New Sketchbook Project from Douglas Anderson
/A message from Douglas
Pocket Sketchbook project
I have just launched the third fundraiser online sketchbook workshop in aid of the TAAG Refurbishment Project - a short 6 module project inspired by our Natural World.
This follows on from : -
Along the Water's Edge - a Sketchbook Journey & the new online Textiles workshop, starting in January 2021.
I am grateful to everyone who has signed up to these programmes so far.
Closing date for the Pocket Sketchbook Project -
10th December 2020.
ALL course fees go directly to TAAG.
Good News from the TAAG Arts & Community Centre
/In May 2019 TAAG was offered the option to buy its home – the old Swanson’s Garage in Northumberland Place. Our doors shut in January 2020 with the expectation that we would reopen in a matter of months. We all know what happened next, but now we are delighted to announce that the TAAG building has been purchased for the benefit of the community, assuring its future for generations to come.
During the last 18 months a lot has been going on behind the scenes, with building works to separate us from the Brunswick area development,TAAG becoming a Charity (CIO), and fund raising to obtain the £116,000 purchase price through donations from the public, local organisations and a crowdfunding appeal.
Crowdfunding has also attracted some match-funding which allowed us to meet ancillary costs and some essential building works such as removing asbestos, and reinstating toilets and a kitchen. This will allow the ground floor to become operational while we tackle the huge job of raising funds to renovate the two upper floors and the rest of the building.
The TAAG trustees have been overwhelmed with the support we have received during this very turbulent year and are very happy to be able to be the purveyors of a good news story. We have a lot of work left to do but are very optimistic that we can now make TAAG better than ever and an important asset to Teignmouth, the arts, and the community.
We have had some very generous donations from private individuals that wish to remain anonymous, but they know who they are, and we are very grateful for their support. We are also grateful to the Architectural Heritage Fund for their assistance and to Devon County Council and Teignbridge District Council for their match-funding contributions.
Thanks also to our local Teignmouth, Teignbridge and Devon Councillors that have contributed to the ground floor building works. Many individuals have also helped with donations, including the provision of a staircase that will provide a safe, temporary access to the first floor, which is currently only reachable by ladder.
The future is now bright as we now have the security of ownership and are able to implement our long-term strategy focused on improvement and developing the upper floors. TAAG has always been an organisation that promotes the Community and the Arts and has only evolved with the help of volunteers and its users.
The purchase of the building is a milestone and the beginning of a much longer journey. We want interested parties to help shape its future by getting involved - so please contact us to volunteer.
We need input from all ages and cultures, as well as a skill base that will keep TAAG functioning and help build a good foundation for future generations. Diversity is one of TAAG’s strengths, so if you are excited by the idea of being involved in shaping TAAG’s future, are interested in promoting Community Arts, or creatively like to mix up different genres - such as visual art, performance, music, poetry, environmental issues to name a few – just email us at info@teignmoutharts.org.
Watch out for the reopening of TAAG as soon as we can.
Teignmouth Recycled Art in Landscape (TRAIL) 2020
/22nd July 2020
Teignmouth seafront is alive with art this weekend as the 16th annual sculpture trail goes up in the glorious sunshine.
Despite CV19, the TRAIL organisers have inspired environmental artists from around the South West to create artworks from recycled materials. Local businesses have rallied to help fund the event which attracts thousands of visitors over the summer.
Over 30 artists responded to TRAIL’s simple design brief, to create a sculpture from at least 70% recycled materials with an environmental message – the finished artworks are stunning.
Emerging artist like Ed Hill, who has welded a striking globe from reclaimed metal and Gail Marshall, whose kinetic Mermaid Tails are blowing in the breeze; exhibit with well-known artists, including Steve Apelt from Yeovil and popular Totnes artist, Malcolm Curley.
The exhibition is well represented by local Teignmouth artists and TRAIL gives makers a unique platform to display public sculpture and providing exposure for our local talent.
The town is so rich in artists that two (socially distanced) collectives have formed to make work for the show. The Rose Collective have created a response to fast fashion and the artists who exhibit at Voyage Fair Trade have been inspired by the resurgence of nature over lockdown.
Usually there are at least 10 community sculptures, unfortunately the pandemic has reduced this number. But TRAIL does have one colourful entry from Montgomery School in Exeter, made by the Early Years children and their Teignmouthian teacher Sarah Pratt.
