group fed back that they would like to continue to take part in arts sessions with GemArts artists. This project will allow the women to spend time designing and creating a banner with professional artist Michelle Wood, exploring the themes of PROCESSIONS, what the vote means to them, representing the women and their ideas, celebrating their culture and identities, as well as their concerns and hopes for the future.

The group will also travel to Edinburgh in June as part of a nationwide event, in which women from all walks of life will come together to mark this historic moment, 100 years on, of the passing of the Act that first granted some women the right to vote.

The Feel Good Group are delighted to have the opportunity to work with Michelle again, and to be a part of this exciting national project. We’ll keep you updated as the work progresses.

PROCESSIONS is commissioned by 14-18 NOW, the UK’s arts programme for the First World War centenary and produced by Artichoke. With support from the National Lottery through Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery Fund, and from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

PROCESSIONS Cardiff is produced by Artichoke in partnership with Festival of Voice and Wales Millennium Centre.

Find out more about PROCESSIONS at www.processsions.co.uk .

Find out more about artist Michelle Wood here www.seatern.co.uk.

Find out more about the GVEMSG Feel Good Group here https://gvemsgwomensgroup.wordpress.com

JOB VACANCY: ADMINISTRATOR (part time)

The deadline for this post has now passed.

Job Title :  Administrator (Part Time)

Purpose of the Post :
There is now an exciting opportunity to join GemArts to provide administrative support
and contribute to the smooth running of the organisation.
We are looking for a highly motivated and proactive person. The successful applicant
will report directly to GemArts’ Director and Board of Trustees, and will work closely with the Project Manager, Communications and Development Officer, staff and other
volunteers.

Main Duties and Responsibilities :
The duties and responsibilities outlined below are intended to be an indication of the
scope and nature of the post and are subject to review periodically through staff review
and appraisal;
• Provide support to the Director, Project Manager, Communications and Development
Officer and other members of the trustees, management committee, staff and
volunteers as required.
• Ensure effective and efficient company administration
• Undertake routine office duties, including dealing with the post, mailing, record
keeping and filing, word processing and database maintenance.
• Maintain paper and electronic filing systems
• Be responsible for the organisation’s administration and the implementation and
maintenance of appropriate office systems and up to date financial records.
• Deal effectively and efficiently with enquiries and requests from members of the
public, partner organisations and individual artists.
• Provide specific project support, including appropriate support of the planning
process, contacting artists and participants, preparing schedules and itineraries,
keeping up to date records, managing bookings and assisting at events and
performances as required.
• Provide administrative support to meetings as required including board meetings –
minutes, send out paperwork, diary management, room booking etc.
• Maintain the website/social networking sites/email newsletter and change images
and content as required.
• Accept responsibility for appropriate behaviour regarding Health & Safety, Equality
and Diversity, fair treatment of others and maintenance of high levels of customer
service, as well as compliance with appropriate policies.
• Undertake other duties appropriate to the post and in line with the needs of the
organisation.

Full job spec : GemArts Administrator Job Spec Jan2018

Location : Based in GemArts office in Gateshead with occasional regional or national travel.

Hours : Part-time, 2 days or 16 hours per week.

Salary : £15,405.00 pro rata plus pension.

Deadline : 2pm Friday 26th January 2018.

How to apply for the post : Please send an up to date CV to mick.kumar@adecco.co.uk  by 2pm on Friday 26th January 2018.

 

Merry Christmas

Each year when I look back at the previous 12 months, I get a sense of awe at the achievements of our small (but mighty) team, and the wonderful artists, communities, volunteers and organisations GemArts has worked with. It’s also a time for me to consider how generous our donors, funders and audiences are, so thank you for supporting our work in so many ways.

Throughout 2017 we continued to do what we do best, showcasing the best and brightest artistic talent from the UK and abroad, championing creativity and diversity, and always ensuring artists received the support and profile they deserve. GemArts’ audiences were given access to unique cultural experiences, with people of all ages and backgrounds joining us in making exceptional music, dance and art, while developing new skills and building confidence along the way. Communities continue to face inequalities and challenges, but through our arts projects we have seen the people of the North East come together, to inspire and support each other, and celebrate diversity.

