Pick Your Own: Thursday 18 June

Dear Friends

Every time Theatre Centre come to Norden Farm they blow us away. Their typically inventive approach to theatre sees the launch of a new project: ImagiNation. They’ve commissioned 19 of the UK’s most exciting writers to create a collection of stories for the nation, exploring humanity and the unprecedented circumstances we are currently living in.    

Now it’s over to you to perform and record them - the whole piece or just a fragment, whatever you’re feeling… the best will get edited together for the ImagiNation Festival; an online festival of these stories told by the nation. Find out more here.

Murray Lachlan Young, the first poet to sign a £1m record deal, and (more importantly) to play both the Studio and the Courtyard Theatre at The Farm – releases another banger with Paul Hartnoll (Orbital) ‘I’m Going Shopping’ to celebrate the UK’s return to normal shopping activities. Very funny and funky... all proceeds donated to NHS Charities Together.

My great grandma Lashka, fled to this country, escaping persecution and speaking no English, with tiny children in tow, eventually setting up shop in Brick Lane. The resilience and creativity of refugees is truly an amazing thing. This week celebrate the contribution refugees make in refugee week. #RefugeeWeek2020. Events include the refugee stand up night with No Direction Home, performing on Sunday 21 June with Nish Kumar.

To align with refugee week, here’s something different for your daily walk. Get your headphones on for A Journey of a Home an audio piece from Two Destination Language about home, migration and the nature of travel.

Get your glitter on for a fabulous disco dance lesson at 12.30pm on Saturday with our gorgeous galpals at Haven’t Stopped Dancing Yet. They also do private parties if you’re planning a Zoom special birthday celebration. Get in touch here.

Forest Bathing or shinrin-yoku is a thing. Seriously don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. Getting out in the woods and connecting with nature has all sorts of well-being benefits and there are so many gorgeous forest walks near Maidenhead, you lucky people. While you’re out there under the trees, why not record the sounds of the forest so you can take part in a new arts project from Timber Festival to create the first forest soundmap of the world.

The legendary Comedy Store rose to the online challenge super swiftly and has continued to programme a stellar line up. This Friday features the very funny Daliso Chaponda who we’ve been trying to get to The Farm for aggges and Farm fave Alun Cochrane as MC.

Jane Corry x

Chief Executive and Artistic Director