Hello everyone, welcome to the weekly bulletin

9 November 2012
Contents
Green Gown Award for WACC new
Council news
Core Brief is now online new
Spotlight on Equality, Safety
and Wellbeing new
Protecting Information eLearning Modules new
Book early for Interpreting,
Translation and Transcription
(ITT) new
New web site for the Health
and Safety team new
Request from Central Post
Room new
Furniture items wanted new
Libraries‘ magazine survey
Social workers, it‘s time to
renew
December 2012 issue of
Annual Travel Cards
Staff jog
Training
Latest course news from Learning and Development updated
Workforce Development Adult Services Learning and
Development Opportunities
Adult and Youth Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Courses
Leadership and management training courses
Core Skills Development courses
Children and Young People‘s Workforce Training Plan 2012/13
Walsall Domestic Violence Forum Training
Walsall Safeguarding Children Board training
eLearning x@ eCentral x
Introduction to agile working
Equality and diversity health checker for employees
Blackberry basics
eLearning workshops in the Acorn training room new
Staff discounts
View the latest staff discounts
Smarter Workplaces
news
Important Health & Safety
notice for all employees and
visitors within the Civic
Centre new
Toilets – access update
More Smarter Workplaces
news new
Health and wellbeing
news
Stress Awareness session
new
Be a flu fighter
BBC reveals Brits are bad at
washing their hands
Nurses Corner updated
WACC news
Events
‗No More‘ to gun and knife crime – this Saturday
Movember – we need you – Update
Sparkle into a Bloxwich Christmas new
Wear purple for Priya in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust
Walsall Music Festival
Volunteers wanted for Santa on his Sleigh visits new
Events and exhibitions at Walsall Museum
Forthcoming Events at Forest Arts Centre
Organ Recital at Walsall Town Hall
Forest Arts Centre – conferencing facilities
Events at Darlaston Town Hall
Walsall Local History Centre Events
Bloxwich Bookmark Theatre Autumn and Winter Events
Exhibitions and events at the New Art Gallery updated
What‘s on Walsall WOW
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Council News
Core Brief is now online
To read the latest messages from Core Brief, use this link: Chief
Executive's core brief
Back to contents
Spotlight on Equality, Safety and Wellbeing
The latest edition of Spotlight on Equality, Safety and Wellbeing in Walsall Council is now
available to read here: ESW spotlight Oct-Nov 2012.pdf
Back to contents
Protecting Information E-Learning Modules
Following the roll out of the council‘s E-Learning Portal, staff are reminded that it
contains a range of modules and courses that staff can complete as part of their
ongoing development. The portal enables people to learn at their own pace, and at a
time that suits them. Some of these courses are mandatory.
The completion of Protecting Information Level 1 is a mandatory requirement for all staff and
elected members. Some staff will also be required to complete Level 2 of the training.
Whilst this training has been accessible to all staff since July, a number of key services across the
council have been specifically required to complete this training by the end of November. These
services (CYP, SCI, Revenues, Benefits, Housing Services, and HRD) have been highlighted as
part of the council‘s ongoing risk based approach to Information Governance. To date only a very
limited number of staff have complied.
Walsall Council takes its responsibilities regarding the safe, effective and appropriate use of data
very seriously and therefore it is important that you understand your roles and responsibilities in
this regard. Please ensure that you complete Level 1 of the training as a matter of urgency.
Staff identified to complete Level 2 will be notified directly. This training must be completed
by the end of December 2012.
Managers are required to ensure that support mechanisms are put in place to enable all staff time
to complete this task at the earliest opportunity.
The council‟s Senior Information Risk Owner will be receiving regular reports on the
numbers of staff who have completed the training within each directorate with a particular
focus on the service areas highlighted above. A final report will be given to Corporate
Management Team at the end of December.
Access to the learning and development environment
From the internet - Type in the address bar https://walsall.learningpool.com
From the intranet ‗Inside Walsall‘ – Click on the View Our Courses ‗Learning and Development @
e –Central ‗ button then follow 3 simple steps;
1. Username: your employee number
2. Password: welcome
3. Follow instructions on screen to change password to something memorable and secure.
The Protecting Information modules can be found under the heading „Induction‟.
Please click on the link below if you require any help with navigating around the learning
environment:
Please click here for guidance notes before you use the site
If you have any questions about how to use this site please email support@learningpool.com or
call 0845 543 6033. Any other queries please contact the Information Management team at
informationmanagement@walsall.gov.uk or visit their pages on the intranet
http://inside.walsall.gov.uk/grid.htm
Back to contents
Book early for Interpreting, Translation and Transcription (ITT)
To get the best service from our ITT providers please book the services as early as possible. It
takes time to find an ITT worker, especially if it is for a rare language.
Spoken languages
Minimum 24 hours notice needed
Translation
Correspondence - minimum 2 working days notice
Public information - minimum 5 working days notice
British Sign Language / English and Language Service Professionals
Minimum of 5 working days notice needed.
Transcription
Minimum 3 working days notice
Information about ITT is at:
http://inside.walsall.gov.uk/interpreting_translation_and_transcription_itt.htm
Back to contents
New website for Health and Safety team
The Health and Safety team has recently revamped and updated its website. The site now
provides more information and guidance around health and safety matters and detailed data about
the people, structure and role of health and safety within the council.
The team hopes that you will take the time to view the new website and welcomes any feedback
or suggestions which will help the Team to further improve the site.
http://inside.walsall.gov.uk/index/human_resources/employee_wellbeing_and_health_and_safety.
htm
For further information, please contact the Health and Safety Team on (01922) 655793.
Back to contents
Request from Central Post Room
Royal Mail have requested that we provide them with information on our forecasted volumes of
mail over the coming weeks from Monday 12 November 2012 leading up to Christmas.
This applies to both franked and PPI Mail.
Please could you contact the Central Post Room if your team or service will be sending out
significant additional volumes of mail over and above your normal day to day volumes or any
planned bulk mailings between 12 November and 21 December 2012.
Contact us
Central Post Room
Zone 1C & D Civic Centre
Telephone: 01922 654530
Back to contents
Furniture items wanted
The Town Centre Management Team has recently taken over a retail unit in the Saddlers Centre
and we need your help.
If anyone has any excess furniture such as tables and chairs or the pin board style room dividers
that we can either have to keep or loaned on a semi permanent basis, we are interested!
We are desperate to secure some stock furniture so users have a choice of what they want when
using the unit, especially tables and chairs.
Happy to collect and they will be stored safely in our unit.
Let us know what you have; it would be a massive help in kitting out the unit for its variety of uses.