This year we strengthened relationships and developed new partnerships, increasing the reach and impact of GemArts work, for which we were recognised with awards and accolades. We’ve picked a few of our highlights from 2017, click on the red text to find out more about each, and I’m sure you will have your own favourites.

In February I will travel to London to collect my MBE for services to Arts and Culture – a huge honour and privilege! I personally feel this achievement recognises the collective efforts of everyone who has supported GemArts over the years. I am eternally grateful to you all.

On behalf of everyone at GemArts and GVEMSG, I would like to  thank you for your continued support, and wish you a very merry Christmas, and all the best for a happy, healthy and peaceful New Year.

Best wishes and see you in 2018.

Vikas Kumar, MBE
Director, GemArts

Masala Festival – Following a Journal Culture Arts Council Award win, our week-long festival returned in July. Thousands of people joined us for a mix and blend of the very finest South Asian arts and culture, enjoying live music, exhibitions, cooking demos, special festival menus, family fun days, workshops, poetry readings, theatre, film screenings and lots more. The festival returns on the 16th July 2018 packed with even more exceptional art!

GemArts Riverside Ragas – Presented the best of raag based music, accompanying concerts with informative pre concert talks, masterclasses and demonstrations. 2017’s Riverside Ragas featured; Guiliano Modarelli (Routes), Kobini Ananth and Yarlinie Thanabalasingham (An Inner Voice), Baluji Shrivastav, Roopa Panesar and Bhupinder Chaggar, Debasmita Bhattacharya and Gurdain Rayatt, and we’ve an incredible line up for Spring Summer 2018.

God and Mortals – Our first collaboration with Sunderland Stages was a stunning performance by an ensemble of the country’s finest Odissi dancers and musicians, staged within the breath-taking setting of Sunderland Minster.

Health and Wellbeing – To help tackle social isolation we worked with Gateshead Carers BME groups to create “arrival and survival” a showcase of art work representing Identity and Isolation. Members of GVEMSG’s Feel Good Group were also extremely busy creating unique glass, sharing skills, developing support networks and using new creative and enterprise skills to raise more than £358 for their project, meaning more women will benefit from the support and activities on offer. Read the Feel Good Group’s blog here.

East by North East – Our Youth Music funded project offered music making opportunities to over 190 young people each week throughout 2017. Watching young participants grow in their musical skills and confidence has been a real highlight of this project, and this would not have been possible without the strong team of committed, talented and awe inspiring music leaders and partners we have on board. Here’s to another two years!

Dispersed Belongings – From Syria to Gateshead explored belonging among refugee-background Syrian young people living in Gateshead, in partnership with Durham University and Gateshead Council. Young people participated in workshops with professional visual artists and musicians, and produced works that reflected their ideas and experiences. The project culminated in an event at BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, and a week-long exhibition in the Shipley Lounge as part of the national Platforma Festival.

GemArts Mini Melas – Between February and October we packed in a whopping FOUR Mini Melas, bringing free family arts activity to Gateshead, Newcastle, South Shields and Durham. In total over 1500 children and their families visited us at a Mini Mela in 2017, joining in arts activity from around the world, and some even completed Arts Award in a day (an incredible 101 young people achieved Arts Award through GemArts in 2017). Thanks to all the partners who provided a venue for or supported one of our Mini Melas this year.

 

Kathakali schools performance – 200 local primary school students had the unique opportunity to take part in workshops and watch the world renowned Kala Chethena Kathakali Company, perform in Gateshead. Pupils experienced the entrancing world of ancient Hindu storytelling through this sacred theatre art form with its striking visual imagery, ancient sign language, superb singing and movement.

