Posted: November 29th, 2011 | Author: Steph | Filed under: Activism, Architecture, Art, Community | | No Comments.
There’s an array of ideas of what makes for a vibrant, thriving community but derelict buildings and dirty streets rarely feature highly.
Taking a simple yet innovative approach to unused spaces, car lots and factories - Tony Goldman partnered with Jeffrey Deitch to create the Wynwood Walls project in 2009. In essence the project uses community spaces as a live canvas, inviting artists to create murals in areas that could more than do with a lick of paint. Since then the project has gone global, attracting high profile artists such as Shepard Fairey.
HCTN have recently launched a docuseries archives the transition of a neighbourhood; “exploring the power of Public Art and innovation to uplift and revitalize urban communities.”
Hopefully this regeneration concept really does catch on. With the global economy as it stands, approaches like these could help arrest the decline of communities everywhere.
Posted: September 25th, 2011 | Author: Steph | Filed under: Community, Culture, Marketing, Music, Trends | Tags: Creative Communities, Dalston, NTS, Trends, Umbro | No Comments.
NTS: a new community radio station based in Dalston, launched in April this year. The community in this instance is the bubbling sub-culture of electronic music influenced by a staple of soul, funk and jazz amongst others.
Their recent short gives you a glimpse into the beginnings of the station, their developing culture and a five-a-side football team. Que Umbro’s involvement and the second reason for my musings.
Umbro having taken tips from Adidas and Puma, have been quietly repositioning the traditional football gear company as a lifestyle brand, producing content featuring musicians Chase & Status, Liam Gallagher and Murkage and other sports stars.
En route to embedding themselves in pop culture, the Umbro Industries campaign focuses on supporting fledgling creative entrepeneurs in Manchester with £10k bursaries.
The trend of courting creative communities looks like one that will last for a while for culture savvy brands, ensuring buy in from taste makers and all that goes with it. Thus giving creatives alternative forms of investment from financial to profile raising.
Posted: May 31st, 2011 | Author: Steph | Filed under: Community, Culture, Events, Green | Tags: Bootstrap Company, Dalston Roof Park | No Comments.
Last Friday evening the distinct waft of bbq deliciousness and booming speakers was my cue to leave the office. That’s one of the bonuses of having a roof top garden on your building.
The Bootstrap Company recently launched the Dalston Roof Park, which will be hosting a variety of cultural events for the community over the summer.
Unfortunately I missed out on a tasty burger from Meat Wagon as the queue was a tad too long for me to make it in time for a date with my cutie god daughter.
If you’re in the E8 area in the next few weeks though, pop in and visit; it’s dead nice.
. . .
Garden Opening Times: Monday – Friday 09:00 – 23:00, Sat 13:00 – 24:00, Sun 13:00 – 22:00
Bar Opening Times: Monday – Thursday 17:00 – 23:00, Sat 13:00 – 24:00, Sun 13:00 – 22:00
Posted: March 16th, 2011 | Author: Samuel | Filed under: Community, News, Random, Trends | Tags: Empty Shop Space, Middlesbrough Council | 1 Comment.
Empty spaces are becoming hot property at the moment. With our own Open Shop using disused spaces to hold community focused workshops and Libyan refugees occupying the empty Hampstead home of one of Qaddafi’s sons, people are finding new ways to re-invent the white washed window front.
This is what we found Middlesbrough council were doing on a recent trip there for our Green Stories workshops.
Posted: March 16th, 2011 | Author: Steph | Filed under: Community, Film, Green, Photography, Workshops | Tags: Affinity Sutton, Green Stories, twenty%extra | No Comments.
Last week the twenty%extra team packed our backpacks and headed off to Middlesbrough, Stoke-on-Trent and East Grinstead to start part two of Green Stories for Affinity Sutton.
We got the chance to meet the 5 finalists of the Green Stories competition, learning about their personal stories of how they improved sustainability, energy use to recycling in their community. We have to say, they were a lovely bunch and made us laugh (a lot) throughout our workshop sessions.
The photographs above (yeah there are a few!) are of one of the projects in Stoke, a resident led community & garden centre. Watch out for part three where we will be making short films of each of the projects.
Posted: March 16th, 2011 | Author: Steph | Filed under: Advertising, Community, Green, News, Photography | Tags: Affinity Sutton, Green Stories, twenty%extra | No Comments.
Affinity Sutton has taken an innovative and creative approach to engage their residents into green issues.
Last year we started working them to create a marketing campaign to encourage the early adopter green residents to share their Green Stories by making 6 short films, which in return will inspire other residents to recycle and make positive eco choices.
Above is the fabulous, Vee, who started modelling at the grand young age of 70. She has appeared in ads fromVogue to Harry Potter to Mickey D’s, so we were very pleased she was available for our shoot!
