I must have been 7 or 8 years old when I got my first skateboard. When I started, I used to kneel on it, one leg rested on the deck while the other pushed. As my parents were at work on most days and I had no brothers or sisters, skateboarding was what I did to keep myself amused. My skateboard was my favourite toy. That was until my dad came home from work one afternoon with tickets to see “The Best Skateboarders in the World”, who at the time were Ray Barbee and Tony Hawk. Let us just say that after seeing Tony Hawk skating on the 12ft Look Skate Park ramp, which I broke my arm on about two years later, I changed my mind about skateboarding completely. It was no longer about playing. Skateboarding had become serious.
I know I wasn’t the only kid who wanted to be Tony Hawk, he was an icon and twenty years later he’s still an icon and also an extremely successful entrepreneur.
Tony Hawk became a professional skateboarder in 1983 and has placed first or second in just about every major skateboarding contest he’s entered, to date he is still the only person to land a “900,” a two-and-a-half mid-air-flip which continues to elude skateboarders. In the world of business, he is the founder and co-owner of Birdhouse Projects which ranks as one of the top distributors of skateboard products worldwide. He founded Hawk Clothing Co which is owned by Quicksilver, Inc, he is the founder and co-owner of 900 Films, Inc, and he is responsible for bringing skateboarding to the video games market, selling over 2,000,000 copies of his video game Tony Hawks Pro Skateboarder.
My reason for admiring this man doesn’t really have anything to do with his success, it’s more to do with the way he’s become successful. He has managed to take a passion and turn it in to an extremely successful enterprise without burning bridges along the way. I admire the way he has stayed true to the skateboarding culture and helped in enabling it to grow into one of the most successful sporting industries around whilst giving back to the sport.
The Tony Hawk Foundation was founded in 2002 and creates skateparks that promote a healthy life style and act as an alternative to crime, drugs and gangs in challenged communities around the United States and in other parts of the world
“The Tony Hawk Foundation seeks to foster lasting improvements in society, with an emphasis on supporting and empowering youth. Through special events, grants, and technical assistance, the Foundation supports recreational programs with a focus on the creation of public skateboard parks in low-income communities. The Foundation favors programs that clearly demonstrate that funds received will produce tangible, ongoing, positive results.” (Tony Hawk Foundation – mission statement)
Although he is now known as the “Grand Father,” Tony Hawk continues to contribute to the sport of skateboarding having maintained his image and respect from those prolific in the sport today for over twenty years. I feel as far as role models go, not many people will deny that Tony Hawk is right up there with the best of them. I admired him as a skateboarder when I was a little boy and admire him as a businessperson now that I am adult.
Thursday, 2 December 2010
Gravity and Levity (Blog assignment 4)
Gravity and Levity:
Artistic director Lindsey Butcher set up this Brighton based Dance Company in 2003, to develop the creative potential of aerial dance. The company presents work that redefines people’s perception of the dance floor by offering an alternative approach to traditional dance and circus.
At present the company offers, “A broad, accessible and ambitious program of participatory work.” Workshops are creative or equipment based focussed around specific dance or aerial techniques and take the form of a one off event or ongoing project
Despite their funding being slashed by the arts council, the company put on a “ Circus Boot Camp” in August giving complete beginners to aerial performance a chance to work with some of Europe’s leading circus professionals in an attempt to make the art form more accessible.
Taking into consideration the social issues affecting Brighton, I feel a possible area of development this small dance company could look into would be to work with and teach aerial performance to young children in the local communities on a more permanent basis.
In May 2010 an article was published entitled, “Brighton Kemptown candidates on tackling drug abuse” (http://newsfrombrighton.co.uk/brighton-politics/election-2010-brighton-kemptown-candidates-on-tackling-drug-abuse/). The article highlighted the Brighton and Hove communities concerns over the problem of the misuse of drugs in minors and more importantly what the then campaigning politicians planned to do about it. By structuring a teaching programme, using aerial dance and anti-drugs awareness, the company would be able to engage young people in a physical and fun activity in an attempt to alleviate boredom and create awareness about the dangers of substance abuse, at potentially a very young age.
I feel that the style of the dance that Gravity and Levity perform may be very appealing to younger people as it shares a close relation to circus performance. The company could benefit in a number of ways by engaging in this sought of project. For instance, their profile within the local community and the broader dance fraternity will be raised for addressing and dealing with the major issue of substance abuse. There is also the possibility of government subsidies to cover the costs of the programme. The company may even be able to expand by spotting talent and mentoring those individuals that show promise of one day becoming professional dancers themselves. They will also achieve their goal set out in the boot camp of making aerial performance more accessible.
The problems that Gravity and Levity may face by engaging in this issue could be that because the company is so small it may be very difficult to spread their workload between the education programmes and doing what they ultimately set out to do, create dance. This would mean that they might need to employ more people in order cope with the additional work load but since their funding from the arts council has been slashed this might not be a viable thing to do.
