Art exhibition of the week: King’s Island, by Tom Dale, Plymouth Arts Centre
posted by Cptn
Impossible stunts and crazy jumps have always held a lurid attraction, and for Tom Dale in his exhibition King’s Island at the Plymouth Arts Centre that attraction seems to equate with a fascination of celebrity culture and possibly even faith - but that might be a leap too far.
The show takes its name of one of Evel Knievel’s last motorcycle jumps in Kings Island, Ohio. Dale has taken the idea of Knievel’s star-spangled launch pads and skewed them to unbelievable trajectories. So, is it a comment on the communal American Dream, or an individual’s desire to become a hero?
Of course, the commentary could be on the twisty, turny nature of fame, politics and life itself.
Knievel said of his fans: “They started out watching me bust my ass, and I became part of their lives. People wanted to associate with a winner, not a loser. They wanted to associate with someone who kept trying to be a winner.”
• The show runs until November 16
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If you liked this story, you could buy us a coffee
October 23rd, 2008
posted by Cptn
A fuel poverty manifesto has been launched in the South West by a un-precedented coalition of charities, trade unions and not-for-profit organisations.
The coalition will ’speak with one voice’ to highlight the issues that contribute to poverty and work to alleviate them. And it will focus on the rural population, higher proportion of older people, transport challenges and dispersed urban centres
Helen Scadding, partnership development manager at Citizen’s Advice, told the PRSD: “This is the first time so many organisations have joined together to speak with one voice about this issue.
“That shows the strength of feeling in the South West about poverty – a problem we feel can be addressed if the will is there.”
The first campaign will look at reducing fuel poverty. Other planned campaigns will challenge low wages and support more affordable housing.
Members of the coalition are: Citizens Advice - South Area, South West Forum, Equality South West, UNISON South West, South West TUC, Groundwork South West, Fair Play SouthWest, National Energy Action- SW, Bristol Debt Advice Centre, Money Advice Plymouth, Severn Wye Energy Agency, SWAN (SW Acre Network, Bristol Debt Advice Centre, Faithnet South West, Shelter, Wiltshire Law Centre, Black South West Network and Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS).
The agreed manifesto is:
We believe that we can work together with local government , energy companies and national government to reduce poverty in the South West.
This is how.
By working with the regional Minister, MPs and central government to:
1. Reform of the insulation grant system- streamlining and simplifying the wide range of available grants.
2. Outlawing all surcharges on pre-payment meters
3. Extending winter fuel payments to other vulnerable groups ie disabled adults and families with disabled children and review the September cut off point.
By working with local government to:
1. Help map hard-to-treat properties particularly those with solid walls and park-homes.
2. Publicise best practice from LAAs and LA policies and practices and extend this good practice across the region.
3. Streamline grants for energy improvement across the SW.
4. Fund f2f energy and benefit take up advisers in council or VCS.
5. Support and enhance support services such as Care and Repair to assist some clients prepare for loft insulation and energy efficiency measures.
By working with energy companies to:
1. End any surcharges/additional charges on prepayment meters.
2. Develop block rising tariffs and best practice on social tariffs.
What the coalition will do:
1. Publicise the manifesto on our websites.
2. Send the manifesto to all Local Authorities in the SW and request examples of their good practice.
3. Establish the links between fuel poverty, low wages and poor housing.
4. Work with partners to implement the actions in the manifesto.
If you liked this story, you could buy us a coffee
October 23rd, 2008
