Tuesday 15 December 2015

Bon Voyage Tim Peake

The charming Tim Peake, ex army and general good guy is joining the small community of Brits who have made it to outer space. I'm excited in a way that I haven't been since Helen Sharman became the first British person in space. I'm excited because we're going out to space, and that we are going to do some science. Or something - the details don't matter much do they? Tim's going to run the London marathon from space. Yay. That's enough for us, isn't it? Well, isn't it?


I identified with Helen back in 1991 as she was an ordinary person working as a chemist and she was from Sheffield. As someone who had dreams of space travel (don't laugh) it made the whole possibility a lot more immediate. She's working for Imperial College now, and while she's been working to engage the public with science she's also had the chance to return to some Chemistry too. A nice article from the Imperial College here. She was the first, yes, and its important to mark that but other visits need to have more substance.

Helen was in space for 7 days, working scientific experiments for Russia as the private funding from the UK didn't work out. This time Tim goes to do science on the International space station with the financial backing of the UK, all £80 million of it. According to the UK Gov website,  Minister for Universities and Science Jo Johnson said:

"Our £80 million investment in the International Space Station programme supports pioneering research and will inspire Britain’s next generation of scientists and engineers to push the boundaries of science here on Earth."

While I'm excited because of the personal connection, and with the pleasure that comes from knowing that Tim works with children to encourage love of science, I have to ask this. What science exactly is he doing? Are we going to see any glimpses of this, conveyed in a meaningful way for adults and children to engage with? Or are we going to be deluged with more rah rah  he's running a marathon in space? Also, he's doing science? Please stop insulting my intelligence by diluting the science.

There may be good reasons why the full extent of the experiments can't be revealed - I don't know copyright? The need to shield it from competitors? Or are the science agencies working on the assumption that the general public are ignorant of or uninterested in the finer details of science? Must we be spoon fed details of an immediate benefit to everyday life like the use of satnavs? I think not. For there to be a meaningful engagement, long-term with this project, there must be a little more detail apart from "he's measuring stuff". This is part of the problem - going to schools individually isn't going to be enough. To engage with the public it has to be done whole-scale for all ages.

So come on ESA - a bit more detail about the science please. You won't frighten the horses.

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Picture courtesy of the NASA Royalty-free picture archive here

Monday 30 November 2015

Sunday 1 November 2015

The transformative power of Fanfiction

Why write fanfiction? What is the purpose, and what does it do? In my opinion, fanfiction has the power to transform society.

One thing that it's understood you don't write fanfiction for, is money. The sole purpose of fanfiction is to tell a story to the best of your ability. There is no need to write for a specific market, to worry about revenue streams (there are none, no I'm not counting Amazon or Wattpad. No, really.)

Fanfiction writers are usually respectful of the source material, which is not the same thing as accepting it without challenge. Henry Jenkins' work on Textual Poachers is something to give a try, if this is something you'd like to explore more of.

Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SwRI/R.Gladstone et al.; Optical: NASA/ESA/Hubble Heritage (AURA/STScI)
As I've found out in discussions with other fans, and by lurking online, the writing and sharing of fanfiction also serves an important transformative purpose. This comes from the chance to indulge in self exploration in a safe and supportive environment. Browsing through online forums such as AO3, I've come across ideas and concepts that are new to me, and must be just as new to some of the writers. It's difficult sometimes to come to terms with parts of your identity, either through not being able to "come out" to your friends or community, or sometimes not even understanding what it is you feel. By writing and exploring these ideas, its possible to explore parts of your identity, desire, feeling. This transforms lives, promotes understanding and acceptance. If you let it - it's a challenging experience at times.

