listentoakalahemakessense

really honoured to be invited to talk at being a man - BAM - the festival at the Southbank over the weekend which addresses the challenges and pressures of masculine identity in the 21st century. http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/festivals-series/being-a-man I am deep in the programme which also covers gangs, jihad, fatherhood, sex, pornography, and war. Anyway just to be on the same bill as the ultra cool and wonderful Akala has to be a good thing. I've seen him talk a TED day - he is breathtaking - listen to him. here's a link to my 'talk' for those who can't make it to London.  http://www.slideshare.net/l.bicknell/talk-for-bam

busybsuybusyandsomedance

The Toshiba lecture at the Cathedral in Norwich last night was awesome with possibilities and yet also informed by the terror of every post apocalyptic film I have seen where the world is taken over by robots. There was a moment when the extraordinary machine being demonstrated very cutely clapped its 'hands' and the audience laughed at it and I thought - this is where after lulling us into a false sense of security a lazer beam extends from its 'head' and destroys us, thus starting its progression to world domination! But it didn't happen and I am mow on the train to Ipswich working on the presentation and workshop for Being A Man, on the way to see a dance/food/sound piece by Protein called May contain food - at the Dance House. This is after a day at NUA running a master class on bookness! I'm really looking forward to BAM next week at the Southbank - trying to work out a way to cram in 30 years of bookmaking and thinking into 2 hours with an added workshop is proving tricky! Ann Veronica Janssens, yellowbluepink at The Welcome trust is on the list of things to see on Friday after the session and I'll also get to attend a private view at CSM of the XD Fine Art Course.

lookingforwardtoitall

really excited to have spent the afternoon buying tickets after getting hold of the Spill festival booklet - http://spillfestival.com/ my highlight has to be Heather Cassils http://heathercassils.com/ although the performance will be a world premier of Inextinguishable fire - I think the images created during the performance of becoming an image are truly magnificent. It looks like I might be giving a talk as part of Being a Man at the South Bank in London http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/festivals-series/being-a-man

Meanwhile the new Textile Design Course technical workshop spaces at Norwich University of the Arts look excellent - looking forward to working in them with the students in a couple of weeks.