Cockroach Amelia Gregory
Cockroach tour by Mina Bach.
A couple of months ago I was invited to visit the Science Museum to dress up as a Cockroach. How on earth could I resist such an invitation? So it was that with trepidation myself and boyfriend strolled up Exhibition Road on a Saturday afternoon. Who would be our fellow Cockroaches? Children? Families? Other slightly bewildered online journos and bloggers?
Cockroach couple by Sarah Matthews
We arrived at the tail end of nibbles in the lecture theatre, recipe and were hastily whisked off to the Cockroach dressing room – right at the front of the museum so that interested passers by (and slightly petrified children) could watch as we donned our Cockroach regalia.
That’s me, medications dressed as a cockroach. Photo by Tim Adey.
Cockroach by Jessica Holt.
The purpose of all this Cockroach fun? Well you might ask… the Science Museum has just opened a swanky new Climate Change Science gallery, all swelling colours and interactive screens that change the digital atmosphere. (Immediate thought: what the hell is powering all this technical gadgetry? I was assured it was green energy).
Cockroach tour by Maria Papadimitriou.
The Cockroach Tour is an art installation commissioned from Danish art collective Superflex – wherein my definition of art is VERY stretched – and takes groups of Cockroaches on a tour of the museum that ends up in the high reaches of the Climate Change Science gallery. The aim being to introduce people to the concept of human idiocy, as viewed through the eyes of a Cockroach, one of the oldest and most resilient life forms on the planet.
Cockroach boy by Sarah Matthews.
For this tour we were led by a rapidly overheating actor. Ah yes, the Cockroach costumes. These are made of fibre glass and that rubbery stuff that you find in lots of kid’s toys these days. Hardly sustainably sound in itself, but very fun, even if my shell did bang rather hard against the back of my knees as I scuttled around the exhibits.
Sample Cockroach talk: “Why do humans eat pizza when the box is so much more preferable?” I must confess that I really wasn’t listening very hard: it was just too damn distracting to gaze upon Cockroach Boyfriend, knowing that I looked equally ridiculous. The tour was indeed funny, but our leader could have been talking total mumbo jumbo and I would still have been chuckling like a mad woman at the looks on people’s faces. Oh how I love to dress up – we spent most of our time trying to out silly each other’s photos. Did we feel like overgrown children? Hell yes, but that’s no bad thing every once in awhile. After a few wrong turnings we arrived at our final destination, with all it’s interactive Climate Change wizardry, where we finally de-Cockroached.
Cockroach man by Sarah Matthews.
I’d like to turn a totally blind eye to the principal gallery sponsor (Shell, cough, greenwash, cough) but there has clearly been a large amount of money thrown at the Climate Change project – it was renamed the Climate Science Gallery in the wake of the Climate Scepticism controversy last year (boo, hiss) – so why not get along and enjoy it?
That’s me showing off my shiny cockroach ass in the Climate Science Gallery.
I personally feel I know enough Climate Change Science to last a lifetime, but for somebody who hasn’t got a wide knowledge this would be a really fun way to get up to the top floor, especially if you have lots of kids in tow, and even just this brief visit reminded me just how much there is to see in the Science Museum, which I haven’t really visited since I was a child. And if you don’t believe me why not watch their very fancy video.
Cockroach tours are being held every weekend until December 2011, and you can find out more about them and book online here. To celebrate the launch of the tours the Science Museum is offering one lucky winner four places on a tour of the weekend 12-13 February – they will be given a hand held camera and their video will be slicky edited into a film for the winner to keep. Oo-er. More information on this link.
I’m quite tempted to go back and visit their Trash Fashion exhibition myself.
CUCARACHA COSMOPOLITA by Karla Pérez Manrique.
EL BAILE DE LA CUCARACHA by Karla Pérez Manrique.
Cockroach tour by Mina Bach.
A couple of months ago I was invited to visit the Science Museum to dress up as a Cockroach. How on earth could I resist such an invitation? So it was that with trepidation myself and boyfriend strolled up Exhibition Road on a Saturday afternoon. Who would be our fellow Cockroaches? Children? Families? Other slightly bewildered online journos and bloggers?
Cockroach couple by Sarah Matthews
We arrived at the tail end of nibbles in the lecture theatre, cialis 40mg and were hastily whisked off to the Cockroach dressing room – right at the front of the museum so that interested passers by (and slightly petrified children) could watch as we donned our Cockroach regalia.
That’s me, dressed as a cockroach. Photo by Tim Adey.
Cockroach by Jessica Holt.
