NEWS AND EVENTS

From December to March the main areas of work are:

Primary schools in the Scottish Borders, some to old friends with whom we have worked in the past, and some to schools new to us. So far things have gone really well and the current team of Finlay, Knowli and Katie seem to be making the same impact of earlier teams. We are still working in teams of three, even with the smaller groups, as, firstly, its more fun and, secondly, it allows individual team members to stand back and observe, a really good way of adding to skills and seeing ways of improving. Katie is bringing her special imaginative and empathetic skills to the work and Knowli his drumming, communication skills and all round steadiness. Fin is an old hand at this by now.

We have also worked with a women's group and a Literacy Group in Peebles (Graeme Pritchard). In March we have more school trips a Foster Children's group. Pete is arranging for a series of sessions with his Jedburgh youth group.

Our Lanark Lodge group (TRASH'll) is back in fill swing after the Christmas break and have played their first away performance at the Katherine Elliot Centre, also in the Borders. We have acquired new member, Tommy Rae and his carers Fran, George and Sandy (on a rota), 4 for the price of 1. Fran and George seem enthusiastic.

Having got the bit between the teeth the group wants to get out and play more – anywhere within an hours drive of the Central Borders. That would take us to Northumberland or the Lothian's – invites please, short workshop included! Festivals, such as Peebles Arts, have a history of bringing us in to do the ultimate – take a youth group, a school perhaps, train them for a day, take them out to perform at the weekend of the festival and bring in TRASH'd to put the professional icing on the cake. This year Peebles are also asking uo to do an extra day with another school

TRASH'd, our youth performance, now in its 4 th incarnation (the Doctor Who of bands?), are working towards another season of trips to festivals with the first invite, to the Hexham Gathering, already in. Practices have moved from the beloved Cook's Shed to The village hall after frostbite started to set in. TRASH'd include two of our current tutor team so we are able to offer workshops as well as performances.

Team building jobs are starting to come in along with special events, which include a number of events for women only groups. We have been negotiating with Highland to do a project around Inverness and are awaiting finalisation of that. June is going to see the biggest single days work we have done so far – at a Guides event in the Borders at which 400 Guides will play TRASH during the course of the day. We will need to put in two tutor teams to do the business.

We are looking towards developing more young bands and involving more volunteers over 2006. Funding has been applied for and preliminary agreement on a grant seems to be in the air.

Following on from our successful Forum in September we are holding a follow up in the Church Hall, St Boswells, on the 28 th of March, at 7pm. Discussion will focus round the feedbank from September, ways of co-operating between Arts and Social organisations and their will also be a short film from the September event. Why not email us about coming along!

Other things. Following on to the meeting with Chrissi Lloyd, Finlay and I have been in touch with Creative Partnerships, Northumberland, which may lead to work over there.

Knowlie, Katie and Fin went to Glasgow last Sunday with the Shared Drive Project run by Nicci Toneri and the Education Dept. Fin can tell you about it. Today he and Jenny are going to another of these events at the Sage, Gateshead . This is all about bringing the formal and informal sector together.

We are being asked to Easter work in Edinburgh for a project aiming to bring problem families together. Summer requests are starting to trickle in, including Eyemouth summer school.

More. TRASH'd have been invited back to Hexham for the end of may. Knowli has taken over chasing Festival gigs. We have the beginnings of an invite to Castle Fraser in Aberdeenshire which may include them but too early to say as they have not come back with any definates.