However, I feel that the potential future benefits that Gravity and Levity may experience by engaging in such a project may allow that expansion to occur. Benefits like improved trust and understanding, more business, increased motivation and increased attractiveness to potential clients should all pay off in the future.
Artistic director Lindsey Butcher set up this Brighton based Dance Company in 2003, to develop the creative potential of aerial dance. The company presents work that redefines people’s perception of the dance floor by offering an alternative approach to traditional dance and circus.
At present the company offers, “A broad, accessible and ambitious program of participatory work.” Workshops are creative or equipment based focussed around specific dance or aerial techniques and take the form of a one off event or ongoing project
Despite their funding being slashed by the arts council, the company put on a “ Circus Boot Camp” in August giving complete beginners to aerial performance a chance to work with some of Europe’s leading circus professionals in an attempt to make the art form more accessible.
Taking into consideration the social issues affecting Brighton, I feel a possible area of development this small dance company could look into would be to work with and teach aerial performance to young children in the local communities on a more permanent basis.
In May 2010 an article was published entitled, “Brighton Kemptown candidates on tackling drug abuse” (http://newsfrombrighton.co.uk/brighton-politics/election-2010-brighton-kemptown-candidates-on-tackling-drug-abuse/). The article highlighted the Brighton and Hove communities concerns over the problem of the misuse of drugs in minors and more importantly what the then campaigning politicians planned to do about it. By structuring a teaching programme, using aerial dance and anti-drugs awareness, the company would be able to engage young people in a physical and fun activity in an attempt to alleviate boredom and create awareness about the dangers of substance abuse, at potentially a very young age.
I feel that the style of the dance that Gravity and Levity perform may be very appealing to younger people as it shares a close relation to circus performance. The company could benefit in a number of ways by engaging in this sought of project. For instance, their profile within the local community and the broader dance fraternity will be raised for addressing and dealing with the major issue of substance abuse. There is also the possibility of government subsidies to cover the costs of the programme. The company may even be able to expand by spotting talent and mentoring those individuals that show promise of one day becoming professional dancers themselves. They will also achieve their goal set out in the boot camp of making aerial performance more accessible.
The problems that Gravity and Levity may face by engaging in this issue could be that because the company is so small it may be very difficult to spread their workload between the education programmes and doing what they ultimately set out to do, create dance. This would mean that they might need to employ more people in order cope with the additional work load but since their funding from the arts council has been slashed this might not be a viable thing to do.
However, I feel that the potential future benefits that Gravity and Levity may experience by engaging in such a project may allow that expansion to occur. Benefits like improved trust and understanding, more business, increased motivation and increased attractiveness to potential clients should all pay off in the future.
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
London Kayakathon Operations ( Blog assignment 3)
2010 saw the inaugural London Kayakathon take place, a 26.2 mile sea kayaking event on the river Thames on the same day as the London marathon. The second event will take place on 17 April 2011 and see’s the event doubling the number of participants from 50 to 100 and aims to raise £20’000 for a variety of charities as well as act as a frame work for future Kayakathons.
The Thames is a heavily controlled stretch of water. The harbour Master, Port of London Authority, River police, RNLI, Launching sites and BCU all need to be satisfied that the event is well organised and safe. This means that in order to get approval to hold the event a comprehensive risk assessment is essential. For the 2011 event, the original risk assessment has had to be enhanced using feedback from the leaders and officials involved in the 2010 event.
Another extremely important element pertaining to the smooth running and safety of the event is the Rules and Regulations document. All participants are required to read and adhere to this document and hand in a signed consent form at registration on the day of the event before a detailed briefing is given regarding the Kayakathon.
The meeting place for the Kayakaton is Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre. This venue is used as it has the facilities to accommodate the participants including toilet and wash facilities, electricity and catering facilities. Parking has been arranged for up to 10 transit vans with trailers within the centre’s grounds and there is ample street parking around the venue. There are storage facilities for the participant’s kayaks and equipment as well as space for people coming from outside London to camp over on the night before the event. This will also be the venue for a social get together and barbeque for the participants the night before the Kayakathon. A portion of the administration fee will cover the cost of the food and beverages and people staying the night are asked to leave a donation for the centre.
Registration for the event opens at 08h30 on the morning of 17 April 2011 and will consist of two manned tables in order to register the 100 participants before the event briefing at 10h00. The day follows a strict plan to ensure the participants are ready to start underneath Tower Bridge at 11h30. This has been arranged with the BBC in order to receive media coverage in the hope that the publicity may help in the expansion of the event in future years. Communication plays an important role in keeping the participants safe on the water and in their groups, therefore all of the marshals will be using VHF radios to keep in contact with the safety boats and megaphones to communicate with the participants. The Marshals will be wearing Blue bibs in order to make them distinguishable from the other participants who will be wearing yellow with their race numbers pinned high up on their bibs.
