Sunday 28 February 2010

Moving In Day

I am sat here with my red polka dot suitcase and a very large other one (that I cannot possibly move) and various other bags and boxes... waiting for mon amour and we will go to the new flat!!! Yes, it is Moving In Day.. finally!!! I am excited and also a bit nervous and thinking about the things I have to buy to prepare the place for guests and to beautify it.. oh I love ambience and aesthetics.. my Venusian leanings.. The long awaited one week lie in however looks set to be interrupted here and there.. the telephone man comes tomorrow (possibly in the morning which could be tricky as I don't 'do' mornings so much anymore and also the doorbell is a very lovely rush of light bird song.. not so audible me thinks!) and the first guest arrives at ARC on Tuesday!!! Amira Hanafi, an American Egyptian poet/photographer/artist: www.amirahanafi.com So.. I need to at least get bedsheets and towels for one!!! (and then of course do a 'big shop' soon). Other than this I will be starting two new creative writing classes as from week beginning March 7th.. so it's all go go go!!! Inshallah :-))

Saturday 20 February 2010

Creative Writing Classes in Cairo

The Creative Writing course consists of one 3 hour session a week for 10 weeks.

Maximum 10 people per course.

For booking your place & more information: email: lindawildfire@hotmail.com

10 week courses with set tasks designed to trigger & expand the writing process. As well as ongoing writing expansion work we explore various genres and work towards an end task of writing a 1000 word short story.

The aim of the course is to foster enjoyment, build skills, stretch ways of working, set challenges & learn techniques whilst introducing the writer to several areas of writing practice.

Alternative courses in:
writing plays, poetry, review & critique, performance, oration, delivery and drafting texts towards presentation as well as further writing practice are available.

There is no criteria other than a willingness to open up one's writing; the course is designed that people of varying writing experience can participate and each draw their individual benefits.

Linda Cleary – Artist Biography
Linda Cleary is a poet - writer – performer, originally from Manchester and seen as being in the vanguard of young female performance poets and emerging as a radical nouvelle vague Romantic Poet; presenting a different type of work for the UK. Her former drama training lends her performance a certain theatricality and she has performed in a variety of bands, theatre & performance groups.

Linda works across disciplines; creating non traditional, diverse work of spoken & written word at times fusing performance, music and image. Her work often carries an urban and contemporary thrust ; some themes may be timeless, universal, but carry a modern twist and juxtaposition in delivering the tale whilst carrying a definite honouring to classic influences. Her performance poetry and style has been seen as unique, strong, raw and challenging; 'Powerful, uncompromising, rhythmic verse. Tough, lyrical beauty. Packs poetic punches with aching sensitivity. A unique new voice. If you need a comparison, think; a young Joolz Denby, laced with Patti Smith overtones.' (Apples&Snakes)

Education Biography
Linda has experience of working with children, young adults and adults with differing needs and delivers workshops in creative writing & poetry for schools, colleges and community groups; those from isolated or rural areas as well as regeneration or urban.

Having left school and becoming immediately involved with theatre her community work began with a placement with NACRO in '89 where she assisted with facilitating a creative writing and psycho-drama course. She then went on to train in '91 at Manchester Polytechnic in Recreational Arts in the Community. This enabled her to successfully set up and run a variety of community courses in creative writing and also theatre; working in Holland, Czech and Australia as well as the UK. Between 93 – 94 she was invited to Czech Republic to work at the prestigious JAMU Academy of Performing Arts & Music in Brno where she delivered theatre workshops to two adult actor groups; one an audibly impaired group. She runs creative writing courses and a script development for presentation course and teaches general literacy as well as her poetry, writing and performance work.

NB for details, audio, video, written work, news and more please go to

www.lindacleary.co.uk

Friday 12 February 2010

ArtHome

ArtHome is the first step of ARC.

The residency is also my home and intended as a heart centre for developing artistic work and providing a landing mat for those seeking to absorb Cairo and hear its many stories as well an opportunity to be linked in with the art scene. Downtown is bustling with creativity; artists and writers gather in the numerous coffee houses and bars and radical and exciting work can be found in the galleries and venues. The city is full of paradoxes of old and new, traditional and contemporary.

The premises are situated in Dokki, near to the Nile and Cairo Opera House. One can reach downtown Cairo by two stops on the metro or by a 20 minute walk.

ArtHome accommodates up to 4 artists at any one time; with two people sharing each room (or you can book a bedroom to be private if you wish). The flat has wooden floors throughout and lots of light and a great view where you can also see the Nile. There is one living room, two bathrooms, a kitchen and one shared studio/workspace with good light and one of the bedrooms also has available workspace. It is not noisy as it is on the 7th floor.

I can link you in with other arts centres and bigger studio space if you felt you needed more space to work other than what is available with me.  I am interested to help create links between artists locally and internationally and with venues and centres.

I am a writer, mainly a poet but currently working on prose.  I also work with film and audio and create performances and installations. It is is intended that ARC will blossom into a larger venue; accommodating more artists at one time and providing larger workspace in-house, once it and I have found our Egyptian feet.

I look forward to sharing this springtime beginning of ARC with you.

http://arthome-arc.blogspot.com