Only a few days left before the end of this year 365 project

Well, that’s it, we are now in the last month of 2011, having covered every day of life in Canterbury, Faversham and Sheppey. About 240 photographers have registered to take part and we are delighted with the several thousands of submissions. The last jury session will take place in January, and we will know then what each set of 365 photographs will be for each area and we will make some of them available to you. However, the whole project will be revealed in its entirety during the exhibitions in September and October 2012.
Our work here continues with fundraising, a vital part of the project; without financial support, the 365 wouldn’t take place. Then, another part of the work will involve lots of editing and designing, putting the exhibitions and the books together.

Thank you to our sponsors and funders

We would like to warmly thank those who are helping us putting this ambitious project together.
Platinum sponsors:
Bygone Kent, EuroCanterbury, the KM Group, Ossie’s Fish Bar, Shepherd Neame.
We would like to wish Ossie’s Fish Bar all the best, following the fire that put them out of action earlier this week. Looking forward to seeing them back in business asap.
Gold Sponsors:
Macknade Fine Foods, Peel Ports, Robinsons Foundry Ltd, Sheerness Gateway, Tassells Solicitors
Silver Sponsors:
Doddington Place Gardens, Kent Profile, Lenleys, Sandhurst Farm Forge, Soul Solutions
Bronze Sponsors:
Brian Kelsey & Co Ltd, Canterbury Camera Centre, Heselden Hats, Victor Hire Ltd

And of course our funders:
Bensted’s Charity, Faversham Town Council, Queenborough Fishery Trust, Swale Borough Council

The Faversham website is helping promote the 365 project and its photographers.

Some photographs from 365 are now displayed on the town newly revamped website. We are pleased that the 365 photographs have been selected, promoting the 365 project at the same time as the town. The pictures are on the website only for display purposes; photographers will be contacted for any other use. Thank you to the FEP team for collaborating with 365 on this.

Keep in touch with the project

Of course, we will keep updating you all about the progress of the 365 with news every month of 2012.
Also, do connect with us via:
- the 365 Projects Facebook Page.
- Twitter: @kentcreativeart

In the meantime, we would like to wish you an excellent Christmas break…

We look forward to seeing you in the new year!

Judges have selected photographs taken in July, August and September

The third judging session took place last week to select photographs taken during the third quarter of the year.

A Year in the Life of Canterbury
Area covered by 134 photographers, submitting 345 photographs.
You can see some of the chosen photographs here

A Year in the Life of Faversham
Area covered by 72 photographers, submitting 372 photographs.
You can see some of the chosen photographs here

A Year in the Life of Sheppey
Area covered by 51 photographers, submitting 296 photographs.
You can see some of the chosen photographs here

One more judging session in January, and we will know what the 365 images are for the three areas!

Promotion of the 365 project via www.faversham.org

The team at the Faversham website has offered to help with promoting A Year in the Life of Faversham, displaying some of the submitted pictures on their homepage. This is an opportunity for the us to raise awareness of the project; both 365 and the photographers will be credited. Typically, this is a positive partnership where all parties benefit.
The images will not be used in any other way.

The importance of Art

On last week Any Questions (BBC Radio 4), a question was: ‘Does the panel think that art and culture can lead to real economic development?’

Matthew Parris: Yes, absolutely, of course it can. The whole history of England – and of Scotland and Wales too – the whole history of England is a history of art and culture and literature and drama, and vigorous cultural life, and for that reason we have tourists, we have a wonderful publishing industry, we have the best newspapers in the world, we have people coming here, we have people coming all over the country, going to Stratford-upon-Avon to visit things… The culture of a country is the heart beat of a country, and if you lose the culture, if you lose the heart beat for some kind of cold economic conception of what you’re there for, you lose everything, including the economic.

David Davis: The Renaissance was a great economic explosion and was a great artistic explosion. And our industrial revolution; of course it was Stephenson, but it was also Wedgwood, it was Crystal Palace, it was the Tate Gallery, so they go absolutely hand in hand. The greatest time of creativity in all countries’ history is both industrial, both economic and artistic.

Rachel Reeves: I think it makes a huge difference, it has a huge economic benefit. (…) All of these things bring in tourists but also give opportunities to young people and older like in communities, particularly in a city area. I think this is so important for economic regeneration but also for people who live there.

