Wednesday 24 November 2010

women make noise

From my inbox. From Julia Downes...



Call for Contributors: ‘Women Make Noise’ edited by Julia Downes

For the Women and Arts series on a new imprint SUPERNOVA BOOKS



General overview:

We are seeking contributors for a new book on music. Women Make Noise will critically explore the past and present participations of women and girls with popular music. Particular attention will be paid to ‘all-girl’ bands. Whilst the media celebrates the spectacles of the girl singer and female-fronted band, ‘all-girl’ bands tend to be marginalised, trivialised and even ignored by dominant journalistic and historical accounts of popular music cultures. Commentary of ‘all-girl’ bands can include doubts over women’s musicianship, anxiety and fear of lesbian/assertive female sexualities, an overemphasis on bitching and bickering amongst band members, and a ‘novelty’ status that constantly marks ‘all-girl’ bands as different from authentic (male) bands. This leaves ‘all-girl’ bands to exist in a contradictory position of opportunity and devaluation in society and culture.



Women Make Noise will critique these mainstream representations of the ‘all-girl’ band to explore alternative accounts of ‘all-girl’ bands; to explore the complexities of creativity, identity, performance, aesthetics, politics, conflict and community at work in women and girls collective music-making. The book will focus on the ways in which music can be used as a radical medium by women and girls in order to contest wider struggles – for instance, of nation, ethnicity, class, sexuality, gender, age and feminisms. Thereby highlighting how ‘all-girl’ bands offer the potential to question and transform society, culture, history and politics. The book will feature informed yet accessible contributions from a variety of writers.



500 word (approx) chapter proposals and 100 word (approx) author biographies are sought from writers on women and girls’ music participations within, but not limited to, the following broadly-defined genres:· Rap and hip hop· Metal· Post-punk· No wave· Punk· Hardcore· Rock· Pop· riot grrrl· Disco· Electro· Girl groups· Noise



Chapters (6,000 words max) should focus on the contributions of ‘all-girl’ groups who write/wrote their own material and play/played their own instruments, though discussion of groups with some male members and of solo artists can be included where relevant. Proposals should (i) outline the musical moment, music-makers and individuals that contributors wish to focus on, (ii) highlight the contributor’s personal connection to the music cultures and communities under discussion and, (iii) outline how the contributor will directly engage with the thoughts, ideas and perspectives of the music-makers and cultural producers to be discussed. Proposals should also highlight how the chapter will meet the overall ethos of the book and also demonstrate the author’s ability to write for a popular and specialist audience.



Proposals and biographies should be submitted by December 31st 2010 to julia.h.downes@gmail.com although we welcome submissions in advance of this date.The publishing date for this book is October 2011 and we would require completed chapters from contributors by March 2011 (though the Aurora Metro team can of course help with research and offer feedback prior to this date).



We are also looking for images to be included within the book to be sent to rebecca@aurorametro.com

About the editor:
Julia Downes completed her PhD in British queer feminist music cultural resistance at the University of Leeds in 2010. She has also been a Lecturer in Popular Music at the University of Birmingham and has taught courses on music histories, gender and sexualities at the University of Leeds. Julia has previously published academic and populist articles on riot grrrl and feminist music cultures. Julia currently works for Independent Domestic Abuse Services and plays drums in the ‘all-girl’ band Vile Vile Creatures. http://leeds.academia.edu/JuliaDownes



About the publisher

SUPERNOVA BOOKS is a new imprint on Aurora Metro Publications that will explore the arts in innovative ways, giving voice to creative groups and individuals that may be marginalised within their chosen fields. Using digital technology to reach new audiences and looking beyond the mainstream, the aim is to examine the bolder and more extreme creative thinkers as well as those enjoying critical acclaim. The press will launch in March 2011 with a biography of enigmatic actor, writer and director Patrick McGoohan who starred in cult TV series The Prisoner. This will be followed by a series examining the position of female filmmakers, musicians, theatre directors, architects, artists and fashion designers within their chosen sector. These books will explore new talent and profile the work of recognised pioneers in each field placing all within a historical context, examining their influences and asking what the future has in store for them and their contemporaries. Each book will also suggest ways for readers to become actively involved and provide comprehensive resource lists detailing festivals, workshops, online communities and DIY strategies for self-starters. www.supernovabooks.co.uk



AURORA METRO PUBLICATIONS is an independent publisher and an arts-based charity situated in an old stable building in Twickenham, Middlesex, England. The company founder and director is Cheryl Robson, playwright, producer and editor. She works with a small staff and volunteers to discover unique and powerful works that demand to be published. She also manages the arts and education projects which the company is involved with in schools, colleges and the community. www.aurorametro.com

Tuesday 23 November 2010

i assumed it was totally acceptable for me to be doing whatever bizarre thing i wanted to do on stage

Oh, and while I'm re-posting rad things from the Internet: oh hello rad interview with Khaela Maricih!

