Red Dancer by Claire Kearns

Mike Figgis held the creative reins at the festival this year. One of the names he had invited along was someone I was keen to see – Hans Ulrich Obrist, the director of the Serpentine Gallery and art mastermind. When we arrived at the epicentre of the festival, the Paul Hamlyn Hall, Hans and Mike were in deep conversation about Mike’s career, and his thoughts on Hollywood. Mike spoke bitterly about what he saw as the corruption of mainstream cinema and wasn’t abashed to name and shame, as he slammed Michael Bay and likened Steven Spielberg to Adolf Hitler. A poor shot from Figgis I thought.

Paul Hamlyn Hall by Amelia Gregory

It was independent film maker Emily James and her two guests, who almost managed to stir the reserved crowd. Emily is an American film-maker who was at the festival to present her film Just Do It. It was actually reviewed by Amelia for this blog back in July 2011 – a great review, which you should go and read here. The film charts three years in the environmental activism scene, focussing on protest groups such as Climate Camp and Plane Stupid. Emily follows a number of activists with her camera, as they show up at places like power stations, bank headquarters, and with no exceptions, films the direct action that takes place. Emily’s documentary provides a refreshing change from the mainstream media’s representation of the activity of these groups, which is often negative and has a habit of portraying the activists as trouble-makers.

The star of the film is Marina Pepper, a passionate ex-journalist who now devotes her life to rallying. In the film she dwells on what she does, and asks, ‘will this really make any difference?’. Cue long pause. She admits that it probably won’t, but she has attached herself to this fight, and will see it through. Marina was one of Emily’s guests, alongside Leo Murray who works with Plane Stupid, who were the group behind the closures of Stansted and Manchester airports a few years ago. It was a shame that feisty Marina faced a timid crowd when she tried to initiate a discussion about the Dale Farm issue. ‘Who here doesn’t like travellers?‘ she bellowed into the crowd. I felt a small achievement was made when Marina did manage to rouse the inner activists with some of the crowd members. She reminded us all that the environmentalist’s bane, oil company BP were the sponsors of the Royal Opera House.

It was a thought-provoking and intelligent part of the day. I felt I’d been given a lot of information that honestly, I hadn’t really been prepared for. Amelia’s Magazine has blogged extensively about activism, and specifically about groups such as Climate Camp. After coming home from the festival, and preparing to write this review, I took some time out to read these previous articles. One article which particularly stood out for me was by Adam S – his account of when over 1000 protestors stood their ground at the Ratcliffe-On-Soar power station. If like me, your not familiar with the good work of these people, go read one of Amelia’s fantastic and energetic articles here.

Dress Display by Amelia Gregory

Alber Elbaz, the creative director at Lanvin, delivered Saturday’s highlight. No-one in Camp Deloitte had anticipated that Alber’s talk would bring in the masses. Due to an impromptu room change (Alber preferred the opulence and beauty of the intimate Crush Cinema Room) not everyone could fit in, and so he agreed to do the talk twice. He instantly won us over when he interrupted co-host Alice Rawsthorn as she mentioned his short lived career at YSL to add that yes, he had been fired. What touched me was the story of how he found his purpose at Lanvin. He had heard from a friend in New York, who was going to see her ‘arsehole husband‘ to sign their divorce. She messaged him, ‘Alber, I’m wearing Lanvin and I feel so protected‘. The idea that he could create this feeling from something as fine as silk is what propels him today.

Dress by Claire Kearns

The cinema room showing interviews from the likes of David Lynch and John Berger were interesting, but I found it difficult to concentrate with people constantly coming and going. I enjoyed it much more in the main hall, sat at a table and engaged with the speakers. This was the playground to several dancers who were performing for both 8 hour days – the young girl in red, continuously twirling on a raised block became a point of conversation for visitors and speakers.

Peter Blake by Amelia Gregory

On Sunday I enjoyed a cosy afternoon with national treasures, artist Peter Blake, and newsreader Jon Snow. Peter studied at the RCA, and is best known for the album artwork for the Beatle’s Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Peter was genuinely lovely. I felt like I could listen to him and his stories for hours. He was honest to admit that his printed work has made him more financially secure in the last two years than he has ever been before.

Jon Snow and Mike Figgis by Amelia Gregory

Jon Snow was last on the bill. He brilliantly handled a question from the audience about the representation of Palestine in the news. He pondered whether the situation would be as bad as it is now if they had covered the story properly – probably not, he said honestly. He also spoke about the fall of print, and the rise of online media, ‘We’re travelling into the golden age of journalism…democratised information‘, he said after admitting that he frequently goes an entire day without touching a newspaper. He finished with an emotive speech, that highlighted how highly individual we have all become, and how we desperately need something that we have lost, a sense of community. He received a huge applause.

Red Dancer on Podium by Amelia Gregory

Only one word can describe the finale, and that is ‘spectacle’. Mike transformed from curator to director, of a sort of hotchpotch avant-garde orchestra. The People Band took one side of the stage, and the Opera House orchestra on the other. They were joined by saxophonist Peter King, Rosey Chan on the piano, the weird but wonderful Feral Choir, and the magnificent flamenco dancer Eva Yerbabuena. She crept on to the centre of the floor dressed all in black, and gave a stand out performance.

I felt like I’d been on an a funny sort of emotional rollercoaster with Mike Figgis this weekend – laughing with him, but quickly annoyed with his eye rolls and name calling. At the end, I saw someone congratulate and thank him. He was speechless, and it was at this point that I liked him best, and I thought, well done Mike, well done Deloitte. I’ll be back next year.

Last weekend I went to Hampshire for my first experience of Uncivilisation, the Dark Mountain gathering of like minded folks interested in discussing our future.

Uncivilisation 2011. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Dark Mountain is a manifesto put together by Dougald Hine and Paul Kingsnorth, who met in that grand new fashioned way – through reading, admiring and commenting on each other’s blogs. This means that the process of getting to know each other has happened alongside the production of two Dark Mountain anthologies and two festivals – all of which has been hard work, both financially and emotionally.

Dark Mountain by Abi Daker.

