Creative Routes Newsletter

Welcome to the December edition of the Creative Routes Newsletter.  The hot news right now is that we’re currently recruiting a Project Manager for the new Creative Routes Records project coming your way very soon.  Now, scroll down for news of workshops, our upcoming AGM, volunteering opportunities and our all important problem page with renowned rock ‘n’ roll doctor, Doctor Pete.
A massive ‘thank you’ to volunteer Dave Bass for collating this newsletter

Contents: 1.     Creative Routes Records  2.Play with Words  3.     Samba dance & exercise  4.Samba drumming  5.     AGM  6.Bonkersfest!  7.Muses Café  8.Trustee Recruitment 9.Rock ‘n’ Roll Doctor    10.Viv’s Volunteering  11.Office details  12.Cut your phone bills

1. Creative Routes Records

2.  ‘Play with Words’ 
Creative Writing workshops run jointly with the Workers’ Educational Association (WEA).  from Tues 6th January 2009   by David Bass
‘Play with Words’ is hosted by professional playwright, Stewart Permutt. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was greeted with a warm and friendly atmosphere and I was encouraged to take part in group writing exercises and express myself through writing and ideas. I really enjoyed the focus on creating my own characters and developing them with the help of the group, and the activities and exercises involved helped me come up with interesting and believable dialogue and story-lines. 

Classes consist of anything from four to twelve members, all with varying backgrounds, personalities and ideas.  This boils down to a melting pot of input, which the group has taken advantage of by coming up with a play based around mental health issues in a ‘Big Brother’ style environment. Group members have started drawing up characters and some are already beginning to put a script together. 

The tutor, Stewart Permutt, is friendly and professional, offering useful and constructive criticism to anyone who wants to share their work with the group. His experience as a playwright really shows through in his help and guidance. 

Anyone of any ability is welcome from those simply wishing to write short pieces for their own amusement, to serious writers looking towards eventual publication or performance of their work. Even if you feel you have no ideas to develop, I think your own life story and experiences are always the most unique basis for any creative work. So, what are you waiting for? Come along and have some fun!

‘Play with Words’ workshops restart on Tuesday 6th January 2009, from 2–4pm. The venue is the South London Gallery, 65 Peckham Road, London SE5 8UH. If you are interested, contact Creative Routes on 020 73583 138. Classes are free to any Creative Routes members in receipt of benefits.

3.  Samba Dance & Exercise  
What do samba movement workshops entail?  by Sandra M
Dancing as a way to rejoice in life, the body, this very moment. We encourage a sense of alertness and an open mind. Connecting with our breath, checking our posture, bouncing our knees... We look for a natural way to get into moving, and the emphasis is on how the movement feels to the mover.

The workshop is lead with respect for the differences and the various needs of its attendants. Each session is a little journey, at the end of which we aim to feel better, maybe lighter, as well as grounded.

We expect to get started in February on Wednesday afternoons, after the samba drumming workshop. Everyone’s welcome… start date tbc, contact the office.
Samba Movement Workshops   by Fiona Whelpton
Do your old hips feel they need a good dollop of TLC after their annual carbohydrate fix of mince pies and chocolates? Look no further than a good dose of samba to beat the winter blues. 

As the Creative Routes samba band Seçâo de Louco go from strength to strength and our members are becoming so enthused about samba, it seems the right time to introduce the new dimension of dance and movement into our performances. Samba is so infectious even the most inexperienced dancers find themselves bouncing with itchy feet! Learning samba dancing with tutors from the London School Of Samba, I found it to be enormously healing and creative – helping me become more centered and in touch with my feminine side - dancing has helped me overcome a lot of hang ups about my physical disability, (suffering from mild cerebral palsy) and feeling more centered in my own body. 

4.  Samba drumming
World Mental Health Samba Day – We have never been so funky! by Nuala H.

Yes, we really funked out in the Mile End Hospital on World Mental Samba Day.  First we teamed up with the Pritchard’s Road Day Centre, Tower Hamlets, to tour the borough on their open top bus.  I love drumming on open top buses – my inner Formula 1 driver gets all excited.  Then to the hospital where some jobsworth tried to hide us away on a mental ward.  We took revenge by playing the loudest and funkiest samba-funk that hospital will ever, ever, hear.

We also played underground at the Shunt Vault for the Boundless Cabaret and at Vauxhall City Farm’s Open Day.  I’m hoping we get booked to do some abseiling or trapeze-based samba performance next – I’m sure it would be no bother to us, we could do it with our eyes closed.  Oh, and yeah, we occasionally play ordinary events like conferences or the Muses Cafe.