I remember seeing The Blow live a few years ago, and Khaela blowing my mind so much that I embarrassingly gushed as much to her after the show and blushed more than a little at the realisation of my ability to gush so wildly!
I was so ill at that point that hadn't left my bed for a couple of weeks before the show, yet I'm so thankful that somebody put me on a train so that I *had* to go to the show, making sure I *didn't* miss it. And I'm so bloody glad that happened. I can remember some of the things Khaela said in-between the songs almost word-perfectly, so attuned she was to some of the insides of my head.
Brilliant woman!

oh hello brilliant idea...

Via Microcosm:

"The awesome Beehive Collective is running a Kickstarter to help re-print their ENTIRE BODY OF GRAPHIC WORKS! WOW!"


I remember first hearing about the Beehive Collective such a long time ago via Punk Planet - it's so rad that they're doing this!

Monday 22 November 2010

shape and situate zine news

Updates on where you can get hold of the zine, 'Shape & Situate: Posters Of Inspirational European Women':

1. Thanks to the wonderful Jimi Gherkin, copies of the zine will be available on the communal table at this weekend's Alternative Press Fair
Details: Sunday 28 November 2010, 12pm to 6pm. A day of zines, comix, poetry, radical literature, printmaking and anything else self-published! Venue: St. Aloysius' Social Centre, Corner of Eversholt Street and Phoenix Road, London NW1 1TA (Nearest Tube: Euston)

2. The zine will soon be available (if it isn't already) from the following UK zine distros:
Marching Stars [thanks Lizzie]
&
Dear Soeurs [thanks Izzy and Flo]

3. I've just started listing them on the COTL etsy site and the COTL Folksy site (UK delivery only for the time being I'm afraid)

4. If you see me out and about in Leeds over the next few weeks I'm bound to have a copy on me!


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If you want to distro the zine or stock the zine please do get in touch - I'd generally just love for less of them to be in a box in my bedroom!!

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Nina Nijsten has also blogged about the zine on her Feminist Poster Project Blog
Thanks Nina!


Tuesday 16 November 2010

footprint zine fayre 13th november 2010

It was the Footprint Zine Fayre in Leeds on Sunday, held to celebrate 10 years of Leeds-based Footprint Workers Co-Op - A Printing Cooperative.

The event was held to try and bring together zine makers and self-publishers who have used Footprint over the years, along with other cooperators and campaigners, and radical & activist projects affiliated with Footprint so that people could sell their work, meet each other, and forge community.

I was asked by the quite wonderful Cath from Footprint to take on the fantastic task of rummaging through Footprint's storage boxes to come up with samples of the ten years worth of zines that Footprint have printed, to show/exhibit them on the day.

The boxes of zines that they had at Footprint HQ were like a treasure trove - so many great examples of past zine work and exciting self-publishing. It was a treat too to be able to see samples of friends' work in those boxes, and even a copy of the first zine I ever had printed at Footprint, back in 2004!! It was even nicer to be able to liberate the zines from their storage boxes for a day and put them on display at the event on Sunday for people to stop by, have a read of, be inspired by, and see just what great work Footprint have been facilitating over the past 10 years.

My initital idea was to make zine bunting, criss-crossing the room to fill the whole space with Footprints' past work. On the day though, there was very little on the walls to attach string and bunting to, so I had to make do with concentrating the bunting in one corner of the room. This worked out well anyway, as that was the same area where the zine reading area was going to be set up, and the space where people were reading from their zines and holding discussion groups, so in the end it acted as a nice communal space for the zines.

Here's some (of my dodgy) photographs of the zine display:










upcoming uk self publishing / zine events

From my inbox (from Peter)...

Upcoming Self-Publishing Events in the UK (that I wish I could be at...)