Anti Hate Crime work – Continuing this award winning work with young people, pupils from Brandling Primary School, Gateshead worked on a creative writing project exploring the theme of “respect”, with artist Laura Degnan. Pupils developed reading and writing skills using creative storytelling techniques and film making. Members of Gateshead Muslim Centre young people’s group (age 6-15), used animation as a creative tool with artist Lesley anne Rose, discussing Hate Crime and how to report it. Learning story boarding and animation techniques, the young people created their very own animation which you can watch here.

Great North Run- Thanks to a grant we were able to purchase places in the GNR 2017. Not only did our runners (Anj, David, Jamie, Stuart and Tom) complete the worlds largest half marathon, they also totally smashed their fundraising targets, donating an impressive £2200 to our charity! All donations help GemArts deliver life enhancing arts projects, you can sign up to Run and Raise or simply contribute to GemArts here.
GemArts Spring Summer 2018 programme launches on Friday 19th January.
Follow this link www.gemarts.org to find out more. 

Images from top: Riverside Ragas Roopa Panesar by Anna Miller, The Gandharva Choir Masala Festival by Anna Miller, Mini Movers Masala Festival  by Anna Miller, Riverside Ragas Debasmita Bhattacharya by Anna Miller, Feel Good Group jewellery stall by Anna Miller,Gods and Mortals Sunderland Stages by Richard Kenworthy, From Syria to Gateshead My country is unforgettable by Mohamad, The Kala Chethena Kathakali Company, Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band Masala Festival by Anna Miller

 

New Opera Development Opportunity

INTERESTED IN OPERA?

We are looking for music-makers, theatre-makers and writers from BAME backgrounds who are interested in exploring new possibilities in collaborative artistic creation.

This is an opportunity to;

• be commissioned to develop an original idea
• be mentored on the development of your project
• work with singers and musicians to develop your idea
• present work-in-progress and receive feedback
• develop a project with GemArts, Lyric or Curve, supported by Opera North and Royal Opera

We believe opera is where music, theatre and movement meet.  It is the most vibrant and flexible of genres, and is the perfect platform for telling diverse stories in diverse ways.  Our definition of opera is broad –embracing music, theatre and movement from all cultural traditions – and we are seeking new stories and innovative approaches.

At this stage, the scale of your proposal does not matter.  But it must meet the following criteria:

• your project must involve one or more collaborators
• the lead artist for your project must be based in the UK.

We will select three projects for a development commission and fully support those artists as they develop their work.

If you’d like to know more please email or call Anwar Ibrahim at anwar.ibrahim@roh.org.uk or 020 7212 9387.
When:                 From December 2017 to July 2018

Who:                   Writers, Composers, Directors, Theatre-Makers

Cost:                   We will commission the artists selected to develop their work

How to Apply:   Click on the link below, or complete the expression of interest form and send to anwar.ibrahim@roh.org.uk by Monday 23^rd October.

Expression of interest form – New Opera Development Opportunity Oct17-July18

Link to online version of form – https://www.surveycrest.com/s/5926e630efc34

GEMARTS EAST BY NORTH EAST PT2

East by North East is a Youth Music funded project led by GemArts, providing opportunities for young people from diverse communities to come together and make music.  The project has already enabled over 190 young people to develop and share their compositions and performance skills in a wide range of genres, while addressing issues relevant to their lives, developing life skills and achieving Arts Award.

In addition, GemArts has further diversified the workforce of music practitioners, and East by North East offers training and development to ensure that creativity and diversity is thriving in the North East!

To celebrate the project we’ve asked some of our music leaders to share their thoughts on East by North East, their own development, and the groups they worked with. Read on for our second blog post.

GemArts East by North East Blog by Izzy Finch, Music Leader 

In 2016 I became one of the musicians for the GemArts project East by North East (EbNE), working with young women aged 13-16 from the Czech and Roma communities in the West End of Newcastle. When we first began our weekly sessions at CHAT Trust, the group were shy and their conversational English was emerging. This meant that, without interpreters at the sessions, we initially found communication problematic with regard to expectations and outcomes for the project.

