Having been a member of the virtual forum for some time I was very keen to attend the physical launch of Idea13 last Thursday. I was interested to see who would be there and what might be discussed but most of all, who I could meet.
Two days before the launch of Idea 13 my mood was dampened momentarily by a straight-talking friend of mine who likened the event to a 'communist meet' with little chance of emerging activity. Then my positive mood was re-ignited and I retorted that the idea of providing an event whereby a diagonal slice of artists, politicians, business representatives and journalists with a common interest in the arts was a great way of getting people to think in different ways and imagine new possibilities. The one problem I had was that I didn’t want to just talk to people I had already met before. I wanted to meet new faces and hear about what else was going on. So, I decided to take some recording equipment. I thought this would be a great way of butting in on people’s conversations and introducing myself without having to be introduced by a ‘mutual friend!’
This worked marvellously and I’m happy to say that the people I met were both interesting and motivated.
The evening began with some positive short talks and everyone seemed optimistic about mingling. During the course of the evening I met a good mix of folk! Here are some quotes:
Kerry: Local Designer and Artist.
“Great to see lots of creative people. It’s expanded the art scene out of Leigh-on-sea into a wider area”.
Paul: Enthusiast (Previously from Colchester): The arts scene seems well organised and flowing and loose in Southend, with all the venues. Colchester is more formal. People seem to be more open-minded in Southend.”
Mike: The White Bus (Film education and film exhibition): “Things are going great in Southend. The Southend Film Festival is being built up over a period of time, based at some key venues – the Odeon and some smaller venues, such as the Library, where from April we’ll be showing indie films, foreign films, every wed eve from 7.30.”
Nick Harris: Head of Culture and Sport, Southend Council: There’s lots of cultural activity in Southend. The Village Green event was such a success we’re hoping to do it again next year. It was very beneficial – this is the birth of something new.”
One of my favourite interviews was with Deidra, who was involved in the funding for the renovation of the Church for the East 15 acting school. She talked of Southend’s latent potential over the years and how there has always been an eclectic mix of creative people in Southend-on-Sea, stunning natural essence and “fantastic views’ of the estuary.” But, more importantly, and what resonated with me the most, was her optimism that these convivial scenarios, these meetings and chances for encounter really do allow people to shift their focus away from negative media, locally and internationally, and our blind addiction to consumerism, back to the simple enjoyment of “being around people and being in a community” and interacting!
Two days before the launch of Idea 13 my mood was dampened momentarily by a straight-talking friend of mine who likened the event to a 'communist meet' with little chance of emerging activity. Then my positive mood was re-ignited and I retorted that the idea of providing an event whereby a diagonal slice of artists, politicians, business representatives and journalists with a common interest in the arts was a great way of getting people to think in different ways and imagine new possibilities. The one problem I had was that I didn’t want to just talk to people I had already met before. I wanted to meet new faces and hear about what else was going on. So, I decided to take some recording equipment. I thought this would be a great way of butting in on people’s conversations and introducing myself without having to be introduced by a ‘mutual friend!’
This worked marvellously and I’m happy to say that the people I met were both interesting and motivated.
The evening began with some positive short talks and everyone seemed optimistic about mingling. During the course of the evening I met a good mix of folk! Here are some quotes:
Kerry: Local Designer and Artist.
“Great to see lots of creative people. It’s expanded the art scene out of Leigh-on-sea into a wider area”.
Paul: Enthusiast (Previously from Colchester): The arts scene seems well organised and flowing and loose in Southend, with all the venues. Colchester is more formal. People seem to be more open-minded in Southend.”
Mike: The White Bus (Film education and film exhibition): “Things are going great in Southend. The Southend Film Festival is being built up over a period of time, based at some key venues – the Odeon and some smaller venues, such as the Library, where from April we’ll be showing indie films, foreign films, every wed eve from 7.30.”
Nick Harris: Head of Culture and Sport, Southend Council: There’s lots of cultural activity in Southend. The Village Green event was such a success we’re hoping to do it again next year. It was very beneficial – this is the birth of something new.”
One of my favourite interviews was with Deidra, who was involved in the funding for the renovation of the Church for the East 15 acting school. She talked of Southend’s latent potential over the years and how there has always been an eclectic mix of creative people in Southend-on-Sea, stunning natural essence and “fantastic views’ of the estuary.” But, more importantly, and what resonated with me the most, was her optimism that these convivial scenarios, these meetings and chances for encounter really do allow people to shift their focus away from negative media, locally and internationally, and our blind addiction to consumerism, back to the simple enjoyment of “being around people and being in a community” and interacting!
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