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We had arrived into Kathmandu on a Friday night and were put up in a nice hotel in the city in readiness for our trip to West Nepal to visit Mahendra's (our host) family and then on to visit and teach in a school in Palpa district.We left Kathmandu by mini-bus and the choking fumes and dust of the city forced us to cover our mouths and noses with hankies. For much of the year the residents of this city, which is skirted by tall hills, are trapped in an almost constant smog and dust cloud. Levels of respiratory illness are high and we were already beginning to suffer after less than 24 hours in its midst.
The van wound out of the city and within 20 minutes the air quality began to improve as we made our way along the main road towards West Nepal. The roads in the country are very poor. For the most part they are barely twin track and frequently the edges of the road a broken up and often damaged or blocked, by mudslides. The journey was fascinating as we passed variously through villages and countryside, the flatness of the Kathmandu valley giving way to incredible mountainside roads that twisted precariously towards our destination. Precipitous drops left us speechless as they bore up views of verdant tree-scapes plunging into ravines with rivers which shimmered in the October heat.
I am not sure exactly how long it took for us to admit that we were all both mesmerised by the landscape and the beautiful people, and at the same time terrified that we would fall from the road and plummet at any moment into a valley hundreds of feet below. Driving followed one style, necessitated by the broken roads. Aim down the centre of the road and swerve at the last moment to avoid oncoming traffic doing the same. Near misses soon became acceptable and we acclimatised to the prospect of imminent collision quickly. Hooters and horns shouted like football fans throughout the road journey.
We set about polishing the Nepali phrases we'd all tried to learn before we arrived, with the help of our new friends Shambu and Saroj. Both of these volunteer charity workers were to become our guides, confidantes and minders in this alien landscape. It took some nine hours to travel just 100km out of Kathmandu before we arrived in Tansen, home of Mahendra. There, we were treated to a most extraordinary welcome from his family. His lovely mum, recently widowed, sat us down in the small yard outside the house and the family gathered. We were anointed with a tikka paste (a traditional red paste mixed with rice) which was pressed onto our foreheads. Hindu and Buddhist blessings were said and an evening of entertainment began with us as guests of honour to an amazing local traditional Nepali boy-band who were upholding the traditions of singing and dancing.
The Tansen mother's group then arrived and sang for us and encouraged us to dance which we dutifully did, much to their hilarity. This was to be the first of every night dancing to traditional music. We quickly realised the sheer depth of community and the enormous capacity for joy that these people shared. From this moment on, I realised just how happy these people are, taking great pleasure from simple ritual and without the unnecessary complications of materialism that we experience in the West.
The next 48 hours were both amazing and also deeply shocking. The next day we took part with Mahendra's family in the Tihar festival of light. My sister and I were befriended by Mahendra's nephew Bidhan and his daughter Sonica aged 15 and 8 respectively. They took us into the town and showed us around. The challenges of life here began to dawn on us as we watched people carrying water from the river and bathing in algae-filled pools. All around was evidence of people without access to medical care, and in very poor clothing. Relatively speaking this town was prosperous compared with where we were to head next. Little did I know, but that night I was to experience close up the squalid medical provision of Tansen.
Bidhan and Sonica brought us home in time to prepare for the evening festival. We dined sat on the floor around incredible dinner-placings made from rice and husks spread in patterns on the floor. The food was amazing. Simple bitten rice and buffalo stew, served skin on, with a bewildering array of beautiful breads made especially for the festival.
Following the food and some extraordinarily strong rice spirit, we retired to a room off the yard to play cards with the many children and mothers of the household. It was sometime into the card game, that tragedy struck. We heard a terrible thud outside. The mothers rushed out of the room, instantly realising something was wrong. Mahendra's brother had fallen from a balcony and landed head first on the concrete yard. He was terribly badly injured and was taken to hospital unconscious on a motorbike - the only means of transport to the hospital high up the hill on which the town is built. Things did not look good. Around three hours later I travelled with Mahendra to the hospital. His brother had taken a turn for the worse. I could not believe the squalor of the medical centre. Emergency surgery had been performed and we were told by the doctor that all we could do now was wait. Mahendra gave blood in huge quantities, and became faint. Without any kind of scanning equipment and no chance of an air ambulance for his brother to be taken to Kathmandu, the situation was bleak.
The next morning we awoke to the terrible news that Mahendra's brother had passed away, leaving a wife and three children. The funeral would take place that afternoon and so we left the house prematurely for a trip to Lumbini. All of us had heavy hearts, unsure how to respond to this awful event in the midst of what had been otherwise a wonderfully happy time for us and the family. We were looked after by the Shambhu, as Mahendra attended to family business. We prepared to leave Nepal thinking this would be the preferred option for our host.
I always knew that Mahendra was a man of incredible character. Just 48 hours after his bereavement he insisted we continue with our stay with a revised itinerary. We set out with him and the volunteers to Palpa district, in an archaic four wheel drive vehicle. We said intensely emotional goodbyes to Mahendra's family.
We were neatly packed into the Toyota like those baked beans and frankfurters that come together in a can. All squeezed in, bodies, bags and walking poles. Each of us carrying our packs of festive bread, of which there were 14 different types made for the festival, ranging from rich sugary breads to bright pink spaghetti stranded dough. We were given instructions to share this on our travels.
Our journey took us to Pipal Danda, a remote mountain village 40 km West of Tansen. The usual road trip experience was heightened further by hair pin bends and breathtaking scenery as we climbed higher and higher into the mountains. After 3 hours we left the road altogether and began up a tight zig zag road towards Pipal Danda. It was clear after 20 minutes that our transport was reaching the limits of its ability to get us there.
We disembarked and after several goes at everyone pushing the 4 wheel drive out of mud and ruts, we abandoned it and set out on foot for the rest of the journey.
The thermometer on my watch said 36 degrees. It was blisteringly hot and we struggled in both the heat and also the early effects of the altitude. After 20 more minutes we heard the sound of singing, a happy, tribal mantra coming from just around the corner. Mahendra said it was workers in the field, but he knew what it was really...as we turned the corner we were confronted by the entire village. All of the children from the school and every adult in the locality, had turned out to welcome us. All were singing and we were quickly anointed with tikka paste and handmade marigold garlands were placed around our necks. We were all utterly overwhelmed. We proceeded into the village and were treated to local dancing and music and then we made presentations to the school, in particular money that had been raised back home, for the school, and all of the pens and paper we could cram into our cases. The villages were delighted and there were many tears shed. What we presented that day was the sum total of every resource that this school had to use.
After the tour, composure restored, the four intrepid UK visitors embarked on a new mission. Four rooky EFL teachers were about to spend a chunk of our trip teaching English to the children. This was just amazing. From age 4 to 11 we took it turns with the different year groups. We shared songs and actions, they learned how to "high 5" and with the aid of various props which we left with the school, everyone had a brilliant time and a serious amount of new English vocabulary and grammar was learned by all. The responses from the children were just incredible, their engagement levels and speed of learning was impressive and the sheer joy at the availability of basic resources was moving. The faces of the children will be etched in our minds forever, as they joined in with games and activities we brought to them.
All this was all the more poignant given that many of the children in this school walk 2-3 hours to reach school six days a week. They receive only one meal each day at home in the evening and attend school between 10am and 2pm. Despite all the odds being against them learning anything, or even attending school at all, with the pressures on families to subsistence farm, they came, they listened, they engaged and they learned. The children's passion for learning was matched only by the teachers' passion for teaching. Learning is a privilege in Nepal and in these remote villages it represents a route out of the poverty trap. The level of deprivation became clear in the evenings when we visited the homes of some of the villagers during our stay. Typically constructed of wooden poles and leaf coverings, the existence was very basic. A clay oven served as both a cooking device and as heating for the cold winter months. Goats, a pig and all of the family members slept under one such structure, open to the elements on two sides. We were afforded the relative luxury of the medical building which we shared with one of the biggest and most colourful spiders I have ever seen. The size of side plate and brilliant green and yellow, I slept little at the prospect of him leaving his web and wandering my way. My sister was kept company by a large brown rat living in a bag of drying sweetcorn, about a foot from her sleeping mat. When we eventually left the village, the send off was as emotional as the welcome.
The generosity and capacity for joy were huge eye openers for us throughout our trip. We have made many friends, and experienced the desperate poverty and hardships of the people of rural and urban Nepal. We were shocked so many times by the poor quality of basic facilities from roads to healthcare to education to medical resources. Yet, despite all of our experiences, we came away from Nepal having learned some incredible life lessons.
We will most certainly continue to support the work of the charity to improve the education and welfare of the people we met, however it was by no means a one-way support process. There has been reciprocal learning throughout.
We found ourselves challenged by the seeming contradiction of the hardship and simplicity of life and the joy and happiness that it seemed to facilitate. In our privileged Western lifestyles, many of us want for nothing, take so much for granted and yet find ourselves discontented. In Nepal there seemed to be no 'affluenza': no attitude of keeping up with the Jones's, or status anxiety. In place of this was a humility and a gratefulness for the generosity of strangers and the support of community. Life in Nepal seems so strongly about cooperation, not competition. The hunger for acquisition and the dissatisfaction that this seems to stem from this in Western minds, was absent in the villages of West Nepal.
Back in the UK, we have recovered from the immense culture shock of our month away, but it has left us with profound realisations. We are all one people on the planet, and we can choose to be friends and brothers and sisters, or we can choose to be enemies. Worse still we can choose to ignore the desperate plight of our fellow human beings, or we can act to spread love and support. We came to know that learning is a universally exhilarating experience, and that it leads to opportunity and connection between people. Furthermore it is a two way process. We can learn as much from those we visit as they learn from us.
Above all we have come away from the country leaving behind friends whose lives go on in hardship and difficulty, and we must do what we can to help them to retain their joy of life whilst supporting their needs for basic resources like clean water, quality education and medical care.
Volunteering > Volunteer Feedback > 2009-09 ~ Will's Story >


