Psychedelic frippery, progressive funk, alternative rock and twinkly emo

On Friday 2 November The School Creative Centre presents a mega night of musical talent, featuring four dynamic bands from across the South East: psychedelic popsters JOUIS, progressive funksters ADONIS FUZZ, alternative rocksters WHITE HORIZON and twinkly emo from HEY JONI

Expect perfect vocals, Hammonds, handclaps and psychedelic frippery from headliners Jouis, a psychedelic pop rock band from Bournemouth/Brighton whose sound incorporates elements of the classic 60′s British sound with a modern twist. Consisting of one Jack, two Joes, a Louis and an Adam, Jouis cite influences from the Beach Boys to Radiohead, creating a sound that has been described as a “breathtaking, refreshing change”. Their latest four-track EP Kaleidoscopic Psychotropic mixes jazz and beat grooves, gentle psychedelia, and perfect four part Magical Mystery Tour-esque harmonies.

BBC Poetry Slam winner and World DMC Scratch finalist headline showcase in Rye

On Friday 12th October UK hip hop sensation Dizraeli + DJ Downlow (UK and World DMC Scratch finalist), the men behind the rhymes and cuts of the legendary Small Gods, will bring a full, live hip hop PA to The School Creative Centre, Rye.

As a rapper, singer and poet, Dizraeli has won the BBC Radio 4 Poetry Slam and the Farrago UK Slam Poetry Championships. He’s written several hip hop plays, including the award-winning The Rebel Cell with Canadian Baba Brinkman, and become a legend in the UK hip hop scene with his telling, touching, funny stories of riots, atheism and Englishness. With Dizraeli and DJ Downlow you can expect verbal elastics and scratchy business of the highest grade.

Autumn programme launches on 8 September

The School Creative Centre’s Autumn programme of events and workshops launches on 8th September with the arrival of folk wizards Walsh & Pound in one of their final concerts together plus local support from Astral Valentines. Prepare to be astonished by stunning vocals, frailing banjo wizardry and sounds you didn’t think were possible on harmonica.

The duo heads up the monthly programme of live music that continues with AudioActive featuring poet/rapper Dizraeli in October (12th). And following the success of its inaugural season the School’s cabaret revue night Back in the Room returns on Saturday 29th September with hosts Lamp & Pil, special guests and headline Bridget Christie fresh from Edinburgh with her new show War Donkey.

Cocos Lovers launch album tour in Rye

Cocos Lovers return to The School Creative Centre on March 31 launching their album tour of ‘Elephant Lands’, the highly anticipated follow up to their 2009 debut album ‘Johannes’.

Operating well beyond the remit of alt-folk, Cocos Lovers are an incredibly distinctive band who channel North African and Eastern influences while still keeping true to their coastal Kent roots. ‘Elephant Lands’ offers an interesting progression from the band’s debut, blending their characteristic world music feel with sixties melodies, rock guitar riffs and high production values.

Since forming just two years ago, the band have toured to great acclaim all over the UK and Europe, supporting Mumford and Sons, Stealing Sheep and Pete Roe along the way. Performing to full capacity audiences at Green Man, Secret Garden Party, Glastonbury and Cambridge Folk Festival during the 2011 festival season, Cocos Lovers have been causing quite a stir in the music world, counting BRIT winner Laura Marling and BBC 6 Music’s Guy Garvey and Cerys Matthews among their fans.

Review: Cocos Lovers, Will Varley and the Ladies of the Lake by Joe Hill

The School Creative Centre’s programme of monthly live music continued with a blinding triple bill featuring Cocos Lovers, Will Varley and the Ladies of the Lake.

First up was Will Varley, visually a combination of the cowardly lion from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and an angry Jesus, who sloped on the stage with an acoustic guitar and a pint of beer in a plastic glass. “I’m debating whether to tell you about my hangover,” he says, half-sipping on his hair-of-the-dog remedy. He doesn’t seem to try too hard to win over the audience’s affections, but he earns it in spades. His songs are as optimistic as they are hopelessly down-trodden, exploring the confusion, hope and despair in living in a godless universe. While his lyrics are often topical (the title “The Sound of the Markets Crashing” summing this up nicely), they touch on universal human truths that means that they will still mean something long after their subjects have become irrelevant. Miserable though the songs often are, Varley sings them with an edge of defiance as well as vulnerability and humour; a determined resignation. He has the added bonus of not sounding too earnest either, slipping in sly jokes into the lyrics that have the audience laughing out loud. I had to spend my last tenner on petrol; otherwise, nothing would have stopped me from buying his album right there and then. This is perfect folk music; it’s quiet and yet so utterly resonant that you can’t focus on anything else.

DUO NOMINATED FOR 3 MOBO AWARDS

Ascendent rap duo Rizzle Kicks is in the running for three MOBOs at this Wednesday’s award ceremony in Glasgow. The pair, who polished their skills at the innovative youth music and arts organisation AudioActive, which has a base at the School Creative Centre in Rye, have been nominated for Best UK Hip Hop/Grime, Best Newcomer and Best Video for their hit top-10 single ‘Down with the Trumpets’.

Rye Creative Centre launches autumn programme of music and art

Rye Creative Centre launches autumn programme of music and art

The School Creative Centre’s Autumn programme of events and workshops launches on 10 September with the arrival of BBC 6 Music‘s ‘must see’ band Tom Williams & The Boat. The group heads up a monthly programme of music featuring fabulous multi-instrumentalists Cocos Lovers and Will Varley in October; Groanbox‘s ‘Americana with a twist’ (The Guardian) in November; and to round things off at the end of the year, a showcase of new talent with rising stars Virgin Soldiers and Dorey The Wise.

Pioneering music and arts organisation secures national funding £30,000.

Pioneering music and arts organisation, Audio Active, has successfully secured funding to run a two-year, music and performance training project for young people at The School Creative Centre, Rye. The award of £30,000 by The National Association for Youth Music, will give local young people the opportunity to work alongside professional artists to learn DJing and turntablism skills, rap & lyric writing and music production – developing both their artistic and social skills.

The School Creative Centre 2011

Building on the foundations laid in 2010, The School Creative Centre has firmly established itself in the South East as a creative and cultural hub through the ongoing development of new partnerships, exciting collaborations and the success of our many resident artists.

Great opportunity for young writers aged 13-17

Calling all young writers aged 13-17, check out the latest opportunity from New Writing South.

New Writing South is recruiting for the first ever Young Writer Squads across the South East. Whether you are into rap, playwriting, short stories, lyrics, poetry or flash fiction they would love to hear from you.

One of the squads is to be set up at the School Creative Centre, Rye and  will be run by professional writer, Christine Harmar-Brown.  The Rye Writer Squad will include introductions to a wide range of writing styles, support to develop your skills and visits from invited guest writers as well as being part of an online community of young writers in the South East.