I am interested in the space that Dark Mountain occupies because I have been involved in direct action for change through both Climate Camp and Transition Towns. Climate Camp stops the source of problems whilst creating an alternate vision of a sustainable future. Transition Towns tackles sustainability with local community action. In both there are attempts to talk about the crisis we face and the emotions that this elicits, but Dark Mountain is more explicitly about facing some kind of imminent collapse, facing up to and talking through it on an intellectual level. The Dark Mountain Project is also rooted in Deep Ecology, a recognition that humanity is just one part of the wildness that makes up planet Earth. It touches on the kind of emotional work that Joanna Macy teaches: the Work that Reconnects which gives a voice to our deepest fears.

Baba Yaga by Rima Staines.

So it was no surprise to find many familiar faces at the Sustainability Centre when I arrived late on Friday night, though the deep Hampshire darkness prevented me from doing much seeing and socialising. Instead I instinctively felt my way towards the fireside to join Tom Hirons‘ wonderful Baba Yaga storytelling session. It was so lovely to find a group of adults enthralled by stories, and a salient reminder that we need to have our imagination stimulated every bit as much as children do.

On Saturday morning Uncivilisation officially opened with an introduction from co-founders Dougald Hine and Paul Kingsnorth. Paul, ever the more downbeat of the two, presented lost property of an iphone and a penknife. ‘One will be useful after the apocalypse.‘ We then went straight into the major panel discussion: Collapsonomics. This was due to be presented by Paul Mason, but he had to bow out, currently busy covering the actual collapse that we are experiencing right now.

‘Recovering banker‘ Arthur Doohan echoed Nicole Foss of The Automatic Earth, who spoke at the Transition Towns conference last year. She spoke about how we are currently forestalling the collapse – which will make the eventual complete financial collapse even worse when it does arrive. He predicted it to be 9mths away which almost exactly chimes in with Nicole’s prediction of 2 years in June 2010. This is not the first time that we have headed towards collapse – it happened in the last century and it will happen again but unfortunately humans have short memories and each time we must relearn how to react. Arthur reminded us that proper banking should be the servant of the people, and somehow we have allowed this concept to be reversed. By propping up the banks we have poisoned sovereign cash, which, coupled with ongoing denial about our situation, puts us in a precarious state of affairs. We have to learn that ‘banking without bankruptcy is the same as Catholicism without Hell.’

Collapse by Aliyahgator.

Smari McCarthy spoke about his attempts to deal with the Icelandic collapse. In Iceland if something is considered too fancy or luxurious it is common parlance to say ‘Oh, that’s so 2007.’ He noted how in the early stages of failure the state will offload services to the public, who concurrently have been so stripped of any power that they are unable to manage the infrastructure. Chillingly he predicts that whilst basic services are dropped the state will retain a monopoly on strategies of force. He finished with the chilling words, ‘You’re next.’ We are like Roadrunner, feet spinning wildly in the air before we plunge to the ground.

Eleanor Saitta is a specialist in how complex systems work and fail. She explained the need to fight the current structures that have been built in the name of stability, and of ways to manage the wild swings between despair and hope. Anton Shelupanov is a penal reformer from Russia who is now based in Tottenham and he told us that when the tools of civilisation are no longer fit for purpose then there is a tendency to go into overdrive – as seen in the state reaction to the riots with hyper incarceration. He did a chilling demonstration with bodies (including mine) of how tightly packed prisoners became in the Russian prisons after the collapse of the Soviet Union. This mania happens in all sorts of primary systems when there is a collapse.

It was most intriguing to hear ways in which collapse has affected various countries and systems but the conversation stopped short just as things were about to get interesting. It was a shame that more of the weekend could not have been devoted to this specific subject, for the collapse that may have seemed far away when the programme for Uncivilisation was put together suddenly seems very much in the present, and having heard about the effects of collapsing systems I would have liked more discussion on how we manage a collapse, from all kinds of different aspects.

Crofting by Christina Demetriou.

Over in the beautiful Woodland space it was time to go back to the wild with crofter Sharon Blackie, who spoke eloquently of her new life in the outer Hebrides. Yearning to be in closer contact with nature she left a corporate life to learn how to farm and weave and spin; she believes that stepping out of the system can help to bring it down because if enough people chose a different way of life then the current system will crumble at the edges.

By witnessing, really being, in a different way of life, in a place of wildness, Sharon hopes to show a more authentic way of living. The post talk discussion was particularly interesting, as many city dwellers addressed the importance of a connection with nature in urban spaces. Sharon Blackie also publishes books that inspire change via Two Ravens Press.

The 200th anniversary of the Luddites is gaining ground everywhere. At Uncivilisation a panel discussion retrod territory that I heard covered by Theo Simon at Wilderness Festival. It was yet another reminder to consider how the structures and technologies we build to better our lives may not, in fact, be good for us.

The Sacred by Elizabeth Hudson.

The discussion ‘We can no longer afford to ignore the sacred‘ was opened with a very moving introduction by Dougald’s own mother but from then onwards it was unfortunately convoluted and confusing, offering little in the way of concrete opinions or ideas, the format wrong for the subject matter. But it did cause me to ponder on the idea that Western religions do not accord as much power and importance to the act of birth (ie sex) as they do to death. Vinay Gupta questioned why the most creative act of life is hidden and the most destructive one is revered?

Once the sun had set it was time once more to evoke the spaces beyond the intellect. I particularly enjoyed heartfelt acoustic folk music from A.P. Clarke. Liminal by Dougie Strang was staged in the woods with naked creatures, eerily glowing artwork and plenty of trance like chanting. The interactive performance was a highlight for many, confirming the need for physical release after the heady discussions of daytime.

Why not read my Sunday review too?

The inaugural Wilderness Festival took place last weekend on the Cornbury Park estate just north of Oxford. The new festival promised big things: a taste of the madness of Secret Garden Party presented alongside more mature family centric offerings such as a kids’ area, boutique babysitting, bug walks, wild swimming in the beautiful ornamental lakes, spa treatments, lectures, cricket matches and the denouement – huge banquets by celebrated chefs in a big marquee.

Wilderness Festival 2011. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Set amongst mature grounds, you would be hard pressed to find a prettier location for a festival. We camped beneath a huge old oak which turned out to be a bit of a mistake when we discovered that said oak was a child magnet, making it a beautiful, albeit extremely noisy place to wake up in the morning.

Dry the River by Lilly Allen.

