Very pleased to announce that the Norfolk Arts Visual Arts Award category is a 'win/win' with one of our group, Gennadiy Ivanov nominated, as well as Norwich 20 Group!

Here's a link to online coverage, with a report in today's EDP and Evening News - on p2 of the What's On section.

https://www.edp24.co.uk/things-to-do/days-out/norfolk-arts-awards-nominees-announced-8142720

Attached is an image of many group members from one of our monthly open meetings (photo taken by Simon Marshall - thanks), which we very much hope can resume from September.

A few words from current Chair, Brigitte Hague:

'I’m absolutely delighted to hear we have been nominated for a Norfolk Arts Award!  

It’s been a very difficult time for everyone in the arts this year and it’s been a true team effort between the committee and members to keep in touch with everyone and ensure we were able to exhibit. 

Norwich 20 Group has a long history of being an active part of the local art scene, and I’m incredibly proud of everyone who has contributed to our activities over recent years - helping to support our members and bring art to the local community during the pandemic.

Many thanks to the Hostry Festival and EDP for all their support and recognition.

Many congratulations to N20G member Gennadiy Ivanov too, who is also shortlisted for his own projects which bring together works which often highlight difficult subjects. Recognition well deserved for all the hard work'.

Japan Water, GroundWork Gallery's current exhibition, is attracting some wonderful reactions and comments from visitors. Not only is it full of spectacular images, but they are thought-provoking, causing us to reflect, literally, on the qualities of our water. So, join us and some starry speakers for some fascinating water events. The first, on the Purity of Water, is part of the Norfolk and Norwich Festival on 21st May. The second, on the Power of Water is on 25 June, just a week after the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. Details are below.

The Purity of Water May 21st, 2 - 4 BST (on Zoom)

Mirror Pond by Nana Shiomi is one of the images which made us realise that we should start our thinking from the work in the exhibition. Crystal clarity is something quite special to Japan's water and present in many striking images. But how does that relate to real life? Is it an ideal, or does it hide deeper problems of pollution? Is the cleanliness and clarity of water something we share in the UK?
In the company of a number of specialists in different fields we will spend an afternoon talking about pure water and the environment.

Speakers include
Keynote 1: Professor Veronica Strang (Environmental anthroloplogist and author of The Meaning of Water)
Nana Shiomi (exhibiting artist
Isao Miura (exhibiting artist)
Jonah Tosney (Norfolk Rivers Trust)
Louise Bleach (Water Purification expert, Desolenator)
Matthew Whaley ( Water consultant, Arup)

Further details and booking: https://www.groundworkgallery.com/events/the-purity-of-water/
Click through here to book via Eventbrite direct

The Power of Water
June 25th,  2-6 BST (on Zoom)

This event starts from the work of Jonathan Meuli on the immense power of the wave, and from Hakan Topal's ongoing research about catastrophe and international waters. This led him to 2 artistic residencies in Japan and research in Miyagi Prefecture, to examine the  impacts on the coastal communities of the devastating Tsunami, earthquake and nuclear power disasters of 2011.
As well as discussing the power of water as a physical phenomenon and as a political force, we will talk about responses to water disasters, and some of their impacts on arts and heritage.

Speakers include
Keynote 2: Professor Veronica Strang (Environmental anthropologist and author of the Meaning of Water)
Jonathan Meuli (exhibiting artist)
Hakan Topal (exhibiting artist)
Makoto Takahashi (scientist, Technical University, Munich)
Simon Kaner (director Sainsbury Institute for Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures)
Jack Heslop (water engineer, WSP)
Adrian Favell (Professor of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Leeds)

Further details and booking: https://www.groundworkgallery.com/events/the-power-of-water/
Click through here to book via Eventbrite direct
 
We are delighted to be included as part of Norfolk and Norwich Festival - which starts in a few days, and with quite a few events you can actually join physically! There is also this online discussion event which might be of interest: https://nnfestival.org.uk/whats-on/why-biennials-2/
 
And while on the subject of festivals, you might be interested a new one starting this year. EA Festival will be based in the grounds of the beautiful venue of Castle Hedingham and taking place from 31st July - 1st August. Largely based around East Anglian talent, it is 'showcasing creative leaders in art and culture', including many well-known media personalities. As one of its programming strands, it is featuring the environment as a subject for discussion and entrepreneurship. 
 
There is a lot more to tell you, and there are some exciting GroundWork Gallery projects coming up for the remainder of the year. They will feature in following mailings, but in the meantime, have a look at the website for info. 
https://www.groundworkgallery.com/groundwork_projects/extraction-projects/
https://www.groundworkgallery.com/groundwork_projects/extraction-projects/

And please do come and visit !!!
Japan Water is open Wednesday to Saturday 11-4 until 31st July
No need to book - just come
 

The Norfolk & Norwich Festival has stepped up to get the summer kick-started with a bang. Taking an early decision to deliver a festival come what may, they have used Covid recovery funding to enable them to offer a remodelled 'pay what you want' festival of events which meant that the programme could go ahead come what may. Brilliant thinking on behalf of the team.

