Joining Together This June As Festival Season takes sway, it's time to join forces, heart and voices together in song! Artwork: Curtis Jere - Flock of Doves 1969 Dear Friend Joining Together in Song This June Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success. - Henry Ford   THANK YOU for Staying Together - if you are receiving this it's because you were able to navigate the crazy madness of GDPR and opted-in to stay in touch - thanks so much for staying tuned. Togetherness is Wellness When "I" is replaced with "we" even illness becomes wellness - Malcolm X The huge explosion in Festivals and events such as The Big Lunch and Jo Cox's memorial initiative The Great Get Together  testifies to a need for healthy togetherness in society.   Research by The Campaign for Loneliness demonstrates that getting our social vitamins has more impact on our wellbeing that smoking or drinking. Getting Together in healthy ways is good for us. Loving Shared Weirdness We’re all a little weird. And life is a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness - and call it love—true love. - Robert Fulgham, True Love Mutually satisfying weirdness is not restricted to romantic partnerships.  There is a huge growth of awareness that shared, satisfying arts activities can help alleviate mental distress - because creativity gives us a safe vessel for the expression and sharing of our own unique weirdness.  We can have a whale of a time splashing red paint around on a canvas in a supportive art class - or belting our our favourite songs in a choir - all in the warm witness of good company.  It's such a relieving, joyful experience to discover shared connection through creative expression. The word Weird comes from wyrd  meaning 'to be able to control destiny/fate' so it's actually a hugely empowering act to embrace the calling of our own unique pathway through life. And who knows where that might lead - as Hunter S Thompson said "Yesterday's weirdness is tomorrow's reason why." Joined Up Thinking Art, freedom and creativity will change the world quicker than Politics - Victor Pinchuk During the Festival of Peace this June we will be celebrating the peaceful musical legacy of Bob Marley - a man whose music has become the anthem for revolutionary movements worldwide and who united warring leaders in Jamaica in a handshake at a 1978 concert.  When we think and act creatively, we inevitably are drawn into wider connection and collaboration with others.  We think out of the box and can enjoy getting out of our boxes in wonderfully, weird ways which can make a liberating contribution to those around us and our world. Inviting You to Join the Anthem For Peace These Banners, 'Cut From the Same Cloth' by Katrin Albrecht, made from combined flags, are the first artwork to go up at St John the Evangelist, Upper Norwood as part of an exhibition with Celebrate Life working with Amazing People of the World, RefugeeYouth for theFestival of Peace Croydon The centrepiece of the Festival is the London Mozart Player's Anthem for Peace - which we warmly invite you to come and sing, dance and play with us during the Festival week. Do also enjoy and explore the full programme of vibrant arts events from 16th-23rd June. http://festivalofpeacecroydon.org/ Wishing you a Joyful June of Joined Up Togetheness Website: www.therosewindow.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katierosewindow Twitter: @katierosewindow