from peter sanders | Comment (0) | Jun 7, 2010

Hello Everyone!

Sorry not to have been in touch recently but I've been waiting to hear from Portico about our next workshop dates and so far I haven't had a reply.
However, Madeleine would like to run two separate workshops (one for each school as it makes it easier for her to support everyone if they are in smaller groups) and we are aiming for Monday 14th and Tuesday 15th June from 4 til 6 (or thereabouts). If it suits everyone we would do Lauriston on Monday and Jubilee on Tuesday. Of course, if you are unable to make it on your school's allocated day you could always attend the other one, that's not a problem.

Hope everyone had a great break in the lovely weather and managed to snap a few crackers in the process.

I'll let you know the definite dates of workshops as soon as I have confirmation.

from peter sanders | Comment (0) | Apr 20, 2010

Is anybody back in the coury and can anybody help?!

I've just realised that a lot of you are probably sunning yourselves under that unpronounceable ash cloud, but am I right in thinking the quilting workshop is on 29th April at Jubilee School? I think I am but would appreciate confirmation.

from peter sanders | Comment (1) | Apr 18, 2010

I hope you've all had a wonderful Easter. Mine was mixed, first half behaving like a 10 year old mountain biking on The South Downs, the second spent recovering from an operation (the two were not related). This, coupled with my daughter having my camera in Argentina means I've been rubbish with photos. I do hope everyone else is getting together a good collection for our forthcoming exhibition.

I think I'm too much of a coward to be a good photographer anyway. I daren't get close enough to get the really powerful images that some of you seem to manage. There were so many opportunities for great shots when I went into The Homerton but it would have been terribly intrusive and my mind was rather on other things. It did make me think a lot though about how clever good photography is.
I can't remember if I blogged following the V&A trip but I loved it and saw such potential in these kind of visits whether they form part of ABC or not. It's so valuable just having some shared experiences. Our quilting workshop with Jenny is on 29th I think and we'll all need our bits of cloth to add to the main piece (am I right in thinking it has to be 14cm square?).
Lokking forward to seeing you all very soon and getting on with the next stage of the project.

from peter sanders | Comment (1) | Mar 15, 2010

This blog is getting more and more fun to read and comment on by the minute! Excellent.

from peter sanders | Comment (0) | Mar 8, 2010

Thanks so much to Madeleine for leading us from ignorance to enlightenment with photoshop (my ignorance, anyway). It was really good to see so many wonderful photos appearing from the group's cameras. Obviously lots of action over half term in the markets and elsewhere. I think the cameras have been and will continue to be a great asset to the whole project and I'm looking forward to the exhibition we'll have of all your work in the summer term (as long as Nile doesn't include his photoshopped image of me in it!).

If you couldn't make it to the workshop but have a full SD (memory) card you can give it to Nick or me and Madeleine will download your pics to free up space on your cameras so you can carry on snapping.

Just a reminder that the next photo workshop is on Monday 22nd and Madeleine thinks it would be good to have it in the same place (portico) as the facilities are so good.

from peter sanders | Comment (0) | Mar 2, 2010

I've just read Maggie's blog and it makes me think the whole ABC project is worth it! I hope you don't mind, Maggie but Nick and I are speaking at a conference in Birmingham tomorrow, telling people about the project and I'll definitely quote you.

This blog is such an important way of airing our opinions that I think we should all be visiting it more often (I too am a culprit) because it is a true and powerful record of what we have done and how people are feeling (both children and parents)/

Just a reminder, we have booked Portico for the Photo session with Madeleine on 8th March. Please could all Lauriston parents meet me at school at 3pm so we can go up (to Clapton together on the bus).

from peter sanders | Comment (1) | Feb 28, 2010

I've missed blogging for a while and it's lovely to get back onto the site and read of so much activity. Maggie, Olivia, Dunni and Lola seem to be becoming real experts with the cameras and I'm really impressed with Aoife and Muireann's uploaded pictures (got a spare hour to remind me how to do it Aoife?!). And Eelyn, how d'you manage to take such a beautiful pic on a phone?

I absolutely loved our visit to the theatre on Friday for a whole range of reasons. Firstly, I think these joint schools/parents and children together type occasions are very rare and very valuable occasions. They are always relaxed but have a sense of doing something enjoyable and purposeful together. No one is 'in charge' so we get a chance to talk freely and to get to know more about eachother in a way that is so positive for the future.

Nick's workshop had prepared everyone very well for the tangled web that makes the storyline of Twelfth Night, I'm just sorry that the tangled web of buses in Mare Street prevented us from getting to the workshop on Monday and we had to make do with animated tales on Youtube.
Once at The Cottesloe, it was great to see everybody enjoying the play as much as they did. Especially the adults. I think some of the children looked a little sleepy about half way through but they perked up immensly towards the end and had an impressive grasp of what the play was about and lots of opinions about it.

I hope you write a blog about what you were telling me on the way back to school, Maggie because everyone should hear what you have to say. I won't steal your thunder by writing anything myself.

i'd also like to know how any of you children got on with the writers after the play. I spoke to them afterwards and they were all very grateful for your thoughts and suggestions.

I think everyone knows but just to remind you, the next Photography Workshop will be on Monday 8th March and will probably take place at Portico rather than Lauriston. I'll send out definite details next week.

from peter sanders | Comment (0) | Feb 12, 2010

Wow! Breda and Jordan there's no stopping you two is there? Can't wait to see the photo project on dinners you cook and eat. In fact it was great reading all the entries tonight to see what everyone is aiming to do - faces in mirrors, Muirrean - sounds great. And as for Rhea's shopping trip down Oxford Street.... I can't think of anything worse but I'm sure you and your mum and cousin will have a ball. And Marcia and Dwaun, the pics of Ridley Road should be good too.

Thanks, everyone for turning up tonight, and thanks Eelyn, Nic and Madeleine for the usual brilliant input.

from peter sanders | Comment (0) | Feb 8, 2010

Madeleine, you're a star! Thank you for your guidance around the NPG. It was great to see the Taylor Wessing Prize exhibition - such a range of pictures but as someone said, there was a tendency for them to be a bit dismal.

I don't know what anyone else chose as their favourite pic but for me it was the poor man with chickenpox. It was such an ordinary subject but the photographer seemed to show himself very exposed and vulnerable. It said so much more than just a spotty man but they were all great and I look forward to seeing what we can come up with.

from peter sanders | Comment (0) | Feb 6, 2010

unless it's me behind the lens......