On Saturday we rushed from a wedding on the other side of London in order to catch Dry the River, who played an intimate set for the Climate Camp stage at Glastonbury in 2010. I instantly fell in love with their soft harmonies and exquisite melodies, a combination which worked perfectly in a relaxed acoustic setting. Since then they have been at pains to promote a different image than that of Mumford & Sons, Noah & the Whale and ilk. They may have looked like a troupe of east London hillbillies in a photo that I took at Glasto (which has been nicked and widely replicated across the web, sigh) but a newer press shot features the lead singer with a bloody nose. On stage at Wilderness this rockier image reached its denouement, with Dry the River all tattered t-shirts, tattoos and scuzzy rock posturing. The lilting melodies and beautiful harmonies were still there but somewhat buried, for in pursuit of a harder edge Dry the River have lost a bit of the magic that first appealed to me.

Afterwards it was off for a tour of the site, taking in some truly magical scenes down by the lake side where people swam and boated.

In one of the more wonderful echoes of Secret Garden Party festival goers were encouraged to make their own entertainment; we chanced upon a group of people having an impromptu singsong around a carefully placed piano.

Every festival worth its hippy salt now has the obligatory healing area, but I was most engaged by these scaly cocoons, which created cosy seating areas.

The London Folk Guild had an eclectic line up of folk acts and in between these we caught the odd short film. Then I discovered The Idler Academy, where I was to spend a large portion of the weekend for I do love a good lecture. Ecologist Hugh Warwick introduced us to the Habits of the Hedgehog, delivering an entertaining talk that encompassed Sonic the Hedgehog and North Face hedgehog branded shoes, all by way of drawing attention to the rapid and worrying decline of this most sweet and English of mammals.

Toots and the Maytals by Joe Lyward.

Moving into the evening it was time for the legendary Toots and the Maytals, who opened his set with a slot for his daughter. She did a cheesy version of John Waite’s I Ain’t Missing Youand then Toots bounced on stage clad entirely in white, sunglasses firmly in place. He kicked off with his best known classic crowd pleasing tunes before falling back on filler as we wandered off, distracted by some of the more colourful folk in the crowd.

Gogol Bordello by Kathryn Corlett.

Gogol Bordello are the ultimate festival party band and their energetic performance was the perfect thing to put the audience in a Saturday night party mood.

By late evening it was time to head down to The Last Tuesday Society’s Big Top, us and thousands of other mask wearing revellers, who were forced to queue one in one out. Needless to say some sneaky sorts kept opening up the tent at the back.

Last Man Standing by Jessica Knight.

Viktor Wynd’s Last Man Standing provided manic entertainment, with the man himself sporting a stupendous skull coat and sequinned headdress.

Then it was time for the much hyped naked conga, which was announced by an inebriated David Piper, and failed to attract much of a following (can’t think why…) At one point we were literally surrounded on all sides by snogging couples. This may have been billed as a family festival but there was plenty of Secret Garden debauchery to be had and given the many impromptu displays of public affection I saw everywhere over the weekend it really did feel as though Wilderness Festival was heralding in a new season of lurve.

Next up: my Sunday review.

So much to see at the very professionally laid out Brighton Graphic Design and Illustration Graduate Show at the Rochelle School a few weeks ago. There were plenty of lovely prints and limited edition books to buy and the beautifully printed catalogue will likely be the only show catalogue I am keeping once summer is over: high praise indeed as I chuck out most of the bits I pick up straight away. In the recycling of course. (Although I did find a Free Range catalogue from 2004 the other day… which is precisely why I need to throw things out, fast.)

Illustration by Megan Turner-Jones.

A noticeable aspect of illustrative work produced by Brighton students was the emergence of some really distinct themes and methods. Which means that I can loosely arrange my write ups into a few blog posts: I’ll start with the Collagists, of whom there were many. You might even call it a trend, which is handy since I am about to write about graduate illustration trends for Eye Magazine.

Megan Turner-Jones collaged old prints, photos of fruit and holiday destinations together to create a wall of art: this was to prove a popular technique amongst Brighton students (collage walls).

Hyerim Lee featured what looked like elements of family photos, arm movements and flowers to create graphic designs. His work is influenced by the separated families of his native Korea.

Rosanna Webster’s cut and paste approach was far more playful and surreal – skulls, bones, birds and landscapes were used to create beautiful shapes and designs, sometimes overlaid on humans with projections to add another layer of imagery. Rosanna was inspired by primitive beliefs of the fluidity between human and animal form. Her beautifully put together books emulated the tight graphical approach of high quality fashion magazines. I can see her elegant juxtaposition of imagery featuring in glossy mags, as it goes. Follow Rosanna Webster on Twitter.

Zoe Austin was also bitten by the collage bug, with restaurant scenes overlaid over extraterrestrial landscapes and surreal flower heads. She is inspired by sci fi novels and cats.

Anieszka Banks is an Amelia’s Magazine illustrator, so I was delighted to see that she had included some of her work for me in her final show, and also the banner that Climate Camp took to Copenhagen back in 2009. Most of her work is influenced by environmental issues such as conservation, sustainability and biodiversity. It’s so good to see that at least one graduating illustrator is engaged in and tackling these issues properly. Her Simple Living book featured some gorgeous photography as well.

Jennifer Bailey juxtaposed painting, photos and fine collaged plant drawings together.

Chihiro Kyozuka followed the collaged theme, using a fixed palette of tropical flowers in reds and yellows, on top of which were placed old photos of her grandmother. These were inspired by her love of Sogetsu Ikebana flower arranging.

Chihiro Kyozuka had produced a series of beautiful postcards that I am tempted to frame (and the images were much admired on twitter) but is let down by a flash website… I can’t get further than the opening animation. Folks, just say NO to flash, please!

Next up… 80s influences and brilliant drawing…

Last weekend I went to the premiere of Just Do It in a central London squat: a beautiful old chapel on Shaftesbury Avenue that once housed a nightclub and a Walkabout pub. It was a fitting venue for the big official screening of this amazing film, one which I feel closely involved in – my photos have been used for publicity, I was at almost every direct action or event that is shown in the film and we’ve written about it many times on these pages as they’ve struggled to raise funds to finish it over the past few years.

All photography by Amelia Gregory.

The fact that I only spotted my arse three times in Just Do It (taking photos, always) is a miracle, frankly. Thankfully you will only know it is me if you know my bottom well, but for its appearance I did have to sign my very only release form when I viewed the final rushes a few months ago.

We had popcorn, goodie bags and delicious alcoholic smoothies and ice cream made from unwanted fruit by A Taste of Freedom.

