BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Dartford Arts Network - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Dartford Arts Network
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:UTC
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZOFFSETTO:+0000
TZNAME:UTC
DTSTART:20150101T000000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251011
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251012
DTSTAMP:20260420T100008
CREATED:20250923T122246Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250923T122356Z
UID:2499-1760140800-1760227199@www.dartfordartsnetwork.com
SUMMARY:DAN Does Life Drawing...
DESCRIPTION:This Autumn\, our Life Drawing Sessions are back by popular demand! \nGet your tickets HERE  \nDartford Arts Network hosts 6 x sessions of weekly informal and fun 2hr life drawing sessions. \nAll abilities welcome\, no artistic experience necessary! \nThe classes will be loosely guided\, but mainly allowing participants to freely draw the human body from life. We will have accredited life drawing models holding a variety of poses across a 2 hour session with a short drinks break. \nThe venue is the Royal Victoria and Bull Hotel (also known as the Bull & Vic)\, an atmospheric listed building\, with a private function room. \nWe will provide some basic materials and drawing boards/easels for use\, but please feel free to bring your own if you wish (keep materials dry please). \nBook Now! Don’t miss out… spaces are limited to around 15 per session. \nClass Dates:\n• Saturday 11 October\, 1–3pm\n• Tuesday 21 October\, 7–9pm\n• Saturday 1 November\, 1–3pm\n• Tuesday 11 November\, 7–9pm\n• Saturday 22 November\, 1–3pm\n• Tuesday 2 December\, 7–9pm \nWe are also holding a pair of life drawing model workshops\, teaching the basics of becoming a life model\, with the potential opportunity to model for these drawing sessions. \nBOOK HERE \n#lifedrawing\n#lifemodeldrawing\n#lifemodelling #drawing #art #localart #creative #Dartford #dartfordarts
URL:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/event/dan-does-life-drawing-2/
LOCATION:Royal Victoria and Bull Hotel (Bull and Vic Pub\, Dartford)\, 1 Dartford High Street\, DA1 1DU\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Arts Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Blue-White-Bold-Illustrative-Art-Class-Promotion-Poster_under2MB.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20240921T130000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20240921T163000
DTSTAMP:20260420T100008
CREATED:20240807T161625Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240813T131920Z
UID:2476-1726923600-1726936200@www.dartfordartsnetwork.com
SUMMARY:T.A.A.S.E The African Animated Shorts Experience 2
DESCRIPTION:Join AWANetwork and our very own DAN artist Debo Adeaga\, as they present a one day summit of animated shorts\, comic titles and conversations from Africa. \n21st September 2024 \n\n1.00pm Demo Session\n2.15pm – Screening\n\n \nFor more information visit the AWANetwork Website  \nFree event tickets on Eventbrite CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR SPACE!
URL:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/event/t-a-a-s-e-the-african-animated-shorts-experience-2/
LOCATION:75 East Hill\, Dartford\, DA1 1SN
CATEGORIES:Festival
ORGANIZER;CN="AWANetwork":MAILTO:awanetw@gmail.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20240713T110000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20240713T150000
DTSTAMP:20260420T100008
CREATED:20240709T125753Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240709T125753Z
UID:2471-1720868400-1720882800@www.dartfordartsnetwork.com
SUMMARY:FREE Art workshops at Dartford's Big Day Out - 13th July 2024
DESCRIPTION:Kent Libraries\, Sir Peter Blake Gallery and Dartford Arts Network are supporting the ‘Summer Reading Challenge- Marvellous Makers’ with a series of art events over the summer. The events will culminate in an exhibition of children’s artwork in September at the Sir Peter Blake Gallery at Dartford Library. \nOur first event will be this coming weekend\, where we will be running some ‘marvellous makers workshops’ at Dartford’s Big Day Out\, Saturday 13th July between 11am and 3pm in Central Park.  \nFind us in the big marquee to register your child’s place – materials will be provided\, but be quick as numbers will be limited… \n\nDon’t worry if you can’t get along to the events\, as you can still participate by dropping you children’s artwork to the library reception on or before 10th August.\nInspired artworks should be no larger than A4\, and be able to be framed. Your contact details\, title of work\, name of child (and age) should be clearly marked on the rear of the work.
