Firstly to sum up the progression made today:
Alexia's Feedback
Of our three ideas the urban vs rural idea was by far the most popular, however Alexia was keen for us not to separate the two sides too much; our magazine still needs to be a true reflection of Kentish Town.
With this in mind we have come up with the idea of creating a standalone magazine about Kentish Town that has an urban feel with a pull out magazine reflecting its urban side in the centre. This shows the way in which Kentish Town is a pocket of calm within a big city and how the rural elements of the place sit alongside its urban nature. Initial ideas have the pull out magazine being around A5 in size, rustic, organic looking and very 'rural' in feel, with the urban magazine being around A4 with a much more modern visual identity.
Alexia also brought up the idea of TEXTURE being important and using texture in our magazine to reflect the feel of Kentish Town. Further research needs to be done into the practicalities of this and an idea of interactivity but of a professional (and affordable) nature.
Name ideas
We are still searching for a name and thought about the idea of two things working together and the idea of one thing within another.
This in mind I liked the idea of something along the lines of 'bread and butter' - two things that need each other in this way. Perhaps it could be two things that you wouldn't necessarily think to put together (e.g peanut butter and jam) but that work and are well known. The main magazine would then be called the first thing and the smaller magazine the second. If it's a foodstuff it needs to be something traditionally British.
I'm not suggesting we use these but here are some ideas to demonstrate the idea:
- Toast and Jam
-Mash and Gravy (thought Gravy would work particualry well for the rural magazine)
- Beans and Toast (or Toast and Beans)
- Pepper and Salt <-------- Thought it would be interesting to switch around a well known phrase to show how the mix of urban and rural is unexpected but still works. You don't expect to hear pepper and salt - the natural order would be salt and pepper - yet it still makes sense because you know that pepper and salt go together)
- something and Spuds
- Apples and Oranges / Oranges and Lemons
- Marmalade and Jam (different but the same...)
... ok so I can't think of any more right now but will keep thinking and please do too!
Content Ideas
Everyone has been allocated different sections to cover, that will fit into either urban or rural:
The sections are as follows:
URBAN:
Music / Talent
Fashion
Art
A day in the life
RURAL:
Food
Pubs
Life: A day in the life (of someone who works at the farm)
Religion
ELLIE: Rural, FOOD - focusing on wholefoods, organic etc. Interview deli / restaurant owners?
Rural, Fitness - review of a Gypsy belly dancing lesson!
TOM: Urban, Music: find up and coming talent in Kentish Town, bands based in the area? Recording studios?
Rural, Pubs: Do a pub crawl with friends - write up your experience - about the stories, the atmosphere, the people etc
Urban, Celebs: to contact celebs that live in Kentish Town to try and get a '20 seconds with' interview
ZADRIAN:Urban, Fashion: to focus on the tailor's and the womenswear shop
Rural, Religion: to talk about the role of the church within the community
LIBBY: Urban, Art: to contact the galleries / interview the artists in Kentish Town
Rural, A day in the life of the farm
Other page ideas:
A day in the life - for each section (urban and rural) I would like to have few 'A Day in the Life's which we can split amongst us - I will assign these at a later date but if in your research you find someone interesting who would make a good candidate, let me know
Shopping page - the weird and wonderful things you can buy in Kentish Town,
Contact details for all businesses mentioned
To be assigned at a a later date
Editorial ideas:
Urban - using clothes from the womenswear shop Zadrian found - either style ourselves or get them to style an outfit / outfits to show how they view fashion and to reflect the fashion of Kentish Town.
Architecture
Rural - a photoshoot on the farm combining high end, urban clothing with the farmyard surroundings. e.g a man in a suit shovelling manure, stilettoes on cobbles etc
At a nearer date Zadrian to organise clothes and models.
Magazine Plan of Action
In the handbook it says drafts of our pieces need to be all finished by the 9TH OF MAY
I know this is unrealistic as some of us are away over Easter, but that first week back (commencing the 3rd of May) I would like to see from you all a detailed plan of your pieces. By that stage if you haven't managed to conduct any interviews you may need for your piece you should at least have chosen and contacted your interviewees.
In the meantime it would be great if everyone could continue researching their specific areas - keep in touch with me if you have any queries about what you're doing / to pass ideas by me as well as keeping your brains ticking over name ideas for the magazine.
By the time we come back after Easter I will also have made a rough flat plan to show to Alexia.
