Root Ginger, London, 17Feb - 1Mar09

Jenny Wicks is a photographer on a mission. Her aim? To encourage ideas and challenge our thoughts about WHO we are, WHY we are the way we are, how we may be MORE defined by our family than we care to admit or even contemplate, and why some people have RED hair!

Root Ginger, Jenny's project on this theme, is full of stunning portraits of children and adults blessed with red and ginger hair. The exhibition will be held at the Idea Generation gallery from Tuesday 17th February until Sunday 1st March.



From: Jenny Wicks Photography:
"Red hair is the last bastion of political incorrectness and although you cannot compare it wholly with the treatment of other minority groups I think it does illustrate how some members of society act towards people who simply look different to them."

The exhibition will also see the launch of Root Ginger the book and film of which a sneak preview can be viewed above. All 3 aspects of the project are intended to raise funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust who provide information, support and research into the UK's most common inherited, life-threatening disease.

Root Ginger
17th Feb - 1st March 2009
Idea Generation
1 Chance Street, London E2 7JB

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Further Info:
Root Ginger MySpace / Jenny Wicks Photography / Idea Generation / Cystic Fibrosis Trust

South London Creative Talent Wanted!

There is still time to be part of the Wandsworth Fairtrade Tea Party extravaganza that will be ArTea Party II this March! But the deadline is Sunday 1st February so get your skates and creative thinking cap on and apply by email today!

ArTea Party Wandsworth
Saturday 7th March 2009
The County Arms
345 Trinity Road, Wandsworth
London SW18 3SH
ArTeaParty.blogspot.com

Freedom?

These photographs, some astounding, some heart-breaking, some mind numbing, are from different sources compiled on The Big Picture section of Boston.com. They tell a story that we often, for many different reasons, do not want to hear, prefering to cosset ourselves away in the 'safe' world of work and home and TV and food and work and shopping/pub/church and home and TV etc etc.

From: Boston.com:The Big Picture
"Tens of thousands of Africans - men, women and children fleeing their homeland - attempt to make the perilous trip from their home countries to Europe every year, seeking refuge, asylum and economic opportunity. Some travel thousands of miles overland, being handed from smuggler to smuggler, ending up at one of many ports in northern Africa, to be packed into makeshift boats and make treacherous sea crossings to European soil, to places like Spain's Canary Islands and tiny Malta where they hope to either sneak in unnoticed, or, if intercepted, be allowed to stay. Many do not survive the journey..."

Some Comments:
"Many of the people in those photos come from coastal fishing communities. Their waters have been fished out by factory fishing and trawlers mostly from the EU and Asian countries. Off the coast of Somalia the fishing has been particularly devastating, and the Gulf of Guinea has suffered badly from overfishing. The EU countries have been dumping their toxic waste off Somalia for at least 15 years. A lot washed up during the tsunami. "Free" trade has also put a lot of African agriculture out of business with highly subsidized competition. These are major push out factors for workers in the developing world. Most people would rather stay in their own country if they can make a living there. But when you can’t make a living in one place, you’ll try and find a place where you can make a living. The alternative was voiced by a Zambian farmer-trade unionist . . . “If you will not pay us reasonable prices for our exports, we will export ourselves.”"
Posted by xcroc January 23, 09 02:43 PM

"So many pictures, so many people. Not one smile, and that speaks volumes."
Posted by Julia January 23, 09 04:16 PM

"heartbreaking -- how do i hide myself in my basic bauble of troubles? I who am just so lucky to be born in a place where how good I can replay my music is an ongoing obsession? How do I hide myself day after day when the world is full of such faces? Each just wanting a chance to eat a full meal, be able to name a child before 5 and know that their future is just?
Yet my humanity at once blinds me and shows me -- this is the curse and the blessing of a feeble mind."
Posted by septemous January 24, 09 01:47 AM

"If, in this age of free enterprise, we are to believe in the freedom of trade, then why not also believe in the freedom of travel? Why does a crate of banana's have more rights of movement than a human being?
Open all borders and let the chips fall where they may. There's plenty of people in Europe who would love to emigrate too. Why are we all trapped in the boxes we were born into?"
Posted by danskkr January 26, 09 03:51 PM

Further Info:
Boston.com:The Big Picture / Media Storm: Kingsley's Crossing

Althea Crome and Coraline

Althea Crome's torturously teeny tiny knits star in the upcoming Coraline film by Henry Selick, director of The Nightmare Before Christmas. This hand-made movie is the first of its kind to be shot in 3D and promises to be an spookily enchanting treat. The story is based on a childrens classic by Neil Gaiman and opens on 6th February 2009.

Further Info:
Althea Crome - Bug Knits / Coraline / Neil Gaiman / YouTube Coraline Films

Night Jam At Artangel

From: Night Jam
"NightJam is a music and photography project exploring the London night by Scanner with MCs and photographers from the New Horizon Youth Centre, the day centre for homeless young people in King's Cross.

“So, welcome to the London that never sleeps, yeah, will never dream – can’t – and will never see…Yeah, while you’re counting sheep...” (MC Utta, Sleepless City)

In early Summer 2006, Scanner invited young people at New Horizon Youth Centre in King's Cross to collaborate on a creative project that expresses how the city at night looks and sounds to their eyes and ears. Through music and voice the group explored the sense of freedom and fear, exhilaration and solitude of the concealing darkness. Between sessions, they captured their nights on camera.
NightJam presents two elusive visual and musical journeys through the city’s ‘quiet’ hours. NightJam is a new commission for Artangel Interaction's Nights of London series of artist-led collaborations exploring the nocturnal metropolis with the people who wake, work or watch over it."

