Alice Anderson's new sculpture ties-up the Freud Museum using thousands of metres of red dolls hair
Details: http://www.freud.org.uk/exhibitions/74077/alice-anderson%C3%A2%E2%80%99s-childhood-rituals-/
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
Cassone - a new e-journal of the arts
Details: http://www.freud.org.uk/exhibitions/74077/alice-anderson%C3%A2%E2%80%99s-childhood-rituals-/
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
Save Ulster from Sodomy?
The BBC report on this case can be found at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12818480
What balance is to be stuck between the 'right' to freedom of speech and the 'rights' of minorities? What precedence should be given to claims that a group's dogmas, scriptures, 'rights' have some kind of priority? Who or what should decide? On what prinicples? How do we talk to each other when we have very different world views? What happens when one group claim that their insights must have priority? How do we live together when some claim absolute truth over other's 'mere opinions'. I could go on but will rest for a while.
Loose Cannons
This is from the Pheonix Cinema film diary:
"As a homosexual man choosing how and when you come out to friends and family is no small matter. So having rehearsed your announcement a thousand times, what would you do if your brother makes the same announcement before you, and your father has a heart attack? Ingrained family attitudes are rarely examined in Italian cinema and while undeniably comic in tone, Loose Cannons achieves an openness and humanity which is surprisingly inspiring."
I found it beautiful to look at, especially the street scenes, the close ups of the faces, the formality of the mise-en-scene. The dressings of the interior room scenes were so perfect. My subjective experience was of great sadness as it made me think of the human suffering such a society needs as it struggles to fit in with the 20th century's Freudian revolution in our understandings of sexuality. This revolution is not of Copernican dimension but it certainly is enormous and the use of the device of the father's heart attack is a such a multi-layered metaphor for what is going on and needs to go on. Perhaps the Italian experience is particularly difficult because of the presence of the HQ of the Catholic Church is currently in Rome. But even here in Leicester, the recent row over the BBC Radio Leicester programme by Dulcie Dixon illustrates that, whilst it might not be stylish here compared with Italy, there are almost identical forces at work that would cajole gay people into pretending they are heterosexual. Is heterosexuality compulsory?
It is no wonder that one of the great contributors to critical theory, Leo Basani, was Italian pushing queer theory out of the narrow closet so that the lives seen and lived in the film can sometimes produce considerable works of creativity but usually not. I thought the, perhaps over easy, polarisation of the younger gay son's choices between factory management and starving novelist does capture something important not just in Italy. Then there is the allowed hypocrisy of heteronormativity which is so claustrophobic with the the husband being allowed a mistress and his wife being forced to condone it.
Having said all this I liked the film and am glad it is popular in Italy where it must contribute to to debate about the sexualities, repression and the gap between theory and practice which needs to be better balanced.
https://tickets.phoenix.org.uk/visInternetTicketing/visMovieInfo.aspx?MovieName=Loose+Cannons&CinemaID=1001
"As a homosexual man choosing how and when you come out to friends and family is no small matter. So having rehearsed your announcement a thousand times, what would you do if your brother makes the same announcement before you, and your father has a heart attack? Ingrained family attitudes are rarely examined in Italian cinema and while undeniably comic in tone, Loose Cannons achieves an openness and humanity which is surprisingly inspiring."
I found it beautiful to look at, especially the street scenes, the close ups of the faces, the formality of the mise-en-scene. The dressings of the interior room scenes were so perfect. My subjective experience was of great sadness as it made me think of the human suffering such a society needs as it struggles to fit in with the 20th century's Freudian revolution in our understandings of sexuality. This revolution is not of Copernican dimension but it certainly is enormous and the use of the device of the father's heart attack is a such a multi-layered metaphor for what is going on and needs to go on. Perhaps the Italian experience is particularly difficult because of the presence of the HQ of the Catholic Church is currently in Rome. But even here in Leicester, the recent row over the BBC Radio Leicester programme by Dulcie Dixon illustrates that, whilst it might not be stylish here compared with Italy, there are almost identical forces at work that would cajole gay people into pretending they are heterosexual. Is heterosexuality compulsory?
It is no wonder that one of the great contributors to critical theory, Leo Basani, was Italian pushing queer theory out of the narrow closet so that the lives seen and lived in the film can sometimes produce considerable works of creativity but usually not. I thought the, perhaps over easy, polarisation of the younger gay son's choices between factory management and starving novelist does capture something important not just in Italy. Then there is the allowed hypocrisy of heteronormativity which is so claustrophobic with the the husband being allowed a mistress and his wife being forced to condone it.