And it is so true. For these reasons, we have already stressed how much we are trying to get all types of members of our community involved in the 365 projects.
There are various ways for both individuals and businesses to benefit from these projects when supporting them at the same time. Have a look here, there is something for everyone…

Kent Photo Library

We have contacted you before about the Kent Photo Library, an online resource for good quality images of Kent at affordable prices, that we are about to launch. We are in the process of including photographs in the collections, before launching it for all users, and we would like to thank all of you who had agreed to include photographs that were taken for the 365 projects. Added to the submissions made specifically to the Library, it now provides a very large number of images!

Vote for the 365 projects on NatWest Community Force

We are taking part in the NatWest Community Force scheme for the 365 projects (Canterbury, Faversham and Sheppey) to win £6,000 that would help fund the exhibitions and books.
Please vote for us! Voting will end on 23rd October.
Click here to vote now

If you are not registered with NatWest Community Force, you will need to register first before you can vote. Here is how:
- Click on the ‘Register’ link at the top of the page;
- Enter your name, email address and password in the form provided;
- You will receive a confirmation email sent to your inbox. Click on the link supplied in this email to confirm your registration;
- Go to the 365 project page again here to vote;
- Tick the ‘I accept the NatWest CommunityForce Voting Terms and Conditions’ box;
- Click on the “Vote for us” red button;
- Enter your email address and password to log in;
- That’s it!

Please vote. Everything we do to try and raise funds for the 365 projects is vital. Your support is greatly appreciated.
We thank you very much in advance!

We need you to support 365

We work hard setting up the main exhibitions and design the books for the 365 project because we love it. We love community photography and believe that it’s doing people good; it can help make changes.
The many comments we receive from participants really are encouraging and keep us going. However, we cannot achieve this without financial support, essential to make things happen.
Whether you are a contributor to the 365 projects (therefore with a motivation for making it a success) or not, you can help by spreading the word about them. This gives them a larger exposure and increases people’s participation.
Then, the different ways we use to raise funds include:

• Fundraising events.They are meant not only to raise funds but also awareness of the project, so to achieve both of these goals, we need you to come along, and to tell your friends and family… Costs are affordable and you get to have a great time when supporting 365!
  Coming next, a much anticipated talk by reknowned photographer Steve Bloom who will be talking about his work around the world, whilst showing some of his stunning photographs. This is this coming Wednesday, 5th October, at the Canterbury Cathedral Lodge.
  Also this coming week, the charming slideshow and talk by Peter Kennett based on old photographs of Faversham.
• Corporate sponsorship. We firmly believe that businesses do benefit a lot from being associated with the arts, and connecting with the many people interested in photography. Local businesses can increase their exposure in the area when supporting 365. So if you know a business who may be interested, please put them in touch with us.
• Sponsor a Page. This campaign is designed for individuals to get involved by sponsoring a page in the 365 books. A lovely thing to do as a gift for a beloved one, or simply to show your support.
• Grants. And we are pleased to have been successful with several applications, showing the support we get from local authorities and charities.
• Calendars. Designed using photographs taken by participants to 365, they are meant to accompany you all along the year…

2012 Calendars

The 365 calendars are now available for Faversham and Sheppey and will be in Canterbury next week. You can check where they can be purchased from on this page

We will have the Canterbury calendars with us at the Steve Bloom event, before they get distributed in town. So if you wish to get your own(s), do come along on Wednesday 5th October between 7:00 and 7:30pm.

Hop Festival 3-4 September

During the Hop Festival week-end, 365 will be having a stall at the Assembly Rooms (former Drill Hall). Do come and visit us. You will be able to:

• get your 2012 calendar for Faversham (Calendars for Canterbury and Sheppey will go on sale a few days later).
• purchase tickets for the coming events that we are organising in September and October:
  . Christine Tobin concert – Sat 10th September
  . Steve Bloom talk – Wed 5th October
  . Old photographs of Faversham with Peter Kennett – Sat 8th October
• learn about our support schemes for individuals and businesses to play their part in the 365 projects.

Christine Tobin interviewed by Nigel Ansell on Kmfm

Many many thanks to Nigel Ansell and Kmfm for the extremely nice interview of Christine Tobin last Thursday.
To hear Christine say: “I think this project is really really excellent. What a better way to show the area, the town and the environment that people live in; and get ordinary people to photograph it, is a wonderful idea” simply made my day!