Our wonderful city and county is waking up, with a mass of concerts, performances and exhibitions which demonstrate the resilience and commitment of our arts sector. Nit that I am suggesting that it has been easy - it has demanded a huge amount of extra work and innovation to make it happen. So, please get out there and (safely) enjoy the work that the artists have created. But be quick as bookings are filling up fast as you would expect. Scroll down for a summary timetable of events but of course the website will offer more info.

NORFOLK & NORWICH FESTIVAL – BOOKING NOW OPEN
17 - 30 MAY 2021
www.nnfestival.org.uk

● BOOKING NOW OPEN FOR THE THE SPECIALLY REMODELLED ‘PAY WHAT YOU WANT’ FESTIVAL
● THE PROGRAMME INCLUDES MUSIC, PERFORMANCE, VISUAL ART AND LITERATURE AT INDOOR AND OUTDOOR VENUES ACROSS THE CITY AS WELL AS ONLINE
● FESTIVAL RUNS MONDAY 17 MAY – SUNDAY 30 MAY 2021

​Public booking is now open for Norfolk & Norwich Festival. 
The 14-day event is set to be a specially created one-off adaptation including outdoor and socially distanced performance, art and music as well as a digital strand. The full programme was announced last week and can be seen in the attached press release, or online here.  Also attached are highlights of the literature and music programmes. All events require booking, though everything in this year’s programme is either free or ‘pay what you want’.
 
The programme, which is slightly smaller than usual, is designed to be as adaptable as possible given current circumstances, and created with a desire to provide employment opportunities for artists, as well as entertainment and a sense of community pride. The ‘pay what you want’ structure has been designed by Festival organisers and partners to encourage as many people as want to find something within the Festival that they might enjoy.
 
The Festival will take place in venues across the city and county, as well as at the newly reopened Festival Gardens where a brand-new Festival music weekend has been announced in collaboration with Wild Paths - Garden Sessions. Festival Gardens will also see the return of the much-loved Garden Party over the middle weekend.
 
All Festival events will be in line with government guidelines. To stay in touch with the latest news and programme announcements visit nnfestival.org.uk or follow the Festival’s social media channels.
 
Norfolk & Norwich Festival usually takes place in Norwich and around Norfolk for 17 days each May. The programme is multi-artform, contemporary, international and audience-centred, collaborating with artists from down the road and around the world. Full information and listings for all Norfolk & Norwich Festival events at nnfestival.org.uk.

LISTINGS
Norfolk & Norwich Festival will run from 17 – 30 May 2021
Tickets are on sale to the public from 10am on Thursday 15 April with priority booking opening to Supporters at 10am on Friday 9 April and Friends at 10am on Tuesday 13 April.
Box Office 01603 531800, online nnfestival.org.uk, or in person at Chantry Place (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays).
All tickets are free or pay what you want.

EVENT LISTINGS
Don’t Touch Duckie
A Socially Distanced Launch for Norfolk & Norwich Festival 2021
Monday 17 May, 7.30pm
St Andrew’s Hall
Pay What You Want.
A Norfolk & Norwich Festival Commission Sponsored by PWC.
 
Emergency Exit Arts, Robert Montgomery & Deanna Rodger
Recovery Poems
Monday 17–Sunday 23 May
Across Norfolk
Free

Yara + Davina
Arrivals + Departures
Monday 17–Sunday 30 May, Throughout the day
The Forum
Free

World Premiere
Kaleider : Robot Selfie
Monday 17–Sunday 23 May
Norwich City Centre
Free

600 Highwaymen
A Thousand Ways (Part One): A Phone Call
Presented In Partnership with In Between Time
UK premiere
Monday 17–Saturday 22 May, various times
Pay What You Want

Britten Sinfonia presents
Surround Sound: Norwich Playlist
Tuesday 18 May, 6.30pm & 9pm
Norwich Cathedral
Pay What You Want

Luke Styles and Jessica Walker
The People’s Cabaret
Tuesday 18 May, 7.30pm Diss Corn Hall, Wednesday 19 May, 7.30pm Sheringham Little Theatre
Pay What You Want

Sarathy Korwar
Thursday 20 May, 6pm
St Andrew’s Hall
Pay What You Want

Abel Selaocoe
Wednesday 19 May, 6pm
St Andrew’s Hall
Pay What You Want

Hatis Noit
Thursday 20 May, 9pm
St Andrew’s Hall
Pay What You Want

Nabihah Iqbal
Wednesday 19 May, 9pm
St Andrew’s Hall
Pay What You Want

Creative Norfolk: Creative Individuals  Norfolk Making in a Time of Mayhem
Thursday 20 May, 5pm Digital
Pay What You Want

Garden Party
Saturday 22 & Sunday 23 May, 11am–5pm
Festival Gardens, Chapelfield and Outside The Forum
Free, but you must pre-book

World Premiere
Requardt & Rosenberg
Future Cargo
Thursday 20 May, 6pm & 8pm
Festival Gardens, Chapelfield
Pay What You Want Produced by The Place.

