Shakespeare Festival

2012 is the year of the Brits: as the Olympics and the Diamond Jubilee take centre stage, the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) follows suit and will stage the World Shakespeare Festival from April until September this year in a bid to put “art at the heart of the Olympics.”

The World Shakespeare Festival forms part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad, the largest cultural celebration in the history of the modern Olympic and Paralympic movements. Since 2008, more than 16 million people participated in or attended performances nationwide, over 160,000 people attended more than 8,300 workshops and an excess of 3.7 million have taken part in almost 3,700 ‘Open Weekend’ events; all inspired by London 2012. The London 2012 Festival, in accordance with the London 2012 Olympics, will reach its peak by providing over 10 million opportunities to see free world-class events throughout the UK at various venues.

Ruth Mackenzie , Director of the Cultural Olympiad and London 2012 Festival, describes the breadth of The World Shakespeare Festival as “a celebration of Shakespeare as the world’s playwright, produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company in an unprecedented collaboration with leading UK and international arts organisations and with Globe to Globe, a major international programme produced by Shakespeare’s globe, it’s the biggest celebration of Shakespeare ever staged.”

Almost 60 partners will come together to bring the World Shakespeare Festival alive and thousands of artists from around the world will take part in almost 70 productions. There will also be supporting events, exhibitions and educational events right across the UK, including in London, Stratford-upon-Avon, Newcastle, Birmingham, as well as online. The festival will run from April 23rd to November 2012, forming part of the London 2012 Festival, the culmination of the Cultural Olympiad, and the idea is to bring leading artists from all over the world together in a UK-wide festival this summer. Over one million tickets are on sale, so the emphasis is for all to get involved.

Michael Boyd, Artistic Director of the RSC, equally puts emphasis on Shakespeare as a vehicle for multiculturalism: “The World Shakespeare Festival celebrates this most international of artists at a time when the eyes of the world will be on London, that most international of cities, for the Olympic Games.”

Although “William Shakespeare is our greatest cultural export” as Boris Johnson has put it, the festival’s productions are not limited to Shakespeare’s plays. Other so-called themes include: ‘Arab Theatre Season’, ‘Globe to Globe’, ‘Open Stages’, ‘Shakespeare Re-imagined’, ‘Nations at War’ and ‘What Country Friends is this?’ In spite of this, the themes adopted by the RSC are definitely influenced by the Bard. ‘What Country Friends is this?’ encompasses Shakespeare’s shipwreck trilogy:The Tempest, The Comedy of Errors and Twelfth Night, and these are cast from one acting company, looking at migration, exile, and the discovery of brave new worlds. King John, Richard III and A Soldier in Every Son – The Rise of the Aztecs are the three plays under the umbrella title ‘Nations at War’, exploring the struggle for absolute power and the right to lead a nation. Further productions include A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Julius Caesar, but also adaptations like Romeo and Juliet in Baghdad or Two Roses for Richard III.

In addition, the Globe in London has announced its Globe to Globe Festival as part of the Shakespeare celebrations for the London 2012 Festival and will endeavour to present all of Shakespeare’s plays over 6 short weeks. Whilst it will stage one production itself, the remaining 36 plays will each be performed in different languages by different countries from around the globe, the epitome of global arts coming to London in celebration of this momentous year and as part of the events, which will be the finale to the Cultural Olympiad

All content © 2006 - 2012 Impact Magazine

Congrats Ma'am

On a whim, last weekend I ended up in London for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. In true British style, the weather was a shocker, but it was super fun and it was so great to see so many turn out to see the Pageant even in the horrific weather. The atmosphere on London was incredible with bunting and street parties everywhere and alcohol and picnics aplenty!

