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LATEST UPDATES FROM THE ARTS SOCIETY THE ARTS SOCIETY NEWSNEW ERA MARKED BY CLAPHAM COMMONA historical moment for The Arts Society was marked in March when The Arts Society Clapham Common became the first local branch to carry the new name and branding. National Chairman June Robinson presided over the inaugural proceedings at the Clapham Picturehouse, welcoming Gena Gilbert as the Chairman. There was a good turnout, including the Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Wandsworth. Promotional banners showing the new logo were accompanied by badges for members and programme flyers. Anthony Penrose was selected as the lecturer. His talk ‘The boy who bit Picasso’ provided a very entertaining and multi-faceted exploration of life with his parents Roland Penrose and Lee Miller, and included intimate familial photos of himself and Picasso.theartssociety.org/claphamcommonVOLUNTEERING CHAMPIONS HONOURED AT AGMThe outstanding contributions by The Arts Society volunteers nationwide were highlighted at the national AGM in Birmingham on 17 May. The winners of the Marsh Awards for Volunteering with The Arts Society are either individuals or groups, chosen because of their dedication and achievements in a variety of different disciplines. For Church Recording, the winner was Shelagh Townsend-Rose, Church Recording area representative for the Scotland & Northern Ireland Area; Pamela Parker, group leader of the Cirencester DFAS Church Recorders, was highly commended. In Children’s Trails, Liz Dancey, a member of the national team, was the winner. Judith Al-Seffar from the Parks & Gardens team won the Heritage Volunteering award, with Stirling DFAS taking the group award for the category. Richard Bradley, the Young Arts representative for Moor Park DFAS, won the Young Arts award. New this year was a category to recognise the work of volunteers in local society committees – Sandwich Evening DFAS was the winner because its team revitalised the society thanks to their innovative approach.YOUNG BIRMINGHAM ARTISTS MAKE THEIR MARKBudding artists from Birmingham have been highlighted with a competition arranged by The Arts Society West Midlands Area to celebrate the fact it is hosting the national AGM. Make your Mark was launched in October 2015, and ten local societies actively encouraged their nearby upper schools and colleges. In total, 38 pieces of work from 13 schools and colleges were submitted.A reception was held on 15 May at the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA) Gallery to honour the 14 shortlisted works and winners, as chosen by judges Robert Neil, RBSA president, honorary curator of the RBSA Paul Hipkiss and glass artist Charlotte Hughes-Martin. Make your Mark continues until 27 May at the RBSA Gallery, 4 Brook Street, Birmingham.westmidlands.nadfas.netA TASTE OF THE ARTS SOCIETY – IN MALAYSIAThe Arts Society’s first presence in Asia is providing a good taste of what we offer by combining talks with local highlights. It is hoped that this will build enough interest to create The Arts Society Penang in George Town on Penang Island, Malaysia – a UNESCO World Heritage site that boasts a rich multicultural heritage.Thanks to the efforts of the committee, taster events have been popular. The Arts Society lecturer Lars Tharp’s talk on Hogarth and an ‘Art, Spices and Poison Garden’ tour even attracted people from Kuala Lumpur, 180 miles away. Most recently, there have been two talks on consecutive nights by The Arts Society lecturer Sandy Burnett, supported by financial services companies Infinity Solutions and Tilney.penangdfas.nadfas.netTRAVEL AFFILIATE NEWS: TAUCK Tauck will be doubling its small ship cruising capacity next year and introducing a new Cuban tour. By linking with French-owned cruise line Ponant, Tauck can offer a cruise to Iceland aboard a luxury mega-yacht, creating a seven-night holiday that combines picturesque fishing villages with the delights of Reykjavik.A three-masted yacht, Le Ponant, will be used for a ten-day journey to Cuba exploring the coastal gems between Havana and Santiago de Cuba. The tour includes visits to some of Ernest Hemingway’s former haunts, and dining experiences with Cuban families.“We’re destination explorers at Tauck and some destinations are best explored by both land and sea,” said Jennifer Tombaugh, President of Tauck. tauck.co.uk1 (Left to right) The Arts Society Clapham Common Chairman Gena Gilbert with National Chairman June Robinson and membership director James Wilkins at the society's inauguration2 Le Ponant, the three-masted yacht that will take travellers to Cuba with Tauck3 Sandwich Evening DFAS members4 Liz Dancey from the Childrens’ Trails team5 Richard Bradley from Moor Park DFAS6 Judith Al-Seffar from Parks & Gardens7 Stirling DFAS Heritage Volunteers8 Paul Moody, Sandie Lenton and Lars Tharp in George Town, Penang66NEWSThe Arts Society ReviewSummer 2017