Meet the Artists hosting activities on Saturday 1 June

 

Rihab Azar – Oud on the Bandstand

As well as composition, performance, music education & community workshop leading, Rihab has had many contributions as a speaker and a writer in events/platforms addressing issues such as music & social justice, culture, war & migration, decolonisation, equity/diversity/inclusion, intercultural music-making, and education.   Rihab has performed internationally since 2008 and has had memorable collaborations with Cantata Dramatica, London Sinfonietta, The Third Orchestra, Stile Antico, Surge Orchestra and Theatre of the Voice, DK.

Rihab will perform on the bandstand

                                  

Ramona (Mona) Eve Bigwood – Creative Imaginings of Grove Park

Mona is a participatory artist who uses sculpture, installation, and workshops to engage people in discussions and activities. Her work centres around three key elements: play, people, and props. Her goal is to create art that empowers individuals and fosters a sense of community and well-being. Her work is characterised by the use bright colours and patterns creating a playful and inviting aesthetic.

She incorporates principles of mindfulness, artistic intervention, and co-creation in her work to provide a positive and enriching experience for participants. She has delivered participatory projects and commissions for organisations such as We The Curious, Super Culture, Off The Record, Knowle West Media Centre, Royal Shakespeare Company and Creative Youth Network, among others. 

Mona will run a drop-in creative session aimed at children, young people and their families to imagine what might be possible in Grove Park through drawing, crafting, model making and play.

 

Sophie Shepherd – Poetry and Spoken Word Area

Sophie is Weston-based poet, performer, creative facilitator and youth worker. She hosts the popular Rhyme Against The Tide poetry slam evenings and is part of Weston’s From The Mud performance collective. Sophie will host a drop in poetry and spoken word area. Sophie will be on hand to ask the public some gentle questions to get their creative ideas flowing and help people weave their ideas, feelings and ambitions for Grove Park into words and poetry.  

 

Ronnie Houselander – ‘Colours of Weston’

Ronnie is an artist and teacher based in Weston-super-Mare. She currently co-ordinates the UAL Level 3 Creative Practice at Weston College.  The’Colours of Weston’ colour bar will be a facilitated creative experience engaging people in conversations about the colours of a place and the emotions/feelings that those colours communicate to them in relation to Weston. Alongside the colour bar there will be a poetry/word based engagement activity to create a series of phrases derived from people’s conversations that respond to the colours and relate them back to their experience of and feelings about Weston. It’s intended as a form of creative consultation for people who might not normally engage in this kind of event – particularly young people.

Colours of Weston takes inspiration from this – https://thecolourpalettecompany.com/pages/about-the-colour-palette-company