Finding work via The Mary Ward Centre - Community Interpreting and Translation courses, Employment Fair
On 29th March The Mary Ward Centre hosted an Interpreting recruitment fair at which community linguists - graduates of the Community Interpreting and Translation courses from Mary Ward Centre and its partners came along to meet and sign up with interpreting agencies. Nearly 60 Interpreters met with 14 employers who between them work across the length and breadth of Britain.
Mary Ward Staff Member's Film on Channel 4
Mary Ward Centre Evening reception worker and film maker/writer Dewi Bruce-Konuah's film "Raising Baby Rio" was on Channel 4.
For three days from 3rd – 5th July 2009 students from Mary Ward Centre outreach classes displayed their work in the Great Court of the British Museum as part of the Mela Arts Exhibition. See below for more about the Mela Arts project.
Click on each image for a full-size view.
Mela Arts Cultural Event, British Museum
On the Saturday of the Mela Arts exhibition there was a family arts celebration.
Following the production of the Bangla Ghor and Nouka in previous years, this year’s Mela Arts project was Sonar Bangla. Bangladesh is known as Sonar Bangla, Golden Bengal, because of the richness of her land that takes on golden hue when the rice crop is ready for harvesting.
The Mary Ward Centre, with support from Awards for All and the British Museum, has been working with a number of community groups and organisations in Camden, designing and making artwork that has come together to create a Map of Bangladesh for the ‘Sonar Bangla’ project. Groups involved parents from St Alban’s Primary School and Christopher Hatton Primary School, Women from Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Centre, Bengali Workers Association and Hopscotch Asian Women’s Centre and also men from Kings Cross Bengali Men’s Project.
Over 100 people have been involved in its making, experiencing the whole design process starting with discussing ideas, sharing memories and stories, gathering visual research, developing design ideas and making the final map and three dimensional models. The aim of the project has been to take participants on a journey through “Golden Bangladesh” exploring the themes of transport, agriculture, factories, landscape, rivers, sea, city & village life, food, flora and fauna, National Monuments, animals and the people of Bangladesh. The Project has brought together from different communities and cultures
The map is beautifully illustrative. It combines highly decorative mosques, ornate rickshaws, lovingly made animals, samples of food, transport, plants and so very much more. Everything incorporated into the Sonar Bangla demonstrates unique skill and variety involving print making, appliqué and embroidery, model making, construction and collage techniques. Some students gathered inspiration from a visit to Pollocks Toy Museum; Workshops were arranged for families, to encourage as many people as possible to join in and share the experience.
The Sonar Bangla Project has been highly successful in the build up to the 2009 Camden Mela. We are delighted that with the support from Awards for All the Mary Ward Centre, a College for Adult Education, has been able to involve in excess of 100 participants develop their artistic and creative skills in such a unique and positive way. The Sonar Bangla is art work with many dimensions that has been produced to a high standard and with the support from the British Museum we are all so very proud to see it exhibited in the Great Court.
Maddy Fisk, Community Education Outreach Co-ordinator
The Mary Ward Centre, Adult Education College
Pictures from the Mela Arts Cultural Event
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Camden Bangladeshi Mela, Regents Park
On Sunday 5th July members of Mary Ward Centre staff and students were involved in supporting the day.
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'Camden in Bloom' Competition
The flower displays at the front of the Centre are beautiful this year, and we are not alone in thinking so. We are delighted to have won second prize in the ‘Camden in Bloom’ competition. The award was presented by the Mayor at a ceremony on 13th July. Special thanks go to our gardener, Ben Emslie, who has produced such a lovely display.
Click on the images below for a full size view.
Mary Ward Student Receives Bursary Fund
This year Hubert received the Helena Kennnedy Foundation bursary fund. The trustee recognised the students' difficult circumstances and were moved and inspired by the commitment and dedication he showed in continuing his education. Trustees also appreciated the tremendous support that the college has given to Hubert.
Jewellery Exhibition
Pictures from the Jewellery Exhibition private view
June 11 2009
52 Lambs Conduit St
Exhibition continues till 14th June
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Mary Ward Players Newspaper Review
The Mary Ward Player's recent production has been reviewed by the Lymington Times.
A group of Finnish adult educators and English students from Seinäjoki visited the Centre on April 24th. Their Centre is similar in size to the Mary Ward Centre but receives a higher subsidy from the national and local government. The group left us with some great pictures of buildings in their home town, some of which were designed by the architect Alvar Aalto, and copies of essays the students had written on their early experiences of education in Finland. See below for picture of the group and letter from the visit organiser. If any Mary Ward students have a particular interest in following up this Finnish connection, do contact Ceri.
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Special Lunch held for 40 Year's Service
On 22nd March a special lunch was held at the Centre to celebrate Peter del Tufo’s 40 years’ service to the Mary Ward Settlement. We are delighted that Peter remains as a much respected member of the Board of Trustees, but we could not let such a milestone go by without thanking him for his dedication and all his work for us. The lunch was attended by present and past staff, trustees and friends of the Centre.
Click on any image for a Full Size Version
Mary Ward Tutor's Exhibiting her work
Carolyn Curtis our Advanced Painting and Visual poetry tutor is exhibiting work in the 491 Gallery Leytonstone (491 Grove Green Road, E11 4AA) opening Wednesday 17 February from 6-9pm.
