Make Love Not War 2008: October 2008

Sunday 26 October 2008

White Night Debate 25 October 2008

Hi White Nighters
I've posted a short text and photos about last night on the a-n blog:

http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/455609

Thanks to all of you who took part with preparing and leading this event. It was very enjoyable, thought-provoking and had a nice kind of shambolic feel to it that allowed for people to feel relaxed and able to express their opinions. If any of you can remember any of the specifics of the part where people were actually talking about politics, please do report back. The details seem to elude me.
2 of the disposable cameras didn't come back to me. If anyone knows where they are and can arrange for someone to bring them back to the CFAP office room 238 at Grand Parade, that would be great. Last I heard Esther had given them to some CFAP second years. I can then have the images processed and put them up online too.
Thanks again and keep in touch

Susan

Friday 24 October 2008

Make Love Not War

Hi White Nighters
I'm writing this email from uni because our email at home is still down. So, I won't be able to reply to any posts this evening or tomorrow.
Just spoke to Luska on the phone.
We (she, Esther and I and anyone else who can make it) are going to meet tomorrow evening, Saturday, at 7pm at Komedia. I've got open studios in Hove until 6pm so won't be able to get there before 7.
Hope to see all involved there and discuss all ideas so far in a relaxed and genial setting and come up with our definitive, final, plan.
By the way, my idea was to have a lie down in the gallery (inspired no doubt by Lizzie's lie down disco of February's 2nd year CFAP show and get everyone imagining a world without war. I am happy to facilitate this. I like all the suggestions so far but we do need to think sensitively about our surroundings (images of death and suffering) and take this into account and not be too jovial, I think.
Anyway, bring your final ideas to Komedia tomorrow night at 7 and we'll take it from there.
Anyone who can bring cameras to document the whole thing, that would be great.
See you tomorrow.
Susan

An Idea to create ideas...

Luska (in a moment of inspiration) came up with the idea of doing a sort of lucky dip where people can pick out words relative to the Make Love Not War theme such as 'apathy', 'detatched', 'apprehensive', 'peaceable', 'agonistic', 'incursion' ect. and then gather into small groups to discuss or brainstorm around the word. I think this may be a really good way to get people talking and feeling comfortable with each other. It could work as a warm up exercise or could be organised to be incorporated into the main event?
What do people think?

Unfortunatly I am unable to come to the event itself tomorrow night as I now have to go away for the weekend, sorry guys! Hope it all goes well.

Shona
:-)

Expand

Ok I have read the comments concerning the warm up activities. I think about the night and where we are initiating the debate and I think about ownership. How can we stake out our territory? I see the exposed facade of Grand Parade as a site for very private gestures and stances to become public. Something simple and participatory yet visually strong ... people standing either side of the glass holding hands; a human barricade obscuring all visibility of the exhibition from the street.

Facing each other through the glass.

Just holding hands.

x

Wednesday 22 October 2008

Ideas or lack thereof (currently!)

Hi folks - just to keep you informed of our 'loop', it's a bit difficult for us lot (Sussex girls) to dedicate our brains to this at the moment, as we're organising two other events during this week already and we've been hugely busy. We all agree that we can't do thoughts much justice until Friday. Liking the warm-up ideas, and some will involve more enthusiasm to rev up visitors than others (clothes perhaps); can't go wrong with facepaints. I have a very simple set of facepaints, so I'll bring those along.

Regarding table business - I managed to pop into the gallery the other day to have a proper look at the 'route' around the exhibits - not sure where the table should go - the most spacious part seems to be at the end, but not really spacious enough to encourage movement around a table, I'm worried that it will feel too much of a block - any ideas? It could be out in the lobby/foyer area...

Ideally, I would like time mostly to sit down and think about breaking down a list of topics to loosely structure debate, but I really can't do this until Friday. I feel confident that this can be done last minute and with enough control not to be too chaotic but with enough flexibility so that the event doesn't feel strict (fun, basically!) Lucy, Charlie and Shona are in the same boat the mo, but we will get our heads down as soon as we can. I hope this is OK with everyone else.