The purpose of all this Cockroach fun? Well you might ask… the Science Museum has just opened a swanky new Climate Change Science gallery, all swelling colours and interactive screens that change the digital atmosphere. (Immediate thought: what the hell is powering all this technical gadgetry? I was assured it was green energy).
Cockroach tour by Maria Papadimitriou.
The Cockroach Tour is an art installation commissioned from Danish art collective Superflex – wherein my definition of art is VERY stretched – and takes groups of Cockroaches on a tour of the museum that ends up in the high reaches of the Climate Change Science gallery. The aim being to introduce people to the concept of human idiocy, as viewed through the eyes of a Cockroach, one of the oldest and most resilient life forms on the planet.
Cockroach boy by Sarah Matthews.
For this tour we were led by a rapidly overheating actor. Ah yes, the Cockroach costumes. These are made of fibre glass and that rubbery stuff that you find in lots of kid’s toys these days. Hardly sustainably sound in itself, but very fun, even if my shell did bang rather hard against the back of my knees as I scuttled around the exhibits.
Sample Cockroach talk: “Why do humans eat pizza when the box is so much more preferable?” I must confess that I really wasn’t listening very hard: it was just too damn distracting to gaze upon Cockroach Boyfriend, knowing that I looked equally ridiculous. The tour was indeed funny, but our leader could have been talking total mumbo jumbo and I would still have been chuckling like a mad woman at the looks on people’s faces. Oh how I love to dress up – we spent most of our time trying to out silly each other’s photos. Did we feel like overgrown children? Hell yes, but that’s no bad thing every once in awhile. After a few wrong turnings we arrived at our final destination, with all it’s interactive Climate Change wizardry, where we finally de-Cockroached.
Cockroach man by Sarah Matthews.
I’d like to turn a totally blind eye to the principal sponsor of this gallery (Shell, cough, greenwash, cough) but there has clearly been a large amount of money thrown at what has now been renamed the Climate Science Gallery in the wake of the Climate Scepticism controversy last year (boo, hiss) – so why not get along and enjoy it? Hell, why not enjoy it dressed as a Cockroach?
That’s me showing off my shiny cockroach ass in the Climate Science Gallery.
I personally feel I know enough Climate Change Science to last a lifetime, but for somebody who hasn’t got a wide knowledge this would be a really fun way to engage any kids you might have in tow. And for the adults – even just this brief visit reminded me just how much there is to see in the Science Museum, which I haven’t really visited since I was a child. And if you don’t believe me why not watch very fancy Cockroach Tour video:
Cockroach tours are being held every weekend until December 2011, and you can find out more about them and book online here. To celebrate the launch of the tours the Science Museum is offering one lucky winner four places on a tour of the weekend 12-13 February – they will be given a hand held camera and their video will be slicky edited into a film for the winner to keep. Oo-er. More information on this link.
I’m quite tempted to go back and visit their Trash Fashion exhibition myself.
CUCARACHA COSMOPOLITA by Karla Pérez Manrique.
EL BAILE DE LA CUCARACHA by Karla Pérez Manrique.
Cockroach tour by Mina Bach.
A couple of months ago I was invited to visit the Science Museum to dress up as a Cockroach. How on earth could I resist such an invitation? So it was that with trepidation myself and boyfriend strolled up Exhibition Road on a Saturday afternoon. Who would be our fellow Cockroaches? Children? Families? Other slightly bewildered online journos and bloggers?
Cockroach couple by Sarah Matthews
We arrived at the tail end of nibbles in the lecture theatre, thumb and were hastily whisked off to the Cockroach dressing room – right at the front of the museum so that interested passers by (and slightly petrified children) could watch as we donned our Cockroach regalia.
That’s me, order dressed as a cockroach. Photo by Tim Adey.
Cockroach by Jessica Holt.
The purpose of all this Cockroach fun? Well you might ask… the Science Museum has just opened a swanky new Climate Change Science gallery, all swelling colours and interactive screens that change the digital atmosphere. (Immediate thought: what the hell is powering all this technical gadgetry? I was assured it was green energy).
Cockroach tour by Maria Papadimitriou.
The Cockroach Tour is an art installation commissioned from Danish art collective Superflex – wherein my definition of art is VERY stretched – and takes groups of Cockroaches on a tour of the museum that ends up in the high reaches of the Climate Change Science gallery. The aim being to introduce people to the concept of human idiocy, as viewed through the eyes of a Cockroach, one of the oldest and most resilient life forms on the planet.
Cockroach boy by Sarah Matthews.
For this tour we were led by a rapidly overheating actor. Ah yes, the Cockroach costumes. These are made of fibre glass and that rubbery stuff that you find in lots of kid’s toys these days. Hardly sustainably sound in itself, but very fun, even if my shell did bang rather hard against the back of my knees as I scuttled around the exhibits.
