Thinking Pink for Charity

Today's title does not refer, for once, to Lisa Clark's shining contribution to the world of life-changing philosophy, but to the Breast Cancer Campaign's 'Wear it Pink' Day. Council staff and other people all over the city wore pink somewear on their person and gave, I'm sure oodles of money to the charity. The Culture directorate's finance group sold a wonderful collection of pink cakes to Civic Offices employees all day and raised a grand total of £242. Lovely Norma set up her own nail bar in the office, much to the delight of all staff (male and female). As a result, we may now be the most well-manicured office on the south coast. Best of all though, as you can see, the Finance Managers worked the whole day wearing these fabulous pink wigs, which was definitely the highlight of my day!

The Culture team is one of the things I like best about working for the Chief and the City Council. Events like today are inspiring, because everyone embraces the opportunity to do something for people they may never even meet, on the basis that they empathise with their experience. I agree with Miss C, too, that there is something particularly fabulous about the colour pink that also inspires people to behave in more fluffy ways. People seemed to talk to each other more across the whole building, and there was certainly more laughter, smiles and general frivolity than we normally associate with work (though to an extent, the Culture office is always like that!). So, if you haven't yet ordered your copy of Think Pink by the rather fabulous Lisa Clark, don't worry! You can preorder them at Amazon and your copy will come flying off the shelf to your day when the book is released in January. Hot off the press. Just click on the link.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Think-Pink-Lisa-Clark/dp/0007234015/sr=1-3/qid=1162027527/

And speaking off cool links.....my friend Heather has just launched a website for her sound company (for all your theatre noise-making needs), Echo Sound Productions. So should you need a professional sound company, specialising in live theatre productions, you need look no further: http://www.echosound.biz/index.html

I am desperately wanting to travel up to the BALTIC for a visit to their latest installation on urban and suburban art, based not just within the BALTIC itself, but also on the streets of Newcastle and Gateshead. I am a huge fan of urban art and the fundamental premise of reclaiming and redefining public space, especially in a head-to-head with commercial space, and hence my love of all things graffiti. Check it out at: http://www.balticmill.com/whatsOn/present/ExhibitionDetail.php?exhibID=53

Our Banksy is one of the featured artists, too, as part of a collective called, deliciously, Spank the Monkey. Also showing at the BALTIC right now is Candice Breitz latest work, Working Class Hero, A Tribute to John Lennon. I saw this previewed on the Culture Show recently and I'll allow the clip below to do all the talking. Actually, according to Blogger, who won't let me upload the clip, no I won't. But you can go to youtube and check it out yourselves at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0IwQykojks

Beautiful Things

1. The amount of complaints I received about the blog not being written yesterday

2. Thinking pink, of course!

3. Always trying.