Contact Jon Burnett on extension 4323 or email him at Burnettjon@walsall.gov.uk.
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Libraries‟ magazine survey
Don't forget to message us on Facebook, DM us on Twitter (@WalsallLibrary) or pop in to your
local library (find your nearest one here: http://goo.gl/TC7cE) to let us know your views on the
magazines and newspapers we stock in our libraries! Our magazine survey runs until the end of
November.
Last year's survey resulted in us getting several new titles, including The Cricketer, When
Saturday Comes (a football magazine), the weekend edition of Le Monde newspaper and
Woman's Weekly – so your feedback really does make a difference!
Have your say today!
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Social workers, it's time to renew
Social workers, remember that the deadline for renewing your HCPC registration is 6.00pm on
Friday 30 November 2012.
You can renew your registration by visiting www.hcpc-uk.org and clicking
on ―My account‖ using the authentication and activation codes sent to you
at the beginning of September.
Further information can be found at www.hcpc-uk.org or by calling the
HCPC Registration Department on 0845 300 4472 or email them at
registration@hcpc-uk.org
Once your have received confirmation of your renewal please forward
details of your HCPC registration number and expiry date to
HRCRBTeam@walsall.gov.uk in order that HR records may be updated.
If you do not do this it may lead to your manager or Director being
informed that you have not renewed your registration.
Back to contents
December 2012 issue of Annual travel cards
Employees who currently hold a council issued Annual Travel Card, which is due to expire in
December 2012, should have now received a renewal application form with a covering letter which
notifies them of their issue date either by post or electronically.
New applicants must have submitted their application form to the HR Information & Pension
Management team no later than 4.45pm on Wednesday 28 November 2012. The information/
price lists/ types of Travel Cards/ Terms & Conditions and all relevant applications can be found
on Human Resources/Employee Benefits on the Intranet.
Employees who do not hold Cotags must ensure that they bring the covering letter with them when
collecting their Annual Travel card to allow them access to the 3 rd floor, HR Welcome Point.
The issue date/information is as follows:
Wednesday 5 December 2012 in Human Resources (Civic Centre) between 12.00 pm – 2.00pm
for non-Cotag employees. Please come to the First Stop shop in the Civic Centre and bring your
letter with you to ensure access to the 3rd floor.
Wednesday 5 December 2012 in Human Resources (Civic Centre) between 2.00 pm – 4.45pm for
all employees who hold a Cotag.
We understand that your letter and application may state different dates however we have tried to
contact you all individually to advise that the dates have changed. This is due the December issue
being brought forward.
Please also ensure that for any service area travel cards you need to bring the travel log
completed for the previous issue with you. If you do not provide a business log to advise of your
journeys you will be taxed on your travel pass
If you have any problems please do not hesitate to contact Zoe Heath or Kristy Rollins on the HR
Information & Pensions Management team on 01922 655699 / 655695.
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Staff Jog
A lunchtime jogging/walking session now takes place every Friday.
Meeting outside the Civic Centre entrance at 12:15 for a 12:30 start.
The session will last between 30 -45 minutes. People can use the
changing facilities at the Gala Baths before the session and again
after the session for a shower. The session is free of charge.
All sessions are led by trained jog leaders. Anyone who is new to
jogging, or has not run for a long time, can be guided through a series
of gentle walking and jogging programmes led by a qualified Jog
Walsall leader. The jog leader will ask you to complete a health questionnaire and a register. The
health questionnaire will then highlight any medical conditions that may be affected during the jog
that the leader needs to be aware of.
For further information please contact Stuart Terry or Richard Upton on 01922 658080
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Smarter Workplaces News
Important Health & Safety notice for all employees and visitors within the
Civic Centre
For the safety of all contractors and council employees, no council employee should attempt to
access any construction areas within the Civic Centre without approval.
There have been a number of breaches over the past weeks that are putting the safety of
employees at risk. All approved visitors into the construction site must sign in with the site
manager.
Any employee found within the construction area without permission will be reported to their Head
of Service and disciplinary action may be taken.
Back to contents
Toilets – access update
Please be aware of the following changes to toilet access during upgrades to the toilets within the
Civic Centre:
Core 1 toilets are now available for use on 1st and 3rd floors only.
Core 3 toilets (1st and 3rd floors) will be unavailable for use from 7 – 23 November 2012
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
Back to contents
More Smarter Workplaces news
Read more about the Smarter Workplaces programme in the latest edition of Core Brief: Chief
Executive's core brief
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Health and wellbeing news
Stress Awareness session
As part of the work being done around National Stress Awareness Day, another event is to take
place next week.
Workshop around Healthy Eating/Exercise and the links with stress:
Tuesday 13 November 2012 – 2pm to 4pm at the Allens Centre meeting room
For more information please contact Sharon Middleton on 01922 658431 or
middletonsharon@walsall.gov.uk.
Back to contents
Be a flu fighter
Flu kills
For the majority of people who catch it flu is unpleasant, but for some it can lead
to chest infections, severe complications and death. Globally, seasonal flu
accounts for about three to five million causes of severe illness annually and
between 250,000 and 500,000 deaths.
The vaccine is one of the safest in the world
Seasonal flu vaccine is given to millions of people in the UK each year. The specific strains of flu
that are included may change from one year to the next but vaccines are still thoroughly tested
and are safe.
The flu jab can‟t give you the flu
It is impossible to get flu from the having the flu jab because the vaccine doesn‘t contain live
viruses. A very small number of people experience side effects such as aching muscles, but this
is simply the immune system responding to the vaccine.
The side effects of the vaccination aren‟t bad
For the most part, seasonal flu vaccine side effects are mild or often non-existent. The most
common side effect is soreness around the site of the injection and occasionally aching muscles.
These symptoms are a lot less serious than having flu.
Pregnant women can be vaccinated
Pregnant women can have the flu vaccination at any stage of their pregnancy. Having the
vaccination when pregnant is beneficial and helps protect the baby from flu over the first few
months of life.
Healthy diets won‟t prevent flu
Your diet could well be helping to boost your immune system, but eating well will not protect you
from flu. The best way to protect yourself, family and patients against flu is by getting the flu jab.
Handwashing is very important
Up to half of all men and a quarter of women fail to wash their
hands after they‘ve been to the toilet
We have between 2 and 10 million bacteria between fingertip
and elbow
The number of germs on your fingertips doubles after you use
the toilet
Germs can stay alive on hands for up to three hours
Wash your hands before you...
Prepare or eat food
Treat a cut or a wound
Visit a hospital ward (remember alcohol-based hand wash is also provided)
Wash your hands after you...
