Magdalen Street Celebration

Line Up For Saturday

2011-09-29T17:54:00.000+01:00

Almost There...

2011-09-22T19:37:00.000+01:00

MagdalenStreeteertSneladgaM

2011-09-22T16:42:00.000+01:00

We are proud to announce a brand new film commissioned for the 2011 Magdalen Street Celebration!

The work of local artists, R J Hinrichsen and Mark Wilsher, MagdalenStreeteertSneladgaM reveals a snapshot of life on our favourite Street. Shot simultaneously from both ends of the street the film adds a new dimension to the linear view we often have of our environment.

Catch it now at:
Anteros Arts Foundation
7-15 Fye Bridge Street (at the South end of Magdalen Street)
Norwich NR3 1LJ

"...Tension mounts as the two cameras gradually approach and briefly catch sight of each other near Anglia Square. A group of people is caught from two sides at once. The cameras pass by and keep on walking to the end of the street.

This film is entirely made up of small incidental details — two women with a barking dog, a man with a walking stick meeting a friend, cars and buses pass, and a ghostly figure waves to camera on both films.

This is an absolutely typical afternoon on Magdalen Street."

Artist Info:
R J Hinrichsen works with film, sound and installation. Mark Wilsher works with installation, text and live performance. Graduates of Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, both artists live near Magdalen Street.

SemiFormalDiscussion | Mark Wilsher

Festival Gets Bigger!

2011-09-05T16:41:00.000+01:00

Latest Press Release from MAGDALEN STREET FESTIVAL

On Saturday October 1st, Magdalen Street will celebrate its unique character in street festival style with performances, exhibitions, workshops, family activities and history tours. Following on last year's memorable and groundbreaking success, even more musicians and activities have been arranged.

As part of the day
• Norwich Taiko Centre will be opening the event under the Magdalen flyover
• Some of the best-known bands in the city will be playing on the street throughout the day, using a cycle-powered PA. The audience will be able to hop on the bike and power up their favourite bands!
• Roys Stores will be hosting family activities in their foyer
• Local history guides will give extended history tours of both Magdalen St. and St.Augustine's throughout the day
• Vintage, local, and London designer fashion shows will take place at One Touch Beauty, Sackville Place

Helen Simpson of the organising committee said “The goal of the day is to bring together neighbourhood residents, regulars and visitors to highlight Magdalen Street's role as a hub of creative, independently-owned, ethnically diverse and environmentally sustainable businesses.”

The art events, stallholders and historical aspects to the day will bring to life Magdalen Street's rich heritage. The street still boasts a range of food, clothes and shoe shops and is classified by the City Council as the busiest in the whole of Norwich for numbers of pedestrians and buses. Some of the shops from 1905 have survived - most notably 2 of the original fish shops.

Well-known songwriter James Frost who lives in NR3 and performed at the Celebration in 2010, said “It was fantastic to see so much art, music and street performance in my local community last year – it made me see Magdalen Street in a whole new light! It shows what can happen if everyone offers their own unique talents into the community they live in, with the support of local businesses and venues. It was a real atmosphere of participation and everyone felt it. In fact, I was so impressed with the event as a whole I joined the organising group for this year.”

Whether you are a regular visitor or haven’t ventured this way for some time, the Magdalen Street Celebration invites you to discover and rediscover this fascinating part of Norwich full of creativity, diversity and sustainability with a rich history and an even brighter future.

The event is organised by members of Transition Norwich. The organisers are grateful for the financial assistance of Norwich City Council and Norfolk County Council who are supporting this year's event.

TO GET INVOLVED CONTACT:
Helen Simpson-Slapp | helenofnorwich@hotmail.com | Tel: 07747 751656

PRESS COMMENT:
James Frost - Tel: 07905 274325 | Stefi Barna - Tel: 07964 494836

Anticipation & Participation

2011-07-22T15:12:00.000+01:00

October may still seem like ages away but in just 10 weeks time, the 2nd annual Magdalen Street Celebration will be taking place! As last year’s festivities proved, October 1st will be a chance for visitors, residents, traders and the vast array of local talent to come together in recognition of this unique corner of Norwich.

