Secret Cinema... tell no one!

Here at FOCUS we love experiencing all that London has to offer. This year is no exception and Alessandra has chosen a special treat for the staff: Secret Cinema. 

 “Secret Cinema is a growing community of all that love cinema and experiencing the unknown. Secret audience. Secret film. Secret location. Secret worlds.”   It is a different way of watching films. You sign up for an event and all you know is the date and time of the event. You do not know what you will watch and what the experience will be. You are then sent an invitation with some instructions including the address and the dress code. Ours was a Court Summons from the State of Oak Hampton and we needed to wear suits. This was all we knew and all I can say (it is a secret after all!).

The producers re-create the environment of the selected film and the attention to detail is simply amazing. We spent 2 – 3 hours in that staged set and all of our senses were stimulated. There were actors guiding us through the experience (though we were not always sure who was an actor and who was a fellow participant!).  Food and drinks were available and were also in tune with the theme.

The event finished with the screening of the film. It is only then that it all makes sense. The film we watched is one my favourites. I had already seen it quite a few times, but I must say that it just felt completely different to watch it this time. It was almost as if I understood what they were feeling and living in the film.

For an even more complete experience, there was also a Secret Restaurant and a Secret Hotel to complement the evening.

A few tips:

- You may not end your evening where you started.

- Follow the dress code instructions and do not hesitate to wear a coat to and from the event. Thermals keep you warm.  Cycling/ running trousers with a concealed zipper pocket are also good.

- Be open-minded and ready for the unknown!

The new Secret Cinema 020 production will take place in April/May 2013 in London and for the first time in Athens and New York. London sessions are already sold out! Register your interest on their website to learn first about other productions (or in case more dates are added!)

by Ana Beatriz Alencar

PS: The 19th Secret Cinema season has finished and  I can now reveal that the film was 'The Shawshank Redemption.' After court, we were all sentenced to prison and had to change from our nice suits into prison clothes. Life in prison was tough, but fun. You can see more of the production pictures here. 

Visit the FOCUS website www.focus-info.org 

The London International Gallery of Children’s Art (LIGCA)

London is a very diverse city, where art and culture from many different countries are interrelated and celebrated in various forms. Since moving here I have always been fascinated by it, and I’m grateful to have been involved for a long time now with a charity that is definitely part of all this: The London International Gallery of Children’s Art.

The London International Gallery of Children’s Art (LIGCA) is devoted to art produced by children from around the world. Its aims are to celebrate the creativity of young people and promote international understanding and awareness through cultural exchange.

For over 16 years LIGCA has been able to hold a wide range of exhibitions, some on loan from other organizations, some commissioned by LIGCA.    It has worked in partnership with such respected organizations as Citigroup, Unicorn Theatre, Leonard Cheshire Trust for the Disabled, Royal Academy of Art, UN High Commission for Refugees, and the Chinese and Mexican embassies in London.  Exhibitions have come from many parts of the world, including Britain.

I really enjoy being part of this very international group of people: volunteers and trustees come from different continents bringing their unique skills and experiences to the community.

Through the exhibitions I have had the opportunity to learn about different cultures in a very special way. The possibility to see through the eyes, mind, heart and art of children is a special gift. One of the exhibitions that struck me was ‘Far from Homeland’ where children who were victims of the conflict in the former Yugoslavia conveyed what life was like for them in a refugee centre. I remember one artwork in particular where the scenery changed from coloured to black and white and everything was destroyed after the passage of an airplane and its bombs.

Unfortunately at the end of 2011 LIGCA lost the gallery space, but the trustees have decided to continue the charity mission by establishing an Art Education Fellowship Award, while they are still pursuing the idea of finding a new gallery space.

£3,000 will be awarded to an individual or a group of individuals to design a project that will advance the cause of international understanding through the medium of children’s art as a reference point.  The objective of the project is to develop an educational experience in conjunction with a school or community based organization working with children and young people. 

Are you interested? Do you know anyone that might be? Please visit www.ligca.org for more details.

by Paola Longobardi 

Visit the FOCUS website www.focus-info.org 

Salmon fishing in ....Devon!

My husband has been going trout fishing for a few years and quite enjoys discovering new places where to practise this passion. So he got very excited when, through some Italian friends (yes, the Italian network is always very powerful!), he met an English couple who, not only enjoy fishing, but also belong to a fishing club. There you go! We were, to my great joy, invited to a salmon fishing weekend in Devon. He had never done salmon fishing so of course he was thrilled. 

We left on a Friday at midday and after a nearly 4 -hour drive we arrived in the stunning county of Devon. The river where he was supposed to fish is the river Tamar and it’s truly beautiful. Unfortunately, it had been raining heavily during the previous days resulting in the river being very high making the fishing particularly challenging, even for the most experienced fisherman. We did see a few salmon jumping in the water but nobody caught any fish. 

