We’ve got Swaporamarama and Swishing and now, the Topshop Swap Shop…

Topshop Swap Shop

Just in from the inimitable Space Hijackers: Ladies and Gentlemen we are proud to announce the restyling fashion mash-up event of the year! In the light of the current economic crisis and the outrage over the sweatshop conditions that most high street brands make their clothes in, the swapshop is your chance to re-vamp your wardrobe with a free conscience! Leaping away from the drudgery of big corporate fashion with it’s dodgy business practices and spend spend spend attitude, the Topshop Swapshop takes fashion back to its roots.

Simply turn up at TOPSHOP on Oxford Street wearing an outfit you wish to upgrade, then on the stroke of 2, marvel as hundreds of fashion moguls offer to trade your clothes with you.

Fancy that girls jumper? Why not offer to swap your belt for it? That boy’s hat is to die for, how about a trade for your jeans? Nice skirt, fancy trading my t-shirt for it?

After a hectic re-working of your look you can then walk proudly back onto the streets of London town with a new wardrobe and not having spent a single penny.

You can buy lots of clothes but you can’t buy style.

DISCLAIMER:

The above event is in no way supported or condoned by TopShop. Any similarity to any brand living or dead is merely coincidental.

2pm sharp on Sat 29th November – Topshop Oxford Street.

A week long London FreeSchool event will be taking place between the 1st and 7th of September with workshops, discussions and skill-sharing. Themes will include Food, Creative Arts, Permaculture, Gender, Science and Languages. The event will be completely free and open to all people willing to respect the ideals of the free school and each other.

London FreeSchool aims to confront the hierarchy and inequality which dominates learning. It stems from a belief that the control and institutionalisation of education is wrong and as communities we need to reclaim knowledge in order to develop self reliance. The free in free school refers to the freedom of learning as well as learning outside of the monetary system. It directly challenges the elitism of the expert and ‘doctor knows best’ attitude understanding that we are all equal and can learn from one another.

In order to make this event a success we need help! We need teachers as well as students! If you are able to facilitate a workshop, discussion or skill-share then please drop us a line detailing what exactly you would like to do, how long it would take (e.g. one hour session or 3 sessions on different days), if there are any specific tools, equipment or materials needed and your availability between the 1st and 7th September. If you want to attend the classes, then come along, bring your firends, kids, toddlers, neighbors.

contact: deschooling_society@lists.riseup.net
website: http://londonfreeschool.wordpress.com

feel free to join the facebook group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=24493514013&ref=mf london free school and pass the info on…

thank you!

The Spike in Peckham is under threat.

With free permaculture courses, a community garden, recording studio, rehearsal space and much more, Spike is an exemplay example of volunteer community based regeneration. It is an important local resource.

If you haven’t already done so, please sign the petition to help Save The Spike!

If you have already signed the petition, please forward it on to your (e.g. myface) friends and networks.

For an idea of how great this space is check out the pictures on their myspace homepage:
http://www.myspace.com/spikesurplus

Also, be sure to listen to SIGN THE PETITION track by David J, its great stuff!

(recorded live at a recent Sunday Sounds event at Spike)

And check these youtube videos for an idea of the great events that have taken place at Spike:

Malalma at recent Manu Chao night

Spike Halloween 2007

Again, PLEASE sign the petition, this is one of London’s most important spaces.
http://www.petitiononline.com/paulk/petition.html

Many thanks in advance,

Josef.

In the lead up to Reclaim Love on Feb 16th Venus and Rikki walk round Camden market asking people what Love means to them and get an extraordinary range of responses…

Its that time of year again, when loads of lovely fluffy people gather around the Eros statue on Piccadilly Circus to remind everyone that you don’t need to buy stuff to love someone, you just have to love them!

Basically, on Saturday February 16th, 2008 everyone will gather at Eros in Piccadilly at 2pm. Be there.

For more info check out the Operation Infinite Love (One In Love) website, http://www.o-i-l.net, the myspace http://myspace.com/reclaimlove and Rob’s http://rub.fm/o-i-l/

And check out this great video from Reclaim Love 3: (I filmed some of it!)

See you there!

LOVE!