Use the bathroom
Handle uncooked foods, particularly raw meat, poultry or fish
Blow your nose, cough or sneeze
Touch animals or animal waste
Take out the/handle rubbish
Change a nappy
Work/play in the garden
Touch a sick or injured person
Visit a hospital ward (remember alcohol-based hand rubs are also provided)
How to wash your hands
Wet hands with water
Apply enough soap and hand wash to cover all hand surfaces
Rub hands palm to palm
Right palm over the other hand with interlaced fingers and vice versa
Palm to palm with fingers interlaced
Backs of fingers to opposing palms with fingers interlocked
Rotational rubbing of left thumb clasped in right palm and vice versa
Rotational rubbing, backwards and forwards with clasped fingers of right hand in left palm
and vice versa
Rinse hands with water
Dry thoroughly with towel
Duration of procedure: at least 15 seconds
Anyone can get the flu
One of the most common reasons for not getting vaccinated is ―I‘ve never had flu
before‖. There‘s no such thing as natural immunity to influenza; with new strains
circulating this year, it‘s best to get vaccinated against flu.
Are you at risk?
If you have any of the conditions listed below, you can get your flu vaccination at the ILC too
instead of booking an appointment with your GP:
Chronic chest problems (chronic lung disease)
Chronic heart disease
Chronic kidney disease
Chronic liver disease
Problems with the spleen (dysfunction of spleen or no spleen)
Diabetes
Immunosuppression
Chronic neurological disease (e.g. stroke)
Pregnant women
Contact us
Sarah Potter
Health & Wellbeing Advisor
Human Resources
Telephone: 01922 65 4546
Email: pottersarah@walsall.gov.uk
Back to contents
BBC reveals that Brits are bad at washing their hands
Following occupational health‘s promotion of the
importance of handwashing in the Weekly Bulletin above,
the BBC published an article this week that re-enforces
the need for good hygiene.
The statistics are alarming.
You can read the article with this link:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19834975
Back to contents
Nurses Corner
1) Topic of the week: Atrial Fibrillation
2) Sickness absence reporting – advice for managers
1) Topic of the week: Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is an irregular heart rhythm usually very common in over 50s. It is the most
common arrhythmia.
Treatment is to control their rate first…. and quite often they are considered for cardioversion
(where heart is shocked back into a normal rhythm). If unsuccessful they are controlled on tablets
and in some cases ablation is an option to cut fibres and may stop fast rhythm occurring.
Most atrial fibrillation can lead and have strong links to strokes if undiagnosed and for that reason
they are put or should be on anticoagulation therapy aspirin or warfarin.
Most people can have atrial fibrillation without knowing - an easy detection is to take your pulse
and note if it is irregular, this may be an indication.
Symptoms can develop quickly.
Palpitations - you maybe aware of your heart beating in a fast /irregular manner.
Dizziness
Chest Tightness
Breathlessness is quite often first symptom.
A simple way is for an Electrocardiogram (ECG) to confirm presence of atrial fibrillation or if still
unclear putting 24 hour tape attached to your body to monitor heart beat which may help in
catching rhythm disturbance.
Some causes of atrial fibrillation are high blood pressure or people with valve problems or
cardiomyopathy. Certain conditions can trigger atrial fibrillation like overactive thyroid gland.
Excess alcohol or caffeine/cola can also exacerbate rhythm.
Further help and advice contacts
British Heart Foundation
Greater London House, 180 Hampstead Road, London, NW1 7AW. Telephone: (Heart Help Line):
0300 330 3311. Web: www.bhf.org.uk
Atrial Fibrillation Association
PO Box 1219, Chew Magna, Bristol BS40 8WB
Telephone: 01789 451837. Web: www.afa.org.uk
This is an international charity which provides information, support and access to established, new
or innovative treatments for atrial fibrillation.
Back to Nurses Corner
2) Sickness absence reporting – advice for managers
Nurses Linda and Karen have identified a couple of areas for improvement and would like to ask
all managers to help with improving communications.
When employees make contact with them regarding absence can they enforce the policy and
state that employees MUST make contact with the nurses and keep them updated. It appears that
some employees just assume that they have fulfilled their obligations by contacting their
departments; this then creates avoidable time and money wasting exercises for the nurses and
managers alike.
Let‘s work together on this by cutting down on avoidable emails and telephone calls. Once again
the nurses would like to re-iterate they are approachable and can be contacted on extension 5524
or 5523.
The Sickness Absence Reporting centre will operate 24 hours a day Employees wishing to report
an absence due to sickness should call 01922 65 44 44 and not their workplace
View the sickness reporting centre page
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WACC News
Green Gown Award for WACC
WACC has received further recognition for its outstanding work in sustainability by clinching a
Green Gown Award at a prestigious, black-tie event at The Great Hall, University of Birmingham
on Monday evening.
The Green Gown Awards – now in their 8th year - are organised by the Environmental Association
for Universities and Colleges, bringing together leaders and thinkers of national and international
organisations within the field of higher and further education.
WACC had been nominated in the College & Small Institutions category alongside fellow finalists
Edinburgh College, Circus Space and Derbyshire Adult Education Service.
The event was attended by over 260 guests and the college's accolade was collected by College
Principal, Maria Gilling and Director for Quality and Performance, Sheila Minchin, as seen here.
To view the full list of winners visit http://www.eauc.org.uk/green_gown_awards_2012_winners
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Training
Latest course news from Learning and Development
We have availability on the following training courses (please click on the links for further
information):
Accident Reporting, Recording and Investigation
Customer Care
Equality and Diversity
Stress Awareness for Managers
Back to contents
Workforce Development Adult Services Learning and Development
Opportunities
Please visit the adult services workforce development website to see details of updated learning
opportunities and the Latest News.
http://www.walsallsocialcareworkforce.co.uk/training/?month=8&year=2012 to
The website will be continuously updated as new opportunities become available via the workforce
development team. For any further information please contact a member of the adult services
workforce development team on 01922 655541, email WorkforceDevelopment@walsall.gov.uk or
view the range of information on www.walsallsocialcareworkforce.co.uk
Back to contents
Adult and Youth Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Courses
Develop your awareness of mental health and how to support people in the first instance, how
stigma and discrimination contributes, and how you can help tackle it.
Training courses are running from June till December 2012 and cost £20 per person for the MHFA
manual and external certification to staff from Walsall based organisations, schools and residents.
The courses are free to mental health service users and carers.
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is the help given to someone experiencing a mental health
problem before professional help is obtained. The course will be valuable for non-mental health or
social care professionals, carers and service users who want to learn more about mental health.
