July 2008
Hello again,
Summer is finally here, and we're pleased as punch. This month we've got news from our pedalling and performing players, along with a plethora of other projects we've picked up along the way. Happy reading!
Turn On Turn Off
Hummer going out of business? Road rage
Cycle Tour Saga
The Deep South tour has been on the road for a whopping five weeks now, rolling through the hills of Devon, Dorset, Somerset and Cornwall. Here's a taste of what they've been up to lately:
Evolving...
It's been a busy couple of weeks here on tour. We had a mid-term break in Newquay where we spent time re-writing our play...our main character Gilly falls into the back of her wardrobe to discover a surreal land of talking cows, compost bins, handsome credit cards, Jamie Oliver and Cilla Black...we even inspired a student at a school in Totnes to get a group of her friends together to do the play themselves, result!
If you feel you've been missing out on all the cycle tour news, sign up here to receive weekly updates of the second tour, which will begin in earnest in August, and see lots of photos from the Deep South tour here.
Cycles on the radio
Listen to Deep South tour member Becky Payne talk about bicycles, Otesha and natural building on the Manchester radio station On the Move. Find her melodious voice on their website, in the June Audio Reports section (click 'Explore", then '2008' and scroll down to June).
Introducing the Magnificent Revolution
They'll pedal power anything you let them - films, DJs, bands, toasters, your grandma's telly and the odd electric drill. Apart from generally having a lot of fun, they provoke thought and discussion about energy consumption, its links to global warming and the need for development of lifestyle alternatives.
The pedal powered system has been developed to nurture learning and critical thinking in a non-forceful way. Up to 20 pairs of legs can be powering up to 1500 Watts of DC or AC mains power. Catch them at Environment Day in Camridge, the Knowsley Green Fair and National Bike Week in Islington. More info on their website here.
Manufactured Landscapes
The photographer and the film. The shock and the awe. The landscapes we've ruined. The landscapes we've created. Photographer Edward Burtynsky travelled across Asia, taking large-scale photographs of giant industrial landscapes from around the world. This film looks at the people he met, the images he captured, and the ways in which large-scale industrialisation have shaped our world.
If you happen to live in London, you can catch a showing of the film on Thursday, July 3 at the Southbank Centre. Find out more or buy tickets here.
Pulling the plug on bottled water
Think you can tell the difference between tap water and bottled? A new campaign, We Want Tap, is willing to bet you can't. Last month, they held a tap challenge in London's busy south bank. And guess what? 84% of the 250 people who took the challenge couldn't tell the difference between the pricey bottled stuff and the stuff that comes out of your kitchen sink.
The campaign aims to show us that we don't need to spend millions of pounds, create masses of carbon dioxide and overflow our landfills with mounds of empty plastic bottles just to drink delicious, thirst-quenching water. Download a Tap Challenge kit from their website.
Capering in classrooms, frolicking at festivals
They loved us in Yeovil, they cheered in Newquay and they held the tide back at Beach Break Live. We are eternally grateful to (and inspired by) all those who've been meeting, greeting and feeding us along the way. Sadly, it's almost time for the Deep South cycle tour to pack up our tents and return home to annoy our neighbours with early morning renditions of the infamous Otesha tupperware song.
However, it's only a few weeks before we're off on the road again with the second tour. The Wild West team will be taking in the sights and sounds of the midlands, south Wales and the south coast of Ireland. You can find ‘em at the Green Man Festival, Art Meets Environment Festival and Croissant Neuf (they'll be the ones with lots of bikes). Beware the tupperware song!
And finally...
This month we've been cleaning our chains, cogs and gear cables, as we learn how to tweak, tune and generally take care of our bikes.
Until next month, with love and asparagus
Jo, Hanna, Barbora & Liz
The Otesha Project UK
www.otesha.org.uk
P.S. Get involved! Join us online to share your actions and get inspired to do a little more. Plus see photos & video from the cycle tours as they travel along.