Queen Square Fair - Sat 3 July 2010

Queen Square Fair was another great success this year.

Click here for pictures from the day.

Cycle rickshaw a success at Mela

A cycle rickshaw reconstructed in Mary Ward Centre classes by Camden community centres and schools drew crowds of people at Sunday’s Camden Bangladesh Mela in Regent’s Park. Thousands of people gathered in the park on Sunday 4 July for a celebration of Bangladeshi culture.

The cycle rickshaw was one of a pair shipped specially from Bangladesh to the Mary Ward Centre in Bloomsbury where it was dismantled and the parts dispersed among seven community centres in Camden. Each centre then reconstructed their rickshaw pieces, decorating the parts with artwork depicting London, Dhaka and British and Bangladeshi culture, supported by a Mary Ward tutor. 70 people from Camden took part in the project. The other rickshaw has been left intact as built in Bangladesh.

In Fitzrovia, a group of women led by Samina Dewan and Mary Ward tutor Zoe Wilson-Dutton did weekly workshops at the Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Centre to paint, decorate and embroider floral designs and scenery from Britain and Bangladesh onto the rickshaw.

Click here to see Zoe Wilson-Dutton describe the Ricksha Fusion project at Camden Bangladesh Mela.

Mary Ward Centre At Treasure - Jewellery Show
Students of the Mary Ward Centre jewellery class recently exhibited at Treasure, Victoria House as part of London Jewellery Week 2010.

The students working with tutor Kelvin Birk have produced items of jewellery and other collectable pieces.

This collection of unique pieces illustrates the student's collective imaginative flair and passion for jewellery making.

Click on the images below for a full size view.

Mary Ward Centre on BBC Radio London
Mary Ward Centre featured on Radio London's drive time programme on 13th May. As usual, our students have done us proud. If you'd like to listen, click on link below for the interviews on Eddie Nestor's Drive Time programme. (Intro item on adult learning from Rachel Thompson of NIACE on their recent survey showing increase in participation, then their reporter Louise doing a description of our Centre then interviews with stained glass and other MWC students. Then interview with Mary Ward Centre Principal Ceri Williams talking about adult education and its benefits, and several of our student talking about the courses available at the Mary Ward Centre. One of the station's reporters spent some time here and was clearly impressed by the Centre and our students.

Drivetime with Eddie Nestor Show 13 May 2010

Click on link below for info about NIACE survey showing the increase in learning participation

BBC News - Education - NIACE Survey

Mary Ward Settlement & Legal Centre Fundraising Walk

WE DID IT! On 20 and 21 February trustees of the Mary Ward Settlement and Legal Centre walked the Thames River Path from the Thames Barrier to Hampton Court. Some walked 20 miles on the first day, some 22 miles on the second day, and some the full 42 miles to raise money for the Mary Ward Legal Centre. The Justgiving pages below will stay open for another few weeks. Please help the Mary Ward Legal Centre raise funds to help it continue providing its free legal service to people across London who otherwise could not afford to access advice. Please donate via my page http://www.justgiving.com/Ceri-Williams (Ceri walked the 22 miles on the second day) or through our trustees page http://www.justgiving.com/Mary-Ward-Legal-Centre  (Several of the Mary Ward Settlement trustees and some friends walked the full 42 miles over the two days).

Day 1 - Thames Barrier

Mary Ward Settlement Trustees Mehul Shah, Karen Blake, Diana Good, Caro Millington and friends and partners

Day 2 - Richmond - nearly there!

Settlement Trustees - Diana Good (Chair) and Mehul Shah, Principal and Warden - Ceri Williams, Friend - Alexander Good.

Click on the images above for a full-size version

Camden Bangladesh Mela Networking Event – Committee Members

As one of the Committee Members, the Mary Ward Centre was involved in helping to plan and host a Networking Event on 20th January, alongside other Members of the Camden Bangladesh Mela. The evening focused on generating awareness of the Mela’s activities and the benefits it brings to the local and wider communities. It was also an event to raise funds through sponsorship and other involvements. For more details on the Camden Bangladesh Mela visit www.camdenbangladeshmela.org

Click on the image above for a full-size version

Corot to Monet: A Fresh Look at Landscape from the Collection

Mary Ward Over 60’s students and tutor Alison Shipton took part & have work in exhibition.

8 July - 20 September 2009

Admission free

Find out more 

http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibition

Open daily 10am to 6pm, Fridays until 9pm

Sign up for the latest news, offers and exclusive competitions 

from the National Gallery by clicking on this link

A ScapeSpace Event, Land Draw at Woodmill, Southampton. September 2009

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wild Life trust are working with artist Abigail Downer on The Itchen Navigation Arts Project during the course of 2009 and 2010.

The event in September brought together artists and collaborators from many disciplines - music, dance, film/photography to create "Total Artwork" as well as the hands of 400 local participants. A dance troupe from Houndsdown Secondary School performed a dance piece under the direction of WiseMoves Dance Ltd in response to a specially composed score by Dale Sumner and the designs of the lead artist.

The Arts Programme is part of the Itchen Navigation Heritage Trail a lottery funded conservation project in Hampshire.

The aim of the project is to preserve the Itchen Navigation for future generations and celebrate the outstanding wildlife and history of the internationally renowned chalk river system.

Images credited to Rod Varley

Proud students from the Community Outreach Programme, see their creative work on permanent display at the British Museum

Proud Camden students saw their work hanging in the British Museum's staff restaurant at a celebration event attended by the Mayor, Cllr Omar Faruque Ansari.
The textile banner, made by the students during a series of classes held in the Museum, is a product of a unique partnership between the Museum, Coram and the Mary Ward Adult Education Centre in Queen Square. Students were given access to the Museum's unparalleled textile collection from around the world, and used techniques and designs stimulated by the input from curators. John Orna-Ornstein, Head of London and National Programmes, said, "The British Museum is a national and international institution, but we also want to be a local museum. This partnership, following closely on the Mela Arts display in the Great Court in July, is helping us be part of Camden’s community.”

Ceri Williams, Principal of the Mary Ward Centre, said "We are so proud to see students' work holding its own in this environment. We're looking forward to see the product of the next class we're planning with the Museum".

Click on each image for a full-size view.

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