STORY TIME Episode 7

We're back with LM Dubz for another edition of Story Time! "Visit but they ah!"

VIDEO DRAMA - A Trip to the Future

In the eyes of deceit pub in London, Marty Mcfly and the Doc are provided with an old treasure map by a wise old barman, so they resolve to find some treasure...

Emma North - Roberto da Silva

Our song writing sessions at the Gate often focus around peoples specific interests, and in this case we focused on Roberto's astounding memory for game shows. He could remember many contestants of 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire?' but there was only one remembered who went home with nothing. We bring you...... EMMA NORTH

GATE CUSTARD 4

Roll Up Roll Up! Here's the video from this Years Gate Custard 4! Live at the Andrew LLoyd Webber Theatre 18/09/18 ENJOY!

 

Leon's Storytime for National Poetry Day.

Since it's National Poetry Day here's our resident wordsmith and his immersive stories.

Enjoy.

    

JAMAICA Collective - Live @ Horse Festival, Iklectik. 11.08.18

Jamaica, the improvisation collective from the Gate Art Centre, surprised the audience, artists and organisers of the 12th edition of the Horse Trials festival at the Iklectic on 11th August.

The Horse Trials Festival is organised by The Horse Improvised Music Club. It was established in March 2012, when it held a series of gigs at The Horse pub in Waterloo. Since December 2014 then they have had worked in partnership with IKlectik Art lab. The Club places a strong emphasis on programming established performers alongside new musicians.

Jamaica was born two years ago at The Gate Art Centre in Shepherds Bush. The idea was to fit the ever changing people who attended the music sessions in the weekly improvisation session. Alan Courtis was the first established improviser who led a workshop at the Gate in 2017. Then there has been a couple of rare London performances at Chatts Cafe (Bermondsey) and All Hallows Church (Southwark) in 2017 and 2018 respectively.

On this occasion, Jamaica was formed by five musicians: John, guitar; Brian, keyboard; Mary, home made spring box; Jason, homemade one string fretless stick, and Simon vocals. They surprised the audience with their loose and natural well structured improvisation using everyday objects and homemade instruments. The music was a psychedelic journey guiding by the unpredictable minimalistic guitar of John and the amazing harmonies and chords added by Brian on keyboards. Along with Mary and Jason they travelled into the deepest layers of the mind presented in his unique way by Jamaica’s MC Simon.

The club is organised by Adam Bohman and Sue lynch who are musicians on the London Improvised Music Scene, both of them professed at the end of Jamaica’s performance to be very impressed by the group and they want to invite them back again next year.

These are great news for for Jamaica who are making their way to be part of the London experimental music scene in their own right.

For more info:

www.horseimprovclub.wordpress.com/

www.iklectikartlab.com/

http://thegateartscentre.blogspot.com/

https://www.mixcloud.com/GateKicks/

100th Gate Kicks Episode.

This email is to celebrate the 100th episode of Gate Kicks, the radio programme produced at the Gate Art Centre by people who attend this centre every week to do art, music, video and other artistic activities.

The programme started on 14th June 2016 and it has been broadcast on Resonance FM 104.4 (the first Art-Radio in the UK). It is presented by Darren (2 Decks) and Leon (LM Dubz). They interview people involved with bands, production, and promotion of music made by people with learning disabilities from all around the world. No long ago the programme was invited to take part in the prestigious French music festival Sonic Protest 2018, and it has been recognised as a bridge between music made by people with learning disabilities and general public.

I want to thank you Yarrow Housing and Resonance FM to support this initiative and of course 2 Decks and LM Dubz for to be our 5 star presenters.

Every Tuesday 22.00 hrs on Resonance FM 104.4:

To listen to the 100 Episode of Gate Kicks!!! Please see below:

(Blog by Javier - Gate kick's producer)

VIDEO DRAMA - Shooting the Host

In this episode Jackie the Ripper is bored, and there's only one thing which can cure her.

VIDEO DRAMA - NO ZOO

In this episode Leon gets bored, so to remedy the situation he decides on a trip to the zoo. Unfortunately there isn't one locally so Duane comes up with a cunning plan to convince Leon there's one down the road.

Visit from Marsha de Cordova MP.

Marsha de Cordova, the Shadow Minister for Disabled people, and MP for Battersea came in today to talk with our self-advocacy and speaking up group Sound Off!

We talked about all sorts of stuff - benefits, Grenfell, work for people with learning disabilities, support and care packages. It went really well.

Amy said, 'I was impressed with her responses to our questions'.
'It is good to have MPs come in - she was patient and took her time, and gave us the time to speak. She also tried hard to give us clear answers to our questions'.