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The nursing shortage in Utah has been temporarily abated. Many nurses have not retired due to the economy, but with healthcare becoming more complex, well-educated nurses will be needed. It is believed that nationally one third of the nurses will retire within five to ten years. Utah wants more post-graduate nurses for the future, and more Nurse Educators. The Utah Action Coalition is focused on encouraging nurses to increase their educational level. This is an ideal time for you to begin work on your graduate degree as many new job opportunities will be available over the next few years.
There are many new nursing graduate programs available in Utah and also with online colleges. Some of these programs include:
- Adult Medical-Surgical Clinical Nurse Specialist
- MSN in Community Health, MSN in Wellness
- Nurse Educator
- Nurse Midwifery
- Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- Family Nurse Practitioner, Nursing Administration
- Nurse Anesthesia
- Women's Health Nurse Practitioner
The University of Utah College of nursing offers a MS degree in Care Management which can specifically focus on Geriatric Care Management. The medical treatments and therapies are growing more complex and with the baby boomers aging there are more patients with chronic healthcare conditions that require highly educated nurses. Having your master's degree will make you better prepared to use a systems approach, which addresses quality outcomes.
This program requires some prerequisite courses which include: Introduction to Statistical Interference, Statistical Methods in Psychology and Social Statistics.
If you want to apply to the graduate program the requirements include:
- Indicate if you are a Utah resident
- GRE scores are required if your GPA is below 3.20
- Enter the date you took the NCLEX and if you passed or failed
- Curriculum Vitae/Resume
- A statement of purpose with professional goals, including research goals and interest
- Send a copy of your current RN license
The MS program for Care Management has the following curriculum:
- Evidence Base Practice I
- Introduction to Information & Information Tech
- Advance Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan
- Professional Role and Collaboration
- Care Management: Clinical Issues
- Mentoring & Precept in: Theory & Practice
- Advance Physical Assessment & Health Promotion Across the Lifespan
- Care Management Practicum for Individuals
- Quality Improvement in Health Care
- Approved Elective
- US Health Care: Systems & Policy
- Care Management: Professional, Legal, Financial & Business Issues
- Care Management Practicum for Populations
- Masters Synthesis
- IPE Simulation Experience
There are 38 credit hours required for this program along with clinical hours for the various courses.
The American Nurses Credentialing Center offers a credential award for Gerontological Nursing with a competency based exam that is a reliable assessment of your knowledge and skills. Successfully passing this exam will earn you the credentia is worthwhile because you can put this credential on your resume. This is respected certification by employers. If you are an American Nurses Association member, the cost of the test is $270, and if you are a member of the National Gerontological Nursing Association the fee is $340. Non-members must pay $395.
According to O'Net OnLine Acute Care Nurses in Utah earned an annual median salary of $66,220 in 2012, but with a graduate degree in Gerontological Nursing you may earn a much higher salary. Salaries depend on education, credentials, experience and employers, so it is difficult to know exactly how much you might earn without taking all those factors into account. With the increasing growth of the baby boomer generation there is job security when you have expertise in geriatric nursing.
If you need help with tuition expenses, visit the Financial Aid office at your university to complete a FAFSA application, which is a federal grant program for low income students. The Health Resources and Services Administration also offers scholarships, low income loans and loan repayment programs. Nurse Corps is a loan repayment program for you work for two years in a Critical Shortage Facility to receive 60 percent of your education loan balance.
The Utah Nurses Association offers scholarships for Utah nurses, and the University of Utah also offers graduate scholarships for the graduate Gerontology Nursing program.
Earning your graduate degree may position you in a career position that is perfect for your goals, and it may increase your income. Make the first step in furthering your education by requesting information from the schools on our site. Feel free to request info from multiple sites to make a good comparison and discover the best program for you!

subset: commoncrawl


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Google Speed Tips Get Picked Apart
Yesterday, Google posted a series of tips on how to speed up the web by applying various programming and design related techniques. A valiant effort, but also not one without flaws, if you believe the response on various social media sites.
Google's speed tips were heavily discussed on sites like Reddit and Hacker News, and, even though perhaps Google simply wanted to outline some simple guidelines, what they did is start an interesting discussion - one they should definitely read thoroughly and possibly use to rethink some of their speed-related advice.
Without going into accuracy and validity of Google's tips, or the comments about them, we'd like to highlight some interesting points from the discussions on Hacker News and Reddit:
pinkbike: "I would expect something a lot more from google. All these ideas are way too elementary and some are just misguided. Advice like "crop your image"...come on. The misguided ones are things like "use single quotes instead of double quotes when printing in php since one does not look for variables in the string text". The is just misguided and is probably the last thing your should worry about. This is orders of magnitude from any useful optimization that is actually impacting your site performance".
mehochh: "This article made me twitch. Strings in PHP use copy on write. The sample code is only the fastest way to create XSS vulnerability."
jbramley: "I agree. The optimizing PHP was the most worthless page I've come across in a long time. Not just because the content was worthless, but because it comes with a big ol' google stamp of approval on it and therefore it must be good and right, and everyone should follow it. Now, it's time to wait for a cow-orker to post this and start another 3 month war over how we should do stuff that will give us a whopping 0.0000000000001% performance increase."
LieutenantClone: "This page is such a bunch of crap. After being lectured on making graphics smaller, I thought I would see how big their Google Code logo is at the top of the page. Its 5.82 KB. So I download it, whip open Photoshop and follow the lady's instructions. Thats funny, now its only 1.299 KB, and doesn't look any different. Google, don't lecture me on techniques that you don't even employ yourself."
glockops: "Does anyone else think this is a bad idea? ... I think once you start to rip out tag endings... you've optimized a little too much. I don't care about it being 'valid' it just seems like the worst way you could possibly speed up a webpage."
kbcool: "Minus the work experience kid's writings on PHP performance this is all just a big ripoff of Yahoo's best performance practises. They even ripped off Yslow and called it page speed."
What do you think? Are Google's tips for speeding up the web great, solid, or bad? Any glaring omissions and errors? Should Google listen to its own advice more? Please let us know in the comments.


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Pages: 1
Hello everyone, I'm pretty new to xfce, but loving it so far!
I decided to play around a bit with the appearance and i'm getting close to perfection (in my eyes!) although I have a small issue
So, this is my desktop view
And this is how it looks when something overlaps the panel
So I'm basically looking for a way to hide the panel when it's overlapped, feels like i've tried everything in the standard settings, but I'm probably missing something. Any thoughts?
Thankful for answers.
ALSO, is there a way to make the panel 100% invisible, cause currently there's a thin border around it
Hello and welcome.
The following command will set the panel below all windows:
wmctrl -r "xfce4-panel" -b add,below
...note: you need to have the wmctrl app installed.
The thin border around the panel is the shadow that is created by the compositor. You can disable all dock shadows via Settings Manager > Window Manager Tweaks > Compositor > (uncheck) Show shadows under dock windows (assuming that you are using xfwm4's compositor).
awesome, awesome, awesome. Thank you so much for the help! both worked like a charm!
Cool. Feel free to post a new and updated screenshot.
Pages: 1


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Get in touch!
Whether you have a question about our beers, our brewery or have an idea you just have to share with us we want to hear! Get in touch through one of the forms below and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
Or you can visit us at our brewery bar.
Opening hours:
Wednesdays 5pm – 10pm
Fridays 5pm – 11pm
Sundays 12pm – 6pm
80 North Street
Richmond, Victoria 3121
Telephone: 03 9428 1180
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Coming from the city is easy. Just jump on the 48 (to North Balwyn) or 75 (to Vermont South) which both head up Bridge Road. Jump off at Stop 22 and head down River Street to North Street. We are a 5-10 minute walk.
Bikes are good too. We're very close to the Yarra trail which is a great way to come here. Feel free to wheel your bike right inside and admire it while you have a beer.
There is usually on-street parking available out the front of the brewery on North Street. See you soon.


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This year's budget crunch brought varying proposals from the Governor, State Senate, and State House, each differing as to where and how deep the axe should fall on state bureaucracy. This Civitas budget breakdown evaluates the different cuts to the Education budget put forth by each branch of state government.
As education funding accounts for over half of North Carolina's expenditures, they present a necessary avenue to cut back and reconcile an over $2 billion budget deficit. However, each branch of government tailored the Education budget to fit their specific priorities – whether they reside in the UNC System, K-12 Education, or increased taxation.
Governor Perdue opted to extend what was a temporary sales tax in order to account for a large portion of her budget, her tax hike costing tax payers an estimated $826 million. While increasing taxation during a recession, the extra revenue permitted Perdue to minimize cuts for education.
Promises made by Republicans in the House and Senate included no new taxes, which while easing the burden on North Carolinians by letting the temporarily elevated sales tax decline, forced difficult decisions to be made in budget cuts. Without the extended sales tax, House and Senate budget cuts in education nearly doubled those proposed by Governor Perdue. The House went to great lengths to ensure that budget cuts were highly prioritized to protect the classroom. The Senate budget is still in the negotiation phase, with details of specific cuts yet to emerge.
The charts display cuts relative to the amount of the FY11-12 Continuation Budget, which attempts to project the costs of continuing current levels of service adjusted for enrollment and inflation growth.
Public Schools
The N.C. House is at loggerheads with the Governor when it comes to cuts to education. While the House moved to fully fund teaching positions for the biennium budget, Teacher's Assistants for 2nd and 3rd grades will be eliminated, a move which has prompted criticism from the governor.
Gov. Perdue's budget plan would cut Public Schools by over $350 million. The Senate ($800 million) and House ($694 million) intend deeper cuts to Public Education.
Additionally, divergent viewpoints exist between the two legislative chambers on Public School cuts. The House (which has generally favored Public Education) and the Senate (preferential towards the UNC System) may find disagreements on which department under the education budget should shoulder the brunt of budget cuts. The Senate Target and the House Budget for Public Education differ by more than $100 million.
Community Colleges
The Governor's recommended budget cuts evenly distributed downsizing between the Community College and UNC Systems, hovering at nearly 8 percent, exceeding $85 million in cuts.
The House and Senate's proposals cuts differ on Community Colleges, but within a margin of around $20 million. House cuts amount to over $110 million, with the Senate weighing in at a somewhat deeper $132 million.
UNC System
For the UNC System, the Governor reserved her most stringent rate of cuts, approaching $229 million. These cuts reached nearly 8 percent of the UNC System budget.
The House proposed a cut of around $447 million, far deeper than the aims of the Senate. The N.C. Senate's target for cuts totals $360 million.


