Transition Town Tooting

Tag: SMArT

  • Wandsworth Oasis UPFest: Tuesday 3rd November

    ‘It’s all about waste’  That’s how Gill Perkins, CEO of the Wandsworth Oasis charity, describes the driving theme behind UPFest: the Oasis event on Tuesday November 3rd:

    All welcome to a fun and original evening: a catwalk and showcase of the joy of upcycling clothes and textiles. 
    TTT are proud to be involved via Jeni Walker and her initiative Sustainable Making and Arts Tooting – SMArT. 

    Location: the Oasis shop at 234-250 Mitcham Road, Tooting SW17 9NT
    Timings: 5:30pm to 10:00pm on Tuesday 3rd November.
    More UPFest details online here– entry by donation.

    Jeni has been making scrap silk skirt scrunchies in World AIDS Day red – available on the night next week. Here she is last week in the decorated window of the new Oasis shop at Amen Corner in Tooting:

    Oasis supports local people who are affected by HIV and have successful charity shops around the borough. Gill and the team work (tirelessly) to sell as many of the items donated as they can, but inevitably there is still so much that may be fated to become landfill. 


    Charity shops are a key local and affordable route for helping us all to ‘Re-use, Reduce and Recycle’. Shops across the UK may not think about this, but they are in the front line of supporting low-carbon living in the community and that should be celebrated.

    Gill and the Oasis team take this relationship with waste-reduction very seriously. They have struck up some ingenious partnerships over the years that have enable them to starve the dump of a bit more waste – for example engaging with a company who make shiny new candles from all the remnants that come in. 

    Oasis is offering TTT and SMArT materials that may not be saleable in the shops but which can be re-purposed in our projects: perhaps broken jewellery, or waste books…it’s an inspiring offer, and much appreciated!

    For example: The Rooting in Tooting project with CARAS hopes to use waste textiles from Oasis to make wall-hanging exterior planters, as shown here – in this case for strawberries.

    It’s fascinating that Oasis as an enterprise has the primary objective of raise funds for their charitable purpose and has the complementary positive goal of reducing waste in creative ways. 
    Others please take note!

    We hope to see you at the Oasis shop at Amen Corner on Tuesday evening.
    – Jeni and Chuck

  • Foodival, Making, Cinema, Restart, Field Day

    Foodival in the Guardian

    There are so many things you can get involved with over the next few days in Tooting, hopefully something for everyone! Why not start tonight at the Streatham Cemetery Chapel by helping Jeni & SMArT make the Bird with Borrowed Feathers for Sunday’s Field Day.  It’s a Mindful Making workshop where you can help to construct a giant bird and adorn it with “borrowed” feathers.

    Then tomorrow you could check whether there are still tickets for Furzedown Low Carbon Zone’s screening of The Emperor’s New Clothes starring Russell Brand at Streatham Park Bowling Club, just off Tooting Common.

    Tooting Restart in action

    On Saturday, get your broken electronic items fixed at the Tooting Restart Party at Mushkil Aasaan.  And then join in a free puppet-making workshop, have a picnic, or walk all the way from Tooting to Clapham Junction only on the grass with fanSHEN on Sunday’s Field Day.

    Also this week we are very happy to have this September’s Foodival featured in the Wandsworth Guardian.  What are you growing?  Want to help out?  Just email TTT to find out how to get involved.

  • Meet & Make Bunting Party

  • Make time for making at this Wednesdays Meet & Make

    The first Meet & Make of 2015 is happening this Wednesday 11th from 6.30pm at Sprout.

    It’s a sewing session so bring along a project from home you already have on the go (or ready to start) and SMArT will provide a sewing machine and all the sewing paraphernalia you are likely to need to do the next few steps or indeed to finish it.

    SMArT will also be providing a featured activity of self made scrunchies equipment materials and guidance to create your own hair bobbles from fabric odds and ends.

    Please bring if you can a (voluntary) small cash donation to go towards Sprout running costs and snacks to share if you feel like it. Hot tea will be provided by SMArT.

  • Painting of the Wandle Valley Girls – Tonight at Sprout

    Come and see how easy it is to paint things in a totally artistic way!

    We are creating a community of papier mache ladies for the Deen City Farm exhibition as part of the Chelsea Fringe Festival. Last month we created the structures and at this evening’s Meet & Make its time to get the paints out!

    Here are some finished ones to give us some inspiration..

    We are working together on this project so come along even if you didn’t make a head last month I am so sure you will have a great time reconnecting with your creative self!

    Meet & Make 

    6:60 – 8:30 ish
    Sprout Community Arts Space
    74 Moyser Road
    Furzedown
    SW16 6SQ.

    brought to you by S.M.Ar.T network of  T.T.T.
    call or email Jeni on 07944693015 and jeniannewalker@gmail.com.

  • TTT SMArT Notice board update: 18th March 2014

    Arts & Making Happening Right Now In Tooting, courtesy of SMArT

    The newest items on the board this week are are on yellow post-its. You can email Jeni for more info on jeniannewalker@gmail.com. Alternatively just take the contact details from the post-it you are interested in.