URL:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/event/free-art-workshops-at-dartfords-big-day-out-13th-july-2024/
LOCATION:Central Park Dartford\, Cranford Rd\, Dartford\, Kent\, DA1 1JP\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Arts Workshop,Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Kent-Libraries-SRC-2024-Promo-Kids-1920-x-1080.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20240127T160000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20240127T183000
DTSTAMP:20260420T100008
CREATED:20240124T165431Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240124T170714Z
UID:2441-1706371200-1706380200@www.dartfordartsnetwork.com
SUMMARY:DAN Does...Life Drawing
DESCRIPTION:Dartford Arts Network hosts 6 x sessions of weekly informal and fun 2hr life drawing sessions. \nAll abilities welcome\, no artistic experience necessary! \nThe classes will be loosely guided\, but mainly allowing participants to freely draw the human body from life. We will have accredited life drawing models holding a variety of poses across a 2 hour session with a short drinks break. \nThe venue is the Royal Victoria and Bull Hotel (also known as the Bull & Vic)\, an atmospheric listed building\, with a private function room. \nWe will provide some basic materials and drawing boards/easels for use\, but please feel free to bring your own if you wish (keep materials dry please). \nBook now at the link below! \nWe have hosted two sessions so far\, both of which have been great fun\, very relaxed and a pleasure for all involved. With only 4 sessions left\, don’t miss out… spaces are limited to around 15 per session.
URL:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/event/dan-does-life-drawing/
LOCATION:Royal Victoria and Bull Hotel (Bull and Vic Pub\, Dartford)\, 1 Dartford High Street\, DA1 1DU\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Arts Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/instasize_240113204929-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20220906T080000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20220914T170000
DTSTAMP:20260420T100008
CREATED:20220921T145623Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220921T145624Z
UID:2394-1662451200-1663174800@www.dartfordartsnetwork.com
SUMMARY:DAN Art Exhibition on until 29th September in Dartford
DESCRIPTION:Our annual members’ exhibition is now on show at the Sir Peter Blake Gallery in Dartford Library. Featuring a range of beautiful artworks for sale by our local artists members – from stunning fused glass works\, to watercolors of local landscapes\, abstract works\, illustrated stories\, large-scale acrylics\, painted furniture and much more\, the exhibition is a yearly event to showcase our members’ individual skills and expertise as independent artists. \n \n 
URL:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/event/dan-art-exhibition-on-until-29th-september-in-dartford/
LOCATION:Sir Peter Blake Gallery\, Central Park\, Market Street\, Dartford\, Kent\, DA1 1EU\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:exhibition
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220911-WA0003.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220730
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220731
DTSTAMP:20260420T100008
CREATED:20220921T151042Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220921T151454Z
UID:2397-1659139200-1659225599@www.dartfordartsnetwork.com
SUMMARY:DAN PRESENTS: THE ICE-CREAM VAN PROJECT WORKSHOP N.3 / Bird-Making Workshop with Mona Whitton at Ebbsfleet Cultural Festival
DESCRIPTION:On Saturday 30th July 2022\, DAN will deliver our third arts-led workshop as part of the Ebbsfleet Cultural Festival\, delivered by EDC\, Cohesion Plus and Blueprint Arts. It will be the third and final workshop in our series of public engagement activities in Dartford and surroundings led by Dartford Arts Network and funded by Creative Estuary. \nThe workshop is part of the overall Ice Cream Van project\, which looks at arts mobility along the estuary\, and this event will focus on engaging with cultural diversity in a new community\, through public engagement in a festival setting. \nWe have commissioned artist Mona Whitton to run a paper bird making workshop with visitors\, making and decorating individual birds with differing styles reflective of various cultures and styles\, and sparking dialogue about  how individuals come together as a whole\, but can also retain their own culture and individuality within communities\, as birds do within the natural world.
URL:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/event/dan-presents-the-ice-cream-van-project-workshop-n-3-bird-makingworkshop-with-mona-whitton-at-ebbsfleet-cultural-festival/
LOCATION:Castle Hill\, Ebbsfleet\, DA10 1BU
CATEGORIES:Arts Workshop,Community Artwork
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220730-WA0002.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20220625T120000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20220625T160000
DTSTAMP:20260420T100008
CREATED:20220518T090104Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220921T151332Z
UID:2363-1656158400-1656172800@www.dartfordartsnetwork.com
SUMMARY:DAN presents: The Ice Cream Van Project / Workshop N.2 - Midsummer Celebrations at Huggens College
DESCRIPTION:DAN PRESENTS: THE ICE-CREAM VAN PROJECT  \nWORKSHOP N.2 / Midsummer Flower Collage Workshop with Sadie Hennessy at Huggens College \n  \nOn Saturday 25th June 2022\, DAN will be hosting an arts engagement workshop with the residents of Huggens College in Northfleet\, in collaboration with GAS and Northfleet Big Local. It is the second in a series of public engagement activities across the summer in Dartford and surrounding areas led by Dartford Arts Network and funded by Creative Estuary. \nThe workshop is part of the overall Ice Cream Van project\, which looks at arts mobility along the estuary\, but this event will more specifically focus on artist-led activities which engage with older people who may have been negatively impacted in access to culture by lack of mobility and the Covid pandemic. \nOur focus is to challenge this limited access by taking art opportunities to the participants\, with the specific theme of this event being Midsummer\, and the memories and feelings evoked by this time of year. \nWe have commissioned artist Sadie Hennessey to run a flower collage making workshop with the residents of Huggens College. Sadie has worked with the residents before\, and will use cuttings from old magazines and photos to evoke memories of midsummer and past times. The workshop will be a chance for participants to look at images\, chat\, sift\, think\, feel\, communicate and then convey all of this into a final curated art piece\, with help from Sadie. \nLook out for images of the final pieces which will be posted here next week!