But most impressive of all was that the Queen and Prince Phillip stood and waved on their barge for about 5 hours. FIVE hours!! Now that is dedication. I was whinging and moaning for a Starbucks about 10 minutes after reaching our spot on the bridge..
I think that the weekend really showed the importance of the British Royals as they're a wonderful figurehead to have and truly sum up the British spirit. The fact that so many, young and old alike, turned out to see them despite the grim weather only reinforced this.
So thanks Ma'am for a wonderful four day weekend well spent and congratulations on your 60 years!

From the wall to the shoe: is art becoming portable?

Traditionally, ‘portable art’ refers to small examples of Prehistoric art that can be carried from place to place, usually in the form of engraved or painted bones and stones. Whilst this has certainly gone out of fashion, it would seem that a different form of portable art has taken its place.  The art form of graphics is far from new as artists including Alan Fletcher (1931-2006) and arguably the Victorian William Morris have shown. What perhaps is new is the idea of transferring our art onto more transportable and conventional objects. 

Felix Green, founder of the shop, InkHeart Custom Kicks & Caboodle, sees himself as an artist. Graphics is his forte and shoes are his medium. The reason is simple: although his drawings and designs were popular, would a picture sell? With more artists choosing different mediums such as bags or clothing to channel their work as part of a ‘bespoke craze’, the question is raised whether the classic ‘painting on the wall’ is falling out of favour among some of us art lovers.

The enlightenment for Felix to transpose his art onto shoes came with a dramatic leg break. Completely unable to walk for a long time, he could not find a pair of shoes that he liked enough to treat himself to upon recovery, prompting him to draw one of his works on a pair of pumps. At the same time, his recently launched online portfolio atdeviantart.com was receiving generally very positive feedback. With the collaboration of a local shop to stock his produce, and a launch on the online store Etsy, his prints were transferred onto pumps. When business really kicked off, Felix bit the bullet, quit his job and turned his full attention to his art works. Next, he plans to incorporate printable bags and t-shirts. Demand for these has clearly risen, as seen in the mass availability ofBanksy print bags and clothing.
Felix has been in London to test the waters with the ultimate aim to launch on Spitalfields market. Although a somewhat daunting prospect, Felix admits that London definitely spurred him on, as the custom-made t-shirt and bag concept is big news down there and he has found London-based graphic artists to be helpful. Whilst members of art communities are often guarded with their plans, London artists were open with tips and ideas.

As an artist, Felix gives the creative process as much significance as the finished product and he only ever produces images that feel natural to him. Even so, a majority of his work is on commission, with clients requesting a specific image and leaving him the sometimes difficult but enjoyable task of adapting it to feature on a shoe. Whilst some of these requests are sometimes odd, Felix stresses that this is what makes his art so exclusive; it allows for that unique stance within the bespoke craze and it is the individual touch that he so loves in his work. Moreover, these suggestions often move Felix in new directions not otherwise considered. As a keen photographer, he does the professional marketing shots of his products himself. Before any graphic elements may be applied to design, they must be created by means of visual art; thus, the artistic flair is maintained throughout the whole process.



So, is this concept of approachable and portable art the new art form? The uniqueness and nostalgic concept of InkHeart’s products obviously make them sentimental and expressive pieces; they are his works of art. This, along with the fact that the Internet plays such a prominent role within his work through the commission, the advertising and the inspiration of his products, suggests that the modern art form is changing. It is becoming more transferable and fluid, with a much wider ability for the individual to develop that personal touch.  And with an actual need for shoes and bags, Felix has the perfect opportunity to transfer his skills.


All content © 2006 - 2012 Impact Magazine

PS This article was also featured on onlinetshirt.com 
http://onlineteeshirt.com/blog/?p=1700

Pre-adult Angst

Having just come back from my last ever Easter holidays of undergrad uni life (scarymary.com!) has potentially made me more confused than ever. I really welcomed the 4-week break with open arms, as essays etc had really drained me and I was quite literally in desperate need of some home comforts…

2 weeks in and I was getting restless. Don’t get me wrong, I love the fam and I really do think that now we’ve all matured a little bit (or like to think that we have…) we really get along well. As much as loved going back to being the child, getting fed and having my washing done, I just feel that it’s getting harder and harder to do so. I think that I’m at a bit of an awkward stage; I’m excited about moving on and doing my own thing and yet I can’t help but cling onto being a child and getting family loving and pampering!!

