Archive for July, 2007
Art tour
Artists, listen up. You wanna actually make a living out of your creative endeavours, then maybe a few more of those business skills are called for (don’t worry, it’s for the sake of art, your creative soul won’t be damaged).
Tourism people, listen up. There is an incredibly vibrant arts scene in the county, covering all aspects of the arts - photography, painting, sculpture, dance, theatre, poetry, film. You name it, there’s top talent right on your doorstep.
Hey, here’s a thought, maybe the artists or tourism crew could link up for mutual benefit. Shocking, huh? But, tell us here in the republic, what can be wrong with serving up the power of art as yet another lure for those who want to enjoy the rich diversity of Devon while cutting down on air miles and propping up the economy by eating local produce, visiting local sites and understanding local issues?
Free training is on offer for you guys that aren’t blinded by their own banality through the Tourism and Creative Skills for Success programme - a name thought up by someone who obviously hadn’t been on the course. It’s TACSS for short, though not by much.
Posted by Cptn
July 31st, 2007
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Concert! No, no, no…
Our views on the Girls Aloud/Newnham Park shindig are fairly well publicised - at least, better publicised that the bloody gig itself.
So it comes as no surprise whatsoever that our resident PRSD mole is suggesting the plug has been permanently pulled on the blessed thing.
We know this news will be a crushing blow to all those Girls Aloud/Karrallon fans out there but you can’t say you weren’t warned.
Here’s what we said about it all back in May (MAY!) when the show was merely ‘postponed’:
‘Organisers Edge Promotions apparently have issues with safety and finding enough support bands to fill the day - not to mention, one imagines, the small matter of flogging some 15,000 tickets for the bally thing.
‘Let’s be honest, the shindig seemed ill-conceived from the off. Indeed, regular readers will remember we expressed scepticism about the event in March.
‘Tickets (a snip at £30 - the same price as a ticket to see Prince in London) were available from bizarre places like Digital Knights in Plymouth and the Ayres Sport & Leisurewear store in Tavistock.
‘And the proposed line-up was equally bonkers - with popstars Girls Aloud, Booty Luv and Eton Road mixing it up with the dadrockin’ likes of Boogie Nights, Joey The Lips and Karrallon. We’ve heard of ’something for everyone’ but that’s
just ridiculous.’
We should, of course, acknowledge the fact that at least the promoters were trying to arrange something great for the region and presumably put a hefty amount of wonga into the enterprise.
But, yknow, do it fucken properly next time, yeah?
Posted by Thin White Duke
July 30th, 2007
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Reader offer
Get ethical at the superstore. Get Ethical Superstore. It’s that simple.
There is no corner of your life that isn’t catered for in this one-stop salve to your consumer conscious. The perfect place for all those who have always wanted an ethically sound hammock, not necessarily for the office, for example. Click through and discover, although if you do think a case of 12 bottles of wine shouldn’t be more that £18, you’ll be disappointed.
And in a surprising move of largesse, those kind folk at the Ethical Superstore have offered members of The People’s Republic of South Devon £5 off when you spend £20. Just use the exclusive code of X5PRSD to enjoy the discount
Posted by Cptn
July 30th, 2007
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Envision this
Businesses which want to go green will be getting that little extra help with the rollout of the environmental advice programme Envision.
The scheme which helps businesses save money and the environment by spotting wasteful practices and offering solutions is being extended across the region. Previously it was available only in Objective 1 and Objective 2 areas (which seems odd, these areas need most support for business. If you wanted the programme to be effective you’d have it in the main business hub… but we digress, and no, this isn’t the same as yesterday’s post, but it does make you wonder).
To find out more get in touch with Envision SW.
Posted by Cptn
July 29th, 2007
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Green backs
Regen South West, those harbingers of environmental business hope, who we know love us, are ready for a bit of a cash boost.
The SW Regional Development Agency is ready to put its hand it its pocket if and only if our favourite environmental body called ‘Regen’ can help at least another 60 businesses and 200 staff develop their skills.
Go on, sign up now, they’ll thank you for it.
