Ark T Annual Report

Visual Arts

A steady cycle of 12 art exhibitions has enriched the Centre’s life over the last two years. Local, national and international professional artists have exhibited alongside others who have found involvement in the creative process to be a powerful and rich experience.

Centre

What’s On

Artists

Gallery

Music

Dance

Home

Workshops

Contacts

History

Review

Partners

Cafe

Click on image to review copy of Annual Report pdf.

Music

Under the leadership of Jon Fletcher and Kate Garrett, the music project has continued to flourish. An ever-increasing number of young people are being given opportunities to develop through music performance, recording and workshops.

Dance

The Centre provides one of the homes for Oxford Youth Dance (OYD) where 130 young people dance on Saturday morning, Monday evening and Tuesday afternoon. Under the leadership of Cecilia Macfarlane the highlights have been a trip to Russia, performances at Pegasus Theatre and the Oxford Playhouse which have been inspired by two of the Centre’s exhibitions.

Irish Dance on Wednesday evening gathers a large number of children and young people and T’ai Chi has continued to offer an opportunity to slow down.

Workshops

A number of art workshops including mosaic, glass painting, sculpture, silk painting, paper making and installation work have included participation from carers and toddlers, people dealing with mental health issues, and children and young people ‘at risk’.

Broom Tree Cafe

The opening of the Broom Tree Cafe by Lord Melvyn Bragg in March 2004 was a highlight of the year. The cafe provides home cooked food at reasonable prices, great coffee and tea, and is now the regular eating place for many local people. The kitchen has been designed for training.

Partnership and Funders

A key aspect in the delivery of programmes is both the quality of our partnership and those who fund the work. The Centre has hosted two successful evenings with the Youth Offending Team. One brought together the county magistrates, the other celebrated the YOT’s work with young people speaking about the effects of both crime and the reparations orders on their lives.

Worship and Community

A Wednesday lunchtime eucharist where bread, wine, soup and cheese are shared around a table has provided a regular pulse to the Centre’s work. Bringing together members of John Bunyan Baptist Church and the Ark T Centre, visiting friends and artists, the eucharist provides a special hour where life in a frenetic world is stilled.

Buildings

In a period of tremendous growth, the Ark T Centre has had to expand to fill every corner of the building. The garden, which enjoyed its own makeover by local volunteers from Barclays Bank, Edmund Gibbs Group and Ark T, was newly opened as a Community Garden in November 2004 by Andrew Smith MP. 

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