‘Flower Fest’ by Teignmouth’s Make It Thursday represents the older community. This carers group (oldest participant 97 years young) have made dozens of flowers from drinks cans, at home over lockdown. Since lockdown has eased, they have brought all these flowers together to create a shiny, sparkly explosion of colour.
TRAIL is free and the perfect socially distanced day out. The ingenious and thought-provoking sculptures delight passers-by and the wonderful South Devon coastline creates the perfect backdrop.
TRAIL Organisers Amy McCarthy and Sam Lock have been overwhelmed with the positive comments and well wishes, from locals and tourists alike.
Amy explained, “Every year the TRAIL becomes more well-known, we get emails and messages from visitors from all over the UK. People really love the event and come back every year to ‘do the trail’.
When we went into lockdown it was very disheartening, we had just launched a district wide plastic reduction programme in schools, had a full calendar of public workshops and were expecting a busy year…then everything just stopped.
We remained very hopeful that we would be able to run and reached out to our artists to keep making their sculptures. We only got the final go ahead a few weeks ago, so the volunteer team have worked harder than ever to pull together this year’s event. We hope to aid footfall to the town to help our economic recovery and provide really great experience for visitors. The sculptures all have strong environmental messages and we love hearing people discussing the artistry and environmental issues.
The underlying themes coming through all the work are encouraging us re-evaluate our collective relationship with the planet and reimagine a greener society after the pandemic subsides. We hope the event brings joy and hope to everyone, in what has been a very strange year.
The exhibition is also entered as a venue in this years’ Devon Open Studio’s and we will be extending the show until the end of September to be part of this county wide event’.
Update April 30th
/We’re now halfway through the #buytaag campaign. Contributions continue to be received, albeit at a slower rate than in the opening weeks.
Thanks to everyone who has given, and thanks also for the terrific messages of support. There is still another four weeks of the crowdfunder to go and, as before, we need our appeal to be shared as widely as possible if we are to raise as much of the £60k target as possible. So please consider if you have contacts with whom you can share.
Meanwhile work has resumed on the TAAG site with the demolition now completed and work about to start on the building of the rear wall.
We edge ever nearer to completing the purchase of the building but there are still one or two outstanding points that we are trying to resolve.
Thanks to everyone who have sent us photos - here is a selection to show you what has b sen happening…
Soiree Musicale Fundraiser for TAAG - 14th March
/As noted previously, the fundraiser for TAAG on March 14th was highly successful, thanks to Alison Thomas and Sandra Pascale, the organisers. Their Soiree Musicale at Bitton House sold out in advance and was joyful occasion for those attending and taking part. The event raised £562 for TAAG – a terrific achievement. Here are a few photos from the evening:
TAAG – an update on progress late March 2020
/Update 26th March –
Progress on developing plans for TAAG have slowed down due to the closure of many agencies that we need to consult. However, fund raising continues to be a priority so please give generously if you can
Meanwhile stay safe
TAAG – an update on progress late March 22nd 2020
Purchase
Our solicitors have conducted all the necessary statutory checks and we hope to exchange contracts very soon.
Building
We visited the building last week with our architect and a Fire Officer to confirm that the sketch plans, kindly provided by Sam Homer, were compliant with fire regulations. Due to restricted access to the building we have had to use a local architect that is more available but our thanks to Sam who came up with some very useful plans that have allowed us to open discussions with all the parties that need to be involved.
We have contacted the quantity surveying company, who carried out the survey in 2017, to update the building costs to include with our funding bids.
The fire officer has confirmed that the sketch plans are acceptable subject to building regulations. The favoured design involves a central staircase and an extension to the 2nd floor subject to Planning Permission. This will allow the second floor to become a usable space creating 2-3 new workshops instead of being a storage area.
Contractors have made good inroads towards demolishing the buildings at the rear and progress can be seen from Brunswick Street. The contractor have dug the trench for the footings for the new rear wall and details for the doorway into the alley way have been provided. To avoid flooding from surface water we are considering a bespoke flood door that will give TAAG the protection it needs.
We have a specification for the lift and an estimated cost.
Fund Raising News
Currently our total is standing at around £90,000
We have been working on getting our Crowdfunding account up and running and also the provision of a ‘DONATE’ button on Facebook that should be active soon.
The funding group have already identified various grant funding bodies but we are still waiting on ownership, detailed plans and costings.
