Workshops and Exhibits

At the Bigger Picture: Festival of Interdependence, 24 October 2009.

Oikos

Oikos is a Greek word meaning household/family, it is also the root word for ecology and economics.  The Red Room specialise in creating documentary films that are used as the basis to create multi-media performances in unusual settings. Oikos is The Red Room’s exploration of Climate Change and Human Rights, and together with the German Artists Kaltwasser and Koberling, will build a “house” from unwanted objects that the public provide.  At night the “house” will be a performance space for two new theatre performances by Kwame Kwei Armah (broadcaster and writer) and Simon Wu (writer), during the day it is an interactive installation. The Red Room will be showing a film throughout the day on previous “house” builds and will hold a 20 min talk on the process of developing and writing the scripts for Oikos.

Room 8 / exhibit all day / talks at 12.30 – 12.50 / 14.00 – 14.20

The Human-Powered Home

Forget all the abstract talk about kilowatt hours and carbon emissions: find out the true energy appetite of 21st century living by powering all your household appliances with your own two legs. We’ve teamed up with artist collective Magnificent Revolution to create the world’s first cycle-powered home. In a special room at The Bigger Picture: Festival of Interdependence, you’ll have the chance to jump on the saddle and get pedalling for your home comforts. The installation will be based on in-depth research from nef’s Climate Change and Energy team and aims to encourage all of us to take more steps towards low-energy living.

Room 3 / all day

Urban Agriculture

Get growing with Katrin Bohn and Andre Viljoen, architects and authors. Bohn&Viljoen Architects have taught, lectured, published and exhibited widely on the design concept of CPUL (Continuous Productive Urban Landscape) which they contributed to the international urban design discourse in 2005. Their projects on productive landscapes for London include feasibility and design studies as well as food growing installations and events for clients such as the Greater London Authority, London Festival of Architecture, the Building Centre and Sustain.

Room 9 / 11.00 – 12.00

Composting

Practical advice on home and community composting.

It renews with such unwitting looks its prodigal, annual, sumptuous crops,
It gives such divine materials to men, and accepts such leavings from them at last.
- Walt Whitman, ‘The Compost’

Room 9 / 15.00 – 15.30 / 17.00 – 17.30

Natural bee-keeping

An introduction to natural bee-keeping with Heidi Hermann, founder member of the Natural Beekeeping Trust.

Room 9 / 12.30 – 13.00 / 14.00 – 14.30 / 16.00 – 16.30

Breadmaking

A hands-on Real Bread making class. Join master baker (and Bread Hero) Paul Barker of Cinnamon Square on London’s South Bank for some top tips on how to bake a better loaf. Get those hands working and take home the fruits of your labour.

Please note that spaces are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Room 2 / 11.00 – 12.00

Guerilla Craft

Hot on the heels of showing in Tent London, Clara Vuletich will bring her Bricolage project, inviting you to join in and rediscover old skills for new times.

Room 10 – Faery Grotto / all day

Local Wisdom

Kate Fletcher, reader in Sustainable Fashion, will talk about her recent project, Local Wisdom, showing some beautiful images and stories celebrating the clothes-based ingenuity of communities, and exploring the post-growth agenda through garments.

Room 10 – Faery Grotto / 12.00 – 12.30

Craft Tales

Tales of craft with Kate Fletcher and Clare Vuletich, and a practical demo as they speak.

Room 10 – Faery Grotto / 13.30 – 14.00

Filmmaking

Postcode Films will show you how participatory filmmaking can be used as a method of community education and engagement. Using examples of short films created on Postcode projects with young people, you’ll discover how to use film to address social change, facilitate discussion, encourage positive interaction across generations and cultures and encourage an understanding among young people about how larger issues affect local communities;

Room 8 / 14.30 – 15.20

Re-imagine your High Street

This workshop reflects nef’s High Street UK programme which allows a community to plan and manage their community by building on, enhancing and developing their local assets – the high street and surrounding areas – with an emphasis on creating a low-carbon, high well-being local economy. The workshop will be a great showcase of the type of practical economics used by the Connected Economies team at nef. It will be physical, visual and interactive using props.

Room 4 / 16.30 – 18.00