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Analysis: What Are U.S. Options In Iraq?
The White House is signaling it wants a new government in Iraq and is holding out the option of targeted actions. David Schenker, director of the Arab politics program at the Washington Institute joins the News Hub with Sara Murray. Photo: Getty
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... the ... what's ... this ... RightNow's a moment where ... the the the state of Iraq ... gains in the balance ... and the test ... for all of them is going to be whether they can overcome ... the mistrust ... the deep sectarian divisions ... in some cases just ... a political opportunist ... and say this is bigger than anyone of us and we gotta make sure that we ... we do what's right for the Iraqi people ... as an albino earlier this afternoon is saying U S forces will not return the combat in Iraq despite the escalating violence there ... the administration instead looking to target military options as oppressed cyberattacks reach a diplomatic copper mines ... this is your ferry staffing the news have I'm Sara Mary ... the Obama administration signaling it wants the new government in Iraq one with the Prime minister Nuri al Maliki ... for now the present sending three hundred military advisors to bolster Iraqi troops ... are holding up the option of either targeted actions ... Judaism or is David shaker the director of the era of politics for them at the Washington Institute ... David thanks famous for being here ... my pleasure to let set with these three hundred troops going over there what's the point when this puzzle complex ... with a beer ... with me on the ground have been high on the O Iraqi units ... be able to advise them one had a better ... one to counter offensive or defend their positions ... um also if they're or airstrikes are the U S airstrikes to ... up to be one of the the the insiders to be able to confirm the car gets ... time to make shore of that know what we're not seeing on the ground is up ... more support for the sectarian ideals of the ... of the demolished the regime of that would be very bad that one out in ... the gift targeted all Sudanese indiscriminately ... so the take ended the IDF combat force is off the table US air strikes are another option ... are there any ... schools that have left for us to tap ... well with I think that to you is ... although they're very different in nature the conflict in Syria the against the illegitimate government the conflict ... in Iraq being against the legitimate government that have not govern well ... I think that um you know we have to separate these complex because right now the of Isis ... of the Islamic ... Ummah speaking in Iraq and Syria ... up on both sides of the border tended moving freely back and forth ... that's a problem what more is that this border is also being traversed by Sunni is a Sunni militants with a Buy fee of militants ... are either Iraqi or Iranian going PEDV OS leveraging ... on in Syria so we really have to somehow find a way to strength in the war reestablish the border between these two states and I'd be helpful that did the opera second about this I e adding new governing coalition ... how optimistic are you that I bracket come up with something like this it will pacify all these different sects ... what will that mean the view that people in all aces ... up considers Shiites to the infidels ... and out the scene in the video circulating on YouTube ... of when they go out and kill Iraqi soldiers ... these people are ICE's circling them soften its they're calling them ... Kurds and Shi'ites of the year when its empire ... um then saying this is unfair that the BDD kill these people say you're not Guinea get ice it's ... come to be able to ever accept ... a Shi'ite war on Iraq that Iraq is a plurality of Shiites ... I think we have to do is to split ... the Sunni community to get ... many of the Sudanese though either a former Baathists or ... on the people that are dissipating this awful of the revolution ... I guess the look I didn't doesn't five ... of these people could except perhaps a living under government that was the last ... viciously sectarian more inclusive ... aam but ... they were a wall away from that after six seven years of of them all if the government backed by Iran ... yet clearly something that's not the silence of overnight ensure lot of tough decisions still left ahead for present Obama did that thing say much for joining us ... my pleasure


text: Want a little bit of tinsel town history in your backyard, or actually own the backyard? Lucille Ball's first Los Angeles home has hit the market. As befitting the first home of any actor or actress it's not a whole heck of a lot to write home about, … [Read more...]