1. Alternative Press Fair – Sunday 28 November 2010, 12pm to 6pm
A day of zines, comix, poetry, radical literature, printmaking and anything else self-published! Ceri May & Burgess the Rhymer will be running the Poetry Worshop, Sophie will have the tie-dye’g on the go, there will be a communal table to put some work on. What can you say other than “Fair enough”

www.alternativepress.org.uk

Venue: St. Aloysius' Social Centre, Corner of Eversholt Street and Phoenix Road, London NW1 1TA (Nearest Tube: Euston)

FREE



2. Handmade & Bound- Sunday 21 November 2010, 12pm to 6pm
The independent fair with affordable, handmade artists’ books, comics and zines. The event is based on handmade but affordable books and zines. It's a good balance between artists’ books and zines (in the DIY punk tradition), and it's the affordable alternative to the London Artists' Book Fair. Don’t be an Old Maid, be HandMade (& Bound).

http://www.handmadeandbound.com/

Venue: St. Aloysius' Social Centre, Corner of Eversholt Street and Phoenix Road, London NW1 1TA (Nearest Tube: Euston)

FREE



3. The Hot Tap Pop-Up Shop - Saturday 20 November, 10am-6pm
“The mission of the Pop-Up Shop is simple; Hand or home-made/ organic/ fair-trade/ eco-friendly/ recycled/ vintage and local.”
www.artsaveslives.com

Venue: The Hot Tap Theatre Warehouse, 20-40 Goodwood Road, New Cross Gate, London SE14 6BL

FREE

“A Guilt-Free Christmas Shopping Extravaganza! If you require a 6ft trestle table please donate £10 on our website, and in the 'Add special instructions to the seller’s box, put your name, contact details and what you are selling. If you need to ask any more questions you can call or text me on 07968710702 or reply to: oonagh@artsaveslives.co.uk”



4. Thought Bubble Sequential Art Festival – Thursday 18 November - Sunday 21 November 2010
The annual comics’ festival up North returns over 4 days:

www.thoughtbubblefestival.com

Venue: Saviles Hall, Clarence Dock, Chadwick Street, Stourton, Leeds LS10 1LT



5. Fanzine and Comic Fair at the Cowley Club, Brighton - Saturday 11 December, 12pm to 6.30pm - FREE
It's the build up to Christmas, and what better time is there to visit Brighton, breathe in the sea air, and get yourself a festive sackful of Comics, Zines, and no doubt some Vegan cakes, made by members of autonomous co-operative non-hierarchical organisations?

Organiser Paul Stapleton says "plenty of people confirmed so far, as well as a handful of exciting distros - should be plenty to peruse. Starts at midday, and goes on till about 6pm when we get everything ready for the Zounds gig in the evening. Entry is free, and there'll be plenty of chairs and sofas in which to park yourselves and read all the lovely stuff you've bought.”

It is free to vend, and first-come, first-served. If you’re interested in stall space for your fanzines, comics, books, badges and all manner of arts and crafts, please contact Paul direct: beat_bedsit@yahoo.co.uk
Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=169758179701431



6. Bear Gamii Zulu Zine Symposium – Sunday 19 December, 12pm to 8.00pm
Venue: The Ice Cream Factory, 136 Tanners Hill, Deptford, London SE8 4QD

ZULU-CHRISTMAS themed Small-Press Print Auction to raise money for the BIG Issue
ZULU-themed workshop culminating in the printing of what is created on the day in free zine and live performance from Ouse-signed London three-piece PLEASE.
- David Samu exhibition http://pourlafrime.blogspot.com/
- Zine flicking'//purchasing
- Le Dernier Cri competition

For more info contact: joeyfourr@googlemail.com


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Plus, I heard today that the 7th Annual London Zine Symposium is set to take place on Sunday 17th April 2011 at The Rag Factory again, just off Brick Lane, London.

Tuesday 9 November 2010

shape and situate zine



My new zine, 'Shape & Situate: Posters of Inspirational European Women' just came back from the printers.
Thanks to all the contributors for all their hard work - Jo Harrison, Flo Brooks, Molly Askey-Goldsbury, Sarah Francis, Stephanie Young, Erica Smith, Verity Hall, Jenny Howe, Red Chidgey, Deborah M. Withers, Siân Williams, Emily Aoibheann, Sarah Maple, Charlotte Cooper, Ralph Fox, Jay Bernard, Gladys Badhands, Isy Morgenmufflel, Rachael House, and Lauren Hutchinson.




The zine, 'Shape & Situate: Posters Of Inspirational European Women' will make it's first official debut at LEEDS ZINE FAYRE (Footprint's 10th Birthday) this Saturday (November 13th, 11am-5pm at Leeds University Union) where I have a stall, sharing with Em of the zine 'The World's A Mess & Yr My Only Cure'

I'll post other places/distros/events where the zine can be purchased from as and when I have the information.


If you like issue one, be a part of issue two:

digital desperados film screenings, glasgow

from my inbox...

