Tuesday 6th July

The Scoop Amphitheatre

1pm & 6pm Main Performances

3pm Filmed Debate on Democracy and Public Space

Next to GLA Building and Tower Bridge

More London, SE1

London Bridge Tube

More Info: People in Common

And see below!

Ben on Fame & Media Power

Chloe on Fame

Shakela on Fame

Voice and Power

I'm posting above videos and other items about beauty, fame and the power of the media. And below, on the idea of carnival as a model for the future and the need for a people's art.

For me, Agon like Eno's Carnival can create a new culture, by allowing all the voices young and old, men and women of every class and every shade of beautiful brown to shape culture. As equals within the community. Which is I was happy for my first theatre project to bring the voices, and concerns of young people to the GLA.

As our director Corinne Micallef puts it: "There is a problem about voice, and the fact that people today feel so powerless. For example about the war you can talk until you are blue in the face or march in millions, but nobody listens. Agon could be great if it could actually effect change"

We've chosen the topic of media power because school students, just like adults - and perhaps more so - feel intensely its power over their lives. Pressure to conform to superficial ideals of beauty, and a perfection that is unattainable. But what makes for real beauty?

You can read more about the ancient origins of Agon, and our coming show at the Scoop at our website People in Common

And feel free to post your comments here!

A People's Art

"We proclaim that this being the moment of social transition .. the makers of beauty must invest their greatest efforts in the aim of materialising an art valuable to the people, and our supreme objective in art, which is today an expression of [mere] individual pleasure, is to create beauty for all, beauty that enlightens, and stirs to struggle"

Social, Political & Aesthetic Declaration from the Syndicate of Technical Workers, Painters & Sculptors Mexico City 1922

A Model for Culture

"What makes for a great carnival? I've pondered this question, as I've watched, year by year, the Notting Hill Carnival in London expanding to become the world's second largest (after Rio's).

My conclusions: Carnival is good when the number of participants isn't grossly outweighed by the number of spectators. Carnival is good when many of the `spectators' are actually also joining in (dancing and singing along). Carnival is good when the participants exhibit a range of skills from the absolutely minimal to the absolutely astonishing (the first being an invitation not to be intimidated -- "Hey! I could do that!"--and the second an invitation to be amazed). Carnival is good when people of all ages, sexes, races, shapes, sizes, beauties, inclinations, and professions are involved. Carnival is good when there's too much to look at and everything's mixed up and you have to sort it all out for yourself.

Carnival is good when it dignifies and rewards all sorts of abilities-singing, jumping, laughing infectiously, dressing weirdly, writing the hit song of the carnival, wiggling your backside, standing on a soapbox praising Jesus or the local hardware store, frying salt fish over an oil drum in public, inventing symphonic arrangements for steel bands, designing and building fabulously impossible things. Carnival is good when people try to outdo each other, and then applaud with delight those who in turn outdo them. Carnival is good when it gives people an alibi to become someone different.



Carnival is good when it lets people present the best part of themselves, and be, for a little while, as they'd like to be all the time. Carnival is good when it gives people the feeling that they're really lucky to be alive right here and now. Carnival is good when it leaves people with the feeling that life in all its bizarre manifestations is unbeatably lovely and touching and funny and worthwhile.

Now substitute `culture' for `carnival.' There's a vision for the future of culture.."
Brian Eno

Picture: Claudia Jones

Notting Hill Carnival was founded by civil rights activist and US deportee Claudia Jones, whose motto was 'A people's art is the genesis of their freedom'