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Once upon a time in Dalston…

Saturday 6 October, 12 – 3.30pm

Led by artists from V22, children are invited to take over three venues in Dalston this Saturday afternoon – Dalston Square, Dalston CLR James Library and the Dalston Eastern Curve Garden, for a unique event for the Big Draw – the world’s biggest celebration of drawing.

Inspired by all the lovely children’s books in the Library, children will be able to create their own characters and draw story boards on to the ground of Dalston Square, using chalks and pastels.

They can also join artist Nicola Plant in the Garden to draw, paint and cut out characters and fantastical creatures inspired by the bees, butterflies and wildlife that live in the Eastern Curve.

‘Once upon a Time’ will end with a grand finale in the Library where all the characters and stories that have been created throughout the day come together in a multi-media show, presented by the artists and children.

This event is free and no booking is needed. Children under 12 need to be accompanied by an adult.

supported by

wild flower planting and more…

Sunday 30 September 2012, from 3pm until 10pm

Celebrate wildflowers and urban meadows at the Garden this weekend and help the River of Flowers launch a new “East London River of Flowers”. The new ‘River’ will wind along from Hackney to Tower Hamlets, starting with the meadow being created at the Dalston Eastern Curve Garden, via the meadows of Homerton Station and Mile End Park and ending at Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park. East Londoners, bees and other insect pollinators will all benefit from the wildflower plantings.

Sunday’s ‘Urban Meadows Festival’ will start at 3pm, when children and parents can join in sowing wildflower seedballs donated by SEED:Ball and Urban Meadow Kits from River of Flowers, before enjoying a “meadow full of magical folktales from around the world” with Sonia Caller, local story-teller.

Then from 5-7pm there will be a series of talks in the Garden’s Pineapple House, introduced by Kathryn Lwin, founder of River of Flowers. Anna Evely, founder of project MAYA, and the newly founded SEED:Ball will discuss ‘Urban meadows: connecting the city to the country’. Dalston Resident Russell Miller of the Tree Musketeers, will talk about Trees in Cities. Sue Phillips, founder and Chair of ‘Friends of Homerton Station’, will tell the story of London’s first wildflower station, before journalist Alison Benjamin, co-founder of ‘Urban Bees’ and co-author of: ‘Keeping Bees and Making Honey’, ‘A World Without Bees’, and ‘Bees in the City”, brings the talks to an end.

A Wild Art exhibition will be on show for the day, featuring works by Tracey Bush, Kathryn Corlett, Sharon Dewhirst, Lisa Marie Grigsby and Sophie Housley

The Festival will end with live music from 7-10pm with Nicolette, Greg Hall, Light Falls Forward and Sea Stacks.

This event is free but donations welcome, all contributions raised will go towards creating more urban meadows.

www.riverofflowers.org