Starving Artists Project tells the stories of homeless artists

Despite their massive presence, the homeless are widely ignored. They are part of city invisible culture. But every day this people communicate to us, telling their basic need for help through a piece of cardboard. Each sign expresses a basic human need in a creative way completely unique to the creator’s life.

StarvingArtists Project is a new initiative, it try to change all of that by giving NYC’s homeless community a platform to showcase their cries for help. The program seeks to turn the cardboard signs we see being held up on street corners and in subway stations into art that funds social change.

The creators of the project, Nick Zafonte and Thompson Harrell, worked with world-renowned photographer Andrew Zuckerman (famous for shooting portraits of politicians, humanitarians, artists and entertainers) to capture beautiful, dignified portraits of each “artist” as well their handmade artistic signs and turn the images into a collection of art to inspire change.

The Starving Artists Project Film from Thompson Harrell on Vimeo.

The collection of diverse cardboard signs, along with portraits , debuted at the Dumbo Arts Center in January, 2012. The project showcases 35 handwritten signs, accompanied by portraits of the 30 artists who wrote them. A giant 4 ft tall collection cup was constructed and placed in the center of the gallery - all donations were given to the New York City Coalition Against Hunger and Holy Apostles SoupKitchen, two local charities focused on feeding the local community.

Zafonte and Harrell explained to the Huffington Post: “Everyday the homeless reach out through the only means they have, scraps of cardboard and their own creativity. The problem is we don’t ever look, seeing their messages as an interruption to our day. Our mission and solution was to change the way society interprets their messages – by presenting their signs as art, allowing their own voices to inspire meaningful action.”

More info

website Starving Artists Project

Photo credit © Starving Artists Project

 

 

 

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Afghan Dreamers, a project book to break stereotype on a country

Afghanistan is probably best known in the world for its poverty, destruction, terrorism and oppression. But Afghanistan is not just a ongoing conflict. We are all half blind by the influence of the world of mass media, seeing only one part of a story. Against this backdrop, are the dreamers and visionaries. Artists, musicians, innovators, activists, media moguls, and politicians. Just like any other country – the dreamers and the free thinkers are often those whose stories are quieter than the stories of violence and anger that shout more loudly. That doesn’t make them less powerful.

Afghan Dreamers is a book project that seeks to tell these stories; the ones that draw a different picture of Afghanistan. A picture that shows the innovation and inspiration that can be born out of destruction.

The book will bring together interviews with 20 plus Afghan innovators and dreamers, these include: the artist Shamsia Hassani, the musician and filmmaker Ariana Delwari, the mayor of Kabul Muhammad Yunus Nawandish, the bass player for District Unknown, Afghanistan's first metal band, Abdul Qasem Foushanji and much more...

the artist Shamsia Hassani

Afghan Dreamers is a partnership between Sharp Stuff, an independent publishing project, working on new ways of storytelling and engagement, and Mountain2Mountain, a burgeoning nonprofit organization. This is a project that amplifies the voice of these dreamers. Forty years of war may have destroyed much in this region, but these stories, these dreamers, show that it hasn’t destroyed the pride and spirit of Afghanistan.

What is very important is that they need your help to make this book project a reality. You can help amplify these voices and show the world that stereotypes need to be challenged and our eyes and ears need to be opened. You can support this project and be part of the story. It takes the global community to hear these stories, believe in the dreamers, because it is the dreamers that will change the world!

More info

website Afghan Dreamers

Facebookpage

Photo credit © Afghan Dreamers

the musician and filmmaker Ariana Delwari

the bass player for District Unknown

the mayor of Kabul Muhammad Yunus Nawandish

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Soccket: the power of play. A magic soccer ball by Uncharted Play

It Is such a clever invention! You can envision a fun, portable source of energy that capitalizes on the popularity of soccer to address the lack of electricity in the developing world. 
The Soccket is a portable energy-harvesting source in the form of a soccer ball that captures the kinetic energy during game play and converts it into electrical energy, to charge lights and small batteries. After playing with the ball, the child can return home and use the ball to connect a LED lamp to read, study, or illuminate the home.

