Cultural Event : Sat 22 of June - 10:30 AM

Day of Arts 2024: Free Talks & Workshops

This year, for the first time, we will join UNESCO's initiative known as "World Art Day". This day is usually celebrated on April 15, but due to the proximity of Mother Earth Day (which we also take part in), we have decided to celebrate it on a date close to the International Day of Music, which takes place on 21 June.

The Day of Arts is a celebration of the arts as a universal language of expression that can transcend borders and bring people together. Our guiding theme is "Unity through Diversity" and you are warmly invited to celebrate the elevating, inspiring and transformative power of the arts with us. 

Programme

All talks and workshops are free of charge, donations warmly welcome. 

10.30am Doors (and cafeteria) open

11-11.30am Talk: The Importance of Art and Culture

This short talk will highlight the fundamental role that art and culture has in developing individuals and societies, both being essential aspects of what makes us human. 

11.30-2.30pm Workshop: Drop-in Drawing Session

We have all become consumers of art, rather than being artistically active ourselves. The workshop invites you to discover and/or develop your drawing skills. Dave Cole has been a practising artist since he was a child, with his first exhibition in Germany in the late 1950s. This session is for all levels, so that everyone can 'draw out' more of their latent abilities. 

12.00-1.00pm Talk: Capturing the Moment in Poetry

This presentation will look at the poet’s ability to capture the quality of a moment and to intuit the spirit of life, as well as their unique power to transmit this to others through the magic of sound, rhythm, metre, rhyme, imagery and metaphor. There will be examples from different poems to illustrate this and some snapshots of the lives of famous poets.

1.15-2.15pm Workshop: The Drama Hour

An interactive workshop to gain valuable insights about yourself and learn new skills. It will be a fun but impacting space where we'll practice meaningful expression and understand our inner experience whilst sharing different elements of our personality, or dig up an old one long forgotten! 

2.30-3.30pm Talk: Rediscovering the Mythological Dimension in Art 

This talk will look at the importance of the mythological dimension in art and the meaning-making role of the artist within culture. Looking at examples from ancient ceramics through to renaissance and abstract paintings this talk will consider emerging ideas of mythology in art today. 

3.30-4.30pm Workshop: Body Percussion and Singing

In this workshop we will explore our body as an instrument, discovering the power and beauty of joining voices together and experiencing 'unity in diversity'.

4.45-6.00pm Workshop: Contemplating Art for Inner Understanding 

In this workshop we will practice looking at artworks more deeply with the aim of developing our inner insight and understanding. We will experiment with sitting for longer periods of time in front of some chosen artworks. By noticing what we feel and the stories that come to the fore we will use our insights to experience engaging with the artworks more deeply.  

Location: 18 Compton Terrace N1 2UN, next door to Union Chapel.