Two little thank you's...

Two lovely thank you letters from our little dragon slayers. 


Thank you too Hannah and Joseph!

Pembroke People

Eleanor Shipman

Get the Message Training Weekend - Camden Arts Centre

The weekend was spent submerged with 15 other selected artists in fascinating debate around socially-engaged art, public projects, community-based workshops and educational events. The weekend's focus was centred around Get the Message, an educational outreach programme at Camden Arts Centre. Get the Message is a collaboration with students from three Special Educational Needs schools in the local area who have multiple and complex learning disabilities.


Artists Natasha Kidd, Raine Smith and Jo Addison are mentors for Get the Message, and have been involved with the programme for 7 years, with the last three as mentors to artists Georgie Manly and Judith Brocklehurst. 


The weekend was spent dissecting socially-engaged practice, analysing and discussing what we found before reassembling the parts in the form of collaborative workshops which responded to Zoe Leonard's current exhibition at CAC Observation Point. 


The challenges and discussions which arose were reassuringly shared and it felt that, as a group of freelance artists, we all cherished the opportunity to openly raise our concerns, opinions, challenges and successes. The energy in the room was almost audibly buzzing, as we bounced ideas off each other and responded to our briefings from Natasha, Raine and Jo with a positivity and enthusiasm which can only come about through shared passion. 


It was a fantastic weekend, and I have returned full of fresh ideas and renewed confidence in existing ones. A brilliant two days in Camden.


Read more about Get the Message here.

Clotted cream chaos.

The mysterious St George was celebrated today, in the first event here at Pembroke House. Vast quantities of scones were baked, cream was whipped (a joint effort of about four people) and dragons were slain.

Local resident Ken and his children braved the drizzle to attend the Dragon pinata-making workshop, joined later by two members of the Pembroke Youth Group.

Wanting to avoid papier-mache as much as possible, I devised a dragon template using origami balloons as the base, handily with a hole in the top to pour the sweets in. The children were fantastic, and fuelled with scones were kept entertained by the dragons for two hours solid. The slaying was certainly the best part, with floats (pound store find!) used as batons to beat, spear and smack the dragons to their deaths. I hope St George would be honoured.

And they were slain...

Pembroke People

Eleanor Shipman

St George would be proud... Scones, flags and dragons. TODAY ONLY.

Scones made, dragon filled, flags hung. Ready when you are.

Pembroke People

Eleanor Shipman

Another rainy walk on the Aylesbury, and the discovery of half a rope swing

Another rainy walk, this time with Ali and Elizabeth on Ali's Wednesday guided walk around the Heygate and Aylesbury. Hidden courtyards, old terraced houses, fields and stunning views were discovered on our journey between the blocks. A huge amount of space to be utilised, so much potential. So many spaces to play with, and in! Half a fraying rope swing, hung in tatters from a gnarled tree branch, the earth flattened beneath it by children's feet gradually being reclaimed by the grass. I wonder what the logistics would be of installing rope swings throughout the estate...

Pembroke People

Eleanor Shipman