Richie said 'I thought it was good that she understands what life is like as a Disabled person - she said good things about people looking at you and not making assumptions about what your needs are and whether you have a disability.'

Mandy said 'I liked what she said about benefits - it is scary and makes me anxious and she understands that - she's own our wavelength'.

Amy and Richie: 'Some people's disabilities or impairments are hidden so it is good to talk about this and make people think about hidden disabilities, and take care of each other'.

'She said things we liked about the world around us making barriers - the society needs to change, not us!'

'We would like Marsha to come back! And to see more Disabled people in parliament and speaking up for our rights!'

Amy and Richie

VIDEO DRAMA - Last Room in Yorkshire

In this Video drama Jackie and Marissa head to Yorkshire for a lovely holiday. However upon arrival they realise that finding their room is more challenging than expected...

This is released in memory of Salim who unfortunately passed away recently; this was his last video drama performance.

Gatorium 28/03/18

Last week the guys from the Gate took over All Hallows Church SE1 to promote and sell our newest art book, various pieces of which were hung from the walls including a mural backdrop and guitar sculptures. The evening culminated in an epic live performance by our improv band Jamaica (conducted by 2Decks) playing some of our new bowed instruments controlled by Nintendo Wii controllers.

VIDEO DRAMA - Alien Invasion

Here's one of our newest Video Drama's... Alien Invasion! Enjoy


          

Gate Kicks @ the Sonic Protest Festival, Paris.

Gate Kicks @ the Sonic Protest Festival, Paris.

7th March 2018.

On the seventh of March 2Decks and myself (Javier) boarded the Eurostar for Paris, we were invited to talk about our radio programme Gate Kicks* at the Sonic Protest Festival 2018.

After nearly 3 hours sitting on the now vintage fast speed train, we crossed the English channel to reach Gare Du Nord. The bad thing was the exchange rate which in the station were paying just 45 euros for 60 pounds, unbelievable!!! But that was compensate with the cheap one day tube ticket for just 1,90 euros (something like £1.80).

When we reached Les Halles station we found this brand new building and shopping centre were the Mediatheque of Paris is located, the building design looks inspired by the London Aquatics Centre designed by the Iraqi-British architect  Zaha Hadid for the London Olympics 2012.

This was the beginning of Sonic Protest 2018, a 10 day festival, which has been running since 2003. The festival mixes the best of experimental musicians from all around the world with bands formed by people with learning disability or menthal health issues.  During the festival there are lots of different events like conferences, round tables, exhibitions, work shops, etc, giving an special place to the art and music made by people with learning disabilities which they call Art Brut, or Raw Art.


The first thing we saw was a photo exhibition where pictures taken by 2Decks were the inspiration for a French disabled artist to do some art. Also they were exhibiting a large collection of music, cds and vinyls produced by musicians with LD from all around the world.


That afternoon there was a four hours live radio programme called Radio Tisto & Bruits Coloir, they broadcast music made by people with learning disabilities, including some tracks sent by us like the Fuzzbomb flash band and 2Decks.

2Decks was invited to talk about Gate Kicks and his own music. We were amazed to discover the large number of 2Decks fans in the room , they told us that the track Whacky Baccy was a sensation among the listeners of Radio Tisto which is produced by Les Harrys, who are young autistic adults, from their nomadic studio for Radio Liberte.

After the 2Decks interview he performed some of his classic songs including "something new for the old school"


This marvellous evening finished with an amazing gig which included the talented piano improviser Fabrice Foster, Glenn Marzin  and Les Troupes De L'Imaginaire, please check them out.

After a nice walk to our hotel the only thing we regret was not having enough time and money to stay the 10 days and enjoy more.

Gate Kicks which is broadcast every Tuesday at 10pm on Resonance FM104.4,  https://resonancefm.com/
For more information about the festival: http://www.sonicprotest.com/


          

Jamaica - I Can't hear You 12/03/18

We've been stepping it up an inclusive gear in our improvisational music sessions; bowing resonating tins with springs inside, cymbals, and metal bowls. All pitch shifted by Graillon and controlled with the LK app on ipad...



Duane- "I used my hands and flicked them and pulled the strings up and used the bow violin thing"

Jason- "I was playing the cymbal like a violin and I was banging it with a stick and I made a noise, it sounded like a church bell"

Darren 2Decks- "I was just conducting it, by giving out signs and signals with my hands to each musician. I really don't know how to describe how it sounds"

We're looking forward to our live Jamaica performance at our "Gatorium" Art exhibition details below...

