Past events

A Writing Workshop Day took place at the Fishermen’s Chapel on Sat 8 Nov from 10-4.30. These are “How To” workshops organised by Wordsmiths Forum.

10 – 11                 Starting Young (Pamela Shine) tickets for this are £5 per family

11.15 – 12.15       Getting into Journalism (Paul Giles)

1 – 2                     That Important First Book (Tim Severwright)

2.15 – 3.15           Writing for Publication (Dee Gordon)

3.30 – 4.30           E-publishing (Simon Woodward)

Refreshments and incentives, e.g. discounted books etc., available on the day.

For tickets, email tickets@thewordsmithsforum.org.uk 

Do you want to improve your online presence?

Are you lacking confidence when it comes to social media?

What do you know about SEO?

Attend our essential one-day workshop from the leaders of arts organisation Sundown Arts covering how to promote your business, SEO hints and tips, and a social media masterclass.

The workshop will take place at the Fishermen’s Chapel, New Road, Leigh-on-Sea, SS9 2EA on Saturday 25 October from 10am til 3pm.  It costs just £15.  Lunch & refreshments will be provided. Places are limited so do book well in advance.

Read more about it and book here

M G Boulter and Samantha Whates played at the Chapel on 18 October. Here’s a great review:

Gigs don’t get any more intimate and personal than this. As we arrived at the Fisherman’s Chapel we were greeted with a candle lit path lighting the way up the side of the Chapel to the entrance at the rear. A relaxed atmosphere was imediately evident and the sense of stepping back into a simplier way of life filled our senses with the only one sharp reminder of modern ways momentarily breaking the ambience…… ‘did you pay online?’

The Chapel is a small hall containing numerous reminders of its Fishing heritage which Squeezebox Folk had so skillfully added too resulting in a truly maritime feel. An anchor, rope, sails, lanterns, fairy lights, an oar and bunting all scattered around with wonderful maritime imagery projected onto the high wall behind the main staging area. Every element of the environment ticked all the boxes for the sea and maritime theme the organisers were aiming for.

Read the whole review here.

Event page

“‘There have been quite a few theatrical productions marking the anniversary of the First World War… but perhaps none as accessible and as poignant as this.’ Colchester Gazette”

Jubilant Productions

presents

Merry It Was To Laugh There

An evocation of the First World War through poetry, diaries and music

With Christine Absalom & Tim Freeman

Sunday, October 5, 2014 from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM (BST)

Merry It Was To Laugh There weaves together the poetry of the First World War with images and music to evoke the atmosphere and experiences of the men fighting in the trenches and the women waiting at home. At times moving, at times funny, it is a powerfuland thought-provoking piece of theatre.

Devised by the cast, Merry It Was To Laugh There moves from the early years of the war and the poetry of the poet soldiers such as Wilfred Owen and Seigfried Sassoon to the Armistice and the poetry of the ordinary Tommies and Woodbine Willy writing about their lives in the trenches.

The poems are interspersed with diary entries which are taken from the actual diaries of Captain K C Buchanan who served throughout the war and recorded his experiences in a series of small A5 notebooks. He served gallantly rising through the ranks and ending the war as a General Brigadier He wrote in pencil and inked in the words after the war. His diaries were kindly passed to us by Ken Massow for use in the play and are now with the Imperial War Museum.

Suitable for 14+ years

William Cole and Andy Flannagan playing live at the Chapel.

Monday 13th October at 12.30pm. See flyer for booking info.

Andy Flannagan is a story-teller, weaving hope and pain into songs that soar with beautiful, poignant melodies that betray his Irish roots. His battered Lowden guitar tells the story of fifteen years of acoustic minstrelling – at times mellow, but at times raging against all the things that break a broken world.

With a bowl of tasty curry and opportunity to meet people across a table, this event was an interactive and social occasion with Andy’s songs and stories providing a rich and thought-provoking narrative.

Photos of the evening are available here: Andy Flannagan photos

You can find out more about andy at andyflan.com

If you might be interested in running an event at the chapel you can find out more here.

Midsummer Folk at the Fishermen’s Chapel. Friday 27 June – tickets from leighfolkfestival.com

Cath & Phil Tyler are running a Sacred Harp workshop at the Fishermen’s Chapel on Sunday June 29, from from 11am until 12.30.

The origins of Sacred Harp singing can be traced back to the ‘Country Parish Music’ of 18th century England and the ‘West Gallery’ movement. ‘The Sacred Harp’ was a shape note hymnal published in early 19th century America, and its great popularity started a tradition of vibrant, intense and highly distinctive choral singing across the southern states which continues till this day.

Sacred Harp singers view their tradition as a participatory rather than passive, and this year at the Leigh Folk Festival we are very fortunate to be hosting a free workshop for singers interested in this fascinating and rather overlooked style.

This is to be hosted by Cath Tyler, a native of New Jersey, and an experienced leader of Sacred Harp sessions.

The Fishermen’s Chapel will be a perfect Sunday morning venue for this event, so please come along and help raise the roof!

No experience necessary, and all abilities welcome. No harps please! For more information, contact 01702 715111.

A Sacred Harp video…

On 24th May 2014 Jo and Ray from Sundown Arts are running a workshop at the Chapel. The workshop will help you promote your business online and in the local community. To book your place use the email or phone number in the flyer above.

Various artists, writers and others are using our studio during June.

Audrey Snee is a local publisher, author and journalist who established the imprint estuary publishing in 2011 and has published four titles which have had great local support: Sole Searching, by fisherman Paul Gilson; Festival of the Gargoyles, by historian Robert Hallmann; Ekco Sounds by Chris Poole and Peter C Brown; and The Tokyo Express by Una Rose. She is also the founder of the Southend Writers and Artists Network.

www.estuarypublishing.co.uk
Twitter @estuarybooks
https://www.facebook.com/groups/SouthendWritersandArtistsNetwork/

[Download flyer as a pdf: Free desk in June]