Arts

Dear Mr President...

A letter to US President Barack Obama was the theme behind an unusual visual arts project by Human Rights MA student Wanja Kimani.

With funding from the Arts in Essex Small Grants Scheme, Wanja wanted to look at how young people living in socially deprived areas viewed themselves and their future prospects.
Called Dear Mr President, the project involved Wanja leading a series of workshops in the Mathare Valley Slum in Nairobi and Colchester’s Greenstead Community Centre and was linked to Obama’s historic election victory, which is seen as a symbol of what is possible if you put your mind to something.

Young people from The Mwelu Foundation, Mathare Valley Slum in Nairobi

Using cameras, the children in the Mathare Valley Slum were asked to think about their perception of their slum and how others perceived those living there. She worked with a group of talented young people, helping them to realise their potential through photography and film production.

In Colchester, youngsters were asked to look at what facilities and activities were available to them and how it compared to other places. The youngsters were also encouraged to photograph their everyday surroundings and explore how their environment affected their self-perception. The images will be made into a book.
 

Cathedral concert for University Choir

It might not be Handel’s best known choral work, but according to University choir conductor Richard Cooke, it is his best! Israel in Egypt is being performed by the choir at Chelmsford Cathedral later this month and is expected to be yet another sell-out performance.
 
The choir draws its members from staff and students at the University but also from Colchester and surrounding areas. It is this town and gown aspect, together with the high standards demanded by the choir’s conductor, that seem to be at the heart of its popularity and success.

 
Choir practice

Marilyn Beattie from Colchester has been a member for 16 years:  ‘I have recently been “mentoring” a first year student from India. She’s really talented but has never read music before or sung in this sort of choir. It’s been great fun for me to sing with her. The interaction between members of the University and people from the local community is one of the best things about the choir.’ Third year student Daisy Blench agrees: ‘The choir has been a real highlight of my time at Essex. Our conductor gets us singing to a fantastic standard and it makes me feel part of the community as well as part of the University.’
 
Richard Cooke, also Music Director of the Royal Choral Society and Conductor of Canterbury Choral Society, said: ‘I work the University choir really hard and even though many of them are amateurs, I make sure they create a professional sound when it comes to performance time.’
 
The choir rehearses on Thursday evenings at the University and is always on the look out for new members http://www.essex.ac.uk/Arts/choir/ . There are special bursaries for young people aged 14-23. Anyone who is interested in the performance on January 30 can find details of the concert on the website. Tickets are available from the University Gallery.
 
Also in the printed January edition of Wyvern:

• Park artworks on show in town gallery
• Showcase of homegrown talent