The Javaad Alipoor Company
Rich Kids: A History of Shopping Malls in Tehran
Thursday 20 & Friday 21 May, 7.30pm
Digital : Pay What You Want

Creative Norfolk: Why Biennials?
Monday 24 May, 7.30pm
Digital : Free

Creative Norfolk : Hunt and Darton
The Mum Show
Saturday 22 May, 4pm
Future Radio : Free

Creative Norfolk: Genevieve Rudd, in partnership with original projects
Yarmouth Springs Eternal Conference Saturday 22 May, throughout the day PRIMyarc, Market Gates Shopping Centre, Great Yarmouth
Free, but you must pre-book

I Fagiolini
Re-Wilding The Waste Land
Monday 24 May, 8pm
Cathedral of St John the Baptist
Pay What You Want

Lotte Betts-Dean & Joseph Havlat
From Norfolk to Newfoundland: Folk Songs of the World
Tuesday 25 May, 1pm
St Andrew’s Hall
Pay What You Want

World Premiere
Creative Norfolk: holding hands / Article XI Double Bill
Tuesday 25 May, 8pm The Garage, Norwich A double-bill of two large jazz ensembles featuring some of the most exciting improvisers from around the UK.
Pay What You Want

Manchester Collective and Mahan Esfahani
Friday 21 May, 8pm
St Andrew’s Hall
Pay What You Want

Samson Tsoy
Wednesday 26 May, 1pm
St Andrew’s Hall
Pay What You Want

Tim Spooner with Matthew Robins
Weak Transmission
Wednesday 26–Saturday 29 May, throughout the day
The Guildhall Cells, Norwich
Pay What You Want

Blast Theory : Rider Spoke
Thursday 27–Saturday 29 May, throughout the day
Meet at Festival Gardens, Chapelfield
Pay What You Want

Garden Sessions : In Collaboration with Wild Paths
Saturday 29 & Sunday 30 May, 1–5pm
Festival Gardens, Chapelfield
Pay What You Want

Ray Lee : Ring Out
Wednesday 26–Friday 28 May,throughout the day
Festival Gardens
Free, but you must pre-book

Compline by Candlelight
Friday 28 May, 9pm
Norwich Cathedral
Free, but you must pre-book

Creative Norfolk: Holly Bodmer
Peregrinations
Saturday 29 May, 2pm Norwich Cathedral
Pay What You Want

Norwich Chamber Music present Elias String Quartet
Saturday 29 May, 3pm & 6pm
John Innes Centre
Pay What You Want

City of Literature Programme -
experiments and experiences in literature – brought to you by Norfolk & Norwich Festival and National Centre for Writing:
City of Literature: Tombland
Saturday 22 May, 11am,
Free, register in advance to receive a link to the website when it launches

City of Literature: Weather With You
Monday 24–Thursday 27 May
Digital
Free, register in advance to receive links to all content as it is release

City of Literature: Looking, Large and Small
Friday 28 May, 1pm
Digital
Free, register in advance for access to the resources when they go live

City of Literature: The Group
Friday 28–Sunday 30 May, 9pm
Digital
Free, register in advance to receive instructions
Suitable for ages 16+. Contains adult themes, including escaping a situation of threat.

City of Literature: Page Against the Machine
Saturday 29 May, 1pm
Plantation Garden, Norwich
Free (£2 donation to the Plantation Garden on the door)

City of Literature: Harriet Martineau Lecture
Sunday 30 May, 7pm
Digital
Free, register in advance to receive a link Supported by The Martineau Society

Future and Form Programme - a series of incredible events from University of East Anglia, as they celebrate 50 years of the world-renowned creative writing programme.
Future and Form: Imogen Hermes Gower and Mutiny
Eleanor
Friday 21–Sunday 30 May
Starts at Norwich Castle
Free Norfolk Museums Service, Norfolk County Council, and UEA

Future and Form: James McDermott and Guildhall Live Events
Senseless
Friday 21–Sunday 30 May, various times
Digital
Free, but you must pre-book some events Norwich Theatre and UEA