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As well as being the most incredibly supportive co-producers and makers of our virtual reality headset and 360 degree trailer, Room One also shot this lovely little cast interview back in July.
As part of Cosmic Fear at Bedlam Theatre, we're running a programme of events all in the name of Saving Planet Earth!
Join us in food-based activites, walking tours, woodworking workshops and conversations with climate scientists and experts throughout the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this August.
Events span across the month of August, please click HERE for event and booking details.
The programme has been put together by our Dramaturg Lucy Coren with the support of The Vegan Society.
Here's a little piece Lucy has written on her work with Empty Deck in constructing this 'Counter-Text'…
The Dramaturgical Notion of Counter-text: A Case Study with Empty Deck Theatre Company
by Lucy Rose Coren
The role of the dramaturg within text-based theatre is currently prescriptive and limiting. There are protocols that should be met, revolving around the axis of research and curation. Even when given priority on a production, the dramaturg is tertiary to the roles of director and playwright. Over the past decade there has been an explosion in literature around dramaturgy and its unrealized scope. Within text-based theatre, theorists such as D.J. Hopkins, Mark Bly and Erik Ehn have been writing prolifically on how uniquely a dramaturg can contribute to a production. Together their theories coalesce into a demand for "hybrid-authorship", whereby the director, playwright and dramaturg co-create a performance. Even further, Hopkins demands a space solely for the dramaturg, to which the director and playwright are attracted but cannot enter without the dramaturg's guidance called the "counter-text." In this paper I will expand on these theories through my particular experience as a dramaturg for Empty Deck Theatre Company and their current production, Cosmic Fear or the Day Brad Pitt Got Paranoia (2016). I will suggest that the practical application of co-creative dramaturgy posited by these theorists, exclusively enables a dramaturg to express the type of a creativity of which her role is uniquely capable.
When asked to define the role of the dramaturg within the theatre, Yale Co-Chair of Drama Mark Bly often refers his interlocutor to an essay called "Quantum Consciousness" by the contemporary science writer, David H. Freedman. The paper describes the life of a subatomic particle, which according to Bly, "serendipitously characterizes the life of a dramaturg in the 'unrelentingly strange' realm of theatre:
"Quantum mechanics is an unrelentingly strange theory. Among other things, it tells us that an electron or another denizen of the subatomic world tends to exist in a multitude of states all at once: it is simultaneously here and there, moving fast and slowly, spinning one way and the other. But at the moment the electron interacts with ordinary matter or energy–when it smacks into the molecules in a detector for example, or is bombarded by a beam of light–the disturbance somehow causes the electron to "choose" a single state."
While a static definition is often demanded of a dramaturg, Bly encourages his students of dramaturgy to be always "bristling with multiple possibilities"; that is, to become a model of creativity, appearing to overlap with other artists and their duties. This type of redundancy, he says, often leads to an increase in creativity (Bly, 54.) Theatre-makers should approach a text "as if it were a new world, free of assumptions" (Bly 314) just as a dramaturg should be allowed to exceed the "bookish drudgery" so often associated with the role.
The 2002 conference of the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas presented a similar theme articulated by keynote speaker Erik Ehn. "The best thing a dramaturg can do is co-create, to create a conundrum as problematic as the play itself", he said. This challenge is at significant odds with the more common assumptions about dramaturgy as a tertiary role to the director and playwright. Rather, Ehn is encouraging a new wave of dramaturgs to "creatively engage in the production process to a degree that matches the engagement of the other collaborators in the 'hybrid authorship' of the theatre: playwright, director, designers, actors" (Ehn 6.)
With these names around him, drama practitioner and theorist D.J. Hopkins has pioneered the notion of counter-text as an alternative site of authority and creativity for the dramaturg within the theatre. Its goal is to liberate the dramaturg within text-based theatre from one of researcher to one of creative co-authorship. Counter-text is not a 'text' in the sense of a written or spoken script, nor takes the form of "another" play, nor offers anything like characterization or narrative (Hopkins, 2.) Rather, it is an alternative centre of gravity that "exerts influence over the trajectory of a production process." Ultimately, it further complicates the text, and situates the performance within a wider cultural discourse. In his seminal exposition on counter-text, Hopkins refers to Ehn informally commenting that the dramaturg "creates a space that neither the writer nor director are able to enter; and to which they are both attracted" (Ehn, E-mail.) The counter-text is something that is by definition irrelevant; it is not confined by the script or bound by notions of traditional authorship. Rather it may precede or even exceed it, and provide not only supplementation but corollary (Hopkins 5.)
A Case Study
Counter-text has found recent actualisation through burgeoning practitioners, particularly those working in theatre and activism who reject agitprop expression for one that is more inclusive and objective. They have found that counter-text facilitates the complication of issues, rendering them less dichotomous and more fertile for debate.
London-based theatre company Empty Deck has embarked on a new project entitled Cosmic Fear which addresses the paralysis a Western public typically encounters when confronted with climate change. I am attached to the project in the capacity of dramaturg, and have implemented a counter-text I believe to be unique to its practice through a hybrid-authorship with artistic director, Kay Michael. I can conclude that counter-text enables text-based theatre to not only be immersive of the audience, but also unquantifiably extends its audience-impact.
The text of Cosmic Fear is written by lauded Danish-playwright, Christian Lollike. It is a veritable "panic-attack of a play", which marks the anxious unravelling of a mind through characters A, B and C as it ruminates on the relentlessly changing climate, and the West's inaction to undo their devastation. Desperate, A, B and C generate film scenarios where the world is saved by Brad Pitt against various environmental back-drops.
The counter-text was born after a discussion on a Bristol-bound coach bus to the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research when Michael suggested we had a certain duty-of-care to the audience, reflecting on the troubling nature of the play and how it abandons its audience in a state of anxious paranoia. The idea of a talk-back was thrown around, such as that exercised by the Royal Court Theatre with Katie Mitchell's 2071 (2014) and a 'Day of Action' which included a series of workshops, discussions and lectures on how to affect personal change. We wanted more than this: we wanted action as well as discussion that extended far beyond the theatre house, and we didn't want sensationalism. The normative framing of climate change was already so apocalyptic and guilt-sodden, we realized we had to return to primary research and build our framework from the ground-up. We were being compelled to conceive of a new type of radical theatre. So began my work on the counter-text, with Michael suggesting I check-in every week or so with my research and direction.
I grounded my inquiry in the empirical science behind climate change, as well as psychological and social studies conducted on the UK public which collated their opinion and sentiments on the issue. My research was heavily supplemented by the primary work and secondary suggestions of Dr. Stuart Capstick, a climate change psychologist at the Tyndall Center. I was surprised to note that while the majority of the UK public observed the truth of climate change, a larger percentage of that majority admitted their inaction, and a feeling of guilt. There were many testimonials of pressure with regards to work, time and finances , with outlets such as cycling or walking vs. driving as not a realistic option; as well as prevailing self-criticisms such as, "I do feel guilty, that I don't take enough interest in [climate change]. I probably don't do enough…I don't do as much as I should." At this point it became clear that while the majority of the public observed not only the reality of the changing climate but also their role in it, they did not possess the appropriate outlets or incentive to make sustainable lifestyle changes.
I then turned my attention to normative framings of climate change depicted in mainstream media, documentaries (both those who had gained popular traction and those which had not), and literature, finding particular aid in George Marshall's rigorous book, Don't Even Think About It. "I have found that everyone," says Marshall, "experts and non-experts alike, converts climate change into stories that embody their own values, assumptions, and prejudices" (3.) What these framings manifest, and which are illustrated in the interviews conducted and data collected by Marshall, is what cognitive behavioral psychologists refer to as the three "maladaptive coping mechanisms": avoidance, surrender, and counter-attack. These are natural reactions to the stories of climate change, that find actualisation in the points of view of climate change-deniers, guilt-ridden metropolitans, or even climate change-activists.
During our period of research and development Michael also attended a conference at the University of Warwick on activism , where she heard from speaker Jess Allen. Allen spoke about "slacktivism", a long-relied on technique by activist communities to use social media campaigns and flyering as a means of public mobilization. At issue is that this technique has become tired and depersonalized, and important petitions or fundraisers join the "white noise" of the internet. As an antithesis Allen suggests "tracktivism" : walking with a small group led by a specialist who informs and converses with them about a particular issue. A method like this is mobilizing, informative and creates community. While modest in immediate effectiveness, this concept is capable of becoming far-reaching and powerful, as its message is disseminated slowly but surely through everyone it touches; it is the growth of a steady and sturdy network through direct and personal engagement. This model became largely informative to the execution of our counter-text.
In order for Empty Deck to produce something about climate change which was new, we would not be able to present it through one of its normative frameworks as these were self-contained and often resolved in maladaptive and ineffective behavior; rather, we would reveal it as a phenomenon, encouraging non-judgmental awareness of its occurrence in order to begin from a point of common neutrality. Furthermore, we would then present flexible, tangible ways for our audience to make a change to a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly lifestyle. What would be unique about our practice is that we would be presenting a multi-level outreach program for our audience based on the cognitive behavioral psychology method of ACT (Accept, Choose, Take action.) The maladaptive coping mechanisms of avoidance, surrender and counter-attack could be pre-empted by suggestions of alternative behavior and engagement based on the model of small building blocks eventually constructing something much larger. The magnitude of what must be changed on an institutional, federal and international level is paralyzing; but to observe one's individual responsibility and agency is empowering. "In developed nations, almost half of all greenhouse gas emissions are tied to individual and household energy use" ; 20% of greenhouse gas emissions come from the meat industry ; in the UK around 15 million tonnes of food is thrown away every year. Almost 50% of this comes from private homes . While campaigning for our governing bodies to implement environmental sanctions is vital, our individual lifestyles are just as important in affecting change.
Cosmic Outreach
We now had the ethos of our counter-text: change on the individual level in realistic and easily-integrated ways. Our pilot would be the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where Cosmic Fear was gaining a full run with Bedlam Theatre after our premier in the Incoming Festival in London. With a generous grant afforded to us by The Vegan Society we had our budget. It was now a question of how to initiate our outreach program in a way that complimented our production run, and would appeal to our audience. It was time to creatively engage with our research.
My first instinct was to make direct contact with green partners in Scotland who could be interested in a skills exchange, such as bicycle repair workshops, vegan or vegetarian cooking, creative recycling or permaculture. My second initiative was to engage with green energy partners, ecologists, and national parks. Finally, I believed it was important to subsidize our activities with seminars that formally disseminated some of the research I had been conducting, so that our audience not only understood the how, but the why.
I approached a variety of partners in this manner, explaining our project and its goals. Over the next two months relationships were built between myself and a list of vendors and individuals; while disappointment wasn't absent, by the time of the counter-text's deadline a rich and realistic outreach program had been designed. Called our Cosmic Outreach, our program features:
1. Cosmic Cuisine: two vegan and vegetarian food tours around Edinburgh designed with the help of GoVeg Scotland, the Cruelty Free Guide to Edinburgh, and Ethical Voice for Animals. Our tour features ten different businesses, including Pumpkin Brown (an exclusively vegan restaurant new to the local scene), Juice Warrior (100% recyclable, organic and vegan certified cold pressed juices with nothing added) and The Caffeine Drip (a fairtrade coffee shop offering vegan baked goods.)
2. Cosmic Cafe: two seminars held in the cafe of Bedlam Theatre, the Fringe venue of Cosmic Fear. The first seminar will be led by Barbara, the director of GoVeg Scotland, a wonderfully generous and informed community who campaigns for and encourages the switch to a vegan lifestyle. The second cafe will be led by Dr. Stuart Capstick where he will discuss much of the research on which our counter-text is based concerning the psychology of climate change. Bedlam's cafe also has a vegetarian and vegan menu available.
3. Cosmic Commune: an afternoon of connecting our cast to our audience, and held at Pavilion Cafe (vegetarian food and drink in The Meadows green space). The Cosmic Fear cast and crew will hold a picnic, open to the public to attend, with the invitation to join in in yoga and spoken word themed on the environment.
4. Cosmic Culture: Empty Deck has partnered with Green Aspirations Scotland in Tir na Nog forest, a "woodland-based social enterprise" leading workshops including basket-weaving, whittling and axe-craft. Ten audience members will have the opportunity to attend a half-day workshop on Introduction to Green Woodworking.
Utilizing the crucial research conducted by Michael and myself, by people such as Marshall, Allen and Capstick on effective activism, the counter-text promotes a community of immediate and open conversation, relinquishing the taboo around talking about climate change; it is informative and grounded in scientific inquiry, led by the expertise of Dr. Capstick; it is immersive of nature, enabling our audience to interact with the environment; and finally it is suggestive of a sustainable lifestyle that is realistically achievable. Intentionally modest and digestible, the counter-text for Empty Deck's Cosmic Fear enables an unprecedented level of audience engagement outside of the text while simultaneously supplementing and extending it. The mechanism of the counter-text suggested by Hopkins has allowed me to creatively engage as a dramaturg with the text of play, while at once securing my role as crucial to its development.
(book here for Cosmic Outreach)
Questioning Hybrid Authorship
Counter-text demands an equal partnership between director and playwright and dramaturg, alternative but no less authoritative and authorial. But while the process of rehearsals may be informed by the dramaturg's counter-text, the final production may not. While the case study above illustrates a successful hybrid-authorship, often the counter-textual work of the dramaturg is subsumed or dismissed by the time of performance. This discrepancy may be understood as a result of two issues: that the traditional and embedded understanding of the role of the dramaturg is counter-productive to the notion of hybrid authorship; and Hopkins' theory does not effectively assert the functionality of the counter-text to the quality of the production.
The function of the dramaturg has existed well before the profession itself had a name (Cattaneo 3) although its founding father is cited as G.E. Lessing writing the Hamburg Dramaturgy in the eighteenth century. Also understood as pioneers of the profession were English actors and managers John Philip Kemble and Harley Granville-Barker who reinvented the classical repertory and interpreted and adapted plays to reflect the taste of the times (Cattaneo 3.) Brecht became his own dramaturg, Polish scholar Jan Kott's Shakespeare Our Contemporary influenced the staging of Shakespeare in a post-Beckettian world, and Kenneth Tynan's work at The National bridged the gap between theatre and the UK public. In the 1970s Peter Stein at the Schaubuhne in Berlin evolved the concept of creative dramaturgy with Botho Strauss and Dieter Sturm, whereby the dramaturgs conceived and interpreted productions along with the director (Catteo 5.) In 1990 New Yorker author Tony Hiss wrote that the dramaturg is "someone who keeps the whole in mind" (The Experience of Place 46.) Marianne Van Kerkhoven wrote beautifully in 2007 that "dramaturgy is building bridges; it is being responsible for the whole. Dramaturgy, above all is constant movement. Inside and outside" (165.)
While this is a very selective and succinct summary of the development of the dramaturg since the mid-1700s, it serves in establishing the role's normative framing: one that is subsequent to and contingent on the director and playwright. With perhaps the exceptional model of Stein, Strauss and Sturm, the dramaturg is typically understood as a research and curatorial role, providing relevant information to the director that will enhance the production, and connect it to its audience. However what the history of theory and practice around dramaturgy also indicates, is that it is a constantly fluid and developing role, flexible and contingent on the needs of the times.
Non-normative expressions of dramaturgical practice have been theorized before now. Theatre-maker Gregory Gunter has developed the process of "imaging" where source material is generated that expands and informs the text and its production. However, as he describes, "it remains secondary to the primary authority of the text." Similarly Norman Frisch's work with the Wooster Group is often relegated to one of "traffic cop who applies structure to the disorderly conduct" of all the collaborators involved in a production. While the role of the director has been liberated from the eclipsing authority of the playwright in text-based theatre, the dramaturg has yet to claim hers. Like Freedman's subatomic particle, the dramaturg is capable of occupying many states simultaneously. It's only when she comes into contact with the pre-established space of the director and playwright that her state is isolated and made static; her creativity is limited and her contributions curbed.
Co-creative dramaturgy as suggested by Bly and Ehn, and the counter-text described by Hopkins would appear the dramaturg's means of reaching the full scope of her potential. To be permitted hybrid authorship, to be given flexibility outside of a text to "build bridges" between the performance and the culture in creative ways can only improve the dramaturgy of a production. The director and playwright recognizing the value of creative dramaturgy is crucial in taking that step toward a fuller and richer contemporary theatre practice. However it cannot only be the responsibility of those in authoritative positions to make that change, the responsibility must also fall on the dramaturg herself.
Hopkins' counter-textual theory at once calls itself necessary and irrelevant (3) which must not be the case. If its aim is a hybrid-authorship, then the director or playwright cannot be in the position to overrule the alternative site of authority generated by the dramaturg. My particular expression of counter-text with Empty Deck compels both director and playwright to accept its incorporation as a means of further expanding the impact and outreach of the text. This was achieved however, by the dramaturg asserting the counter-text as inextricable from the integrity of the performance, as well as the particularly progressive mind of artistic director Kay Michael anticipating its scope. While Hopkins' theory is progressive, he must set an example of assertion by deeming it vital to a production's dramaturgy.
Outside of text-based theatre the concept of the dramaturg is suspended, often along with the other titles of director or playwright. Roles are fluid and hybrid-authorship is understood as inherent to the practice. Within text-based theatre however there is a hierarchy, but even this has been historically dismantled, as in the director claiming authority over the text in post-dramatic theatre. Now is the time for the dramaturg to emphasize her abilities in the evolution of theatre practice and the ground has been set for her by theories such as counter-text, co-created dramaturgy, and calls-to-arms by writers such as Kerkhoven and Trencsenyi. Evolution is non-linear and unpredictable, shedding non-function for adaptation. While the dramaturg's characteristics of research and observation remain vital, it is only a matter of time before they evolve into something more functional. The theories of hybrid-authorship and co-creative dramaturgy enable theatre practice to remain relevant not only to contemporary practitioners, but also to a contemporary audience, bringing text-based dramaturgy into the twenty-first century.
Bly, Mark. "Bristling With Multiple Possibilities" in Dramaturgy in American Theatre: A Source Book. Ed. Jonas, Proehl, and Lupu, pp.48-55. New York: Harcourt Brace College Publishers. 1997. Print.
Bly, Mark. "New Play Exploration in the Twenty-First Century" in Routledge Guide to Dramaturgy Ed. Magda Romanska. pp. 313-317. Routledge: London, 2015.
Cattaneo, Anne. "Dramaturgy: An Overview" in Dramaturgy in American Theatre: A Source Book. Ed. Jonas, Proehl, and Lupu, pp.3-15. New York: Harcourt Brace College Publishers. 1997. Print.