Also when we come back we need to be able to discuss the visual identity of the magazine so between now and then if everyone could collect any imagery that relates to the look we want - pages from magazines and digital images but if everyone could have at least something to contribute to a group folder of inspiration.
Broadcast Plan of Action:
I will be borrowing a camera and tripod all throughout the Easter holidays. Tom and I will go to the farm on Saturday the 9th of April to do some initial filming.
Then we will all meet there on the weekend of the 30th of May to film May Day. This will be an early start but I will let you know the times soon.
Also today Annie recommended a link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/8411746/Kate-Humble-countryside-walks-should-be-mandatory.html
Please look at it as it is very relevant. I am going to try and contact Kate Humble to feature her in our programme as I think what we are doing is so relevant to her.
Summary of what everyone should be doing:
- keep thinking of magazine name ideas
- detailed drafts including details of either conducted or scheduled interviews to be given to Libby week of the 1st of May
- Tom and Libby to film Saturday 9th of April
- Everyone to film Saturday, Sunday (and Friday??) of the 30th and 31st of April
- Everyone to find sources of visual inspiration to hand to Libby week of the 1st of May to put into a group inspiration folder
- Keep in contact with me about the progression of your ideas
Hope this is all clear. :)
Libby
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
Concept Meeting, Kentish Town, 25/3/2011
Hey everyone! So this is a round up of everything we discussed today, and follow up tasks to complete. I've started with some external information on our Easter Plans!
Easter Plans:
Zadrian: In South America all holiday!
Ellie: Is home, but can come back to London at weekends if needed.
Libby: Work experience for the first two weeks, then home.
Tom: Leaves mid-holiday.
Agreed return weekend: Saturday the 29th- 2nd of May
BROADCAST
Easter Plans:
Zadrian: In South America all holiday!
Ellie: Is home, but can come back to London at weekends if needed.
Libby: Work experience for the first two weeks, then home.
Tom: Leaves mid-holiday.
Agreed return weekend: Saturday the 29th- 2nd of May
BROADCAST
- The farm is very much on board
- 8-10 days of full filming
- The project has been around since the 1970's (so over 30 years)
- Started as a community project, and now the concept has been carried out across the UK
- Gardens came first, then animals
- People live in flats next to the farm are often volunteers/workers. Surrounded by flats. Two train lines.
- Volunteers from homeless and mental health charities
- school trips- heavily involves young children who often don't want to leave
- Interest in community projects of this nature is becoming more frequent. Rise of organic farming.
- The farm does not sell any produce made, 'farm' its animals and is a donation based organization
- 15 plots- owned by families, organizations and charities
- Recently received a grant
- Very organized, has a 99 year lease!
- Educational- children from the inner city, builds confidence, non restricting
- summers and weekends are busiest
- MAY DAY CELEBRATIONS
- The idea of a double life.
- Start at the May Day. Build up to Summer Projects.
MAGAZINE
- focus on community
- editors letters
- village
- tree branches, mixing elements- origins (Sainsburies!), food (deli's, multi-cultural), home grown talent (music and artists) sports (hot yoga, belly dancing), community (farm)
- Many stories which interlink- central link?
- Rustic, organic
- Seeds- present in a seed packet, give away seeds? "Build the next village"
- It started with... (Ed letter)
- Community, seedling
- Harmonious, out of the ordinary but perfectly fitting
- Adverts- local companies, the farm- giving back to the community
PRESENTATION/PITCH
- Sum up concept meeting
- community- but not tacky/touristy
- the village- 1 town, many communities, many stories
- Out of place
- Off the beaten track
TO DO:
- Contact 3xM and then lecturers
- Pitch magazine ideas
- Meet again to finalize ideas
- PERHAPS come up with article ideas to research and draft over the Easter
- Begin building "THE BOOK". Who will keep the book?
Hope your all well. We had an incredibly productive day, and lets work towards getting final ideas by the end of the week.
E
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
Broadcast Pitch Review
So what did we learn from today's pitch?
- focus on the gritty reality, make the documentary honest and thorough
- however, if we feel that the farm needs more promotion then try to show this
- find individual character to focus the story and give it direction
- juxtaposition- city child on the farm
- make a story by building up to an event
- why did the farm come about? meet the owner. what does a farm in inner city London represent?
Hope you're all well.