It’s hard to write subjectively about a film that features so many people that I know. A film that follows the thoughts and actions of a bunch of friends that I have taken action alongside for many years… and for awhile I worried that Just Do It would seem insular, knowing, and wouldn’t really appeal to those outside our inner circle of activists.

Marina Pepper.

Emily James.

But I was wrong: I am so proud of what director Emily James has managed to produce, admirably aided and abetted by producer Lauren Simpson, editor James Leadbitter and a huge team of creative volunteers including our very own Sally Mumby-Croft. It’s even got an amazing soundtrack, featuring music from former art editor Luisa Gerstein’s Lulu and the Lampshades.

Tamsin Omond of Climate Rush.

When she first started filming Just Do It we didn’t know how it would turn out, and I don’t think Emily did either… she just knew that she wanted to tell the inside story of activism, particularly around Climate Camp – something which has been enormously influential in climate activism and activism in general over the past few years.

Just Do It by Roberta Zeta.

Just Do It is personalised through following the stories of a few figures, including some very dear friends of mine… but it is undoubtedly Marina Pepper’s unique way with words and hilarious delivery that makes her the film’s star.

By showing the human face of activism it is made more accessible – proving that activists are far from scary and unapproachable as often portrayed by the media, but rather some of the most amazing, inspiring people I know. I hope Just Do It will prompt many more people across the world to stand up for what they believe in to make a better world.

Watch the trailer here:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Please please go watch this film – it hits cinemas nationwide this week and you should tell all your friends about it to make sure that it shown and seen as widely as possible. Find your local Just Do It screening here. It’s fast, it’s fun, and most of all it’s inspiring. There’s never been a more important time to stand up for well, just about everything, really.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The new publication from Silent City, ‘Art and Activism’, poses three key questions: Should art be separated from activism? Should art have a political value or function? Should art be radical, critical, resistant or subversive? While Silent City has chosen activism as the focus of its examination, the key question is one that can be applied to any art discussion: What do we want art to say about ourselves?

“The political value of art will always be disputed, [but] it cannot be denied that there is a relationship,” says the Silent City trio. “Modern UK activism is incredibly creative, from the actions of Climate Camp to art collectives such as the Vacuum Cleaner. It may not be always overly political, but it is far from separate.” At all times in history, art has told a story about the politics of its time; just consider the identity of the people in the pictures, or the subtle ways in which the artist undermined the status quo.

Claire Roberts at the Silent City symposium. All photography by Sally Mumby-Croft.

Art and Activism
‘Art and Activism’, which Silent City hopes to publish later this year, was created from submissions following a call-out to several arts websites. The final choice was up to Sally Mumby-Croft, Cara Nahaul and Emily Whitebread, who had partnered with Peter Eramian, editor of Shoppinghour, for the project. Designed by Simon Sherlock, the finished product contains a combination of photojournalism, poems, essays and documentation of actions undertaken by the artists.

Last year Silent City presented a symposium (review) focusing mainly on climate change, but this latest publication shows the trio has a broader mandate.

“The original idea behind Silent City was to produce three separate exhibitions, exploring the three pillars of the UN’s 2005 World Summit outcome document: economic development, social development, and environmental protection,” says Silent City, pointing out how these three elements are interconnected. The symposium included references to social and economic consequences of climate change, meaning ’Art and Activism’ felt like a natural progression.

The big issues
As the issue of climate change moves from being a scientific concept to something that infiltrates everyday life, people increasingly feel like they want to do something. But where do we start with such an overwhelming issue?

“It’s overwhelming because it is a crisis that affects humanity as a whole,” says Silent City, referencing Anthony Giddens’ book ‘The Politics of Climate Change’. “He explains that this is precisely one of the reasons why we cannot face up to the consequences of climate change. Society is always pressed by more ‘immediate’ concerns – a situation which is taken advantage of by politicians and policy makers who continue to distance themselves from making radical and concrete gestures towards combating the issues.”

Having said that, the past year has seen activism come back on the agenda in a big way, with widespread protests against coalition cuts and the rise of activist groups.

“[This shows] activism trying to find alternative dialogues and use inspiring visual methods to find alternative solutions. The work of Art Not Oil and Liberate Tate in the face of the BP oil spill is immensely inspiring,” says Silent City, further listing the emergence of Art Uncut, the occupation of the Slade School of Fine Art and the development of the Free School.

Sally Mumby-Croft has created a short film, ‘Edgeland’, bringing attention to how parts of the Hackney Marshes are being sacrificed for the Olympics – but this is an issue where little can be done.

“I wanted to draw attention to the spaces so often ignored or perceived as desolate. [The East Marsh] is a space shared by many people for many different purposes and yet it has been decided that this land will be temporarily paved over to make way for a car park. A space teaming with football pitches and dog walkers will become a concrete block. I think that’s terribly sad, and I think it’s immensely important that this issue is discussed. [… ] Hopefully it will encourage viewers to question their relationship and use of public space.

Ways of seeing
Cara Nahaul, the founder of Silent City, is currently a painting fellow at Jerwood arts centre. Asked about the place of activism in a typical ‘fine arts’ practice like painting, Cara points out how she sees her practice as discussing her culture and background, and exploring it within a larger political meaning.

“I feel that audiences have moved away from the assumption of expecting ‘nice’ things from contemporary painting,” says Cara. “In attempting to discuss painting with video art, we tend to think of a hierarchical relationship in which the visual language of painting came first and cinema learnt from it. Today cinema has developed a strong and autonomous language whilst painting is often criticised for its inability to reflect on contemporary society. For me, this is where I find the freedom for my own work. Whilst I am unsure about a place for activism within painting, I believe that painting can still challenge our ways of seeing.”

Art is rarely created just to be something pretty to look at, but with each added layer of meaning it gets harder for the layman to ‘get it’. Even so, it may be wise to leave reading the leaflet till last, says Emily Whitebread, who is just finishing her degree in Art Writing.

“My personal response to writing about an exhibition or an artist is not to read too much beforehand. This works particularly well if I am unfamiliar with the artist or exhibition, as I prefer to absorb as much as possible from experiencing the work without external influences. I then incorporate these reflections in my writing and only when I feel satisfied with my initial response do I then look at external sources.”