Having said all this I liked the film and am glad it is popular in Italy where it must contribute to to debate about the sexualities, repression and the gap between theory and practice which needs to be better balanced.
https://tickets.phoenix.org.uk/visInternetTicketing/visMovieInfo.aspx?MovieName=Loose+Cannons&CinemaID=1001
Friday, 18 March 2011
Pappano and Mahler in Birmingham
Great week for Italy. Thursday was the 150th anniversary of the foundation of the modern Italian state. Saturday we have the greatest Italian orchestra coming to Birmingham Symphony Hall playing Mahler.
http://www.thsh.co.uk/view/pappano-conducts-mahler-1
There are still tickets available.
http://www.thsh.co.uk/view/pappano-conducts-mahler-1
There are still tickets available.
Campaigning to turn back the clock on equalities legislation: Stop Civil Partnerships, Gender Recognition etc
In the last week we have watched a fascinating example of how the forces that would change progressive measures affecting LGBT people, their families and friends gain momentum. Watch how the media, uncritically, allow so called 'victims' of equality to appear on TV and radio programmes with out discovering who may be managing them. Often powerful, well funded, groups find individuals and couples who claim to have been 'persecuted' for their religious beliefs. For example, a business refuses to serve potential customers because they are gay or lesbian and cries "foul" because they claim it is against their religious beliefs. A couple are refused approval to foster children because of their religious views on homosexuality.
The word 'Christian' is used cleverly to give the impression that all Christians are heterosexual and homonegative. Gay and lesbian people are sloppily called 'the homosexual lobby'. The notion that the Christian church is monolithic is simply off the map. The reality of diversity is ignored. Language needs to be monitored constantly. And challenged if you have the energy.
The latest to join this argument is The Catholic Union http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=17839 but all the main Christian denominations have their own versions.
For a local example listen to BBC Radio Leicester's Dulcie Dixon show from 13 March which is on iPlayer for seven days. It will be interesting to see how the programme of 20 March deals with the aftermath of the previous week's programme.
If you want to listen again to the programme of 13th March and it has gone from iPlayer we may be able to help you with a recording made by a well-wishers.
If you feel a comment to the BBC is in order it is easy to put a comment on the BBC website or ring up and leave a message. Every little helps.
The word 'Christian' is used cleverly to give the impression that all Christians are heterosexual and homonegative. Gay and lesbian people are sloppily called 'the homosexual lobby'. The notion that the Christian church is monolithic is simply off the map. The reality of diversity is ignored. Language needs to be monitored constantly. And challenged if you have the energy.
The latest to join this argument is The Catholic Union http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=17839 but all the main Christian denominations have their own versions.
For a local example listen to BBC Radio Leicester's Dulcie Dixon show from 13 March which is on iPlayer for seven days. It will be interesting to see how the programme of 20 March deals with the aftermath of the previous week's programme.
If you want to listen again to the programme of 13th March and it has gone from iPlayer we may be able to help you with a recording made by a well-wishers.
If you feel a comment to the BBC is in order it is easy to put a comment on the BBC website or ring up and leave a message. Every little helps.
Thursday, 17 March 2011
Murdoch is a threat to us
We have five days left to challenge Rupert Murdoch's bid to dominate our media.
The government's public consultation on its approval of Rupert Murdoch's takeover of BSkyB ends this Monday. Our media and democracy are on the line -- and this is our chance to show that the British people reject this deal.
Our messages in recent weeks have already pushed Jeremy Hunt, the minister responsible, to squeeze some limited concessions from Murdoch. It's time to make Hunt go much further, and send this bid to the Competition Commission for full scrutiny rather than wave it through. Click to send a message directly to Hunt's official consultation, and then forward this email to everyone:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/murdoch_send_messages/97.php?cl_tta_sign=1bbd480a076f0de3371e7a7dc1625dcb
Thanks to hundreds of generous donations from across the UK, Avaaz has launched an all-out campaign to stop the Murdoch deal -- running an opinion poll to be released to national press, buying adverts urging key decision-makers to stand up to Murdoch's corrupting power, and initiating a legal challenge. But to succeed, we must match these tactics with our voices in the official democratic process. We must show that this is something people take personally, in every corner of the country -- and that ignoring us would carry a political price.
Many say the deal is done, but if we bombard the political elite, the public and the official process with one clear message -- the people of Britain reject this deal -- we can still win.
To bypass critics, Murdoch promised to spin off Sky News as an "independent" company. But media experts point out that this is a farce: News Corp will still pay Sky News's bills, provide its satellite access, and be able to place loyalists on the board. This fake and only temporary independence is exactly the sort of "safeguard" that Murdoch has created to whitewash previous takeovers -- and subsequently brushed aside like a cobweb.
