Went over to Chorlton for the Arts festival last week and delivered a couple of workshops/events…the second one was a bit experimental to say the least, people were invited to come and meditate on Chorlton green.
Initially i intended asking an ordained Buddhist monk to guide the meditations but as the date drew nearer I started to think more about my practice and the punk ethic thats runs through it, i know i had the ability to lead a session…but the confidence?
I put on my artist hat/punk wig and forgot about whether I had the right credentials, the right seating or the right presentation, and delivered sessions in a way that i’d always wanted them when i began meditation.
I called it ‘Punk meditation’ as the words are a great visual conflict which itself is an interesting starting point.
I wrote on the wall ‘The harmony in the teeth gritting noise of society’… this was a reversal of Hebdiges original phrase from his 1982 book ‘Subculture; the meaning of style’ which stated that punk was the noise in the teeth gritting harmony of society.
Folowing this i contacted the Rebellion (punk) festival in Blackpool who were rather keen on having a SOPHIE punk meditation each morning of the festival…i love it when a plan comes together!
The procession(s) are getting closer and im getting more than a little frustrated, i have a flatbed truck and pa, i really need John Robb to confirm whetrher goldblade or the membranes will be playing!
Still waiting to find out from awards for all about a second pot of funding.
However on a positive note i went to some of the workshops to look at design and creation of some of the props/objects to decorate the float and for the black parade army to wear or hold etc.
Skulls and monster things are usually the chosen images for punk/heavy metal, but it just doesnt seem fitting on this occasion, Sylvia (Sophies mum) talked about black roses whick i think would look really cool all around the float and being carried by the army, i think perhaps on the float for the community procession then taken off for the following days torchlight procession.
I spoke to Kyra Milnes at the Harris museum yesterday about involving young people with the Black parade project, she was very enthusiastic, and felt that we could work together in some way as she knows various groups that maybe interested.
Ialso spent some time looking at shops close to the peace garden, where the goths, punks, skaters, etc hang out, there are one or two empty shops which would be good the workshop definatley needs to be near those involved if theres one thing I learnt from Clarets Creative, www.claretscreative.com its that!
I contacted the band Beholder this morning, who low and behold(er) they didnt feel they could play on a flat bed truck….bugger, bugger, bugger.
Not to worry I will try to contact John Robb one way or another and either get goldblade or the membranes to play.
Went to a training day with the Sophie Lancaster foundation yesterday, its strange how i knew all the details of sophies death yet hearing them again and seeing the support and love involved with the group was amazing…it feels like a family, all those involved really understand the importance of community both geographical and also ina spiritual/psychlogical sense, just adding last touches to an awards for all application which could help extend the project beyond the guild.