Our celebration explores Magdalen Street’s rich past, it’s diverse and highly creative present and gently nudges the area into a more sustainable future. Viewed by many, not totally unjustly, as a somewhat neglected area of town, Magdalen Street is also a treasure trove of diversity and creativity. Simply walking from one end to the other is a journey of great transition. From the very traditional cobbled roads around Fye Bridge and Wensum Street, up through the grey area of St. Saviors and The Flyover, via the architectural mishap that is Anglia Square and on past the charity stores of the northern end, towards the almost forgotten city walls leading out to the suburbs, one is immersed in reminders of history and a palpable hunger for a richer future.

Whilst there may be much to be improved upon in some areas, there is also a wealth of activity, community, diversity and creativity flowing up and down Magdalen Street. In the cafes and bars, shops and services, and those who run and frequent them, palpable demonstrations of a love of arts and crafts, individual creative style, a welcoming, easy sociability and a craving for the new whilst drawing on and respecting the past can be seen. All of which we aim to celebrate with you this October.

If you love Magdalen Street as much as we do, whether you live nearby or further afield, work in or just enjoy visiting the area, if you have a tale or talent to share, we would love you to be involved in making this year’s celebration the wonderful event it deserves to be.

As well as traders and residents, creators of all kinds are welcome: painters, sculptors, photographers, craftspeople, film makers, designers, performers, musicians, story-tellers, dancers, tailors, bakers, candlestick makers and more! Download, complete and return the Participation Application Form (see links below) to let us know how you would like to be part of the celebrations and join us every first Tuesday of the month at Aladdin’s Café on Magdalen Street, to help plan this vibrant community event.

Next meeting: Tuesday 2nd August, 7pm
Tel: Stefi - 07964 494836
Email: Karen - artoftheordinary@googlemail.com
Join our Facebook page

APPLICATION FORM DOC (click to download)
APPLICATION FORM PDF (click to download)

Meetings for Magdalen Street Celebrations

2011-07-05T15:24:00.000+01:00

If you would like to be involved in the Magdalen Street Celebrations then please come along to our monthly meetings as Aladdins Cafe.
Next meeting July 5th 20011 7p.m. to 9 p.m.
then August 2nd 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Cafe Conversations June & July 2011

2011-06-01T11:40:00.000+01:00

		JUNE
Commute, Work, Commute, Sleep... What is Work/Life Balance? What is the relationship between 'work' and 'life'? Does a 'work/life balance' suggest that when we're working we're not really living? Is work simply the means by which we acquire resources to keep us alive? We’ll discuss these questions and the ways in which people thought differently about the relationship between work and life in the past.	Ross Wilson School of Literature and Creative Writing	Wednesday 1 June 12.30
introduction to translation What is involved in translating a piece of writing from one language to another? After a general background to what translation is, we will practice a short translation/adaptation exercise together, either into another language or from English to English.	BJ Epstein School of Literature & Creative Writing	Saturday 4 June 3 pm
Bioplastics: Waste product or gold mine? The food and drink industry generates 12.6 million tonnes of waste per year, more than 10% of UK’s total. Can food waste be used to make ‘bioplastics’ for packaging and other sustainable materials? [To be confirmed – please check website before coming]	Dominique Georget School of Chemistry	Friday 17 June 8 pm
Imagining Justice: what are war crime trials for? Looking at the examples of the Nuremberg Trial and the Eichmann Trial, this session will ask what kind of justice war crime trials can actually represent. Do they demonstrate the power of the law to legislate against genocide violence or are they merely victor's justice? Are trials the right way for a nation to come to terms with atrocity in the first place? What kind of justice do we need to imagine in an atrocious age?	Lyndsey Stonebridge Literature and Creative Writing	Wednesday 22 June 12.30 pm
THE END OF THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE? Opposition to changes to the NHS in the Health and Social Care Bill currently going through Parliament has been so widespread that the Secretary of State for Health has had to call a pause. Why has this Bill aroused so much criticism and what does it mean for the NHS? Norfolk Keep our NHS Public is a newly formed branch of the national pressure group KONP, committed to campaigning with other organisations to defeat the Bill.	Jan Ainsley Keep Our NHS Public	Saturday 25 June 3 pm