And here I wonder: at which point do I make the actual break from child to adult? I used to think school à uni à adult. But now that so many of my friends are moving back in at home full time sans graduate job, and the fact that I am still majorly financially dependent on my darling parents makes me not so sure that’s the case anymore!

Then there’s the little things… One minute I find myself in a bit of a train hoo-ha and end up missing a flight and just thinking MUMMYYY (Father dearest I am forever grateful for your moral support on the phone 10 minutes before that BIG meeting!) Then the next minute I’m making serious plans about living in Zurich and London next year all on my todd (all the family are abroad) and being genuinely quite excited about going Ikea furniture shopping.

Is it socially acceptable to get excited about buying a Billy Bookcase but still want your mum to wake you up with a cup of tea, open the shutters (yes, the Swiss have Chalet style shutters…) and tell you to rise and shine?! Aaaargh!!

Living in a Daydream

Having recently read a great article that discussed all different forms of reality, it brought forward a little developing thought in my mind: what reality are we living in? Can we still actually distinguish between fact and fiction? This may sounds slightly odd and I know that Google haven’t actually yet launched their ‘augmented reality glasses’ but let me explain…

Take Facebook; the epitome of a ‘virtual’ Internet reality. Although the idea behind it is a personalized profile to communicate with ‘friends,’ this medium allows us to completely construct a (partially) fictional persona. Don’t lie, some of your photos will be edited (and those that aren’t, untagged!). I’m pretty sure that subconsciously we are fully aware that the comments we post on each others walls will be seen by at least 25 others besides the originally intended, and so the pressure to appear witty/effortless/interesting is on. You don’t agree? Come on, everyone knows if a comment really is only intended for the other person’s eyes it does so in the form of a private inbox…

 

Then there’s the very obvious and ever-present (constructed) reality show. Yes Big Brother was brainless, but at least what we saw was actually occurring in the Big Brother House! As much as I love the likes of Made in Chelsea I put money on the fact that although it’s marketed to us as ‘reality’ the scenes are about as real as my dream last night, in which I finally gave in to Ryan Goslings über persistent begging to go out with me. Shows like the X Factor are no doubt worse and are almost certainly more planned and scammed than anything else!

These shows then provide the opportunity for the rise of the notorious celebrity…in itself an immense facade of planned PR stunts. We think we know Lady Gaga? What’s her real name? And does she really like meat/Kermit dresses or does she know that by wearing them she’ll get press coverage? And you tell me that the delightful Kim Kardashian’s wedding wasn’t a publicity manoeuvre…a fictional fairytale.

Lastly, as much fun as it is to follow, fashion sometimes seems to be one big fictional visual. Most people by now know that pretty much all photographs that we’re presented with of models and celebrities are photoshopped. But what probably most people don’t know is that an H&M scandal was recently uncovered revealing their photo ‘models’ were in fact computer generated bodies with facial images attached. Very real. And let’s not even get started on cosmetic surgery…

In hindsight this article is probably very cynical and I sound like I’m generally very displeased with culture. Far from it! I love Made In Chelsea just as much as the girl next door (if not shamefully more), I think that the H&M models are super sexy and I obviously watch X Factor. (although only at uni. With a big group of people) All in all I just feel that it’s important that our impressionable and naïve juvenile generation with our unquenching thirst for knowledge and culture, remain aware of the broader picture! Even if our access to reality is based on fiction as Deborah Kests says, as long as we’re aware of that it’s all chilled!

Happy 200th Charlie D!

Most recent article in Impact...