Our event fund raising group have a number of good ideas to raise funds but most of these will not be possible until the isolation rules are relaxed. These cancellations include all of the local events we were going to attend e.g. VE day. This is very frustrating but maybe we can come up with innovative ways to encourage donations on line.
The French Musical Soireé did take place before the closures. Despite the uncertainty there was a good turnout for what was a very enjoyable evening and it raised an incredible £562 for the fund. Huge thanks to Alison and Sandra for organising the music for the event and selling tickets, Nick Coley for providing some wonderful food and Margaret for selling over £100 of raffle tickets. Thanks also to those who sponsored the evening with raffle prizes, the Co-op and Morrisons. Pictures to follow.
The Oyster Catcher, now closed, agreed to hold our monthly raffle with the first art work, a print by Sue Williamson as the prize. Obviously, this fund-raising idea has been affected by coronavirus and our heartfelt best wishes go to the owners of the Oyster Catcher who have been very supportive of TAAG.
We are still aiming to reopen this year but circumstances may conspire against us.
Although we can’t be together but will keep working towards our goal of re-opening TAAG as soon as possible. Innovation and creativity have never been more important.
The Trustees
Update January 22nd - TAAG temporary closure - Charity Registration latest
/The final exhibition at TAAG before the work begins has done very well with an amazing number of artworks being donated for the sale.
Thank you to all the artists who have been generous enough to donate items and to the large number of people who have bought so many of them.
Unfortunately we haven’t been able to sell everything but there is one more day tomorrow.
We continue to have discussions with Teignbridge District Council along with local builders, structural engineer, architect, heating and insulation experts etc to ensure that we can get on with essential work as soon as possible.
We close the doors at 5pm on Thursday 23rd January and hand over the keys on Friday and will not be allowed back in to the building to do any work until all the building work has been completed.
Please come back to this Blog for the latest information over the coming months.
Items in Gallery 2 have been covered to protect them during the build and all valuables have been removed for safe keeping.
We are fitting a mailbox to the outside of the blue door so that we don’t miss any post, including donations, but suggest that cash is not put in there.
Our ‘paint tube’ thermometer will show the amount donated so anyone can check on progress.
CHARITY REGISTRATION - Good News!
The Charity commission have accepted our application and recognise what we do as being for the public benefit and charitable in nature. This means that once we supply a few more details they will issue our Charity registration number. This will enable us to go to some of the major funders to try and get them to fund parts of our refurbishment.
We can also apply to HMRC for registration for Gift Aid and since that happens we will contact those who have made donations and, if they currently pay income tax, we can claim gift aid on the donation which will make a considerable difference to the total.
More news as and when we can….
TAAG Closure
/TAAG closed its doors after the Christmas exhibition so that we can prepare the building for the work needed to be done on behalf of Teignbridge District Council to separate the TAAG building from any development at the rear of the building.
Click HERE for more information …
Teignbridge District Council vote to offer TAAG first refusal on purchase of TAAG building
/TAAG directors were at the Teignbridge Executive meeting in Forde House, Newton Abbot today and were pleased to hear the resolution passed so that TAAG will be offered first option on the purchase of the building currently in use as the TAAG Arts and Community Centre in Northumberland Place, Teignmouth.
This is the opportunity that TAAG has been seeking since opening in 2010.
Naturally we have to be able to afford to buy it and that will depend upon the commercial price asked by Teignbridge.
We look forward to discussing the purchase with the Council and thank them for the opportunity for TAAG to leave a long term legacy for the arts and the community and continue to develop the growing reputation of the Teignmouth Arts Quarter.
New Plans to redevelop Brunswick Street
/Extract from the Teignmouth Post Friday February 28th 2019
Update following a meeting with Teignbridge District Council Leader
/TAAG directors met with Jeremy Christophers on Tuesday 20th November and discussed many of the issues that have concerned the volunteers and supporters of the Community Art Centre currently based in Northumberland Place, Teignmouth within the Brunswick Street Development area.
Following on from this very frank discussion TAAG directors will now be meeting with NHS representatives.
Jeremy Christophers said that it was still too early for TAAG to have certainty for the future as planning was at a very early stage and nothing was ruled in or out.
Future of TAAG - update - Thursday October 25th 2018
/Radio Devon conducted interviews at TAAG on Tuesday about our request for some certainty on the future an the fact that we are not included in the current negotiations re the potential impact of the Brunswick Street / Northumberland Place redevelopment.
