Wednesday 25 March 2009

A busy week...

D Fuse @ the German Gymnasium

Pathways: King's Cross investigates how we remember and imagine a place and how we document change. Create KX and King's Cross Central commissioned D Fuse to reflect on this process in King's Cross. The group of designers and artists explore the relationship between image and sound. For Pathways they have drawn inspiration from the development underway in the area today as well as through stories and images from the past. Their interesting use of oral history gives the audience a unique and very personal experience of the changes in King's Cross. Its diverse nature is captured by the soundtrack of different voices revealing memories and tales from the past; the old Scala Cinema, now popular music venue, is given a humourous depiction as an old photograph is shown on the transparent screen. Their film of famous King's Cross landmarks taken from still images of old films and photographs is projected on to layers of transparent screen. A mirror image is then shown of the same view but from present time. This crossing of time and the layered visual effect depicts the concept of memory and history itself- as simply a reconstruction of what is rememebered and documented. As a King's Cross resident its fascinating to hear stories from the area, which otherwise would be missing from our understanding of history- Who would have thought Pentonville Road used to be referred to as the river Jordan!
Come and pop in and discover something a bit different about living in King Cross, on show until April 5th, opening times weekend 11am-5pm, Thurs/Fri 12pm - 7.30.

Big Chill House, 257-259 Pentonville Road, King’s Cross, LondonN1 9NL

The shock of summer sun last week meant that the The Big Chill's fun loving crowd all headed out on to their comfy roof balcony last Saturday night. Many a-sipping fruity cocktails whilst trying to convince their goosepimpled arms that this was how March in London IS. That is the great thing about the Big Chill house, its holiday vibe, a care free realm very distant from the grey city streets of King's Cross. Luckily, I ventured indoors in time to hear the amazing Laura J Martin. A very talented flute player who has brought Hip Hop to a different level. Soon to follow were 6ix Toys, a 7 piece funk band currently based and gigging out of Liverpool. Its jazzy beats really worked with the crowd, and their interactive performance enusred the whole room were hanging off every beat. Check out what the house has to offer on: http://www.bigchill.net/house/?site=house

'From Grass Roots To Virtual Worlds', VisitKX @ The Wellcome Collection.

It has been a busy week at CreateKX, with three different events being brought to the creative community of Kings Cross. This seminar looked at communications and the many varied and innovative ways of guaranteeing that your arts organisation/venue stands out in the crowd, particularly when the competition to attract visitors is becoming fiercer then ever. Led by social entrepreneur Jude Habib, founder and Creative Director of Sound Delivery, the very productive morning covered the wide ranging communication techniques available to us today and their essential utility to charities and small organisations. I think it was Jude's interactive approach to the morning's session which ensured we all went away with a practical approach to overcoming a few of our challenges...

1)How do you currently communicate? Websites, Yell.com - funky venues, E-mail existing customers, Advertising, Press Editorial, Leaflets in public places, Social networking sites, Print Marketing.

2)Challenges? Keeping clients, Growing, Content - combining critical interest with commercial viability, Attracting new customers, Footfall - off the beaten track?
Getting local press on board, Saturation of market, Speed of technology development

3)What are the options available to us? Different types of Social Networking: Bebo = for the younger audience, Facebook, mySpace = Music orientated, LinkedIn = Professional, Podcasts, Twitter, Useful approaches to Twitter; following Twitter/Blog's relevant to your work, responding to groups/ organisations who use Twitter in your local area and region in order to communicate with your target audience.

Friday 20 March 2009

CreateKX Spring Networking Event

The Only Connect theatre at 32 Cubbitt Street is a hidden gem, and a discovery which all attendees last night seemed to get excited about! CreateKX were delighted to be hosting one of their lively and entertaining networking events within this former Baptist Church. The warm and welcoming theatre was dimly lit and provided great ambiance. (Its intimate and unique feel has really encouraged me to return and watch one of their full stage theatre productions!) Armed with wine and nibbles our Kings cross guests soon got chatting about their various developments and projects within the local creative and cultural realm. It was invigorating to hear new ideas on the loose, avid chattering as well as objective dicussion.

Once sustenance was restored Mark McGuiness brought us all to a hush with his mention of the notorious ENNEGGRAM. He had sent us all the personality test to fill out on invitation so many of us felt that unnerving sense of exposure- will my caring nature be seen as cowardly or ruthless ambition a sign of self absorption?! But it was far more constructive than instructive. Guided by his story based on King Charles I himself we were challenged to bring our inner court 'joker' out from within.

For a social evening Mark provided a great starting point, educating the room on how to observe oneself, and most importantly develop compassion for ourselves and others. What's more it was a fantastic opportunity to come and meet the Only Connect team, and find out more about their work and plans for King’s Cross.

