WELCOME TO COOLTAN ARTS E-BULLETIN FEBRUARY 2011

Events take place at CoolTan Arts Unit B 237 Walworth Rd SE171RL unless otherwise stated.
www.cooltanarts.org.uk www.afunnyfarm.org.uk info@cooltanarts.org.uk
Tel: 020 7701 2696. Open Mon-Thu 10am-6pm, Fri 10am-5pm.
Twitter: @cooltan4 Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cooltanarts

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY – DON’T MISS THESE EVENTS

Until 20 Feb: Art Exhibition CoolTan Creations at Oxford House
Sat 19 Feb Jan, 12noon: CoolTan Arts Largactyl Shuffle: Celebration of LGBT History
Tue 22 Feb, 3pm-4.30 pm: Community Advocacy Meeting
Personalisation event with Southwark Link – details TBC
Wed 9 March: International Women’s Day Conference – afternoon, exact time TBC
Sat 19 March: International Women’s Day Walk

UPCOMING EVENTS
CoolTan Arts Largactyl Shuffle: Celebration of LGBT History
19 Feb 2011, 12noon; Meet at Maudsley Hospital
Celebrate LGBT History month with CoolTan Arts Largactyl Shuffle, a fun guided
cultural walk for mental and physical wellbeing, on Saturday 19th February, 12noon
at Maudsley Hospital.
The walk starts at Maudsley Hospital and ends at The Cross Bones Graveyard
SE1, in Redcross Way near London Bridge. We end the walk with a talk on the
history of the Cemetery and Southwark Geese, the Libertine of Southwark, and a
finale with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.
Discover famous historical and local LGBT residents of Southwark, explore LGBT
social and political issues, the history of Southwark LGBT groups, pubs, clubs,
Polari, dance and play!

Sashay into gay history with CoolTan Arts’ LGBT Largactyl Shuffle and find out 101 little-known facts about
London’s most under-cover borough. All welcome! Wear suitable footwear and dress up to dance!

Walkers meet at 12noon at the main entrance of Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AZ and walk
to Cross Bones Graveyard, SE1.Call CoolTan Arts on 07985658443 if you cannot find the group of walkers on
the day.
5 Mile walk through the back streets of Southwark- allow 4 hours. Feel free to bring sandwiches and a bottle
of water. The walk is free but a voluntary contribution will be appreciated.

Art exhibition ‘CoolTan Creations’ at Oxford House

20 Jan – 20 February
CoolTan Arts has a new art exhibition at Oxford House Gallery, with works from
participants and tutors. This multifarious array will boast something to suit everyone’s
fancy, from abstract to realist and oils to watercolours. Examining the extraordinary,
the ordinary and the imaginary through art and mind!

Venue: Oxford House, Derbyshire Street,

Bethnal Green, London E2 6HG
Phone: 020 7739 9001 E: info@oxfordhouse.org.uk ,
http://www.oxfordhouse.org.uk/index.php

Personalisation event with Southwark Link

CoolTan Arts are working with Southwark Link, Southwark Unser Council SUC and Southside Partnership to
organise an Open Event for Personalisation. Look out for more information on our website, posters and flyers.
Call us on 02077012696 or email rosie@cooltanarts.org.uk.
WORKSHOPS FOR ALL
Food For Mood – New series of workshops: until March 2011 *Free and open to all*
On Tuesday afternoons, CoolTan Arts is running workshops around the
production of the Food For Mood cookbook. Everyone is welcome, and
there will be a variety of artistic and practical activities relating to books
and food:
- contributing recipes and discussing food
- creative writing, local research, interviews
- writing, editing, design and layout
- learning about the world of book publishing
- food heritage of Southwark

Come along and take part in this exciting project. We look forward to seeing you there.
For more information, please contact Elizabeth, Rosie or Clara on 020 77012696 or email
rosie@cooltanarts.org.uk.

New workshops!! *open to everyone*

Theatre creation: Mondays 6pm-8pm – only £6 (concessions) or £8 for a 2-hour session
Food for Mood: Tuesday 3pm-5pm
Movement therapy: 2.15pm-3.15pm - donation of £1
Card-making: Thursdays: 11am-1pm – free, cards will be sold to raise money for CoolTan

WORKSHOPS AND ACTIVITIES – OPEN TO PEOPLE EXPERIENCING MENTAL DISTRESS

Community Advocacy meeting Tuesday 22 February 3pm-4.30 pm:
Come along to our monthly community advocacy meeting, meet like-minded people, get your voice heard and
ask your questions. More updates are available from Rosie Agnew on rosie@cooltanarts.org.uk or call
02077012696. We look forward to seeing you then!

Self-Advocacy Training Skills Programme

Self-advocacy skills training can assist in knowing and accessing your rights and getting your
voice heard in many situations.
Workshops continue: Wednesday mornings from 11am, Thursday afternoons from 2pm at
CoolTan Arts unless otherwise advertised.