		JULY
cAN WE Control our brain activity? New evidence suggests that we can use biofeedback methods to control and change our brain activity. The equipment used is becoming more accessible, but is it usefu? Could we use it to maximise our cognitive performance or help us to relax? Can it also be used as a treatment method? How would this change our view of ourselves?	Neil Rutterford Social Work & Psychology	Wednesday 13 July 12.30
The Mysteries of Bread Why can’t we make good gluten-free bread? What happens when you knead bread - why does the dough stiffen up and why is air so important? Humans have been making bread for about 5000 years, but only recently has science begun to explain its mysteries and in doing so discovered some of the weirdest proteins known. This conversation may not make you a better cook but you will never look at a loaf in the same way again.	Peter Belton School of Chemistry	Wednesday 20 July 12.30
www.uea.ac.uk/ssf/cue-east/events Cafe conversations will continue in september 2011

Anglia Square Update

2011-05-31T16:28:00.000+01:00

The Anglia Square redevelopment application which is recommended for approval, will be considered by City Council’s Planning Applications Committee at 10am, Thursday 9th June 2011 at City Hall.

To voice your opinion (3 minutes max) at the meeting, whether for or against the proposed development, please contact the Committee Officer before 10:00am on Wednesday 8th June 2011. Tel: 01603 212 033.

Celebration 2011 Is Coming!

2011-04-20T21:50:00.000+01:00

Anglia Square Redevelopment

2011-04-05T13:35:00.000+01:00

Want to have your say on the Anglia Square Redevelopment plans? Add your comments to the Norwich City Council website here. You'll have to be quick as the deadline is this Friday - 8Apr2011.

It's not the clearest site to follow so here are some instructions you may find useful. Follow this link to the site. Click on 'View associated documents' to view all relevant documents in Planning Application Document List. If you wish to go straight to the visual plans, click on Page 8 and view the document called 'DCL2 - Photographs Submitted'. Use the 'Click here to open document' link to download as PDF for best view.

Further Info

More Cafe Conversations

2011-03-29T11:29:00.000+01:00

The Cafe Conversations on Magdalen Street have been going well and many more topics for discussion have been added to the updated programme. Conversations are instigated by University of East Anglia staff and everyone is welcome to take part. Check the programme details below and come along to Aladdins Cafe, 3 Magdalen Sreet (near Fye Wensum Bridge) to find out more and add your opinion to the debates.