Future and Form: Mona Arshi and Mutiny
Shifting Lines
Friday 21–Sunday 30 May, various times
Norfolk Wildlife Trust Cley and Salthouse Marshes
Free, but you must pre-book

Future and Form: Mitch Johnson and Guildhall Live Events
The Living Book
Friday 21–Sunday 30 May
Digital
Free presented by The Forum Trust and UEA

Future and Form: Tash Aw and Guildhall Live Events
Where Do Stories Come From?
Workshops–Saturday 22, Tuesday 25 & Thursday 27 May, various times
Free, workshops must be pre-booked

Future and Form: Ayobámi Adébáyo and Mutiny
Provenance
Friday 21–Sunday 30 May, various times
National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall
Free, but you must pre-book

Visual Arts Programme
Japan Water
Wednesday 14 April– Saturday 31 July
GroundWork Gallery, King’s Lynn
Free
Presented by GroundWork Gallery

The Purity of Water Friday 21 May, 2pm
Digital : Free, to book email [email protected]
Presented by GroundWork Gallery

A Passion for Landscape: Rediscovering John Crome
Monday 17 May–Sunday 5 Sep Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery
Admission to Norwich Castle is by pre-booked tickets only museums.norfolk.gov.uk 
​Presented by Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery

Somewhere Unexpected
Norwich Castle Open Art Show
Monday 17 May–Sunday 12 Sep
Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery
Admission to Norwich Castle is by pre-booked tickets only museums.norfolk.gov.uk Presented by Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery

Grayson Perry
The Vanity of Small Differences
Tuesday 18 May– Saturday 3 July
East Gallery, Norwich University of the Arts
Free
Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London and British Council. Gift of the artist and Victoria Miro Gallery with the support of Channel 4 Television, the Art Fund and Sfumato Foundation with additional support from Alix Partners.

Katie Spragg
Plants, Porcelain, People
Monday 17–Sunday 30 May, 10am–4pm
St Peter Hungate Church
Free, but tickets must be pre-booked Presented by Caroline Fisher Projects

Tony Cragg at Houghton Hall
Wednesday 19 May–26 Sep
Houghton Hall, Norfolk
Tickets available from Houghton Hall
Presented by Houghton Hall

Cristina Iglesias
Throughout the Festival
Sainsbury Centre Sculpture Park
Free Presented by Sainsbury Centre

Cristina Iglesias
From 14 November in the Sculpture Park at UEA, Norwich

Internationally acclaimed Spanish installation artist and sculptor, Cristina Iglesias (b. November 1956), presents two major sculptures at the Sainsbury Centre, UEA. This free Sculpture Park exhibition places Iglesias’ work in dialogue with Norman Foster’s iconic Sainsbury Centre building.
Celosía XI (Hafsa Bint Al-Hayy) (2006) consists of seven terracotta screens that evoke the lattices in Arab architecture. Iglesias co-opts their traditional geometric patterns by incorporating words into the structure of the screens. Passing through the enclosures is akin to reading passages of text. The title refers to the celebrated Andalusian poet Ḥafṣa bint al-Ḥājj ar-Rakūniyya (1135–1191).
The immersive installation Vegetation Room III (2005) is a defined architectural space. The interior walls are casts of organic vegetation. The combination of natural and architectural elements complements the aims of the Sainsbury Centre Sculpture Park: to bring together art, architecture and the natural environment.

This exhibition reunites the work of Cristina Iglesias and Norman Foster, who have collaborated on a number of projects. Iglesias’ sculpture can be seen in front of the Bloomberg Headquarters, London, which was designed by Norman Foster. She has also created a canopy for the façade of the Norman Foster Foundation in Madrid.
Both works are free to view on the West Lawn as part of the Sculpture Park. A trail map is available here.

In collaboration with Marian Goodman Gallery and Cristina Iglesias Studio.

Exhibition Information
Cristina Iglesias
From 14 November
FREE to visit in our Sculpture Park
Visit sainsburycentre.ac.uk or call 01603 593199 (Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm)

About Cristina Iglesias
Cristina Iglesias draws on poetry, literature and architectural theory to create immersive and experiential environments. Important site-specific public art projects include the doors of the extension to the Prado Museum, Madrid and Deep Fountain at the Leopold de Wael Platz, Antwerp. Her recent solo exhibitions include Centro Botín, Spain (2018), Musée de Grenoble, France (2016), BOZAR, Centre for Fine Arts, Brussels, Belgium (2014) and Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Spain (2013). She was awarded Spain’s National Visual Arts Award in 1999 and London’s Royal Academy Architecture Prize in 2020. Iglesias studied sculpture at the Chelsea College of Art, London and lives and works in Madrid.


