Community cafe in Alfreton develops artistic talent

Authorities and supporters celebrate the success of the the MADE@No.18 community driven cafe project at number 18, Church Street Alfreton. — Authorities and supporters celebrate the success of the the [email protected] community driven cafe project at number 18, Church Street Alfreton.

[email protected] is a community-driven project with a cafe at 18 Church Street, Alfreton, which was dreamt up by Alfreton-born academic David Taylor last summer to mentor and support artistic talent.

Phase two of the project includes plans for a community room at the back of the cafe for theatre space and phase three includes plans to increase the floor space of the cafe.

[email protected] spokesman Bruce Swanwick said: “To ensure success, David enlisted the help of local people and invested his own money to fund the initial phase.

“David embarked on the creation of a cafe as a business venture where people could enjoy good food, coffee, tea and talk together in surroundings which reflected all concepts of creative arts.”

The community room plan will be used for meetings and theatre space for performers, dancers, musicians and for all aspects of filming.

And plans to expand the cafe could include the rental of nearby buildings. Plans are also being considered to form a committee.

Bruce added that funders and supporters are being sought and they will help to provide a massive investment in the future of young people.

David came up with the MADE tag so performances or any form of work produced under the project can be signed off as ‘Made in Alfreton, Derbyshire, England’.

The project reflects all concepts of creative arts including paintings, jewellery, photography, music, pottery, writing, poetry, dance, film, life drawing, community events, readings and talks.

The cafe opened in October, 2014, and sessions including life drawing, music evenings, creative writing, Spanish and dance have been a resounding success.

The success of [email protected] arts cafe project was acknowledged this month as part of The Mighty Creatives’ East Midlands EMerge Day celebrations which host and encourage art festivals across the region.

The Cafe hosted a gathering of EMerge Day art and craft supporters on February 14 including Amber Valley Borough Councillors and Ripley Town Councillors and MADE Theatre Youth Ambassadors

Those invited included Cllr John and Angela Walker, the Mayor & Mayoress of Amber Valley Borough Council, Cllr Gail Dollman, the Mayor of Alfreton Town Council and her son Joseph. Others included Cllr Marlene Bennett MBE and Cllr Roland and Sheila Emmas-Williams, the Mayor and Consort of Ripley Town Council.