Art and Culture
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Open Mic Night – Photos
As part of the Alvaro de Campos Festa, I helped organise an Open Mic Night in English and Portuguese on Friday 22 November. It was a fun evening of kindness, sharing, poetry and song. Big thanks to all the performers, poets and especially to Tela Leao for translation and for introducing everyone. Also gratitude to the Casa Alvaro de Campos for use of the venue. Here are a few photos:Ana Cristina, Tela Leao, Fernanda Guerra, Isabel Pereira, Jay Artale, John Williams, Malcolm Highfield, Marjorie Mallon, Mark Evans, Miguel Andrade, Nana Rebelo, Timothy Halford, Zizi. Timothy Halford would like a regular Poetry Slam in Tavira. Get in touch if you want…
- Art and Culture, Book Reviews, Books to read, Community Development, Sustainable Development, Tavira, Writing
Rob Hopkins Tour – What If?
Rob Hopkins founder of the Transition Movement is touring Portugal starting in the North and reaching Faro on the 26 October. “Transition is a movement of communities coming together to reimagine and rebuild our world.” The tour will include interactive workshops, discussions and conversations. Central to this tour is the theme of imagination, especially in times of crisis. This tour takes place as Rob Hopkins’ book is published in Portuguese. “What If: Unleashing the Power of Imagination to Create the Future We Want.” Rob says: “Given the state of the world, the message of despair is pretty convincing. Things look grim. But something about that doesn’t sit quite right with…
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Open Mic Night in Tavira
The Álvaro de Campos Festival / Birthday Party takes place in Tavira from 15 October to 30 November each year. Last year, I helped organise an impressive and enjoyable Open Mic Night in the cold of winter. On Friday, 22 November this year (2024), we will try again to bring musicians, poets and writers together to perform on a small stage to an eager audience at Casa Álvaro de Campos. The venue is a cafe with a piano and a small stage. Last year, we managed to get 6 delightful musicians and singers on the stage! The cafe is on the steps, just down from the Tavira Museum near the Igreja da Misericórdia de…
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Whisky Galore Fundraiser- Help Tavira artists to perform in Glasgow!
Tavira and Glasgow have a cultural connection that is about to become even more potent. In 2019 two Scottish poets performed in Tavira, together with their Portuguese colleagues, and this year the event will take place in Glasgow. Unfortunately, there is not enough money for travel and hotels. From the total costs of € 6.000 still € 4.000 need to be raised. Why is the connection between Tavira and Glasgow important? Tavira’s famous poet, Álvaro de Campos, was born here in 1890 and moved to Glasgow to study naval engineering. Álvaro de Campos including his birthday, only existed in the poet Fernando Pessoa’s imagination. He was one of his heteronyms,…
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Reflections: Visiting Birmingham
Jim and I travelled in May and June (for nearly seven weeks) to the UK, Greece and Ireland. We are now back in Portugal. This latest post is some reflections on Birmingham, UK, our first stop. I may share more from my journal about Bloomsbury and then Ireland in other posts. The last time we lived in the UK was 15 years ago. We have not visited for the last five. On Tuesday, 7 May, we landed in Birmingham and stayed a few nights in this modern changing City. I was born and grew up in South Brum, so I know it well. Some of my memories could be clearer,…
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Cachopo, the windmill, wild flowers, the earthstar and the stones
Some days I just want to bottle moments of joy. That not being possible, on International Women’s Day 2024, I decided to start recording the events of a magical day from earlier in the week. Four women had a mission, an electric car, which I drove and the sun on our backs. You could call our mission one of spirit – that is we wanted to find ancient stones. We are women who meet together to meditate and create art. We feel connected to each other and the earth, so for me our exploration was about deepening our relationship with nature. But also the opportunity for a “jolly out” together.…
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Mandala creation
The turn of the year is a time I usually create a mandala. It is a moment where I set an intention for the year ahead. In a few days it will be 2023, so I have talked to a few friends and invited them to paint, draw or collage at my home near Tavira on Sunday 1st January starting at 2.00pm.Send me an email if you want to join. We think six people is enough for this first activity. But if more people want to explore, I could organise another mandala creating opportunity at a different time. I will provide paper and soft drinks. So bring crayons, paint and…
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Pete Seeger – Community activist, musician, and inspiration for peace
I don’t want to focus my thoughts on war right now or the arguments about who is right or wrong. What I need is hope. So with that purpose in mind I have edited and updated this article first written in 2014. Maybe it will resonate with your desire for peace and hope too. Image credit – Pete Seeger at the Clearwater Festival in June 2007 Photo taken by Anthony Pepitone Pete Seeger, singer and musician, died on January 27, 2014. His unique style and passion for music brought people together locally and globally. His songs with words such as “We shall overcome” or “Where have all the flowers gone” stirred millions to march…
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We headed towards Nepenthe.
Leaving San Francisco, we stopped off in Berkeley, or to be precise, we went onto the University campus. I half hoped to see Barbra Streisand or at least a few students demonstrating, calling out lies, declaring a strike, or asking for signatures for a petition. I love that part in the film ‘The Way We Were,’ when a young student played by Babs makes a speech on the Campus. So much passion and belief. It was Fresher’s week, so no one was carrying banners. Do they even do that at Berkeley now? From looking at the Society stalls, there was not much about campaigns to make the world a better…
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California 2019 – Maybe our last long trip?
In 2017, Jim and I started talking about a trip to California. My ageing hippy consciousness kept telling me to go and visit the places I grew up in films and books. I also now have a couple of dear American friends, one of whom lived in California and helped with ideas for the trip. I don’t know why I didn’t write much as the journey progressed. Somewhat saturated, I guess it has taken time to reflect on the colours and stories. We visited friends along the way, a couple I only know from Facebook and a kind ex-Jehovah’s Witness who invited us into their home in Tucson. The visit…
