What’s happening on the day:

• Facepainting – mark yourself with a bee or a sunflower to support the cause. Both kids and adults are welcome to be painted!
• Bee workshops – find out about bee-friendly planting, keeping bees, take a look at a demo hive and taste some honey!
• Sunflower Photo booth – get a sunflower project souvenir, have your photo taken with fun props & your favourite sunflower!
• Seed harvesting – take seeds away with you to plant at home or at another community garden or project
• Share sunflower seed recipes – email us your favourite recipe with sunflower seeds and we’ll collate it into a handout to share at the event
• Planting next years flowers – help us prepare and plant sunflowers and meadow seeds to bloom next spring on the site by Sainsbury’s
• The event will be held at the Sainsbury’s sunflower site (by the corner of the carpark and petrol station, next to New Cross Gate Station). Drop in anytime between 1 and 4pm.

Treecycle uses a playful approach to highlight trees and wood as an essential resource. It will see the installation of a large cardboard tree inside the Hill Station cafe. The branches will stretch out across the ceiling creating an immersive experience. We want to use this space for events.

We are looking for local artists, educators, scientists, storytellers or experts who are interested in running a workshop, talk or event on a tree related theme during November/early December.

These can be aimed at adults or children or both and could run in the evening or weekend at the Hill Station. Possible topics might include – paper recycling, fossil fuel, oxygen and carbon dioxide cycles, the tree lifecycle, local trees, mythical and magical trees or forests, making with paper or cardboard, music with wooden instruments, trees and technology – but if you’ve got a better idea…..

Please email Angel at angel@angelamcmahon.co.uk with a brief summary of your idea, who it could be aimed at and how long it would be.

Enjoy this joyful video then come along on Sat Nov 2 to see more

Interactive Disco Stop from Artmongers on Vimeo.

Run by Talk to me London and the RSA’s Connected Communities team, the week will encourage people in the New Cross area to interact more with people they do not already know, in an effort to reduce the feelings of isolation and alienation in the city, and to increase the sense that New Cross is a friendly neighbourhood. The Connected Communities research has revealed strong links between people’s satisfaction with their neighbourhood, and their health, life satisfaction, and wellbeing.

The signature ‘Talk to me SE London’ badge will be available to pick up in many locations around New Cross. Wearing the badge indicates to others that you’re friendly and want to talk. We’re also working with a number of local organisations to organise flagship events – more information and a full listing of events can be found on our website: http://www.talktomelondon.org/events

Here are some ideas for ways you can join in:

• pick up a Talk to me SE London badges  from locations in New Cross throughout the week eg New Cross Learning, local hostelries.
• be an ambassador. On Sat Oct 26 and Sun Oct 27 the project will be giving out Talk to me SE London badges in New Cross as well as flyers explaining what will be happening during the week! Interested in helping? Email at hello@talktomelondon.org
• participate in the ‘Talk Stop Challenge’.  Patricio Forrester will be transforming several bus stops in New Cross and turning them into ‘Talk Stops.’ If you have any creative ideas, email them to hello@talktomelondon.org
• join an event - Talk to me dinner, Talk to me pub quiz and closing party are open to all.  See programme.
• organise your own event/activity.  The project encourage you to organise your own activities during the week. It could well be something you’re already organising during the week but which would fit under the wider ‘Talk to me’ theme. More ideas here

Questions, queries and suggestions? email hello@talktomelondon.org