Lessons in Disobedience: Naomi Alderman at Tart Womens Salon 19th June 2010

 

We are delighted to announce that we will be hosting award-winning novelist Naomi Alderman at Tart women’s salon on Saturday 19^th June 2010. 

Naomi rose to prominence with her debut novel Disobedience in 2007, which won the Orange Prize for Young Writers and the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year award, to name just two of the book’s many accolades. More recently, you may have heard her latest novel The Lessons, serialised as the Book at Bedtime on BBC Radio 4. An accomplished blogger, Naomi also writes online games, and has a regular technology column on the Guardian website. 

Online techie brilliance is all very well, but here at Tart we like to do things the old-fashioned way - in the flesh - so we are thrilled that Naomi is going to join us offline for a reading and discussion. We hope that your gorgeous selves will be free to join us in welcoming her to Tart. 

We meet as usual in the charming environs of the University Women’s Club. Doors open at 8pm and we will look forward to meeting you for a drink in the library, prior to getting you seated in time for Naomi’s reading at 9pm. 

Tart Salon welcomes all those who identify as women, and you are ever so welcome to extend our invitation to friends who you think show goodly Tart potential. 

As our regular Tartlets will know, our salons always sell out so please book early to avoid disappointment. Entry is by pre-booking only. 

Can’t wait to see you,
 
Reina & Ruth xx

 

Need to know

 

WHEN:	Women's Salon, Saturday 19th June 2010
TIME:	Doors open at 8pm, please be sure to arrive by 8:50pm so that we can seat everyone for the reading at 9pm
PRICE:	£8/£5 conc.
WHERE:	University Women's Club, 2 Audley Square, South  Audley Street, London,  W1K 1DB. Audley Square is a space off South Audley Street. If you face the square with the car park on your left, the Club is on the right-hand corner with a brass plate by the door.
TRANSPORT:	Tubes: Marble Arch, Green Park Buses: 10 and 73 stop on Park Lane nearby
PARKING:	There is an NCP car park next door to the club.
ACCESS:	There is a removeable ramp that can be placed over the entrance steps for wheelchairs. Please contact us in advance if you need it. There are currently no disabled access toilets in the building. There is a toilet in the ground floor reception area, and further toilets in the basement. The event takes place on the first floor, which has no toilet.  The lift only goes to the second floor, and there are 24 stairs with handrail down to the first floor. There is a staircase with handrail [27 stairs] leading from the ground floor to the first floor. Please note the Club intends to improve disabled access in the near future.
Tart is sponsored by independent financial advisers Ruth Whitehead Associates - www.rwafinance.co.uk

 

Tart: Question the Panel Saturday 14th November 2009

 

Well, it had to happen… after years of shouting at the radio and the telly, Reina finally got to be in the hot seat with her own Tart panel of four of Britain’s most outspoken women:

- Shami Chakrabarti, CBE, Director of Liberty, the National Council for Civil Liberties.

- Linda Bellos, OBE, long time feminist and lesbian activist, leader of Lambeth Council in 1986, and consultant on diversity and equality. 

- Professor Lynne Segal, irrepressible feminist campaigner and commentator on sexuality, gender, and family. 

- Jude Kelly, OBE, Artistic Director of Southbank Centre, and Chair of Culture, Ceremonies and Education at the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games 

Faced with this dream team, our Tart audience did us proud with provocative questions on everything from the Olympics and urban regeneration to DNA databases. Our panel were formidable, and our audience did them proud – discussion was focused, fiery, and feminist. The only downside was that we ran out of time – so apologies to those of you who sent questions that we couldn’t fit in. We promise to do it again before too long. 

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Contact Tart

 

Telephone enquiries: 020 7254 8262 9.30-5pm weekdays. Feel free to email us with any enquiries to tartsalon@googlemail.com

 

Tart -- the recipe so far

 
Since its inception Tart has established itself as a unique forum for the staging and discussion of women’s creative practice. Our mission is to promote the roles of women both as makers and as consumers of culture. The salon acts to provide a space for art, performance, poetry, music, and debate, and has a history of showcasing and commissioning new work by women.