URL:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/event/dan-presents-the-ice-cream-van-project-workshop-n-2-midsummer-celebrations-at-huggens-college/
LOCATION:Huggens College\, College Rd\, Northfleet\, Gravesend\, DA11 9DL\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Arts Workshop,Community Artwork,Community Reachout
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/WORKSHOP-N-1_workshop-marketing-N2-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20220529T120000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20220529T160000
DTSTAMP:20260420T100008
CREATED:20220406T165054Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220621T143004Z
UID:2324-1653825600-1653840000@www.dartfordartsnetwork.com
SUMMARY:DAN presents: The Ice Cream Van Project / Workshop N.1 - Art & Nature
DESCRIPTION:DAN PRESENTS: THE ICE-CREAM VAN PROJECT  \nWORKSHOP N.1 / ART & NATURE  \n  \nOn Sunday 29th May 2022\, DAN held a FREE public arts workshop as part of Dartford’s Jubilee events. It was the first in a series of public engagement activities across the summer in Dartford and surrounding areas led by Dartford Arts Network and funded by Creative Estuary. \nThe workshops are part of the overall Ice Cream Van project\, which looks at arts mobility along the estuary\, but this event more specifically focused on artist-led activities to encourage artistic engagement with nature. \nWe commissioned artist and DAN member Nicola Claxton to run engaging\, creative sessions between 12-4pm where participants explored the park and the creatures within it\, made their own clay animals to take home\, and leart about art and nature.
URL:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/event/dan-presents-the-ice-cream-van-project-workshop-n-1-art-nature/
LOCATION:Central Park Dartford\, Cranford Rd\, Dartford\, Kent\, DA1 1JP\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Arts Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/IMG_8714.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20201001T000000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20211001T000000
DTSTAMP:20260420T100008
CREATED:20211001T113458Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211007T195406Z
UID:2205-1601510400-1633046400@www.dartfordartsnetwork.com
SUMMARY:Lockdown Virtual Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Lockdown was an interesting creative experience for the group. All our projects had to be halted\, our face to face meetings stopped and having to adapt to new ways of life and new demands meant that some of the group struggled creatively\, and some found the need to be creative even more than usual. \nIn the October 2020 meeting\, our first meeting in months\, we knew we needed to get things moving again and what better way than a virtual exhibition on our social media\, mainly Instagram and Facebook. \nWe quickly gathered pieces and posted these on our pages over the course of the month. \nThe outcome\, a reminder to our followers that we are still here and we will be back as soon as we can. \n\n		\n		\n			\n				\n			\n				\n				Ruth Howard\n				\n			\n				\n			\n				\n				Untitled collage\, Julie Holmes\n				\n			\n				\n			\n				\n				Emmie Tondina\n				\n			\n				\n			\n				\n				Kate Withstandley
URL:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/event/lockdown-virtual-exhibition/
CATEGORIES:exhibition
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/121595776_836264693785098_7241478645847548201_n.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190921
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190922
DTSTAMP:20260420T100008
CREATED:20211007T210231Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211007T210231Z
UID:2291-1569024000-1569110399@www.dartfordartsnetwork.com
SUMMARY:Dartford Assembly Auction
DESCRIPTION:We were determined that the fabulous artworks from our Dartford Assembly project should continue as a legacy of the history of the Lowfield Street site development\, as well as a lasting testament to the creative talents of the Dartford population\, and so in September 2019 we arranged for the remaining artworks to be auctioned for the Ellenor Hospice\, at the Dartford Lions’ Community Fayre. Many of the boards were sold at the auction\, with local artists also donating handmade postcard artworks for sale too\, raising over £300 for the charity. \nApart from the obvious visual appeal of these works\, people realised they were buying an important piece of Dartford history. These are all original artworks by local people (some of them recognised commercial artists)\, and were created in response to a brief of saying or doing something positive for Dartford. Exhibiting the works on the Lowfield Street hoardings was an attempt to give local people more control over what was being seen\, after Tesco’s long delay to developing the site. As the Copperhouse Green development takes shape\, and then becomes familiar\, people will have a record of the days beforehand.
