Hope you enjoyed the crazy heat last week, honestly thought no one would turn up to the drop-in sessions being inside n all, but actually, it was that type of heat where you just appreciated a cool / chilled space, which worked out pretty well for me having the sessions between 12-3pm / 3-5pm (The sun being the hottest between 11-3pm usually) attracting some committed folk who enjoyed their time getting proper creative, as I did. Thankyou to Brian (Unity Junction, Sutton) & Timeout Youth Project, Caroline (West Norwood Library), Sarah & Kelly (Whyteleafe Park Pavilion Cafe, Warlingham) for accommodating the spaces & just being cool to work with – and of course to all the youth & parents I had the pleasure of connecting with *No phones in sight

Roll on a creative outdoorsy summer!

P

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I was recently invited to attend the listening session in The Showroom’s ‘Sounds of Resistance’ series curated by the lovely Attia Shiraz, featuring Analog Armenia & Syrian Cassette Archives, with a sick DJ set by SAISOUNDS – can confirm it was a VIBE!

‘Sounds of Resistance’ is an event series in which music archivists and DJs take part in communal listening sessions to share cultural memories through sound and visual projections of their chosen music & contexts of music resistance.

Happy to add, a digital copy of the sketch is now part of the The Showroom archive

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Abit last minute, but thought I’d roll out some free creative sessions for youth across 3 sites this half-term South of the river, aka my local local Endz…

For ages: 10+

Materials: Provided

Cost: Free

Booking: Just drop in

Vibes: Flexi

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26th May

West Norwood Library, London SE27 9JX

12-3PM

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27th May

Unity Junction, St Nicholas Shopping Centre, Sutton

3-5pm

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28th May

Whyteleafe Park Pavilion Cafe, Warlingham

12-3pm

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*Feel free to spread the word

P

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It’s been a minute since I visited Sutton, and if I’m honest, didn’t really have a reason to since spending most of my time delivering work in more central parts of London. But, it was good to stay South and re-connect with an area which used to be quite a spot for going out & clubbing it up back in the day, wayyyy back! It was them endz with it’s own vibe and remember this one spot, forgot the name, think it was a church / community centre venue or something, where all the swagged out folk would go in, then wait for this wall of draped cloth to open up into a full on dance floor & everyone would vibe it out to old skool garage music, proper random…them Ben Sherman shirts & Patrick Cox shoe wearing days, legendary times!

Back to 2026, and I visit St Nicholas Shopping Centre after tiiiiiime, how things have changed as you expect they would, new spots, fresh vibes. I find the Unity Junction space, run by the Duffus Community Foundation (a family run charity setup by Leroy Duffus, who had a passion for supporting people, and who after being diagnosed with cancer, was keen to give back to others & so setup the charity). I meet with Brian Duffus, brother of Leroy, who runs the space and charity to continue the legacy of his brother. I instantly connect with the warmth and community spirit oozing out of Brian in the space he’s managed & shaped over 2 years being there, complete with the familiar youth club setup which took me back my old skool youth club days – ping pong, footie table, stacks of games and tables & chairs scattered about in orderly fashion. I admired the framed artworks & positive imagery decked out across the walls, highlighting a well considered approach to providing a nurturing space for the local youth & it’s community. It was my kinda vibe, I felt, and something which is needed, as I witnessed the youth enter the space and leave in their own good time, connecting with Brian and the activities in between. 

I had no expectations on my side delivering the Graf & Chat drop-in session, so was happy to connect with those that stayed & took part in the time that I was there, leaving room for individuals to simply vibe the activity and share whatever they felt to share – was just nice connecting with new folk in new (but old) Endz for me. 

Big up Brian for accommodating the session & for wearing the same Carhartt sweat top as me (super random, ha!), Kate (Sutton Council) & Danny (Sloff) for connecting us, and of course the local youth that took part in the session, until next time…

P

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I’ve lost count of how many schools I’ve ran workshops at over the years including SEN schools, but can safely say, being invited to share my work & run something with the students at Oak Lodge School, an SEN school for 10-19yr olds who are D/deaf and/or who have speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), was a humbling and rewarding experience. It was mainly thanks to veteran arts teacher Izzie, who’s been at the school for around 26 years, establishing some real grass root connections with the students and staff over the years, who invited me following a chance meeting once or twice at my pop-up events in the past & connected with my work with great enthusiasm & interest, something which naturally oozes out of her when in person or teaching mode, I found. This very passion, you could say, is the building block to great ‘human’ teaching, especially in challenging environments, where often patience and belief in Self are constantly tested & pushed. Yet this ship only sails forward with a great team of Staff, working together to better understand the needs of those on board – adopting a bespoke, educational approach tailored to the unique needs of each student. Of all the staff I met on the day, including fellow art teacher Darryl, I was humbled each time by the calmness and willingness to connect with each student on a human level, and of course, I was blown away by the students, each with unique qualities and exceptional creative approaches to creating their artworks. We explored portraits & paper collaging with a dollop of graffiti inspired type, which seemed to go down pretty well – it was FUN!

You meet a lot of people on this journey of Life, and seeing the likes of Izzie, Darryl & staff at Oak Lodge do what they do for their students, gives me hope that there are indeed great teachers out there who genuinely care & aim to do their utmost for their students, going above & beyond the basic text book stuff, really tapping into nurturing the human potential in a human way, in a bespoke way…we are all connected & we are all unique, so let’s celebrate that

P

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