		APRIL
Engineering Earth Efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have provided little sign that we will avoid dangerous climate change. But can technology succeed where we have failed? The new science of Earth Engineering offers promising and innovative new technologies to capture emissions and cool the planet but raises novel social, ethical, legal and political questions.	Rob Bellamy Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research	Fri 1 April 8 pm
SOMETHING KINDA FISHY GOING ON How good are we at detecting air quality? Can anybody tell if it’s a bad pollution day? Now that the factories in Norwich have mostly closed or relocated, is air quality even a problem? We will sniff out the air quality around Magdalen Street and use resources (i.e. a map of the new one-way system around St Augustine’s, reproductions of paintings of smoke and smog) to think about the invisibility of air pollution and how that influences attitudes to its regulation. This event is part of the Invisible Dust project supported by Arts Council England, the Wellcome Trust and CUE East. (Please note 6 pm start time)	Peter Brimblecombe Environmental Sciences, Lawrence Bradby Artist	Fri 8 April 6 pm
Sustainable Food Systems: Can Farming be Green? With growing populations and diminishing resources, sustainable agriculture and food security are top priorities globally. Modern agriculture is one of the most energy-hungry and polluting industries in the world and covers nearly 40% of the land surface, yet without it we cannot survive. How can we increase agricultural yields, reduce environmental damage caused by farming and achieve long term food security? Come share your views with researchers in sustainable agriculture.	Tom Powell, Melanie Bennett School of Biological Sciences	Sat 15 April 3 pm
talking to children about Lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender people How are sexual minorities portrayed in children’s books? We will look at current examples and discuss your experiences with children’s questions about diversity.	BJ Epstein School of Literature & Creative Writing	Sat 30 April 3 pm
		MAY
WHAT IS LEARNING? Must education be either teacher-driven or learner-driven? John Dewey describes an ‘aesthetic experience’ for learning and proposes that the most worthwhile education consists of memorable experiences which make a real difference to one’s life. What are your views on what learning and education should be like?	Geoff Hinchcliffe School of Education	Fri 6 May 8 pm
cAN WE Control our brain activity? Techniques have evolved which allow us to measure the activity of our brain, and evidence suggests that we can use biofeedback methods to control and change our brain activity. The equipment used is becoming more accessible, so is this useful to us? Could we use it to maximise our cognitive performance, or help us to relax? Can it also be used as a treatment method? How would this change our view of ourselves?	Neil Rutterford Social Work & Psychology	Wed 18 May 12:30
A day in the life of a hospital lawyer What are the pros and cons of the principle of confidentiality? Does everyone have a right to make decisions about their medical treatment? What are current myths and realities about the NHS? Come meet a medical law specialist to discuss these topics.	John-Paul Garside School of Medicine	Wed 25 May 12:30
The values revolution: why everything comes down to the values you hold In politics, at work, when making major personal decisions, the values you hold dear determine what you do. Often, people and organisations are unaware of the values they hold. This conversation will be about getting clearer about (y)our values using techniques derived from the latest philosophical, psychological and linguistic research.	Rupert Read School of Philosophy	Sat 28 May 3 pm
Commute, Work, Commute, Sleep... What is Work/Life Balance? What is the relationship between 'work' and 'life'? Does a 'work/life balance' suggest that when we're working we're not really living? Is work simply the means by which we acquire resources to keep us alive? These are some of the questions we'll discuss, and I'll outline ways in which people thought differently about the relationship between work and life in the past.	Ross Wilson School of Literature and Creative Writing	Wed 1 June 12:30
introduction to translation What is involved in translating a piece of writing from one language to another? After a general background to what translation is, we will practice a short translation/adaptation exercise together, either into another language or from English to English.	BJ Epstein School of Literature & Creative Writing	Sat 4 June 3 pm
Bioplastics: Waste product or gold mine? The food and drink industry generates 12.6 million tonnes of waste per year, more than 10% of UK’s total. Can food waste be used to make ‘bioplastics’ for packaging and other sustainable materials?	Dominique Georget School of Chemistry	TBA

Cafe Conversations Review

2011-03-08T16:56:00.000Z

Kerry Lane has been along to some of the Cafe Conversations at Aladdins and written a great review on the Transition Norwich blog - This Low Carbon Life. Read Kerry's review here and view the upcoming conversations here.

"... I haven't voluntarily subjected myself to discussing maths for quite a while, but I really enjoyed the session. Robert Henderson, a PhD researcher in Maths, was infectiously enthusiastic about his topic and had all number of interesting paradoxes and patterns that he wanted to share with us - including fractals ... He explained everything clearly for those of us a bit rusty on our maths and it was great to learn about something completely different ..." More here

Cafe Conversations @ Aladdins

2011-02-15T13:40:00.000Z

A series of informal debate and conversations are currently taking place in Aladdins Cafe at the town end of Magdalen Street. Throughout the coming months, join scientists and academics from University of East Anglia as they present ideas about contemporary social and scientific topics. All welcome. See below for more details.

Café Conversation Topics updated 1 FEB


Topic	Facilitator	Date & Time
		FEBRUARY
What is Infinity? Why is the universe infinite? If a tree grows for an infinitely long time, will it be infinitely tall? What does "infinity" mean, and why is it so controversial and misunderstood? In this Cafe Conversation we will answer these questions and more with interesting examples and thought experiments. No mathematical experience is required, only a willingness to try out new ideas!	Robert Henderson and Lydia Rickett School of Mathematics	Friday 4 Feb 8 pm Saturday 5 Feb 3 pm Wednesday 9 Feb 12.30 pm
Increasing Happiness, Decreasing Consumption What makes us happy? In this workshop we will do some simple exercises, hear a brief introduction to research findings on what generates wellbeing, and talk about how these findings translate into activities that have little or no cost to our purses or the Earth.	Teresa Belton School of Education	Saturday 19 Feb 3 pm