The interview was broadcast early on Wednesday morning and was followed by a response by the leader of Teignbridge District Council, Jeremy Christophers.
The main content from us was that we feel that as Teignbridge District Council are meeting with potential developers and the NHS behind closed doors we are unable to contribute important facts about what we would like to see happen for the future.
TAAG have been running a successful Arts & Community Centre in the building for 8 years and have an annual footfall of over 40,000.
We are very concerned that because the building is always referred to as dilapidated and an old garage showroom people will believe that and not realise that the work we have done plus the work we would love too be able to carry out has been costed and looks viable.
The result would be a much improved building, fit for the future and with more facilities.
The reason that we have not done more to the fabric of the building is twofold. Firstly we have no certain future so we could be throwing money away on improvements only to be given notice to leave. Secondly without either the benefit of a lengthy unencumbered lease or the ability to purchase the freehold we are not able to apply for the sort of grants we woful.d need to carry out the work required.
In response Jeremy Christophers, Leader of Teignbridge Council said that they were looking at a new building and pointed out that TAAG did not pay rent for the existing building. We have offered several times to pay rent for what we have but this has not been taken up and when you think of the added value TAAG has given for the past eight years we feel we have given far more to the town than what would have paid in rent.
Two young Italian Ladies in England - Sunday in Bath
/Yesterday we went to Bath by train, famous for its beautiful architecture and history ( http://bath.co.uk/baths-historic-buildings ).
We walked along Kennet and Avon Canal (https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/canal-and-river-network/kennet-and-avon-canal ), it seemed like a jungle.
After this “long” walk we had a packed lunch. Here there are a lot of museums, but we visited the Holburne Museum ( http://www.holburne.org/ ).
Two young Italian Ladies in England - Saturday in Plymouth
/Last saturday we went to Plymouth with the others students. We took the bus from Dawlish and we changed at Newton Abbot, then we arrived in Plymouth at 11:30 am.
At the beginning we visited the centre of the city where there are a lot of shops and stalls. There were a lot of people and street performers.
Then we had our packed lunch sitting on the lawn near Plymouth Hoe.
Two young Italian Ladies in England - Painting with Angie
/Yesterday wehad a workshop with Angie. The main things were recreating some images on paper with pastels. We decided to recreate the sea near a lighthouse.
It was so interesting because you need to create your own colours by mixing them together.
Angie is so funny and kind to us and the others students. In the previous workshop we used the same materials, but other subject matter like eyes and the beach.
We blended blue colours like midnight blue, turquoise, sky blue and persian blue.
Two young Italian Ladies in England - Dartmoor on top
/On the 25th of September, Liz took us on a long trip to Dartmoor. We climbed a very high rock, called Hay Tor. A Tor is a granite outcrop of rock. From there we could see an incredibile panorama andTeignmounth in the distance. Liz showed us Dartmoor Prison, a dark building in a small town in the middle of nowhere (Princetown). During the trip we saw a lot of cows, sheep, horses and ponies grazing freely. The sight took you breath away.
Two young Italian Ladies in England - Printmaking with Sarah
/Hello!
Today we went to a printmaking workshop with Sarah and the other “students”. There are a lot of different types of printmaking because every student has their own ideas, so itwas very interesting. Sarah is a kind person, who always helps you when you need some suggestions. One of the “students” is Mei Lim and she has an open studio with Sarah and two other ladies: Sue Williamson and Joanie Johns. We visited her studio on a previous day.
Printmaking is easier to do than to explain.
If you want to know more, click the link : http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Linocuts
Two young Italian Ladies in England
/Hi everybody,
We want to talk about a beautiful day in Paignton. Our tutor Liz took us to Peter and Vera’s house with an amazing garden where they explained how to make raku sculptures with clay and ceramic.
At the beginning they showed us their vast garden composed of flowers of all colours and many types of herbs. Vera showed us the storage-room where there are the materials useful for making sculptures (for example: clay and glazes). When the sculptures are ready they put them into the kiln at 1000 degrees for 30 minutes. Then to cool them they put the sculptures into the sawdust to make them black. At the end, as is typical in England, we had a cup of tea accompanied by bread pudding and raspberry tart.
If you want to know more about Raku: www.veniceclayartists.com/the-raku-pottery-technique/