It was very nice to meet such keen fishermen and fisherwomen and to experience a quintessential British weekend! In fact, a part from learning to wade and properly cast, the highlight of the weekend was the social part of it. All of these people come together once a year for the last weekend of the fishing season but since they have known each other for years, the atmosphere is extremely friendly and relaxed. 

The base of the club is the Endsleigh Hotel, once a country house of the Duke of Bedford, and now a stunning hotel that feels more like somebody’s home. Big fireplaces were warming up the various sitting rooms exquisitely decorated by Olga Polizzi, the younger sister of Sir Rocco Forte. The Endsleigh fishing club was celebrating its 50^th anniversary so we enjoyed a couple of special dinners including a black tie one. The food was very good (which counts double if it comes from an Italian!) and the company even better. I was lucky to meet many extraordinary people and for the first time in my life even a 007!

by Alessandra Gnudi

Visit the FOCUS website www.focus-info.org 

A sense of national pride

I call London home and I even found myself cheering for the UK athletes at the Olympics, willing them to stand proud on the medal table. Having said that, I am still very much an American at heart.  This sense of National pride was never more alive than on Tuesday evening when I was lucky enough to be one of nearly 1200 guests who had gathered for the election night party at the American Embassy. 

The anticipation leading up to this event was great.  The election seemed to capture the interest of many from all parts of the world.  With all eyes already on one of the closest contests in the US ‘s history, the natural disaster on the east coast seemed to compound the attention heaped on this epic showdown. My excitement built as the evening approached.

 

The American Embassy was transformed from a place of business, queues and passport renewal angst to a welcoming venue hosting an exceptional party. There was never a better excuse to celebrate being an American and being a part of a country that values democracy and the freedom to dream of achieving great things. We were graciously welcomed by the Ambassador, Louis B. Sussman, and led by Russell Watson singing the national anthem. The party evolved as the evening progressed and the guests were allowed to roam freely between the grand reception lobby, the media centre filled with US networks covering the election and the Regal Eagle pub offering McDonald’s, drinks and Starbucks coffee for those who needed a shot of Americana or a caffeine boost to make it to the early hours of the morning. 

 

I, unfortunately, didn’t make it to the early hours, when the winner was eventually announced. Instead I was awakened by my son with the results.  It is difficult to convey how special it was to be at the American Embassy for this historic event.  I was happily reminded of my roots! 

by Nancy Dickinson

Visit the FOCUS website: www.focus-info.org

Mind the deer!

Some people lose weight during the summer, but I’m not one of those people. All the lovely BBQ parties and a few too many cocktails and glasses of wine have not done me any good. Every autumn when I have to change from summer dresses to jeans, I notice that my jeans have shrunk at least one size since spring. So, I start a new life! I must say that I envy people who like to run. I just hate it! I will start to pant after 100 metres, my face goes so red that I will scare people around me and my heart rate goes so high that I nearly faint. I must admit, running just isn’t my thing.

I love walking though. I decided to start with Nordic Walking which is even better than just walking because you have the poles in your hand and it provides even better exercise. Nordic Walking is not very popular in this country. Every time I go for a walk somebody asks me where my skis are, or haven’t I noticed that there isn’t any snow etc. I laugh and pretend that I haven’t heard the joke before.

 

I like to go walking in the morning after I have sent my children to school. I’m lucky because I live in Richmond and there is no better place for a nice walk than in Richmond Park. I love the fresh morning air, the sun peeking at you behind the trees and of course – the famous deer who live in the park. I have missed so many wonderful photos, because I have not got my camera with me. So, one morning I decided to take my camera with me. I must say, because I got carried away with all the lovely shots I took, I almost forgot that I was there for exercising!

Suddenly I saw a big herd of male deer with huge antlers standing close to me. I grabbed my camera once again, threw my poles on the ground and started to take photos of the deer. They just stood there and ate grass. They looked so majestic and peaceful. I was so excited and happy when suddenly they started to fight. 

Just in front of me, the two of them put their horns together with a big bang and pushed each other. My knees turned to jelly! I grabbed my poles and tried to get away from them as quickly as I could. I even thought that because of my poles, they may think that I’m some sort of an animal and they could attack me. I think I have never been so scared in my life. All the way to the park gates my only thought was where to I escape if they would start to attack me. Luckily for me, they did not.

I still get a shiver when I think about it. You must be very careful with deer during the autumn because it is their mating season and they might be very aggressive. Although they are used to people around them, they are still wild animals. I’m still going to the park for Nordic Walking, but I now keep my distance from the deer!

by Eva Unt

Visit the FOCUS website www.focus-info.org