Thursday 28 February 2008

Banksy in the Swiss Embassy

If you go down to the car park of the Swiss Embassy you will find a space covered in the potent art work of Banksy - the renowned and talented graffitti artist.

The Guardian's Arts Correspondent, Mark Brown took a trip to check out.

Watch the video here

Wednesday 27 February 2008

Hoopla Workshop, Auckland

Those clever people at Toggle, Esther Lamb and Shelley Simpson are holding a sewing/embroidery/stitch-art workshop at Artstation this week. Designed to bring these traditional skills into the realm of modern art, Hoopla sounds like lots of fun. Here's the low-down from the organisers:

10 am - 3pm
27 February - 5 March 2008
Artstation, 1 Ponsonby Road, Newton, Auckland

$5 pp individual / $4 pp for groups
Closing afternoon tea: 3-6pm, Wednesday 5 March 2008

"Hoopla! is a week long creative workshop and exhibition that takes the traditional craft of embroidery into the realm of contemporary art...

...Participants are invited to come and create art works using stitch, embroidery hoops and a selection of fabrics, felt shapes, buttons, sequins and thread
... can either join one of the stitch workshops or visit the parlour to stitch in their own time. Adults, teenagers, children and families are welcome to participate...

Feel free to come along at any time between 10am and 1.30. We will be there to help you with creating your own artwork in stitch."

More info here

Friday 22 February 2008

The Creative Industries, Manchester, 27Feb08

The Creative Industries: Ten Years After

Walton Hall, Manchester, UK
Wednesday 27 Feb08, 9am - 6pm

Organisers:
Mark Banks, Department of Sociology/CRESC, The Open University
Justin O'Connor, Cultural and Media Industries Research Centre, University of Leeds

"The Creative Economy Programme sets out an ambitious strategy which once again places the creative industries at the heart of the UK’s economic future. The ‘UK model’ has been internationally exported, across Europe, and into territories as diverse as Australia, China and South Korea, shaping and being shaped by pre-existing policy frameworks, contributing to the rapid globalization of creative industry debate. Yet there are some hard questions to be asked and key issues to be addressed – this symposium attempts to address these issues and in doing so take forward an agenda for critical debate on the creative industries. A series of invited key speakers will address the following themes:

· the historical formation and context of 'creative' industries
· creative industry policy and the legacy of ‘New Labour’
· creative industries and local and regional development
· creative industries in comparative international contexts
· the changing politics of creativity and creative industry work
· the future policy agenda for creative industries

Speakers include: Justin O’Connor, David Hesmondhalgh (Leeds), Andy Pratt (LSE), Kate Oakley (City), Chris Bilton (Warwick), Mark Banks, Jason Toynbee (Open)"

More here
Source: Wiser Earth

Sunday 17 February 2008

One Million Peace Signs

One Million Peace Signs is a new website and blog aimed at encouraging readers worldwide to share pictures of people and places related to peace, focusing particularly on images of the traditional peace symbol.

The site authors explain:
"Snowed in on Jan. 1, 2008 in the Middle-of-Nowhere Wyoming, we decided that collecting One Million Signs of Peace for a website would be a fine New Year's Resolution. Crazy? Probably. Possible? We think so! Since then, people from all over the world have sent us their Peace Sign Photos, Peace observations, and "go for it" encouragement..."

As well as posting pictures (currently via Facebook and flickr), visitors are invited to add peace promoting events and personal peace heroes. There is also a page containing information and links about the history of the peace symbol. A thoroughly inspiring read...

One Million Peace Signs
Click links for more: website / flickr group / facebook group

Saturday 16 February 2008

My Heart Wanders - Pia Jane Bijkerk

Image Copyright: Clarence S. Bull - Underwood Photo Archives
Pia Jane Bijkerk is offering us the chance to enter creative images for her 'My Heart Wanders' book. It sounds like a beautiful idea. Read the delightful project conception story and simple entry instructions on the blog and get inspired by the delicious images!


"...And so as I travelled in search of my heart, I caught glimpses of it everywhere - little signs of it in the streets, in the landscapes, in my work, on set, in the many homes that I visited.

And then I saw it amongst you. Image Copyright: Maureen DuLong

The direction of my little wandering heart became apparent and it is my pleasure to now pull the red velvet curtains back and make welcome my first collective blog art project…"


Read more here