Upgate 26/02/18

Hey all, we have a new topical video drama to share 'Trump off" starring Jimmy in the lead roll! Check it out...

Upgate 09/02 *Happy Retirement Angus!*

As most of you know, a few times a year we hold police training at the Gate where our guys are interviewed by detective police officers so they can hone their detecting skills... Throughout the large part of this project Angus has been in charge, but he's reached the age where he'd like to hand in his gun and badge. We decided it'd be fitting for us to hold a party for him here at the gate, so below you can see the song we recorded for him, pictures of the party and a special video drama just for Angus.

Art Exhibiton in Basel, Switerzland

As of the 26th of January some of the Gate's artwork from Jackie C, Clare, Leonard and some group work was put on display as part of an art exhibition in Basel Switzerland, see below for the press release and pictures from the curator.

Jugend ist Trunkenheit ohne Wein by Julian-Jakob Kneer at BIKINI 26.01.–10.2.2018 Last night, stepping over empty lotion bottles and syrup stains, spray-painted leather insides sprawled across the carpet floor, bent down to peel a shred of dignity from the sole of your foot, clawing at your keds with bitten fingernails, fingertips really, the thing popped. Audibly, inevitably, had it coming, you lazy sod. Absolute irony, the place was a dream, the house almost a home, musty and sweet-smelling like yesterday’s fingerbang and face-rubs on the furniture, your favorite song across everyone’s arm hair, your picture in all the wallets, soft grunts from your violent family like animal lullabies, and clouds of vape bouncing off the closed windows. Then, like opening a soda can, a single wrong step, didn’t even hurt, suddenly pus and toxins and god-knows-what leaking from your gut, and the thing agape dangling from your leg, as if it didn’t know you. And everyone saw, of course they saw, and salt fell dry from the circles beneath your eyes, ex-tears, and here you are now, stupid and contagious, and all your friends are dead. Could life right now get any worse? Thinking about it, those spores must have been inside you all along, must have inhaled them at birth, because pretty sure you could feel it pulsing whenever someone stuck their tongue down your throat, watching, waiting, commiserating. Bad seeds growing big from deep inside, reaching up and out, twisted visions, sick diction, until the real world runs from the ceiling all wet and sticky, and time is a piece of wax, falling on a termite, and you’re choking on the splinters. Problem is, you’re a consumer, an eater, a sucker, no way you could have starved the thing. Now down by the playground they bang their moulds together and run their mouths, the rotten little punks. Think they’re clever with their minds on each others crotches, plainsinging and muttering about their practice, all head wounds and phone charms, so academia, so sure of themselves, when everyone knows it only counts if you saw a nipple. Nothing better to do and better not to care, but still, why are bitches ever born? Then of course, you’re hopelessly in love with them, practically swooning. So you roll up in that uncanney valley, that sweet space of revulsion, your body hustling to produce antibodies against a viral sadness spreading, afraid of whom you might meet in the upright, afraid to stumble over your own material conditions. You think about it all the time now, you think about it very matter of fact, and yet it never happens, and what to do then but learn to love the leak. The thing keeps oozing, hasn’t stopped really, the thing will greet you every morning, and maybe all that degeneration begins to smell good and true and morally right. Truth is, you never fit in. Truth is, you only care about people as long as they’re there. Imagine, next summer, you’ll snap right back, no braces on your fangs this time, rising from the ashes like a phoenix, an all-star, an eye-sore, a total fucking loser, leaking, dripping, until end times, a liferuiner. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll make theirs a living hell. 

Kiran's Kilimanjaro Climb.

Hi all, one of our regular-ish workers at the Gate is climbing the massive mountain Kilimanjaro to raise some cash for her group here at the Gate. Here's a message from Kiran and some pics from the trip so far and if you'd like to sponsor her endeavour you can do so at this Justgiving link. Please share. 

Hi all, My name is Kiran Bains and I am a trainee health psychologist who has worked for several years at Yarrow as a support worker and activities worker, and many different individuals with learning disabilities. Last summer I did some research with adults with learning disabilities and the people that support them to understand their points of view about what can help people with learning disabilities eat healthily and be active. Since then I've used my knowledge and experience to start running healthy eating workshops at the Gate with some users and am working with the Opening Doors project to create and distribute accessible healthy cooking resources for people with learning disabilities to use to improve their cooking skills and confidence. We are going to be creating videos and picture recipes, by adults with learning disabilities themselves, and putting these on the web for anyone to access. We also will have some physical copies of picture recipes and will send downloadable links to people so they can store these on their phones and tablets if they prefer, and look at these when they're in the kitchen. But first we need to get more people interested in and enjoying healthy living.