Dennis Kelly is most recently known for co-writing the RSC’s hit musical Matilda with comedian Tim Minchin. His plays have premiered at The National Theatre, the Donmar Warehouse and Royal Exchange Theatre and he was the writer for BBC 3’s hit sitcom Pulling. Tessa Walker has directed for theatres across the country and is currently an Associate Director at the Birmingham Rep.

Dennis and Tessa are going to be leading a workshop for aspiring writers and actors at St. James on Saturday 25^th February. The workshop has been organised by the Jersey Arts Trust with support from the Jersey Arts Centre. Thomas Dingle, Director of the Jersey Arts Trust said:

‘We are thrilled to be able to offer our writers and actors the chance to work with two leaders in the industry and would encourage people to make the most of this opportunity. We are enormously grateful to Spearpoint for the generous support and making work such as this possible.

Whilst we have had great success in the past with the project, the format is going to change a bit this year and we will look forward to announcing the plans at the workshop.’

Download the poster here (1.7Mb PDF)

The workshop is open to people of all ages and abilities but places are limited so people should book soon!

The Spearpoint New Plays Project Workshop takes place at St. James on Saturday 25^th February 10am – 5pm. Tickets are £30 (£18 Students) and available from the Jersey Arts Trust. 

For more information, please contact Tom Dingle – tom@arts.je  or Chris Hanby on newplays@arts.je

The Gallery in Guernsey are looking to sell products made by other Channel Islanders.  The Gallery is a lovely arts and crafts place in the old quarter of Guernsey in Mill Street and they do a range of exhibitions and workshops. Contact Alice Carre at: alicecarre@cwgsy.net for more info.  This is the Gallery’s website address: http://thegallery.prosite.com/

Click the links below to download the application form and everything you need to know.

Application Form Open Studios 2012-6

Syllabus for Junior Handwriting and Schools Art & Craft are available through the schools.

Final registration date is Wednesday 8^th February at the Town Hall St Helier and at the following times.
 Needlework and Textile Art. 10 – 12.30 pm. and 2 – 4.30 pm. 
Photography 5 – 7.30 pm
. Handwriting 3.30 – 6.30 pm. 
Adult Art & Craft and Youth Art & Craft, by post to:
 Mrs Judy Gardener, Granite Spring, Beauport Estate, La Route des Genests, St. Brelade, JE3 8DG.

The exhibition will be open to the public from Thursday 15^th – Sunday 18^th March 2012,  10 am – 6 pm, closing on Sunday at 4 pm.
 Entrance Fee; Adult:  £2.50, Senior Citizens £2.   There is no charge for children or students in full-time education.
 Visitors to the exhibition will be able to take part by voting for the Visitors Choice Award.

We have some lecture opportunities and workshops on presentation skills to help.

Artists Lunchtime Lecture Series - A series of 10 lectures by local artists on their artistic practices
Date: Every Thursday from 3rd May – 5th July 2012
Time: 12.10-12.30
Venue: Jersey Arts Centre, Wyndham Hettich Room
There are 10 lunchtime lecture places available for artists to present their work to fellow artists and the general public. The intention is to showcase artists’ practices for marketing and/or networking purposes. Each lecture will last 20 minutes and take place 12:10- 12.30 in the Wyndham Hettich Room,  Jersey Arts Centre every Thursday from the 3rd May-5th July.  The artist will be expected to present their work for approx 15 minutes allowing time for questions and answers at the end. Artists interested in taking part in the lecture can also attend the ‘Presentation Skills’ workshops prior to their lectures, please see details below.

Presentation Skills for Artists Workshop
Date:  Monday 5th, Monday 12^th March 2012
Time: 6.00-9.00
Venue: Jersey Arts Trust, St James Vicarage
Places available: 10
Fee: £30
These 3hr workshops on ‘Presentation Skills for artists’ will be taught by Terry Arthur, who has vast experience in teaching adults presentation and public speaking skills. During the workshops you will explore display tools and presentation styles, approaches and methods suited to presenting your practice. As a result of the course you will be able to present your work in a confident, coherent fashion in a personalise format and style.

Places will be reserved by paying a £30 fee by cheque made payable to the Jersey Arts Trust.

Pre-workshop get together with Terry Arthur
Date: Monday 16th January
Time: 6.30pm
Venue: Jersey Arts Trust Offices, St James Vicarage
If you are interested in the presentation skills workshop please come along to this ‘pre workshop get together’ to discuss with Terry your needs. It will be on Monday 16th January at 6.30pm at St James Vicarage, please email raewyn@arts.je to book your place.  

Matt Fackrell, James Bailey and Leigh Thorne’s CAN’T, Kal Bonner’s UNDER A VEST and Ian Godden and Adam Perchard’s THE GREENGROCER’S APOSTROPHE are all in the Lo-Budget Mayhem programme at the Opening Night at the ICA on Friday 6^th January.

Todd MacDonald’s INERTIA is in the Landscapes programme at the ICA on Sunday 8^th January.

Rebecca Coley’s HARD TO SAY is in the Youth of Today programme at the BFI Southbank on Saturday 14^th January

More details on the films…
CAN’T     Dir. Matt Fackrell, James Bailey and Leigh Thorne   17 mins
Three Filmmakers from Jersey travel to Cannes with two films, looking to make it big in the cut-throat world of international cinema.

THE GREENGROCER’S APOSTROPHE   Dir. Ian Godden and Adam Perchard      5 mins
Follow two post-apocalyptic industrial shamans as they muster an army from the detritus of the London streets; see two greengrocers eaten alive; rap along with the apostrophe posse; dance the dance of the righteously punctuated.

UNDER A VEST   Dir. Kal Bonner       5 mins
As darkness falls across the city, and the law fights for anyone who can afford it, one man with a secret, almost but not quite, as dark as the darkness that falls across the city, is about to confront his nemesis – the truth.

INERTIA         Dir. Todd MacDonald       12 mins
Alan longs to forget the things that have lead him to identity crisis but, in order to do so, he must confront them.  The pitfalls of such a task could lead anywhere.

HARD TO SAY      Dir. Rebecca Coley      18 mins
Two teenage girls find out they are pregnant on the same day at school.  This is their journey to decide what to do.

The festival runs from the 6^th to 15^th January.  Further details can be found at www.shortfilms.org.uk

These should be of a Christmas, seasonal nature and can be in any medium - including photographs – and the charity is looking for local scenes as well as more traditional images. They ask the artist to donate their picture ‘royalty free’ (although they can have it back when Jersey Hospice Care have finished producing the cards).

Please send your designs to Clarkson House, Mont Cochon, St Helier JE2 3JB or fundraising@jerseyhospicecare.com by the end of January. If you would like more information, please call Fundraising on 510349 or email lynsey@jerseyhospicecare.com.