		MARCH
Too busy to be bored? Is feeling bored a good thing or a bad thing? This conversation explores what older people mean by “being bored”. Your input will help define various kinds of boredom and what value older people place on not being bored and on maintaining activities and social relationships.	Kathleen Lane Centre for Applied Research in Education	Saturday 5 March at 3pm
International Women’s Centenary International Women's Day (8 March) celebrates the economic, political and social achievements of women. The first International Women's Day event was run in 1911; 2011 is the Global Centenary Year. As part of a city-wide series, the following talks will be offered: 1. Is a feminist approach in medical education possible? 2. Women and the glass ceiling	Andrea Stockl Sara Connelly	Wednesday 9 March 12.30 Thurs 10 March 12.30
OUR HERITAGE IN A CHANGING CLIMATE The historic buildings and monuments in our cities bring character and context and stimulate tourism. In the 20th century improvements in air quality have lessened the threat from pollution but more recently a changing climate has started to alter the appearance and weathering of buildings. This café will explore these changes and what they might mean for heritage management and our appreciation of the built environment.	Peter Brimblecombe School of Environmental Sciences	Friday 18 March 8 pm
Greenspeak: How to talk people into compost and other inconveniences Sexing up recycling: Can it be done? The conversation revolves around the techniques we might use to generate and created messages that might encourage the reluctant to recycle and the grudging to act green.	Simon Hampton School of Social Work & Psychology	Saturday 26 March 3pm
		APRIL
Engineering Earth Efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have so far provided little confidence that we will avoid dangerous climate change. But can technology succeed where we have so far failed? The new science of Earth Engineering offers an array of promising and innovative new technologies designed to capture emissions and cool the planet; but raises a number of novel social, ethical, legal and political questions. Come and share your views on this rapidly evolving and vibrant topic.	Rob Bellamy Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research	Friday 1 April 8 pm
Bioplastics: Waste product or gold mine? The food and drink industry generates 12.6 million tonnes of waste per year, more than 10% of UK’s total. Can food waste be used to make ‘bioplastics’ for packaging and other sustainable materials?	Dominique Georget School of Chemistry	TBA

Celebration Slideshow!

2010-10-20T14:44:00.000+01:00

Here's a slideshow of the bits of the event I managed to get to see....

Running order(roughly): Taiko Drummers, Eastern Straynotes, the Sheriff of Norwich Derek James and star wandering minstrel Rio Santana under the flyover with MC Helen all powered by Tom Foxe's fantastic Human Dynamo PA (a big thank you to all who cycled!); Musical Keys Children's Workshop at Aladdin's Cafe; Pearl in the Egg Medieval Duo perform at St Saviour's The Gate near the flyover; the community mural by Stickyfingerz under the flyover.

A Musical Review

2010-10-11T15:31:00.000+01:00

Local musician, Heather Enid Wells, was one of the many visitors who ventured down to Magdalen Street two Saturdays ago for our debut celebration and it seems she had a thoroughly enjoyable time!

Heather writes: "I had a fantastic day out yesterday at the Magdalen Street Celebration, some great music on the various stages indoors and out, I bought and enjoyed some Mexican food from a stall in the Square, where there were lots of arts & crafts stalls, others for various organizations such as the Surrey Chapel, the Green Gym, the Drop-In Centre, and loads of other attractions ... there were thousands of people all enjoying the day. And the weather was perfect!

I went on the Magical History Tour, which was just amazing. I often walk up and down Magdalen Street, probably four or five times a week, yet we were shown so much that I'd never even noticed before, a great big studded oak door, all the Georgian buildings and who built them and who owned them, coats of arms and other markings and what they all meant, it was excellent!