MHFA does not teach people to be therapists. However, it does teach people how to recognise the
symptoms of mental health problems, how to provide initial help and how to guide a person
towards appropriate professional help. Participants will be provided with a MHFA handbook and a
Certificate will be sent from the national office. To read more details about the Adult MHFA
courses use this link:
http://cms.walsall.gov.uk/adult_mental_health_first_aid_flyer_may_to_dec_2012.doc
Youth MHFA is a course with the same outcomes, specifically designed for people who work, live
with, or care for, young people aged 11-18.
To find out more about the Youth MHFA courses use this link:
http://cms.walsall.gov.uk/youth_mental_health_first_aid_2012_poster.doc
To book a place on the courses above, please contact Lifestyle Link on 01922 444044.
Please check on the cost of the places before you book.
Back to contents
View the Leadership and management training courses
Back to contents
View the Core Skills Development courses
Back to contents
Children and Young People‟s Workforce Training Plan 2012/13
Please visit the children‘s workforce website www.walsallchildrensworkforce.co.uk to see details
of courses available for this coming year; April 2012-March 2013
The programme this year will be a continuous rolling programme with courses being added
throughout the year
The website will provide all of the relevant information i.e. Contacts, course content, dates,
booking information throughout the year along with continuous communication from the workforce
development team
A flyer is currently being produced that will be distributed across the directorate to provide further
information about what work and support the workforce development team can provide
For any further information please contact a member of the children‘s workforce development
team on 01922 650715
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Walsall Domestic Violence Forum training
Walsall Domestic Violence Forum training programme now has CPD certification so is more
beneficial to professionals than ever before.
Current modules include:
1. Domestic Abuse Awareness
2. Domestic Abuse / Safeguarding Children
3. Supporting Victims
4. Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults
5. Working with Men
6. Risk Assessment in Domestic Abuse
7. Domestic Abuse and the Workplace
Each module is delivered in one day and fees start at only £40 per delegate. For further
information please visit: www.wdvf.co.uk
Back to contents
Walsall Safeguarding Children Board training 2012/13
Please take a look at the following link, which will take you to the new WSCB training programme
for September 2012 – September 2013: http://www.wlscb.org.uk/wscbtraining
We will deliver a wide variety of safeguarding children courses over the next academic year. We
have introduced a new course, the advanced child protection refresher, which will enable
professionals to complete a half day refresher course.
Details of how to book onto the courses are contained in the training programme.
Please follow the link to view or book on courses:
http://www.wlscb.org.uk/wscbindex/wscbtraining.htm
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eLearning @eCentral
Introduction to Agile Working
Course description:
The drive for efficiency and cost saving can be achieved by finding new ways of doing things and
being more flexible in the way we work. This module will help you to deal with the changes being
introduced within the council and will help make the transition to agile ways of working easier for
all.
Audience:
All staff
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Equality and Diversity Health Checker for Employees
Course description:
This module can be used to identify your level of understanding about Equality and Diversity. You
may have been asked to do this health check or have decided to do it because;
You already have some knowledge on Equality and Diversity and are unsure if you need to have
training
You are new to Walsall Council and are unsure of how Equality and Diversity works within this
Council
You or your manager would like to check how your knowledge is on this subject
It has been a while since you last did anything on Equality and Diversity and want to check if you
need an update
Audience:
All staff
Back to contents
Blackberry Basics
Course description:
This course has been designed to teach you the essential information you need to know in order
to competently use your Blackberry device.
Objectives;
By the end of this course, you will have learnt how to;
Set up your Blackberry
Set passwords, lock and unlock your device
Enter, and change the device passwords
Make telephone calls
Use the address book
Send and receive emails
Use and synchronise the calendar
Use other device features / applications
Audience:
Blackberry users
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eLearning workshops in the Acorn training room
The Learning & Organisational Development team have a number of elearning workshops for any
council staff or elected members to book onto.
The aim of the workshops is to provide staff with a suitable learning environment where they can
complete elearning modules at their own pace. A member of the team will be available at the
workshops to help and support staff with the use of the computers and the elearning environment
itself. Therefore if you do not use a computer within your job or you have never completed
elearning before and would like support in accessing eCentral (the Council‘s elearning
environment) then book a place at one of the workshops below.
Dates available to book your computer:
Date:
Support available between the following
times:
Thursday 22 November 2012
Wednesday 5 December 2012
Tuesday 11 December 2012
09:30 – 12:30
09:30 – 12:30
09:30 – 12:30
If you wish to book a place, please email HRCourseBookings@walsall.gov.uk or telephone the
team on 01922 655760.
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Staff Discounts
Disclaimer: The council does not endorse, guarantee or assume responsibility for any product or
service advertised or offered. Staff should check with the supplier that the discount stated here is
still available before they agree to purchase the product or service. The council is not a party to
any transaction.
Latest offers
10% off Mr Muscle Supplements
10% off Coffee Comforts
Latest offers from Kaarp are now available to view with this link:
http://s5.newzapp.co.uk/gtp.aspx?LID=OSwzMjEzNjM4MTgsMw==
To view all the latest staff discounts, use this link: Staff discounts
If you do not have access to Inside Walsall use the external link: Staff discounts external link
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Events
“No More” to gun and knife crime
A Christian performing arts group called the Young Soldierz and the Glory of the Cross Ministry in
Edmonton, north London, are ensuring that the murders of young people whose lives have been
cut short by mindless killings, throughout the UK are not forgotten. As part of this campaign the
Young Soldierz will be by staging “NO More”, a one-day anti-knife and gun event aimed at
promoting peace. The event is planned for Saturday 10th November 2012 from 2:30pm at the
prestigious Pelsall Methodist Church, WS3 4LN,
Invited guests at this community event will include local councillor for the Pelsall ward Councillor
Garry Perry. The Young Soldierz are a performing arts group of role models and peer mentors
with a clear message for the youth "say no to knives, guns and drugs!". Their work to date has
been extremely successful and has been positively supported by local communities, schools and
the police. So much so that they were recently invited to the USA to present their work in
universities, schools and youth clubs in the states of Texas and Tulsa Oklahoma.
Utilizing mediums that young people understand such as music, dance and humour, this
community based event will involve guest speakers, talented musicians and artists, and will
include a number of workshops and short seminars help empower the young people directly
affected by gun & knife crime. The aim is simple to try to stop the next generation of children
getting involved in gun and knife crime.
Enclosed is a video of the Young Soldierz on their anti- knife, gun mission presented on the BBC
news
http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/avdb/regions/london/video/158000/bb/158379_16x9_bb.asx
Also a short except from their recent trip to Oral Roberts University in Tulsa Oklahoma
http://youtu.be/pxyYzOivPxM
(Please click on the above links or copy and paste into your browser)
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Movember – We need you - Update
The finance Movember team has began its quest for moustache glory, we are
already in to the first week of the month long challenge and have all experienced
many strange looks, plenty of good natured banter but also generous donations to
a worthy cause.