Capstick, Stuart. 2013. Public Understanding of Climate Change as a Social Dilemma. Sustainability. 5, 3484-3501.
Capstick, Stuart & Nicholas Pidgeon. 2014. Public perception of cold weather events as evidence for and against climate change. Climate Change. 122, 695-708.
Capstick, Stuart & Nicholas Pidgeon. 2014. What is climate change scepticism? Examination of the concept using a mixed methods study of the UK public. Global Environmental Change 24, 389-401.
Capstick, Stuart, Lorraine Whitmarsh, Wouter Poortinga, Nick Pidgeon, and Paul Upham. International trends in public perceptions of climate change over the past quarter century. WIREs Climate Change 2015, 6:35–61.
To cite this article: Stuart Capstick, Irene Lorenzoni, Adam Corner & Lorraine Whitmarsh (2015): Prospects for radical emissions reduction through behavior and lifestyle change, Carbon Management.
Ehn, Erik. "Stuffing for This Pillow: Dreamturgy recalled" [sic]. Keynote Address. Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas Annual Conference. Simon Fraser University. Vancouver. 12 June 2002.
Frisch, Norman, and Marianne Weems. "Dramaturgy on the Road to Immortality: Inside the Wooster Group" in Dramaturgy in American Theatre: A Source Book. Ed. Jonas, Proehl, and Lupu, pp.483-503. New York: Harcourt Brace College Publishers. 1997. Print.
Hopkins, D.J., Research, Counter-text, Performance: Reconsidering the (Textual) Authority of the Dramaturg in Theatre Topics, 2003, Vol. 13(1), pp. 1-17 [Peer Reviewed Journal.]
Kerkhoven, Marianne Van. "European Dramaturgy in the twenty-first century: a constant movement" in Routledge Guide to Dramaturgy Ed. Magda Romanska. pp. 163-167. Routledge: London, 2015.
Marshall, George. Don't Even Think About It. New York: Bloomsbury USA. 2014. Print.
Thanks to The Other Richard for their photographs taken on Sunday 3rd July 2016, New Diorama Theatre, at the Incoming Festival
Photos feature actors Sam Ducane, Jack Gordon and Jessica Sian
We have a large and proudly international team working on this show.
Our cast are:
Sam Ducane is a recent graduate of RCSSD. He was winner of The Stage Award for Acting Excellence (Ensemble) at the Edinburgh Fringe 2015 for UKIP! The Musical.
Recent credits include: Data (New Wimbledon Theatre Studio), Christie Malry's Own Double Entry (R&D, The Drayton Arms), St James' RE:act (St James' Theatre Studio), Breakneck (Play Theatre Company at The Old Red Lion) and UKIP! The Musical (Hell Bent Theatre Company at Surgeons Hall, Edinburgh 2015)
Recent theatre credits include: Tis A Pity She's A Whore (Cheek by Jowl at the Barbican/ World Tour), Tender Napalm (Southwark Playhouse), War Horse (National Theatre/West End), DNA (National Theatre) and Ant Street (Arcola Theatre).
Recent TV and film includes New Blood (Eleventh Hour Films/BBC) and Northern Soul (Stubborn Heart Productions)
Nominated for Best Actor for Love Me Do (Cardiff Film Festival)
Jessica Sian is an actress and playwright. She was nominated an Offie for Most Promising New Playwright for her debut play Klippies at Southwark Playhouse
Recent acting work includes Two Roads (Nuffield Theatre); Theatre Cafe with Company of Angles, and Elexion (Theatre503).
Jessica does consistent research and development work with at The Bush Theatre and her writing is being developed at the National Theatre Studio, The Bush Theatre and Southwark Playhouse
Read all about the creatives in alphabetical order below…
LUCY COREN – Dramaturge
Lucy Rose Coren is a Canadian-born theatre-maker and writer who has also lived and worked in New Zealand and France. She has spent the past year working for a Creative Europe-funded project on migration, as well as completing her MA in dramaturgy at the University of Kent. Her theatre company Live Others works with non-professional performers.
OWEN CROUCH – Sound Design / Music Composition
Recent credits include: Jeramee Hartleby and Ooglemore (The Unicorn Theatre); Chilcot (Battersea Art Centre); BU21 (Theatre 503).
Owen's background lies in music production, having performed and produced bands from a young age. Having recently graduated with a BA in Sound Arts & Design, Owen's work has been diverse and included; composing for a conference at the Roundhouse Camden (Unilever, 2013), scoring adverts for companies including Uniqlo & Disney and performing Noise Music at Corsica Studios.
Owen is currently performing and recording with his band Kudu Blue.
Denisa is from Romania and she trained at Central Saint Martins on the Performance Design and Practice BA (2011-2014)
Her set and costume design credits include:
Orpheus and Eurydice (Platform Theatre), Then Silence (New Diorama Theatre), Leonce and Lena (Brockley Jack Theatre), Most People are Other People (Tristan Bates Theatre), Romeo and Juliet (Royal Albert Hall), The Tin Soldier (The Roundhouse Theatre), Deja Bluez by BirdGang Dance Company (Panarmonium Stage), Minions Collective in collaboration with Universal Pictures (Platform Theatre), Carmen (English Pocket Opera Company 2016 Tour), Madame Butterfly (Cadogan Concert Hall).
MATTHEW GARDNER – Stage Manager
Recent credits include: Stone Face (Desara Bosnja LTD/Finborough Theatre); The Kingdom for a Stage (Castlebar Productions); Snow White (Broadway Barking); Tim Key/Liam Williams (Invisible Dot LTD); Edinburgh Fringe 2014/15 (Pleasance); The One Day of The Year (Defibrillator/Finborough Theatre); Citizen Puppet Workshop (Blind Summit/RCSSD); Liberian Girl (Royal Court); Not What I Am (Dogs of War).
Sara is a choreographer and movement director based in London, and associate movement director for Empty Deck.
She works across film, theatre and dance, most recently movement directing a vignette for Radiohead with director Richard Ayoade. Other recent work includes London Fashion Week A/W16 and short film 'The Entertainer' starring Toby Jones.
Credits include: Anita & Me Birmingham RepertoryTheatre [Ass. Movement Dir.]; The Window Hope Theatre; Then Silence Empty Deck, New Diorama Theatre; Ages Old Vic New Voices [Assistant]; GHOSTS Shawn Soh; Embodied Mind Project Derek Jarman Lab; Sometimes There's Light [Asst. Choreo] Moving Dust UK Tour; Animaled LSFF 14 entry; Then, Silence Tristan Bates Theatre; Late in the Day Reckless Moment Productions, Hen&Chickens Theatre; No Assets Spring Offensive
CAMILLA GURTLER – Assistant Director
Camilla is from Denmark and she is currently studying Directing at Drama Centre London.
Previous directing include: Beyond the Blue, When Mr. Excavator Came and Ate All the Trees, The Monkeys and Hamster-Beavers had a bale (Omnibus Clapham), The Nighingale and the Rose (Etcetera), An Incident at the Border (The Albany).
Camilla also trained on Stonecrabs Theatre's Young Directors' Programme '13-14 and teaches the youth theatre at Omnibus Clapham. She has just finished placements at Company of Angels and the Royal Opera House.
Playwright Joe Harbot is represented by Curtis Brown. He wrote his first play, Gathered Dust and Dead Skin, when he was just fifteen.
Since then he graduated from the Royal Courts Young Writers Programme and written numerous plays, including The Boy on the Swing (Live Theatre and Arcola), Memories (Southwark Playhouse), as well as a short film, Linked, directed by Jeremy Herrin, which was produced in 2007.
In 2013, Joe's play Potholes had a short run at Theatre 503 and was longlisted for the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting.
Philippine is a set designer, costume maker and film maker from France. She trained at Central St Martins and designs various shows and performances using a range of media including installations, costumes, immersive performances, and videos.
Film making credits include: Event Designer for the Minions fashion show for NBC Universal, Central Saint Martins Theatre; Story boarder and assistant video mapping for Pete Wallace for a Sci-fi Event; Robotic costume maker and video mapping for Margot Laureau's Performance
ballade champêtre in the Dockyard (Kent); Art Director and Production Designer, Set and Costume Designer for the short film Spleen 2.0; Assistant Film Maker for Louboutin exhibition's special event in DESIGN MUSEUM
KAY MICHAEL- Director
Kay trained at Drama Centre London and read English & Theatre Studies at Warwick University. She is a founding member of curious directive with whom she has devised, performed and directed. In 2016 she was a finalist for the JMK Directors Award and in 2014 she was Trainee Director at Paines Plough.
Directing credits include: Pelican Daughters (Shakespeare in Shoreditch Festival, RIFT); We Are Nowhere.. And It Is Now (PLAY, Old Red Lion); A Local Boy (Invertigo, Pleasance); Property and Clarion (PlayWROUGHT, Arcola); True or False (Theatre Uncut, Arcola); Free Fall(Invertigo, Guildhall School of Music and Drama); The Lodger and Home (Oval House); Just One (Lost Theatre);The Nth Degree (Old Red Lion and Rosemary Branch); An Ordinary Spectacle (curious directive, Powder Blue Orthogonal Pavilion); Mercury Fur (site specific, Leamington Spa).
She was Associate Director on Offie Nominated Best New Play Clarion at Arcola and credits as assistant director include: The Winter's Tale (Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, The Globe Theatre); 2071 (Royal Court Theatre); An Intervention (Paines Plough, Watford Palace Theatre); Don Gil of the Green Breeches (Theatre Royal Bath; Arcola; Belgrade Theatre Coventry); Return to the Silence (curious directive, Pleasance); Othello (Veni Vidi); Tender Napalm (Southwark Playhouse)
SIMEON MILLER – Lighting Designer and Technician
Simeon has been a London-Based Lighting & Projection Designer since 2009.
Some recent design credits include: Persuasion (The Rosemary Branch Theatre); No Milk for the Foxes (Camden Peoples Theatre); Amy G: Entershamement (European Tour); Professional Supervision (UK Tour); Made in Britain (Old Red Lion); Hamlet (The Park Theatre); Manuelita (UK Tour); When The Fallen Sang (St.Giles-in-the-fields church); Knowledge of Angels (Shoreditch Church); Being Tommy Cooper (UK Tour).
A portfolio and full work history can be found at www.simeon.lighting
Our producers are LAUREN BROWN (of Theatre Renegade) and Alastair Michael (of Ransack Theatre)
I can't do anything about it anyway. So I might as well not try.
Sound familiar? Dealing with the anxiety of climate change and the destruction of the planet for the past two weeks has almost sent our cast into a paralysis. Cosmic Fear is all about three people trying to deal with this paralysis – three people trying to take action instead of just talking. So after a week of table work, highlighting facts and events in the style of good old Stanislavski, we've now moved on to do what might actually be the first step to personally save planet earth – experiencing the problem in our bodies. It seems like the only way we can really explore the weight of this issue is to actually embody it. Talking about it will just end in the team's collective mental breakdown.
Director Kay Michael has been working with the cast on embodiment and exploring the game within the play through various exercises that have literally turned our little hub of Room One into an apocalyptic consumer-explosion. Costumes and props galore have been covering the floor for two weeks now, providing the actors with plenty of opportunities to play. They've created a superhero film trailer for climate change SAVE PLANET EARTH to cut to the core of the issues the characters are trying to solve. They've mirrored clips of Brad and Angelina in famous scenes, trying to replicate their tempos (Laban style) and qualities, creating the heroes of our Cosmic Fear. With movement director Sara Green they've explored how a mental paranoia can manifest itself through movement and personal tics. They've even created their own survival uniform for when destruction is knocking at the door.
The first week was all about dissecting this beast of a play. Digging deep into the issues most of us have ignored – things we all know but have stored somewhere at the back of our brains. The actors brought in images, research and videos and by trying to create a very real environment and relationship for the three, the otherwise slightly obscure structure of the text now makes perfect sense to all of us (or so we hope!). Kay's work searches for detail and imagination, and with our brilliant cast members Sam Ducane (B), Jessica Sian (A) and Jack Gordon (C) what seemed like a hurricane of complex ideas is now a piece of performance that demands a presence in the room. With this process of fine textual detail and a vast physical exploration I feel this play is becoming something that will turn New Diorama and Edinburgh upside down. We're two weeks in, and already marrying the physical exploration with the almost overwhelming research – one more week and our three paranoid Brad's will be ready to give global warming a good kick.
— Guest blogger: Camilla Gürtler, Assistant director
Cosmic Fear or The Day Brad Pitt Got Paranoia previews at New Diorama's Incoming Festival on 3rd July, before transferring to Bedlam Theatre for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August.
Photography thanks to Aenne Pallasca
Featuring actors Leander Deeny, Rebecca Smith-Williams and Ben McGregor; videographer Jorge Lizalder, and director Kay Michael.
Help us take a season of contemporary Scandinavian plays to Cardiff this autumn!
Thanks to Richard Davenport for the wonderful photography!
Then Silence at New Diorama Theatre
7th June 2015
Reviewed by Verity Healey
Then Silence
They are well matched, this trio of young men, they cling together like Vladimir and Estragon in a kind of absurdist whirlpool, that, like the live sound samples Josh Grigg loops for effects, keep coming at you again and again, each time a variation on a theme. At first though, they hang back on the edges of Denisa Dumitrescu's black, dark stage, permeated with props painted in white. It seems like they don't want to start, waiting in the silence as much as we are. But it's a held, tense silence, punctuating what is to come before it has come.
There's a great deal of this in Kay Michael's UK premiere of Norwegian writer Arne Lygre's Then Silence. It seems as important as the ten survival stories the men tell – more important perhaps: that gasp or breath of possibility before one of them commands or cries out in exhausted agony "A man at a distance of two other men" or "A woman at a distance of two other men" down the microphone, the signal for them to re-imagine the world. It is the silence in which any story can be told and the one that is (as the actors switch tense, narrative voice and relate stage directions) asks, over and over, why this one? Why now and why are these the stories that we relate, over and over, to ourselves?
The wonder of Arne Lygre's writing is that he takes all that we know about storytelling, all that we can gather from its safe structures, into these little separate ten narratives and destroys them. We need stories to reassure ourselves about who we are, we tell them to give ourselves a sense of identity, to understand others, but Lygre takes away the symbiotic exchange between teller and listener so that we no longer trust. We cannot comprehend "Who is I?" or "Don't I know what I am?" In fact, it is not up to the audience to comprehend or the characters themselves, but, we realise, through the power of the microphone, it is the storyteller who is the decision maker, the one who thinks, even if that story teller keeps changing. Whoever has the microphone has the power, whoever can shout the loudest has the power, whoever can direct the story has the power.
The actors themselves are like energised and passionate anthropologists, or hapless curators, male Scheherazades (at one point one character holds up a white box representing a man's ashes as if Aladdin's Wonderful Lamp). The tension and connection between anthropology and theatre is made and explored.
Kay Michael's interpretation is not naturalistic, though. If anyone had stopped and chanted "Zero, zero and zero" whilst looking out of a window with a telescope, they would not have been out of place. But this is a good thing: she strips back the comfort any sense of naturalism the stories may bring by minimising colour and light down to grey and dark. It is a deconstruction of any traditional realism that may be insinuated in the text.
Overall, the power of the piece comes from two contrasting elements: Arne Lygre's sometimes haunting and emotionally invested descriptive dialogue exchanges, with Kay Michael's fragmented staging and afterimages that defy total context, date, time and place. Her interpretation does not allow an audience to relax into the traditional forward movement of the story. Yet conversely, we are unbearably reminded of the present, of being.
All the cast give very physical, vigorous and committed performances. Peter Clements as the Brother is all stingingness and nerves and contempt. Peter Hobday's One is caught between duty and fear. James Marchant's Another is an expression of despair.
Then Silence's last words and images are terrifying and engulfing. Neither Arne Lygre nor Kay Michael offer an appeasing answer to what has been witnessed onstage. It is an experience of contrary emotions and desolation with, at times, a dash of painful comedy.
Then Silence can be seen at The Other Room, Cardiff, 6th-23rd October 2015.
Niger Asije, Editor of the New Current caught up with Then Silence Director, Kay Michael ahead of our performance at INCOMING Festival on June 7th. You can read the full interview at www.thenewcurrent.co.uk
Hi Kay how's it going, you all set for your the festival?
I think so! It's the Saturday night before the big day; I'm sitting in my living room, with a cup of ginger tea, listening to Olafur Arnolds. Keeping it chilled.
Have you been able to get any rest between Then Silence and A Local Boy?
Not a huge amount unfortunately, no! A few weeks after A Local Boy ended I started working on Clarion at the Arcola Theatre, Mark Jagasia's hilarious and dark debut play about the state of the British press. It's good to have worked on a string of shows since January, but I'm definitely looking forward to a long summer!
The reaction to A Local Boy was fantastic, did you expect to get the type of reaction you got?
We were thrilled to get the reaction we did. I've never had a standing ovation on a first preview! We were very lucky to be opening the show in a college in Dartford, and so our first audience was made up of 16 – 18 year olds who absolutely the show. It spoke to them; it was in their language, talking candidly about things that related to them. I always knew Dan Murphy's writing was very funny, but it was extremely heartfelt too, and so not only did it make them laugh, but it moved people too, especially the relationship between the mother and son.
What does it mean for you to bring Then Silence to Incoming Festival?
It means a lot. Then Silence is a risky choice. It's a translation of a 2009 play from a Norwegian writer, who although is award-winning and really very well known in his home country, just hasn't been heard of here. The production itself – as it is now – is unlike anything I think I've seen. It's challenging. Both those things excite me as a theatre-maker, and I'm glad Incoming Festival are invested in at as much as we are. Empty Deck, my theatre company, are launching at the festival with this show, and we have big plans ahead, so we're very excited to have the audience and support to begin our journey.
Any nerves ahead of the run?
Yes! I really have no idea how the audience will respond. I've been interrogating this play for two years now with my designer and a whole host of actors, and we feel we've finally come to something that really stretches the play and makes it sing. We've only had two weeks to put together what we're showing on Sunday, and this is all a development process for a full production run in the autumn. I'm wanting feedback to see where we can take things forwards. It's a big unknown at the moment, so yes: nervous but very excited.
Tell me a little bit about Then Silence what can we expect?
It's a play that defies the ordinary logic of character or setting. 3 actor-characters explore 10 scenarios, trying to make sense of various situations human beings find themselves within, and as they do so they discover what it might mean to be 'nothing'. Expect to be intrigued, confused, to laugh hysterically, to be distressed, stunned, and left feeling like you've lived through a hundred years within 70 minutes. (That's something my designer said today after watching a run…)
What was it about Arne Lygre text that interested you so much?
His writing is just so different to anything I'd read before. He stretches time, splinters ideas of character and identity, and talks about epic themes such as disasters, bereavement, and existential crises. I've likened him to Jon Fosse, Martin Crimp, Pinter and Beckett in the past. There's something very elusive yet extremely powerful about his writing; it touches a nerve.
What has been the biggest challenges you've faced with the show?
The play is riddled with challenges! The biggest has probably been in getting away from the need to answer the typical 'Stanislavskian' questions such as 'who am I?'; 'where am I?', 'what do I want?', when analysing the characters and their situation. Pinning the play down in a concrete reality only imposes something onto the play which I just don't think is there. The actors working with me on this have very much worked from themselves, which I am incredibly grateful for. It's been very brave of them.
Have you always had a passion for theatre?
Yes. I can't remember the first show I saw though. (I remember the first gig I went too funnily enough). I acted a lot when I was younger, and continued even after university for a while, but I knew at that point I just wanted to direct.
What was your directorial debut like, a pleasant or stressful experience?
The year after graduating from uni I decided that I really needed to direct a full length play having done only short new writing, to see if I could really do it and if I wanted to seriously pursue it professionally. I was working off intuition for the most part in the rehearsal room, and was sure I didn't know what I was doing, but I loved it. I staged Philip Ridley's play Mercury Fur in a found derelict flat in Leamington Spa, which was crazy really. We had to remove tonnes of used syringes from the overgrown garden and even a dead cat from one of the rooms before installing our own lighting rig and making it safe for an audience! I don't remember it being stressful, just a lot of fun and adventure.
Looking back would you do anything differently?
Specifically about a show, or generally with where I've got to as a director? I suppose to answer both: No. I've made mistakes and 'failed' at times, definitely, but I've learnt the most from those experiences.
What 5 words best describe Then Silence?
Intense roller-coaster ride of experiences.
Do you have a favourite theatre quote?
Ahh I have so many quotes scrawled in note books, but I can't remember any off the top of my head! That's bad isn't it. 'Everything must come from the heart. Must be lived.' I just looked that up – it's Pina Bausch.
What has been the best advice you've been given?
To let go.
To up and coming directors what would be the best advice you would offer them?
To keep trying to make the work you want to make.
And finally, what do you hope people will take away from Then Silence?
The drive to keep on living as best as we can and to love with a full heart.
This interview was commissioned by The New Current. All content Ⓒ The New Current 2015.


