Dr Thursday's Medicine Show

The Doctor is on the Move

2010-04-09T05:36:00.000-07:00

Dr Thursday has now moved to a new surgery, and won't be updating this blog any more.

Please follow us to http://drsunday.wordpress.com/, where you will find the same exquisite blend of conversation and controversy, but at a new place & time:

3rd Sunday of each month at the Duke of Cumberland, Whitstable.

Our launch date features the extraordinary talents of two writer/producers:

Greg Klerkx, and our own (nurse) Peggy Riley.

Do come.

2010-02-22T05:11:00.000-08:00

Nurse Katherine and Nurse Peggy look forward to welcoming you to another

Dr Thursday's Medicine Show

25th February 2010

8pm

Coach & Horses

37 Oxford Street, Whitstable, CT5 1DB

This month's scintillating conversationalists will be

Rosa Ainley

Rick West

Sue Jones

Entry £2

Do come!

Meet the Salonnier #3: Sue Jones

2010-02-15T01:53:00.000-08:00

Sue Jones is a curator and writer. She's worked with artists for nearly twenty years, at Chisenhale Gallery in London and more recently as Director of Whitstable's contemporary visual art festival, the Whitstable Biennale. She specialises in working closely with artists on substantial projects, often over long periods of time. Many of the artworks she has commissioned have received international recognition. Having recently completed a writing MA, she is currently working on a collection of experimental short works, which exist somewhere between literature and text-based art.

Who are you?

Sometimes a curator, sometimes a writer, currently attempting to work on ways to be both at the same time.

What fascinates you?

Getting lost in other worlds, as a reader or curator or writer.

What do you love?

The British climate and the East Kent coast.

Where are you going next?

Whitstable, mostly, for the next few months – the next Whitstable Biennale is 19 June – 4 July 2010.

What would you like to talk about?

Is the short story merely a poor relation of the novel?

Find out more about Sue's projects at www.whitstablebiennale.com

Sue will be joining Rick West and Rosa Ainley as conversationalists at this month's Dr Thursday's Medicine Show, 8pm, Thursday 25th February, Coach & Horses. Do come.

Meet the Salonnier #2: Rosa Ainley

2010-02-11T13:01:00.000-08:00

Rosa Ainley is a writer with a background in architecture and photography. Her published work ranges from the short story to non/fiction to journalism and includes edited collections, guide books and spoken word sound installations. With degrees in literature and photographic studies, her practice has extended in the last few years into digital writing, using image and sound as well as words. Her specialism is space, buildings and architecture; she has also written on music, sexuality and photography.

Biog

I’m a writer artist editor with a background in photography and architecture. My published work ranges from short story to non/fiction, from guidebooks to sound installations and digital writing. In 2009 I completed a commission for an artist-led regeneration vision for Leysdown, Isle of Sheppey, which I can almost see from the beach at Whitstable.

What do you do?

I write spaces into existence using words, images and sounds.

What do you love?

Working so intently on editing my book for delivery on 1 February, fuelled by adrenaline, the process was rewarding and major changes happened on the page and in my head.

Where are you going next?

Either to the waiting room (to continue with a series on the state, activity, architecture and place of waiting) or back to Leysdown to work on the vision becoming ‘live’. Both, I hope.

What would you like to talk about?

Who are you writing for, and how does this influence what you’re writing?

More details at http://rosaainley.wordpress.com/

Rosa will be leading a conversation at the next Dr Thursday's Medicine Show, Thursday 25th February, Coach & Horses, Whitstable, 8pm. Do come.

Meet the Salonnier #1: Rick West

2010-02-11T12:37:00.000-08:00

After producing and directing a slate of short films which picked up numerous awards internationally, Richard wrote and produced the feature film ‘Gorgeous’, which screened at the Raindance Festival. He went on to produce the feature film ‘AKA’ which has garnered a number of prizes, including a BAFTA nomination. ‘AKA’ also got theatrical distribution in the UK and US, and sold well internationally. He is currently developing the feature film ‘Die laughing’ with co-writer Billy MacKinnon, to be directed by Gillies MacKinnon and starring Brenda Blethyn and Thomas Turgoose and Brian Cox.

What do you love?

I am a film maker, writer and musician who loves working collaboratively and hates the vast expanses of time in between projects. And hopefully next I am going to Glasgow for 3 months to prepare and shoot the feature film that we've been working on for 8 years.

What fascinates you?

Fascinated by 'the human spirit struggling in an enigmatic universe'- that sounds so pretentious- can we come up with something less pretentious? Help!

What would you like to talk about?

My topic for Dr Thursday will be, Did Art find you?

Click here to watch Rick's excellent short film, Wayfaring Stranger.

Rick's personal website is currently being re-developed, but you can find out more about him here.

Rick will be a Conversationalist at the next Dr Thursday's Medicine Show, Thursday 25th February, Coach & Horses, Whitstable, 8pm. Do come.

Hurrah for Dr Thursday!

2010-01-22T01:59:00.000-08:00

Dr Thursday most humbly thanks all those who attended DR THURSDAY'S MEDICINE SHOW last night.

We confess that we had such a glut of sumptuous SALONNIERS that we were quite overcome. Thank heavens the good doctor was on hand to administer the smelling salts of sweet conversation to all present.