UPDATE: SESSIONS OF SPONTANEITY CHANGE OF VENUE

(licensing issues have forced us to move from Passing Clouds to another wonderful venue, Where?House – see map at bottom of Sessions of Spontaneity page)

I just came across this nice photo that shows the space required to transport the same number of passengers by car, bus and bike

On a similar note, the other night Top Gear ran a TV race to cross London by bike, boat, tube and car.

The journey was completed in that order. The bike won!

As I’ve always said, cycling is the quickest, healthiest and greenest way to get around London.

UPDATE: CHANGE OF VENUE

(licensing issues have forced us to move from Passing Clouds to Where?House – see map at bottom of page)

United Diversity presents…SESSIONS OF SPONTANEITY
@ Where?House, Unit 3c, Millmead Ind Estate, Millmead Road, London N17 9QU
Saturday 15th December, 2007
9pm – 4am. £5 before 10pm then £7.

Loads of amazing live acts, inspirational film and more! FILM (starts 9.00pm) : “THE TAKE – Occupy. Resist. Produce” must see documentary about Argentina’s radical co-operative movement in the aftermath of economic collapse. THEN load of bands, acoustic music and poetry with: Sarah Bear, Daisy, Kids of Horses, The Impossible, International Love Collective, a big jam sesson, then DJ Paula Daunt on the decks.

This is going to be an very magical night.

We’ve not done an event since Another World is Blossoming back in March 2006.

This time we see the return or our legendary Sessions of Spontaneity events from our early days and boy do we have a special line-up for you.

Doors open at 7pm and the night kicks off at 7.30pm with a screening of the must-see film, THE TAKE about Argentina’s radical co-operative movement in the aftermath of economic collapse.

After the film, the musical magic begins; loads of great acts playing songs to lift your mind, body and spirit.

Confirmed live acts include: The Impossible, International Love Collective, Sarah Bear, Daisy, Kids of Horses, Mr Hovis, plus DJ Paula Daunt on the decks.

<a href="http://uniteddiversity.com/the-take/"

The Take: Occupy. Resist. Produce.
One of the best films I’ve seen. It tells the story of Argentina’s radical co-operative movement in the aftermath of economic collapse.

Then:

Acoustic music and poetry from London’s finest…

<a href="http://myspace.com/sarahbearsounds"
Sarah Bear

<a href="http://www.myspace.com/daisykellygranger"
Daisy

<a href="http://www.myspace.com/kidsofhorses"
Kids of Horses,

Followed by:

<a href="http://myspace.com/wearetheimpossible"

The Impossible
Formed out of psychedelic cacophony, copious amounts of mind altering drugs and hours in an oxygen starved studio in darkest Camberwell before being filtered through the Caribbean…. the Impossible grow more powerful and seductive every day.

<a href="http://uniteddiversity.com/international-love-collective/"

International Love Collective
An unmissable 17-piece extravaganza. Their tripped out sexy performances are like a drug-fuelled 60s orgy to the tune of cutting edge funk and jazz. Read a great review here.

and more!

Then a great big Jam Session

And Finally:

<a href="http://myspace.com/pauladaunt"

DJ Paula Daunt on the decks
Paula’s got it all. Phat beats, tripped out breaks and Brazilian rhythm and beauty. You will not resist the urge to dance with this lady on the decks. Hard drum and bass galore and more.

All this for only £5 before 10pm, then £7!

Where?House
Unit 3c, Millmead Ind Estate
Millmead Road, London N17 9QU

Map:

(see this event on Facebook and MySpace)

I just came across this review of the International Love Collective @ the Buffalo Bar (where I first saw them) and thought I’d share it with you.

Do you share my excitement about the United Diversity Sessions of Spontaneity @ Passing Clouds event on Dec 15th?

Buffalo Bar, one Sunday in the summer of 2007

A steely-eyed girl with feathers in her hair beckons us underground. Who could resist? Deep red walls and steep falling stairs channel us down the narrow passageway until we emerge. She points to a poster on the wall, blazoned with the words ‘International Love Collective’. As we are studying it she slips away and we are left to drink in our surroundings. The shady basement bar is filled with people; the steamy temperature belies the cool evening from which we have descended; the walls glow with the energy that is building up.