The New Educators
Shoppinghour-editor Peter Eramian has also had a hand in selecting the works that make up ‘Art and Activism’. He describes Shoppinghour as “a hub from which we spawn other collaborative projects and events”, with an ambition to mobilise and inspire creativity in response to political, cultural and social issues. Still, Shoppinghour is not just a tool for political activism, says Peter, explaining how there is a theoretical foundation to Shoppinghour:

“Both Yasushi [Tanaka Gutiez, co-founding editor] and I are basing our doctoral research on understanding the New Educators of our time: individuals and collectives inspired by a heightened critical awareness of culture and the active employment all mediums, disciplines and practices in their critique of society and ruling ideologies. We’re fascinated by the reconstruction of the activist epistemology and its potential to subvert, and hope that through Shoppinghour others too will be fascinated with us.”

The Shoppinghour magazine is currently in the phase of significant expansion, including a new distribution deal that will see the magazine sold across London. Still, the quality of content will remain the first priority:

“We’re certainly not prepared to compromise the quality of our content. But then, neither are we cynical enough to believe that the ‘larger audience’ is somehow less sophisticated,” says Peter, adding that it may be equally complacent to reject the popular and only focus on the opposite, “that which is uncommunicative in its overabundant self-important ‘sophistication’.” So while Shoppinghour wants to tackle its subjects with “substance and gravity”, we can also expect an edge that is “playful and accessible, alternative and punchy”.

Shoppinghour issue 7 – Rights

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Keep an eye on Silent City’s website for details on ‘Art and Activism’ – here.
Sally Mumby-Croft’s film Edgeland can be viewed here.
Cara Nahaul’s work can be seen at Jerwood Space until 26th June – details here.
Emily Whitebread is part of arts group X Presents – read about their projects here.
Read more about the developments at Shoppinghour on its website here.

Way back in the misty days of summer 2009 I was lucky enough to be chosen to participate on the EAT course, which stands for Earth Activist Training: planting the seeds of change.

Designed to combine spiritual, earth based philosophies with the more fervant strand of environmental activism, the EAT course is held several times a year in America. It doesn’t come to the UK that often – so this is the first year it comes back since 2009, and it will once again be hosted by Landmatters, a super inspiring low impact Permaculture co-operative in Devon. The course is always co-hosted by the amazing Starhawk, or Star to friends, a well known and highly revered activist and white witch.

Starhawk gets stuck in.

It’s A permaculture design certificate course, grounded in earth based spirituality, and with a focus on organising and activism. What this means that it is a jam packed two weeks of intense training – learning all the ins and outs of Permaculture through hands on experiential learning. On my course we were trained by the head of the Permaculture Association, Andy Goldring, who will once again be co-running EAT this year. He was an extremely joyful and bouncy tutor who managed extremely well when faced with awkward questions about meat farming (from staunch vegans) and I learnt a huge amount of truly fascinating stuff about the way in which we can best live with the earth.

Andy Goldring teaching on EAT.

Permaculture provides an incredibly solid basis for any ongoing work, be it gardening, art activism, general life organisation, social planning or community-wide projects. For instance an EAT course inspired artist and activist John Jordan to set up the Laboratory of Insurrectory Imagination, or LABOBFII, as an arts organisation based on the principles of permaculture. The beautiful and radical Landmatters was set up by six people who met on EAT and were inspired to live the change they wanted to see in the world. The first Climate Camps were planned on Permaculture principles to ensure that tents, facilities and neighbourhoods were placed in the most harmonious way possible.

Lessons take place inside a spacious yurt.

Activism is a key component of the course, and during my time at Landmatters I met many other people who were working on Climate Camp alongside those who work with No Borders, queer rights and urban land projects… to name just a few. It was inspiring to listen to people’s tales whilst enjoying the amazing vegan food at every meal time, sometimes so different and yet so very similar.

Many activists don’t really spend any time considering the spiritual side of their engagement with the planet – and even though the opportunity to learn from Starhawk was one of my top reasons for wanting to go on the EAT course, there were some on my EAT course who were very resistant to her rituals and chants. But needless to say by the end of two close weeks together everyone felt differently, with even the hardest of activists softened around the edges, and all of us more grounded and connected to the reasons we feel the urge to engage in our individual choices of activism.

Rooh Star of Landmatters was one of our guest teachers.

Some of the amazing dwellings at Landmatters.

Taking cue from Jon Young’s teachings we also spent time alone at our sit spots each day, developing our nature awareness. I chose a spot that overlooked the wonderful woods that surround Landmatters, and every day looked forward to reconnecting with the shifting patterns. A time to relish in the fast wash of my life.

The EAT course was undeniably hard work, but so incredibly fabulously worth it. You can read some inspiring testimonials here.

If you fancy applying for the next course, due to take place between August 20th and September 4th 2011, then you don’t have long left to apply RIGHT HERE – only until the end of April. You will need to define your particular activism and talk passionately about your plans to spread the ideas that you will learn. This really is a chance in a lifetime and I urge you to take it!

The full cost of the course is expensive, but EAT does its best to offer many partial or whole scholarships, depending on need – which in these cash strapped times is greatly to be admired. To ease funding problems this year’s course will be partly crowd-funded so if you can’t go yourself but you understand the importance of the work the EAT course does then please do donate at IndieGoGo. The hard working volunteer organisers need all the help they can get to ensure that those who are underfunded are still able to attend this year. People like me!

Permaculture, Magic, Social Change – nothing could be better, as EAT demonstrates.

Beyond the Brink is young filmmaker Ross Harrison’s personal investigation into the debate on Climate Change. After feeling inundated by the media discussions in the lead up and fall out of Copenhagen in 2009, Ross set himself the task of answering the ever present question of “What is Climate Change” followed by the provocative  “and does it really matter?” To help himself along his journey and to find out more about the current consensus on climate change Ross interviewed a selection of commentators and scientists from  David Attenbrough, Deepak Rughani, Mark Lynas, Dieter Helm to Dr Heike Schroeder.

Amelia’s Magazine interviewed Ross about why he decided to make this film, the impact the film has had in schools and what he now thinks needs to be achieved on a personal and governmental level to tackle the impact of Climate Change.

First things first, what inspired you to make a film that investigates the vast and divisive topic that is Climate Change?

Back in 2009, it seemed like an unavoidable issue – what with the media coverage building up to Copenhagen for nearly the whole year and films like The Age of Stupid being released. I also found the subject cropping up more and more in my school work.

Film Still from Beyond the Brink

What did you feel was missing from the discussion in the media or schools during the lead up to Cop 15 in 2009?