I was concerned that parents wouldn’t want me working with their children if they knew that I’m the kind of person who engages in complicated debates about Omega reproductive organs and reblogs drawings of Sherlock Holmes tied up and getting rimmed by Dr. Watson.
The use of pen names to protect the identities of writers may seem pretentious, until you remember the impact the introduction of legislation such as Clause 28 in the UK, banning the "promotion" of homosexuality as a "normal family relationship", has on free speech elsewhere. This specific legislation may have been repealed, but there are plenty others that are similarly harmful still in place. Here's a piece from the perspective of someone who felt the need to remove evidence of their fanfiction online once they started working with special needs children.

Another aspect of the transformational nature of fanfiction is related to visibility. Though you might enjoy a work, it can't help but reflect the worldview of the creators. This won't always be as inclusive as it could be. Fanfiction offers the place and opportunity for the exploration of stories and characters marginalised for whatever reason in the source material.

There are some issues though. The platform for fanfiction appears to have moved from paper printed zines to online, though most are OK, this has led to some heated exchanges. The Mary Sue has an interesting article in Defence of So-Called Bad Fanfiction. How did people abuse each other before the Internet?

You think you haven't read fanfiction? Some of the finest writing has come in response to other works, reworking the material. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys throws a different interpretation of Jane Eyre through the simple device of telling the story through Rochester's first wife Antoinette Cosway. Or how about the Good Man Jesus and The Scoundral Christ? Other examples are listed here.

Fancy giving fanfiction a go, but don't know how? TV Tropes has a terrific page showing you where to start. There's another good article on the Mary Sue called How to Offend Everyone and Make Yourself Cry: Writing Diversity in Fanfiction

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Picture courtesy of NASA, their royalty free resources are available online here


Thursday 15 October 2015

Keep WOW in print

WOW magazine really is the best of what's on where in Kent. It's the only magazine that lets me know what is going on in and around Medway and beyond. While there may be other listings they are somewhat scattered and lack WOWs range, and the space for people to post reviews. However...

WOW magazine October 2015 Photo by David Robinson
Photo: David Robinson
it's been a labour of love for Emma Dewhurst and her team since it launched in 2010. Since the Beatles don't rule the world we really do need more than love. To make it sustainable it really needs to attract some additional funds. One way that we are being invited to help is by becoming a wow subscriber - there will be other ways to help out too.

To find out more, the ‘Keep WOW in print’ Launch Event is on Sunday 8 November at Sun Pier House, Chatham (between 10am-4pm). The campaign will then be live for 30 days, until midnight on Monday 7 December.

News about the crowdfunding campaign to keep WOW in print is posted to the WOW web page at: WOW Kent Campaign 

WOW on facebook
WOW on Twitter
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Picture of WOW magazine October 2015 edition: detail wheel of fortune, medieval wall painting, Rochester Cathedral. Photo: David Robinson.

Tuesday 6 October 2015

Live'n'Local Rochester Litfest

Live and local, the Rochester Literature festival is back this weekend with a terrific programme of events

Live and local Rochester literature festival
On Saturday,  10 October the events are based around Rochester, where you can get your fix of caffeine and culture at the cafe crawl or join the talks and Workshops at the Guildhall museum.

The cafe crawl timetable is on the Rochesterlitfest website here

On Sunday, the action moves to Sun Pier House in Chatham, I have a feeling that the workshops will book out quickly, but if that happens don't worry, there's a good variety of free gallery talks, a local publisher book fair and even an artist on hand who will be recording the day in pen and ink. Or will it be paint? Will she inspire you to try your hand?

The showcase performance for me though will be the play written by local Playwright Sam Hall. My Mind Is Free explores four contemporary stories of human trafficking, all the more shocking as that too is live and local. After having attended one of Sam's workshops, I was surprised at how blatant human trafficking is, once you know what to look for.  

Want to know more? Rochester literature festival: Live'n'Local

Friday 2 October 2015

Are you ready to be inspired?

How do you feel now that the nights are getting longer? Are you feeling a little flat? Why not try giving a go to an inspirational night like no other in Medway.

Swallow mid-flight
Image credit: Acrylic Artist
Inspirational nights are a terrific blend of music, poetry, and anything else you feel inspired to do. Event organiser, Lisa Vigour, always includes one or two practical inspirational exercises to help kick-start a creative idea for people who want to join in.