URL:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/event/dartford-assembly-auction/
CATEGORIES:Auction,Charity,Community Artwork
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/dan-auction-2.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190903
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190929
DTSTAMP:20260420T100008
CREATED:20160323T110058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211007T195745Z
UID:443-1567468800-1569715199@www.dartfordartsnetwork.com
SUMMARY:Peter Blake Gallery Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:In DAN we are proud of our two-strands of interest as an arts network. As well as creating and holding community events to engage the public in art\, we also focus on promoting our members’ work for exhibition and sale\, and in 2019 we decided it would be ideal to put on this exhibition at the Sir Peter Blake Gallery. \nIn 2017 the gallery had been given a re-fit\, and our now Creative Director\, Eija Burrell\, was responsible for organising the programme and curating exhibitions on behalf of DBC. Eija was keen to bring in a group exhibition for DAN\, not only to show the artwork of the members\, but also to publicise the group to hopefully attract new members who may not have been aware of the group’s existence. \nWe made a deliberate choice not to have a theme for the exhibition\, hoping instead to gather a wide variety of styles and themes which would convey the scope of our membership interest and talent. With approximately 50- 60 pieces needed to fill the gallery space\, DAN members were submitted images of their artwork to be chosen by the Art Panel at the DBC. Being a community-run group\, we also put together an artist’s rota for help with hanging the exhibition\, ready for the opening. This in itself worked very well and we had great fun setting up the exhibition! The work submitted was of an extremely high standard and ranged from illustration\, to painting\, to sculpture\, and photography. \nThe private view was busy and well-received\, with speeches from the Honorable Mayor of Dartford and the Leader of The Council. It was lovely to gather with featured artists and their guests too\, and to discuss the works together. \nThe DAN exhibition ran for the whole of September\, and during this period artists were encouraged to come into the gallery to meet viewers and talk about their artwork. \nDAN achieved an exhibition that was much talked about afterwards\, and our members were subsequently keen to sign up for a further exhibition in 2020. This is still very much in the pipeline\, but unfortunately\, due to Covid- 19 the gallery is still temporarily closed. Watch this space!
URL:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/event/peter-blake-gallery-exhibition/
LOCATION:Sir Peter Blake Gallery\, Central Park\, Market Street\, Dartford\, Kent\, DA1 1EU\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:exhibition
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/20211001_112916.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190801
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190822
DTSTAMP:20260420T100008
CREATED:20160323T105318Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211007T200737Z
UID:441-1564617600-1566431999@www.dartfordartsnetwork.com
SUMMARY:Community Art Project - Tree of Life
DESCRIPTION:We were able to run this Community artwork thanks to the funding by KCC and The Priory Shopping Centre. \nThe concept of the Tree of Life was to create a Community Artwork using recycled boxes from the shopping centre and using an Art activity encourage the people of Dartford to tell us “What do trees mean to you?”  \nWe held 4 workshops in total. The first was with students from the Dartford Science and Technology College\, as part of their Community Day. The other workshops were held in the Priory Centre\, Dartford\, and open to the general public.  \nThe Lead Artist (Nicola Claxton) was mainly involved in the construction of the tree with other members of DAN chatting with the general public and encouraging them to experiment with designs for leaves and bark to add to the sculpture. \nWe interacted with many residents and hopefully grew into enlightenment together\, with the roles that trees can play in our lives\, creating the Tree of Life in the process. \nThe types of things that people spoke about were: carbon capture\, clean air\, mental wellbeing\, renewable resources\, wildlife\, food\, noise blocking\, recycling\, flood defence\, slope stabilisation\, shade/cooling of urban areas\, not to mention the uses of timber etc… \nThe Mayor of Dartford (Councillor Perfitt)\, together with the Mayoress\, opened the Exhibit on the 20th August 2019 in Market Square Priory Shopping Centre. \nThe Tree of Life was initially displayed with an information board explaining the reason for the sculpture\, plus peoples thoughts on what trees mean to them. The Tree of Life sculpture was meant to be exhibited only until Christmas 2019\, but ran until Sept 2020 in the Priory Shopping Centre. \n 
URL:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/event/seniors-spring-open-meeting/
LOCATION:Priory Shopping Centre\, Dartford\, Kent\, DA1 2HR\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Community Artwork
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/20190820_154053-Exhibit-Tree-final-1-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190701