Ellie
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
Meeting Minutes: 22 March 2011
Creative Team Meeting Agenda
22 March 2011
8:00PM via Skype
Meeting Minutes
Broadcast Concept Idea:
· Producer: Tom Williams
· Public Relations: Libby coordinating relationship with the farm and the broadcast team.
· City Team: Zadrian interested in heading up this team as Assistant Producer.
- Priority: Farm vs. City Life
- A documentary that will focus on juxtaposing a character on the farm and in the city. Tom will have a link to a documentary about a French school to use for reference. The broadcast team will split into two teams, a farm team and city team with Tom as Producer, the unifying link.
- 2nd Priority: Farm vs. City Life with Presenter
- Presenting the same idea as the priority concept, but adding in a presenter. However, the group discussed that using a presenter takes away from the essence of the documentary. Let the story tell itself.
- 3rd Priority: Farm (Longer)
- This concept will focus solely on the farm, maybe a day, week, or month in the life of the farm. No presenter.
Documentary Style: Fly on the Wall
Proposed Channel to Air: Channel 4
Presentation Layout: 23 March 2011
- Libby presents idea.
- Tom to expand on idea.
- Zadrian prepared to back up by controlling images on blog and presenting secondary ideas on the blog if necessary.
Magazine Concept:
- Libby discussed the next step for the editorial team is to develop a coherent theme. This way over spring break everyone can focus on a section and begin to build their section to contribute to the overall theme/concept of the magazine.
- The next step is for the team to visit Kentish Town together on either 28 March, Monday or March 29, Tuesday. The team will decide on three preliminary ideas to present to Alexia for March 30, Wednesday.
Will discuss what day/time works best for everyone on Monday or Tuesday and finalize date ASAP.
Organic Kentish
Hey everyone. I took a lovely trip up into Kentish Town today, it was all lovely and sunny! I have visited the area before as I only live around the corner in Camden Town. Just a quick mention though, that if we ever need a HQ my flat could be an appropriate meeting place, my bedroom is rather large so could be handy for us to use!
The first thing I noticed when arriving in Kentish was the hustle and bustle of the streets. I felt as if I was being poked and pulled left right and centre with all the goings on. There were lots of different smells and sights around the main road in Kentish, ranging from the massive fruit and veg stall to the small coffee cart just to the right of the station. I popped into a few shops such as the wonderfully organic 'Earth Store' where I cheekily purchased some wonderful juices and seeds. (Health Kick with me Tom Williams)
The whole feel of Kentish Town felt raw and I felt as if I could pick the whole place up and place it into the rural countryside of Yorkshire. Who would of thought somewhere in the grey city which we call London could feel so rural? The whole mix of café's and pubs all felt so homely and welcoming. A humble slice of the country in a big concrete city. Its a lovely thought that someone could move to London from somewhere more rural and still feel at home in Kentish Town.
I have already started to think of the creative aspects of our magazine and website and so forth. I do love the idea of the whole magazine being ethic and organic yet still very charismatic to look at. The character idea sounds fantastic we just need to find something or some influence on how these characters should look and the style in which we design them. I keep having the idea of the whole magazine being constructed from recyclable materials (the paper itself could look very aesthetic) yet retain a very arty/artesian look. However obviously all ideas are very primitive at the moment, still have lots of time to finalise these things.
When it does come to the concept of the magazines look I would prefer if we all met in person rather than on-line, the design will obviously have to be very hands on.
To summarise Kentish Town felt very organic and fresh and this was a different side to London to any I had experienced before. Go North London!!
Tom Williams
The first thing I noticed when arriving in Kentish was the hustle and bustle of the streets. I felt as if I was being poked and pulled left right and centre with all the goings on. There were lots of different smells and sights around the main road in Kentish, ranging from the massive fruit and veg stall to the small coffee cart just to the right of the station. I popped into a few shops such as the wonderfully organic 'Earth Store' where I cheekily purchased some wonderful juices and seeds. (Health Kick with me Tom Williams)
The whole feel of Kentish Town felt raw and I felt as if I could pick the whole place up and place it into the rural countryside of Yorkshire. Who would of thought somewhere in the grey city which we call London could feel so rural? The whole mix of café's and pubs all felt so homely and welcoming. A humble slice of the country in a big concrete city. Its a lovely thought that someone could move to London from somewhere more rural and still feel at home in Kentish Town.
