First week back, welcomes, thank yous and Esme and David's engagement!

First day back after holidays to main company 

(it has been a difficult reentry this week as I struggle in the background world of Shallal but all is well really and hope and help is always at hand!)

Good meeting with Zannah - thank you Tina, good catch up meeting with Nick new trustee -  thank you Nick and good to see Shallal 2 and Colin this week.

As soon as i get to the hands on work my heart is happier as it's the place i also thrive, and as i print out our new register, i realise 

Welcome to Johnathan, Eden and Michel and Molly and Molly!

5 new members last term

Kate left this term after some wonderful flashes of work and some great design and art, her tiredness and uncertainty have led her to leave us for now, we thank her for all her contributions, wish her well and there is always a place to come back to if she wants.

Arron has come back more this term after illness and we hope Glen might feel better now the sun is out!

Shallal is a moveable feast and everything moves fairly organically and it often takes others to point out things to me!

Which leads me to huge thank you to Tina Cockett who has done just that for us, from meeting Colin, a few years ago to: volunteering, supporting back stage, supporting warm up and rehearsals, working especially with other Tina and Sam, performing with both of them in new work, giving me advice, insight, observation, running an excellent training workshop, supporting, listening, having fun with us and then offering to be a trustee and jumping in with all her skills and experience to write bids help with strategy.......and now life has an unexpected turn and she has to relocate "home" to Sussex by the end of the month..so THANK YOU, it means a lot that you believed in us and gave so much to the whole company and then all of Shallal through being a trustee!

Tina will drop in next week at lunchtime to say goodbye.

And promises to keep in touch, and help link us into the bigger picture over the Tamar!

Huge thank you's also to Terry and Viv Stanton and Diana, all of whom leave soon.

Terry was our first trustee who sought us out to support: his help, constant support and geniality have been wonderful over the last 5/6 years, through our first regrouping, placing us, connecting and supporting us within the county through his many work hats!!! He has been treasurer and now chairperson and has also stayed on a bit longer to make sure handover to new trustees went smoothly. Viv was so hospitable and supportive Anne invited her to be at trustee and we have gained from her positive support and care - thank you.

Diana came on board in our hour of need and stayed, along the way she picked up lots more jobs and responsibilities than she started with going from admin support to office manager and has been responsible for the smooth, efficient and pleasant running of all the background within Shallal, not always easy when working with a bunch of artists! it is hard to adequately thank someone after so long and so much care and hard work so again Thank you! 

We wish them all well.

looking again at Always New and the contrasts and focus it creates in response within a piece

Some people within UKIP have said some dreadful things, we obviously don't agree!
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/02/06/ukip-john-upex-resigns_n_4737108.html
but we do need to be vigilant, in times of stress and strain people can forget their humanity.
I have always said i don't want to be political, but i watch and am so aware that we could loose all the good that has been achieved, precious things are universal truths ( we are all equal and all precious ) but also fragile within our broken world.
If you need support you may always need support and those who provide and give it need to be aware and vigilant to the moods and trends within society.
On a brighter note Spirit of Challenge 2012 is the first application process i have read which fully supports and embodies inclusion - a real step forward in the funding world!


More good news! i had hoped to have a photo to share, soon we hope or i'll take a camera to Saturday -

Congratulations to Esme and David
 their engagement party is tomorrow.
we feel so happy for them and rather pleased that they first met in Friends and Dancing!

News continues and Shallal has been going for many years and one of our fantastic multi talented performers who just happened to drop into it Helen Thompson is now seriously ill in Spain we send her and her family much love!
She has given me some of my fondest memories in Shallal through Midnight Feast, 1992? she came to dance and ended up sharing her amazing and quirky poetry- i can recite one by heart - and organising all our costumes, creating props and creating beautiful collage art.
We also worked together in Dance and Draw near Falmouth - set up for people leaving Budock Hospital to continue art and dance in the community. She helped me with my own visual art process and is a valued and dear family friend.