Peoples Republic of South Devon

On the Flipside

posted by Cptn

The Flipside Film Festival aims to turn the world on its head and shove a camera in its face, and those intrepid bunch at D+CFilm caught up with the festival’s best boy Dan Paolantonio to uncover the motivation behind the alternative festival.

April 30th, 2008

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Art course discount

posted by Cptn

Those good people at Schumacher College, Dartington, have offered citizens of the republic a 20 per cent discount on its Creating Nature: Art in the Landscape course, if they mention the People’s Republic of South Devon when they book.

The course ‘will explore unique ways to work within the landscape to create works of art that help our understanding and protection of nature and our enjoyment of art’.

The teachers on the course are pretty cool too.

Susan Derges is a photographer. She has created a major commission for the Eden Project’s new Education Resource Centre in Cornwall and has exhibited her work around the world.

Lynne Hull has pioneered “trans-species” art, creating sculpture installations as wildlife habitat enhancement and eco-atonement for human impact. She has worked in the American West and eight other countries with a variety of wildlife agencies.

James Marriott is a writer, artist, activist and naturalist. He is a co-director of PLATFORM, which since 1983 has brought together artists and activists to create projects and campaigns that help the struggle for ecological & social justice.

Satish Kumar, programme director at the college and narrator of the BBC 2 programme Earth Pilgrim told the PRSD: “The wondrous, awesome beauty of the natural world is both the artist’s muse and the artist’s toolkit. As humans we are inherently creative, and on this course we look to nature and learn by Divine example how to design intelligently and create something of intrinsic beauty.”

April 30th, 2008

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Swing low

posted by Cptn

Clear out your diaries for a week and a bit of smooth, silky, sultry songs in (metaphorically) smokey waterside venues. Yes, the first International Barbican Jazz and Blues Festival is set to swagger its way around the quay, daddy-o.

Opening the shindig of international artists, some of whom are home-grown, is Plymouth’s First Lady of Jazz Louise Parker. She’ll swing the event into action at 1pm on Saturday May 3, at The Parasols - and it’s free. What a way to start the bank holiday weekened.

The whole event has been nurtured into life by the soul of the party herself Mama Tokus, who will also play a supporting role to gentleman of jazz Earl Okin, on Thursday May 8, at the Barbican Theatre, kick-off, 8pm (£10).

But this is just the tip of the iceberg of cool composers and toe-tapping tunes.

Check out the Barbican International Jazz and Blues Festival website for more.

April 30th, 2008

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