I have already started to think of the creative aspects of our magazine and website and so forth. I do love the idea of the whole magazine being ethic and organic yet still very charismatic to look at. The character idea sounds fantastic we just need to find something or some influence on how these characters should look and the style in which we design them. I keep having the idea of the whole magazine being constructed from recyclable materials (the paper itself could look very aesthetic) yet retain a very arty/artesian look. However obviously all ideas are very primitive at the moment, still have lots of time to finalise these things.
When it does come to the concept of the magazines look I would prefer if we all met in person rather than on-line, the design will obviously have to be very hands on.
To summarise Kentish Town felt very organic and fresh and this was a different side to London to any I had experienced before. Go North London!!
Tom Williams
Creative Meeting Agenda: 22 March 2011
Creative Team Meeting Agenda
22 March 2011
8:00PM via Skype
Review of Roles/Responsibilities: Managing Editor, Zadrian Smith
Presentation of Ideas for Broadcast:
· Editor in Chief: Libby Page
· Creative Director: Tom Williams
· Managing Editor: Zadrian Smith
· Features Editor: Zadrian Smith on Behalf of Ellie Mathews
*At this point I have only received Skype addresses from the team members aforementioned which is why they are included on the agenda.
Discussion on All Ideas Presented: Creative Team
Selection of Top 3 Ideas: Creative Team
Outline Presentation for Broadcast: Creative Team
Preliminary Discussion on Magazine Ideas: Creative Team
Schedule Next Meeting to: Creative Team
· Visit Kentish Town for Further Research
· Finalize Top 3 Ideas for Magazine
Research Submitted by Managing Editor, Zadrian Smith
On 21 March around 8:00PM I took a visit to Kentish Town. I wanted to see the place at night, because it’s interesting to see the things you notice when there’s less congestion and noise to distract you. Below, I have listed some of the places that stood out the most to me and caught my attention.
There were also a few interesting individuals about on the street all appearing to be in their own world/element but interacting with their surroundings as unique characters.
Chris Ruocco Tailor, Est. 1952
020 7485 7521
· This menswear tailor shop was established in 1952. The owner will definitely have some interesting stories to tell. We could talk to him about what menswear fashion is in Kentish Town, how it has evolved and how has he maintained an important place in the market. The tailor is an important character in a neighborhood, because he knows how people add up…literally. I am sure he has some interesting stories to tell about his customers from the past and present that could lead us to discover more about how men impact this community. His thoughts on menswear fashion today would also be enlightening.
Christ Apostolic Church
020 7485 6899
· One of the most interesting things that caught my attention was the church. On my visit, I noticed three churches all of different denominations, but all so similar in their architecture. This made me think about the role that churches play in a community, and the many characters that exist within a church. What I also found ironic is that each denomination prides themselves in the makeup of their religion, which makes each religion so different, but from the façade (the building) they all look the same. This to me has a double meaning, because for someone who is a non-believer, no matter what the religion all churches look the same from the outside. As I observed the churches in the night, they appeared to be quite daunting and unapproachable. I begin to think why is it that I a place that is supposed to provide unending comfort closed at night. Do people stop needing God at night? One would think that the most popular time for the church to be open would be at night. To give back to the community. I have strong views about the church, as you can see. I don’t understand why churches don’t have to pay taxes and there’s so many of them. Research has shown that if each church paid minimal taxes it would help alleviate the debts of countries experiencing economic hard times right now like the UK and USA.
· Next, I thought about how in a world where everything is ever evolving the one thing that seems to have remained the same is the church. If you look at the architecture of the churches through history they have not changed. Religions don’t evolve, they also stay the same. This creates the wonderful world of conflict with religion. If everything else is evolving, why does the church not evolve? It puts it in a weird time capsule. Think about this, over time people have become more accepting of homosexuals, minorities, etc. Had this evolution not happened, what would the world be today? The church needs to catch up, but it’s interesting the power the church has to remain the same, to reject, to accept and to stand by principles that are so controversial that only the bravest dare to protest.
