Sampling 2010

Hello folks and belated new year's greetings from all the Sampler collective.
2010 looks like it's going to be another fun packed year of experimenting and collaboration.  All being well we start the year with launching the sampler section of the V&A website, then working with students from the BA Embroidery course at Manchester Metropolitan University and the Whitworth Art Gallery, followed by a project with Tunbridge Wells Museum and Art Gallery working with young people in the area exloring the museum's amazing collection of Tunbridge Ware, then in early summer we hope to bring together all the collaborators from the UK, Romania and Turkey for the first workshop and performance in Bucharest.  My next post will be a round up of my trip to Turkey last year.

If that wasn't enough we're starting to explore connections for a collaboration in India.

Speaking of which, last week I had a brilliant catch up with Jason before he headed off to India to take part in the Jaipur International Heritage Festival.  Here's a fantastic clip of Jason and Morchang player Raies Khan performing last year at Jodhpur RIFF.
As Jason and I chatted about ideas and aspirations for the sampler project over the next year, we talked about social events that bring people together through song, music, poetry and dance focussed around textiles. Jason then introduced me to the amazing film Latcho Drom, which through music and song, follows the Roma communities of India, Egypt, Turkey, Hungary, Romania and Spain.  A hugely inspiring, uplifting, challenging, upsetting, thought provoking and powerful film.