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190801
DTSTAMP:20260420T100008
CREATED:20160323T100811Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211007T202108Z
UID:436-1561939200-1564617599@www.dartfordartsnetwork.com
SUMMARY:Priory Mews Care Home
DESCRIPTION:In July 2019 we were excited to be able to visit the Priory Mews Care Home\, to take part in their annual Care Home Open Day\, which this year was themed Celebrating Art in Care. Well-being coordinator Ben contacted us and asked if we would like to be involved and we jumped at the chance to work with elderly patients\, as some of our artists have worked with elderly people in the past and are aware of the rewarding outcomes which can be delivered through carefully curated process and art facilitation. \nWe engaged with a number of residents through both Storytelling and Transient Art; the process of connection and production being the key feature in this project. These methods were used deliberately\, as people suffering from dementia often struggle with restrictive activities. We implicitly encouraged the residents to be free to tell their story in their own way\, and to create self portraits using a variety of free moving objects on a board. \nThe experience was a joy for us as artists\, with residents opening up about their lives through funny\, engaging\, inspiring and fascinating stories. As they chatted to our storyteller Caroline\, Nadia filmed the process and sketched portraits of the individuals. \nMeanwhile\, at the parallel activity where residents were encouraged to work with Kate and create a self-portrait\, people such as Patricia and Bob were able to share their past experiences\, chatting as they worked\, the artistic activity sparking memories. \nIt was\, overall\, an immensely rewarding experience which we hope to repeat in the future! \n\n		\n		\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n			\n		\n\n 
URL:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/event/priory-mews-care-home/
LOCATION:Priory Mews\, Watling Street\, Dartford\, Kent\, DA2 6EG\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Community Reachout
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Care-Home-12.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180810
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20181201
DTSTAMP:20260420T100008
CREATED:20211007T205758Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211007T205758Z
UID:2289-1533859200-1543622399@www.dartfordartsnetwork.com
SUMMARY:Drastic Plastic Action!
DESCRIPTION:Our Drastic Plastic Action! project aimed to convey an action through message – recycle\, re-use and look after your environment locally and nationally! \nThrough our Plastic Fantastic project at the Priory Centre back in 2016\, we were able to discover what happens to our plastics when they end up in the sea. Tragically\, they very often end up in the stomachs of marine life and birds\, who mistake the plastics for small creatures and we found that images showing this explicitly were very powerful in terms of conveying this message to the public. \nWhen the Priory Centre approached us to deliver a follow-on project which resulted in some sculpture pieces\, we immediately saw an opportunity to take our Plastic Fantastic message one step further and to again produce beautiful artworks which would make people stop and think\, through a series of public workshops and the construction/display of large hanging sculptures. \nAcross 2 free public workshops in 2018 we aimed to make 2-3 large-scale sculptures which would hang from the ceiling of the Priory Centre Market Hall and raise the issue of plastics in an explicit and bold way. \nThe largest of these\, a 3-metre-long fish\, was designed and built by local commissioned artist Nicola Claxton\, who constructed the fish’s skeleton and then gathered members of the public to help her\, and the team add the final decorative touches. The workshop tables were full of people busily creating colourful paper scales for the body of the fish\, which they then applied with watered down PVA glue\, as well as applying wet\, torn tissue to the body using a technique called Decoupage. The designs were beautiful\, and all the participants were excited about coming along next week to spot their own handmade scales when the fish was up and hanging from the ceiling of the market hall. \n\n		\n		\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n		\n\nThe final touches were added when the body was turned over and local discarded plastics collected by Dartford Litterpickers were threaded onto the underbelly of the fish and shown coming from its mouth. These were visible from below when the fish was hung\, and explicitly conveys the message about the impact plastic waste has on our sea creatures – how it ends up being mistaken for food\, or caught around their bodies\, often killing or maiming them irreparably. \nAside from the fish\, participants were helping Sue with the Jellyfish sculpture. The workshop element was in addition to much sewing work painstakingly undertaken by Sue Holmes\, a local DAN artist\, who created the sculpture body from reclaimed net curtains using the traditional ‘Suffolk Puff’ technique. She was assisted in the creation of this by members of the public and by the Dartford Science and Technology College students\, who on their Community Day delighted in helping Sue make the baby jellyfish which hang from the base of the main feature. \n\n		\n		\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n		\n\nThe puffin was also made by Nicola\, with the body made from wet willow\, the wings from wire mesh while the coverings were black and white bin bags with paper attachments. \n  \nAs well as these main sculptures\, we encouraged the general public to get involved in making paintings/pictures/drawings and adding their thoughts to the work\, some of which we displayed alongside the sculpture on a printed display board. \n\n		\n		\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n		\n\nThe project was funded by KCC Councillor Jan Ozog\, and opened by the Mayor of Dartford. \n 