· Obviously, we cannot do an entire magazine on the church, but the principle of the church to me is quite interesting and encompasses a lot.
o Those who reject change or evolution
o The power of not changing
o Double standards
o Hierarchy of the church
HMV Forum: Persian Night, 21 March
A. George Clinton: 18 June
B. PFM (Premiata Forneria Marconi): 20 May
C. Dry the River: 25 May
· It was the lady with the black and white sequined scalloped dress that made me stop. The fashion was hideous, but these people strode with a confidence that made you stop and stare. They were Persians gathering together for a night of fun and Persian music. Here again is this principle of rejection and not evolving. Many ethnic groups that immigrate to other countries are often caught in the middle of trying to maintain their ethnic identity and conform to their new home. However, you do have some who don’t conform and end up looking ridiculous, because no one else dresses like they do except for the few members of their ethnic community who have also chosen not to conform. Then you have those who do conform, and only put on the clothing that would identify them with their ethnic backgrounds for special occasions, etc. Does this make their ethnic dress a costume? Also, a look at what role different ethnicities make in recreating a community. If you think about London, every area is known for the type of people that live there, but how do these people get to these places and decide this will be there hub? How do they influence the people already living there to accept and adopt their culture?
Hair Salon & Gallery
020 7267 5323
· A team of what appeared to be hairstylists all gathered in the front part of the hair salon and looked as if they were at an auction as they all examined pieces of contemporary art. What they were doing was selecting the next round of artwork to be exhibited in their hair salon. What a unique idea, but does it work? There has definitely been an ongoing dual purpose trend developing of the facilities we use having more than one purpose (restaurant/music hall, book store/post office) Just thought it would be interesting to speak to the people here, because they looked cool and would be good to inquire about the success of their creative endeavor and how it has impacted business. What made them decide to do it?
Blustons: Classic Ladies Clothing
020 7485 3508
· This shop made me laugh. Once you see the pictures you will know why. The clothes are so dated! I have to know who is shopping here. What do they do? Why have they chosen not to evolve to current fashion trends? Once again the notion of rejecting change and staying true to what you feel works best for you. If you think about it though…Anna Wintour has had the same hairstyle since the start of her career, yet she dictates to other women that change is principle and mandatory. Another double standard. I am sure the owner of this shop is a character and will have some funny stories and opinions on what is fashionable, what is not fashionable and the idea of change.
~Zadrian Smith
Monday, 21 March 2011
John Noel Management
http://www.johnnoel.com/ John Noel Management manage so many well known people, including: Russel Brand, Dermet O'Leary, George Lamb, Tess Daly, Mariella Frostrup...
The building itself was really interesting, sneaking around the courtyard I spied loads of costumes etc through the windows and just thought it was a really interesting company to contact and talk to about what they do, how they do it etc.
Libby
Kentish Town Architecture
Kentish Town Visit
Brainstorm of ideas / things found on first visit to Kentish Town
I found a link to this video: http://www.vimeo.com/19363639 which is all about the community in Haverstock (next to Kentish Town). Admittedly the execution isn't amazing and it is about a different area, but I just thought it is really worth watching as it gives an overview of a sense of community. I think this idea of community is something we should really focus on, because that to me is what an area like this is built around. Also in today's world I think this positivity is something interesting to show. David Cameron is always talking about creating a 'Big Society' but what about all the little societies right under our noses? It is easy to jump to the conclusion that all is wrong with the world but from looking around Kentish Town I would say that strong communities are still there if you look for them.
Kentish Town is a real mix of different architecture (architecture post to follow) and contrast between rich and poor, old and new, and a busy main street contrasted against quiet little terraces like this with cherry blossom trees and children riding bikes and skipping on the pavement. To me this contrast shows a real snapshot of London itself and could be an interesting thing to look at, as well as something that could be powerful visually.
Queen's Crescent Community Centre
This community centre is a hub of activity. There is a community breakfast and lunch club where they do 3 course meals for £3 for locals and there are also lots of groups / clubs etc for young people and the elderly.
Marco's Café
This was your standard greasy spoon café but I just liked that it was 'Marco's' café - tied in with my thoughts about the people of Kentish Town.
The name of this off-licence made me laugh!
A flash of colour in the city
Camden Good Neighbours Scheme
This looks a really good scheme in the area (have a leaflet with full details) that helps the elderly - people visit and help isolated elderly people in Camden and organises social events as well as helping with practical problems. Due to government cuts this scheme is at risk - just like other schemes for young people that I found going on in the area... I thought this was an interesting issue to think about : David Cameron talks about creating a Big Society (as mentioned earlier) yet cutting schemes like these seems completely contradictory to this. It also made me think that there is actually so much good going on in communities that we don't really know or hear about (like this scheme) so is everything really as bad as it is often portrayed? Or is it just likely to end up that way if schemes like these suffer? How will government cuts affect Kentish Town? We obviously all went to the protest about cuts to higher education and that is the perspective we have on government cuts but is this really the most important issue? What are the issues that really matter to the average person on the streets of Kentish Town?
