The fair will also offer blow dry bar, nail art, personalised t-shirts and a mix of vintage clothing, and work by local artists Kim Ralston, photographer John Attwell and Matt Artpix who sells vintage prints.

Amy George herself is a handbag designer and the reason for the event/sale is based around her accessories label (see her website).

‘The event will be filmed by my colleague as my label is one of the businesses through to the next round of a television show called ‘Be Your Own Boss’,’ she explains, ‘Richard, a co-founder of Innocent Smoothies is investing in a small selection of businesses which will be filmed for BBC3. With a challenge to show an ability to make profit. I have decided to use my brilliant premises of work, the Eco Hub for a fab event showcasing the local creative talent of Leigh and Essex.’

What does she hope to achieve tomorrow? ‘I hope we can make a good profit for myself and the purpose of the sale and also for all the sellers who have got involved. We hope to have a good turn out and for everyone to see what goes on in the area.’
Free entry. 11-6pm.

Echo Hub, 2a St John’s Road – of Hamlet Ct Rd, Westcliff, SS0 7JZ

From 10-4pm tomorrow, St Augustine’s Church Hall in Thorpe Bay will be transformed into a retro – wartime cafe and fair where you will be able to see new stuff made by local artists and designers.

Vintage Clothing and Accessories
Collectables
Handmade Gifts and Jewellery

The entry is free.

St Augustine’s Church Hall / Johnstone Rd, Thrope Bay, SS1

The organisers say this is ‘an art, craft & design show with a contemporary twist’. Over fifty artists, craftspeople and designer makers will be showcasing and selling their work. Fine art, photography, jewellery, ceramics, textiles and more will be on display.

The show will be held in Hylands house, a Grade 2 listed property spectacularly restored to its former glory situated in 574 acres of historic landscaped parkland.

This is a perfect opportunity not only to buy a unique Christmas gift but also to meet the artist or designer maker who created the work.

Open Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th November 2011 10.00am to 5.00pm
(Adults £3.60 U16’s free)

The Essex Art & Design Show / Hylands House, Hylands Park / Chelmsford. CM2 8WQ

WEBSITE

Contact: David Shields 07944 806340

Initially set up to promote the end-of-year shows from South Essex College, it now includes events by other local organisations and all kinds of media, including fashion and film.

To see all the 2011 listings – click HERE for an interactive brochure.

The Festival organisers are also running a Facebook competition for participants; this is the text of their call:

‘If you have an image of your work or video of a performance you could be top of the Southend Festival ‘Likes’!  This can be a favourite piece of work or something you have produced specifically for the festival. (You can also email festival@southessex.ac.uk and we will upload it for you.) The work with the most ‘LIKE’s will be announced at the end of the festival.’

To add your work and vote – see the Facebook page HERE.

A little bit of spring shopping therapy  – next Vintage and Handmade Fair is on next Saturday at Leigh Community Centre.

As usual there will be over 60 stalls of vintage goodies and handmade delights including including vintage/ retro clothing and accessories, jewellery, homewares, children’s toys, creative textiles, cards and much  more.

Don’t miss the VINTAGE TEAROOM serving cakes and treats all day as well as the opportunity to buy something truly original and unique, directly from people who made it!

Free entry. Open 10-4pm.

Leigh Community Centre, Elm Rd.

Fantastic free community event with.

VILLAGE GREEN 2010 – download the programme of music, film, workshop and other activities and plan your day as there is so much to see and do!

***TO FIND OUT WHAT’S ON, HAVE A LOOK AT THE PDF OF THE FULL PROGRAMME & MAP FROM IDEA13 by clicking HERE.***

The VILLAGE GREEN arts festival is organised by Metal and takes place on SATURDAY 25 SEPTEMBER 2010 11am -10pm at CHALKWELL PARK, SOUTHEND ON SEA, SS0 8NB.

The hightlights of 2010 include:

VILLAGE GREEN STAGE:

CARLEEN ANDERSON – Former lead singer of the Brand New Heavies; Young Disciples; Soloist; multi award winning; currently working with Ben Castle.