The Gate Stage was in St Saviour's Church, where I spent a lot of time yesterday, saw virtuoso guitarist-songwriter Tom Conway there; a jazz band WSM-Trio who are normally a quartet but their bass couldn't make it; a brilliant guitar and cello duo James Frost and John Mudd played a beautiful set; and medieval duo Pearl in the Egg were just wonderful, Liz played lap-harp, rebec, various whistles and flutes, tambour and other percussion, Karen played the psaltery too, and both of them sang. They also looked great in their mediaeval dress. They play lots of prestigious gigs like Hampton Court Palace, but Liz also plays bass in the Pavilion Big Band, where I sometimes stand in for her. She also used to play with rock band Cortez, they were a good band, now sadly defunct.

Another good act, this time on the Flyover Stage, was Tom Foxe, he sang a hilarious song by Hayes Carll, "She Left Me for Jesus" ... He put it across very well. The Flyover Stage was great, as they had a bike hooked up to a generator to power all the amplification, and some other very good artistes. Then there were bands most of the afternoon and evening in the Blueberry.

I understand it is hoped to make the Magdalen Street Celebration an annual event ... Certainly a great day out for all ages and a lovely atmosphere. The live music on the Gate Stage was very varied in genre, but mostly of the acoustic-style variety, just gently amplified, and the church was packed most of the time with a very attentive audience. It was great that they were all listening, even the little children (and a dog!) were quiet and well behaved in there."

Thanks Heather - so glad you enjoyed!

Originally posted on Norfolk Freegle Cafe

Celebration Survey

2010-10-07T12:42:00.000+01:00

Phew! The first celebration is over and we are exhausted and happy! We hope everyone involved in the day, either with planning, organising or attending had an enjoyable experience. Do let us know what you thought about the event by taking the Magdalen Street Celebration Survey here. Your comments and answers will help us to plan future events so we look forward to hearing from you. Huge thanks!

What a day... Even the sun came out!

2010-10-04T21:28:00.000+01:00

Click on the image to see a bigger version - top left to right: Sheriff Derek James on walkabout with star Magdalen Street minstrel Rio Santana; Taiko drummers shake the flyover foundations and wake up the street; lively kletzmer & jazz trio Eastern Straynotes with amplification powered by Tom Foxe's Human Dynamo PA and that's Green City Councillor for Mancroft ward Adrian Holmes pedalling away there; bottom left to right: another human dynamo and MSC organiser Stefi getting everyone in the party mood; enchanting medieval musical duo Pearl in The Egg at the lovely St Saviours "The Gate" venue; children's music workshop at Aladdin's Café with the wonderful Musical Keys based on nearby Silver Road.

And the glorious sunshine happened and the crowds came out to see the stalls and exhibitions and hear the music and take part in the workshops and history tours, and all the rest... well done again all that took part in the adventure and thanks to everyone that came along on Saturday and making it such a fantastic day!

I've uploaded just a small batch of photos here of some of the things I managed to capture on the day. If you've got photos of the day then please please send them (or links) to us here [click to email] with any credits and we'll put an archive together. There's some lovely photos published in today's EDP too and a great spread in the Evening News. There's an online version here - less pics sadly but the same text.

The Event Programme!

2010-09-30T21:48:00.000+01:00

Here it is, the whole lot of confirmed events and acts all in one place. Phew! What an incredible amount of stuff. Well done to everyone organising, it's going to be brilliant. Everybody pray for sunshine now...

Click on the image below for a full size view which you can also save or print out.

In the Local Press - Again!

2010-09-28T18:53:00.000+01:00

Stacia Briggs took up the Magdalen Street Celebration story in a great double page spread in the Eastern Daily Press...

"Magdalen Street - famous for rebels, royals and regrets - it was stormed by Robert Kett's army, visited by Queens Elizabeth I and II and subject to some of the least sympathetic town planning decisions ever made in Norwich.

Now the street is hoping to create its own history with a magnificent street festival on October 2, which will see the area transformed into a vibrant celebration of the most diverse neighbourhood in the city.

Visitors will be able to learn more about the incredible history of the area, sample the unique collection of shops, meet other residents and an array of activities including performances by local musicians and artists, workshops, art exhibitions and a fashion parade starring vintage and second hand clothes shops sourced on Magdalen Street itself."

(from the EDP2 article on 23 September 2010 - will post a link to full article when I can find one!)