It seemed like a very polarized debate with no middle ground. I was frustrated by hearing the same arguments again and again bouncing between the same groups of people. I didn’t understand why people weren’t cooperating more to work towards a common goal. That hasn’t changed a great deal. Probably and most importantly I wanted to provide a young person’s perspective.

How has the film been received since its release? Has it been taken around schools in the UK?

Since I launched the website at the end of last year there has been a lot of positive feedback, which is encouraging. For the week of screenings I posted about 300 DVDs to schools, universities, community groups and individual volunteers. I’ve been along to some screenings myself, but because they’re all over the country it’s mainly teachers and students using the film themselves, which I’ve tried to make as easy as possible by releasing the film for free.

Film Still from Beyond the Brink

What -for you- were the most difficult aspects to making this film?

Weighing up the masses of information about climate change – articles, books, blogs, programs, interviews – and trying to filter that down into a documentary that was balanced, accessible and understandable was the first difficulty. The second was trying to think of ways of doing things differently, using different language, presenting the problem in a new way that might make it more inspiring.

Beyond the Brink contains a mixture of talking heads and personal narration, what lead you to construct the film in this way?

The talking heads are in there because I felt that was the best way to convey the experts’ viewpoints. The audience hears what I heard and can draw their own conclusions. I chose to feature myself because it was a very personal project and I wanted to include my slant as a teenager.

Was it particularly important to you that the film was released for free and under a creative commons license?

Definitely. My hope is for the film to get the widest audience possible and I think making it freely available should mean more people watch it that otherwise might.

Beyond the Brink Trailer

On reflection, since Cop 16 and the overshadowing of Climate Change in the media by the recession and the arrival of the coalition government, what do you think is next for the climate movement?

Cancun was not surprising – after such a flop at Copenhagen the officials involved were bound to be desperate to publicize some sort of success. Even so COP16 was a small step rather than the deal people had set their hopes on in 2009. I don’t want to rule out the UN process completely, but I think its limited real impact in the 19 years its been running, is a sign progress needs to be made elsewhere. Those involved in the climate movement need to be pressuring the governments of their own countries to lead by example. The discussion needs to move away from talking about climate catastrophe to selling the benefits of a clean energy infrastructure and low-carbon lifestyles. People are far more likely to be driven by an appealing goal than a danger that could affect them at some point in the future.

What did you learn during the making of the film that surprised you with regards to the debate on Climate Change?

A greater proportion of the scientific community than I realized think that humans are largely causing current climate change. A scientific debate about whether we are contributing to climate change doesn’t really exist anymore, it is widely assumed we are.

Sir David Attenborough by Abi Daker

Have you plans to follow up the film with further interviews?

No, although it’s something I may come back to at a later date, after I’ve finished working on distributing this film I’ll be looking to take on a new project.

How difficult did you find approaching the range of experts -from Sir David Attenborough to Deepak Rughani and Dr Heike Schroeader- that appear in Beyond the Brink?

It was certainly a challenge. Obviously the people I met know a massive amount about the subject, much more than I do, but you still have to research lots to be able to ask good questions. Thankfully all the interviewees were very approachable and generous with their time. Like many things, you get better at interviews with practice and in the end I was really pleased with the responses I had. That’s not to say there weren’t disappointments. Sometimes technical problems meant some of the best answers couldn’t be used.

How did the animations within the film develop and do you feel they were integral to explain a few of the ideas behind the causes of Climate Change?

Concepts like the greenhouse effect are difficult to explain at all, let alone with a strict time limit and so animations seemed like the best option. The problem is they take a long time to create. I’ve still got 100 paper Earths on my shelf that I traced from my computer screen.

Film Stills from Beyond the Brink

What fact or possible event as a cause of Climate Change shocked you the most during the making of this film?

I found that the number of species threatened by potential warming was really startling. One in four land animal and plant species could be threatened with extinction this century.

Which five environmental documentaries would you recommend everybody watches?

The Age of Stupid, The End of the Line, The Planet Earth series is brilliant and Planet Earth: The Future is a conservation focused companion series. The ‘Jungles’ episode of the recent Human Planet series.

Deepak Rughani by Valerie Pezeron

What conclusions have you come to since Beyond the Brink was completed?

Being optimistic is important. Working towards a vision of a better world with a reliable renewable energy supply, full employment, smaller bills, and healthier lifestyles, has got a far greater chance of uniting the population than struggling to avoid a catastrophe. You don’t have to be an environmentalist to want those things. And working together is essential. In whatever situation people are taking action, by joining forces with their neighbours, friends, schoolmates or colleagues, they can make their voice much louder.

Film Still from Beyond the Brink

What policies would you like to see Governments world wide implement?

I’d like to see serious investment in green technologies, stricter regulation of energy industries, and policies that make it easier for individuals to reduce their carbon footprint. Channelling money into developing renewable energy and other green products can create jobs. On the one hand if our current energy system is replaced by a carbon neutral one then individuals will not have to make many changes, on the other, behavioral change is essential because we need to start appreciating almost all the resources we use are finite. One policy I think is especially urgent and needs to be implemented by some South American and Indonesian governments is strong protection of rainforests. The rate of deforestation is mind-blowing and can’t go on.

Dr Heike Schroeder by Sam Parr

“Are we really causing Climate Change and who cares?” (Question taken from Beyond the Brink’s website)

It is very likely we are changing the Earth’s climate by changing the composition of its atmosphere and this is a stance that the vast majority of climate scientists and scientific organizations around the world agree on, as far as I can tell. The implications are serious and everybody could be affected, but importantly the poorest people in the world who are less able to defend themselves against potential hazards are likely to be affected first.

Like many problems, climate change is easy to ignore and only a minority are taking action, even if a much larger number might say they are concerned. The next step must be to encourage changes that people want to see and which reduce our impact at the same time, like demanding cheaper, better public transport, or designing more energy efficient products. What really makes me hopeful, though, is education. I’m hopeful people my age will grow up with different attitudes to those of generations before.

Film Still from Beyond the Brink

After watching the film, what’s the next step for a viewer who would like to be engaged in the Climate Change debate?

Well, for a start the debate has largely moved from are we really causing climate change, to what’s the best way to minimize the impact we are very likely having. If someone wants more information, there are endless books and websites. The Rough Guide to Climate Change is particularly good. But be wary of blogs – it’s very easy for people to write anything they like and pretend to know more than they do.

