This was the first Street Scenes date for Bethnal Green where there was ample space for our little bunch of oddities.
On the street we pitched: face painter on one side, the letter writing spot under a tree, patch workshop two metres up and a selection of illustrated nursery rhymes dangling from branches to be had by anyone wanting one.
It was small but sweet enough to attract a variety of passers-by to enquire and enlist.
One man sat at the letter-writing spot and crafted an extraordinary letter to his old friend Sam.
The page, tilted to landscape orientation, was energetically carved into varying sections, each with a different tone.
In one, he wrote like a man making heart-felt gestures to a long-lost, in another he wrote like a maddened cynic who’d been had by a cult of street urchins.
Arrows, illustrations and notes related the various sections as a tapestry of attitudes exploded from the page.
We were struck and delighted by the man’s remarkable technique, pledging thereby to include more arrows, lines and loops in future messaging of our own.
Others also took the opportunity to write to neglected relatives and old friends. I report gladly that we opened a portal of tender, inky communication.
The patch workshop was a marvel of adorable fabrics, pockets waiting for hosts, and a pin cushion bursting to thread them all to new people. The needle-mistress summoned folk over to have their garments remade.
Elbows were reinforced, lapels recoloured and streaks of colour appeared everywhere on the night. Patches make people very chuffed indeed.
All the while, Artie busied away with his ‘visage emulsions’, displaying the full range of his face colouring talents.
Perhaps most charming was a little red teapot which sat poised to receive tears just under Tim’s right eye.
Forward thinking face-painting. Expect to see Artie colouring more than just faces at coming events.
This was a lively and enjoyable Street Scenes. New scenes were tried out and the repertoire grows for our future interactions. Let’s have you for the next!