Sample Cockroach talk: “Why do humans eat pizza when the box is so much more preferable?” I must confess that I really wasn’t listening very hard: it was just too damn distracting to gaze upon Cockroach Boyfriend, knowing that I looked equally ridiculous. The tour was indeed funny, but our leader could have been talking total mumbo jumbo and I would still have been chuckling like a mad woman at the looks on people’s faces. Oh how I love to dress up – we spent most of our time trying to out silly each other’s photos. Did we feel like overgrown children? Hell yes, but that’s no bad thing every once in awhile. After a few wrong turnings we arrived at our final destination, with all it’s interactive Climate Change wizardry, where we finally de-Cockroached.
Cockroach man by Sarah Matthews.
I’d like to turn a totally blind eye to the principal sponsor of this gallery (Shell, cough, greenwash, cough) but there has clearly been a large amount of money thrown at what has now been renamed the Climate Science Gallery in the wake of the Climate Scepticism controversy last year (boo, hiss) – so why not get along and enjoy it? Hell, why not enjoy it dressed as a Cockroach?
That’s me showing off my shiny cockroach ass in the Climate Science Gallery.
I personally feel I know enough Climate Change Science to last a lifetime, but for somebody who hasn’t got a wide knowledge this would be a really fun way to engage any kids you might have in tow. What’s more, even just this brief visit reminded me just how much there is to see in the Science Museum, which I haven’t really visited since I was a child. And if you need any more reason to get down with the Cockroaches why not check out this very fancy Cockroach Tour video:
Cockroach tours are being held every weekend until December 2011, and you can find out more about them and book online here. To celebrate the launch of the tours the Science Museum is offering one lucky winner four places on a tour of the weekend 12-13 February – they will be given a hand held camera and their video will be slicky edited into a film for the winner to keep. Oo-er. More information on this link.
I’m quite tempted to go back and visit their Trash Fashion exhibition myself.
CUCARACHA COSMOPOLITA by Karla Pérez Manrique.
EL BAILE DE LA CUCARACHA by Karla Pérez Manrique.
Cockroach tour by Mina Bach.
A couple of months ago I was invited to visit the Science Museum to dress up as a Cockroach. How on earth could I resist such an invitation? So it was that with trepidation myself and boyfriend strolled up Exhibition Road on a Saturday afternoon. Who would be our fellow Cockroaches? Children? Families? Other slightly bewildered online journos and bloggers?
Cockroach couple by Sarah Matthews
We arrived at the tail end of nibbles in the lecture theatre, viagra order and were hastily whisked off to the Cockroach dressing room – right at the front of the museum so that interested passers by (and slightly petrified children) could watch as we donned our Cockroach regalia.
That’s me, more about dressed as a cockroach. Photo by Tim Adey.
Cockroach by Jessica Holt.
The purpose of all this Cockroach fun? Well you might ask… the Science Museum has just opened a swanky new Climate Change Science gallery, case all swelling colours and interactive screens that change the digital atmosphere. (Immediate thought: what the hell is powering all this technical gadgetry? I was assured it was green energy).
Cockroach tour by Maria Papadimitriou.
The Cockroach Tour is an art installation commissioned from Danish art collective Superflex – wherein my definition of art is VERY stretched – and takes groups of Cockroaches on a tour of the museum that ends up in the high reaches of the Climate Change Science gallery. The aim being to introduce people to the concept of human idiocy, as viewed through the eyes of a Cockroach, one of the oldest and most resilient life forms on the planet.
Cockroach boy by Sarah Matthews.
For this tour we were led by a rapidly overheating actor. Ah yes, the Cockroach costumes. These are made of fibre glass and that rubbery stuff that you find in lots of kid’s toys these days. Hardly sustainably sound in itself, but very fun, even if my shell did bang rather hard against the back of my knees as I scuttled around the exhibits.
Sample Cockroach talk: “Why do humans eat pizza when the box is so much more preferable?” I must confess that I really wasn’t listening very hard: it was just too damn distracting to gaze upon Cockroach Boyfriend, knowing that I looked equally ridiculous. The tour was indeed funny, but our leader could have been talking total mumbo jumbo and I would still have been chuckling like a mad woman at the looks on people’s faces. Oh how I love to dress up – we spent most of our time trying to out silly each other’s photos. Did we feel like overgrown children? Hell yes, but that’s no bad thing every once in awhile. After a few wrong turnings we arrived at our final destination, with all it’s interactive Climate Change wizardry, where we finally de-Cockroached.