In terms of getting involved, the best thing to do is join an existing network, of which there are many. There are so many organizations with basically the same aims I sometimes think if they all joined forces then they could really change things. If you’d call yourself young then check out the UK Youth Climate Coalition, some of whose members feature in the film. Other initiatives like 350 and 10:10 are building the movement, making it exciting and making an impact.

To visit Beyond the Brink’s website, click here.

Unless you have been living under a rock you will be aware that there was a huge anti-cuts March for the Alternative on Saturday 26th March 2011. In the days since then the press has been dominated with both outrage from the government that “hooligans” should be allowed to roam the streets, and on the other side, shock at the way in which once again the police and media have mistreated protestors. As anyone who was following me on Twitter will know I was involved on the UK Uncut action, which involved an occupation of Fortnum & Mason… yet another large corporation culpable of massive tax avoidance: This action led to by far the largest numbers of arrests and charges on the day: a staggering 138 of the 149.

On my way through London I saw the most enormous amount of creativity, from pound coin shields to a Trojan Horse cunningly installed at the centre of Oxford Circus – and of course plenty of banners bursting with witty one liners: included in this blog post are just a few of the amazing sights from the day. With a march numbering possibly half a million and upwards (something the government has been quick to downplay) there were surely many great ones that I missed – especially the legendary message “I was told there would be biscuits” carried by a small child on someone’s shoulders. I broke away from the march early on to take part in UK Uncut actions on Oxford Street and then at Fortnum & Mason.

Demonised by the press for their behaviour, UK Uncut have been quick to fight back with their version of events: really, the police and media should know better. Both UK Uncut and Green & Black Cross – the support network that provided legal observers and arrestee support – have grown out of Climate Camp networks and ways of organising to take on completely new identities of their own. As a result some of those involved are no strangers to wrongful arrest, police brutality and political policing: remember Heathrow, Kingsnorth, G20 and Ratcliffe anyone? These people know what they are doing; naturally the unfair arrests of UK Uncut was filmed and immediately shared, the footage unsurprisingly making the front page of the Guardian.

Some people might wonder what on earth the links between the anti-cuts movement and Climate Camp are, but Climate Camp has always been rooted in a desire to address the social inequalities of capitalism – for example a breakaway group in London is currently looking at ways to campaign around fuel poverty. One of the favourite slogans at the COP15 Climate conference was System Change not Climate Change – we can’t cure the problem with simple quick fix answers, but rather by tackling the whole global neoliberal system. A brutal plan to cut services such as libraries and the NHS will undermine the fabric of a just society, affecting the poor most. Meanwhile the rich are able to avoid huge tax bills at a time when we desperately need to start building a green economy that is not based on endless profit. Clearly these inequalities are something that green activists are keen to tackle.

Climate Camp has also always been a broad mix of liberalism and radicalism, so it’s no surprise that UK Uncut is as well. The very name Green & Black Cross indicates how the group combines the more autonomous anarchist streaks of activism with the skills, infrastructure and ideologies built up within the green movement. It supports grassroots social struggles in the UK and during the March for the Alternative the Green & Black Cross provided Legal Support, Action Medics and Action Kitchens. They even had a basic compost portaloo roaming the streets in a supermarket trolley – but in the event it was never used: it’s hard to get into a kettle once it is formed. They will be independently advising on all arrests during the day at a defendants’ meeting on Saturday 2nd April and were generally out in force to offer biscuits and legal advice as soon as arrestees were released.

Since the arrests UK Uncut activists have had to field a barrage of commentary from the media, which has been ever quick to notice the anarchic element of their protest. Their sit in at Fortnum & Mason was largely peaceful – protestors ate their own sandwiches and listened to performances and speeches – but on Newsnight a spokesperson was asked to denounce all protestor violence. She did a marvellous job of neither condoning nor condemning it: there were people from all backgrounds in Fortnum & Mason. For some it will have been their first experience of direct action (read this shocking report of the arrest of a 15 year old girl) and others were part of the Black Bloc earlier in the day – the two are not mutually exclusive. UK Uncut has an incredibly loose non-hierarchical structure, and to be successful it must somehow find a place for those of all backgrounds.

Inside Fortnum & Mason. They look super scared don’t they?

Most UK Uncutters recognise that there is more to successful activism than a simplistic black and white damnation of violence, but the more liberal end of the spectrum may well be new to the idea that damage to property is not considered violence by many activists – see here for a definition – so there is going to be a rapid need to redefine and educate as soon as possible. Most of the targets for property damage on Saturday were well thought through – big banks that avoid tax, Topshop, BHS and so on. Who threw paint, and who broke windows? It’s not clear, but the targets were clear enough. Some people, whether you agree with it or not, think it is more effective to inflict damage on a well selected target than to simply march from A-B and then listen to speeches. After all, what did it ever do to stop the Iraq war? Direct action through the ages has proven that targeting property can be highly effective – the Suffragettes were never afraid of inflicting collateral damage. Last year at Climate Camp windows were smashed at the RBS head offices in Edinburgh to demonstrate concern against their continued investment in fossil fuels.

By Trafalgar Square at night some rogue elements (possibly pissed up) were clearly provoked into throwing glass bottles at police, never something I would recommend however bad police brutality gets (and by all accounts it did get REALLY bad) because I personally don’t believe that violence against people is ever acceptable. But I do believe that the Black Bloc as a considered and thoughtful tactic is something that our movement needs: people who are willing to put their bodies and actions on the front line to stop those who are damaging the fabric of our “democratic” society. Many of them were very young, possibly disaffected veterans of kettling at the student demos last year – others were highly organised groups who came to join the march from across the country. Those involved will undoubtedly have slightly different views as to process and outcome but recent online dialogues prove that diverse parts of the movement are keen to work together. Rather than dismiss Black Bloc actions as the nihilistic work of masked “hooligans” we would do well to consider the underlying reasons why this is seen as an appealing tactic utilised by at least a thousand people last weekend. After all, we’re all in this together… and this is just the beginning of our future.