Further Info:
Artangel / Night Jam / Scanner

ThrobGoblins International

Marc Roberts creates wonderfully topical, no-nonsense cartoons for ThrobGoblins International

Check them out on the blog and subscribe to the cartoons

Further Info:
ThrobGoblins International

The Age Of Stupid

UK Release: 20 March 2009

From: The Age Of Stupid
"The Age of Stupid is the new film from director Franny Armstrong (McLibel) and producer John Battsek (One Day In September). Oscar-nominated Pete Postlethwaite stars as a man living alone in the devastated world of 2055, looking at "old" footage from 2008 and asking: why didn’t we stop climate change when we had the chance?

Further Info:
The Age Of Stupid / Spanner Films

From Biro To Daisy Vase

From: Giffin Termeer

DAISY VASE, 2003

"The Daisy Vase changes our casual relationship to this hugely produced item into a personal and sometimes fragile experience. Made from ballpoint pens these little vases are hand blow-molded by Jim. As the plastic becomes flexible it stretches allowing the vase to sit naturally."

Daisy Vase measures 5"x2"x4" and is made from a bic(tm) pen.
Further Info

Environmental Graffiti

35 Greatest Works of Reverse Graffiti



From: Environmental Graffiti, Aug08

"Welcome to the world of reverse graffiti, where the artist’s weapons are cleaning materials and where the enemy is the elements: wind, rain, pollution and decay. It’s an art form that removes dust or dirt rather than adding paint. Some find it intriguing, beguiling, beautiful and imaginative, whereas others look upon it in much the same way as traditional graffiti – a complete lack of respect for the law. Reverse graffiti challenges ideals and perceptions while at the same time shapes and changes the environment in which we live, whether people think for the better, or not."

View the complete listing

Wardrobe Refashion Tips

The folk at Nikki Shell's fabulous and newly revamped site Wardrobe Refashion are geniuses (genii?). Have a look at some of the wonderful stuff they have created from used and pre-loved items of not only clothing but food cartons!!

Minnietheminks takes an old rice bag that has served its time as a rice holding implement and transformed it into a useful peg bag simply by inserting a hole in the front, a wire hanger at the top, stitching all in place, et voila - one unique and beautiful clothes peg holding product - hurrah!

Meanwhile, PumpkinNiki has made not one but two new items from a drinks carton (or in this particular case a pumpkin eggnog carton!! - those statesiders will consume anything, ha!). With some clever cutting, folding and stitching, this recycler extraordinaire has a new coin purse and business card holder - FAB!

Many more refashioning ideas can be found at Wardrobe Refashion

What's In Your Pants?

From: More Than Pretty Knickers
"Morethanprettyknickers has one aim: to change the textiles industry for the better! We want to see standards raised at every level of production from growing to sewing, from cotton to bottom! We want to see fashion become a sustainable business driven by the demands of well informed shoppers who give a damn about where there stuff comes from."

Further Info:
More Than Pretty Knickers / Eco Boudoir

Ethical Fashion Forum Events

"The Ethical Fashion Forum (EFF) is a new kind of trade association for the fashion industry, led by businesses, for businesses, and focused on social and environmental sustainability.
The Ethical Fashion Forum aims to facilitate broad and fundamental change towards better practices in the fashion industry within the next 10 years."

Fashion + Seminar: Sustainable Fabrics and Components
Tuesday, January 20 2009, Rich Mix, Brick Lane, London

Spotlight on Sourcing: 1 year seminar series
Rich Mix, Brick Lane, London

JOIN THE ETHICAL FASHION FORUM As an individual
WORLDWIDE

Fashion+ Workshop: Sustainable Fabrics & Components
Tuesday, March 17 2009, Rich Mix, Brick Lane, London

Bread and Roses

Protest song of women textile workers from Lawrence Massachusetts, USA, who went on strike for 11 weeks in 1912 demanding a better quality of life and working conditions for all workers. The words were written by the poet James Oppenheim and the song has since been taken on by trade unionists, particularly women's groups.

"As we come marching, marching in the beauty of the day,
A million darkened kitchens, a thousand mill lofts grey,
Are touched with all the radiance that a sudden sun discloses;
For the people hear us singing; 'Bread and roses! Bread and roses!'

As we come marching, marching, we battle too for men,
For they are women's children and we mother them again,
Our lives shall not be sweated from birth until life closes;
Hearts starve as well as bodies, give us bread but give us roses!

As we come marching, marching,unnumbered women dead
Go crying through our singing their ancient cry for bread.
Small art and love and beauty their drudging spirits knew.
Yes, it is bread we fight for but we fight for roses too!"

Source: The Bread and Roses Pub, Clapham, London
YouTube

30,000 Mile Ride Home

Peter Gostelow is a friend, cyclist, photographer, speaker and above all, a world traveller. He has spent the last 3 years on his bike cycling from Hokkaido, Japan across 30 countries back to the UK.


The journey was originally intended to take 1.5 to 2 years but, as happens on all the best journeys, plans altered along the way and the trip stretched to almost 3 years. Luckily for us less well travelled folk, Pete documented the experience on his online journal Long Ride Home at Crazy Guy On A Bike.

As well as storing up countless memories in words, Pete recorded his journey with incredibly beautiful and telling photographs.

From Pakistan to Kyrzygstan, through Korea, China, India and beyond, Pete has captured an enchanting essence of the places visited giving us a mouthwatering taste of the astounding beauty of landscapes and people he encountered along the way.

Back in the UK, Pete is sharing his amazing experiences of life on the global road by giving talks that are both inspiring and educational. To preview the presentation and book Pete to speak at your school, business or community group visit the Peter Gostelow website here.

Further Info:
Peter Gostelow / Flickr / Long Ride Home / Red Bubble Calender

Amoeba Vs Enamore Movie 2