About the Sainsbury Centre
The Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts is one of the most important public university art galleries in Britain. It was founded in 1973 at the University of East Anglia (UEA) with the support of one of the nation’s great philanthropic families, Sir Robert and Lady Sainsbury, who donated their extraordinary art collection which includes works dating from prehistory to the late 20th century from across the globe. A radical new building by Norman Foster was designed to house the collection and was his first public work.
 
The Sainsbury Centre holds one of the most impressive art collections outside of the national institutions. It includes a significant number of works by modern masters of European art such as Pablo Picasso, Edgar Degas, Alberto Giacometti, Henry Moore, Francis Bacon, Jacob Epstein, Jean Arp, Chaïm Soutine and Amedeo Modigliani. There are major holdings from Oceania, Africa, the Americas, Asia, the ancient Mediterranean cultures of Egypt, Greece and Rome, as well as Medieval Europe. Alongside these permanent collections, it hosts a range of exhibitions in the largest suite of temporary exhibitions galleries in Eastern England.  sainsburycentre.ac.uk
 
About Marian Goodman Gallery
For over forty years, Marian Goodman Gallery has played an important role in introducing European artists to American audiences and helping to establish a vital dialogue among artists and institutions working internationally. Marian Goodman Gallery was founded in New York City in late 1977. In 1995 the gallery expanded to include an exhibition space in Paris and in 2014 an exhibition space in London. In late 2016 she realised her dream of opening a bookstore and project space in Paris.  mariangoodman.com

​A FINE BALANCE
AN EXHIBITION OF ART AND HANDMADE OBJECTS BY FORTY ARTISTS AND MAKERS FROM EAST ANGLIA AT THE STABLES, HOUGHTON HALL, NORFOLK
12 JULY – 1 NOVEMBER 2020
 
A Fine Balance will be the fourth pop-up exhibition of art and handmade objects by artists and makers from East Anglia held in The Stables at Houghton Hall and curated  by Paul Vater and Paul Barratt of Country and Contemporary. The exhibition will feature recent work by more than 40 artists and makers who explore narratives that reference our landscape, the creatures that share it, natural materials and processes, and how mankind’s activities affect and influence it. The fine balance these artists seek is often a moment, or a tipping point that brings attention to an aspect of our surroundings that has been overlooked or undervalued.
 
The situation we now find ourselves in collectively, as the Covid-19 epidemic runs its devastating course means that our relationship with ‘the great outdoors’ has probably changed forever. The artists and makers we have included in the exhibition are ahead of the curve, creating memorable images that will chime with the public, post lockdown. During the last four months we have all had to become aware of our vulnerability to forces we mistakenly assumed we had mastered. We respond viscerally to a favourite view or landscape, much as we would if our home or family were under threat. The exhibition holds up a mirror to what we perceive, or have hidden, in the complex confluence between the sustainable and natural, the artificial and man-made.
 
Some of the artists and makers have chosen to look at a highly maintained version of the countryside and our place within it. Others employ sustainable materials to create pleasing pieces intended to be handled and used every day. Others look into the natural phenomena and practical activities that are frequently personal to us in terms of our physical impact on the planet whether through recycling and re-assigning waste to new purposes. While others explore areas that are not quite urban or rural, but like much of modern Britain, somewhere in-between.
 
The exhibition is open from Sunday 12 July to 1 November, to coincide with the same opening times as the Anish Kapoor sculpture exhibition held throughout the gardens and park at Houghton Hall. Check the Houghton Hall website to see opening times and to book tickets for entry onto the estate. https://www.houghtonhall.com/book-tickets/

Makers are: ARTISTS
Zarya Austin-Fell
Debby Besford
Lorraine Bewick
Katarzyna Coleman
Polly Cruse
Ferenc Cseh
Will Cutts
Amanda Edgcombe
Judith Ellis
Kate Giles
Gareth Hacon
Ruth Howes
Linda Jamieson
Suzi Joel
Liz McGowan
Pandora Mond
Verity Newman
Natalie Odile Lang
Maria Pavledis
Tracey Ross
Colin Self
Tim Simmons
Liz Taunt
Molly Thomson
Maryrose Watson
Paul Wolterink
Peter Wylie
 
SCULPTORS
Keron Beattie
Jonathan Clarke
Roger Hardy
Bridget Heriz
Andrew Jones
Rachael Long
Dan Meek
Ben Pusey
Telfer Stokes
 
HOMEWARE
Carolyn Brookes-Davies
Heather Connor
Steve Gore Rowe
Laura Huston
Suzi Joel
Blott Kerr-Wilson
Sue Kirk
Tim Plunkett
Amanda Sutton
Toby Winteringham
Full artist profiles are available on https://contemporaryandcountry.com/
​
DATES AND OPENING TIMES
Check the Houghton Hall website for opening times and to book tickets for entry to the estate. Social distancing in compliance with UK government guidelines are expected to be observed by visitors, please make yourself aware of what these are before your visit. If you are travelling by car follow the brown signs off the A148 Fakenham to King’s Lynn Road PE31 6EY.
https://www.houghtonhall.com/art-and-exhibitions/anish-kapoor-at-houghton-hall/
 