Further reading:
Why Fortnum & Mason?
Video footage from the UKuncut action
An open letter from the Brighton Solidarity Federation of Anarcho-Syndicalists
“People are worth less than property”
A night in the cells is nothing to a lifetime imprisoned by cuts
Reasons why the cuts are a bad idea
Dominic Campbell experiences police brutality in Trafalgar Square
Political Dynamite: We should use the word violence with the greatest care.
Leah Borromeo: Protestors can’t disown the “violent minority”.
Why the UKuncut arrests threaten future protests
What is the Black Bloc? Information page.
Laurie Penny – What really happened in Trafalgar Square
My UK Uncut arrest made me a political prisoner
Climate Camp 2010 in Edinburgh – my commentary
Climate Camp 2009 in Copenhagen – my commentary part one, part two and part three.
G20 Climate Camp in the City – my commentary
Ratcliffe: Did PC Mark “Flash” Kennedy ensure my arrest as one of the Ratcliffe 114 ?- my commentary
Climate Camp at Kingsnorth in 2008.
One of the first UK Uncut protests: Sir Philip Green and his Topshop billions get the UK Uncut treatment.
The Third Estate: A message to Critical UK Uncut activists.
Latent Existance: a report by the 15 year old who was arrested.

Last week Trevor Moss and Hannah Lou held a preview screening for their Tin Tabernacle tour video, titled 11 Nights Under Tin. I caught up with them at Bush Hall a few weeks ago to find out more about this talented couple.

The Tin Tabernacle tour followed on from Trevor Moss and Hannah Lou’s Village Hall tour of last year. To pull it off they found approximately fifty churches through the Tin Tabernacles website, got details of about thirty of them and managed to stage concerts in eleven of them. The website often listed the nearest town or they enterprisingly zoomed in on the google street view: sometimes a contact number would be visible on a noticeboard, and at other times they phoned the local pub. Most people were really enthusiastic, but some were overwhelmed by the idea and worried by the commitment. “We wanted to get out into the community and play for people who don’t have much access to music,” they told me when I spoke to them at Bush Hall. “We went to those who were keen.” It seems to have been a successful venture: the audiences were mostly comprised of locals.

Tin Tabernacle by Gilly Rochester.

The Tin Tabernacle churches all vary in size, though they have a few things in common. They are all made of corrugated iron, and were invented circa 1840, when the scattering of God fearing British citizens across the British Empire hastened the need for an easily transportable place of worship. Mining communities sprung up in all sorts of remote corners of the globe so the churches often had to be carried for long distances overland. “They warm up fast because they are wooden clad inside,” explained Trevor and Hannah, “but some had no electricity so we played by candlelight.” The smallest church held only about 40 people, all squashed into the pews, but the average capacity was between 70-120. What with Trevor, Hannah and their two support acts it was still quite a squish.

Tin Tabernacle by Gilly Rochester.

I spotted a tin church on my visit to the Cornish village of Cadgwith earlier this year, but sadly this was not one that they managed to include on the tour, despite Trevor’s Cornish heritage. Many were nevertheless located in amazing locations, including on cliff tops.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Why did they chose such an innovative way of touring? “We had toured the same venues for years and they are all the same, painted black inside.” Trevor and Hannah hope that with their Arts Council funded tours their audiences will experience an event, instead of just standing in the shadows. “It’s no wonder that so many bands’ later records are rubbish when they live in such a strange parallel reality.” So they have chosen places that will open their eyes to other communities. They always stay in independent B&Bs and sometimes with the local vicar – it’s also a carefully considered way for them to have an interesting time whilst peddling an album. “We get to play in places we would never have seen otherwise.”

Tin Tabernacle by Alison Day.

I can totally relate to this idea – half the reason I was so attracted to fashion photography as a creative medium was the possibility of visiting interesting locations to take photos. During my nascent fashion photography career I went to South Africa and America before I began to realise the environmental problems of excessive air travel.

Trevor Moss and Hannah-Lou by Sarah Matthews.

The *world* premiere of the resulting Tin Tabernacle film was shown at The Social on Wednesday 16th March. It was entirely shot on an old 80s Hi 8 camera in three seconds bursts three or four times an hour, so it is basically what they describe as “a collection of moving photos” with mostly in-camera sound.

Tin Churches by Emmeline Pidgen.

This interactive approach to playing and documenting music is a result of Hannah and Trevor’s art college career. They both met at Goldsmiths, where Trevor was studying fine art and Hannah was doing theatre studies. By the time they reached their third year they were signed as the band Indigo Moss, which we profiled on Amelia’s Magazine. By this point they were spending so much time immersed in music that Trevor had to enlist the rest of the band to help get his degree show up on time.

Tin Tabernacles by Reena Makwana.

The couple have now been writing songs together for 8 years and seem a lot older and wiser than their 25 years of age, a fact which they attribute to having lots of older friends. They met whilst living in halls but did not start going out together until Indigo Moss, and managed to keep their relationship secret from other band members for two months. They got married in 2008.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Indigo Moss eventually broke up because they didn’t enjoy it anymore, especially the way the label was pushing the band. Inevitably, they were pulling bigger audiences as a duet. At that point Tom from Lewis Music saw them and they signed a one album deal. After that Jeff of Heavenly saw a couple of shows and as they put it “it all happened quite naturally. We had a cup of tea and the Tin Tabernacle tour really caught his imagination.” Heavenly Recordings have parted ways with megalith EMI and are now part of the Universal funded Cooperative Music initiative which supports independent labels such as Transgressive, Moshi Moshi, Bella Union and Domino. It means they can share PR costs and everyone knows when the others are releasing records so they don’t step on toes, which seems to make brilliant sense. These are amongst my favourite labels and between them they host some fabulous musicians – why would they want to deliberately compete with each other?

Trevor Moss and Hannah-Lou by LJG Art & Illustration.

Ever prolific, Trevor Moss and Hannah Lou aim to put out one album a year from now on. The next record will be out in May and then comes the festival season, starting at Wood Festival on 21st May, and moving onto Truck Festival, Port Eliot and of course Glastonbury – where they played on my Climate Camp stage last year alongside Danny and the Champions of the World.

Click here to view the embedded video.

What to expect from the upcoming record? “There will be drums and a much bigger sound.” But as always all guitar and voices will be recorded together. I can’t imagine there will be much room in their van for more band members, and they agree that it is perfectly sized for just them. Although Trevor jokes that Hannah gets on his nerves it’s clear that this is very much a twosome. What happens when a family enters the equation? “Trevor wants to be a house husband,” laughs Hannah. “It will be a nice quiet time to write!” For now what they really want is a pet whippet. “They are lovely; so skinny and frail,” says Trevor. “It could travel in a hammock in the van.” The main trouble would be taking a dog into festivals, but I’m sure they could find an interesting series of venues that would accept a canine companion. Did someone mention lighthouses?