Musician Andrew Clarke is Makerhood’s sometime impresario and was the brains behind the amazing entertainment programme at our Making Uncovered event last April. We’ve twisted his arm again to choose the musicians and performers who’ll be getting us into the party mood at Make Your Own Christmas. We caught up with Andrew to find out what to expect.
Why are you involved with Makerhood’s Christmas event?
I have been involved with Makerhood from the beginning. I helped to run origami workshops for children at the Lambeth County Fair in 2011 – the weekend Makerhood was launched. We all support a community in the best ways we can, and these things are different for all of us. I am terrible at making, but I can help organise events and I can perform at them, and I am very happy to support the amazing makers of Makerhood as often as I can.
What is the line-up and what are you looking forward to on the day?
The Pop-Up choir filled the huge space of the Brixton East gallery at Making Uncovered earlier this year, and they will be kicking off the entertainments at our Christmas party in similar style. It is a wonderful thing to have so many voices sing for you in a space, unfiltered by distance or by crackly sound systems. This will be a real treat.
Jane Ruby is also playing. Jane is a bit of a Brixton legend and, when she played at Making Uncovered with just her guitar, her voice and her stories of local life, she was the only person who could have followed the 20-piece Pop Up Choir and still won the crowd over. She’s marvellous, and we’re super-happy that she is playing for us again.
Next up are the Yada Yada Allstars, with Alex Fradera and four of the fabulous C3467X team – Carleen Macdermid, John Agapiou, Juliet Stephens and Shem Pennant. There is a special electricity in the air with improv comedy that comes from both the audience and the performers having no idea what is going to happen next. This means everyone in the room is together and in the moment in the same way. This makes every discovery, and extreme silliness, that happens all the funnier. I can’t wait.
Finally, we’ve got Gaia Marcus and A P Clarke. OK, this is me… I will excuse myself from commenting on my own abilities, but Gaia is a wonderfully soulful blues and folk singer who has been honing her craft around the London scene for the past few years and she’ll be singing a few standards and a few seasonal songs as the sun sets behind us. It should be an excellent afternoon!
You can book your free ticket here: http://makeyourchristmas.eventbrite.co.uk/
Images of Jane Ruby, Gaia Marcus and Andrew Clarke are by Andy Broomfield
Image of Julia and Alex are by Luke & Michael
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