thefuturehashappened

Just come off an interesting webinar – hosted by Lynda.com - Beyond the Classroom Walls: Reinventing Yourself, Your Class, and Your Teaching Methods. Some points that reinforced activity already undertaken, some to consider, some to ignore and others to implement on Monday! Enjoyed the infographic by anneke jong – http://annekejong.blogspot.co.uk/ type v hype  one issue is to consider that I use B and students use A.........

goingdowndowndown

as the drilling goes on at home the work is all about going down as opposed to up - actual building - but then that’s how it is. looking forward to the weekend – Occupation at Snape Matltings, https://tickets.aldeburgh.co.uk/Online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loadArticle=Load&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::article_id=D99E2E03-11BF-484D-ACB6-3CC5965A21B6 among the highlights of the weekend I'm particularly looking forward to Paul Morley thinking about the North and Patrick Keiller who can do no wrong. Meanwhile on the film front there’s Lone survivor - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1091191/ - well I've never been shot but the whole experience appears to set out to explore the process and is particularly visceral around the subject – ‘realistic’, but I'm unsure about the films purpose. 

cinemabox

Some interesting films this week – went out to my local arts centre (The Cut) http://newcut.org/events to see Blancanieves - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1854513/ - an extraordinary silent black and white rethink around snow white involving bull fighting dwarfs. The lighting and framing brought to mind Bunuel. Spectacular now - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1714206/ a quiet coming of age film that has a understated quality which stays with you longer that it should. The Hunger Games catching fire - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1951264/ mad nonsense but you have to love those clothes that set on fire and Get lucky - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2175669/?ref_=rvi_tt – a film I can’t remember at all....Meanwhile a drawing of the proposed box to be attached to the house, a collaborative drawing between myself and the architects.. 

demolitiondemolished

A weekend spent demolishing the heat store/veranda has created an interesting space for what should be an interesting space... designed with the architects Kirkham Sheidow http://www.kirkhamsheidow.co.uk/ its Donald Judd meets Richard Serra – a truth to materials brutal box.

Meanwhile the evenings were spent with the wolf of wall street – a behemoth of a film – excessive and then some, bludgeoned by the whole exercise but with a deeper understanding of why we are where we are. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0993846/ and the very nice The Secret Life of Walter Mitty http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0359950/ a beautifully shot film – two lives living fantasies. 

disseminationstuffandfilm

A few film recommendations - The Game - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119174/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 - a film left behind when it came out but it really is a wild ride and worth the revisit. American Hustle – http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1800241/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1  as Mark Kermode said it’s all about the hair – the detail in the filming is quite mesmerising, there are moments when the camera drops to the characters hands, it appears to enable us to focus our thoughts on their inner landscapes. Blue Jasmine - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2334873/ the writing is really very tight, more than a character study it feels like an allegory of our time, a film about men and women and honesty and truth but the film could be seen to explore the role of America in the world – think about it. Getaway - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2167202/ dull. Struck by Lightning - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1791614/?ref_=nv_sr_1 a sweet American Indi coming of age film. Out of the Furnace - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1206543/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 dark dark dark – but quite wonderful, a vision of an American underbelly we rarely see in movies. Captain Philiphs -  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1535109/ the might yet misdirection of America portayed  by the wondrous Greegrass - the last 10 minutes........Hank!

Meanwhile – information is disseminated in my local town.

oddbackandforwardthinking

First week back teaching after the break – a good first briefing looking at the final 20 weeks and ways forward. The ideas behind Ken Robinson’s new book http://sirkenrobinson.com/ became the focus for the afternoon sessions with discussions around passion, responsibility and ownership of creative practice whilst looking at completing the Learning agreements for unit 8!

Managed to reorganise the layout of the blog as you can see and finally sorted out the CV..... bringing it up to date.

Meanwhile I thought Adventure Time was a wonderful stream of consciousness but Bee and PuppyCat is the new odd – check it out above....

inspiredbythesoundsofthepastnow

Managed to catch up with some reading Yeah Yeah Yeah the history of Pop Music is most excellent – I’ve been reading it next to a lap top and so combining the sounds and images of the past with the words of Bob Stanley some of the gems are when rock and roll didn’t have a name and they were making it up as they went along.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7OHg5d8Zkw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0il2Qd3jcs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_f9lrXd_48

So far I’m up to British Beat Groups...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuszDqPhEL0

and then there are the Beatles...the book has really turned up the grit in these tracks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlW3SolhcIo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9d-Z7vakj4s

I think we have all been inspired and/or had our thoughts on creativity and education confirmed by watching Ken Robinson’s TED lecture – how schools kill creativity http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html His new book continues the theme, widening ideas around education  with stirring examples of individuals finding their element.

atriptothepastviathefuture

A trip to London: - Ayse Erkmen: Intervals occupies The Curve at the Barbican – an intriguing mechanical display that controls your movement through the space. I had seen her intervention Plan B at the Venice Biennale 2 yeras ago and was fascinated by her way of working. https://www.barbican.org.uk/artgallery/event-detail.asp?ID=14773

Home Truths: Photography, Motherhood and Identity at the Photographers' Gallery has a taken a particular route - of making the private intimate world of women, their bodies and their children public. http://thephotographersgallery.org.uk/photography-motherhood-and-identity Elmgreen & Dragset: Tomorrow at the V&A was a glorious intervention into the space and much recommended – bringing the past to life in an accessible way that feels current. http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/tomorrow-elmgreen-dragset/ The chronological hang at Tate Britain throws up some interesting issues – the history of art taking in only the UK seems limited and as one plods through the isums and contemplates arts connection to real world events the lack of the rest of the world is palpable and maybe just wrong in today’s global world. Maybe themed shows are more relevant than dates. The excellent show downstairs - Art Under Attack, Histories of British Iconoclasm has a fragment of a rood screen from a church displayed where you can see the original painted images whitewashed and black blunt dogmatic text from the bible overlaid.... maybe this speaks more of our time. http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/art-under-attack-histories-british-iconoclasm