Shoulder to shoulder, we idly watch, chatter, and wait as the bird girl flits to and fro; others buzz and glide through the room, piling instrument after instrument onto the tiny platform that is their stage for the evening. The room grows brighter, the audience moves forward and the International Love Collective pile on to the stage: they as crowded on the stage as we are in front of them. The boundaries of normal life don’t seem to matter down here and from the birth of this performance it is clear that nothing halt them on their journey. I get the feeling that they intend to take us with them. This, for some reason, doesn’t alarm me as much as it should do, confronted as we are with near-naked bodies, covered in what could be war paint, not to mention the flirtatious batted lashes of a bass player whose ruffled shirt clashes disarmingly with the coral red which he has chosen for his lips tonight.

What follows is an ambush on all our senses that intoxicates and makes us accomplices in their rites – the heady effect of their music and their bodies disorientates. They move from soft hot whispers to a steely unflinching grip with such fluidity and grace that I cannot tell where tenderness ends and aggression begins – and no longer do I care.

And now, the piercing gaze of deep brown eyes holds us all, holds us all wrapped in the force she exudes as she speaks out. With all of the instruments heaped around her, it is her voice alone that rings out through the silence. She defiantly spits out the words ‘I am not asking you to like me’ and I know what I had already suspected: the love that this straggling band of minstrels peddles is not the kind that you are offered from the safety of a cinema screen – its raw and unforgiving, but so intoxicating that you will find yourself panting for more. The susurrations and the mellow beats of the drums caress our ears and lick away the force of what has come before. This is exactly the kind of amour that I’ve been aching for.

There is no time for us, new initiates in the wonders of the International Love Collective, to think about where all this is heading. From the opening declaration – a defiance and a challenge – we are given a glimpse of what must be only a few of the Collective’s many colours. The beat of the djembe and a resonant voice, the jangle and chime of a coin belt – these come next, as a truce, a peace offering. The bodies around me, shedding their outward lives and their daily armour, pulse and flow with the guiding force of the music. The front knot of the audience is allowed the privilege of the voyeur no longer and some of the group slip from the stage, from the shady sides of this place, into our midst. They dance and twist, compelling us to do the same and suddenly, before we are fully aware (the knowledge that I am prey to their dominatrix whim compels me) the atmosphere has changed and two male bodies have begun to move in, around, and over each other. Their powerful moves teeter on the brink of violence; capoeira moves that flirt constantly with war and celebration. That’s the kind of love we’re getting tonight and I can see that noone is complaining as we drop to our knees, levelling with the twisting and bending shapes of the two dancers and making space for others to catch a glimpse.

The tension never drops and we are tantalised with sultry voices and bodies slippery with sweat, under the glowing lights. I realise that I too am hot and dripping – but the trumpet sounds out our passion and I am transfixed.

*Free* briefings and workshops to open source your creative business |

/Drupal for web2.0: how to move fast with this new Open Source toolkit/

__REMINDER___________________________________________________________
The ‘Open for Business’ programme continues *this Thursday* 25th October
with the Drupal for Web2.0 briefing: come get an overview and jumpstart
into using this emerging social software swiss army knife!
- more info/rsvp: http://nm-x.com/event/2007/10/drupal-web2-0-briefing
______________________________________________________________________

__Drupal for web2.0__

Drupal is a fast, flexible toolkit for building web2.0 sites without
having to rebuild any wheels. Part content management, part programmable
multi-tool, it is emerging as the do-it-all open source content
management system of choice for bloggers, charities, companies, NGOs and
large corporations alike.

These two workshops on Wednesday 1st Nov and Thursday 7th Nov. will give
you a chance to get some hands-on experience working on your own
project, with the expert assistance of the UK’s leading Drupal
developer, Peter Brownell of Drupal UK

__Workshops__
- a two evening hands-on workshop, on your own project:__
- Thursday 1st and Wednesday 7th November, 18:30 – 21:30
- Location: The Young Foundation, 18 Victoria Park Sq., London, E2 9PF
- Price: Free!
- Bookings: http://nm-x.com/event/2007/11/drupal-web2-0-workshops

__About Open for Business__

‘Open for Business’ is a programme of free workshops and briefings to
help creative entrepreneurs, small businesses and artists explore the
tremendous potential of Open Source software and related strategies.

The programme is brought to you by London Westside, funded by the London
Development Agency and produced by http://nm-x.com and The People Speak

more info: http://nm-x.com/project/open-business