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SEEKINGVocalist, Vocalist - Bass, Vocalist - Baritone, Vocalist - Tenor, Vocalist - Soprano, Rhythm Guitar, Lead Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Bass Guitar, Other Percussion, Violin, Trumpet, Saxophone, Keyboard, Piano, Background Singer, Harmonica, Flute, Other, Vocalist - Alto, Trombone, Steel guitar.
currently started praise group, we need committed musicians who want to serve God and use to use talent to sevre an honor the most high!
- Screen name:
- jj302
- Member since:
- Sep 04 2009
- Active over 1 month ago
- Level of commitment:
- Very Committed
- Years together:
- 1
- Tend to practice:
- 2-3 times per week
- Age:
- 39 years
I own keyboard, drums, bass, and lead guitar. I am serching for amps and mics as u read this...


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One day, at the age of seven, Gazi Jallaluddin thought he was having the best day of his life.
Skipping all the way home, with a heart about to explode with joy, he bursts into the door to break the news to his family that he had topped his class in school.
But, the world beyond that door had a starkly different vibe; his family was living in a grim parallel reality. "My father had no money, and told me that I will have to leave school," recounts Gazi.
Gazi's father was a farmer in Thakurchak village, located in the Sundarbans, West Bengal. He just had a quarter acre of land, which did not give enough yield to return even the inputs, sometimes leaving the family starving for days. Hoping for better prospects—maybe one meal every day—the family moved to Kolkata. However, Gazi's father was unwell and no one would hire him. Before long, Gazi ended up begging in the streets of Kolkata.
A few years later Gazi started pulling a rickshaw on the streets of the city, and it is when the dream of educating children of his village kindled inside him. In 1977, then 18-year-old Gazi learnt to drive a taxi.
But, troubled by the thoughts of children succumbing to abject poverty and unable to wait any longer to start turning their lives around, he immediately formed a committee back in the Sundarbans. He named it "Sunderban driving committee," and identified about 10 underprivileged young boys as members. "I told them I will teach them how to drive and get them jobs, and in turn, they must pledge five rupees from their salaries every month, and furthermore teach and educate two more kids, who will also become members and educate two more. The donations collected will be given to any child who does not have the means to join school," he explains.
There are now around 400 such young men from Joynagar driving taxis in Kolkata.
In addition to this initiative, Gazi also started asking his passengers if they wanted to donate books, medicines or old clothes for destitute villagers. Many people did do so and Gazi made sure they reached needy people in the village. Many kids who, like Gazi, had to leave studies due to lack of money to buy books were able to study again with his help.
He wanted to do more and expand his project further. He did everything he could think of. "I asked lot of people in my village if they can donate some land to build a school, but no one agreed, few even laughed at me."
Refusing to give up hope, Gazi had to make do with whatever he had. He setup classes in his own house and spread the word. He personally urged his fellow villagers to send their kids to the school. Initially no one was interested because they didn't see how it could make a difference in the long term.
"They were not ready to send their kids, especially girls to school. I explained to them how they have to run back to the doctor or a literate person to read even simplest things, like how to take medicines. Even urgent letters went unread until someone could be found to decipher them," he says.
But in 1998, Gazi's efforts started paying off. He started 'Ismail Israfil Free Primary School' (named after his two sons). The school started with 22 students and 2 teachers. By 2012, he managed to build 12 classrooms, 2 washrooms and a mid-day meal with donations offered by his passengers and his savings.
He got helped from 2 of his passengers in buying a land, some took responsibility to pay to the teachers, while some helped with the mid day meal. In 2009, with all helping hands, he built his 2nd school 'Sundarban Sikshayatan Mission', in Purv Thakurchak, Sundarban.
It was during this time he realised that many of the students were orphans and despite wanting to help them, he couldn't do anything because of the dearth of resources.
Gazi's efforts slowly started getting recognised all over the state, and it eventually helped him to give wings to another ambition of building an orphanage which finally came into being in 2016 as the Sundarban Orphanage Mission. He arranges all the residential requirements of these orphans by saving money from his earning and help received by those who donated. Despite several humble pleas to the government nobody has come up to offer him any help.
Gazi is proud of what he does. "Now my two sons are also driving taxis, and they help me to support the cause of the deprived children in Sunderbans. I personally ask donors to become lifetime members of the Sunderban Orphanage and Social Welfare Trust and participate with me in my journey," says Gazi.