A thank you to those people who attended the re-arranged Recovery Star introduction and
training (Recovery Star offered at CoolTan is primarily for people involved already with CoolTan Arts - please
contact us for details); and the Focus Group on behalf of UK Government departments’ consultation for the
United Nations - reviewing 5 articles of the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled People. It’s been good to
make firm links with other people, including the National Centre for Independent Living, and be able to put
forward views directly from taking opportunities created from the Self-advocacy workshops.

Several new people have been in contact to be involved as mentors/tutors, trainers, course
administration and peer support facilitators, and this revived initiative will get underway as soon as
practicable.

Programmes and associated timetables will be available and distributed

There will be an opening of Programme 2 and 3 Self-advocacy Skills Training in the early Spring, with
"An Introduction to Advocacy" beforehand, and a settled programme issued taking us through to the
end of Summer.

Programme 1 will run concurrently, with opportunities for participants to come into the new
programmes to complete Programme 1 or take one-off topics. The programmes for 2011 are being
finalised, including working with external partners to consolidate the courses.

There are still a few places left for Thursday 10th February - Public Speaking workshop facilitated by
Stephe Harrop, in conjunction with Largactyl Shuffle.

All the best for manoeuvring through 2011, please do contact me for further details.
More details and updates available at CoolTan Arts, or phone, email or write to us and ask for Phil Ruthen,
Advocacy Training Coordinator. T: 020 7701 2696 or  M: 0798 565 8443  phil@cooltanarts.org.uk
Join a regular workshop at CoolTan
Do you need to get out of the house? Come along to one of CoolTan’s workshops to meet people, learn
new skills, have fun, and break out of isolation with like-minded people. Our workshops are open to any
adults experiencing mental distress with access to direct payments or other funding. Please contact
CoolTan Arts on 020 77012696 or email referrals@cooltanarts.org.uk for more details.

Movement therapy is starting again! Come along on Tue 2.15pm, all welcome.
Photoshop has a new tutor, Emma, and is starting again on 8 Feb 2pm-4pm.

Workshop Timetable
Day Morning Afternoon Evening
Visual Arts 1-3pm Theatre Creation –
Mondays Closed for staff meeting Batik 2-4pm 6pm -8pm (£6 per
Sculpture 3.30-5.30pm session, concessions)
Basic / Intermediate IT 12-4pm (please book)
Movement Therapy: 2.15pm-3pm
Drawing 11am-1pm
Tuesdays Food for Mood workshop 3-5pm Volunteering
Volunteering
Photoshop 2pm-4pm
Video & filming 4-6pm
Self advocacy 11am-1.30pm Visual arts women only 1-3pm / 2-4pm Web design 6-8pm
Wednesdays
Volunteering Knitting 4pm-6pm Volunteering
Poetry 11am-1pm Largactyl Shuffle workshop 2-4 pm
Thursday Volunteering
Card making 11am-1pm Self advocacy 2-5pm
Friday Volunteering Visual Arts 1-3pm N/A
rd
Saturday’s N/A Largactyl Shuffle Walk 12noon, every 3 Saturday N/A

VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES
Why volunteer? – Need help getting back into work, want to give back to the community
Opportunity of the month: Media and press assistant
We are currently looking for an enthusiastic and motivated Press and Media volunteer to work with the
Communications Officer and support CoolTan’s media presence and press work, delivering a wide range of
communications activities.

Volunteers do a wonderful job and CoolTan couldn’t exist without the work they do. Volunteering at CoolTan
Arts can help you gain confidence and new skills, get work experience, make new friends.
Volunteer opportunities are available every day. If you would like to help us, please speak to Asia at CoolTan,
contact her on 020 7701 2696, email volunteers@cooltanarts.org.uk or check the website
http://cooltanarts.org.uk/category/voluntary-position/ for more details.

Services for Health and Social Care Organisations, mental health practitioners, GPs, social
workers, key workers…
CoolTan Arts can work with GPs and other health professionals to meet the social care needs of their clients.
We are very keen to meet you and your teams and tell you more about the services CoolTan Arts offers.
If you are a community mental health practitioner and you would like to refer clients, please contact us on 020
77012696 or email referrals@cooltanarts.org.uk.
If you are interested in finding out more about us and how we can work with your organisation, or want a
CoolTan representative at your team meetings to give an introduction to CoolTan, please contact us on 020
77012696 or email rosie@cooltanarts.org.uk.

Last, but not least, a big thanks to our donors, funders, supports, and to all the people who give their time and
energy to CoolTan Arts and make what we do possible.
CoolTan Arts believes mental wellbeing is enhanced by the power of creativity.
We are proud to have as Patrons: Maggi Hambling, Sokari Douglas Camp, Ali Smith, Clare
Allan and Rosemary Shrager
Unit B 237 Walworth Rd London SE17 1RL T: 0207 701 2696 M: 0798 565 8443
W: www.cooltanarts.org.uk E: info@cooltanarts.org.uk
Twitter: @cooltan4 Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cooltanarts
CoolTan Arts Registered charity number 1064231 Company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales reg. 3244552