RASAG Did Lunch!

Yesterday was  a very early start for the RASAG hardcore who were on BBC Radio Sheffield at 7.40 am – it was very rainy and things weren’t looking great for picnicing outdoors!  Check us out at 1 hr 40 here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p008swzd/Sunday_Breakfast_18_07_2010/

However things started to look up when we were offered a room in doors for our picnic and nine RASAG members turned out to help with the cooking and cleaning – which was brilliant!

Some of the spread and the first lunchers!

We were also supported by some of my Learn For Life ESOL learners who brought along food and leant a hand.

There were queues out of the door and the room was full!

Everyone enjoyed the food and after an hour and a half it was all gone – we think we fed about 200 people!  we put the Legends display up in the room and we got lots of feedback about that.

Everyone had a great day – another successful RASAG event!

RASAG crew!

We also took the opportunity to collect signitures for Lemlem – we got about 120 and the petitions have been dropped at the Law centre today.  We had an emmotional phonecall from Lemlem as we were preparing the food in the morning and it was horribly clear that she should have been there with us, enjoying the day and getting involved with the community, instead of locked up and terrified.  Please sign Lemlem’s petition at

http://www.gopetition.co.uk/petition/37793/sign.html#se

City of Sanctuary and Roundabout Homeless Charity had displays at the event and it was great to see Side By Side performing Communicatease again…  This was a very successful case of refugee and asylum seeker activities being combined with a wider community event…  The RASAG aim in action!

Big Lunch!

Picnic fun by Jody Dorling

http://jddesign.yolasite.com/

The Sharrow Flea Market, Big Lunch and Chef of the Year Competition is almost here!  On Sunday 18th July RASAG will be holding an Eden Project Big Lunch at the Old Junior School, South View Road, Sharrow from 12-5pm.  Everyone’s welcome to come along, bring a picnic and enjoy the entertainments!http://www.thebiglunch.com/map/event.php?id=303b852f10a6dae210eceb97260f5792

http://www.facebook.com/katelyn.mckeown#!/event.php?eid=113963548647447

We will be providing a range of entertainments for the whole family to enjoy…  Sharrow Sure Start will be providing a craft table where younger children can enjoy making picnic and market stall themed collages throughout the day .  Musical Works will be putting on an African Drumming Workshop aimed at 8-13 year olds, but that the whole family can enjoy together between 2.30 and 3.30.  We will also have an open mike area for the grown ups to show us what they can do!

Elsewhere on the site the postponed Sharrow Chef of the Year (organised by Sharrow Shipshape) will take place between 12.30 -2.30 and local chefs will give cookery demonstrations and hand out samples.  http://www.sheffieldfoodfestival.com/event/sharrow-chef-of-the-year-rained-off-today/

At 4PM Side-by-Side theatre company wil be putting on a performance of “Comunicatease” in the main hall.  http://www.eventsheffield.co.uk/event/14990/communicatease-a-play-by-side-by-side-intercultural-drama

The flea market, that will mainly be made up of second hand stalls and car boots will take place between 11-3 pm.   Contact Jonathan on 01142508384 to book a super cheap stall – brand new stalls also welcome!

Pack up a picnic blanket and something to nibble – or just come along anyway!  Samples and salads will be handed out for free and there will also be food available to buy from local stallholders on the day!

Festival Legends

Six members of RASAG turned out on Saturday to perform at Gleadless Valley International Festival and Sharrow Fringe Festival.   We entertained festival goers with varied content including our resident Iranian artist’s “Hello Salaam” song which calls for Freedom for everyone and a sad story which ends with the teller being left in the middle of nowhere with a dead child in a suitcase…

Performing at Sharrow Festival

At both festivals the MC’s introduction left alot to be desired, but we attracted a respectable ammount of people and made it clear who we were, what the aim of our group was, that we were funded by Summer of Sanctuary and what that initiative is all about.

As usual, Firas was the star of the group, telling his own stories with confidence and ease.  Everyone put in a great performance however, joining in the singing and drumming and supporting each other on the stage.  It was great to see colleagues and students from Learn For Life where the RASAG group formed supporting us in the crowd.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Learn-for-Life-Enterprise/37068300402?ref=ts

These performances have taken us to the end of our Summer of Sanctuary funding which has been used very successfully to engage over 20 refugees and asylum seekers over the entire project, with at least 15 more expressing an interest in taking part but not being able to this time around.  Out of the 15 expected to attend the workshop nine made it on the day made up of six men and three women and a fabulous seven different nationalities.  Only one of the workshop attendees never performed and this was very understandable due to immigration issues – he told me he had cried when he saw the pictures of performances that he had not been able to attend and he was truly missed on every occassion that we performed.  However, as we accomadated people who had not been able to attend the workshop but wanted to be involved in performances, we had 11 different performers over our seven performances – a very pleasing turnout!

Legends has acheived a lot on many different levels, but the most notable and pleasing changes in the participants are the unquantifiable “soft skills” – from responding to the compere at the Assist Concert shouting “how are you feeling?” with “Confident!”, to a member who felt isolated realising that he now has friends – these things may not be measurable, but they are so valuable.

The Legends exhibition will be available to view at the RASAG Big Lunch which is happening on 18th July at the Sharrow Old Junior School in collaboration with the Summer Flea Market and Sharrow Chef of the Year – more on that to follow soon.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=113963548647447&ref=ts

Details of both the RASAG Big Lunch and the overall event can be found on page 11 of July’s Sharrow Today.

http://www.sharrowcf.org.uk/sharrow-today

Performances and picnic

Legends storytelling group will be performing at

Heeley Festival Sat, 19/06/2010 all day in a gazebo

One World Over Sat, 19/06/2010 – 19:00 – 22:00. In Aid of ASSIST, at the Montgomery Hall, Surrey St (by the big wheel)

Central Library Surrey Street, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S1 1XZ, 12.30 – 1.30 Mon 28/06/2010

Ecclesall Library 120 Ecclesall Road South, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S11 9PL, 5.30 – 6.30 Mon 28/06/2010

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=113963548647447&ref=ts#!/group.php?gid=105594016150685&ref=ts

The RASAG/Big Lunch picnic will now be held at Sharrow Summer Flea Market, Old Junior School, South View Road Sheffield S7 1DB on 12 – 5 pm, 18/07/2010

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=113963548647447&ref=ts