hackney – and so she thinks

Making marks – Mindfully

admin — Sat, 15 Oct 2016 09:52:17 +0000

An evening of drawing is a particularly intimidating prospect. What starts off as something that all children will do on any piece of paper/wall/treasured white shirt becomes something to be revered and separated for only those who can. There’s not doubt that some people are blessed with exceptional creative or detailed skill, but everyone can draw, regardless of how lifelike the output appears.
We have in our minds that drawing and play is not something for real grown ups, but we have a whole host to gain as well, as the small group of 6 learned who gathered for our session with The Mark Makers learned.
Founders and facilitators Anna and Becky aim to combine art tuition with mindfulness. There’s not a huge degree of education, more some guide instructions, but the ambient room, engaging set still life arrangement and gentle but passionate tones of the pair means that there is a degree of calm to the process.

It became apparent just how intrinsic this is to the creative process. When drawing an unfamiliar scene and an arrangement of disconnected objects you have to be aware and focus on what is actually there. That’s where the mindfulness aspect comes in. Much focus is put on the importance of really looking at what’s in front of us, rather than what we think we see.
I took my uncle, high flyer in finance and confessed technology geek, whose immediate gut reaction to my suggestion on how to spend a Tuesday evening was ‘no way.’ So he came. Although we agreed to put no pressure on ourselves and accept that with a gap of up to 30 years since last drawing, we wouldn’t like what we drew and that was fine, the first couple of exercises still felt a little stressful. But as soon as the time passed, the wine flowed and the muscles loosened, and we basically gave up trying to do it right and instead tried to do it for fun, things felt better.
Leaving with no new found skill, but a bunch of worksheets, drawings and tools, as well as an appreciation of the value of taking the time to sit, be and create. He even sent me this photo the next day, with the caption ‘So I find myself here…’ That’s success.

Visions 2015

admin — Mon, 20 Jul 2015 18:17:00 +0000

Three years in, and Visions Festival shows no sign of losing its enthusiasm and power at the same time as it marks itself as a reliably brilliant stalwart in the London festival scene. The maudlin lilt of Camera Obscura, frantic fuzz courtesy of Merchandise, angry punk by Fat White Family and Son Lux‘s digital bliss are just a few of the highlights on this year’s lineup. A stumble through Hackney’s independent venues including St John’s, Oval Space, The Laundry, Brewhouse and Netil House. As well as the music there’s a market, and of course local food and craft beer. If you can’t quite wait until the Saturday, Ceremony will be playing the pre party on the Friday night, in a secret Hackney location.
Tickets are available here, and you can have a listen below.

Visions Festival

admin — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 15:05:01 +0000

In the year when the successful Camden Crawl folded, the outlook for Visions was mixed. Was the RIP of CC a sign that we are over wristband festivals, or was it just that new blood is needed. After a successful debut last year, the Hackney one-dayer, with 28 bands playing across four venues, complete with a Record Fair, Comic Book convention, Tattoo art exhibition and Netil Food truck market, wasn’t so grand in scale, but succeeded in inspiration, intimacy and diversity.

In the craft beer hub Brewhouse sophisticated electropop from New Zealand quartet Yumi Zouma has elements of rolling melodies, whilst jangle pop was there in all glory at arts studio Oval Space, with guaranteed good time Veronica Falls and Mollie Rankin’s from Toronto’s Alvvays connective clamour.

Eleanor Friedberger persevered through a chatty crowd in the New Empowering Church, and playing with warm heart and soul endeared the crowd, as the delicate vocals of Swedish sweetheart Alice Boman had earlier.

The Laundry is certainly the heavy house, with the Cheetahs early set leaning to loud grunge rather than melodic shoegaze. It gets heavier for Leeds’ Eagulls, and shocktastic for Perfume Pussy. Andrew WK’s audience are there to party hard. Violent dancing, destroyed amplifiers, stage invasions and crowdsurfing, only ending as W.K’s microphone and piano were unplugged. Crazed carnage.

As frustrating as it us, when nearly all day major band clashes are on, it’s a sign of a stellar line-up is a good one. Whilst Perfume Genius played what I heard to be a deep, atmospheric and beautiful set Policia were haunting and slick as usual, there was the feeling that they may have been a bit weary after their string of festival performances.

Visions – I see a good future ahead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgeLb4QAC6M