Over the course of the year, we began exploring different genres of music and the girls began singing. This developed into rapping and gradually evolved into writing their own material and performing locally in both their heritage language and in English. Some of the issues we encountered early on included communication barriers, low self-esteem, social and gender related tensions and even tensions between our project and the perceptions of the school the young women attended.

There was one session where one of the young women told me that she had fallen behind with homework and was struggling at school. Having recently discovered that she was unable to read or write I had wondered how she would be managing at school and if she was accessing support. We stayed behind and worked on some of her assignments and discussed things she could ask her teachers about. This was a significant moment for me, in helping me to appreciate how a safe, creative space enabled the development of BAMER women who joined our project completely unable or unwilling to engage with seemingly inaccessible tasks or assignments that demanded a grasp of English to writing and performing original material and developing their ability to articulate their hopes, fears and aspirations within the group. Without the support of interpreting staff, the two factors that played the most significant role in empowering the young women were trust and time. By the time the project drew to a close, all of the young people were demonstrating engagement and the ability to take creative risks.

Young women take part in a session at CHAT Trust

Forming a band and attending regular rehearsal and workshops was challenging for the group at first as it required commitment, determination and practice. All the young women obtained their bronze Arts Award which was a huge achievement and for many, their first experience of achieving any form of accreditation.

Young people at CHAT Trust achieve their Bronze Arts Awards

The final celebration event took place at Sage Gateshead, and was a vibrant celebration involving participants from a wide representation of heritage and culture across the EBNE projects in the city.

This project serves as a good example of how, as defined in The Creative Case for Diversity, “experimentation leads to changes.” In offering young people the chance to express themselves in an inclusive space, and by using this experience to initiate creativity and original compositions, we learned that all of the participants experienced feelings of enhanced self-esteem and of a future where they had skills and strengths they didn’t know existed. “ Now I know girls can rap just as good as the boys. I didn’t think I could write a song that would sound good. I’m always going to love performing now.” –  Vanessa

In 2005, I had been invited to join a refugee integration project based in Newcastle. Mongrel UK was issue-based music and theatre exploring concepts of identity, migration and social justice. I was a 13 year old participant, yet I felt was being nurtured and mentored by strong female role models. I feel I was one of the first people to experience the grassroots evolution from participant to practitioner. Many of my professional values were shaped at that time and I feel that I experienced first-hand what a positive impact involvement in projects like EBNE can have on a young person. I have this experience at the forefront of my practice with all of the groups I work with, particularly young BAMER women, with whom I have an affinity.

Life Transformation Church band perform at EbNE celebration event at Sage Gateshead

It is clear that the experience of the young person is at the centre of the project when GemArts initiates a project like this one, but what isn’t that obvious on the surface is how the journey of arts practitioners is equally important. We are actively encouraged to reflect upon and document our own learning and journey. My learning and observations have been centred around the themes of culture, heritage, gender, perception and diversity. Although my musical knowledge and experience is clearly valued, there is a finer less tangible aspect to projects like EBNE that is centred around celebrating and promoting not only the diversity that exists within communities but also that within the practitioners who are matched to deliver the programmes.

Gem Arts partner musicians who have different but compatible strengths. Working relationships must evolve to make the most of competencies and skills we have between us and what this ultimately brings to the workforce is adaptive resilience. There have been occasions where I have felt that my co-workers have had a stronger skill set for a specific young person or circumstance, but there is always the opportunity for me to support and restore the balance within another situation.

I am so proud of the individual journeys of self-expression as well as the incredible creative outcomes that demonstrate how valuable projects like East by North East are. Beyond the creative and musical end products, we have opportunities to develop self-belief, affirmation of cultural identity and values and on a very basic level… happiness!

Gem Arts develop and build pride in identity in often marginalised groups within the North East. On a personal level, my involvement in this project has made me realise how passionate I feel about working with young women; confronting and challenging negative cultural stereotypes.

If you are interested in the project please contact GemArts – info@gemarts.org

Izzy Finch, EBNE Music Leader

Watch our East by North East 2017 film here

GemArts East by North East 2017 from GemArts on Vimeo.