New Poster!

2010-09-24T12:36:00.000+01:00

New poster is up and about on the street with many of the confirmed events and acts on it. There's lots more stuff going on too including busking musicians also appearing at The Window Coffee Shop on Fye Bridge Street!

An up-to-date schedule of events will be posted up here on Wednesday 29th Sept so watch this space!

Historic Quarter is Most Vibrant in City

2010-09-10T18:28:00.000+01:00

On October 2nd, Magdalen Street is celebrating its unique character in street festival style with performances, exhibitions, workshops, social events and unusual shopping opportunities.

The goal of the day is to bring together neighbourhood residents with the street's many fans to highlight its role as the hub of creative, independently-owned, ethnically diverse and environmentally sustainable businesses.

Magdalen Street is one of the city's best-kept secrets. Although it's just a 5 minute walk from the Cathedral it is not as well known as the Norwich Lanes. It was home to Norwich's Strangers for more than five hundred years and it continues to attract people from all over the world. Magdalen St. was the subject of an innovative make-over in 1959 – work that was admired nationwide and copied by Councils keen to regenerate run-down areas – is now positioned to be a model of community-led development.

Organised by local residents and members of Transition Norwich, the event will bring together artists and artisans, musicians and performers, traders, residents and local groups.

There is plenty of opportunity for people to get involved. Help will be needed ahead of the event for:

· a cleanup of the flyover area to ready it for use as a performance area (Sat 26th Sept - see post below)

· liasing with the many street musicians and performers

· we need people who live locally to the street to be a 'human book’ and share with visitors about the history of the area

And on the day, you can help by:

· being a steward – helping people who may be lost or need help finding an activity

· decorating the street – putting up bunting, blowing up balloons!

· Help set up and cue local bands at the Flyover Stage

Helen Simpson-Slapp, one of the organisers said: “We are creating a street festival to bring the community together to have fun, but also we would like to see a long lasting effect. There's no reason why this festival should not continue and grow over the years, and help connect people in this area of the City”.

Rachel Lalchan joined the organising group after arriving in Norwich from South London where she had set up a Transition group: “ Having moved to a new city, I was keen to be involved in local community life and taking part in this group event enables me to do just that. It also means I get to know my local area really well and Magdalen Street is a wonderful place that seems to be continuously evolving”.

Lend a hand in the Big Cleanup

2010-09-05T09:21:00.000+01:00

When: Sunday 26th September 1pm to 4pm

What: Reclaim the flyover - a neighborhood tidy up of the area under the flyover to prepare it for use as a performance area on the October 2nd Magdalen Street Celebration. Come meet your neighbors and members of the Green Gym and who are helping us!

Details: Work entails raking off the rubble, trimming the bushes, leveling the ground for a stage. We need as many hands on deck as possible. Bring gloves if you have them. We may also clean up the empty storefronts in Anglia Square that will be used as exhibition and workshop space for the Celebration.

Contact Lynn at lynn@spinvent.co.uk or just turn up on the day - you're bound see us beavering away!

Volunteers Please!

2010-09-02T11:27:00.000+01:00

Preparations are well under way but in order to make sure everyone has a great time we need volunteers on the day and leading up to the event. If you can help in any way then please contact Helenofnorwich@hotmail.com, 07747 751656 for more details or just turn up to a meeting...

We have several meetings in September at Aladdins Café on Magdalen Street (opposite army careers office). You are welcome to come to any meetings to find out more... 8th September, 22nd September, 29th September 6.30-9pm

Could you help ...?
be a book in a human library - we need people who live locally to the street to a ‘book’ people can talk to you about what its like to live there (contact Oz Osbourne for more details 07812540684)
be a steward on the day - we need 20 stewards to be around in case anyone needs help or is lost
help to arrange musical events - we have a great line up of local bands playing under the flyover, someone needs to help organize them and cue them on
help with workshops - two helpers are needed to take money as people come into the workshops and write their names down
clean up empty shops - before the day the shops need to be cleaned up
clean up under the flyover - before the day the area under the flyover needs to be cleared
help to decorate the street - early on Saturday we need some people to put up bunting, blow up balloons and more...

