Archive for February, 2008
posted by Cptn
Stand up Teignbridge District Council and take a bow. The plans to to scrap free companion bus passes for carers has been dropped.
But such sensibility is not always present in councils.
“The last-minute decision to retain the passes for carers shows how Teignbridge is committed to carers and those they care for, and how responsive our elected representatives are to the community’s concerns and needs,” said Jackie Milan, Learning Disabilities Carers Worker for Teignbridge.
“Since we heard the good news, carers from across Teignbridge have been calling to express their appreciation. Carers from other parts of Devon are now asking their Councillors to take similar action.”
Equality South West chief executive Paul Dunn said: “This is good news for disabled people because many of them, faced with having to find the money to pay for a carer to accompany them on the bus, would have had no option but to stay at home.
“I hope other councils in the county follow the lead taken by Teignbridge and East Devon councils and give a new lease of life to disabled people.”
February 29th, 2008
Tuesday morning I sat bleary eyed looking at this computer screen while these words appear, my mind flicks back like an excited elastic band, to the events of the previous night. (Had to past tense it because I didn’t get round to posting it yesterday….)
Monday the 25th February was relaxed at Café Concrete. Amidst a rainy Plymouth evening, spectators recline on the sofas while I supply nineties-esque breaks and the best of funky electronica; Depth Charge’s “Bounty Killers IIIâ€, Clark’s “Dead Shark Eyesâ€, Dark Globe, Tarwater and Supercollider, amongst others, smoke their way around the space drenching everyone in a rumbling shade of bass.
Then on goes ‘Lime Green Receptionist’ - Matt Coombe’s (or should that be Koombe) new stripped down endeavour, sounding rather like J. Saul Kane’s: The Octagon Man, utilising the pinnacle of the technological apex: a Yamaha Portasound keyboard and some effects. Needless to say, Mr. Coombe, as ever, (or should that be the Lime Green Receptionist – the Fall???) deftly weaves complex textures that are at times clearly an old keyboard and at others shockingly danceable, the Lime Green Receptionist makes its debut and what a time it was…
During this whole head nodding extravaganza, we are furnished with a bespoke Café Concrete animation by Rachel Dobbs, one half of Low Profile. Clearly her brain trying to battle with the codes and conventions of modern life, the phrase that stood out most for me was: “19. You (a female) are at a disco and are asked to dance by a young man whom you don’t like the look of…(what do you say and how do you say it)â€. The animation program then moves on to two other works by Rachel, “My so called life (Parts 1 & 2)â€, the first part exploring her obsession with gradually disappearing telephone boxes and being gradually eaten by a Pacman clock while doing the ever growing pile of ironing in part two. The program finished with “Ya Will, Ya Will (Tea Dance)â€, suiting Matt’s Lime Green Receptionist to a tee (tea?).
Next is a sound work by Hannah Jones (“101 ways to say I love youâ€), the other half of Low Profile, with her ever speeding delivery as she battles to recite a series of song titles on an answering machine. Finally she does but the delivery is lightening…
DJ Contort/Hip.P/Buckaroo’s “The Liono Café Concrete Incidentâ€, Music inspired by Beast (Café Concrete 21/1/08) appears in the speakers directly after, and is generously handed out in CD form to the audience. This is their homage to Liono’s Beast performance that appeared at the Café last month (details here) and features breakcore and gabba-esque ‘remixes’ of Liono’s clucking. He is clearly already becoming a legend.
And finally on the bill, Blue Reverberance works out his circuit bent toys and Amiga 500 to create beautiful soundscapes and beats that seem more like Prince of Persia. This was a stunning debut performance that warrants further interest, keep your ears on this – I promise you won’t be disappointed…
As an addendum I include a track off ‘The Liono Café Concrete Incident’, and hopefully this will become a fixture… (Advisory! Contains some swearing!!!) here.
Thanks to Rob (Contort) for the photos.