Some people come prepared to share their music or words, and others write something on the night using the pens and pads scattered generously around the venue. Don't fancy joining in during the open mic? Just sit back and relax, and enjoy a fun evening.

It doesn't matter if you don't see yourself as a creative person, if you just want to be entertained or to try something new come along. Inspirational nights are free for everyone to come and enjoy.

Want to know more? Try the vigorouscreations blog or follow Lisa on Twitter

My interview with Lisa is on the WOW Kent website here.

The next inspirational night is on 29 October at the Good Intent pub, Rochester. 
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Image sourced from Morguefile

Thursday 20 August 2015

The Judicious Heretics Return

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, 
And sorry I could not travel both”
The Road Not Taken Robert Frost

Sun dappled path woods

The Judicious Heretics of ME4 are back! This time they will be enticing you along the road not taken, with a collaborative Litart exhibition of works inspired by the poem by Robert Frost.  

So, what's unique about this exhibition? It was all produced anonymously. A series of written responses to the poem were created and then sent to the artists, who then produced their interpretation of the new works. As last year, the artists did not know who the writers were and the writers do not know who (if anyone) has produced an artwork in response to their poem or story.  

The exhibition includes art and writing from creatives including: Chris Van Beck, Maggie Drury, Sally Evans, Sam Fentiman-Hall, Sarah Hehir, Heather Haythornthwaite, Philip Kane, Bill Lewis, Maria C McCarthy,  Peter Reeds and Dianne Reeves.

The exhibition of words and art will be launched in Rochester on Thursday, 3 September at 7.30 pm and afterwards will be shown at other locations in Medway. Further information about the launch event and exhibition is available from the ME4Writers or on the community page on Facebook

The full text of The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost is available to read or listen to on the website of the Poetry Foundation

Wednesday 17 June 2015

Child Z - new play by Sarah Hehir



He said: You're my diamond Zoe. And I believed him
                                         
Child Z by Sarah Hehir
Poster and book design by Sam Fentiman-Hall

Child Z is a cracking new play written and performed with passion. It's inspiration came from an interview with one of the survivors of the Rochdale child grooming scandal on Woman's Hour. This play puts her story and her voice at the center of attention, but also illustrates the cultural and economic forces at work around her during that time.

The characters are all fully rounded, though their choices and the impact are shown we also get an insight into why they act the way they do. The chief executive carries on a conversation with his dead, and it is implied, neglectful father. The  teenage crisis worker implies a past lived in the shadow of an abusive parent, and a parallel story of bullying at school brings out another layer of depth.

Structurally, the play is very interesting with three actors playing all of the roles that you see, interactive with off screen voices and characters who aren't even physically there. This widened out the storyline and places the story and characters into a wider context, emotionally and physically.

The tone of the play is well balanced, and what could have been an unremittingly grim piece is interspersed and balanced with humour and hope.

Sarah Hehir's Child Z will be performed again at Southwark playhouse on Sunday, 21 and Sunday 28 June



Monday 15 June 2015

Wandering Words

I am very excited to see the blossoming of the Medway and Swale Wandering words  project.

A number of writers have, essentially, walked the land and created some beautiful and original pieces in response to what they have experienced and seen.

Urban Fox, Stood
Image credit:SM Jenkin
The range of responses has surprised me, as well as the flashes of unexpected beauty shared in words and posted on a map. Medway and Swale is made up of many different landscapes, histories, identities, ideas.

The best part, though? Anyone can join in. Are you feeling inspired? You can sign up here


Tuesday 19 May 2015

Roundabout Recount

Roundabout Nights presents...
RECOUNT!

a response to the election result by a select band of spoken word artists from the Delta

Roundabout nights ME4Writers

A new coalition takes Chatham central on Monday, 01 June 7.30pm at Poco Loco, 58 Chatham High Street