Recent updates
The latest news from our projects
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We're edging closer to our Goal...
An update for Bon Jardin Dog Rescue, Thailand
Sep 11 2017
Super-excited to say we've now hit our £10,000 mark, which means we're almost 1/3 of the way to hitting our overall target!!
Each and everyone of you who has made a contribution has our huge thanks and gratitude; with your help we really can make a difference and help 1,000s more Dogs on the streets of Thailand.
Please do share our campaign and Social Media pages with your friends and family, if you have a chance
https://www.facebook.com/bonjardindrc
https://www.instagram.com/bonjardindrc
Thank you so much!!
Bon Jardin Dog Rescue Team
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The final call.. no really.. this IS the final call!
An update for St George's Bristol Crowdfund
Sep 8 2017
Having lived and breathed our Building a Sound Future campaign, along with all of you, for the last 3+ years it seems almost counter intuitive to issue a final call for support .. but this really is it!
The full extended target of £6.3M has been met, all 100 roundels of our Apollo campaign have been sponsored and the final piece of the jigsaw, this crowdfund appeal, which launched on November 28 last year, will close on September 29 this year!
Thanks to all of your incredible support over the last 10 months this campaign alone has raised £62,624 of actual cash donations, matched 100% by our generous crowdfund backers, and with an additional £12,595 of gift aid, so contributing a whopping £137,843 to the overall appeal.
While we still have funds to raise (we will always have funds to raise!), we felt a clear end point to be essential, and what better way to welcome artists, audiences, students and all visitors back to St George's for the new season ahead than with the incredibly exciting news that the Appeal is absolutely and finally complete!
Building works will continue through the Autumn, but with the hall intact, we are able to present a full programme of concerts throughout the Autumn. When you arrive for concerts you will see significant progress on all fronts - the new extension is now rapidly taking shape, the crypt works are well advanced as are the stonework restoration works to the front pennant steps and boundary walls.
The £6.3M raised covers the completion of all of these essential works. What it doesn't completely cover are all of the finishing touches and final fit out of all the wonderful new flexible spaces which will be such a feature of the new St George's once we unveil the new extension and officially relaunch the venue in late February 2018.
This final call is set to raise a final £10,000 to contribute towards those finishing touches - from the cost of paint to redecorate the hall, new window blinds, new orchestra chairs and a new lighting desk and pa system are some of the bigger items on that list. We are seeking support from local and national companies to help with in-kind sponsorship, and if you can continue to share the campaign right up to our close date in just 3 weeks, we are sure to get there, and to reach a very respectable £150,000 final total for this, our very first crowdfund appeal.
Here are just a few recent images of how the building works for the new extension over the summer closure period have already transformed the space:
Elevation from Great George Street
The position of the glass ceiling corridor linking the new extension to the main building, and the first floor slab of the new extension now in place.
Thanks to each and every one of you for all of your contributions to enabling this transformative development project to go ahead, and if you can help us reach this final, final target (we promise!) and round off the crowdfund at £150K that would be just amazing.
We draw the winner of the Golden Ticket (entry still available for all new £100 donations!) at the first concert of the new season, the Brodsky Quartet, on September 29, where we will officially declare the overall Appeal target met and this crowdfund appeal closed.
Thank you again for all your support and look forward to welcoming you all back here very soon.
ps. The opportunity to name a chair in the auditorium remains, and still features as our £250 pledge reward!!
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Have you received your reward?
An update for Upfest 2017 - Street Art & Graffiti Festival
Sep 8 2017
Hi everyone...
We've a handful of rewards left from this years crowdfunding and after emailing everyone a few times now we're putting a final shout out for those who haven't yet collected or received theres to get in contact. Please email Paul@upfest.co.uk
Thanks again foor your support, hopefully we're see you in 2018!
Upfest Crew...
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We just hit our £5,000 mark!!
An update for Bon Jardin Dog Rescue, Thailand
Sep 1 2017
£5,000 Raised in just under 2 weeks!!
Massive thanks once again to all you wonderful people who have kindly donated....
We still have a way to go to hit our target of £35,000 so please get on social media, emails, telephone or any other way you can imagine to spread the word!!
I'll be posting some photographs from Bon Jardin's first official Fundraiser Event last night @ The Hideaway, which was a really fun event and we hope will have brought us closer to our goal. Keep an eye out for these on Facebook.
Huge thanks, let's keep getting the message out there and get to work helping thousands more Thai Street Dogs!