The venue has been provided by kind permission of the Marquess and Marchioness of Cholmondeley. Houghton Hall is one of Norfolk’s finest houses, it encourages recreation and relaxation throughout the grounds and has created suitable spaces for displaying large-scale installations by leading contemporary artists within a formal garden setting as well as the park. Our exhibition will be held in the Stables at Houghton Hall to coincide with a solo exhibition by the renowned sculptor Anish Kapoor.
 
For more details of previous exhibitions please go to https://contemporaryandcountry.com/

MORE ABOUT CONTEMPORARY & COUNTRY
Contemporary and Country (C&C) present contemporary art and the handmade by established artists and makers based in the East of England in pop-up exhibitions at non-gallery spaces that celebrate our rural surroundings. The artists and makers we display live and work in rural locations, or include the natural world in their subject matter or production process. Together they bring about a closer understanding of the countryside, its people and landscape. They look creatively beyond the passing trend and encourage greater consideration for nature, as its appreciation and preservation becomes ever more prescient to our time.
 
 
MORE INFORMATION
Please contact Paul Vater or Paul Barratt on 07943 291834
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
TWITTER https://twitter.com/cc_art_handmade
INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/contemporary_and_country/
FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/contemporaryandcountry/


An interesting fact: The exhibition title comes from Rohinton Mistry’s novel A Fine Balance, published in 1996. The book was set in 1975 and traces the lives of four main characters whose interconnected lives are heavily impacted by their circumstances in a fictional Indian city, as they slip between a succession of karmic banana skins during the course of the narrative. Mistry’s powerful story exposes familiar fault lines within the values of a society where the characters lives are in jeopardy, brought about by familial conventions, institutional injustice and political expedience.

A one-way art exhibition is set to give audiences a socially distanced dose of culture when it opens in Norwich. The ‘Belated Spring Art Show’ will feature the work of more than 35 artists at a pop-up exhibition in Pivotal House based in the heart of the city. The building is known to many as the old Looses building in Orford Yard,  just off Red Lion Street, Norwich, NR1 3TB

The Spring Art Show was originally due to take place at The Forum in April but was cancelled as lockdown came into force. Now organisers have creatively reimagined the space at Pivotal House into a unique one-way art experience. With lockdown forcing the closure of many galleries, museums and other cultural locations organiser and artist Brian Korteling hopes the event will give audiences and artists the dose of culture they’ve been missing.

Brian Korteling said: “We are really excited as artists to finally have the opportunity to show our work again and, after months of lockdown, most of us have new and exciting work to show. “We are still very aware of the threat posed by Covid-19 and want to do what we can to mitigate any risk to visitors so have put various measures in place. The layout of the exhibition is designed around a one-way system making social distancing much easier to manage. There will also be hand sanitisers at the entrance and exit as well as signage to remind people to be cautious and considerate to other visitors. We look forward to welcoming audiences to the exhibition at this unique and iconic city venue.”

The show will feature a selection of paintings, prints, drawings, photography, sculpture, ceramics and assemblages by both professional and amateur artists. All art works will be for sale and there will be a selection of cards and prints available to buy.

​Mr Korteling has lived in Norfolk for most of his life and has been a full-time artist since 2009 after a career in graphic design. Each autumn he hosts Art Fair East will fellow Norwich artist Will Teather. Working mostly with oil paint, Mr Korteling has recently started to explore ideas in 3D with pieces shown in Cley Contemporary 2016 and 2017 and the Waveney Valley Sculpture Trail in 2016, where he won the Judges prize for Waveney Glitch. He has also won prizes in the Norwich Paint Out plein air competition.

The exhibition will be open from Saturday 11th July until Saturday 25th July (closed Mondays) from 10am to 5pm. For more information please visit www.springartshow.co.uk 

About Brian Korteling
Brian left a career in graphic design to become a freelance artist in May 2009. Since then he has experimented with many painting styles, themes and techniques. He enjoys exploring materials and primarily paints on wood, MDF, hessian, and more recently, aluminium. When Brian returned to painting in 2009 his main subject matter was trees, especially the bare branches of winter and the vivid palette of autumn. Since then he has expanded his practice and experimented with various styles and ideas with the most recent being inspired by the Japanese art of Kintsugi where bowls are broken and mended using gold to fill the gaps. These new pieces will be on show at this year’s Spring Art Show. More recently he has returned to studying the landscape, painting en plein air and in the studio.