Peace and love,

Luska :-)
07989 802 464

Tuesday 21 October 2008

White night update - Tues evening

hi all
Just thought it was time for an update/check in with you all.
It is now Tuesday evening and I've checked the blog a couple of times. I'm working all day tomorrow and then in London all day Thursday (and out of email contact) then working all day Friday then on Saturday it's our open studios at APEC (12-6pm) then it's White Night itself. So, probably no time for us to meet prior to the event so all our organising will have to happen via email and this blog. But I'm sure that's not a problem. Unless some of you want to come to APEC during the day on Saturday and catch up with me then? (Invite for open studios attached).
So far we have some great films by TTFB and some really good ideas from Esther about warm-ups to get the evening off to a good start. If we are to do the dressing up ones we'll have to think about where we can source the clothes before Saturday. Have people got really good dressing up clothes they could bring in? I could probably find one or two things. I guess if everyone brought two things to wear then there would probably be enough outfits/accessories for everyone.
I like the idea of people turning up for a serious debate and finding something quite anarchic and surprising taking place. This might, of course, piss some people off, but that could be quite funny, as long as we can win them over in the long run.
How are your ideas going with the big red table Luska? Or with us saying our opinions. Have you had any more thoughts? I'm going to email this post to the group email list as well because i'm not sure everyone is checking this blog.
If everyone who reads this could reply with their latest thoughts to me tomorrow (Wednesday) I will be able to read and collate all ideas tomorrow (Weds) evening.
Tom, you probably need to check again with Gez about putting your DVD on the monitor in the gallery. Perhaps check it out by end of Thursday latest in case there's a problem.
I'm going to do a bit of reading and research now and will add another post before I go to bed with some more ideas of my own.
All the best
Susan

Make Love Not War 2008: Augustus Sterling's reaction

The music is a segment of 'Memorial Hall' by Pagan Wanderer Lu.

Warm-up thingamajig ideas

1. 'Dressing-up.' We could have a dressing-up box of clothes associated with war, freedom, love, music etc... On entry people will be asked to choose garments from the box according to how they would like to represent themselves in the debate... Or we could assign garments to people as they arrive and they can chose to remove items that they think portray a message they are opposed to.

2. 'Kissing Windows'. We split the party in two. One half stay inside the gallery the other half go outside onto the street. Both sides choose a partner to kiss through the gallery window for a duration of 10 mins. Then the debate begins.

3. 'Face Paints' pretty much self-explanatory. Hearts, flowers, hippie stuff.

Please get back to me with your thoughts and ideas. These are very much quick off the top of my head ideas. Lizzie has some ideas too but I have yet to discuss them with her.

Speak soon,

Esther

Monday 20 October 2008

The Ed-W-Approach : 1956

(The title is a reference to the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and the Poznań 1956 Uprising. You can see more of The Ed-W-Approach here.)

Chris T-T : Images Of War and Red Songs discussion

Here's a youtube-sized edit of an interview/discussion i had with Brighton-based singer-songwriter and Morning Star columnist Chris T-T. His music often deals openly with political issues (both with a capital and lower-case 'p') and has in the past included frank and barbed lyrics in reaction to the invasion of Iraq. His 2005 album 9 Red Songs is comprised entirely of protest tunes including 'Preaching To The Converted' which, as mentioned in the video, deals with the act of protest itself. With this year's album Capital he has completed a trilogy of albums centred around a general theme of London, and he is currently touring with his band The Hoodrats in support of former Million Dead vocalist Frank Turner.

Here he discusses his reaction to the current Brighton Photo Biennial, in particular the Julian Stallabrass-curated Iraq Through the Lens of Vietnam, the perceived change in Western student ideology between those wars, and his own aims as a protest singer.

Sunday 19 October 2008

Let's plan

Hi Everyone
Following our meeting on Friday I'd be interested to know if anyone has had any more concrete ideas about what we should do on Saturday?
So far we've got Esther being responsible for some kind of warm up and we've got TTFB's video playing on the monitor in the south gallery.
I like the idea of making the whole evening very participatory to everyone who is there. I'll continue to think. Also have asked 2nd year CFAP students for their involvement, if they are interested.
Also, how about each of you sending in a pic to go on the collective protest banner that is being made in Fabrica by volunteers, myself and anyone who wants to get involved.
You can drop a picture in by hand or email one to: respond@incommensurable@gmail.com
Thanks
Susan