Below is a photo of the finance Movember team on the 1 st November and further updates are to
follow over the remaining weeks of the month.
We welcome your support in any way you can. The team has registered on the Movember website
as ―Walsall Finance Mo Bros‖. If you would like to sponsor us please follow the link
http://mobro.co/christianjones or please contact Christian Jones via email or extension number
2342.
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Sparkle into a Bloxwich Christmas
Saturday 24 November 2012 between 11am and 4pm in Bloxwich Town Centre
There will be 2 singing locations for local school performances; Park Road via the Move Truck and
All Saints Church
Time
11.30
12.00
12.30
13.00
13.15
14.00
14.30
15.00
Park Road via the Move Truck
Jubilee Academy Mossley
Walsall Academy
Great Wryley High School
Great Wryley High School
St Peters Primary
Russon Dance Academy
The Mirus Academy Choir
The Mirus Academy Dance Group
All Saints Church
Walsall Academy
Jubilee Academy Mossley
St Peters Primary
Snow White Panto Promotion
All Saints Youth Choir
The Mirus Academy Dance Group
Russon Dance Academy
The Mirus Academy Choir
Other activities:
Salvation Army brass band performing outside St Peters Church 11:30am – 1:30pm
Steel Pans band performing 2 – 4pm
Mad Dom walkabout act
Stilt walking Snow Queen and
an Acrobatic Elf
Roller Skating Bauble
walkabout act
Face Painter at Market and
Asda
Move Truck at Park Rd
Christmas Donkeys
Father Xmas 1pm at Market
Window Display Competition
Christmas Trail
Christmas Stalls including
charity stalls raising funds for
their cause selling items
including Christmas cakes and
mulled wine
Christmas workshop
Hot Pork Baps at Asda
A 12m x 12m synthetic Ice rink will be
available during the event which will
be free to all the community to use
from 10am to 5pm.
A speciality market Mamma Mia
Italian Food market will be located in
All Saints church grounds Thursday
22, Friday 23 and Saturday 24
November 2012. They will be selling
olives, nuts and dry fruits, bread, biscuits, cheese, salami and mortadella, Italian hot food
(Arrancini and Calzone).
Other plans include St Johns Xmas Fayre 11am – 1pm, and the Parklands Nursing Home
Victorian Fayre 2 – 4pm within the activities.
For more information about this event, contact Nikki Rolls on 01922 654324.
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Wear purple for Priya in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust
Herbie Clarr in Supported Housing is organising a ‗Wear Purple Day‘ in memory of her daughter‘s
friend, Priya, who died of cancer on 30 September 2012 aged
15.
She died of cancer that had spread throughout her body. Her
mother also passed away 5 years ago to brain cancer. Priya was
the only child.
Priya‘s 16th birthday would have been on 30 November 2012
and on that day Herbie would like to encourage staff to wear
something purple and donate whatever they wish.
All donations will be split between Teenage Cancer Trust and
Acorns Hospice where Priya spent her final days. Purple was
Priya‘s favourite colour.
You can contact Herbie on 01922 654796, or email her at clarrh@walsall.gov.uk.
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Walsall Music Festival
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Volunteers wanted for Santa on his Sleigh visits
Every year, the Rotary Club of Bloxwich Pheonix conduct their Santa on his Sleigh visits
throughout the area raising money for a mix of local and international charities.
The Santa Sleigh attracts the attention of children wanting to hand in their Santa letters or collect
their pre-ordered Santa letter and volunteers knock on doors and hand out sweets and carry
collection buckets.
The Rotary Club are running desperately low on confirmed volunteers this year and need your
help. They need approximately 10 volunteers a night to help promote to the residents that Santa
is here via door knocking, or handing out sweets or via the collection buckets.
Friday 7 December 2012 from 6.30pm to 8:45pm - visiting Blakenall Estate
Saturday 8 December 2012 from 4:30pm to 8:45pm - visiting Mossley Estate
Tuesday 11 December 2012 from 6:30pm to 8:45pm - visiting Pelsall Estate
Wednesday 12 December 2012 from 6:30pm to 8:45pm -visiting Dudley Fields Estate
Friday 14 December 2012 from 6:30pm to 8:45pm -visiting Lower Farm Area.
Saturday 15 December 2012 from 4:30pm to 8:45pm - visiting Turnberry Estate
For anyone who wishes to confirm their support please can they contact Stuart Fisher at
stuart.fisher@bloxwichphoenix.net or telephone him on 07894 475408.
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Events and exhibitions at Walsall Museum
Jamaica 50 celebrated at Walsall Museum
Walsall Museum is celebrating this year‘s 50th anniversary of Jamaican independence with a
special display about the country‘s unique history and culture this month.
The exhibition tells the story of Jamaican
Independence Day and the journeys which
Jamaican people made to settle in the Midlands
in the 1950s and 60s through their own words,
pictures, personal artefacts and memories. The
country‘s rich heritage is also showcased, along
with information on Jamaica‘s celebrated
national heroes and the special symbols
selected to represent the country.
The exhibition has been created and developed
by the Kingsway Project, who involved young
people in recording the memories of older
people in Birmingham and their experiences of
coming to settle in Britain.
Jamaica attained full independence from Britain in 1962, prior to this it had been a British colony
for over 300 years. Many people of Jamaican origin had emigrated to Britain during the 1950s and
1960s. Jamaican Independence Day in 1962 was widely celebrated among Jamaican
communities in this country.
Jamaica 50 is on show from Tuesday 6 November until Saturday 1 December. It can be seen in
Walsall Museum‘s Your Corner display area, a dedicated area within the Museum‘s permanent
local history gallery, The Changing Face of Walsall. This is a space where groups and individuals
in the local community can put on their own displays on a variety of subjects, from aspects of local
heritage to their own collections. If you have something you‘d like to put on display within the
Museum, please contact us on 01922 653116 or email museum@walsall.gov.uk.
Get your display on show at Walsall Museum
Do you have an interesting or unusual collection at home that
you‘d like to show off to other people, or are you involved in a
piece of research or project involving local history that you‘d
like to share with a wider audience? If so then Walsall
Museum would like to hear from you!
The Museum‘s Your Corner community display area is
specifically designed to host just this kind of display.