​Photos supplied: Brian Korteling outside Pivotal House in Norwich. Credit: Brian Korteling Summer Sung by Brian Korteling. Credit: Brian Korteling Flock by Brian Korteling. Credit: Brian Korteling A Bar at the Folies-Bergère (after Manet) by Will Teather. Credit Will Teather Northsea Seascape 2 by David Hall. Credit: David Hall ​

Sainsbury Centre to reopen on Tuesday 7 July 2020
​The Sainsbury Centre is delighted to announce the reopening of its building in just under two weeks following a period of temporary closure during the Covid-19 pandemic. From Tuesday 7 July visitors are invited to explore astonishing new exhibitions and the inspiring Sainsbury Collection, with refreshments available from the Modern Life Café, whilst stringent safety measures ensure public health guidelines are being followed at all times.

This announcement comes after the UK government updated its advice on 23 June for leisure facilities and tourist attractions, confirming that people in England will be permitted to visit museums and galleries that have implemented the necessary social distancing and hygiene practises from Saturday 4 July. The Sainsbury Centre is pleased to be among the first university art gallery and museums in the country able to reopen this summer, enabling members of the public to once again enjoy art and improve their wellbeing during this challenging time. 

From Tuesday 7 July visitors to the Sainsbury Centre can expect a welcoming and inspiring experience, facilitated by new safety systems and procedures. These include all exhibition tickets being pre-booked for specific time slots, in order to reduce the number of people in the galleries and ensure social distancing can be adhered to. Signage will guide visitors around the building on new one-way routes, helped by staff and volunteers wearing the appropriate masks/visors. Rigorous cleaning will be undertaken at regular intervals. 

On offer are two exhibitions looking at hugely popular movements and styles. Art Deco by the Sea opened in February to rave reviews and has been extended until 20 September 2020. It celebrates the glamour and innovation of the British coastline in the 1920s and 30s and is accompanied by a pop-up shop stocked with books, postcards and jewellery.

Coinciding with the Sainsbury Centre reopening is the launch of Art Nouveau: The Nature of Dreams, running until 31 December 2020. This new exhibition charts the lesser-known English origins of the Art Nouveau movement, featuring dazzling ceramics, furniture, glass, jewellery, paintings, posters and prints, sculptures and textiles.

The Sainsbury Collection, on permanent display at the heart of the building, will be free to explore with food and drink available to takeaway from the Modern Life Café. The Sculpture Park, which has remained open throughout lockdown, continues to provide 350 acres of attractive parkland open to everyone to enjoy art, architecture and the natural environment.

Ghislaine Wood, Acting Director, says, “While our Sculpture Park has remained open throughout lockdown, we are pleased to announce the reopening of the Sainsbury Centre from Tuesday 7 July. The remarkable open-plan architecture of the Sainsbury Centre has helped us move towards reopening safely and implementing social distancing. We hope our visitors will now come enjoy the galleries and exciting exhibitions programme planned for the summer."

​The Black Prince Film Watch Along Event Sunday 14th June starting at 2pm
 
Ancient House, Museum of Thetford Life and the Sikh Museum Initiative are hosting an exciting media event around the life of Maharajah Duleep Singh, last Maharajah of Punjab and Squire of Elveden Hall, near Thetford, Norfolk UK – a virtual screening of the 2017 film, ‘The Black Prince’ starring Satinder Sartaaj, Indian singer, songwriter, actor and poet, followed by an after-show discussion on Facebook Live.
 
Audiences around the world are invited to press ‘play’ at 2pm on Sunday 14th June on the film (via Netflix, DVD, or other streaming services) and follow along with the chat on Twitter via the hashtag #BlackPrinceAlong. Ancient House, the Sikh Museum Initiative, Essex Cultural Diversity Project and others will be tweeting historical context and interesting information along the way. 
 
At 4.15pm there will be a Facebook Live event, supported by Taranjit Singh-Developer/technologist at Taran3d, with a panel to chat about the film and an opportunity for discussion and asking questions.  The panel will be chaired by Melissa Hawker, Learning Officer, Norfolk Museums Service and feature contributions from Satinder Sartaaj, who played Maharajah Duleep Singh, Peter Bance, Sikh Historian, Rup Magon who played Arur Singh in the film, Gurinder Mann Singh from the Sikh Museum Initiative,  Festival of Norfolk and Punjab Director Indi Sandhu, and film producer Jasjeet Singh. The virtual audience are invited to submit questions via Twitter or on the chat.  You can book your space in the virtual room via this link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-black-prince-watch-along-tickets-108081927956?fbclid=IwAR0ZMw9XzKu-2oLRI-95e_nzgSDQwcN_B_CkfKf_tA9yW2kNVzdV0micuL8
 
‘The Black Prince’ is a 2017 international historical drama film directed by Kavi Raz and features the acting debut of Satinder Sartaaj.The film explores  the troubled life of Maharaja Duleep Singh - the last king of Punjab whose kingdom was taken from him by the British in the 1840s. Duleep Singh was separated from his mother and brought to England where he was befriended by Queen Victoria.  He was allowed to return to India only twice under controlled circumstances and tried to regain his kingdom in later life.
 
