Author: Tara Neville

September is World Alzheimer’s Month. This international campaign seeks to raise awareness, and challenge misunderstanding and stigma that surrounds dementia.

To support this campaign, the De La Warr Pavilion in partnership with Bexhill Dementia Awareness Alliance, has produced a short video and podcast about the Musical Matinee Club. This series of relaxed, enhanced film screenings are specifically designed to welcome people who may benefit from a more informal atmosphere, especially those living with dementia and disabilities, and their carers.

Musical Matinee Club hostess Suzy Harvey shares the secrets of our success, in order to encourage people everywhere to adopt and adapt the idea. You can prepare and host your very own relaxed, enhanced film screenings with sing-a-long, dress up, props and prompts. Bring the action on screen to life in your home, care setting, community centre or cinema auditorium. Have a go!

Find out how we created lively, inspiring events for people living with dementia and their carers. Annie Mannion interviews Head of Learning & Participation Ashley McCormick and Musical Matinee Club hostess Suzy Harvey about the dementia friendly film screenings. Supported by Film Hub South East, part of the BFI FAN.

The EXPLORERS project is a three year programme of awareness raising and encounter workshops, happenings, productions, commissions, exhibitions and seminars in collaboration with people who have complex needs and those who support them.

Taking place against a backdrop of increased hardship and intolerance toward disabled people, the aim is to develop positive relationships between cultural organisations and the social care sector and to reposition people who have complex needs at the forefront of mainstream culture.

The programme led by Project Art Works will take place at partner galleries across the country with Autograph ABP, Fabrica, De La Warr Pavilion, MK Gallery, National Institute for Experimental Arts UNSW, Photoworks and Tate Liverpool.

Project Art Works is an artist-led organisation that makes and promotes art as a means of connection with and for people with complex needs. They collaborate with neurodiverse communities, galleries, health and social care agencies to promote inclusion in civic and cultural life.

EXPLORERS is funded by the Arts Council England Ambition for Excellence.

Discover more at: explorersproject.org

We are currently recruiting volunteers for the Mercury Club, a monthly creative session for adults with learning disabilities and their carers.  The sessions allow them to share and expand their own creative projects, cultural experiences and build friendships and confidence.

Volunteers do not need to have any related qualifications for this role but should be friendly, reliable, comfortable volunteering within a team, able to use their own initiative and happy to ask for help when needed.

You will gain the opportunity to develop and share new and existing knowledge and transferable skills, and meet and connect with new people.

To ensure you are confident and capable, you will receive an introduction to the organisation, full training on all aspects of the tasks, regular updates on activities and support, advice and guidance from our team.

Please fill out the form below to enquire. We look forward to hearing from you.

Ahead of our first Sunset Screenings showing of Tron this Saturday, we are delighted to share the latest trailer for McPhersons Chartered Accountants, produced exclusively for the screenings.

McPhersons have supported us in delivering our Sunset Screenings for the past 3 years and we always look forward to seeing what they come up with!

Click here for more information about our Sunset Screenings 

The De La Warr Pavilion welcomes support from its corporate partners. Click here for more information on how you can get involved.

You can find the De La Warr Pavilion Learning & Participation team delivering free creative activities at a range of local events this summer. Come and join us to make your own fantastic flying things!

Play Day at Alexandra Park
Wednesday 2 August
10.30am – 3.30pm

Celebrate Play Day’s 30^th birthday with free play opportunities for the whole family. Bring a picnic and sun cream and dress for mess! Activities are free and all children must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Sidley Family Fun Day at Sidley Recreation Ground
Friday 11 August
11am – 3pm

Heart of Sidley’s fantastic day of fun with lots of displays, face painting, crazy golf, displays and stalls.

Bexhill Gala at Egerton Park
Tuesday 15 August
10am – 4pm

TeamUp Bexhill will be hosting the Bexhill Gala for the second year and celebrating RVA’s 10th anniversary.

We also have free family activities in and around the building this summer. Click here to view what’s on.

Charlie Bell’s poem was inspired by the Simon Patterson exhibition. He is a freelance writing tutor and poet living and working around Tunbridge Wells. As well as teaching for Adult Education and the University of Kent, he works in community settings with disadvantaged groups. He is currently collecting together several pamphlets of poetry.

I am Grey Owl – I pretend to be no-one else.
I am what I have become – doubt me not.
I have a wife who takes me as I am – her Grey Owl, she knows nothing else.
See my deerskin tunic and believe. Marvel at my war bonnet and accept.
I am the Owl.
I have taken the owl’s wisdom and his perch.
I see with far sight.
If I say that I glide at night in the silent glade, unheard, unseen, you’d better believe me.
If I sat I have seen terrible things done to mother earth, you’d better believe me.
If I tell you I was once a hunter of beavers, believe me. Took them for their pelts.
Then I married. That way wisdom comes.
You call me imposter but I made no pretence.
I call you imposter and challenge you to prove otherwise.
I am Grey Owl. Who the hell are you?

You can see the works of Simon Patterson in Safari: An Exhibition as Expedition in the Ground Floor Gallery. Open until Sunday 3 September.