You can listen to this interview on youtube:

There is few seconds break in the middle of the itw… Do keep listening, the itw will continue.

Judges selected photographs for the second quarter of the year

The second judging session took place last week to select photographs taken between 1st April to 30th June 2011.
Here are some details about the results of the second judging session:

A Year in the Life of Canterbury
Area covered by 122 photographers
333 photographs have been submitted during the second quarter.
Judging session took place on 26th July 2011 at the Deeson Group
Judges: Philippe Esclasse (Canterbury City Centre Co-ordinator), David Hayward (Artist), Janice McGuinness (Head of Culture and Enterprise, Canterbury City Council), Karen Shepherdson (Programme Director of Photography, Canterbury Christ Church University) and Richard Walton (FRPS, Photographer)

A Year in the Life of Faversham
Area covered by 64 photographers
435 photographs have been submitted during the second quarter.
Judging session took place on 28th July 2011 at the Shepherd Neame Visitor Centre
Judges: Simon Giles (Director at Creek Creative), Cllr Anita Walker (Mayor of Faversham) and Laurence Young (Faversham Enterprise Partnership).

A Year in the Life of Sheppey
Area covered by 46 photographers
367 photographs have been submitted from 1st January to 31st March.
Judging session took place on 27th July 2011 at the Isle of Sheppey Academy in Sheerness
Judges: Emma Grove (Kent Messenger), Derek Johnson ( Mayors Civic Attendant), Paul Murray (Head of Community Cohesion, The Isle of Sheppey Academy), Cllr Ben Stokes and Sylvia Bennett (Mayor and Mayoress of Swale)

You can see a selection of photographs that the judges have selected from the second quarter of the year:
Canterbury
Faversham
Sheppey

One year to go before the Olympic Games

As you all know, the Olympic Games in London will start in one year, from 27th July to 12th August 2012. To celebrate the event, we have organised photographs to be taken every day, during exactly the same period in Faversham, of olympic sports.
We hope that photographers covering Canterbury and Sheppey will have many opportunities too!

Here is the schedule:
Done so far:
Wed 27/07/2011 -Weightlifting – The Abbey Sports Centre
Thu 28/07/2011 – Football – Faversham Town Football Club
Fri 29/07/2011 – Gymnastics – Faversham Community Gymnastic and Activity Centre
Sat 30/07/2011 – Rowing – The Abbey Sports Centre
Sun 31/07/2011 -Canoeing – Harty Ferry
Coming up:
Mon 01/08/2011 – Synchronised Swimming – Faversham Swimming pool
Tue 02/08/2011 – Water Polo – Faversham Swimming pool
Wed 03/08/2011 – Competitive Swimming – Faversham Swimming pool
Thu 04/08/2011 – Badminton – The Abbey Sports Centre
Fri 05/08/2011 – Boxing – Boxing Club
Sat 06/08/2011 – Tennis – Faversham Tennis Club
Sun 07/08/2011 – Wrestling – The Abbey Sports Centre
Mon 08/08/2011 – Hockey – The Abbey Sports Centre
Tue 09/08/2011 – Athletics (running) – The Abbey Sports Centre
Wed 10/08/2011 – Cycling – Ian Wilson, cycling for Help for Heroes
Thu 11/08/2011 – Taekwondo -The Abbey Sports Centre
Fri 12/08/2011 – Portrait of Hugh Robertson

As for the rest of the project, anybody can take part at any time. If any of the participants covering Faversham are interested in photographing the remaining sports during this fortnight, please get in touch with us and we let you know the details of locations, time etc.

All submitted photographs for these sports are published on Flickr.

Bensted’s Charity supports A Year in the Life of Faversham

Bensted’s Charity has awarded a grant of £1,000 to A Year in the Life if Faversham. The Charity purposes include the support of individuals and organisations developing educational and leisure activities for the benefit of local residents.

All our thanks go to the trustees…

Fundraising events

We hold a Treasure Hunt yesterday, Sunday 31st, to which 18 teams of people people took part. It was a great sunny day and everybody seemed to have enjoyed the walk and the game.
The treasure hunt was meant to give the opportunity to people of Faversham to have a good time exploring the town and testing their knowledge of it. Some questions involved taking pictures, making it accessible to children as well as adults, motivating them to look around in an active way, and making them feel happy where they live.

You can get more information about other coming events on our Events page. Do watch that space for updates .