Speaking about the event Satinder Sartaaj said: “It is wonderful to know that my film is bringing people around the world together to view the story of the last Maharajah of Punjab from their own homes. I am looking forward to answering questions during the after-show discussion.”
 
Cllr. John Ward, Chairman of the Norfolk Joint Museums Committee, Norfolk County Council said: “We’re delighted that Ancient House Museum is involved in this exciting digital event. The Museum owes its existence to the Duleep Singh family as it was the Maharajah’s son, Prince Frederick Duleep Singh, who gave Ancient House to the people of Thetford. In recent years, staff at the museum have been working to research and interpret this important story, collaborating with the Sikh Museum Initiative and Essex Cultural Diversity Project on two major cultural festivals connecting Thetford, Norfolk and Punjab. This latest event will further extend these links – we hope it’ll bring people together from across the world to enjoy a fascinating shared experience.”

You can read more about Ancient House and Duleep Singh in the attached press release
 

Currie and Reich – The Colin Currie Quartet
Norwich Playhouse Monday 20 May NNFestival 2019
a review by Marion de Mello Catlin
 
The Colin Currie Quartet played a blinder last night in Norwich Playhouse. I didn’t know about them before the concert and was interested to go to a performance that was all percussion based as the percussion section rarely gets the glory in an orchestra, and I also like the music of Steve Reich. The Playhouse was packed with not a spare seat in the house – great to see such a turnout – obviously many people better informed than me!
 
The Quartet was formed fairly recently in 2018 by Colin Currie who is clearly completely passionate about percussion and the Quartet. After the first piece (Mallet Quartet by Joseph Perreira) he introduced the Quartet and explained that the composer Steve Reich was very important to the raison d’être of the quartet and that the works pivot around his compositions, with two pieces in the programme by Reich.
 
It was really helpful to have an in-depth but concise explanation of the basis of each piece, especially for those if us who are not familiar with this kind of music. I wish that more musicians would do that – Currie was good at it. The stage was full with instruments I hadn’t seen before – marimbas it turns out – two with long pipes and two with shorter, 4 musicians each with two ‘lollipop’ drumsticks in each hand, four per person. At times, the playing was so complex and blended that it was hard to discern the source of the sound. The marimbas’ deep tones flowed together, especially the bass instruments and sounded almost electronic.
 
Colin played a couple of numbers on his own Xenakis’ Rebonds B for solo percussion and Stockhausen’s Vibra-Elufa. Together they played Kevin Volans Four Marimbas and Reich’s Mallet Quartet before the last piece Reich’s Drumming Part 1.
 
The speed rhythm and energy was impressive throughout the evening, though none of the first 5 pieces could come near the finale piece Drumming Part 1 composed by Steve Reich. It was like the Olympics of percussion in its performance and virtuosity. Colin explained the basis of the piece, a simple (on its own) basic rhythm underpinning the whole piece beaten out on 8 tuned drums, again 4 musicians working together and in relays. The same 12 notes as a single rhythm repeated which, as an audience member was a godsend at times as it enabled me to find a point to return to and steady path throughout. Colin explained phasing and how the notes interlock and rotate around each other which really helped the appreciation of the piece.
 
Musically it was interesting, visually it was fascinating – watching the percussionists work in waves, first all together then periodically standing back, their arms working at blurring speed throughout. Physically, it was a feat of musicianship, almost unbelievable and breathtaking technical skill rivalling the most extreme of acrobats, daredevil motorcyclists or   demanding magical coordination and muscular energy. I can’t tell you exactly that it was a lovely piece of music as I was bewitched and hypnotised by the technical skill. After what seemed an eaon of performance, they reached a crescendo and then instantly stopped with a resounding and precise ‘crack’, absolutely as one. In the drumming Olympics, then there is absolutely no doubt that they ran away with the Gold.
 
If you missed it, or want to listen to a sample there’s a YouTube link below but I would recommend catching a live performance if you ever get the chance. The Quartet is new and this is their debut programme so it is worth watching out for more as they add to their repertoire – they have an amazing future I am sure and hopefully will be back in Norwich before too long.
 
https://youtu.be/KmlbuRGubrI
https://www.colincurrie.com/news/2018/8/3/colin-currie-quartet