And in the developed world, the Soccket can be a great tool for teaching about clean energy and a better way to charge our gadgets.

The Soccket’s exterior is made of a custom waterproof EVA foam that is extremely durable while remaining soft to the touch and it is weighing only slightly more than a traditional soccer ball. Currently, 30 minutes of play provides 3 hours of LED light.

Prototypes of the ball first appeared in the media in early 2010, the mass-produced version of the ball is the brainchild of UnchartedPlay, a social enterprise.

Uncharted Play just launched the Kickstarter campaign, for implement the production (that now has been limited to a few hundred Soccket balls per week) in order to scale-up and purchase necessary equipment for the manufacturing processes and will be accepting pledges until 28 March.

More info

website project Kickstarter

website Uncharted Play

Facebook page

Photo credit © Uncharted Play

 

 

 

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The only hotel in the world without rooms: Faktum Hotel

Today we want to tell the story Faktum Hotel, the only hotel in the world without rooms. It is located in Gothenburg, the second largest city in Sweden. With just $ 10 you can book a night in one of 10 different places at your disposal: a forest, an abandoned building, a park bench. These are all en-plein-air, so you can try to sleep as a homeless man.

A description of the hotel's "rooms" tells you everything you need to know: "A stay at the Skeppsbron wharf assures you a waterside vista in the heart of the city."

One of every six homeless people in Sweden live in Gothenburg, they are 3.400 circa. Most of them find a roof over their heads with a friend or at a refuge, but some sleep in the open air.

The brainchild of Faktum magazine editor-in-chief Aaron Israelson, the hotel plans to give its profits to support the magazine's charity work, aimed at raising awareness of Sweden's homeless population. Aaron told: “We don’t think politicians do enough. This is a reminder of poverty and a way to get involved in an easy manner."

There are a tonne of ways to think about Charity Campaigns, but this one is just a tad different.

There have been about 1,000 bookings so far. You can book one for yourself, or as a gift for somebody else. Either way the money goes to the work for homeless and socially vulnerable people.

More info

website Faktum Hotel

Facebook page

Photo credit © Håkan Ludwigson - Faktum Hotel

 

 

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Incredible Edible in Todmorden: the town that grows all its vegetables

 

In England, in the county of West Yorkshire there is a small town whose people decided they were worried about climate change, food security in Africa and their children's future . It is Todmorden, a town of 14.000 inhabitants, which in 2008 started what has become the "Incredible Edible" movement.

They started growing vegetables and herbs in flower beds, the aims are to make use of 
underused areas of the community and public spaces to grow food for all to eat. The people wants “to get closer to the food we eat, education and community involvement”.

Their growing around town is organized by their community growers’ group, they are all volunteers. Most of their growing around town is done in raised beds. That means they can use fresh uncontaminated soil and avoid messing surrounding areas. Many of the beds are adopted by groups of people, who do much of the planting and maintenance themselves and may benefit from the produce too. But what is very important is: gifts from the garden to the public is allowed free access.

Last year in Todmorden were counted 70 green areas turned into urban gardens. Along the streets of the town there are plenty of fruit trees, that in the right seasons offer cherries and apricots. They are also bushes with blackberries and strawberries and the point where you can collect legumes, including beans and peas.

The project to make Todmorden the first self-sufficient city of England is expected to reach its peak in 2018.

Today there are nearly 40 independent groups across the UK and more than hundred globally flying the Incredible Edible flag. For this motive they have realize new website, due for for formal launch in April, aims to bring together all the wondrous people who have taken on the "Incredible Edible" framework across the world, as well as to inspire new members.