The Bon Jardin Team
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We're off to a flying start!!
An update for Bon Jardin Dog Rescue, Thailand
Aug 28 2017
Dear Dog Lovers,
So we're 1 week into our Crowdfunding project...and what an exciting launch week we had!!
Some wonderful media coverage and interviews, including ITV This Morning, London Live, Mail Online and Sunday Express which gave Bon Jardin Dog Rescue the opportunity to really get the message out there about the importance of our project and why it's so VITAL we raise money to help THOUSANDS more Thai street dogs in desperate need...
A huge thank you to everyone who has generously donated, your contributions really will go a long way.
We still have a long way to go to hit our target of £35,000 so please do take a moment to share our story with the world and encourage everyone you know to get involved and help out if they can...together we really can make a difference!
Here's some links to our media coverage from last week
Sunday Express
ITV This Morning
http://www.itv.com/thismorning/hot-topics/i-quit-my-life-in-london-to-rescue-stray-dogs-in-thailand
Mail Online
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4823052/Stray-puppy-shot-farmer-able-walk-again.html
Once again thank you for your kind contribution and please do share our story far and wide :0)
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Seagull project update
An update for A unique and amazing flock of beautiful friendly seagulls
Aug 15 2017
Hi this project will go ahead as planned..several workshop booked up etc but my lovely dad just died and im having a pause ..so sorry ..I really need extra time to visit potential backers etc and get this going ..so sorry to make you wait !
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You put a smile on a face
An update for A safe haven for refugee and asylum seeking children
Aug 9 2017
"Every child has the right to relax, play and take part in a wide range of cultural and artistic activities". (Article 31, leisure, play and culture, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child)
Your kind donations have allowed us to meet this!
Thanks to your vital support our children are able to continue to come along to the Early Years Project up to 4 times a week. For many of our families, the deep stresses of past trauma and future uncertainty as an asylum seeker can mean that leisure time, play and culture don’t come high on the list of priorities. With your support, we are able to continue to fulfil this article.
Our space provides choices to each and every child. They can follow their own interests, as well as develop new ones. There is time to watch from afar or get ‘stuck in’. We have enough adults to be able to nurture our newer members, it can be hard joining in a new group, even when there a lots of things to play with. A little encouragement is often all it takes to get involved. Watching this transition confirms for us the importance of this time for each child. When our regular children arrive at the Early Years Project, the excitement in their faces at the prospects of the morning tell us that this is not only what they need, but something they enjoy.
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IMPORTANT MESSAGE! Marina Arts Trail - Art collection
An update for Everyone's an Artist! - Marina Arts Trail 2017
Aug 5 2017
Dear Supporter
If you are planning on collecting your reward tomorrow at Hall & Woodhouse tomorrow evening at 7pm, could we please ask you to bring either a print out of the confirmation email OR a screenshot of an email from Fundsurfer containing your username. We will need to see this before we can release the artwork to you tomorrow evening to ensure all artwork reaches its correct owner.
If you are not able to collect your reward tomorrow, please email us at: marinaartstrail@gmail.com and inform us of the following:
Username - Real Name - Delivery Address
We will try to get artwork out to you as soon as possible following the event, but please be patient with us - there is a considerable amount of work involved in ensuring the work gets to you all!
Thank you for supporting your local community!
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Bristol Post article - Monday 31st July 2017
An update for Everyone's an Artist! - Marina Arts Trail 2017
Jul 31 2017
Bristol artist who worked with Coldplay is to spray paint yacht as centrepiece of new art trail
Artist Graham 'Paris' Dews is to spray paint racing yacht at Portishead Marina on Sun 6th August as centrepiece of the Marina Arts Trail 2017
Graham 'Paris' Dews (Image: Graham Paris Dews)A world renowned artist who painted a stage for rock giants Coldplay is to spray paint a racing yacht as the centrepiece of a new arts trail near Bristol.
Bristol-based artist Graham Dews - better known by his graffiti tag name Paris - is to spray paint the 25ft projection 765 racing yacht Banshee II moored at Portishead Marina as the centrepiece of the inaugural Marina Arts Trail in the town.
Mr Dews has collaborated extensively with Coldplay having painted the band's live stage sets as well as working on their videos and designing some of their album artwork.
He has also created large scale pieces for the Glastonbury Festival and London Olympics.
The trail will run on August 5 and 6 at Hall and Woodhouse restaurant and bar on the marina.