URL:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/event/drastic-plastic-action/
CATEGORIES:Community Artwork,Community Reachout
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Drastic-Plastic-Action-4.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180701
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180901
DTSTAMP:20260420T100008
CREATED:20160323T114333Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211007T194953Z
UID:446-1530403200-1535759999@www.dartfordartsnetwork.com
SUMMARY:Land Art On Tour
DESCRIPTION:This series of art events was inspired by the work of Andy Goldsworthy and took place at a whole host of pop-up festival events over the summer of 2018. Goldsworthy’s natural sculptures use only organic material and are organic in nature\, that is\, they grow as they are built and then degrade over time. His land art style lends itself to a collaborative community project\, and embodies the concept that beautiful art can be created from anything\, anywhere. It is not reliant on technical skill or expensive materials\, but can be produced by harnessing creative expression\, imagination and everyday materials. \nWe utilised collected leaves\, pine cones\, chalk stones\, wooden sticks and a stack of coconut shells collected by DAN member and project assistant Tim. We invited people to use these objects to create patterns and pictures\, making our own alongside them as a guide (which they didn’t need!). At Stone Fete\, after deciding to make a very basic starting design to give people an idea of what we were doing\, we almost instantly began to get some interest from passing children. “how much does it cost?” they asked cautiously. “it’s FREE!” we replied with glee. “Get stuck in!”. Soon enough\, kids of all ages (including very grown-up ones) were getting fully absorbed with the task\, which was as enthralling to watch as to do. \n \nWe piloted this event at our 2017 Spring Fayre\, and its popularity and success led us to take it ‘on tour’ to various other events cross the summers of 2017/18\, at the following events: \n\nBridge Community Day 2017 & 18\nStone Fete 2018\nIngress Community Fun Day 2018\nWilmington Fete 2018\n\n\n		\n		\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n		\n\nOur Chair and project lead Kate Withstandley spoke to BBC Radio Kent from the Land Art stall at Stone Fete\, explaining all about the project and championing the use of free natural materials as a way to engage with art for free and at home/out in nature. \nThis type of sculpture is\, by its very nature\, transient. It evolved organically throughout the day at each event\, affected by weather and by human influence. In response\, we had to ensure we were adaptable and allowed our imaginations to guide us in creating a beautiful outdoor sculpture. \nAs with many public art events\, we found that people were initially a little reluctant to get involved\, preferring to observe from afar and work out what we were offering. It didn’t take long though\, for the first inquisitive soul to step forward and have a go and before long the site was a frenzy of activity. Mandalas and rock piles began to cover the floor\, and people intuitively started working together to build a set of beautiful sculptures. \n \nIt was a complete delight to see the differences in the participants; their way of thinking (it took a while before anyone decide to build UP)\, their type of design\, and the levels of concentration and creativity. We deliberately didn’t give a lot of guidance; (the imagination of a child is far beyond what we could proscribe) and although some people initially asked us what they should do\, within minutes they were doing far better by themselves. We also allowed the design to evolve\, to ebb and flow throughout the day. People were reluctant to dismantle other artworks\, but the nature of the activity is its change. It ended very differently from how it began\, which was exactly the intention. A number of parents responded that they thought it was a great idea and that they would now be gathering materials in their garden to make their own sculptures. Part of our reason behind doing this was to leave people with a sense of ownership over it\, that they can take the idea with them\, re-use it\, recreate it. You don’t need a studio of art materials to embrace creativity\, you can do it anywhere around you. \nOverall\, we had a great time and chatted to hundreds of local residents over the events\, gathering feedback about what kind of art events they would most like to see in the local area. Thank you so much to everyone who got involved. You lot are awesome!