The Doctor would particularly like to extend her thanks to the magnificent CONVERSATIONALISTS, Tracey Falcon & Peter Cook, who entranced us with their wit, verve & imagination. Later in the evening, nurse Katherine May also had to hold court, such were the crowds.

All attendees, whether SALONNIERS or CONVERSATIONALISTS, are invited to post their comments below.

DR THURSDAY will be holding her next MEDICINE SHOW on Thursday 25th February. Do come. Perhaps you would like to hold a conversation yourself?

Dr Thursday's, 21st January 2010

2010-01-18T03:58:00.000-08:00

The next Dr Thursday's Medicine Show will be held on 21st January 2010, 8pm, at the Coach & Horses, 37 Oxford Street, Whitstable, CT5 1DB.

This month, our splendid conversationalists will be:

Peter Cook, musician, photographer, raconteur and all-round good bean

and

Tracey Falcon, an artist who can transform newspapers back into trees again.

DJ Moogaloo will, of course, be providing some splendid music to keep us all feeling fine.

Do come along - we'd love you to join the conversation. For more information on how Dr Thursday works, click here.

Programmes will be available at a cost of two English pounds.

Coming Down with Something

2009-12-07T09:51:00.001-08:00

Dr Thursday regrets to announce that he has a dose of the sniffles. He prescribes himself a bit of bed rest and a night off from the infectious nature of great conversation and the fever-inducing tunes of DJ Moogaloo. Please accept Dr Thursday's apologies and accept his early Christmas gift of a night off. Wrap something, write those cards or emails, or build a fire and just sit down.

Dr Thursday will be back in fighting form on Thursday 21 January 8 pm, still at the Coach & Horses in Whitstable.

Our First Night!

2009-11-20T08:43:00.000-08:00

The first Dr Thursday's Medicine Show was a resounding success in our humble opinion - a serious amount of conversation took place, buoyed up by wonderful music from DJ Moogaloo.

Thanks to our sparkling conversationalists, Jane Pitt and Wendy Daws, who enthralled our salonniers with their passion & thoughtfulness.

You can read some snippets of their discussions at www.twitter.com/DrThursday.

The next Dr Thursday will be at the Coach & Horses, Whitstable, on Thursday 17th December, 8pm. Come along, do.

Dr Thursday's New Home

2009-10-28T05:42:00.000-07:00

Dr Thursday's Medicine Show is pleased to announce its new home: The Coach and Horses in Whitstable. This brand new Salon series, featuring the sweet medicine of conversation for those who like to indulge, kicks off on Thursday 19 November at 8pm, and then every Third Thursday of the month.

Haven't heard of Dr Thursday? Keep reading the blog below.

Want to be a salonnier? Just turn up, ready to talk - and to listen.

In the meantime, please join the conversation by following our blog and joining us on Twitter.

Dr Thursday knows what ails you - come get your prescription filled at The Coach and Horses.

What is Dr Thursday’s Medicine Show?

2009-10-19T13:14:00.000-07:00

Dr Thursday’s Medicine Show is a new cultural event for Whitstable, aimed at gathering interesting people together to encounter each other’s creativity.

Dr Thursday’s is, essentially, a salon. According to - ahem – Wikipedia, a salon is:

“… a gathering of intellectual, social, political, and cultural elites under the roof of an inspiring hostess or host, partly to amuse one another and partly to refine their taste and increase their knowledge through conversation.”

Historically, salons were a hotbed of radical discussion, lent privacy & intimacy by their closed surroundings. They were a place of safety, a forum in which ideas could be tested on sympathetic listeners without fear of prejudice or recrimination.

Dr Thursday’s Medicine show aims to update the salon by providing change and a little structure; however, it retains the spirit of the original salons, offering the sweet medicine of conversation to those who like to indulge.

How does it work?

Dr Thursday’s will be a forum for discussion amongst the creative community of Whitstable. It will be an opportunity for networking and reflection, debate and intrigue.

Each month, a handful of creative artists will be invited to be our conversationalists, leading discussions on an element of their work – for example, a new project, a particular fascination, concern or obsession, a reflection on a recently-completed piece or a favoured methodology.

However, this will not be a lecture or a reading. At Dr Thursday’s, each audience member is a vital part of the whole. In fact, we do not have audience members but salonniers, active participants in the conversations, offering their insights, questions, examples and experiences to the mix. The conversations will take place in small groups, with salonniers moving between different conversations across the course of the evening, encountering a range of topics, people and ideas.

In between, there will be that essential social lubricant – no, not alcohol (although perhaps a little), but music, courtesy of DJ Moogaloo, who will charm & delight us with his exotic sounds.

Are there any rules?

Not really – well, maybe a few.

Dr Thursday’s in unfunded, and run as a hobby – a diversion, if you will – by authors Peggy Riley & Katherine May. Please respect their time & effort, and be nice to them. They’ll, most likely, be nice back.

Please buy a programme when you arrive, which will be priced only to cover our costs. Please take part – it’s not a salon without salonniers. And, please, respect the original salon principles of politesse, civilité and honnêté. In modern parlance, don’t feed the trolls.

Please, also, join the conversation via our blog (http://drthursdaysmedicineshow.blogspot.com) or our Twitter feed (www.twitter.com/drthursday).

If you would like to become a conversationalist in a future salon, please email us at drthursdays@gmail.com, explaining what you would like to talk about in 50 words or less, bearing in mind that we can’t pay you. Sorry.

2009-10-19T12:29:00.000-07:00