Get yourself a copy of ‘Anthropology’ – CoolTan Arts’ Poetry Book!

It’s now available on Amazon, make sure you get one for yourself and for friends. It’s a lovely Christmas present, at the bargain price of £5.99

 Between the front and back cover of this book, 24 genius poets of our time catwalk their poetry.

This is one of the most important poetry books of the first ten years of the 21^st century. Every poem in it is packed with art, meaning and social comment that would be landmark in literature.

This is *not* a book about mental illness, but rather one that reflects a full range of experience and of poetic styles: there’s really something for everyone in it.

At the same time, it does not shy away from any subject matter, and while one of our poets has been censored to read one of their poems, we believe strongly that everything, no matter how raw, is valid material for poetry, and can be shared and related to by others.

The books are available on sale for a price of £5.99 plus post and packaging from the office of CoolTan Arts

Now available online on Amazon!

Express yourself! Learn new skills and make new friends in a safe, supportive atmosphere …

We have two new weekly workshops starting in February:

Women’s Poetry
Thursdays 11am – 1pm
Starting February 2nd
An informal experimental workshop to get you going with that spark you always knew you had. The group will be working towards a publication in 2012. Beginners and published poets welcome.

Women’s IT
Wednesdays 11am – 1pm
Starting February 1st
Learn new computer skills or brush up on old ones. The group will be working on producing an illustrated book. Learn Photoshop, Office Word and Internet skills. Learn at your own pace, learn what you feel comfortable with.

At CoolTan Arts…
WOMENS’ I.T. Wednesdays 1.30 – 3.30pm

Learn Computer skills or brush up on old ones. The group will be working on creating a book with illustrations. You can learn Photoshop, Office word, and internet skills. Learn at your own pace, learn what you feel comfortable with.

WOMEN’S POETRY Thursdays 2.25 – 4.25pm

Come and join this new, fun and friendly class, whether you are a published poet or never scribbled a line, learn to appreciate poetry, and produce your own creative writing in a safe and supportive environment.

Workshops start 3rd Week of October 2011, but you can join after this date.

Wednesday 20 July at the South London Gallery. The Clore Studio at South London Gallery was buzzing with excitement. A diverse group of around 50 people, sharing a common interest in CoolTan gather in the Gallery’s studio to listen to a sound scape and to witness the premiere of the documentary on the Largactyl Shuffle Walks “Innovation in Mad Culture”,  funded by Heritage Lottery Fund and the Mayor’s Story of London.

The sound scape presented consisted of sounds recorded at July’s Largactyl Shuffle Literary Walk created in collaboration with sound artist Isa Suarez.

Read and download the full review here.

CoolTan Books launches ‘Anthropology’ – CoolTan Arts’ Poetry Book is born

It’s now available on Amazon, make sure you get one for yourself and for friends. It’s a lovely Christmas present, at the bargain price of £5.99

CoolTan Arts had a public launch of the Anthropology at the Liberty festival at The Trafalgar Square on 4^th of September.

Between the front and back cover of this book, 24 genius poets of our time catwalk their poetry.

This is one of the most important poetry books of the first ten years of the 21^st century. Every poem in it is packed with art, meaning and social comment that would be landmark in literature.

This is *not* a book about mental illness, but rather one that reflects a full range of experience and of poetic styles: there’s really something for everyone in it.

At the same time, it does not shy away from any subject matter, and while one of our poets has been censored to read one of their poems, we believe strongly that everything, no matter how raw, is valid material for poetry, and can be shared and related to by others.

The books are available on sale for a price of £5.99 plus post and packaging from the office of CoolTan Arts

Now available online on Amazon!

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Click here to read the Original article (pg 4) on South London Press

If Philip K Dick, Isaac Asimov, or George Orwell saw the world now, a world born from the pages of their electric futures that they so vividly predicted, they might feel slightly nauseous. Great Briton has become an island of dystopian distrust and double edged support networks, one hand feeding whilst the other takes away. Science fiction doesn’t get much richer than this and our country has been crafted into the perfect backdrop for the oncoming enactment of Orwell’s 1984.

A sentimental blues?

CoolTan Arts’ response to ‘Depression? It’s just the new trendy illness!’ by Janet Street Porter, Daily Mail 19^th May 2010.

If you have a problem, talking – or writing – helps. Bottling up concerns and anxieties is damaging. Having a better grasp on the facts and a heightened social awareness of mental distress is a key step in moving forward and finding positive ways to ease the suffering experienced by a growing amount of people.

Janet Street Porter recently branded a number of middle class women of exploiting experiences of depression, when arguably they should be understood.

Alternative adj. relating to activities that depart from or challenge traditional norms

By Martin Walsh

Photograph © See Li Click here for more images

“Scottish weave like we’ve never seen it before”

CoolTan Arts graced the catwalk at the Alternative Fashion Show in Old Spitalfields Market on a promising and sun kissed afternoon, celebrating the alternative and debuting their latest collection, Twisted Tartan.

The Alternative Fashion Show exists for individuals, groups and charities who might usually fall by the wayside in the cut throat and competitive world of fashion.

By Liz Scott

The Largactyl Shuffle, one of London’s Top Ten Walks as voted by Timeout magazine, took to the streets of Southwark on Saturday 21^st November with an All Saint’s Day theme. Run by CoolTan Arts, the walk is as much of a journey into Southwark’s past as a celebration of mental well-being and how this can be promoted through art, exercise and history.

The walk takes its name from the side effects caused by an anti-psychotic drug used to treat mental illness. Southwark has a legacy of mental health and the starting point for the walk was Maudsley Hospital in Denmark Hill, the first purpose-built psychiatric hospital for treatment and research.

The side effects of antipsychotic drugs are well documented but did you know there are some which disproportionately affect women? And that these can include infertility, premature ageing and reduced libido?

Last week’s episode of All in the Mind on Radio 4 explored some of the more surprising side effects of antipsychotics.  The programme featured a candid interview with Sabita, a 57 year old woman who’d been taking antipsychotics since the early 1980s.  She’d suffered worryingly irregular periods, loss of libido and had recently developed osteoporosis.  Sabita felt let down by doctors who hadn’t warned her of any side effects other than weight gain.

by Emma Johnston, volunteer at CoolTan Arts.

The news from a recent survey, published in the Guardian (Mind over matter – January 20^th 2009), that over half of UK employers would not employ someone with a known mental disorder, may come as no surprise to those involved in the sector.

The Mental Health Foundation states that one in four people will suffer from some form of diagnosable mental health problem within their lifetime. That’s one person not so far down your construction line, around your work station or across your boardroom.  So how do these conflicting statistics add up?

by Graham Peacock, volunteer at CoolTan Arts

The Largactyl Shuffle is a history walk taking place once a month, organised by Cooltan Arts. On the 11^th October 2008 a sponsored version of the walk took place to coincide with World Mental Health Day. I was one of the sponsored walkers. The route followed that day was the same as the history walks. It winds its way from the starting point at the Maudsley Hospital through a maze of backstreets and squares to the river by Southwark Cathedral and on, the short distance to the Tate Modern. A distance of about four miles.

by Peter Cox, CoolTan workshop participant

Five of us met outside the Maudsley Hospital in Denmark Hill from 12 noon. Ari, our guide for part of the walk, told us about the history behind the hospital which opened in 1923 and was founded by Henry Maudsley ( 1835-1918 ), a distinguished and wealthy psychiatrist. A nearby road, De Crespigny Park, is named after an 18^th century family home which was visited by Boswell, biographer of Dr. Johnson.

Ari told us of the origin of the word Camberwell- a place with a well for poor or broken people.