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CAOS17
In our first year the we hoped for 1000 visitors, we got nearly double that! We thought we might get a few friends to exhibit and instead had an amazing 32 artists in 20 locations. Those locations included Honeywood Museum, a place where many of the Carshalton Artists had started exhibiting. The elements for all CAOS events were there from the start, free workshops and demos, great art and a showcase of local heritage.
Little did we expect the overwhelming public response. From the start we had local businesses and community supporting us and this willingness to help and be a part of CAOS became such an amazingly unexpected thing. So the foundations for a great event and future events were there from the start.
Half way through planning we met the incredible Doug Shaw, who kindly donated 12 Kingfisher pictures, hidden in some of the locations as a free art drop. Events like that would not only spread the word but give something back to the local community. The themed art trail was born.
After this first event the message was clear, that we had to do it again!
The CAOS Story
CAOS started in 2016 with three friends and founders of Carshalton Artists, Helena Vaughan, Abel Kesteven and Neal Vaughan chatting about maybe exhibiting with a few artists. Neal and Abel were inspired by a conversation in The Hope pub and soon convinced Helena what a great idea it was to have an open studios event in Carshalton. This is what happened next...












CAOS18
Did you experience CAOS in 2018. Over two very hot weekends (remember the 2018 heatwave?) we shared art and televised football (yes, remember the 2018 World Cup?) with the local community, it was a heady mix!
We grew from 2017 to accept over 40 artists, carefully selected by a now established CAOS selection committee. Once again these amazing artists were showcasing the techniques and processes used in creating their art in free inclusive demonstrations and workshops across 25 locations.
Heritage was once again at the forefront of our thinking and we celebrated with local schools the work of Pauline Boty the founding member of the British Pop Art scene who lived in Carshalton. Pauline died way too young, at the start of what would have been an outstanding career and so three local schools, St Philomena's, Wallington County and Wallington Girls, handed in collaged artworks inspired by Pauline and the Pop Art scene.
Visitor numbers grew to over 2000 people, despite the clashes with England's Group games in the World Cup and these visitors had new locations to visit, including the popular Stonecourt schools building in Grove Park. This location gave us something new, a craft fair, mixed artist location.
We were again overwhelmed by the response from local artists, business and the council. It was such an exciting time, to realise that maybe the event was here to stay. Without this support events like this just fade away.









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CAOS19
CAOS 2019 was always going to be bigger and with well over 3000 visitors to the locations we certainly achieved what we set out to do. We grew in artists numbers with 60 artists exhibiting and 24 locations. They showcased their techniques and processes in more free inclusive demonstrations and workshops, some closely linked to the theme of Arts and Crafts.
Sutton Museums and Heritage were heavily influential on the picking of the theme this time and they partnered CAOS in celebrating the life and work of Frank Dickinson, who built the historic arts and crafts inspired Little Holland House in Carshalton Beaches. The theme was used in specialist adult only lino cut workshops run by Jackie Smith. Two local schools, St Philomena's and Wallington Girls, also took inspiration from the work of Frank Dickinson, making over 100 pieces of bunting, that were hung in Honeywood Museum and Calladoodles in Carshalton High Street.
Another first for CAOS was the pig trail. With most artist locations participating by creating ceramic pigs, displayed at locations, available to win in a raffle. One lucky winner also won £100 towards an artist of their choice, with the winner picking Catherine Fairclough and buying a lovely large canvas.
Once again than you to all that supported us, all of you that did the trail and our amazing partners. Without you we could not continue to grow.









CAOS20
As the country plunged into lockdown we made the difficult decision to cancel CAOS 2020, but we still wanted to do something, so CAOS went online.
Carshalton Artists 'Online' Studios was such fun to achieve. We introduced lots of new events and showcased over 40 artists work online through the website. The website hosted online video content with artists conducting studio tours, demonstrations and live workshops. We introduced a new dance event too, where dancers came to get involved and artists came to draw.
Open Streets events created interest and showcased artists work at a socially acceptable distance, with the open streets displaying 42 A4 laminated artists pictures across the whole of Carshalton and Beddington. Finally, we had an online trail with water themed competition.
We really enjoyed the challenge and had nearly 2000 visitors online to the website, so we certainly achieved all we set out to do.
Our supporters were more than ever so important to us, all of you that visited the website, got involved with the workshops and our amazing partners. Without you we could not have survived in these difficult times. We plan to be back in 2021 with much, much more.









CAOS21
Carshalton Artists Open STREETS teamed up with Sutton Council’s Cultural Services, SamiArt and Sutton Writers to deliver an exciting ‘Open Streets’ visual arts event across Carshalton, as a celebration of the arts post-lockdown from the 17th June to the 25th July. Highlights included:
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A free art exhibition and Art Fair with live demos by professional artists and art to purchase.
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Artwork displayed in parks and roads including a YARN BOMB and 60 laminated pieces of art and literature.
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Live drawing events including Dance and Draws live drawing event at Cryer Arts in Carshalton.
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Artwork in shops led by Calladoodles and Ellwyns
This exciting open-air event saw 64 pieces of art and literature displayed on the streets, parks and shop windows across Carshalton and an immersive, community led, Yarn Bomb. The centre piece was the historically significant heritage building, Honeywood Museum. Here, there was a hugely significant exhibition of current local artists work and two community engagement art fair weekends with live demonstrations, artwork on sale and a showcase of the work of local groups that have supported the community through lockdown.
Other events included dancer Mel Simpson, joined by cellist Elizabeth Andrews and singer songwriter Chloe Ray to present an enchanting improvised event, where they collaborated for the first time, in real time. Part live music and dance performance, part serenely moving life sculpture, there was over 30 artists standing and seated to focus on drawing the dancer, the cellist, the singer or all three over the course of this transfixing 2 x one hour happenings. And finally...there was a rare opportunity to join a life drawing session with a Rhino in Sutton Ecology Centre! run by Jackie Smith and in aid of raising awareness of the plight of the Rhino.
We invited YOU to get involved in SamiArt & the Finga Ninjas Yarn Bomb creating items. The Finga Ninja team included your contributions in a playfully creative display surrounding Carshalton Ponds.
This comment made it all worthwhile (and reduced us all to tears):
'I have terminal cancer, I haven’t had the strength to leave my home for over a year but when I heard about the yarnbomb from a friend who showed me the photos, I just had to make the effort to see it for myself. Thank you for the joy you are bringing, this has made my day!”