More info:

IncredibleEdible Todmorden

Facebook page

photo credit: courtesy of Incredible Edible

 

 

 

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Italian Pavillon in the 55th Venice Biennale: vice versa, exhibition and crowdfounding project

Padiglione Italia, ph RobertoGalasso

It was presented yesterday in Rome "vice versa," the exhibition curated by Bartolomeo Pietromarchi that will be the Italian Pavilion at the 55th Venice Biennial, from June 1 to November 24, 2013.

vice versa will consist of seven rooms (specifically: 6 adjoining rooms plus a garden of thousand square meters) set up inside the Italian Pavilion, with seven pairs of artists, sometimes also combined between generations distant. The names: Fabio Mauri and Francesco Arena, Luigi Ghirri and Luca Vitone, Marcello Maloberti and Flavio Favelli, Gianfranco Baruchello and Elisabetta Benassi, Francesca Grilli and Massimo Bartolini, Piero Golia and Sislej Xhafa, Giulio Paolini, Marco Tirelli.

vice versa picks up on a concept introduced by Giorgio Agamben in his book Categorie italiane. Studi di Poetica (1996), in which the philosopher maintained that in order to interpret Italian culture, we must identify a “series of diametrically linked concepts” capable of describing its underlying characteristics – binomials like tragedy/comedy, architecture/vagueness and speed/lightness thus become original keys for reading the fundamental works and artists of our cultural history.

But with 600 000 euro provided by the institution - they say - you do not get to cover everything. The amount is certainly less than those handed out in previous years, but are even a little money from here a call for help.

To the idea curatorial background, Pietromarchi added a gimmick, cool in this period, which serves as a support for the work: it is called "crowdfunding" procedures blossomed within the underground, now also paid to public giants. It is the old method "Collect", reformulated in key 2.0: people recruited on the web, married a project and give a contribution, receiving in return a small benefit.

The crisis leads to the development of new formulas, in which solidarity, cooperation, creativity, networking, communication, make a difference.

Bartolomeo Pietromarchi during the press conference

The project will be launched by February 12th, the collection will have a period of ninety days and has set itself the target of at least fifty thousand euro. Everyone can participate and support the event, drawing an "advantage" of treatment, for example, the visit to the exhibition, plus the name of each supporter will appear at the entrance, in the catalog and on the website of vice versa with distribution folder with prints of the works in a limited edition , numbered and signed in original.

The crowdfunding, inspired by similar initiatives implemented at the Louvre with "Tous Mécènes" and "Let's build a GoddamTesla Museum" in the United States will be inaugurated with events in Rome, Milan, London and New York.

The ability to have these methods of generating consensus, participation, responsiveness and social feeling, is very high. And it is an absolute winner, from the point of view of cultural and ethical, even before the financial.

Destination of funds gathered through crowdfunding

Funds gathered through crowdfunding will be designated, in agreement with the Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities, for the financing of various initiatives for the exhibition vice versa at the Italian Pavilion at the 55th International Art Exposition, including:

- Additional funding for artists’ works and productions

- Cultural mediation and educational activities geared towards schools, universities and visitors

- Promotional and communications activities, including a vice versa exhibition App

- Organization of encounters with artists and opinion leaders and a concluding conference on the themes of the Italian Pavilion

Possible financing targets and destination of relative funds

Based on the amount of funds raised, the following activities may be supported in different ways:

- €50,000 designated to support:

Additional funding for the artists’ work and productions

- €70,000 designated to support:

Additional funding for the artists’ work and productions

Cultural mediation/educational activities geared towards schools, universities and visitors

- €100,000 designated to support:

Additional funding for the artists’ work and productions

Cultural mediation/educational activities geared towards schools, universities and visitors

Promotional and communications activities, including the creation of a vice versa exhibition App

- €120,000 designated to support:

Additional funding for the artists’ work and productions

Cultural mediation/educational activities geared towards schools, universities and visitors

Promotional and communications activities, including the creation of a vice versa exhibition App

Organization of encounters with artists and opinion leaders and a concluding conference on the themes of the Italian Pavilion

More info

www.viceversa2013.org

55th Venice Art Biennal

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Sunday's Tale - Maker Faire Africa: schoolgirls create an urine-powered generator

Sunday's Tale: a post from the past.