Comprising a compact display space with dedicated showcase
and boards for displaying text and graphics, Your Corner is
ideal for displaying a range of different types of collections or local history projects. Recent
displays on show in Your Corner have included local individuals‘ collections of punk memorabilia,
dolls and toys, historic hand-fans and miniature model handbarrows and market stalls, as well as
projects exploring mixed race heritage in Walsall and the history of provision for people with
disabilities in the borough.
The Museum is always on the look out for new groups and individuals who would like to use the
Your Corner display area for their display. All displays should include suitable artefacts or items
for display in the showcase, and text and graphics which can be easily mounted using Velcro or
pins. Display slots are available for four weeks at a time. Your Corner is currently available over
Winter-early Spring 2012-13 and late Summer-Autumn 2013. With Christmas coming up we‘re
particularly looking for people who collect anything Christmassy and would like to display their
collection in the Museum.
If you‘ve got a display you‘d like to put on show in the Museum then contact us on 01922 653116
or email museum@walsall.gov.uk.
Indian jewellery set to sparkle in Museum display
The beautiful and ornate jewellery worn by
Indian brides will be lighting up Walsall
Museum in a special display this month.
Examples of the unique ornaments worn only
by brides will be on show, including the
choora, a set of 21 bangles presented to the
bride by her mother‘s brother and worn for a
compulsory 40 days and the hathpool, a
traditional Rajasthan piece of jewellery worn
on the back of each hand. Also on show are
further pieces of traditional Indian jewellery,
such as the haar (necklace), churiya
(bangles), and payal or pajeb (anklets).
India has been producing beautiful jewellery, gold and gemstones for many centuries. Jewellery in
India is not used solely for adornment but also has many religious meanings, as well as being
seen as being important in protecting health and fortune. Many of the traditional designs and
styles used in Indian jewellery date back to the period of the Mughal emperors from the 16 th to the
19th century, when craftsmanship reached a high point of technique and elegance.
This small display will be on show from Tuesday 16 October until Saturday 24 November within
Walsall Museum's Changing Face of Walsall gallery on the first floor of the Central Library and
Museum building. Entry to the Museum is free of charge. For further information please contact us
on 01922 653116 or email museum@walsall.gov.uk.
Vintage fashions take centre stage in Museum display
Whether you enjoy retro and period clothing or like to have a nostalgic trip down memory lane, a
special fashion display at Walsall Museum this autumn is bound to please. Showcased in the
display are a selection of the full range of goods, from fashion to homewares, sold by the Hodson
sisters at their Willenhall shop between the 1920s and the 1960s.
Edith Hodson first opened the shop in
the front room of her family home at 54
New Road, Willenhall, and her sister
Flora joined her a few years later.
Together the sisters sold women's and
children's clothing, haberdashery, soft
furnishings and toiletries. After the death
of Flora Hodson in 1983 the shop
contents were saved by Walsall
Museum. The collection forms a legacy
of the clothes of ordinary people of notso-long ago, sold in a shop of a type long
since vanished, and as such is of
national significance.
On show at the Museum are a wide range of items from the whole period of the shop's operation,
including dresses from the 1920s and 1950s, underwear from the 1920s through to the 1950s,
shoes, hats, gloves, scarves, jewellery, children's clothing and much more.
The display, entitled ‗The Hodson Shop Collection‘, is on show from Thursday 6 September until
Wednesday 5 March. It can be seen within Walsall Museum's Changing Face of Walsall gallery
on the first floor of the Central Library building. Entry to the Museum is free of charge, for further
information please contact us on 01922 653116 or email museum@walsall.gov.uk.
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Forthcoming Events at Forest Arts Centre
We now have a new Box Office number 0845 111 2898
Credit card bookings can now be taken in person and over the telephone.
www.forestartscentre.co.uk
Friday 9 November at 7.30pm
Evening Film Season – “The Woman in Black”
(12)
Based on the classic ghost story, The Woman in
Black tells the tale of Arthur Kipps (Daniel
Radcliffe), a lawyer who is forced to leave his
young son and travel to a remote village to attend
to the affairs of the recently deceased owner of Eel Marsh House. Working alone in the old
mansion, Kipps begins to uncover the town's tragic and tortured secrets and his fears escalate
when he discovers that local children have been disappearing under mysterious circumstances.
When those closest to him become threatened by the vengeful woman in black, Kipps must find a
way to break the cycle of terror.
Tickets: £2 & £1 (concession)
Tickets can only be purchased 30 minutes before the start of the film.
Friday 16 November at 7.30pm
Staffordshire Band – “A Night on the Ocean Waves”
Ahoy ye Landlubbers! Hoist the Jolly Roger for a
cruise like you've never experienced before. All
aboard the 'Staffordshire' for a musical journey on the
ocean waves taking in many different countries and
exotic places. Book your cabin now!
Tickets: £5
Wednesday 21 – Saturday 24 November at 7.30pm
Boogie Nights – The 70‟s Musical
Boogie Nights tells the hilarious and heart-warming
story of Roddy, a Jack-the-lad, whose life of birds,
booze and boogies is about to be turned upside down.
It's the night that the King, Elvis Presely died and
Roddy O'Neill is busy dreaming of life as a rock star!
Debs, his girlfriend, has her own thoughts..... basically
that Roddy's a selfish, arrogant, unfeeling, heartless
pig! But the truth is that Roddy is in love with Debs, and Debs is in love with Roddy, but Debs
knows that her Roddy has more than a roving eye!
Through all their tears and laughter, can they both find what they are looking for?
Many classic 70's hits are the backdrop to their story including Disco Inferno, I Will Survive, You
Sexy Thing, Boogie Wonderland and many many more.
A fabulous show that will guarantee to have the audience up on their feet!
Tickets: £10
Sunday 25 November at 4pm
Three Men in a Boat
The award winning Original Theatre Company take
Jerome K Jerome's charming, classic tale of British
misadventure and folly by the scruff of the neck.
Equipped with a working pub, some ale, music hall
singing, a piano, a dog and a feast of physical comedy,
settle yourself in for an afternoon out to remember.
"More laughs than you can shake an oar at"
The Argus
Tickets: £12 / £10 concession
Thursday 29 November at 2pm
Afternoon Film Season – “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” (12)
A group of British retirees travel to India to take up
residence in what they believe is a newly restored
hotel. Less luxurious than its advertisements, they are
forever transformed by their shared experiences,
discovering that life and love can begin again when
you begin to let go of the past.
Tickets: £2 & £1 (concession)
Tickets can only be purchased 30 minutes before the
start of the film.
Wednesday 5 December at 7.30pm
A Christmas Carol
A Victorian Storytelling Sensation!
In 1853, Charles Dickens took to the stage for the first time to
read from A Christmas Carol, and so began what was to
become one of the most-talked theatrical phenomena of the
Victorian age.