URL:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/event/land-art-on-tour/
LOCATION:Local Community Fayres\, Dartford and surrounding towns\, Kent\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Tournament
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/20180819_152916-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180501
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180502
DTSTAMP:20260420T100008
CREATED:20160323T113620Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211007T202619Z
UID:444-1525132800-1525219199@www.dartfordartsnetwork.com
SUMMARY:Dartford Steam Fair
DESCRIPTION:In May 2018 we were keen to get involved with the annual Dartford Steam Fair taking place in Central Park. Members came up with the idea of a creative collaboration; something which would engage all age groups and bring families and community together to create a piece of artwork. DAN member and craft artist Nicola Claxton drew a beautiful representation of the original Trevithick engine\, which we used as the basis for our project.  \nThe drawing was scaled up\, printed and then cut into squares which were glued onto foam board pieces. Each square was then able to be removed from the board (which showed the original drawing underneath) and given to a visitor to decorate and complete in their own style. \n  \n\n		\n		\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n		\n\nAs well as a stall with lots of engaging art activities to get involved in\, we also brought along DAN artist Marco Ruffoni to undertake a technical drawing demonstration. Marco is skilled in a variety of art techniques\, but has a passion for detailed technical and often mechanical drawings. Visitors were intrigued and impressed by his striking pieces.  \nWe had arrived that morning\, laden with trestle tables and bringing with us a black and white image ready for the public to infuse with their creativity and colour – and that they did! We had a lovely time helping people to complete their squares and had fun with both kids and adults alike colouring\, painting and sticking the collage.  \n  \n\n		\n		\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n		\n\nAfter a fun-filled day interacting and engaging with the public\, we stood back and admired the results – the final piece was stunning. “Colourful”\, “abstract”\, “patterned”\, “thoughtful”\, “artistic”\, were some of the comments we had from both DAN members and the general public.  \nThe work was temporarily exhibited in an empty window unit of the Priory Centre in Dartford\, for the public to see the work they had seemingly created individually\, put back together as a whole\, collaborative community artwork.  \n 
URL:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/event/dartford-steam-fair/
LOCATION:Central Park Dartford\, Cranford Rd\, Dartford\, Kent\, DA1 1JP\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Community Artwork,Community Reachout,Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/DSC0079_web.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170715
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171001
DTSTAMP:20260420T100008
CREATED:20211007T203713Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211007T203834Z
UID:2285-1500076800-1506815999@www.dartfordartsnetwork.com
SUMMARY:Silk River
DESCRIPTION:In 2017\, the 70th anniversary of India’s independence from Britain\, Kinetika\, an arts organisation based in Purfleet\, undertook a project to highlight the history of the silk trade routes from India to London\, with the Thames river channel being a key route. They invited 10 towns situated along the river Thames to take part in this project\, Dartford being one of these. \nEach town was ‘twinned’ with a corresponding town in India – Dartford’s twin town was Howrah. The aim of the project was to create a set of large (6m long) banners – painted with wax\, and made of silk (referencing the silk trade). These banners were walked through the town at an event in September of the same year. Kinetika walked through each town involved in the project and so linked the independent events in each town to create one larger overall event. \n\n		\n		\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n		\n\nKey artists from Dartford were invited to come along to two workshops to produce sketch designs to be incorporated into the final banners. These sketches were then silk printed through What If Gallery workshops and including work by DAN artists\, to produce a 6m long silk Batik banner to represent Dartford\, with the help of Kinetika\, the arts organisation who were running the project. \nAs part of the background learning\, we had a visit from some Indian artists. They gave us a demonstration of a traditional folk art form – singing scrolls. The artists paint a scroll of paper with images depicting a story or event. They then compose a song to accompany the scroll\, and as the song and story progresses\, the scroll is unravelled vertically to reveal the next stage of the story. It was a beautiful experience to watch these artworks in action; part visual art\, part music\, part performance art\, they are incredibly engaging and moving. \n\n		\n		\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n		\n\nIn conjunction with the project\, we were lucky enough to host a group of students and Alison Medd\, Director of Learning\, Creative Arts & Performance\, from Dartford Science and Technology College at an art workshop as part of their annual Community Day. The workshop took place at the What If Gallery\, and its aim was to produce a series of Indian scroll artworks\, to be used as part of the Silk River project. We intended to explore the creative process and production of a traditional Indian artform – whereby an aesthetic narrative is painted onto canvas scrolls\, and a song composed to accompany the visual element. The scroll is ‘performed’ by unravelling the physical artwork as the song is sung and the story explained. \nOur aim for the community day workshop was for the students from DSTC to create some of these types of artworks in groups composed of art and music students. They were asked to produce some works which could link with the final walk celebrations when the silk banners were paraded through the town. We hope that through the workshop the girls became aware of an important artistic tradition which is embedded in the Indian culture with which we had been linked through this project\, encompassing the overall aim of engaging local people and particularly up and coming artists.