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City of Sammamish - COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Information & Resources
Starting January 2nd, 2018, ordinances and resolutions are stored in the city's new document center in order to make them easier to find, accessible and searchable.
Adopted Ordinances
Each adopted ordinance received at least two readings at an open public meeting and is frequently subject to a public hearing as well. Once approved, the adopted ordinance is codified, if appropriate, in the Sammamish Municipal Code.
Adopted Resolutions
Permits & Regulations


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10:15am PT by Sophie Schillaci
Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez to Ring in the New Year on MTV Special
Demi Lovato and Teen Wolf star Tyler Posey will ring in 2012 on MTV's annual New Year's Eve Special, airing live from the network's Times Square studio on Dec. 31.
PHOTOS: Teen Choice Awards 2011: Best and Worst Moments
The duo will be joined by a star-studded list of performers, including former Disney darling Selena Gomez, J Cole, Jason Derulo and Mac Miller. Making a special appearance, Switched at Birth actresses Vanessa Marano and Katie LeClerc will stop by, as well.
The annual celebration will broadcast live on the east coast at 11 p.m., with a tape delayed west coast showing. Fans hoping to be part of the studio audience can bid on items online until Dec. 18 with proceeds to benefit the FWD Campaign, an East Africa relief effort.
PHOTOS: MTV VMAs Red Carpet Arrivals
"I'm so excited to ring in the New Year in Times Square with MTV as well as share the stage with friends and amazing musicians," Lovato said in a release.
Added Posey, "I love the MTV New Year's Eve Special and am excited to be co-hosting it with Demi Lovato. I love the performances and there are some great acts lined up this year."
Meanwhile, on ABC, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Hot Chelle Rae and Pitbull will appear on the Ryan Seacrest-hosted Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve. The bi-coastal special will also feature Jenny McCarthy on the frontlines in Times Square with Fergie hosting the west coast celebration.
Sophie firstname.lastname@example.com @thr


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Now in its seventh edition, the book series from the BEENKER & KOLLEGEN advertising agency has again been thematically restructured. Around 80 companies are presented in the main editorial topics "innovation" and "sustainability".
In addition to the logos of the city and the region, the new edition also carries the logo of bw-i Baden-Württemberg International. All three economic promotion institutions – city, region and state – are using the publication to present themselves to a domestic and international audience. The book is also to be more intensively used by the participating institutions in the future.
Part of the supplementary concept of the new publication for the recruitment of young talents is the distribution of the book to outstanding graduates of the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University.
The book is more than just a reflection of the economy. Approximately 50% of the editorial content are relating on various topics of the metropolitan area. The haptically and visually high quality design give off a subtle statement about the region.


