STRUGGLETRAIN

A GALLERY I am always eager to visit is the October Gallery @

24 Old Gloucester StreetBloomsburyLONDON WC1N 3AL (not far from Holborn Station but print the map given on their website, if you have no sense of direction, like me!)

I feel at home there.

Staff are so helpful and friendly, and even allow me to take photos for personal use

It is on the ground floor of a Victorian building, so no stairs!

The October Gallery always have work from exciting artists and works are presented within an atmosphere of calm deliberation. Their aim is to communicate diversity of Contemporary Art, from around the world ; this is through workshops focusing on interrelationship of the artist/workshop leader and participants, where the culture and artistic background and techniques are emphasised. The Gallery has been exhibiting since OCTOBER, hence its name,1994, but I was first introduced to the Gallery, just over a year ago, when I was intensely researching for the subject "The Twelve Tribes of Israel, Slavery Past/ Slavery Today". I visited "From Courage to Freedom", a wonderful display from 3 visual artists of West Africa. The artists each map personal and universal relationships between past and future, three very different ways, and were part of the Gallery’s project:“Bitter Aftertaste: Sugar, the Slave Trade and the Arts of the Atlantic World”, The Artists were:

El Anatsui,"Blema", Aluminium and copper wire, 2006

Romouald Hazoume "And From There They Leave "2006. A panoramic photograph, and Owusu-Ankomah. "Rising," Acrylic on Canvas, 2006.

Since then I have been a regular visitor and have never been dissapointed with their displays

It is free to view but I realise, now, that it is important to become a member, cost £20 per year, as although I signed my email address to receive notification of private views etc, I have, so far, missed all!

Often the exhibiting Artist will make a personal appearance on such occasions and I missed Ira Cohen's opening night, on the 30th November 07,with poetry readings and also the showing of his Films on the 11th December 07. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonathan_greet/sets/72157603329969018/

As most of the events at October Gallery are of interest to me I am determined not to miss the next event: 17th May 2008, 3.00pm Angaza Afrika - African Art Now "Free Admission - recommended Booking Contact: rosalind@octobergallery.co.ukTel: 0207 242 7367 (I did ring them and have put my name on the list, Great!!)

“Africa is as much a global phenomenon as a continent.” Chris Spring

Chris Spring, curator of the African Galleries at the British Museum and author of the book Angaza Afrika - African Art Now, will discuss contemporary African art with particular emphasis on the artists featured in the exhibition. He will be joined by several exhibiting artists. The talk will be followed by a Q&A session and Chris will be available to sign copies of his book." and @ 4.30pm Film: This is My Africa Dir. Zina Saro-Wiwa (55mins).

"Commissioned by the Africa Centre, this film is about the Africa that exists in the hearts and minds of people who are from Africa or have lived, travelled or worked there. Amongst the 20 interviewees are the artist, Yinka Shonibare MBE; actor, Chiwetel Ejiofor; author and playwright, Biyi Bandele and Mourad Mazouz, founder of the restaurants Sketch and Momo" Angaza Afrika, translated from the Swahili to mean ‘Shed light on Africa’ or ‘Look around Africa’ , opens on the 15th May and runs untill the 28th June 08.

"Each work will be a stunning visual and physical manifestation of the artists’ energy and spirit, such as Rachid Koraïchi’s Sufi- inspired black and white appliqué work and the beautiful work of South African artist Karel Nel, who sets vast leaves from the Coco de Mer palms in atmospheric, elemental architectural spaces" "Other featured artists include Romuald Hazoumé, whose immense installation Dream (2007), consisting of a boat made from petrol canisters, placed in front of a panoramic photograph won the documenta 12 prize; El Anatsui, who with his magnificent cloths made from thousands of glimmering bottle tops was one of the highlights of the 52nd Venice Biennale and who will transform Channel 4’s 50ft logo, situated in front of their London Headquarters, with an installation in June 2008; Owusu-Ankomah, whose drawings were chosen by Giorgio Armani for his Emporio Armani (PRODUCT) RED capsule collection and Abdoulaye Konaté who has been shortlisted for the Artes Mundi 2008 Prize." (quote from this Gallery's informative website)

http://www.octobergallery.co.uk/homepage.shtml

The Website is not to be confused with the American "October Gallery"website; they are completely independent from each other!

World regions included at the gallery are: Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, North and South America. There is also quite an extensive Educational Programme aswell, they say;

“It is rare that a small, independent art gallery offers high-quality workshops to such a wide range of ages and with such clear aims, but the October Gallery consistently does this. One of the main values of the gallery as far as we are concerned is the regularity of exhibitions featuring the work of non-European, living artists.”

"The Schools and Early Years’ gallery programme provides 1 ½ to 2 hour, artist-led workshops, held in the gallery. Workshop content is related to the work of the exhibiting artists, using observation, discussion and a variety of practical and artistic techniques taught in the context of the art on display. Our workshops are tailored to suit children of all ages, from Early Years, through Key Stages 1 to 4. We also welcome special schools and EAL groups. We also run longer, artist-led projects, which take place both in the gallery and at the school/centre over a period of days or weeks, usually leading to a permanent artwork.Schools programme funded by JPMorganfoundations." I wish I had known about a facility such as the above, when I worked with children. Workshops take place at the gallery from 10.00am—12.00pm at a cost of £70 per group, or £180 for schools booking three classes. We used to pay that for a clown or magician, and usually many of the under fives cried throughout. Still they did have me. LOL!! If you visit the Gallery between 12.30 till 2.00pm you will be greeted by the strong aroma of cooking, which I found to be a little disconcerting and a distraction from the intensity of concentration. However the home cooked food does look very apetising.The food is international and there is a good range of vegetarian food aswell.Quite good value for around £6. (Picture on left, taken in 2005 was taken by an anonomous admirer of the Cafe) these pictures, were taken upon my first visit at 4.30pm. There is a Courtyard aswell, which is a large open-air garden courtyard with fruit trees, shrubs and flowers. This is lovely for the summer and to take "chat and refreshments" outside. The Gallery, courtyard and cafe, can be hired outside of visiting hours (5.30pm) for private social events and there is equipment for hire too. http://www.octobergallery.co.uk/about_us/spaces.shtml

I did speak with a young man, in his third year of Fine Art (B.A I think) studying at Golsmith,s. He was helping out there and we were well in agreement that the October Gallery had an excitement about it. There is always an optimistic anticipation of "looking forward to more".