Charles Dickens: father of some of the most iconic characters of English literature. This year marks the big two-double-zero for him, and, as part of our birthday celebrations for dearest Charles, we thought we’d provide you with a handy Blagger’s Guide on a few of his most celebrated quotations and how to neatly drop them into conversation…

Oliver Twist (1838)

“Please, sir, I want some more!” ? This is a perfect one for the typical dining hall scenario where the dear, kind hospitality staff simply haven’t put enough on your plate again.

“Don’t cry into your gruel; that’s very foolish”, basically translates to,

“Stop crying into your cheerios; it won’t solve the fact that you got with him”.

A Christmas Carol (1843)

“Bah, humbug!” ? Classically about Christmas, this can always be adopted to shoot down an opponent in an argument. Always.

“Darkness is cheap” can be adopted when justifying to visitors why the lights should be kept off. Those £2 saved could easily buy you a vodka lemonade.

“The night is waning fast, and it is precious time to me, I know. Lead on, Spirit!” ? To be used in dire taxi situations, just in case the driver isn’t grasping the fact that your nightclub ticket expires at 10.30!

A Tale of Two Cities (1859)

“It is a far, far better thing I do, that I have ever done…” ? When you’ve finally dragged yourself away from Fifa/Facebook/Topshop.com and have started your essay.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…” – University in a nutshell.

Great Expectations (1860)

“A young gentleman of great expectations!” ? Hopefully others will say this about you when you’ve finally submitted your KPMG application.

“Take another glass of wine, and … turn it bottom upwards with the rim on one’s nose” ? A good one for your next pre-lash…

Bleak House (1952)

“Fog everywhere.” ? Pretty much speaks for itself…

“It is a melancholy truth that even great men have their poor relations.” ? A casual remark that could be adopted when your housemate has brought home a partner you don’t approve of.

And lastly, upon his death-bed, the great man himself is rumoured to have uttered: “Be natural my children. For the writer that is natural has fulfilled all the rules of art.” Make of that what you will.

All content © 2006 - 2012 Impact Magazine

a pause for thought

I’m currently writing two essays AND trying my very hardest to keep on top of current affairs, so that when I’m taking my well deserved 4 hour gossip/coffee break in the Hallward Café, I can avidly discuss who’s next to be hauled into Levenson or whether Germany will in fact ever recruit a president who is more capable in his job than my 10 year old cousin would be.

And it’s exactly in this mix of historical essays and current affairs that things get interesting. Yes, I admit, I have reached that stage of education where I actually find my subject interesting! (To be honest, considering it’s costing me £3,290 a year, I may as well.) Let me explain…

Presentation Work: The Profumo Affair: 1963

-       a British political scandal, where John Profumo, Secretary of State for War had an affair with Christine Keeler, the reputed mistress of an alleged Russian spy. He then denied it in the House of Commons but later admitted to lying and resigned. This was the first time that such a scandal was splattered all over the media and where the traditional British ‘cover up and carry on’ was completely abandoned…government and media conflict…

Essay 1: The Kinsey Reports

-       in the 60s, the American Alfred Kinsey released a couple of ‘sex surveys’ which showed that ‘scandalous’ and ‘unimaginable’ things such as petting and homosexuality were in fact very normal and common! HUGE tabloid coverage and intervention of ‘the establishment’…government and media conflict…

Essay 2: The 1968 Student Movement and generational conflict in West Germany

-       in 1968 the students of West Germany criticized their elders and the government, accusing them of still having fascist tendencies and urging them (through pretty radical methods) to confront this Nazi past and deal with the politics of memory.  There was obviously huge media coverage, but whilst some papers supported the government, others supported the students and some journalists and publishers were arrested…government and media conflict…

Current Affairs: News of the World Scandal

-       no need to elaborate here I feel, but yes, surprise surprise…government and media conflict…

George Orwell once very nicely said: “Each generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it.”

 Sadly though, I feel that these examples pretty much just highlight that although Joe Bloggs may now read The Guardian on his super sleek iPads, the press mentality is still exactly the same. Just that now I can go and twitter about it.

Oh how Times have changed..?
(sorry)