February 28th, 2008
posted by Cptn
As Fairtrade fortnight rumbles around, we thought we’d remind you that we have a box of super Fairtrade goodies from those good people at the EthicalSuperstore.com
All you have to do is drop us a line about what you’re doing to promote Fairtrade in Devon, and we’ll pick the winner out of a suitably ethical chapeau.
February 28th, 2008
Super starlette-in-waiting Ems Coombes will be taking those first steps into the pantheon of theatrical folklore on Saturday at 10am in Totnes. Ems is raising money for her own theatrical troupe as well as Headway, the brain injury charity, by walking up and down Totnes High Street between the Seven Stars and the Barrel House. You can sponsor her by step, by yard (sorry, metre) or by lap, or you can just plonk a donation in her bucket on the day. Go on and cheer her on.
You can listen to Ems talk about her sponsored walk and her forthcoming slot on the PRSD in the podcast, below.
[audio:EmsCoombes.mp3]
Ems Coombes on the People's Republic of South Devon:
Play Now |
Play in Popup |
Download (77)
February 27th, 2008
posted by Cptn
Today the Devon Econonmic Parternship (DEP) will publish the Devon Economic Strategy (DES). And those def lot at DEP have sorted out the DES for up to 2015, which consists of six priorities, and from our reading could just be one sentence – doh!
One priority for a council, or anyone, is understandable - six priorities, which cover every element of everyday life, sounds pretty much like spin, but what the hey as long as it focuses our elected officials.
At least Devon County hasn’t gone down the road of the semi-rhyming sound-bytes of Plymouth City Council whose healthy, wealthy, wise and strong could be the name of a some bizarro Snow Whites dwarfes.
This is what the they say:
“Following the research and consultation with stakeholders from across the county, the strategic priorities for Devon were agreed. They encompass:
· Investment into business infrastructure and communications
· Tackling worklessness and economic exclusion
· Addressing economic disadvantage
· Developing a skilled workforce
· Encouraging business enterprise and innovation
· Establishing Devon as England’s greenest county”
And the Milky Bars are on them.
Check out the Devon Economic Partnership
February 27th, 2008
posted by Cptn
Our friends, the Birds, Orphans and Fools have got in touch to tell us about an event on March 9 at the Voodoo Lounge, Exeter Phoenix.
They say, in a ‘roll-up, roll-up’ stylee: “Discerning purveyors of the bizarre and abnormal should expect a DJ soundscape of space-age Turk Surf, Czechoslovakian vampire soundtracks, Welsh rare-beats, bubblegum folk, drugsploitation operatics, banned British crime thrillers, Global Psych, Freak Folk, Kraut Schlock, Electronik Mud and Glam Jams.”
And how could anyone argue with that? For more details visit the Birds, Orphans and Fools website, or the myspace, or the Magpahi, or Sam And the Plants or the Supreme Vagabond Craftsman or B-Music site.
It may be easier just to turn up. It starts at 7pm and goes on till late. Tickets are £6 or £6.50.
February 26th, 2008
posted by Kroak
- Plymouth Art Centre, 8th Feb – 6th April
stanza image from www.stanza.co.uk
Inspired by online social networking software, which to you and me is Facebook and Myspace etc, ‘the artists and researchers from i-DAT try to form a real life hub for a Plymouth’. The accompanying Introduction to the Exhibition leaflet explains the concept behind each piece – you will need this!
The show brings together very interesting and thought-provoking questions about how technology is embedded in our lives, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not is another issue. However, having been twice, I still need to go again to review, to understand and to get to grips with the ideas and the work on show. The i-DAT artists and researchers in the exhibition have used new technology creatively to produce new works. The presentation is slick, yet some basic knowledge of new programs or software may be required to fully understand the language of this show.