Cockroach man by Sarah Matthews.
I’d like to turn a totally blind eye to the principal sponsor of this gallery (Shell, cough, greenwash, cough) but there has clearly been a large amount of money thrown at what has now been renamed the Climate Science Gallery in the wake of the Climate Scepticism controversy last year (boo, hiss) – so why not get along and enjoy it? Hell, why not enjoy it dressed as a Cockroach?
That’s me showing off my shiny cockroach ass in the Climate Science Gallery.
I personally feel I know enough Climate Change Science to last a lifetime, but for somebody who hasn’t got a wide knowledge this would be a really fun way to engage any kids you might have in tow. What’s more, even just this brief visit reminded me just how much there is to see in the Science Museum, which I haven’t really visited since I was a child. And if you need any more reason to get down with the Cockroaches why not check out this very fancy Cockroach Tour video:
Cockroach tours are being held every weekend until December 2011, and you can find out more about them and book online here. To celebrate the launch of the tours the Science Museum is offering one lucky winner four places on a tour of the weekend 12-13 February – they will be given a hand held camera and their video will be slicky edited into a film for the winner to keep. Oo-er. More information on this link.
I’m quite tempted to go back and visit their Trash Fashion exhibition myself.
CUCARACHA COSMOPOLITA by Karla Pérez Manrique.
EL BAILE DE LA CUCARACHA by Karla Pérez Manrique.
Illustration by Stephanie Thieullent
‘I’m unhappy about my Wellingtons, rx ’ Emma Forrest says as she makes her way through the packed bookshop. ‘I thought it was going to rain and then it didn’t, diagnosis and now I’m a little embarrassed.’ She takes her seat next to David Baddiel, the novelist and comedian who will interview her later. I have to admit I tend to frown upon wellie-wearing not merited by the weather too, but I was going to let that go for Emma the wordsmith. But now it seems not only does she write lovely books full of excellent literary quirks, she has sound wellie-sense too.
Considering she’s here to read from a memoir of manic depression and bereavement, Emma is funny. While unafraid to dig into the heart of the subject matter, ‘Your voice in my head’ is at times a book that makes you laugh out loud. ‘It’s important to include humour, no matter how dark the material is,’ says Emma.
Illustration by Alexandra Rolfe
Clerkenwell Tales, the little independent bookshop on Exmouth Market, was packed to the brim with people wanting to hear Emma read. But if you Google Emma Forrest you will see what she is most famous for, and it has nothing to do with writing. She used to date a certain Hollywood actor, whose name remains hidden behind a pseudonym both in the book and during the reading. But what prompted her to write this book is that just as this all-consuming love affair ended, Emma’s beloved therapist died and left her alone to pick up the pieces. The title of the book is a reflection of her reverence for him, and the book is also a celebration of the good doctor and all the people he helped.
Illustration by Gareth A Hopkins
I first discovered Emma Forrest as she published her previous novel, ‘Cherries in the snow’. I loved the book – partially for it being an unusual take on the girl-in-the-city genre (I refuse to call it chick-lit), but also because it is beautifully written with clever turns of phrases and unique metaphors. Waiting for Emma’s next book took five years, before ‘Your voice in my head’ was published a few weeks ago. Born in the UK, Emma now lives in Los Angeles where she’s a screenwriter; ‘There is so much open sky in LA. You really get a sense that your problems aren’t any bigger than anyone else’s, and that things can be dealt with.’
Illustration by Kiran Patel at Illustrating Rain
As the Q&A session wanders from the funny towards the dark, some of the questions, both from Baddiel and the audience, turn incredibly personal. The room grows completely silent as Emma describes the mania. ‘Madness felt like trying to write about music, which is so difficult to describe. Madness and music are a similar place to be.’ And later: ‘It takes a while to be able to choose to leave mania, to choose to get better. But eventually you reach a place where you need to leave it behind, to be part of the world.’ The girl sitting in front of me nods her head gently as Emma speaks, it seems she knows it’s true.
I buy the book and Emma signs it for me; she’s tiny even in her wellie heels. I read it on the train home and miss my stop.
Illustration by Sarah Alfarhan
‘Your voice in my head’ is out now. Read Emma’s blog here.
Categories ,Alexandra Rolfe, ,Bloomsbury, ,book launch, ,Clerkenwell Tales, ,David Baddiel, ,Emma Forrest, ,Exmouth Market, ,Gareth A Hopkins, ,Illustrating Rain, ,london, ,manic depression, ,memoir, ,mental illness, ,Sarah Alfarhan, ,Stéphanie Thieullent, ,Your voice in my head
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