Wednesday, 10 November 2010
Macroeconomics and the Falmouth Oyster Festival (Assignment 2)
Cornwall has a wealth of festivals which vary in size and style from small community celebrations to large scale arts festivals presenting a variety of professional product. They are capable of providing a focal point for cultural tourism and are beginning to do so in a number of cases. A higher profile and more integrated marketing, together with a recognition of their value in terms of tourism and economic spin-off is necessary. The range is impressive and the benefits, both economic and social, of promoting this area of activity are self-evident.( http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=14917) accessed 08/11/2010
The Falmouth Oyster Festival is an annual event celebrating the start of the oyster dredging season and one of the last traditional oyster fisheries, dredging by sail and hand punt. The season runs from October to March and is governed by ancient laws, overseen by the European Union, put in place to protect the natural ecology of the riverbeds and oyster stocks.
The Oyster Festivals effect on the local economy is tremendous, held in mid October and a week before half term, the event creates a tourist boom of around 30’000 people over four days, at a time of year where income from tourism into the economy should be decreasing. The festival benefits nearly every aspect of Falmouth’s economy, local supply businesses experience an increase in business due to increased business for local restaurants, shops, hotels and others businesses providing services. This also means that the majority of people who are employed seasonally in Falmouth may be able to stretch their employment time until after the half term holiday toward the end of October, which has a positive effect on the employment rate, and the gross domestic product of the UK
The event also promotes local produce, and in turn can be very beneficial in promoting Cornish produce to international markets. Although the oyster festival only lasts a few days, it signifies the start of the dredging season. The Fal River oysters are sold, mostly out of the county to smart metropolitan restaurants or exported to Europe where they are highly sought after, even in France. There are many factors influencing this trade with other countries for example the value of the British Pound against other currencies. This is determined by the current deficit of the economy, a rise in deficit will result in the fall of the face value of a currency, in turn, a reduction in deficit will improve the value of the currency. Inflation also has the ability to devalue a currency as it reduces the purchasing power within a county. Although the reduction in the value of the pound is negative when purchasing from international markets the opposite is true when supplying. The decreased value of the pound might possibly influence trade with countries who 10 years ago would never have purchased British produce as the value of the pound was extremely high.
The week pound could also mean an increase of international tourists visiting Cornwall. The government website, Visit Cornwall, promotes the Oyster Festival to international tourists, which benefits the county on a whole. Tourists visiting the UK are effectively creating wealth for the country, this means that they are bringing money into the country that wasn’t there before their visit.
Wednesday, 20 October 2010
wots appening round ere then? (assignment 1 )
The Haunted Castle Haunted Tour (over 16s only)
Where: Pendennis Castle (Falmouth)
When: Thursday 30 October 7.30pm
Tickets: Adult: £12/ Concession: £12/ English Heritage Members: £10. Booking essential
If, like me, you have never been to Pendennis Castle you might want to think about visiting on the eve of Halloween where you might get a chance to meet some of the castles lesser seen inhabitants. The Castle commissioned by King Henry VIII to defend against possible attack by Spain and France, over 450 years ago it's thought to be home to no fewer than eight different ghosts, including a lieutenant governor, scullery girl and head cook.
As caretakers of one of the country's oldest and most haunted properties, English Heritage has delved into its ghastly past and created a haunting tour of Pendennis Castle that's sure to get everyone's spine tingling this Halloween.
The Cornwall Film Festival
Where: Phoenix Cinema (Falmouth)
When: 5 – 7 November 2010
Tickets: Day Pass £15/ £10 conc.
Weekend Pass: £25/ £15 conc.
Feature Film tickets: £3.49 with pass £7.00 without
Now in its 9th year the Cornish Film Festival takes place in Falmouth at the newly renovated Phoenix cinema. An annual event celebrating Cornish and international film making, the festival offers local and national premieres, lectures and professional development workshops. It also showcases many independent films and offers a platform for local film makers to get their work seen.
Highlights of this year’s festival will include the South West premieres of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest, Mike Leigh's Another Year and Skeletons, a surrealist comedy which was recently voted best new British Film at the Edinburgh Film Festival as well as a chance to see the first-ever Cornish language musical.
The festival aims to promote Cornish film makers and Cornwall as a region whilst also allowing access to films that may not easily be seen by the general public.
Breakin Convention
Where: Hall for Cornwall (Truro)
When: 12th & 13th November
Tickets: £15 (£10 before Nov 1st) + Concessions
Breakin Convention is a celebration of Hip Hop culture, curated by Sadler’s Wells associate Jonzi D, presenting the finest break-dancing crews from around the world. Now in Its third year Breakin Convention will take place in Truro following a sold out London festival earlier in the year.
The convention gives the audience a chance to see some of the most innovative dancers in the world and the UK with representation of a local crew in each city that the show is held.
The festival not only includes the on stage performances but it also brings with it an international workshop programme including graffiti, performances and Dj’s playing to packed freestyle circles where audience participation is encouraged.
Breakin Convention is a project of the Sadler’s Wells dance house, a London company, who aim to produce, commission, and present dance works of the highest standard crossing the boundaries between different art forms
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)