In this vein I found details of council meetings where locals can come to voice issues they have with the area - thought it might be an idea to contact the local council about coming along and taking notes at a meeting to see what people are really concerned about here.
Music
I walked past lots of adverts for recording spaces and music venues and thought this was an interesting side to Kentish Town. Music is obviously a really important part of the community here. I saw an advert for this award ceremony for the unsung heroes of Camden's music scene - I know it's not specifically Kentish Town but as Camden is the borough I thought it could still be relevant? I thought we could get in contact with the organisers of this award ceremony and have someone from the group go there on Monday 28th March and then interview the winner?
A quiet street in Kentish Town
I loved the name of this café on Queen's Crescent - thought it fitted in really well with the whole idea of a community and I could imagine a feature 'Tales from the Gossip Stop Café' or something like that - thinking about life viewed through the window of a café and talking to the people that work there about the people they meet and life in Kentish Town.
Queen's Crescent Market
This isn't your twee London market - it is very much a working market used by normal people. It was a real assortment of bits and bobs - could maybe do something about the weird and wonderful things you can find here? What is the most unusual thing you can buy here? Also along the street there are lots of shops selling all kinds of bits and bobs - could tie those in too.
This memorial gave a hint at another, darker side to life here.
A pop up coffee shop by the train station - I loved the name of it 'Bean about Town'.
One of Kentish Town's many pubs. It got me thinking about traditional aspects of pubs but with a spin. We could do a whole thing on pub quizes - who goes to them? What does it take to be a pub quiz champion? Are they what you would expect? Not sure exactly what form it would take but just thought something around this idea could be interesting - for example we could try and put together the Dream Pub Quiz Team - have a person from as different industries / lines of work in one team and see how they perform. Or do two competing teams - teenagers v adults or something like that. Like I said, still formulating ideas and what would be the best form for this but thought there could be something fun there.
Also - the pub crawl. How about a pub crawl with a difference? What is it like to do a pub crawl sober? Do people sound as interesting? Are jokes as funny? Do the pubs seems as nice? Could have two different people write a thing about their evening - one who really goes for it and one who drinks nothing, then compare and contrast. Or just something silly like writing about the experience of doing a pub crawl as a three legged race. Again just ideas but basically I liked the idea of traditional with a twist.
These signs were everywhere - I thought it was a really interesting form of self promotion. An interesting person perhaps?
Tv Studios
Walking around Kentish Town I stumbled across (and by stumbled I mean spotted then walked in to pretending to be lost..!) lots of Tv studios. Thought this tied in well with the music industry that seems very important in Kentish Town. I have since researched some of the companies and there are some really interesting ones...
PVM - Prison Video Magazine see http://www.londonshakespeare.org.uk/Othello2/pvm.htm
This company specialises in creating videos about life in prisons to distribute to prison workers and members of the government to raise awareness about the issues of prison life. Please do look at the website and read through their history and the things they have done as I think it is a really interesting company and something off the wall and controversial so could therefore be a really interesting company to profile.
Wall to Wall see http://www.walltowall.co.uk/index.aspx
Ten Alps see http://www.tenalps.com/locations.php?cid=34
Ten Alps is a company specialising in factual media and the Kentish Town location is home to three of their companies that deal with factual content for TV and radio. They are described as "Producers of major documentaries and docu-dramas for UK and International markets, as well as educational and other digital programming." :
Brook Lapping - http://www.brooklapping.com/
Blakeway - http://www.blakeway.co.uk/
Films of Record - http://www.filmsofrecord.com/ (this company specialises in investigative, difficult programmes such as Panorama)
- all of these companies have produced some really high profile and interesting programmes.
Why is Kentish Town home to so many TV studios? How does this form part of the fingerprint of the area itself?
What an interesting sign on the side of this house!
Health and Herbs - a cute little place that fitted in with an idea of pockets of calm in a city.
Colourful graffiti - idea of positivity in a grey old world.