Mary Ward Staff Member Sandra Breen collects her MBE from Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace
Sandra Breen, PA to the Vice Principal - Curriculum & Quality received her MBE at Buckingham Palace from Prince Charles. See below for photos of the occasion.
Sandra with her MBE
(From Left) Maddy Fisk, Community Education Outreach; Paula Suen, Crèche and Reception Assistant; Marc Breen, Visual Arts Tutor; Suzanna Jackson, Vice Principal - Curriculum & Quality; Ceri Williams, Principal and Warden; Sandra Breen, PA to Vice Principal - Curriculum & Quality; Eileen Lyttle, Special Needs Co-ordinator; Eileen's Partner Jimmy & Sandra's Partner David.
Sandra with her MBE
Sandra & her Partner David
Marc Breen, Visual Arts Tutor; Maddy Fisk, Community Education Outreach; Sandra Breen, PA to Vice Principal - Curriculum & Quality; Sandra's Partner David.
Visit from Sion Simon MP, parliamentary under secretary for further education
On Monday 17th Dec 2008, Mary Ward Centre was pleased to host this visit of the recently appointed minister. After a tour of the Centre and meeting with Principal Ceri Williams and Vice Principal Suzanna Jackson, he visited the Bangla Ghor exhibition at the British Museum and a Mary Ward Centre textiles class. We made the case to him of the importance of a cost of living increase and protection of government funding for the type of non accredited adult learning that we offer, in particular for our outreach work.
Sion Simon MP & Ceri Williams, Principal of MWC
Sion Simon MP & Ceri Williams, Principal of MWC
Mary Ward Singers on BBC Radio 4
Students in a Mary Ward Centre singing class were interviewed for a Radio 4 programme, Questions Questions about women's voices. The voice coach from the X factor visited the class and spoke with students. The programme went out on Thursday 6th November at 3pm.
Reopening of the former Mary Ward Youth Club, Coram's Fields
Saturday 27 Sept 2008
Janet Trevelyan, Mary Ward's daughter, led the campaign to open Coram's Fields Playground in the 1930s. There has always been a strong link between Mary Ward Centre and Coram's Fields and the Principal of Mary Ward serves on the Council of Management of Coram's Fields today.
In the 1950s Mary Ward Settlement funded and built a youth club in Coram's Fields Playground and was responsible for the running of it until 2000 when it was formally handed back to the trustees of Coram's Fields. Recent fundraising, including a small grant from Mary Ward Settlement, has enabled Coram's Fields to extensively refurbish the premises. Several generations of principals and trustees of Mary Ward attended the opening ceremony on 27 th September where Frank Dobson, MP, Chair of the Coram's Fields Board, formally opened the new club. Young people currently using the club showed us round the new facilities.
1. Frank Dobson MP, Chair of Coram's Fields Board, formally opens the refurbished youth club and remembers Hugh Webster, Mary Ward Youth Club leader for many years.
Left to right: Ceri Williams, Principal and Warden – Mary Ward Centre and Settlement; Joyce Hindess, long standing member of Mary Ward Settlement and former trustee; Bill Kitney, former Principal and Warden; Frank Dobson MP
2. Several generations of Mary Ward trustees and principals on the Hugh Webster memorial bench.
Left to right - Back row: Bill Kitney; Peter del Tufo – former treasurer Mary Ward Youth Club from 1967, currently Chair Mary Ward Settlement; Patrick Freestone, former Principal and Warden Mary Ward
Front row: Ceri Williams, current Principal and Warden; Gloria Sachs, current trustee Mary Ward Settlement and former Chair, Mary Ward Youth Centre; Joyce Hindess
Far left: Ianthe del Tufo
3.
4. Principal/Wardens of Mary Ward Settlement
Bill Kitney (Principal 1971- 1978), Ceri Williams (Current Principal since 2006), Patrick Freestone (Principal 1986 – 2006)
5.
Mary Ward Student wins V&A competition
Mary Ward student Kelly Harcus was a winner in the V&A Inspired By competition this year.Click the links below for more details:
In July, the Centre collaborated with the City Lit, Working Men's College, Westminster Kingsway College, and Westminster Adult Education to stage an Adult Learning Fair, entitled Learning in London. This was the first time that the Centre had worked collaboratively with partner colleges on such a venture. The aim was to celebrate the rich and various opportunities there are for adult learning in Central London, and to promote the many courses offered by different colleges and other learning providers. The event took place at Bloomsbury Baptist Church, and was attended by a large number of adult learning providers large and small, including Birkbeck and the Open University as well as the main organisers.
The Mayor of Westminster opened the event, and the photo shows her visiting the Mary Ward Centre stand, being received by our Student Services Manager, Madeleine Page. We were pleased that Veronica Ashcroft, our Tai Chi tutor, and Pascalle Edwards, our Belly Dancing tutor were able to attend the event, demonstrating their subjects and promoting their courses to visitors. The photo shows Veronica with Dave Green, one of of Student Services staff, demonstrating Tai Chi. Students and tutors from the City Lit also provided musical and drama performances.
For a first event, the Fair attracted considerable interest from visitors, and it is hoped that the Fair will run again next year, at a different venue to attract an even greater number of visitors.
2008 Queen Square Fair
See below for a collection of photos from the 2008 Queen Square Fair
Celebration of student achievement/Tea with Tony Benn
Here are a selection of photos from the Celebration of student achievement and Tea with Tony Benn event that took place on Sunday 18 May 2008.