ANTHONY JOSEPH AND THE SPASM BAND – Regarded as the voice of black avant garde Britaina and one of the UK’s most exciting and innovative voices. A poet, novelist, musician and lecturer Anthony will be performing at Village Green with his ‘voodoo punk’ Spasm Band.

ROSE DOUGALL – Formerly a member of the Pipettes, Rose Dougall has since enjoyed much success as a solo artist. Rose’s second single proved popular with reviewers from NME to The Sunday Times. She recently appeared as a vocalist on Mark Ronson’s new album, ‘Record Collection’ and with a brand new solo album, released just last month, Rose Dougall is not to be missed!

STEVE MASON – Having hidden behind monikers for nearly 15 years, Steve Mason has finally emerged producing music under his own name. He was the lead singer of The Beta Band, released solo recordings as King Biscuit Time and also released an album under the V2 record label. Steve produces music from a variety of genres including electro, dance and more recently acoustic.

SNOWBOY AND THE LATIN SECTION – Without doubt the UK’s leading exponent of Afro Cuban Jazz, Snowboy and the Latin Section are a ‘dream team’ band of the finest Latin and jazz musicians based in the UK.

LAURA B AND THE MOONLIGHTERS – Laura B and the Moonlighters is an exciting seven-piece rockin’ and honkin’ rhythm and blues combo in the upbeat style of Ruth Brown, Big Maybelle and Lavern Baker. They released their debut album late last year, ‘Jump and Shout’, and have recently played the Vintage at Goodward Festival. Laura B and the Moonlighters, for rhythm and blues lovers.

THE DIRTY FAIRIES – The Dirty Fairies are a Southend three piece girl band specialising in funk rock. These three sisters are said to be influenced by bands such as Velvet Underground, Stevie Wonder and James Brown- you might recognise them from other regional festivals including Shoplands. They recently participated in the O2 Live and Unsigned competition; winning the Basildon heat and playing the regional London and East Competition. Looking for old school funk? These are your girls!

URBAN ALLSTARS – Urban Allstars are a collective of four DJ’s who have been performing since 2006. Big supporters of vinyl and funk, this collective have produced original, re-mixed and re-edited work and their releases have resulted in sell-out tours across the globe.

RICHIE PHOE – The Lee Scratch Perry of Brighton, Richie Phoe, will again be spinning his dub tunes in between sets at stages one and two at this year’s Village Green. Feted by radio 1 DJ Rob da Bank, Richie began mixing on his Amiga 500 in the 1990’s. His career really took off in 2006 when became involved with Sunday Best Recording’s, which included a totally awesome remix of Max Sedgley’s ‘Celebrity’.

AL NAED – Al is pleased to be back as MC for Village Green again. If you think Al looks familiar it’s probably because he was the front cover model for the BT phone book from 2005-2008. A strange way to infiltrate every home in the country but a valid one.

MEADOW STAGE:

LEMN SISSAY AND CAROLINE BIRD – two fantastic performance poets go head to head in the Meadow Stage.

SUNDOWN ARTS – Southends very own Spoken Word specialists have curated a 3 hour slot for the Meadow Stage with a mix of comedy, live music and poetry. Includes:

- JIM BOB – Fresh from Latitude and the Edinburgh Fringe. The one time, one-half of ‘Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine’, Jim Bob is still battling the system asking, ‘Are you part of the problem or part of the solution?’ through a wider arena which includes the spoken and written word.

-HIP-HOP SHAKESPEARE COMPANY – Shakespeare like you’ve never heard it before. A chance to see an intimate performance here on the Meadow Stage before their appearance on the larger Green Stage at 5.45pm.

- RUCKUS JUICE AN CHITLINS – Firm Leigh Folk Festival favourites, expect a wide selection of old-time tunes combined with feel-good jazz and skiffle music.Early Johnny Cash set to Chipmunk level tempo.