Also on my visit I went to:
Map Café
This is a really cute café off a quiet side street in Kentish Town. A jazz café in the evening they also hold art exhibitions. At the moment this was of the work of Andrew Pegram (see http://ajpegramartist.blogspot.com/) His work had a really strong graphic feel that I thought would work well in a magazine. It made me interested to talk to him and see him at work / see his studio - think this is something that would have good visual impact.
The woman who seemed in charge at the cafe was French and walking around Kentish Town I noted lots of French voices - is this an important part of the community? Where do the people who live here largely come from?
Other companies whose offices / bases I stumbled across in Kentish Town
British Somali Community - http://www.britishsomali.org/ This is a company that was set up here in Kentish Town that is run by women and aims to improve the education of children in Somali
The Anne Frank Trust Uk - see http://www.annefrank.org.uk/
Healthprom - see http://healthprom.org/ a charity working with communities in Eastern Europe and Asia to improve healthcare. They are very much about local communities and I thought this was interesting in terms of us looking at the local community in Kentish Town - made me think about the twinning of towns etc.
Spring Projects - see http://www.springprojects.co.uk/flash.html
This is a really, really interesting looking gallery in Kentish Town. Unfortunately it wasn't open when I visited but I will go back soon - from the outside the building is really inconspicuous but looking on their website the work displayed looks really interesting and really high profile.
Annroy - see http://www.artrabbit.com/venues/venue/2778/annroy_gallery Rankin's new gallery - currently showing the work of an avant-garde make up artist called Alex Box. Didn't get a chance to go inside but will definitely go back as it sounds really interesting.
Fitness
It could be interesting to do something about fitness in Kentish Town, but something with a twist, talking about the weird and wonderful classes there are on offer.
I saw advertised (and have noted contact details for): Gypsy belly dancing, Aqua jogging, Nia dance (a simple 'feel good dance experience') and hot yoga and I'm sure we could find others too.
We could do it from the angle of 21st Century exercise - how we have moved on from the more traditonal sports or could do it from the perspective of a fitnessphobe - someone who hates exercise could go along to one of each of the classes and write a review about them - it could be quite amusing - 'diary of a fitnessphobe' or something like that!
Right, I think that's all for now, sorry for the massive load of information in one go but just brainstorming at the moment!
Libby
I found a link to this video: http://www.vimeo.com/19363639 which is all about the community in Haverstock (next to Kentish Town). Admittedly the execution isn't amazing and it is about a different area, but I just thought it is really worth watching as it gives an overview of a sense of community. I think this idea of community is something we should really focus on, because that to me is what an area like this is built around. Also in today's world I think this positivity is something interesting to show. David Cameron is always talking about creating a 'Big Society' but what about all the little societies right under our noses? It is easy to jump to the conclusion that all is wrong with the world but from looking around Kentish Town I would say that strong communities are still there if you look for them.
This community centre is a hub of activity. There is a community breakfast and lunch club where they do 3 course meals for £3 for locals and there are also lots of groups / clubs etc for young people and the elderly.
This was your standard greasy spoon café but I just liked that it was 'Marco's' café - tied in with my thoughts about the people of Kentish Town.
This looks a really good scheme in the area (have a leaflet with full details) that helps the elderly - people visit and help isolated elderly people in Camden and organises social events as well as helping with practical problems. Due to government cuts this scheme is at risk - just like other schemes for young people that I found going on in the area... I thought this was an interesting issue to think about : David Cameron talks about creating a Big Society (as mentioned earlier) yet cutting schemes like these seems completely contradictory to this. It also made me think that there is actually so much good going on in communities that we don't really know or hear about (like this scheme) so is everything really as bad as it is often portrayed? Or is it just likely to end up that way if schemes like these suffer? How will government cuts affect Kentish Town? We obviously all went to the protest about cuts to higher education and that is the perspective we have on government cuts but is this really the most important issue? What are the issues that really matter to the average person on the streets of Kentish Town?
In this vein I found details of council meetings where locals can come to voice issues they have with the area - thought it might be an idea to contact the local council about coming along and taking notes at a meeting to see what people are really concerned about here.
I walked past lots of adverts for recording spaces and music venues and thought this was an interesting side to Kentish Town. Music is obviously a really important part of the community here. I saw an advert for this award ceremony for the unsung heroes of Camden's music scene - I know it's not specifically Kentish Town but as Camden is the borough I thought it could still be relevant? I thought we could get in contact with the organisers of this award ceremony and have someone from the group go there on Monday 28th March and then interview the winner?
