By: HAA Admin
MINUTES OF THE QUARTERLY MEETING OF HILLINGDON ARTS ASSOCIATION
HELD 16TH JULY 2024 AT THE CIVIC CENTRE, HILLINGDON
1.PRESENT
Lydia Holland, Chair, HH, Hillingdon philharmonic Orchestra
Sylvia Taylor, Trustee. Acting Minutes Secretary, Argosy Players
Sheila Scoates, Trustee U3A Singers
Jenny Thorne, Trustee, Hillingdon and Harrow Embroiderers
Richard Fremantle, Hon. Treasurer
John Scoates, Pastiche Musical Theatre
Olivia Holland, Pastiche Musical Theatre
Matthew Ridley, Pastiche Musical Theatre
Judy Kelly, Ruislip Dramatic Society
Lynne Kaufman, Ruislip lions
Gloria Webb, Voices in Accord
Ron Webb, Voces in Accord
Sheena Rosser, Hillingdon Artists
Jane Craxton, Sine Nominee Singers
Ariane Charleboid, Uxbridge Choral Society
Beinto Ambrose, Pastiche Theatre
Jack Verity, Pastiche Theatre
Joyce Carpenter, Society of Ruislip artists
Barbara Porket Society of Ruislip Artists
2. MINUTES OF THE QUARTERLY MEETING HELD 10TH APRIL 2024
The Minutes were agreed with the following Amendments :
I}The 2025 Agenda for Annual General Meeting should not in future include the statement on the Front Cover that the Combined Arts Exhibition is an HAA Promotion, the Exhibition as it stands was initiated by Sheena Rosser and is managed by Gaye Russell
2} Apologies from Gwen and Ron Webb, Voices in Accord to be included
3} Jenny Thorne, to be amended as member of Hillingdon & Harrow Embroiders Guild and not Town Women’s Guild
4} Hillingdon Choral had held a very successful concert at St Edmunds Church in Northwood, and not Hillingdon Philharmonic Orchestra s recorded in the Minutes
3. REPORTS FROM SOCIETIES
Proscenium. Loss of income and other factors including the Pandemic had adversely affected, the company’s ability to stage four plays a year and events but for the coming year, their Centenary Year 2024/24 It is planned to stage Ladies Day in November, in March there is to be an innovative production of Julius Ceasar, with productions planned for June and November
Uxbridge Choral Society had suffered a loss of members subsequent to the pandemic but have been pleased to recruit 6 new members in the past months, there had been a disappointing response to a recent Concert when only 30 audience members attended. For the future, emphasis is to be placed on the enjoyment of singing together rather than the pressure to perform to an audience. A wider choice of music is planned.
Voices in Accord continue to provide music for charitable causes and have held 4 concerts in the preceding year. Membership is steady at 15 and the company have recently replaced their piano for a keyboard., their old instrument finally retired after 25 years good service.
Pastiche Theatre company have recruited new younger member and their company is doing well. They have a young musical Director, and it is felt by the company that this helps to recruit younger people. Their next show Mixtape is in October.
Ickenham Arts Society need new members as membership has halved since the Pandemic. The society meets in the Ickenham Scout Hut but is finding the escalating cost of demonstrators prohibitive so have had to reduce the number engaged during the year. They have also decided to only hold two exhibitions instead of 4 each year.
Townswomen’s Guild – Increased cost of venues has caused the Guild to look for cheaper premises and Ruislip TWG has now moved to Ickenham with increased membership. Of the local Halls available for hire St Aubin’s in Harrow has proved cheaper than many other halls in Hillingdon and like the Art societies, Teachers for their group meetings are asking for £100 plus travel expenses which is very prohibitive .
Encore Have announced they will no longer be putting on Musicals, which had been their forte in recent years. They will however be staging the 39 Steps in the Autumn.
Argosy Players have found using the Village Hall to be cheaper than the Compass Theatre and have staged Concerts there to raise funds, however a recent production at the Compass of ‘And then there were None’ sold well at the Compass and the Company are looking to stage a Concert in Ickenham Hall in the Autumn. In August a small group of members will be putting on an Outdoor Pop Up panto of Pinocchio at Southlands Arts Centre.
Hillingdon Philharmonic Orchestra put on a very successful concert of Opera music at Winston Churchill Hall, A Classical concert at the United Reform church attracted a very small audience however but Music from America at Winston Churchill proved popular and was attended by over 200 people.. A Piano Concert is planned for 18th November at Northwood College.
Hillingdon U3A Singers continues to meet at Ickenham Reform church and by combining with the U3A Ukelele group are planning a joint Christmas Concert at Christ Church in Uxbridge. Numbers remain low which is a concern.
Hillingdon Artists have had an Exhibition in Uxbridge Library, but the future of Exhibitions in Uxbridge is uncertain due to the closure of the Central Library building. It was hope to be able to use the former Marks and Sencer Café until July as a Pop up Gallery and for Art Classes but a decision has been made by the new Pavilions Management that no redundant shops will in future be available to Hillingdon Artists for their Exhibitions, which is a very serios blow both to their financed and visibility.
Ruislip Lions. Before the Pandemic there were 42 members, but this had reduced to 18. Lions raise money for charitable causes but do not themselves stage events. They have been engaged with jazz bands from the Hillingdon Music Hub and the RAF Band. On the question of costs of venues, it was reported that the Alec Reed School have a small but good venue, and the Lions are planning to stage 3 concerts there in the near future.
Southlands Arts Centre is now offering a wide variety of classes and workshops, the latter proving more successful that establishing regular classes, but it is too early to say whether this trend will continue. Sunday Evening Concerts provided by Hillingdon musicians and singers have proved to be popular and the Summer programme includes an outdoor Teddy bears Picnic and an End of the Pier Show comprising stalls, sideshows and an evening concert. The weather will of course dictate whether these two events can go ahead.
During October an ambitious Literary Month is in the planning stage with creative writing workshops, a Writing Competition already underway, an Award evening for the Winners of the competition and professional and amateur writers reading their work and offering workshops throughout the month.
This concluded reports from the Societies.
4. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
Sylvia reported that the legacy of music scores left by Mary Bolton has now been fully distributed among Hillingdon based societies and individual teachers who all expressed their gratitude for the gift of scores they received.
5. DATE OF NEXT MEETING – 8th OCTOBER 2024
Future dates have to be clarified with the Council department responsible but would circulated as soon as they are known. This concluded the business of the meeting.