This story comes from Maker Faire Africa 2012, in Lagos. This is a popular event across the African continent, drawing thousands of participants who travel to Lagos to show their inventions and other practical creations.

As the Next Web describes it, the Maker Faire is intended to highlight creations "that solve immediate challenges and problems, and then works to support and propagate them. Put another way, this isn't just a bunch of rich people talking about how their apps are going to change the world."

Possibly one of the more unexpected products at Faire is a urine powered generator, created by four young students. The girls are Duro-Aina Adebola (14), Akindele Abiola (14), Faleke Oluwatoyin (14) and Bello Eniola (15).

It produces electricity for six hours using a single liter of urine as fuel.

So how exactly does the urine-powered generator work?

Urine is put into an electrolytic cell, which separates out the hydrogen.

The hydrogen goes into a water filter for purification, which then gets pushed into the gas cylinder.

The gas cylinder pushes hydrogen into a cylinder of liquid borax, which is used to remove the moisture from the hydrogen gas.

This purified hydrogen gas is pushed into the generator.

Along the whole way there are one-way valves for security, but let’s be honest that this is something of an explosive device…

Note: This is an experiment more than a real new tool for electricity generation. The net power output is negative due to the energy needed to get the hydrogen from the urine through electrolysis. These issues, coupled with the complexities of storing hydrogen safely, mean the generator may not be an immediately marketable prospect, but it demonstrates the potential for using the abundant resource that is urine to create valuable products.

Photo credit Maker Fair Africa

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Humanitarian Design: Catapult Design, a non-profit firm

Catapult Design is an interdisciplinary design practice that brings engineering, technology, and products to resource-limited settings.

They are engineers, designers, implementers, and educators. They design products, introduce technologies, and foster trends that are appropriate, self-sustaining, socially responsible and culturally sensitive.

"The majority of our world’s population lacks access to life’s basic needs. We develop and implement human-centered products to help them thrive".

Catapult Design focuses on delivering culturally sensitive, environmentally friendly, location-appropriate solutions for communities in need. Technology can empower and liberate. A single, effective product has more potential for worldwide impact – by providing clean water, food, shelter, or income – than any other existing development approach. Through the introduction of inexpensive and simple yet life-altering products the lives of more than 2 billion poverty-stricken people around the globe can be dramatically improved.

With the philosophy that successful products require local knowledge, Catapult Design ensures that these products are accessible, meaningful to local individuals and culturally sensitive to the end-users.

Founded in 2009 in San Francisco, in a few years their list of accomplishments is impressive from harnessing wind power in rural Central America to dealing with water scarcity in arid regions of Africa.

All of its work is undertaken on a fee-for-service basis, providing engineering and implementation support to nonprofits as well as governments, social ventures, and even 500 companies.

More info

www.catapultdesign.org

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Enabling Urban Progress - Financial Times and Citi call for entries for 2013 FT/Citi Ingenuity Awards

In the last two days we talked about winners, today we talk of a premium, unique in its kind.

The 2013 FT/Citi Ingenuity Awards: Urban Ideas in Action are all about recognizing the freshest, brightest, most innovative ideas, wherever they come from that help ensure cities remain centres of creativity and progress.

With more than half the world’s population lives in cities, their leaders, and inhabitants will have to find new ways to thrive. The explosive growth of urban communities is one of the most significant demographic trends of the 21st century. The competitiveness and vitality of the world’s cities depends on the decisions and innovations of all urban stakeholders, from citizens and communities to organizations, corporations and municipalities. This global programme was developed by the Financial Times and Citi, in collaboration with INSEAD, to recognize those promoting urban progress.