Posted by Cptn
July 28th, 2007
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PL:AY commences
We’ve taken the PL:AY festival, which kicks of tonight and continues tomorrow, to our hearts here at the People’s Republic of South Devon. And why is that? The sense of devil-may-care abandon that comes with it? The fact that it involves so many people in and around Plymouth? Or that we consider it to be our own gem of the wider Plymouth festival?
Who knows? What we do know is there are six venues throughout the city where the activity ensues. These are, with their official numbers, 1) Plymouth College of Art and Design 2) Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery 3) Dingles Department Store 4) Plymouth Guildhall 5) Annabel’s Cabaret and Discotheque and 6) Smeaton’s Tower. Stroll around the city and find out more for yourself, or visit the website.
What we can tell you is, PL:AY commences at 6pm tonight at the Plymouth College of Art and Design.
Go on, have a play.
Posted by Cptn
July 27th, 2007
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Pings and creaks
As part of the Plymouth PL:AY day there will be a free sound composition at Smeaton’s Tower, Plymouth Hoe between noon and 4pm on Saturday, July 28.
The lighthouse, as we all know, was built in 1759 on Eddystone Reef before being dismantled stone by stone and rebuilt on the Hoe. So you can imagine the funny old noises that will be going on as the building settles and groans, plus all the ancient moving parts.
Sound artist Dawn Scarfe has developed a new composition to capture all the pings and creaks of the building and lamp to encourage people to listen to their environment.
The first 100 people will be able to hear the piece for free, but shhhh, no chatting.
PL:AY is part of the People’s Republic of South Devon Summer Festival.
Posted by Cptn
July 26th, 2007
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Red (Cross) alert
We’ve had an email from Sir Nicholas Young, chief executive of the British Red Cross. We trust the good (and flood free) citizens of the People’s Republic will help out in any way they can.
Here’s what it said: ‘The images of filthy brown floodwater stretching for miles, and the misery and devastation it causes, are more commonly associated with disasters overseas.
‘In recent weeks however, hundreds of thousands of us here at home have been victims of the unprecedented flooding which has hit large swathes of England.
‘In response, scores or British Red Cross volunteers have been working tirelessly alongside the emergency and statutory services to distribute safe drinking water, bedding, clothes and food and to assist the homeless at rest centres.
‘We have launched Red Cross National Floods Appeal to support our own devastated citizens through the disaster phase and beyond and would urge people to donate whatever they can today on 0845 054 7200 or on the Red Cross Floods Appeal website.’
Posted by Thin White Duke
July 25th, 2007
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Buzby cares
Research from BT suggests that ‘young professionals’ will be knocking down The People’s Republic of South Devon’s door for some socially responsible, yet not (very well) paid work.
These young professionals (who we can only guess used to be called yuppies) are so keen on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) that more than a third said ‘working for a caring and responsible employer was more important to them than the salary they earned’, and ‘a startling 44 per cent said they would discount an employer if they didn’t have a good CSR (see above) reputation’. Ahh, it brings a tear to your eye… as you try to stifle the guffaw. No, didn’t work. Haaaa!
But in what can only be seen as an attempt to inure us against ever believing anything we read again, nearly half felt so strongly about the whole Corporate Social Responsibility thing that they think it should be made compulsory. And where should the Corporate Social Responsibility be focused? Not on market innovation (is this the same survery?) but on the environment.
What’s shocking is that 56 per cent of the respondents would work for companies that they knew were socially irresponsible, and that nearly half didn’t think there should be legal recourse to this irresponsibility.
Alison Garner, CSR communications manager at BT, said: ‘These results reflect our experience at BT.’
Oh, and by the way, BT has a Corporate Social Responsibility department. Well that’s all right then. Go figure.
Posted by Cptn
July 25th, 2007
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Re: verse
There’s more poetry coming to the Exeter Picturehouse on Wednesday, July 25, when Alexis Lykiard will launch his latest poetry collection, Judging by Disappearances.
Already winning critical acclaim, the Exeter-based poet and novelist will be on hand to put his John Hancock on your copy as well as read extracts from the book.
The special launch party is free to enter and takes place in the bar between 7pm and 9pm.
But if you want the low-down on films, check out D+CFilm, for all the gen you would ever need.
Posted by Cptn
July 23rd, 2007
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