This isn't your twee London market - it is very much a working market used by normal people. It was a real assortment of bits and bobs - could maybe do something about the weird and wonderful things you can find here? What is the most unusual thing you can buy here? Also along the street there are lots of shops selling all kinds of bits and bobs - could tie those in too.
Also - the pub crawl. How about a pub crawl with a difference? What is it like to do a pub crawl sober? Do people sound as interesting? Are jokes as funny? Do the pubs seems as nice? Could have two different people write a thing about their evening - one who really goes for it and one who drinks nothing, then compare and contrast. Or just something silly like writing about the experience of doing a pub crawl as a three legged race. Again just ideas but basically I liked the idea of traditional with a twist.
Walking around Kentish Town I stumbled across (and by stumbled I mean spotted then walked in to pretending to be lost..!) lots of Tv studios. Thought this tied in well with the music industry that seems very important in Kentish Town. I have since researched some of the companies and there are some really interesting ones...
PVM - Prison Video Magazine see http://www.londonshakespeare.org.uk/Othello2/pvm.htm
This company specialises in creating videos about life in prisons to distribute to prison workers and members of the government to raise awareness about the issues of prison life. Please do look at the website and read through their history and the things they have done as I think it is a really interesting company and something off the wall and controversial so could therefore be a really interesting company to profile.
Wall to Wall see http://www.walltowall.co.uk/index.aspx
Ten Alps see http://www.tenalps.com/locations.php?cid=34
Ten Alps is a company specialising in factual media and the Kentish Town location is home to three of their companies that deal with factual content for TV and radio. They are described as "Producers of major documentaries and docu-dramas for UK and International markets, as well as educational and other digital programming." :
Brook Lapping - http://www.brooklapping.com/
Blakeway - http://www.blakeway.co.uk/
Films of Record - http://www.filmsofrecord.com/ (this company specialises in investigative, difficult programmes such as Panorama)
- all of these companies have produced some really high profile and interesting programmes.
Why is Kentish Town home to so many TV studios? How does this form part of the fingerprint of the area itself?
Also on my visit I went to:
Map Café
This is a really cute café off a quiet side street in Kentish Town. A jazz café in the evening they also hold art exhibitions. At the moment this was of the work of Andrew Pegram (see http://ajpegramartist.blogspot.com/) His work had a really strong graphic feel that I thought would work well in a magazine. It made me interested to talk to him and see him at work / see his studio - think this is something that would have good visual impact.
The woman who seemed in charge at the cafe was French and walking around Kentish Town I noted lots of French voices - is this an important part of the community? Where do the people who live here largely come from?
Other companies whose offices / bases I stumbled across in Kentish Town
British Somali Community - http://www.britishsomali.org/ This is a company that was set up here in Kentish Town that is run by women and aims to improve the education of children in Somali
The Anne Frank Trust Uk - see http://www.annefrank.org.uk/
Healthprom - see http://healthprom.org/ a charity working with communities in Eastern Europe and Asia to improve healthcare. They are very much about local communities and I thought this was interesting in terms of us looking at the local community in Kentish Town - made me think about the twinning of towns etc.
Spring Projects - see http://www.springprojects.co.uk/flash.html
This is a really, really interesting looking gallery in Kentish Town. Unfortunately it wasn't open when I visited but I will go back soon - from the outside the building is really inconspicuous but looking on their website the work displayed looks really interesting and really high profile.
Annroy - see http://www.artrabbit.com/venues/venue/2778/annroy_gallery Rankin's new gallery - currently showing the work of an avant-garde make up artist called Alex Box. Didn't get a chance to go inside but will definitely go back as it sounds really interesting.
Fitness
It could be interesting to do something about fitness in Kentish Town, but something with a twist, talking about the weird and wonderful classes there are on offer.
I saw advertised (and have noted contact details for): Gypsy belly dancing, Aqua jogging, Nia dance (a simple 'feel good dance experience') and hot yoga and I'm sure we could find others too.
We could do it from the angle of 21st Century exercise - how we have moved on from the more traditonal sports or could do it from the perspective of a fitnessphobe - someone who hates exercise could go along to one of each of the classes and write a review about them - it could be quite amusing - 'diary of a fitnessphobe' or something like that!
Right, I think that's all for now, sorry for the massive load of information in one go but just brainstorming at the moment!
Libby
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