No musical experience necessary!

Even if you don’t want to perform you can still join the group.  But having tried it, most of us seem to have got the performance bug.   Must be due to that sense of accomplishment you get afterwards despite being so nervous beforehand (or precisely because of being so nervous beforehand).   Performing is the best confidence builder I know, not to mention the massive fun of playing music and getting people up to dance.

Samba workshops, led by Mestre Mags from the London School of Samba, are on Wednesdays 12-2pm.   Next workshops 14 Jan, 21 Jan then check with the office for future dates.

5.  Creative Routes AGM
March 11th 2009 sees our Annual General Meeting. It will be held from 12-6pm at the Synergy Centre in Southwark, and is open to everyone, although only members will be able to vote on the issues covered. Fear not! You won't have to sit through hours of speeches in excruciating monotone. All discussions will alternate with music. By order!  And of course there will be a creative workshop – we're still mulling over what it will be – any requests?

The Synergy Centre, 220 Farmers Road, London SE5 OTW

6.  Bonkersfest!

Bonkersfest! 2008 was a resounding success, with over 3,000 people attending.  In case you don’t already know, Bonkersfest! is our free annual one-day mad arts and music festival aimed at challenging the stigma surrounding mental health issues, as well as celebrating madness, creativity, eccentricity and individuality. It's basically a day of celebration – bonkers celebrations for everyone - bonkers or not, on Camberwell Green, South London, and has been hailed by Mindfreedom International as the highest profile mental health arts event in the world! 

Bonkersfest 2009 will be on a smaller scale, but will still feature a host of great artists and attractions. We welcome your ideas and feedback; for example, should we tour other festivals with a Bonkersfest! tent or have a mini–Bonkersfest! tent in your local area? What d’ya think?

Tel 020 7358 3138, info@creative-routes.org

7.  Muses Café
There were six Muses Cafés this year. We have established a good reputation and worked in partnership with Creative Camberwell and Boundless Festival. The current run of Muses Café has now finished but Muses Café will resume in 2009.  Future Muses Café programming will be done by a planning group which we’re setting up right now so get in touch with Dave Skull, in the office, if you’d like to be part of it.

Tel 020 7358 3138, info@creative-routes.org

8. Trustees
Creative Routes is recruiting for new trustees. The role will be to help provide strategic direction. We are particularly looking for people from a finance background

9.  Hey Rock ‘n’ Roll!

10.  Viv’s Volunteering

Having suffered depression on and off over many years that resulted in a lack of self esteem, self confidence and motivation, I became involved with Creative Routes after going along to the Bonkersfest annual event in Camberwell Green, and attending and helping out at Muses Cafe and Mad Pride events. It was good to get involved with an organisation of like-minded people, where no one was stigmatised and there is a great feeling of empathy.

My first foray into the wonderful world of Creative Routes was attending the Samba Drumming Group. They're a really nice bunch of people and it's great fun!  In the summer, they sometimes play on Camberwell Green, which is not only pleasant for the group, but provides entertainment for passers-by, picnickers and residents etc!

Having chatted to Helen (the Creative Routes Office Coordinator) at a Muses Cafe event at the Red Star, and feeling enthused by her encouragement, I plucked up the courage to volunteer in the office.

My first day comprised an introduction to some staff members and trustees, and meeting other members as they popped in and out of the office.  My first task was to catch up on some outstanding typing, an easy introduction, as I've been out of work for some time and my skills are rather rusty.

The office is warm and welcoming, with a slightly chaotic, but chilled-out atmosphere.  Far nicer than any 'normal' office I've worked in!

I've now moved onto other tasks – there is plenty to do here, helping with the Newsletter; sorting redundant equipment in order to sell it for further funds; answering 'phones and taking messages; database etc.  There is no pressure being a volunteer here, and I feel as time goes on, and my skills and confidence improve, I will be able to tackle more challenging duties.

I have found it to be a really rewarding process so far, it's great having something constructive to do, a reason to get out of the house, and meeting new and interesting people!  So, don't be scared, if you feel you can contribute (in any way, big or small), contact Helen now!  …Viv

11.  Contact Us

We’re very glad to have Helen George on board now in a paid position as Office Co-ordinator and the office opening hours are now Wednesday to Friday, 10am-6pm.

Tel: 020 7358 3138  email: info@creative-routes.org

Creative Routes
Camberwell Leisure Centre
Artichoke Place
London
SE5 8TS

12.  Cut your phone bills
It’s better in your pocket than theirs – saving money with Doctor Pete