Wednesday 18 March 2009

The pleasures of work...

A mid week entry from the CreateKX team today because The School of Life have come up with one of their many new and alternative ideas- bringing us all a little refreshment to our Wednesday afternoons! Turning order on its head The School of Life is reinventing itself as an alternative job centre throughout April. Rather than invite employers to advertise jobs for us to squeeze ourselves into, you are given the opportunity to write an ad for the job of your dreams, and let employers decide if they are able to offer it to you!

Instructions:
Write your personal ad, which advertises to the world the kind of person you are and what you care about- include name, personal qualities, talents, values & ambitions plus contact details and send to:info@theschooloflife.com

a walk through the ages...



What's more, for those of you who take an avid interest in your local urban landscape and its changing face, King's Cross Railway Lands Group is going to be taking a walk through the ages this Saturday 21st March. Departing from The British Library at 2.30pm guided by Linda Clarke, who has a PHD in social and economic history, you will be taken on an informative and intersting amble in and around the old Kings Cross railway lands.To really appreciate present developments and their future prospects it is often useful to get to grips with the past. So why not catch some rays this weekend and take away something new from the fascinating history of your locality.

Friday 13 March 2009

Radical Roots - Education Workshop

I want to share this great opportunity hosted by the Islington Museum for those aged between 14 - 19 years old.

Islington Museum
243 St John Street,
Islington,
London, EC1V 4NB

Contact details: alex.smith@islington.gov.uk

Book now for FREE workshops and courses run by award-winning music college Point Blank. Point Blank is the most innovative music, media and arts training centre in the UK, voted 'Best Music Production and DJ College' for six years running by the readers of DJ Magazine. Islington Museum have teamed up with Point Blank to offer free courses in Radio Production, Music Production or Digital Art.

Your tutors will be highly experienced industry professionals who have worked with major recording artists such as Leona Lewis, Sugababes, Oasis, Natasha Bedingfield and Massive Attack. This is your chance to learn the skills you need to get ahead in the media industry.Come along to a taster session to get an idea of what it’s all about. Courses are free, open to anyone aged between 14 and 19, and will run throughout school holidays in spring 2009. You will receive an accredited award, and – if you’re determined – could be awarded a scholarship to study at Point Blank Music College in Hoxton. What’s more, the work that you create will go on public display for 3 months as part of an exhibition in Islington Museum.

So if you’re aged between 14 and 19, don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to get creative, produce your own work, and be noticed!

Taster Sessions:
Thursday 19th March 4pm – 7pm
Thursday 7th May 4pm -7pm

Courses:
6 – 9 April 2009 Music Production
14 – 17 April 2009 Radio Production
26 – 29 May 2009 Digital Art

Friday 6 March 2009

The Art of Lost Words

The Art of Lost Words is an exhibition of design, typography and illustration inspired by forgotten words. The German Gymnasium is hosting the unique exhibition until Monday 9th March, so this coming weekend is a great opportunity to rediscover some of the obscure words which have been hiding within the depths of our language's long history. Through the exploration of language and image 41 artists have brought back to life obsolete words, exploring their mystery and meaning in witty and innovative ways - "There is...no word...which does not have a multiplicity of meanings" Nietzsche.

Here are a few of my favourite words, and their inspired works:

Morsicantproducing the sensation of repeated biting or pricking, Viviane Schwarz has humorously depicted the adjective and ingeniously grasped the element of repetition in a series of four pictures involving both biting and pricking; from a drawing of a Granny knitting in the dark to a larger than life, ‘here is one I made earlier’, coloufully crocheted biting creature.

Innocciduous – adj. a star never setting. Russell Mills work uses paper and acrylic producing a dark and mysterious expanse of emptiness, he has also used coal dust - quite fitting for a star that resists its glowing form.

Embrangle - confuse or entangle. Alan Dye/ NB: Studio designed a visual global message. Through the inspiration of this single word the artist explores Iraq on a map. The very detailed piece suggets Iraq's meaning as a country and as an area of entanglement, within itself and in relation to the rest of the world, and the confusion and entanglement that the rest of the world have brought on the country.

Benthonic is one of more surprising words meaning living on the bottom of the sea. Ellie Curtis displays an amazing ink illustration of sea creatures within a sea creature. Similarly creature inspired, Audrey Niffenegger’s piece inspired from the word Murklins meaning, stumbling through darkness, tells a 'cycle of life' tale of little murklin beings stumbling through unending darkness, they seem as lost as their very host word!

Work (and the words that inspired them) will be on display at the German Gym and available online for purchase from 6 March. Proceeds from sales will go towards the National Literacy Trust.
 
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