It was a series of readings that would include extracts from many of his most famous works, and
which would confound audiences' expectations on both sides of the Atlantic right through until
1870, when the demands of performing the terrifying Sykes & Nancy against doctors orders were
to hasten his demise.
Now, to mark the bicentenary of Charles Dickens' birth, New Perspectives are delighted to present
a recreation of the magic of that first reading - the perfect way to experience the original heartwarming, spine-tingling Christmas story from the greatest storyteller ever to have written the
English language.
Recommended audience: adults and older children.
Tickets: £5
Friday 7 December at 7.30pm
Christmas Abba Tribute Party Night
Arrival UK has been performing across the globe on
both stage and television since 1995 and have
performed to millions of Abba fans in over 20 different
countries.
Kick off your Christmas festivities and get in the party
mood with this fantastic live group. Amazing vocals,
beautiful harmonies and choreographed dance
routines all come together to create a truly authentic
Abba experience.
Arrival UK will bring back those memories of the Abba era with lots of toe-tapping favourites such
as Waterloo, Dancing Queen,Take A Chance On Me and Thank You For The Music.
There will also be a DJ on hand to keep the party going with all your favourite party tunes and
Christmas classics.
A party night not to be missed and we guarantee you will end up having the time of your life!
Tickets: £12
Special group rate of £10 per ticket for parties of 10 and over.
So why not have your office Christmas party with us and boogie the night away!
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Organ Recital at Walsall Town Hall
Thursday 29 November at 1pm
Lunchtime Organ Recitals
Borough Organist, Peter Morris will entertain with a varied programme
of organ favourites and classic pieces and to help you enjoy the
concerts and see the organist playing close up, we will be using a giant
screen.
Tickets: £2
Tickets can only be purchased 30 minutes prior to the concert starting.
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Forest Arts Centre – conferencing facilities
Forest Arts Centre offers a wide variety of meeting room facilities. Whether it‘s a conferencing hall
for a multi strand event, a private briefing or training course or a small meeting room for as few as
6, we‘re confident in finding the right space for you.
Further details available from Jo Stephenson 01922 654555 or email stephensonj@walsall.gov.uk
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Events at Darlaston Town Hall
Old Tyme and Modern Sequence Dance
every Wednesday afternoon
Doors open 1.30pm, dance starts 1.45pm
£3 per person payable on the door.
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Walsall Local History Centre Events
Public talks at Walsall Local History Centre:
Lost Buildings of Walsall
Monday 12 November 2012
7.30pm-9.00pm.
Walsall‘s built heritage has been greatly changed by redevelopment over the past 150 years,
though some gems still remain.
In this illustrated talk, local historian and author Ann French reveals the glory that was old
Walsall‘s architecture, and is now largely lost.
£2.00 Booking essential
The Walsall Zeppelin Raid of 1916
Monday 3 December 2012
7.30pm-9.00pm.
On 31 January 1916 Walsall, Wednesbury, Bradley and Tipton were taken unawares by two
German Zeppelin airships which dropped their bombs on the Black Country by mistake. In this
talk, Archivist Paul Ford reveals the dark story of that fateful night.
£2.00 Booking essential
Workshops at Walsall Local History Centre
Memory Books Workshop
Saturday 10 November 2012
10am-1.00pm
Come along and make up a scrap book about your family. Record your family tree, where you
lived or live and your memories of the past or of life now. Suitable for adults and children.
Children under 12 should be accompanied by an adult. Materials provided.
£10.00 Booking essential
Further sources for family history Workshop
Saturday 1 December 2012
10.00am -1.00pm
If you need ideas on where else to look to find out about your family or where they worked and
lived this workshop will help. From directories to court records to wills your ancestors may be
recorded. Find out where and when.
£5.00 Booking essential
Exhibitions at Walsall Local History Centre
Willenhall Past and Present Exhibition
Town history highlighted in new display
The historic Black Country town of Willenhall, famed for centuries as the British capital of the
lockmaking industry, is being highlighted in a new exhibition on show from 21 August 2012 at
Walsall Local History Centre.
The display, entitled ‗Willenhall Past & Present‘ includes special reproductions of rarely-seen and
fascinating old photographs, local studies material and archive documents, some dating back to
before Victorian times.
The towns which make up the present metropolitan borough of Walsall have a fascinating and
varied history. They all made a major contribution to the development of manufacturing in the U.K.
and produced goods of the highest standard.
This is the first of a series of exhibitions, created entirely in-house, reproducing items from the
collections of Walsall Local History Centre and looking at the history of various towns across the
borough.
‗Willenhall Past & Present‘ runs from 21 August – 23 October 2012 and admission is free during
normal opening hours.
Aldridge Past and Present Exhibition
Town history highlighted in new display
24 October to 29 December 2012
This is the second of our exhibitions looking at towns across the borough. Aldridge was noted for
mining and brick making among other things.
It housed an orphanage for the Royal and Ancient Order of Buffaloes and a home for Spanish
children evacuated from the Basque region of Spain during the Spanish Civil War. The exhibition
will reflect these and many other features of Aldridge life.
FREE during normal opening hours
About the Centre
Walsall Local History Centre is Walsall Council‘s archives and local studies service for the whole
of Walsall Metropolitan Borough.
Admission to Walsall Local History Centre in Essex Street, Walsall is free of charge during normal
opening hours:
· Tuesday 9.30am-5.30pm
· Wednesday 9.30am-7.00pm
· Thursday 9.30am-5.30pm
· Saturday 9.30am-1.00pm
Telephone 01922 721305 for to book events/workshops/courses or for further details. Also view
Walsall Local History Centre‘s website:
http://www.walsall.gov.uk/localhistorycentre
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Bloxwich Bookmark Theatre Autumn and Winter Events
A great range of acts and shows are coming soon to the Bookmark Bloxwich Theatre in Elmore
Row, Bloxwich!
Telephone Bloxwich Library to reserve your tickets now on 01922 655900. Booking is strongly
recommended to guarantee your seat at these popular shows.
Friday 9th November 2012
Open Mic Night
An evening for performers to come and play. From experienced to starters all welcome – email
Bruno at open.mic.bookmark@gmail.com for a 10 minute slot.
7.00pm for 7.30pm start. Free entry.
Friday 23rd November 2012
Youth Open Mic Night
Come and make your mark. Play, rap, sing, performance poetry,
whatever is your thing. Drum kit, guitar amp, and bass amp are provided.
CALL DAN on 01922 712069 to reserve a slot!
6.00pm doors open for 6.30pm start. Free entry.
Saturday 1st December
Knoxville Highway
The best hard-driving country music band around!
