Two days since Play ARK 2013 Festival and Play:Do Hack week finished.
And what a week had been. Laughing on my own with the flashbacks.
I would like first to thank you Allison and Julian as I know how much they have been working for the last four years to make this festival happen, without forgetting obviously Natalie, she is as much important.
They have created a yearly cultural landmark in Wales and UK in a economic worldwide crisis period and when cultural budget cuts have been implemented. Not an easy task when you are not attached to any cultural institution and carry on with them the keywords "Game" and "Fun", enemies of any funding. As the French would say, "Chapeau".
The week had its ups and downs as any creation periods, maybe magnified because it was a collaborative process. But, all in all, I haven't had so much fun for a while and if you ask me to do it again, I would be the first one.
We are nearly reaching the end of one of the longest weeks I have lived for a while.
I look so dreadful that I didn't need any costume on my way back home and decided to join some kids
for some "Trick or treat?" that boosted my energies. But, all in all, really happy of how the week and the project is developing.
Right now I am preparing some slides for our presentation tomorrow morning.
Meanwhile here I leave you some of the pictures and videos from today:
Halloween Distractions
Praying to the Gods
Click on pictures to see the videos.
via Heather Kelley
What a frenetic last two days have been.
Personal presentations and meeting for the first time my colleagues, Kevin Moss, John Collingswood, Heather Kelley, Steve Coleman, Ben Hyde, Ravi Thornton, Chris Mog and Andrew Price. You should spent a bit of your time checking their great own works, you can find the info here.
Also, divided in three groups, we developed three games in less of two hours, Sea Shanty Spy (clue finding), Fist Full Of Dollars (Western Robbers Vs Sheriff) and Keystone 6 (Police and Robbers inspired by Keystone Cops Films). Without forgetting the inspired talk by Rosa Robinson on climate change. And finishing the day on the Meeting Place in Cardiff central for some dinner, where a kind of weird Musical Chairs took place between dishes.
Believe it or not that it was just the first day.
Register to hold a class or take part in a Trade School Cardiff; the Trade School Cardiff page is up and running!
We need people to run classes for Trade School Cardiff- if you have skills, knowledge or experience that you can share with other people then please go to the Trade School Cardiff page and click register to teach
You can add a description of what you will be doing, a bit about yourself, choose a time and day and list what you would like in exchange for your class.
Once classes have been approved then other people can sign up to take part in them, so we need people to get their ideas on the Trade School Cardiff page as soon as possible!
If you would like to run a class but are a bit nervous of teaching, we have volunteers who can offer support and help you to put your class together. Just let us know.
If you need any help with registering, putting your class together, or would like more information, email laura.howe(at)ark-lab.co.uk
For some inspiration from past classes, have a look at Trade School New York
Papergirl Cardiff is back again this year, organised once again by a collaboration of ThinkARK members, Cycle Training Wales and The PrintHaus arts collective and print studios.
Papergirl is a global art and cycling event that originated in Berlin following a city council ban on flyposters. Papergirl events are also happening this year in Dublin, Leeds, Birmingham and Brisbane, with more being announced monthly.
The general idea of Papergirl is the distribution of free, original artwork to the general public by bicycle. Artwork is donated by professionals and amateurs alike, exhibited and then distributed to random people on the city streets.
Last year Papergirl Cardiff distributed 300 pieces of artwork over the course of an hour long bike ride through the city. People who took part in the ride last year really enjoyed themselves but wished that the ride was longer. So this year we need even more artwork submissions!
We try to get as many people involved as possible, contacting artists, galleries, schools and colleges and putting out world-wide calls for artwork. We also run half-term print workshops at The PrintHaus to give children a chance to submit artwork and learn about screen printing.
If you would like to get involved in Papergirl Cardiff 2012 or would like more information check out the blog http://papergirlcardiff.blogspot.com
For anyone who's interested in getting involved in Trade School Cardiff, there will be an opportunity to put thoughts and ideas together next week on Thursday 12th of April. Come to the Owain Glyndwr pub on St. John St in Cardiff city centre from 7-9pm to find out more about the project and see how you or other people can get involved as organisers, teachers or learners.
Milkwood Gallery, 11 March 2012 3pm-6pm
For International Women's Day this year, ThinkARK will be running a workshop at Milkwood Gallery using Barbie dolls to explore our own and prevailing attitudes to the female body.
Playing with Barbie dolls as a child is a happy memory for many women.The Barbie Hack is intended as a playful way to encourage people to consider popular views and ideas about the female form, and to challenge those Frankenstein forms presented to us by mass media. Poor Barbie is a representation of what the media tells us we should be - to the extent that her feet were moulded into a permanent tip-toe stance ready for her stilettos!
Come along to Milkwood Gallery on 11th March and mould Barbie into a shape that more accurately represents you. Following the event, the hacked Barbies will be on display at Milkwood Gallery.
Introducing Barbie...
Created in 1959, Barbie is the best-selling fashion doll of all time.
It feels like Papergirl Cardiff only happened about a month ago and here we are already setting the wheels in motion for Papergirl Cardiff 2012...
The June event went fantastically well and everyone was really pleased with how people enjoyed taking part in the event, as well as the reactions of the people who received free artwork.
Working with Cycle Training Wales for the first time was brilliant, and with The Printhaus, who are an incredibly accommodating and helpful bunch, and overall it was great to be working and hanging out with a team of such nice people.
So...here we go again. This time, following the enthusiastic reactions in June, we are hoping to make Papergirl Cardiff even better. To do that we are going to need more help, more thoughts and more ideas. And we are going to need you.
Why not come along to our meeting on Wednesday evenings and see how you can get involved! Click here to view our calendar.