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George Town, Tasmania
George Town is a large town in north-east Tasmania, on the eastern bank of the mouth of the Tamar River. The Australian Bureau of Statistics records the George Town Municipal Area had a population of 6,764 as of 30 June 2016.
|George Town
The Watch House
George Town
|4,347 (2016 census)[1]
|Time zone
|• Summer (DST)
|George Town Council
|State electorate(s)
|Federal Division(s)
It is the regional centre of the George Town Council local government area and is well served with a Regional Hospital, supermarkets, and infrastructure.
George Town, named for King George III is one of the older European settlements in Australia, first settled in 1804 by Colonel William Paterson[2] two years before the nearby city of Launceston 50 kilometres to the South.
George Town Post Office opened on 11 December 1822.[3]
Geography and landmarks
- Mount George
- Tamar Valley Semaphore [4]
- Low Head and Low Head Lighthouse
- Batman Bridge - Joining the George Town Municipality to the West Tamar
- Tamar River
The Basslink 400 Kilovolt high-voltage direct current submarine cable connecting Tasmania to the National Electricity Market, terminates in George Town.
In 2007 Alinta built the Tamar Valley Power Station a 200 MW gas-fired power station in the vicinity of George Town creating 200 direct and 100 indirect jobs during construction, and generating electricity from 2009.[5]
Nearby Bell Bay has an aluminium and manganese smelter, as well as the port.
George Town has 3 schools:
- South George Town Primary[6]
- Star of the Sea College
- Port Dalrymple School
Proposed developments
Bell Bay pulp mill
Gunns Limited had proposed a pulp mill to be built in the area in 2006, however Gunns entered receivership in 2013, with large debt and the mill did not proceed as the company assets were sold.
"The Grove" Georgian home built in 1829 attracts many visitors, as does the 1805 convict built pilot station at Low Head.
George Town is also a popular seaside destination for swimming, surfing, and fishing and boating enthusiasts.
George Town is home to a Little Penguin colony at the nearby beach at Low Head.
The George Town Football Club, George Town Bowls Club and the George Town Cricket Club are notable among its clubs and associations.
The Bass and Flinders Centre [7] has a collection of historical boats including a replica of the 1798 sloop Norfolk.
The Watch House [8] in Macquarie street built in 1843 was the town gaol. The building was refurbished and reopened in 2004 as a gallery and local history museum. It features a scale model of the town as it was in the early nineteenth century.
George Town is home to a vibrant arts community. The Lighthouse Regional Arts group hold a yearly art show, have local and interstate travelling displays at the Watch House and have permanent displays of art at the Bass and Flinders centre, the Low Head pilot station [9] and the Jim Mooney Gallery.[10] The George Town RSL Military Museum/display in Macquarie Street is one of Tasmania's more diverse Military Museums and has a large static display from conflicts ranging from the 1880s to present day. The collection covers both Australian and overseas militaria and history as well as possibly the only collection of Third Reich artifacts on display in the state.
George Town has two of its own radio stations – Tamar FM 95.3 which is a community radio station generally playing music and advertising local businesses, and River FM George Town which is a youth community/narrowcast radio station playing the best music from the 80's to now. River FM is run by the JNET Radio Network.
Some main events that happen annually in George Town include:
- The Tamar Valley Folk Festival, which takes place on the third full weekend in January (one week after the Cygnet Folk Festival) and features performances from local, interstate and sometimes even international musicians, as well as workshops, sessions and other festive events.[11]
- Targa Tasmania Prologue
- Steampunk Tasmania Festival [12]
Notable people
Notable people from or who have lived in George Town include:
- John Youl, an early clergyman
- Brendon Bolton, Coach of Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to George Town, Tasmania.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "George Town (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
- History of George Town
- Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
- "Tamar Valley Semaphore System".
- "Alinta announces $230m gas-fired power station in Tas". ABC. 26 October 2006. Retrieved 31 October 2006.
- South George Town Primary Education Department website
- "Bass and Flinders Centre".
- "George Town Watch House".
- "Low Head Pilot Station Museum".
- "Lighthouse Regional Arts, George Town".
- "Tamar Valley Folk Festival website".
- "Steampunk Tasmania Festival".


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From the July 12, 2003 issue of the peer reviewed, "Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research, comes a case study of a very ill nine year old boy. According to the case study, this child was suffering from a multitude of problems including, asthma and upper respiratory infections since infancy; headaches since age 6; Tourette Syndrome, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), depression and insomnia since age 7; and neck pain since age 8. It was noted in this child's history that he had been delivered by forceps delivery. His mother described her son as being "constantly sick since birth."
There has been much discussion about forceps delivery causing a variety of health problems in children. In the December 2nd, 1999 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, was a report that showed that the forceps delivery death rate was more than twice that for vaginal delivery. This situation along with other trauma the young boy had experienced offered some possible explanation for the findings of subluxations in this child. During the patient's initial examination, evidence of a subluxation stemming from the upper cervical spine was found. Chiropractic care was then administered to correct and stabilize the patient's upper neck subluxations.
Following six weeks of chiropractic care, all six conditions were absent and remained absent five months later at the conclusion of care. In a follow up seven months later, no asthma attacks, headaches, neck pain, insomnia, behavioral trouble, or tics had occurred. He had not suffered any infections, nor had he used any medications other than his half-dose of Wellbutrin. His mother reported that her son's only "problem" was becoming accustomed to being a "normal" child who was required to complete chores, walk home from school by himself, or complete school work during allotted time.
Above is the title of a documented research case study published in the August 27, 2012, issue of the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research. This case reports on the improvement through chiropractic of a young man who was suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder, sleep problems, and long term mid and lower back pain.
In this case, a 19-year-old man went to the chiropractor suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) which his father reports the young man had been suffering from his whole life. The man's primary complaint was pain in his mid and lower back that he had been suffering with for five years. The history recorded that the man had organizational and attention issues and his overall condition was affecting daily activities, school and work.
A chiropractic examination was performed including postural analysis, and spinal x-rays. Based upon the results of the examination, a determination was made that the man had subluxations in the uppermost part of his neck, the atlas vertebra, causing neurological malfunction. Additional assessments were performed to measure physical functioning, sleep, spontaneous and evoked brain activity, and visual responses. The additional assessments were performed before the initiation of chiropractic care and after care was started in order to objectively measure the patient's response to his care.
The results of the objective assessments showed improvements in attention, sleep, visual responses, and ADD scores. The improvement was apparent immediately, and showed continual improvement on subsequent tests.
The young man's mother reported that her son was doing better and was behaving better. The case study reports, "He is more cooperative and is better able to follow through and complete tasks. These include chores at home, school work, and music related activities. He began taking classes at college."
The young man himself reported that his back, neck, and head pain had resolved, his sleep improved, and he no longer felt "clumsy." He also reported that he was able to start playing his musical instrument again.


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Encinitas Homes For Sale
Encinitas Homes For Sale
Encinitas is a coastal beach city in San Diego. It is approximately 25 miles (40 km) north of Downtown San Diego in San Diego's North County and about 95 miles (153 km) south of Los Angeles. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 59,518, up from 58,014 at the 2000 census. The largest single industry in the city is the growing of ornamental flowers, particularly Poinsettias.
The city was incorporated after a majority vote of 69.3% in 1986 from the communities of historic Encinitas, new Encinitas (Village Park, etc.) , Leucadia, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, and Olivenhain. These communities retain their identities and distinctive flavors.
Get connected with Encinitas CA real estate, community amenities and neighborhoods. Find out about Encinitas schools, homes for sale and more with a map-based lifestyle search. If you have a question, get connected with the expert advice and real estate service you deserve.
Search Encinitas Condos and Homes for Sale Using Our Geo-spatial Interactive Map Search


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I would like to add our rowing training camp to your listing. Would you please advise the best way to do this?
Tours and Rowing Camps
Rowing is not just about racing. Rowing holidays and rowing tours are an alternative way to enjoy both the fun of the sport and also seeing new places. And as we all know, experiencing a place from the water is very different from the land-side views.
Rowing Tours
Specialist tour operators offer guided rowing holidays to incredible parts of the world. Most travel in sculling boats (rather than sweep) and offer coxed quad / fours with each athlete both rowing and steering (coxing) during the holiday.
Boats may be sliding seat or fixed seat. Some offer side by side seating and others have seats in a single line. Because they are larger boats, beginners can easily join in and have an enjoyable time as well as more experienced athletes.
The balance of rowing (3-4 hours a day) with sightseeing and other activities such as wine tasting, culinary, and cultural gives you the chance to both relax and exert yourself in one holiday.
Rowing Training Camps
Acquiring improved rowing and sculling skill is another great holiday objective. Training camps are holidays for those who want to build their expertise in the sport and, unlike rowing tours, are based around physical activity and usually at a single location.
Expert coaches are on hand to offer individual and crew guidance – the improvements you get when coached by an Olympian or a high calibre coach cannot be underestimated. This could be the perfect way to kick-start your rowing for next season, to get a refresher in the body movements or to log some serious mileage for your winter training goals.
Are you a rowing camp or tour operator? Get in touch and send us your dates and details and we will publish them below
Rowing Tours and dates
This is where you can search for tours and camps coming up around the world. Each event is listed by date with [CAMP] or [TOUR] so you can see the difference. Camps are training events with expert coaching usually in one place on a single lake or river. Tours are rowing holidays where you row from place to place at a more leisurely speed.
The country and location of the tour or camp and the names of the coaches or operators are also in the event listing title.
Click on any listing and it opens a window so you can see more details and booking links to external websites.
2 thoughts on "Tours and Rowing Camps"
Doug Cody says: