I attended David Haley’s workshop on the role of art and culture in tackling climate change and found it informing and inspiring.
David’s opening presentation outlined his approach to ecological art and explored the roll of artists and creative thinkers in addressing issues relevant to climate change. Key to the presentation was the idea that rather than creatives acting as mere marketeers to disseminate policy messages we need to take a multi-disciplinary, systems based approach in which people from different specialisms and backgrounds analyse a problems and together develop solutions.
A lively discussion followed which touched on a number of issues, from corporate ownership and co-option of the mainstream media to whether a green message delivered by Wayne Rooney would appear too hypocritical to have any positive effect.
An interesting debate was whether we need to communicate simple, small actions that busy everyday people can adopt or whether we need to acknowledge that the problem of climate change is a complex one and that we need to arm people with the tools to comprehend, explore, enquire and ultimately take action as a result.
The session rounded off with a discussion that for me highlighted the importance of an event like MACF2012. On the one side we had activists and artists who oppose sponsorship of the arts by petrochemical interests such as BP and Shell, on the other a trustee of a Manchester gallery that had accepted money from these companies. A lively debate ensued in which the stark choices of public art financing were laid bare, without this money the gallery would close. If we live in a society whereby public art is only affordable when paid for by a multinational oil company, ultimately we get the public art system we deserve. Something to think about.
I really enjoyed the session and it was the highlight of the day for me. Thanks to David and all the other organisers.
Some references brought up in the session
Common Cause - The case for working with our cultural values
http://www.wwf.org.uk/wwf_articles.cfm?unewsid=4224
Pro-Environmental Behaviour Change by Sustainable Scotland Network
http://sd.defra.gov.uk/2011/02/new-research-on-pro-environmental-behaviour-change/
Taming the Vampire Squid: Take back our banks , new economics foundation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoUWgI-c9g4
Brecht: Mother Courage and Her Children
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_Courage_and_Her_Children
Jonathan of lowwintersun is on the board of Operation Farm and currently working on a lottery-funded feasibility study for the project. The Operation Farm visioning sessions took place on 21st and 23rd January 2012 at the Park Cafe, Hyde and were attended by over 60 people.
Facilitated by Kindling Trust the sessions saw participants from the community, voluntary and public sector as well as volunteers and potential users, working together to pool ideas and articulate a vision for Operation Farm in Tameside and Glossopdale.
This work will be written up and form a key part of the Operation Farm business plan lowwintersun are co-authoring for the project.
lowwintersun is involved in the development of Operation Farm and the project is in the process of developing a plan for a community farm in the Tameside and Glossopdale area.
We are currently carrying out a feasibility study, finding out if there are people or organisations locally who might be interested in getting involved or would like to influence its development in some way.If you would like to participate in some way, please complete our short survey by following this link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/H56XP95
This survey will help us to find out who would like to get more involved and who might want to use the farm. It should take no more than 5-10 minutes. Our deadline for responses is Tuesday 25th October 2011. Please forward on to anyone you think might be interested. Many thanks, All at Operation Farm email: operationfarm@gmail.com
This Feasibility study is supported by the Big Lottery Fund’s Local Food Scheme 
www.localfoodgrants.org www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Social Enterprise North West’s ‘In Business For Good’ trade fair
10am-4pm, Bolton’s Reebok Stadium on October 18th 2011
The North West’s biggest social enterprise showcase comes to Greater Manchester. Be inspired, meet new contacts, trade with other social enterprises and raising your profile
A cost effective way to come to the attention of funders and clients. Featuring keynote speakers: Peter Holbrook, Social Enterprise UK, Sarah Flood, Social Investment Business, Nick Donohoe, Big Society Bank and Claire Young from The Apprentice.
Workshops on finance, leadership, promotion and European franchising.
Places cost just £49 (+VAT), exhibitors from £200 (+VAT)
To attend visit www.senw.org.uk email info@senw.org.uk or telephone 0151 237 3986
social enterprise - co-operatives - social finance - inter-trading - social impact bonds - marketing - leadership - community interest companies - employment - social firms - environment - health and social care
In partnership with TogetherWorks, the social enterprise network for Greater Manchester
www.togetherworks.org.uk
twitter.com/togetherworks
I made the trip down to Oxford last week to attend the New Internationalist’s annual meeting and make a presentation to the co-op on Information Architecture and the NI’s website.
There’s many definitions for Information Architecture, I described it to the NI as simply making their website cogent, ie ensuring it makes sense for the user, that they are able to find and extract the information they require, and that for the organisation it achieves their aims and objectives for the site (and importantly generates income).
I wont share the contents of my presentation but there was certainly a good response from the co-op members present. For me it was a really interesting topic to research and hopefully my recommendations to the New Internationalist will be of use.
We’ve got desks available at OpenSpace Co-op, if you’re running a social enterprise or involved in the creative sector come down and take a look.
Carbon Co-op founder members, taken at our inaugural meeting at Zion Arts Centre, on Saturday 11th June, 2011.
I’ve been working with fellow Single Cell Collective members Caulbearers on their new EP - More Lie Deep. In a skill exchange that will see Damien Mahoney from the band produce my new Invertor EP, I helped them create a marketing plan, a balanced project budget (not always easy in the music industry!) and helped source design skills for the record.
Graphic design and packaging came courtesy of Loz of Because Studio (Single Cell’s regular collaborator) whilst we also had the pleasure of working with the very talented illustrator Ben Tallon.
The EP will be officially launched with a gig at Islington Mill, 8-10pm, Friday 10th June 2010. Get yourself down there to pick up this hand-crafted EP, a bargain at just £5!
Carbon Co-op have been fortunate enough to have been invited to the EnergyShare day at River Cottage. on 18th May 2011. The day will be packed full of workshops and seminars from other community renewables projects, it’ll also be a great opportunity to see Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s local food project up close.
The day will give us an extra boost in our ambition to win part of the EnergyShare prize and deliver more community renewables and retro-fit work in Greater Manchester - thanks for all those who have supported us, it’s not too late to give us your vote!
Please support the Carbon Coop’s application to EnergyShare - it just takes a few minutes! 
We are very excited to announce the Carbon Coop’s submission to the innovative Energyshare programme and I am writing to ask for your support, by voting for our bid, to help us start putting co-operatively owned solar panels on our City’s roofs. The Carbon Co-op is hoping to secure support and funding (up to £100,000) through the programme. The selection process involves people registering support for their favourite projects and we are urging everyone we know to support this application.
It takes just a few minutes and you will be enabling one of Manchester’s most exciting energy initiatives to get started. Supporting our application involves a few simple steps:
1) Visit: http://www.energyshare.com/carbon-co-op/
2) Click on the red button: Support this Group in the top right hand corner of the Carbon Co-op graphic.
3) A white box appears, click on the blue Sign Up button and register – it takes 30 seconds to generate a password and add your email address, postcode etc.
4) You are then sent an email with a link back to the Energyshare website. Click this & it will confirm that ‘your energyshare profile has been activated, and you’re now a supporter of Manchester Carbon Co-op’.
5) You are then also free to access the great information, resources and online tools available to help you cut your own energy use.
Manchester’s Carbon Co-op has been developed with partners including URBED Co-op, Kindling Trust and lowwintersun. It is a way for people to collaborate together in a bulk purchasing co-operative in order to purchase low carbon technologies. If you like what we do and what we are planning for the year ahead, please show you support. Thank you! The Carbon Co-op team
lowwintersun contributed via Urban Research Collective to the Black Country creative advantage book, ‘Neither Shoreditch nor Manhattan’, published in May 2011.
The publication critically examines regeneration led by ‘creative industries’ in the West Bromwich area and features contributions from artists, researchers and activists.
You can download the publication as a pdf-file here.
Publication Details:
Neither Shoreditch nor Manhattan. Black Country creative advantage
120 pages, soft cover, 267×184mm, b&w
Edited by Monika Vykoukal
Featuring contributions by Cody Lee Barbour, David Berridge, Thomas Bratzke, Céline Siani Djiakoua, John Dummett, Anna Francis, Neil Gray, Michelle Letowska, Manu Luksch, Heather Ring, Leo Singer, and Urban Research Collective, with an introduction by Monika Vykoukal.
Published by Multistory, 2011. ISBN 978-0-9563457-3-8
The films are also online to watch here and the audio-play can be found here.
Please support the Carbon Coop’s application to EnergyShare - it just takes a few minutes! http://s.coop/1bvz
Jonathan of lowwintersun co-organised the BandStand event for Single Cell Collective and Operation Farm.
‘BandStand - a celebration of local food and music’ took place on Sunday 10th April 2011, with around 2,000 people enjoying some great music and some lovely local food in the unexpected and most welcome warm spring sunshine.
Local sustainable food network, Operation Farm, arranged a huge range of food stalls showcasing food was sourced from the surrounding area with an emphasis on local favourites. Stalls included Halal Indian, vegan, local salads, locally sourced meat and the usual excellent offerings from the Hyde’s very own Park Cafe. A Haggle and Barter saw an amazing spring free giveaway of fresh vegetables and flowers.
Music on the day was overseen by Single Cell Collective, with the Victorian band stand showcasing acts throughout the day. Excellent performances came from SR Downes, Tao of Steve, Nay Medici, Glass Ankle, Phil Davies, Samson and Delilah and the ever amazing Honeyfeet who had the crowd dancing and clapping along.