DIGITAL DESPERADOS Proudly presents the 2010 half our FREE winter screenings & talks.

We also have a free film-making course for women of colour aged 16 - 30 (starting in February 2011 & lasting for 8 weeks) with workshops on massage, self defence & womens health as well as sound, editing & camera use. You can find out more at:
http://www.digitaldesperados.orgwe hope to see you at the screenings!

Please forward widely!

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Friday 19th November 7 - 8.45pm
Garnethill Multicultural Centre 21 Rose street

NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT PERSIAN CATS
The film follows two young musicians who have just been released from prison. The pair befriends a man named Nader, an underground music enthusiast and producer, who helps them travel around Tehran and its surrounding areas. The film highlights many of the legal and cultural challenges independent musicians and generally Iranian youth face in Iran’s severely confined government.

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Saturday 20th November 1.30 - 5pm
Pearce Institute, Govan Road

DISCUSSION: Reclaiming public space both locally & globally with Yasmine Brien from the Kebele Centre, Bristol



KANEHSATAKE: 270 years of resistance (probably not suitable for younger viewers) *film starts at 3pm
In 1990, a confrontation propelled Native issues in Kanehsatake and the village of Oka, Quebec, into the international spotlight. Alanis Obomsawin spent 78 nerve-wracking days and nights filming the armed stand-off between the Mohawks, the Quebec police and the Canadian army.

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Thursday 25th November, 7 - 10pm
Pearce Institute, Govan road
*45min program of Iranian short films

DISCUSSION: Yassamine Mather, herself exiled from Iran due to the political climate, will speak representing H.O.P.I. (Hands of the People of Iran) exploring both the current possibility of the U.S.A. waging war against Iran, past and present governments and political movements of Iran and how all of these affect life for Iranian people themselves, including women
She will then be available for a Q & A session and to take part in discussion.

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Wednesday 1st December 7 – 10.30pm, CCA cinema space
*free but ticketed

OPEN SOURCE PANEL DISCUSSION:
First up is a public discussion on copyright and intellectual ownership sparked off by our panel: Nina Moeller, Simon Yuill & Sacha Kahir who will bring their experiences of intellectual copyright, open source film-making and the plant patenting-resistance movement in Ecuador.



SITA SINGS THE BLUES (cert PG) film starts 9pm
SSTB is an animated film which retells the story, from the Indian epic ‘The Ramayana’, of Sita a Goddess separated from her beloved Lord and husband Rama. It is also a contemporary story of the director who moves to India to be with her love only for him to dump her by email... This is an open source film which means that it is completely free to screen, distribute & sell.

*free dvds to the first 10 people!!

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Saturday 4th December 7 - 8pm
CCA Cinema *free but ticketed

QPOC SHORTS (queer people of colour)
Homotopia, Family, Desi Girls and more...Love revolution not state delusion

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For more information check out
www.digitaldesperados.org

revolutionary women: a book of stencils

Knowing how rad the zine was, this book looks like it's gonna be amazing...





Revolutionary Women: A Book of Stencils by Queen of the Neighbourhood Collective
Publisher: PM Press
ISBN: 978-1-60486-200-3
Paperback; 128pp; b&w with colour cover; 2010

A radical feminist history and street art resource for inspired readers! This book combines short biographies with striking and usable stencil images of thirty women—activists, anarchists, feminists,freedom-fighters and visionaries. It offers a subversive portrait history which refuses to belittle the military prowess and revolutionary drive of women, whose violent resolves often shatter the archetype of woman-as-nurturer. It is also a celebration of some extremely brave women who have spent their lives fighting for what they believe in and rallying supporters in climateswhere a woman's authority is never taken as seriously as a man's. The text also shares some of each woman's ideologies, philosophies,struggles and quiet humanity with quotes from their writings or speeches.
The women featured are: Harriet Tubman, Louise Michel, Vera Zasulich, Emma Goldman, Qiu Jin, Nora Connolly O'Brien, Lucia Sanchez Saornil, Angela Davis, Leila Khaled, Comandante Ramona, Phoolan Devi, AniPachen, Anna Mae Aquash, Hannie Schaft, Rosa Luxemburg, Brigitte Mohnhaupt, Lolita Lebron, Djamila Bouhired, Malalai Joya, Vandana Shiva, Olive Morris, Assata Shakur, Sylvia Rivera, Haydée Santamaría, Marie Equi, Mother Jones, Doria Shafik, Ondina Peteani, Whina Cooperand Lucy Parsons.