- CAR WRECK CHICKEN – Their sound is tapemusic and bluegrass, D.I.Y acid-hillbilly in the vein of ‘The Moldy Peaches’ and ‘Blitzen Trapper’. This act is one for fans of punk and blues.

- BRIDGETTE APHRODITE – Exciting new spoken word artist from Bromley. Combines music, comedy and poetry and is inspired by the glam-rock androgynous stars of the seventies.

- SIMON BLACKMAN – Writer, comedian and performance poet; one-half of ‘poetry pop’ double act’The Chip Shop Boys’. Simon Blackman is Alan Bennett meets John Shuttleworth on a rainy day.

QUIRKISH DELIGHT – this talented team of quick wits create bedlam and belly-laughs from nothing more than audience suggestions. Surreal, sublime and suspect sketches will be performed for your delectation – without a safety net!

THE FAMOUS POTATOES – ‘soil music’, of an earthy, bluegrassy, swing and country nature. Over the past 30 years they have played more than 1,500 times from the Lord Mayor’s Show to busking in dustbins!

ART GRUPPE – Forever indie-pop….ArtGruppe play a summery set of heartwarming songs, awash with melody, three-part harmony and acoustic guitars. They are the resident band at Belle et la Beat – a regular local event at Southend’s Railway Pub which encourages families to come and experience live music together.

CHRIS BARON – playing the extraordinary and very theraputic Hang Drum.

For more information about Village Green 2010, DOWNLOAD THE PROGRAMME HERE or check Metalculture’s website for up to date information

Handmade & Vintage Fair tomorrow will offer jewellery, clothing, accessories, vintage- inspired items.

This is an great opportunity to buy directly from makers of unique items.

The Vintage Tea room is an experience worth the visit by its own – last time the cafe in the community centre was turned into an old-times tearoom – with afternoon tea (cucumber sandwitches and amazing cakes) served on a multilayer vintage cake stands.

LEIGH COMMUNITY CENTRE / Elm Road, Leigh, SS9

A must for any retro fans, the current exhibition at Southend Central Museum gives a glimpse of the amazing swimming costumes collection recently donated to the Museum.

The collection started when Margaret Plume from Lincolnshire had her photo taken in a vintage swimsuit during her honeymoon. This was 1950’s and the beginning of a life-long collecting obsession which resulted in a unique set of over 500 swimsuits which were sometimes hired out and sometimes worn for beauty competitions.

Initially offered to V&A, the whole collection has been donated to the Southend Museum.

Life’s A Beach includes just a small fraction of the collection, 25 pieces, selected to represent major changes of the swimsuits styles throughout the 20th century. You can also see a short film of 1960’s swim-wear fashion show and try on replicas of few traditional models.

As Clare Hunt, the Museum’s curator, points out in the video below, the collection brings possibilities of other fashion related shows – like one focused specifically on 1950s, so watch this space!

See the backstage of the collection:

Open Tue-Sat 10-5pm

Southend Central Museum, Victoria Avenue, SS2 6EW

For WEBSITE click here.

Check out the new talents! A show of art graduates from the South Essex College opens tomorrow.

BA graduates from the Fine Art, Digital Animation, Fashion Communication & Marketing, Interior Design and Graphic Design will show their degree work at the The Atrium.

Open 9-15 June – 9am-5pm.

THE ATRIUM GALLERY / Southend Campus, South Essex College.

Village Green 2010 is only six months away on 25^th September! Last year, over 20,000 visited the event. If you’d like to apply for a stall, see the link below.

VILLAGE GREEN MARKETPLACE

Metal are introducing a fee this year to help with the cost of running the event – £30 per stall.

The set-up will be similar to last year – trading from 11am-6pm.

If you are interested in taking one of the 100 stalls for showcasing, selling or demonstrating your talent, creations, performance, participatory workshops or other works of art, download the form HERE and return to Metal before Friday 4^th June 2010.

Send any queries and returned application forms for the attention of Camilla Fox – chalkwell [at] metalculture.com

You can find out more about VILLAGE GREEN and see images from last year on Metal’s WEBSITE.