1 Charity status

Terrington Arts was given Charity status on 19 May 2000. In order to achieve this it was necessary to be more specific about our aims, and the following Objects were adopted at an Extraordinary General Meeting on 2 March 2000.

Our aims now are ‘to educate the public resident in the Parish of Terrington and surrounding areas to promote the improvemement, development and maintenance of artistic knowledge and understanding and appreciation of the arts by providing facilities for the education of the public in the fields of art, craft, music and drama’.

2 Activities 1999/2000

Our activities in the past year have encompassed a wide range of arts and crafts, and residents have had the opportunity to develop their own skills as they work alongside professional artists.

PRODUCTIONS

2.1.1 Home-grown Productions – the rebirth of Terrington Players

Over the past few years David Goodwin has been working with a group of people interested in drama.. From play-readings and cabaret sketches they graduated to a poetry evening entitled ‘It could be verse’ on August Bank Holiday Saturday. An audience of 70 people thoroughly enjoyed the evening, and their appetite was whetted for ‘All in Pieces’ an Evening of One-act Plays on 24 and 25 September. Terrington Players was re-born after 30 years. Over 200 people attended the two nights, many seeing their neighbours in an entirely new light. The new Terrington Players now felt confident that they could tackle a full-length play, so after a long winter of rehearsal ‘Murdered to Death’ was enthusiastically received in early May. Over 250 people saw the two evening and one matinee performances. A warm-up to this was March Airs, a cabaret evening which raised £600 for the Children’s Society.

The productions have been remarkable for the commitment of David and all the actors and back-stage helpers, and for the wonderful mix of old-stagers and newcomers, and the age range of 16 to late 60s.

2.1.2 Touring programme

We were entertained at last year’s AGM by the York Rose Singers, and we have had two professional shows this year. The first was Loyko the internationally known Russian gypsy band who gave a toe-tapping performance in November to an audience of about 160 people as part of a Festival of Many Cultures organised by Rural Arts North Yorkshire . In December we mounted a family show ‘Yuletide stomp’, part of Rural Arts on Tour scheme, a mixture of barn dance and seasonal play. Only about 35 people managed to catch this thoroughly enjoyable evening as it fell only 2 days before the school carol service, and quite rightly most parents were reluctant to let their children have yet another late night. In future our progamming of family events will take the school year into account.

2.1.3 New Year Outing

A full bus load of 54 people had a great night out at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds to see ‘Singin’ in the Rain’, a production now playing to capacity at the National Theatre in London.

TEXTILES AND CRAFTS

2.2.1 FESTIVAL OF CHURCH TEXTILES AND FLOWERS

Back in summer 1999 the Working Group discussed the idea an open weekend to encourage people to come and see the banners again as they were to be featured in the Madeira magazine and the RANY visual arts review. Elaine Hubery suggested showing church textiles, and made a provisional booking of John and Andrea Higginson who had done a hanging based on their bicycle pilgrimage to Santiago di Compostela. Thus was born what turned out to be a fabulous Festival of Church Textiles and Flowers, with the Village Hall ablaze with stunning copes, altar cloths, banners and smaller items, and the Church wonderfully decorated with flowers on the theme of Journeys, overseen by Sally Goodrick. Around 400 people passed through the exhibitions, many from their comments in the visitors’ book totally overwhelmed by the dazzling creativity of it all. 15 people attended the day workshop on Hangings and Banners by Andrea Higginson, and around 70 people enjoyed John Higginsons’ talk on the Pilgrimage on the Saturday evening. Six village organisations served refreshments on a rota basis, swelling their funds. Money given at the flower festival was given to the church. Thanks are due to Elaine Hubery for the many months of preparation and visiting and to all who worked on the displays and stewarding.

2.2.2 The Textiles and crafts group, led by Elaine Hubery, has met fortnightly over the year. American quilting has run through the whole year, interspersed with other crafts, often demonstrated by members of the group such as box-making, Christmas decorations, paper-making and temari balls. A beading workshop was run by a teacher from a local college.

This group continues to grow, attracting a number of people from other villages. Meeting from 10.30 to 3.30 gives time to explore the crafts and share news and ideas. Attendance varies from around 4 or 5 to 8 or 10.

LIVING HISTORY – OUR MILLENNIUM PROJECT

Terrington Arts was successful in gaining a grant from Yorkshire Arts through the New Millennium Experience company (yes – the one that gave all the money to the Dome!) to make a record of the village in the year 2000. Our brief was to involve professional artists in handing on their skills so that we can produce a CD-ROM, a book and a final exhibition.

We began back in October and November holding 2 full day workshops for around 20 people with Ian Macdonald, a professional photographer from Grosmont. The group met in December to agree what should be photographed during the year, and make plans to repeat the exercise carried out by Rev. James Wimbush in 1933 when he took photographs of everyone in the Parish outside their own house.

The main thrust of this was done one weekend in May when 30 people spent most of the weekend taking photographs in pairs and recording information about residents. The outlying areas have taken longer but by the time this report is being written, are completed.

A further workshop was led by Van Wilson and Mike Race from York Oral History project on interviewing. A minidisk recorder was purchased with help from Terrington Parish Council so that reminiscences can be taped. This work continues.

Gerard Naughton has set up a village website (www.Terrington.com) which is being added to all the time. Once all the photos are placed on it there will be an official launch. This project will carry through into 2001.

MEMBERSHIP

Membership over the last year has been 101, which included 39 couples. The Working Group is heartened by the support from members and sponsors as it allows us to keep in touch with you and to underwrite some risks. Setting up productions, mounting an exhibition for what we thought was a minority interest group and paying for visiting artists all involve and element of risk.

We are most grateful to all those who have helped in any way with any of the activities in the past year. They are too numerous to mention, but you know who you are. Thank you.

Please also tell us if there are other activities you would like us to set up. We are:
Sally Smith (chair), Lesley Bradshaw (secretary), Gerry Bradshaw (treasurer), Jane and Gerard Naughton, Elaine Taylor, Elaine Hubery, Shirley Drury and David Goodwin.

Lesley Bradshaw, Secretary (01653 648328) October 2000

ANNUAL REPORT 1999 - 2000