BOOK EARLY – THEY SOLD OUT ON THEIR LAST VISIT!
7.30pm doors open for 8.00pm show star. Tickets £5.
Friday 14th December
Open Mic Night Christmas
An evening for performers to come and play. From experienced to
starters all welcome.
Email Bruno at open.mic.bookmark@gmail.com for a 10 minute slot.
7.00pm doors open for 7.30pm start. Free entry.
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Events and exhibitions at the New Art Gallery Walsall
Exhibitions
ARTIST ROOMS: Damien Hirst
6 October 2012 – 27 October 2013
Image credit: Damien Hirst, Controlled Substances Key Painting, 1994, Household gloss on canvas
48 x 48 in (1219.2 x 1219.2 mm), (4 inch spot)
ARTIST ROOMS Tate and National Galleries of Scotland. Acquired jointly through The d’Offay Donation with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial
Fund and the Art Fund 2008
Photograph © Tate, London 2012 © Damien Hirst and Science Ltd. All rights reserved, DACS 2012
The New Art Gallery Walsall is delighted to present a year-long display of works by one of the
most exciting, challenging and influential artists of our time, Damien Hirst. The exhibition is
presented as part of ARTIST ROOMS On Tour and will take place in the Garman Ryan Galleries.
The exhibition provides a unique opportunity to view key works by Hirst and to consider some of
the themes of his work, such as life, death, faith and belief, in connection with a wide range of
works from The Garman Ryan Collection.
This ground-breaking new display will be accompanied by a series of inspired satellite exhibitions, events
and activities throughout the course of the year.
Fiona Rae
Maybe you can live on the moon in the next century
6 October — 30 December 2012
Over the last 25 years Fiona Rae has established herself as one of the leading painters of her
generation with a distinctive body of work, full of restless energy, humour and complexity, which
has set out to challenge the modern conventions of painting.
Rae draws her influences and ideas from a huge selection of sources, such as graphic novels,
Japanese anime, the painterly splashes and drips of Abstract Expressionism, and artists as wideranging as Albrecht Dürer and Philip Guston. The exhibition brings together paintings executed
between 2000 and 2011, a period when the artist was making dramatic changes to her practice.
Image credit: Fiona Rae. Moonlite Bunny Ranch, 2003. Oil and acrylic on canvas, 231.1 x 190.5cm (c) Fiona Rae, Courtesy Timothy Taylor Gallery, London.
Jodie Carey
Solomon’s Knot
6 October – 30 December 2012
Jodie Carey works in a wide range of media, exploring ideas of time, memory and materiality, of
time passing, memories fading, of absence and loss and ultimately the fragility and vulnerability of
human life.
Her brand new works, commissioned and created especially for this exhibition, include a largescale sculptural installation, with large plaster works meticulously coloured by hand, and another
work suspended from the ceiling which has been hand-crocheted by the artist using thread that
has been coloured using dyes created from individual flowers. Solomon's Knot is the name of the
stitch used to make this work. As well as being a term deeply rooted in decorative traditions, it also
has wide-ranging meanings for different cultures, often related to wisdom, knowledge and
immortality as it has no end and no beginning. It is also called the Lover's Knot as the knot can be
interpreted as entwined figures.
Image credit: Photographer: Jonathan Shaw, Jodie Carey exhibition Installation shot, The New Art Gallery Walsall.
In Conversation
Saturday 24 November, 2pm
Join artist Jodie Carey and Deborah Robinson, Head of Exhibitions for an informal tour of the
exhibition.
Book your free place in advance by calling 01922 654400.
Harminder Judge
In this strange house
8 September — 25 November 2012
Harminder Judge creates sculpture, digital work and live performances. His influences are vast
and varied and include religious iconography and occultism, Indian culture and popular Western
culture.
During his recent residency at The New Art Gallery, Harminder became interested in
representations of the supernatural in works from the collections. He was particularly drawn to the
works of Odilon Redon which are illustrations to a ghost story by Edward Bulwer-Lytton. BulwerLytton's writing has inspired the creation of a script or storyboard developed in collaboration with
artist and writer Edward Wakefield. This script will form the basis of a sinister and enigmatic
presentation comprising film, digital prints and sculptural installation.
Judge was the winner of the 2011 Arts Foundation Fellowship Award in Performance and Live Art
and recently toured his performance installation The Modes of Al-Ikseer nationally and to critical
acclaim. His most recent project, Do What Thou Wilt, was commissioned by The Spill Festival and
performed at The Barbican, London.
Image credit: Harminder Judge, Hands, 2011, digital print with laser drawing. Courtesy the artist.
Free Regular Family Events
Baby Palace
Fridays: 30 November, 25 January 2013
Three sessions each day: 10.30-11.30am, 12-1pm, 2-3pm
Take some time to relax in the multi sensory environment and explore smells, sights and senses
with your baby at your pace. This is a great chance to meet other new parents and share your
experiences.
Art Start
Wednesday 9 January, 11am – 12noon
These are sessions for pre-school children 1 year old upwards with their carers. Come along and
explore an artwork in the gallery and make things together to support your child in being creative.
Free Adult Workshops
Knit Club
Saturday 24 November, 2-4pm
You‘ve been inspired by all the things you can do with wool, now come and hone your skills with
our supportive knit club. Make your own textile crafts and develop your textiles skills or try
something new like finger knitting. Meet at the sheep on Floor 1.
Events for Everyone
Salaam: Voices from Palestine
Saturday 17 November, 12-4pm
This year‘s Salaam Festival focuses on celebrating the historic links between Walsall and the
West Bank village of Kobar. Taste a little of Palestine with local communities, nationally acclaimed
artists and performers as well as arts and crafts. Free & family friendly.
Art Book and Zine Fair
Saturday 24 November, 12-4pm
Join us for our annual Book and Zine Fair where you will be able to buy your own affordable
books, zines and multiples by artists from the UK beyond. This year‘s fair will be co-produced by
BZF, who will invite some of their favourite zine producers to take part.
We‘ll have live drawing by some of the best illustrators in the region and Footprint Workers Co-op
will use your contributions to create a Zine in a Day. There will also be singing from Willenhall
Musical Society in the gallery.
Opening times
Tuesday – Saturday 10am – 5pm
Sundays 12noon – 4pm
Closed Mondays and Bank Holidays
Sign up to our free e-bulletin and receive regular Preview invitations, monthly newsletters and
event information.
Telephone: 01922 654400
TexBox:
0845 1112910
Website: www.thenewartgallerywalsall.org.uk
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What‟s on Walsall
For more information about events in Walsall view the What‘s On Walsall website
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