Edward Twohig brought along some of his collection of prints by artists Marc Chagall, Joan Miro, Samual Palmer and Patrick Caulfield for today’s Collectors Corner. Although these were lovely pieces of work his real passion is the work of Charlotte Rhead (1885 -1947) a ceramic designer from Stoke on Trent. Rhead worked at the time of Susie Cooper and Clarice Cliff but her work was more traditional in style and she used a range of decorative motifs influenced by patterns commonly used in India, China and southern Europe.


Edward recounted how each piece in his collection was the result of detailed research, planning, anticipation, and the excitement of travelling far and wide and bidding in auctions. On his many travels Edward has met other enthusiasts and fans of Rhead and has struck up friendships with those of similar passions in the UK and around the world including in America and Uruguay. On the wall he stuck up pictures of his collection of Rhead’s work – at his home every wall space is covered with plates and platters of all sizes and colours, tables and floors shimmer with a riot of brightly glazed jugs, vases, bowls and tiles. His passion is palpable and the audience were entranced by the many stories behind his acquisitions, acquaintances and accidents.

Our other collector was Tom Estes who arrived after prolonged and fraught journey from London with a suitcase of newspaper cuttings – hundreds of articles and photographs of stories that had caught is eye, or made him laugh over the years. Two women were caught up in articles about Spencer Tracey and Katherine Hepburn and they spent some time discussing the vagaries of Movie Stars and the truths told about them.

collage and conversation

A sunny and windy afternoon of cutting and pasting …. today the principal visitors to the
Gallery Interpretation area had some kind of creative background – artists, photographers and printmakers… all sat down and inspired by Tomoko Takahashi’s work, got really stuck into creating their own collage collection. The Beano as a source material proved very popular and the conversation wondered from children’s comics to the changes in print quality and inkiness to changing characters and stories.
One visitor who worked as a Doctor’s receptionist said that Takahashi’s installations reminded her of one Dr’s office which was rather chaotic …but in a hygienic way! Another visitor felt annoyed that not all the clocks looked like they came from a skip …she suspected that some were new ….so we talked about how the artist might have to start with one idea and set of rules but then have to change or break them in order to make it ‘work’.

75th Birthday Party - Thanks to everyone who came!

On August Bank Holiday Monday, the De La Warr Pavilion celebrated its 75th Birthday with a huge party on the terrace, its focal point being the re-creation of a famous photograph first printed in the Daily Mirror in 1936.

In the Bank Holiday sunshine over 1500 people gathered on the terrace in front of photographer Sheila Burnett who was lifted 5metres on a Genie lift to be in exactly the same angle and position as the Daily Mirror photographer must have been 74 years ago. The Daily Mirror Eight, the dance troupe in the middle of the terrace, were replaced by parkour/free-running outfit The Urban Shadows, who put on a spectacular show for a cheering crowd before staging the actual shot.

At 10am that morning, 120 people from the local community – none of whom had met before – put together a “scratch” choir and “scratch” orchestra, led by choir leader John Langridge and composer/musician Mike Hatchard. The choir sang a Summertime, Sway and Abba’s Mamma Mia. The orchestra played Spread a Little Happiness and a Beatles medley, as well as a new piece – Seventy Five Years of the De La Warr – composed by Mike Hatchard to celebrate the day. Julian Humphries led a group of young drummers who warmed up the crowd for the afternoon.

After the performance everyone sang happy birthday!

Free Tea and cake were then served to everyone outside the auditorium, courtesy Yorkshire Tea and Jubilee Hire.

And then the dancing started…. seventy-five tunes for seventy-five years kept us dancing until sunset with an playlist of classics and re-discovered hits put together by DJ Nikki Beatnik.

This fantastic party came at the end of an enormously successful weekend for the Pavilion which saw 10,000 people visit Tomoko Takahashi’s exhibition and Antony Gormley’s installation in just three days, with over 600 attending our family films, shown outdoors on the sea-facing wall, on Saturday and Sunday.

Please post any pics you have and visit our website to see forthcoming events at the Pavilion!

Photo by Sheila Burnett.

TAKAHASHI GALLERY INTERACTION SESSION 30th AUGUST 2010

Many thanks to everyone who joined in the fun and games today! The Japanese Song of The Sea has never sounded more beautiful! Very apt celebration of the building's Big Birthday.

Thanks especially to all the children, who joined in with the folktale of Momo Taro (Little Peach Boy) and showed no fear - or hardly any - when the monsters appeared!