Paris at work (Image: Graham Paris Dews)
Mr Dews said: "As the west country is pretty much my second home I'm delighted to be able to help out at this event in Portishead.
"What excites me even more is the nautical link - painting a yacht will be a first for me, and in fact I don't recall ever seeing one spray-painted before...anywhere....ever.
"The nautical link also ties in with my heritage.
"I grew up in Hull on the north east coast, and a distant relative of mine Stephen Dews is a world famous marine artist, creating stunning oil paintings of yachts and maritime scenes.
"I simply can't wait to paint a yacht.
“It is a dream job and at some point in the afternoon I will give a presentation and explain in more detail how I use a spray can and demonstrate a few of my techniques and styles, providing a unique insight into the world class sport of 'Aerosol Art'"
The trail will see 20 members of the public, 20 young people and 20 professional artists painting their own pieces - all inspired by Portishead's marina.
All of the artwork created will be hung around the marina as a pop-up arts trail.
Chris Martin from Coldplay on the stage designed by Paris (Image: Greham Paris Dews)
Mr Dews will give a live presentation at 1pm on Sunday 6th August before setting to work on transforming Banshee II into a sailing work of art.
The event – which will raise money for Portishead Youth Club’s skate park event - has been put together by Portishead Arts, a collective of local creatives led by Luke Palmer, a well-known street artist in his own right.
Having been part of Bristol's emerging street art scene throughout the 90s, Luke has been able to call on the support of numerous graffiti artists.
When Mr Dews agreed to take part, Luke knew that he had to find a canvas which befitted his famous friend's global profile.
He approached the marina's management team who put a call out to berth holders to see if anyone would be willing to let an artist loose on their seagoing pride and joy – and to Luke's surprise, yacht owner Stuart Phipps came forward.
Mr Phipps said: "I have always had an interest in modern contemporary art so when I was contacted about the idea of an artist painting a boat as part of the Marina Art Trail I immediately volunteered my yacht, Banshee II.
"I felt that helping raise funds for the younger members of the community with such a new and fresh approach would help their cause and may inspire them to consider sailing as a hobby.
"I bought the projection 765 yacht to pick up my passion for racing and I intend to race the boat locally as well as entering regional events across the UK.
“Banshee II is a fast sports yacht which can achieve speeds of up to 20 miles an hour which is both exhilarating and challenging to sail.
“I can't wait to see what Paris comes up with and then setting sail, taking his work around the coastline of the UK."
The Marina Arts Trail was dreamt up as a way to boost community engagement in the arts, both as a way of getting local people involved as well as to discover the wealth of talent on their doorstep.
The Marina Arts Trail is in Portshead on August 5 and 6 (Image: Luke Palmer)
To pay for the event, a page has been set up on Fundsurfer.
In return for a pledge £25, sponsors will help to pay for materials, as well as the cost of staging the event.
In return, they'll receive one of the artworks created during the event, which will be selected by a random draw on the Sunday - a unique memento of what the organisers hope will be the first of many such annual Marina Arts Trails.
There are also just three Gold Sponsorship corporate packages available for £500, for which businesses will see their company name and logo featured prominently on the event's publicity and signage.
You can find further information here, please see or contact MarinaArtsTrail@gmail.com
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Half-Way to Reaching Our Target!
An update for Everyone's an Artist! - Marina Arts Trail 2017
Jul 28 2017
Hello Friends
Because of your support - we are half way to reaching our target of £1500! Thank You!!
Could you help us hit the full amount by sharing this campaign with your friends and family?
With contributions of artwork from artists including Xenz, Andy Council, Gina Love, Paris, Dicy, Acerone, Ian Price and Michelle Lucking - this is a golden opportunity to support art, creativity and young people AND win an amazing piece of original artwork!
Our good friend Ba Aji, a graphic designer and street artist from over the bridge got in touch a while back to tell me he wanted to support the project but would be away in Barcelona on the weekend of the Marina Art Trail. He said he had something in mind and took my address... and this morning this arrived
A custom made one-off Portishead skateboard deck! (Yes, you could win this...!)
With just a week to go until the Marina Arts Trail begins, there is a lot happening behind the scenes and we are organising some very special celebrations to accompany the Art Trail on Sunday 6th. All details will be announced over the coming week, so please keep an eye out for emails and FB posts from us as well as in the local press.
We look forward to seeing you next weekend
Luke - Portishead Arts