URL:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/event/silk-river/
CATEGORIES:Charity,Community Artwork
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/silk-river-7.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20160611
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20160925
DTSTAMP:20260420T100008
CREATED:20211007T204808Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211007T204808Z
UID:2287-1465603200-1474761599@www.dartfordartsnetwork.com
SUMMARY:Plastic Fantastic
DESCRIPTION:In 2016\, the Ellandi / Project Dirt grant scheme gave us the opportunity to produce a public work which aimed to stimulate the artistic senses visually\, to educate about environmental crises\, and to facilitate the general public in an artistic collaboration with local artists. \nOur core concept centred around the idea of waste and recycling\, and a specific look at the journey our plastics embark on when we discard them without recycling them. As it stands\, in certain areas our oceans have more plastic in than zooplankton and it is predicted that if waste continues at the current rate\, in 25 years there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish. That is a terrifying prospect and one we are eager to highlight to the residents of our town. \nWe produced two sculptures made from recycled materials\, constructed at interactive workshops in the Priory Centre. \nThe first was a large-scale map of a section of the world displayed on a plinth made from reused pallets and decorated with filled recycled vases made from unwanted CD-cases. Our artists created the map utilising corrugated cardboard to create a 3D display\, using a technique from model-making to build the layers of the map up. We used the map base to graphically convey the journey of a plastic bottle; how it travels from our shores\, swept by ocean gyres to the shores of the Caribbean; how bottles discarded in the USA and Africa are brought together in a ‘garbage patch’ the size of Texas\, and how we can reduce the effect of this by recycling our plastics locally. \n\n		\n		\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n		\n\nThe second sculpture was a ‘Wishing Tree’ built from reclaimed polypipe and used as a base to attach smaller recycled art objects made both by visitors to the workshops and by members of the group. \n\n		\n		\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n		\n\nOur goal was to combine both fun and education – to work directly with the public in creating a beautiful artwork which will benefit the area in which it is exhibited – but also\, in collecting the materials and re-appropriating them to produce an artwork\, participants and observers were part of a dialogue about waste and the environment\, both locally\, nationally and internationally.
URL:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/event/plastic-fantastic/
CATEGORIES:Community Artwork,Community Reachout
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/DAN-Volunteers-c-Priory-Centre.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20160601
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20160602
DTSTAMP:20260420T100008
CREATED:20160323T114154Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211007T092151Z
UID:445-1464739200-1464825599@www.dartfordartsnetwork.com
SUMMARY:The Dartford Assembly
DESCRIPTION:The Dartford Assembly project was the first of its kind in the town with original art works on boards produced following a public call-out for artists\, as well as collages from community workshops and local school and college contributions. \nThe central aim of the project was initially to kill two very significant birds with one stone: to provide a vehicle through which local artists could publicly display their artworks in the town\, and to deliver a project which greatly enhanced the aesthetics of Lowfield Street for the general public. \nThe project was sparked by a grassroots appeal from a number of local residents and artists who felt the hoardings could host something creative until development on the site gets underway.  The original idea of the project was to see local people having some impact on the appearance of Lowfield Street\, creating something bright and positive and replacing the blank space which represented the impact of Tesco’s long occupation of the site. \nSome took to Facebook and members of the Dartford Arts Network developed a plan for a public arts project that won the support of Dartford Borough Council. 13 individual artists contributed\, as well as art students at North West Kent College\, children at The Bridge Primary Community School\, and 10 members of the public who produced collage and monoprint works at the public workshops we held over the 2015 summer at One Bell Corner. \nThe result\, a 75m long outdoor gallery\, was designed to stimulate the visual senses and showcase a small sample of the wealth of artistic talent which resides in our local area. \n\n		\n		\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n		\n\nThe high quality of work meant that the public reaction was overwhelmingly positive and the project’s aim – to bring more public art to the town\, as well as to enhance the streetscape of the area – was more than fulfilled. \n \nDartford Borough Council were our partners throughout the project\, with generous financial support\, and in negotiations with the landowner. With the subsequent progression of works on the Lowfield Street site\, the hoardings were replaced and the artworks removed with great care by Bellway’s groundworks team. \nWe were (are) determined that these fabulous artworks should continue as a legacy of the history of the Lowfield Street site development\, as well as a lasting testament to the creative talents of the Dartford population\, and so in September 2019 we arranged for the remaining artworks to be auctioned for the Ellenor Hospice\, at the Dartford Lions’ Community Fayre. Many of the boards were sold at the auction\, with local artists also donating handmade postcard artworks for sale too.  \nWe still have a number of boards remaining available for sale\, with proceeds going to the Ellenor Hospice. To find out more please see our Gallery of works.  \n“DAN have steered this project brilliantly and it’s a real demonstration of the talent we have in the town’  Dartford Borough Council Leader\, Jeremy Kite \nDartford Arts Network was still in its early inception stages at that point and learning how to produce such a major project as we went along was a huge hurdle to overcome. Thankfully\, we received some financial support from the council to make the project happen\, but the logistical planning was immense; the time spent on design\, artist liaison\, landowner and council consultation\, material production and site planning was overwhelming. All this was produced with a small group of local artist volunteers\, each of whom was trying to (variously); do their day job\, have babies\, raise babies\, have a life and do their own artwork. To say we are incredibly proud of\, and grateful to\, everyone who contributed\, is an understatement. \nArticle on Kent Online about the project
URL:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/event/the-dartford-assembly/
LOCATION:Lowfield Street\, Lowfield Street\, Dartford\, Kent\, DA1\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Community Artwork
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.dartfordartsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/c-Kate-Withstandley-Photography-4.jpg
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR