21st September 2019
Henry Hemming, KH Irvine and Gareth Rubin capture the political zeitgeist of the last three years and how it’s informed their work. Chaired by Dr. Kate Bradley.
Tag Archives: arts
Creative Care Expo
Along with many other arts, culture and community organisations, we’re delighted to be taking part in the Kent Dementia Action Alliance’s Creative Care Expo in January.
Creatives call out – The Turtle Moves Family Arts Trail
As part of our 2016 festival, Written Worlds, Inspiring Places, we’re running a Discworld inspired Family Arts Trail called The Turtle Moves.
Six Ways to Wellbeing Swale
An innovative new collaboration between Ideas Test, Swale CVS and ourselves is set to help teenagers in Swale boost their wellbeing.
The 2014 Festival: Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know
The Rochester Literature Festival is proud to present its second annual festival, Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know.
We’re delighted to be opening this year with an hilarious and heart-warming one woman show with actress Sunny Ormonde – the outrageous Lilian Bellamy from BBC Radio 4’s The Archers, the world’s longest running soap.
An Assemblance of Judicious Heretics
ME4Writers’ have instigated a wonderful project for the Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know Festival 2014.
Wigmore Arts Weekend
Seasonally Effected – Creative Open Mic
Seasonally Effected is a Rochester based open-mic night for creative and cultural exploration. It features a diverse mix of performances including poetry, short film, comedy, short stories, original music, plays and a variety of experimental content that is less easy to define.
Art Display at Strood Library
The Rochester and West Kent Art Society is exhibiting at Strood Library from Monday, June 3rd to Saturday, June 29th.
A number of local artists will be displaying their work, which incorporates a variety of topics and mediums. The exhibition is open from 10am to 3pm daily and you can contact the society by email at: rochesterandwestkentartsociety@yahoo.com or check them out on their website or like them on Facebook.
Dates for your Diary: Writers’ Rendezvous & Garden Party
With news that Eastgate House Gardens are off limit for July, due to their renovation work, we’re pleased to announce that the Garden Party will this year be held at The Good Intent pub, John Street, Rochester, on Sunday, July 14th.
As the Garden Party is a part of this summer’s Medway Open Studios and Arts Festival, the Good Intent is a perfect venue, located, as it is, smack bang in the middle of many of the artists also taking part. So check out the map when it’s published and work your cultural way around Rochester, stopping off at the GI for a well earned break between 12noon and 4pm. You’ll be able to enjoy storytelling, open mics, music and a special edition of Seasonally Effected.
More details will be released soon; we look forward to seeing you there 🙂
Before then, sample the delights of Seasonally Effected at the Dot Cafe this Wednesday, May 29th and follow it up with the Summer Writer’s Rendezvous, which will take place in the Two Brewers, Rochester High Street, on Thursday, June 13th, from 7.30pm. Bring some writing along to share, or don’t, it’s entirely up to you but be assured of a warm welcome from fellow writers and readers.
Kaleidoscope at Rochester Art Gallery; Zara Carpenter in the Craft Case
Photo: Kaleidoscope Collection. Ink 2013. Hand and computer generated images, digitally printed cotton sateen, 100x100cm Neil Bottle
Neil Bottle’s exquisite new Kaleidoscope series of printed textiles explores the relationship between digital textile printing and craft printing techniques and has been created especially for this solo exhibition at Rochester Art Gallery.
To find out more about this exhibition, which runs from tomorrowe, May 17th to July 14th, please visit Rochester Art Gallery & Craft case exhibitions and activities.
Craft Case
Medway based milliner Zara Carpenter, makes unique bespoke sculptural headpieces and ready-to-wear hats, using found objects. Inspired by nature, 1920s design, Dutch still life paintings, fantasy books and films, Zara’s beautiful pieces are wearable works of art.
Activities
Free Family Collage Workshops
Saturday, 29 June, 10.30am to 12.30pm or 1.30 to 3.30pm.
Join Fashion Textile students from UCA throughout the day, to create a collage inspired by the geometric patterns, colours and images used in the Kaleidoscope collection. Suitable for accompanied children aged seven years or older.
Free artist talk
Saturday, 6 July, 1 to 2.30pm
Join textile designer Neil Bottle for an informal gallery talk and exhibition tour. Find out more about how he creates his unique richly layered digital images, his inspiration, techniques and his new Kaleidoscope collection.
Advance booking is essential as places are limited. Phone 01634 338319 or email arts@medway.gov.uk
For more information about Rochester Art Gallery and Craft Case please visit www.medway.gov.uk/arts phone 01634 338319 or email arts@medway.gov.uk.
Rochester Art Gallery and Craft Case, Medway Visitor Information Centre, Ground Floor, 95 High Street, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1LX.
Potlatch Collective Poem #13
I lost my lfe in my second life
A post life where I was free
The sun rose every day anew
A bright etchasketch moment witnessed by the milkman
Two pints. On the doorstep. She’d asked for more.
Just like the day before
I thought I’d seen that couple
Before in a distant land
The old ship lay …
This is a collective poem from the Literary Potlatch, written by the participants on the day, with each of them only able to see the previous line. At present, the image accompanying it is a stock photo but we would really love someone to respond to the poem visually, as only an original image can possibly do it justice. Full credit will of course be given. Please email rochesterlitfest@gmail.com if you’re interested in creating something special we can share. Thank you. 
Rochester Literature Festival 