Contact Helenofnorwich@hotmail.com or 07747 751656 for more details or just turn up to a meeting!

Latest Happenings!

2010-09-02T10:55:00.000+01:00

There will be a fuller report on this tomorrow (Friday 2nd Sept). For now, here's the draft 'press release' which hopefully gives you a flavour of what's going on (click on the image here and a bigger readable version should come up). There's is tons of stuff happening behind the scenes and loads of energy going into this from lots of folks from around the area - the buzz is getting quite intense although we realise there hasn't been enough publicity out there yet with all the traders, and we haven't got to speak to everyone about it in person, even though there were the best laid plans and intentions to do so, we simply didn't have enough people on the case but that seems to be changing! A new poster will be getting sorted this week also and hopefully be out there on the street next week.

There's also new meeting dates for anyone wanting to get involved in organising the big day - Wednesdays 8th, 22nd and 29th of September at Aladdins, the new café opposite the big Oxfam and Out of Time Records. See you there!

Green Lights and Funding Offers for Celebration

2010-08-12T23:07:00.000+01:00

Another very lively and productive meeting yesterday evening at The Golden Star with local residents, traders, artists and business people updating on how exhibitions, workshops, a charity shop fashion show, a children's treasure hunt, live performances, craft stalls and various other happenings are shaping up, with lots of applications and inquiries coming in from around the area.

Appliation forms (click here) now available for anyone who wants to get involved with activities, suggest new ones or help out on the day. There's still time so please fill one in. As well as artists, traders, craftspeople and performers we'll need extra volunteer helpers on the day so please lend a hand if you can.

Fantastic news from Jane of the organising crew - she met up with Helen and Vicky from the City Council Events team and they arranged a site meeting on the spot and resolved all our main site issues.

Cue East have offered funding to train volunteers to document the event through film. We need to find the volunteers for this to happen so please email Stefi (click here) with any inquires for this.

A priority following this meeting is trying to engage with as many traders from the area as possible so we'll be organising a meeting as soon as we can to enable more traders to get actively involved and ask any questions.

And many thanks to The Golden Star pub for putting us up at such short notice after a mix up with bookings at The Blue House!

Next meeting: Wednesday 25th August, The Blue House, 19 Muspole Street, 6.30-9pm

Getting the Word Out / Next Meeting Dates

2010-07-31T19:41:00.000+01:00

Stefi dragged me out of my house to distribute posters and flyers today up and down Magdalen Street. On a Saturday. Dedication or what? We got to chat with various traders, shopkeepers and landlords. Sorry if we missed anyone on the rounds, we did end up running out of flyers and publicity in the end so we'll try and get a few more out there again soon to anyone we missed.

Thanks to everyone for enthusiastic support and sticking up those posters. Any feedback, questions, ideas etc. then please get in touch - email here. We're still on the lookout for more events ideas and people to get involved so please get in touch or come along to one of the public meetings if you're interested to find out more or contribute any help or ideas. See dates below...

So far we've got various traders, artists, performers, local residents and charity groups to get involved in setting up a variety of events for the day which will hopefully utilise some of the public spaces on the street and unused shops and spaces in Anglia Square and hopefully events in surrounding streets too.

We'll publish a list of what's planned so far here very soon. Meanwhile, there's another 2 meetings planned for any residents, traders, artists, local groups etc are very welcome to come along to...

Wednesday 11 August and Weds 25 August, 6.30 for 7pm start at The Blue House, 19 Muspole Street, NR3

The last meeting got really busy so please come early if you want to catch up with what's been happening so far, because we will need to get down to business at 7pm.

Magdalen Street Celebration

2010-06-28T19:45:00.000+01:00

Welcome to the website for all things Magdalen Street (Norwich, England), which has been set up to keep you up to date with developments and news of the area and specifically progress of the Magdalen Street Celebration planned for 2 October 2010.

So far there's been two meetings of local folks - residents, councillors, traders and artists - to get planning underway for various events and activities to happen locally as part of the Magdalen Street Celebrations. The next meeting will take place on 21 July at 7pm, venue to be announced shortly.