"What you hold in your hands is a lethal weapon. Revolutionary Women: A Book of Stencils is a threat to the status quo and a dangerous wake-up call to every person who has ever dared to think forthemselves... I believe the words and art in this book have the powerto mobilize a revolution. Rise up and let’s join them now!”--Wendy-O Matik, author of Redefining Our Relationships: Guidelines for Responsible Open Relationships

"The beauty and simplicity of message is stark in this zine. It is lovingly earnest with its handcrafted cut and pastes. The snippets are well-worded, the quotes cleverly chosen. The silhouettes of fearless females are striking. Overwhelmingly, one is left with a sense of the near universal absence of images of revolutionary women. From now on,every time I see a Che Guevara portrait, I will wonder about his many, unheralded and invisible sisters."--Karlo Mila, author of Dream Fish Floating

"What an amazing creative way to magnify, and illuminate the courage of 30 Sheroes whose courage, leadership and character is symbolic of the many unsung Women Sheroes of past and present." --Emory Douglas, Former Black Panther Party Member, Revolutionary Artist & Minister of Culture

About Queen of the Neighborhood: Queen of the Neighbourhood Collective is an all-women crew of writers, researchers, editors and graphic designers originally hailing from Aotearoa/New Zealand. Drawing on backgrounds from disparate worlds in zine-making, art, activism and academia, this is Queen of the Neighbourhood's first book.


BOOK LAUNCH!!
Wednesday 17 November, 2010.
5.30-7.30pm
Alleluya Cafe, St Kevin's Arcade, K Rd, Auckland, NZ

The long-awaited book version of the original zine, Revolutionary Women: A Book of Stencils is at last in print! Brought to you by PM Press of New York and written, drawn & edited by Queen of the Neighbourhood Collective hailing from Aotearoa with their roots in Cherry Bomb Comics.

The awesome Newtown will be playing in the arcade and there will bebook signing, wine, vittles and lively feminist conversation. All welcome!

For more info check out:
http://www.cherrybombcomics.co.nz/ or
http://www.pmpress.org/
http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=173113472702649

patrick at mixnyc

My quite brilliant friend Patrick Staff ♥ has organised a film programme, 'Action Constellation' that is showing at MixNYC this weekend:

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MixNYC
23rd New York Queer Experimental Film Festival
November 9th - 14th 2010

@ Theatre for the New City, 151 First Avenue Manhattan
between E. 9th & 10th Street

www.mixnyc.org

MIX NYC promotes, produces and preserves experimental media that is rooted in the lives, politics, and experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and otherwise queer-identified people. MIX's work challenges mainstream notions of gender and sexuality while also upending traditional categories of form and content.

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ACTION CONSTELLATION - Saturday November 13th, 6pm, 62mins

Featuring: Rhiannon Chaloner, Emma Hedditch, Nia Hughes, Richard John Jones, Paul Kindersley, Stephen Robinson, Patrick Staff & Nina Wakeford

Selected from across the UK, ACTION CONSTELLATION presents a selection of queer artist film and video made being made now. Whilst there is a wealth of shorts, documentaries and feature length films made in the DIY queer community this is a selection of those films made to be shown in art spaces, galleries, squats or bedroom screenings - films that approach structure, appropriation, historicity, gender and sexuality, performance and community from a point of experimentation and autonomy. They posit a queer horizon, a futurity that could enact a queer that has yet to happen, or a queer that is a place of could-be: the narratives are fractured, at times unperceivable and the particulars of queerness go beyond simple boy-on-boy or girl-on-girl, to a queer constellation of subject matters. Performance and performativity emerge in each film, though these tropes do little to elaborate upon or reveal the bodies of the artists or subjects of the videos; rather they knot notions of identity, dense or antagonistic gestures that negotiate their context’s structures. This programme does not attempt to contextualise these films or their modes of production, nor does it move towards any pretence of a ‘scene’ or movement: instead it focuses on a current but loose set of provocations that vibrate tensely in proximity to one another and begin to reveal threads that run through contemporary, critical queer video art now.


For full programme information and to book tickets go to http://www.mixnyc.org/23/actionconstellation.php

Download the full catalogue in PDF format here http://www.mixnyc.org/downloads/23/MIX-program-spread.pdf

suggestions of a life being lived

Kickstarter page for Suggestions Of A Life Breing Lived exhibition. They're wishing to create a publication/exhibition catalogue to document the exhibited artwork on queer activism, intentional and imagined communities, self-determinism, and DIY alternative world-making, and are using Kickstarter as a fundraiser.