    Great news for our next Meet & Make!
    Cressida from the Wandle Valley Girls Project has very kindly offered share the project with us as our feature make for April and you are invited. Attendees work will be exhibited as part of the chealsea fringe. ( work can be collected to keep at the end).
    Just for this special workshop Jeni is asking for people to let her know if they are planning to come so we can be sure of numbers. Cressida will be providing transported materials, and her expertise at cost and effort so lets make the most of this fantastic opportunity! email Jeni on Jeniannewalker@gmail.com

    Dates for your diary
    9th April: Meet & Make – Sprout – Wandle Valley Girls Project 
    14th May: Meet & Make – Sprout – Furzedown Oak project 
    11th June: Meet & Make – Sprout – Activity TBC 
    9th July: Meet & Make – Sprout – Activity TBC

  • Meet & Make update from SMArT

    The Meet & Make at Sprout last Wednesday was really relaxing. The next time I feel like stepping off the treadmill of life for a few moments I might just reach for another ‘cathedral window’ quilting project which was our featured craft. Just look what we achieved in the 2 hours! It turns out it is more simple to do than it looks.Thanks go to Grandma Lawes in Salisbury who was caring enough to share this skill with me and, now lots of us.

    All hand sewn
    and to keep you up to date with Arts In Transition locally, here is the SMArT Notice Board.
    Things are warming up
    for info or questions about making and arts in Tooting you can send Jeni an email on jeniannewalker@gmail.com

  • Meet & Make Tonight

    Much like a tree in winter the Meet & Make notice board is looking a little sparse due to the season, we are all drawing our energies and preparing for flourishes throughout the rest of the year!

    Do check out the picture for what is going on and get in contact or chat to me tonight for more info on any of the items.Meet & Make Notice Board page #0-1
    And not to worry as this just leaves us with more making time at our Meet & Make tonight which is now confirmed to be at Sprout, who are kindly lending us the venue, at 6:30 – 8:30ish. See side bar on the right for the address.
    We have an official feature craft tonight which will be making ‘Ribbon  Zipper Bags’ as demonstrated in this fab Marc Montano video. I will bring materials and sewing machine!
    Come along to try this out or bring along something else you are working on to get in some quality making time.
    Hope to see you there, contact Jeni for more details or to join our Meet & Make mailing list – jeniannewalker@gmail.com

  • Festive Meet and Make – this Sat 7th Dec

    A little taster..

    of the kind of mad things…

    you could be making…

    if you come to Festive Meet & Make …

    this Saturday 7th Dec…

    3-7pm at Mushkil Aasaan hall, 222 Upper Tooting Road SW17 7EW (next to Nandos)

    We will also be creating cards, producing pomanders, stirring up sweets and reusing recyclables for wrapping gifts.

    Drop in, no need to book, all free but donation buckets will be on hand for loose change.  Monies raised go to Mushkil Limited charity and TTT funding.

    email jeniannewalker@gmail.com for info

  • Late November: Six ‘new beginnings’

    Even though the year is moving into winter, there’s six ‘new beginnings’ to share with you below.
    We hope to see you at these events – all welcome to come along and maybe try something new..

    1 On Tuesday 26th November we are starting to plan for the 2014 Tooting Foodival.
    Do join us and suggest some new ideas, or become a new participant for next year.
    We’re meeting at The Selkirk, 60 Selkirk Rd, Tooting Broadway from 1900 to 2100 (details on Events Calendar opposite).

    2 On Wednesday 27th November there is a SMArT Meet and Make workshop at Sprout in Moyser Road, Furzedown from 1830 to 2030. All welcome (details in the Events Calendar). The meeting will also start to look forward to the Christmas making and craft event on December 7th at Mushkil Aasaan – details to follow.

    3 Also on Wednesday 27th November, along with the Furzedown Low Carbon Zone, we are co-hosting ‘Community Responses to the Energy Crisis’ at the Furzedown project from 1930. The meeting will help participants make sense of saving energy and reducing costs now, and we will start to explore developing a local renewable energy project.  Plus refreshments from Naked Loaf…please come along. See the complete flyer here

    4 Naked Loaf made creative use of the bread flour we grew in the Tooting Community Garden this summer to make sourdough starter for dozens of delicious loaves at the Tooting Foodival in September. The new beginning for Naked Loaf is the exciting opening of their new organic bakery and deli at 70 Moyser Road, Furzedown, SW16 6SQ. They are finishing the decorating now and expecting to be fully open from Thursday 28th November, all day from 8:00 am. Best go and visit soon and try some of the great produce!

    5 The ‘Big Build’ with Gatton School in the Community Garden is beginning to take shape, building on the children’s enthusiasm and energy.
    There’ll be a celebration at the end of term to mark the rainwater catchment completion.

    6 Not quite a sign of spring, but the broad beans planted a few weeks ago are beginning to show through – a very encouraging sight as the weather turns colder.
    Do come and join us in the Community Garden every Sunday from 1100-1300.





    For more info on any of these ‘new beginnings’, contact us on email at transitiontowntooting@gmail.com