26 August 2010

Using art to change the world - one car at a time...

Here is a link to an inspiring installation by Janek Schaefer. This was part of the IF Festival in Milton Keynes recently. I did not attend this event (although I did enjoy many other parts of the festival) - but someone I know did - and she found it eerily compelling & persuasive. The website captures some of the mood and purpose of the art exhibition.

Asleep at the Wheel

I think we sometimes, perhaps even often, underestimate the power of art to 'nudge' behaviour and be part of the effort to create a better (healthier, happier, more sustainable, cleaner, safer...) society.

What do you think?

Thanks to Janek for the link and prompt.


UPDATE: Janek has just produced a short film about the installation. You can see it here http://www.audioh.com/projects/asleepatthewheel.html

25 August 2010

100 uses of social media in Local Government

Ingrid Koehler of the IDeA is a regular poster on their Communities of Practice - which if you have never been to - you should!! 

Anyway, Ingrid has collected together a 100 uses of social media in Local Government on her website - a rich resource of innovative and useful gems. You can see them all here: Local Gov 2.0

So if you are stumped for ideas about how the world of social media & Web 2.0 can benefit communities - look no further!

The Travelling Pantry and Social Spaces

Just stumbled across this excellent resource to get you thinking about 'making and creating' (things and communities etc.) as opposed to passively watching other people make and create things. Some links:

http://www.socialspaces.org/#461404/WHO-IS-SOCIAL-SPACES

(Great video - worth watching the whole nine and half minutes - and delightful to see somebody else mentioning Ivan Illich!)

And here is the part of the site talking about the Travelling Pantry free workshops - why not have one in your organisation or place?

http://www.socialspaces.org/#460045

I adore the idea of the pantry. I can just smell the warm flour and baked apple...

You can follow them on twitter: https://twitter.com/tpantry (which is how I found them - they found me first!)