Summer 2010 - Back in the U.K

Welcome to the CKI blog……number 8 we think!

It’s been a while since our last post, so we thought we’d update you on what we’ve been up to since we arrived back in the U.K at the end of May.

STUDIO

Over the summer we finally managed to move into a studio, which has been a big relief for Mia and Sian (and their families!), as this means most of the CKI workshop resources can now be stored there instead of in our bedrooms/houses! The CKI studio is in Hamilton House (above the Canteen) on Stokes Croft. At the moment it looks more like a mini version of Scrapstore, but we’re getting there!

WORKSHOPS

Since we returned to the U.K, CKI have run several workshops including;

• · Eco-Veggie Fair, Harbourside, Bristol – 29^th May &

• · Action Aid Event, College Green, Bristol – 1^st & 2^nd June

• · St. Pauls Adventure Playground Re-opening – 19^th June

Keeping the theme from the Youth Arts festival in Zambia, at these workshops we looked at the environment and made ‘Animafwafwas’ costumes from recycled cardboard boxes for the children to wear.

At the Action Aid event and St.Pauls Adventure Playground, we were also lucky enough to have Biggie and Natalie from Nomakanjani Arts to run storytelling and dance workshops with the children alongside us. We met Biggie, Natalie and the rest of the talented Nomakanjani Arts group in Lusaka. They work closely with Barefeet Theatre and are fantastic performers! It was great to have Biggie and Natalie work with us while they were in the U.K! For more information about Nomakanjani Arts please visit www.nomakanjani.org

• · Presentation/workshop at Golden Valley Primary School

We worked with 2 Year 3 classes, looking at life in Zambia. The school were just launching a link with a school in Ngombe compound, which is the same area as the community school we work with in Lusaka. We were able to show photographs and share experiences with the children about Ngombe.

• · Secret Garden Party Festival, Cambridge – 23^rd, 24^th & 25^th July

We made a giant baobab tree with the children, and decorated it in chitenge fabric. We also looked at recycled artifacts from Africa, and used our own recycled materials to make flowers, mandalas and musical instruments.

• · Harbourside Festival, Bristol – 31^st July & 1^st August

In the relocated children’s area on Castle Green, we made another giant Baobab Tree which was decorated with chitenge by children and families, and used recycled materials to make; mandalas, flowers and musical instruments. We were also lucky enough to have Michael & John from Zambia with us for the weekend! They performed Zambian dancing, and brought the children’s instruments to life with drumming and singing! Michael and John are facilitators for Barefeet Theatre in Lusaka, whom we have worked with each time we have been in Zambia. They are currently studying on a theatre course at Hope Street in Liverpool. For more information about Barefeet Theatre please visit www.barefeettheatre.org

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

We have also been taking stock of the last year and getting ready for our forthcoming AGM, which is due to be held on Weds 27^th October in Bristol. Details coming soon!

The first part of our AGM is for CKI members only, so if you would like to be invited along please contact Mia on ckimembership@hotmail.co.uk to find out how. Membership costs only £12 per year (that’s the equivalent to only £1 per month over a year!), and entitles you to regular updates, invitations to events/exhibitions and the AGM, as well as the chance to be part of the decision making process and vote on the CKI management committee. It is also a way of making a regular donation to a great organisation!

The second part of the AGM will be open to the general public, and will include a presentation from Mia and Sian about their last trip to Africa, as well as (hopefully) the preview of a short film from the last trip.

We will also be able to update you on plans for CKI’s future, and how you can get involved/support the project!

Now the busy summer is over, we are about to start planning our fundraising for the coming year. We recieve no statutory funding and rely on donations, membership subscriptions, grants and fundraising events. If you would like to get involved or have any exciting fundraising ideas/opportunities please get in touch!

On a personal note…..

As you can see the summer has been a busy time for CKI, as well as for both of us (Sian and Mia) in our other work. As you may know, although we would like to be able to work full-time for CKI when we’re back here in the U.K, unfortunately that’s just not possible for us due to funding at the moment. As a result, as well as running CKI and delivering workshops as and when, we both also have other jobs to earn a living. Luckily most of these other jobs tie-in quite well with our CKI work! For those of you that may not know……..

Mia has been running her own successful business Creative Kids Workshops for many years, providing creative workshops and activities for children. The summer is jam packed with festivals and community events in Bristol and around the U.K, at which Mia (and her colleagues) provide exciting hands-on creative activities for children and young people of all ages.

Sian started working for African Initiatives in June of this year as Global Education Project Worker. This includes working with schools and running community action days looking at global issues, learning about other countries and cultures and breaking down stereotypes.

Thanks for reading, and we hope to see you at the AGM on 27^th October!

Sian and Mia.xx