In the upper gallery, artist in residence Stanza is developing works using new technologies, motion sensors and surveillance cameras (interesting to note two Plymouth galleries showing works around CCTV cameras, Viewpoint Gallery and Chris Fisher’s contemporary craft and now Stanza at PAC). Stanza wants to show how the space of the gallery is the art, and this is captured through the art centre’s own CCTV cameras. We all know these cameras are everywhere and record our every move, but it was still disconcerting to witness people moving through the gallery space, a space where shouldn’t we be free to pose questions, view works? An artist decides to hang works, to place themselves on show, I’m not sure I agreed to be part of the tracking, to be part of this work.
We are challenged to view the displays, the wall-mounted monitors as works of art, and yet as social networking sites act as an inspiration, perhaps a virtual gallery with all the possible interactivity would be more appropriate? If I am required to submit information from my mobile, and to propose a new way of evaluating my exchange, is the traditional space of a white cube gallery the most effective way to witness my involvement?
i-DAT have produced works that highlights issues, tries to measure our exchanges, we input information, we willingly track our movements, and are projected walking through the space. With the S-OS: Happies by Chris Saunders, which is a rating system for your own happiness, I wonder what happens if it was a bad day or if you are then told by a computer: you are not happy, when you thought you were?
S-OS: Social Operating System is well worth checking out, I will be again, and maybe again after that…
February 25th, 2008
posted by Cptn
Denizen of the republic, and super person to share popcorn with, Josie McCoy is showing several new paintings (including the Christina Ricci picture above) at the Suburbia show – a night of performance and musical pleasure – at the Foreign Press Association, London, on March 1.
Josie’s work will also be included in another London show, Mothers. One hundred esteemed artists have painted a portrait of their mother, and they will all be for all to see at Sartorial Contemporary Art, Notting Hill. The Private View is Thursday February 28 and the show is on from Friday February 29 to March 8 (closed Monday) 1.30pm-6.30pm.
February 24th, 2008
The EthicalSuperstore got in touch with us to offer a giveaway and a bit of inspiration for Fairtrade fortnight, which started today.
If you’re organising an event to celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight, here’s a kit that contains everything you need – posters, samples, cards and flyers. We’ve got one to give away, just let us know what you’re doing to promote Fairtrade in Devon, and we’ll pick the winner out of a hat. Fairtrade fortnight Activist Kits are available from EthicalSuperstore.com
All you have to do is send an email with the relevant details to info@peoplesrepublicofsouthdevon.co.uk
February 23rd, 2008
posted by Jess Sains
Evian. Volvic. That one that turned out to be basically Peckham Springs. All bottled waters, all brand names, all an issue this week. In Britain alone we spend some two billion pounds a year on the stuff. Stuff we can get clean and treated from our taps, in our houses. Stuff which millions of people across the world cannot get clean and treated. Or cannot get at all.
As well as the ethical issues, there are ecological ones. The transportation from A to B of a bottle of mineral water uses up six hundred times more greenhouse gas than does your average tapped water.
So far so bad. But surely all the conveniences of our happy, shiny capitalist society have the same issues attached?
There is advert on Channel 4 this week pointing out that a UK latte costs around the same as the weekly wage of the man picking the coffee beans that go in to said latte. But I am addicted to caffeine so I try not to think about it.
I, and many of my fellow Westerners, am obese. I get to eat, without fear of the lack or intense hunger, three meals a day, enjoy a nice glass beer or scoop of ice cream when I want it. In 2006 the Food and Agriculture Organisation suggested that as much as 13% of the world’s population did not have enough food daily. Lucky old me, born in the right place.
We start wars over and continue to glug down oil here in the West. Well, I need a car to get to work or to take my kids to school.
Above all we have money. Lots of money, lots of spending power. Lots of lattes, Evian, tubs of Ben and Jerry’s and big shiny cars. I work hard, I deserve it.
So far so bad, not so much fair trade as sticking ones head deep in the sand. I am lucky, I am addicted, I need it, that’s the way things are. All excuses for a world situation that will never be fair.
February 23rd, 2008
Previous Posts