Initially established by Reina Lewis, Tart ran successfully from 2000-2002 as a private event. In April 2007 Tart Women’s Salon was re-launched by Reina along with new collaborator Ruth Whitehead, featuring a performance by the poet, writer, academic, and activist Alev Adil. A few months later, the second salon rocked to the readings of Whitbread prize-winning author Ali Smith.

In an environment where conversation is encouraged and expected, members of the salon are able to engage informally with visual and performance artists and to contribute to artistic, literary, and political discussion. Actively hostessed by Reina, Tart aims to facilitate the cultural activities of women who may not necessarily consider themselves cultural producers, whilst bringing those who are engaged in creative practice into contact with the women who make up their readership and audience.

Tart is sponsored by independent financial advisers Ruth Whitehead Associates - www.rwafinance.co.uk

Contact Tart: Telephone enquiries: 020 7254 8262 9.30-5pm weekdays. Feel free to email us with any enquiries to tartsalon@googlemail.com

 

Divinely Diva-tastic

 

October saw Tart move to a new venue in London's West End, for an elegant musical evening with the outrageously talented chanteuse Barb Jungr.

Joined by musicians Jenny Carr on piano and Jessica Lauren on harmonica and organ, Barb treated Tart to songs from her new album, an homage to Nina Simone, as well to many much-loved numbers from her repertoire. Incorporating jazz and blues, Barb’s approach includes radical re-readings of known writers and has won her international plaudits. Treated to an intimate performance in the Drawing Room of the University Women's Club, Tart guests really were up close and personal as Barb gave her all to the performance.

 

Brilliant, bolshy and fabulously butch - what more could we ask for!

 

As guests were promised, as well as having their musical taste buds tickled,
Lounge’s current exhibition Wintry delivered a visual feast. And before and after the performance Reina Lewis did what she does best - hostessed.

If Reina was the appetizer, Lea and Janette the entrées, then dessert was almost certainly provided by the guests themselves. Tart was delighted to welcome back many of the regular tartlets, along with oodles of new treats

Over 80 of you in fact!

We hope to be able to announce the next banquet soon - so­ keep in touch and pass on the word: Tart is most certainly cooking!

 

Tart heads West

 

17th May was the date of a special salon at the Royal College of Art. Our guest, the luminous author Stella Duffy, played to full house – over a hundred of you booked, and many more were sadly turned away.

Stellar Performance

Stella first read from her new novel The Room of Lost Things, hailed by The Independent as “a book of great sensitivity and passion.” The Tart gang was rapt – struck both by the content and the performance. We were further thrilled by a sneak preview of work in progress from her new project. Revealing literary gems hitherto unheard, Stella hypnotised the audience with a series of spell-binding vignettes. Wrapping up, finally, with a rambunctious Q & A session with Tart hostess Reina Lewis, Stella Duffy demonstrated once again why she has such a huge following - she is without doubt as good off the cuff as on the page. Definitely a night to remember, thanks to the immense talent and generosity of our marvellous guest.

 

Rare Access

Tartlets were also able to enjoy the rarely seen RCA art collection, housed in the Senior Common Room. Described as “one of the best kept secrets in London”, the SCR at the College is an exclusive members club. Boasting  early works by David Hockney (including what are widely recognized as his “coming out” paintings, completed for his graduation show), the collection also includes pieces by Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, and Lucien Freud, amongst other British twentieth-century artists.

 

 

Packed full of goodness!

 

The first Tart of 2008 in January was particularly tasty: special guests were the seriously talented Lea DeLaria accompanied on keyboards by the equally fabulous Janette Mason, who joined Tart regulars and newcomers for a soiree at Lounge art gallery in East London.

"Talks like a coffee grinder, and sounds like a cross between Ella Fitzgerald and a Broadway diva"
- The Guardian

The multi-talented stand-up, actor, and writer Lea DeLaria is now also increasingly recognised as one of the finest Jazz & Blues singers, both at home in the US and over here in the UK. Hailed by the New York Times as ’every inch a star’, Lea¹s London residencies are regularly sold out months in advance.

So we were absolutely delighted that she agreed to join us on a Saturday eve. She performed for over an hour, the music interspaced with Lea’s trademark routine - half flirt, half stand-up, half badinage. And yes, we know it shouldn't add up either - except for, wow, it SO does!