In 2012, the Awards featured a broad global representation, with entries from over 40 countries, and from city authorities, community groups, charities and companies. The most important criterion: the winning projects needed to be enduring. Category winners were announced in the fields of Energy, Education, Infrastructure and Healthcare.

The overall winner of the 2012 awards, and winning in the Energy category, was the Community Cooker – based in Kenya, an innovative and practical waste-burning stove, with tremendous potential for environmental, economic and social change in low resource environments. It operates on a simple principle: young locals collect rubbish, which is burned in the cooker at high temperature levels. The heat generated is used for cooking, sterilizing and industrial purposes.

This is an invention that works across a plethora of problems and enhances life for some of society’s poorest. There is no reason why similar technologies might not be applied elsewhere.

CollegePossible won the Education category.

Winning the Infrastructure category was the Vélib’ project, launched by JCDecaux.

The GlaxoSmithKlein New Citizen Health Care Project won the Healthcare category.

In 2013, the FT/Citi Ingenuity Awards will recognize urban ingenuity in a wide range of areas — from city administration, transport systems, energy and utilities, education and resource management, to housing, health, public safety, social services, mobile technologies and community engagement. To be considered, solutions should:

- Have been implemented between 2007 and 2012

- Address a serious social, economic, environmental or health-related challenge

- Improve the quality of urban life

Submissions will be accepted online from January 28, 2013 to March 31, 2013. Winners will be chosen by region and a global winner will be announced at an awards dinner in New York in December 2013.

More info

www.ftcitiawards.com

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What can be Made from Recycled Cargo Straps? Bundubags!

Bundubags makes innovative, totally recycled bags with a core belief that lives can be changed by good design. Bundubags began with a creative idea, a love of contemporary African design and a desire to support African women.

Handwoven using traditional African weaving techniques, each bag is made from recycled cargo strapping made from PET, which is spun into long strips. One of the beach bags for examples, uses the equivalent of 6 to 8 pieces of 1.5L PET bottle , so more PET recycled bags means less waste in our daily life .

They also collect offcuts, unused strapping bales as well as used strips, that they sort and clean and re-use in the production of each bag. So it is twice recycled!

The project is based in the Alexandra township on the outskirts of Johannesburg South Africa, and it now employs 40 women, all of whom earn a sustainable income.

More info

www.bundubags.wordpress.com

Photo credit © bundubags

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Bangs Shoes: a new model of corporate philanthropy

BangsShoes is a company that aims to demonstrate a new model of corporate philanthropy that sparks a new socially responsible edge for the future of retail. The Bangs method is to integrate fundraising for non-profit organizations into a for-profit business model.

The Bangs mission is to “Stand on issues to help others stand on their own”. Every aspect of Bangs, from the name (Bang-zhu in Mandarin means “to help”), to the revenue model, to even the design of the shoes emanates this mentality.

Hannah Davis, Founder and President of Bangs Shoes says: "We are in an era where combining philanthropy and business is not only accepted, but demanded by a socially conscious generation of consumers. I believe, along with many others today, that individuals are capable of affecting widespread positive change. With Bangs, wherever you stand you stand on issues. The Bangs mission is to raise awareness and funding for some of our world's most complex issues."

They have partnered with non-profit organizations that focus on self-reliability and empowerment through the empowerment of local communities. Each of the partners works to provide people with the tools they need to develop themselves, fueling long term positive change, turning away from handout methodology.

Each pair of Bangs has an icon stitched on the outside heel to help remind you which cause and nonprofit your Bangs support. 20% of net profits made from each pair of Bangs are invested in its nonprofit partner.

To find our more information about BANGS’s nonprofit partners, you can click on the links below!

Green BANGS partner with SOUL Foundation.

Red BANGS partner with Global DIRT.

Khaki BANGS partner with CHOICE Humanitarian.

Blue BANGS partner with Drop in the Bucket.

More info

www.bangsshoes.com

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