Let's tell Jeremy Hunt that Murdoch has too much power already -- we don't want him wholly owning Britain's largest commercial broadcaster any more than we want him owning our politicians!
http://www.avaaz.org/en/murdoch_send_messages/97.php?cl_tta_sign=1bbd480a076f0de3371e7a7dc1625dcb
Responsible media is a vital pillar in any democracy, informing voters and holding the government to account. Murdoch's media is the opposite: it spreads hatred, war, and division, and turns politicians into puppets. This week is a major battle for our media freedom. Let's stand up for our democracy.
With hope,
Alex, Sam, Alice, Brianna, Pascal, Graziela and the whole Avaaz team
Sources:
Jeremy Hunt 'wrong not to refer NewsCorp bid for BSkyB':
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/media/8358824/News-Corp-clears-way-for-BSkyB-bid-with-plan-to-spin-off-Sky-News.html
Jeremy Hunt a Rupert Murdoch fan:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/2011/03/04/jeremy-hunt-a-rupert-murdoch-fan-115875-22964525/
News Corp-Sky deal: opponents urge MPs to lobby Jeremy Hunt:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/mar/14/news-corp-sky-jeremy-hunt
Letting Rupert Murdoch buy BSkyB creates a media superpower with worrying influence:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/features/2011/03/04/letting-rupert-murdoch-buy-bskyb-creates-a-media-superpower-with-worrying-influence-115875-22964550/
The government's public consultation on its approval of Rupert Murdoch's takeover of BSkyB ends this Monday. Our media and democracy are on the line -- and this is our chance to show that the British people reject this deal.
Our messages in recent weeks have already pushed Jeremy Hunt, the minister responsible, to squeeze some limited concessions from Murdoch. It's time to make Hunt go much further, and send this bid to the Competition Commission for full scrutiny rather than wave it through. Click to send a message directly to Hunt's official consultation, and then forward this email to everyone:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/murdoch_send_messages/97.php?cl_tta_sign=1bbd480a076f0de3371e7a7dc1625dcb
Thanks to hundreds of generous donations from across the UK, Avaaz has launched an all-out campaign to stop the Murdoch deal -- running an opinion poll to be released to national press, buying adverts urging key decision-makers to stand up to Murdoch's corrupting power, and initiating a legal challenge. But to succeed, we must match these tactics with our voices in the official democratic process. We must show that this is something people take personally, in every corner of the country -- and that ignoring us would carry a political price.
Many say the deal is done, but if we bombard the political elite, the public and the official process with one clear message -- the people of Britain reject this deal -- we can still win.
To bypass critics, Murdoch promised to spin off Sky News as an "independent" company. But media experts point out that this is a farce: News Corp will still pay Sky News's bills, provide its satellite access, and be able to place loyalists on the board. This fake and only temporary independence is exactly the sort of "safeguard" that Murdoch has created to whitewash previous takeovers -- and subsequently brushed aside like a cobweb.
Let's tell Jeremy Hunt that Murdoch has too much power already -- we don't want him wholly owning Britain's largest commercial broadcaster any more than we want him owning our politicians!
http://www.avaaz.org/en/murdoch_send_messages/97.php?cl_tta_sign=1bbd480a076f0de3371e7a7dc1625dcb
Responsible media is a vital pillar in any democracy, informing voters and holding the government to account. Murdoch's media is the opposite: it spreads hatred, war, and division, and turns politicians into puppets. This week is a major battle for our media freedom. Let's stand up for our democracy.
With hope,
Alex, Sam, Alice, Brianna, Pascal, Graziela and the whole Avaaz team
Sources:
Jeremy Hunt 'wrong not to refer NewsCorp bid for BSkyB':
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/media/8358824/News-Corp-clears-way-for-BSkyB-bid-with-plan-to-spin-off-Sky-News.html
Jeremy Hunt a Rupert Murdoch fan:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/2011/03/04/jeremy-hunt-a-rupert-murdoch-fan-115875-22964525/
News Corp-Sky deal: opponents urge MPs to lobby Jeremy Hunt:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/mar/14/news-corp-sky-jeremy-hunt
Letting Rupert Murdoch buy BSkyB creates a media superpower with worrying influence:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/features/2011/03/04/letting-rupert-murdoch-buy-bskyb-creates-a-media-superpower-with-worrying-influence-115875-22964550/
Wednesday, 16 March 2011
BBC Radio Leicester Dulcie Dixon
Last Sunday's edition of Dulcie Dixon, unusually, had a theme. It usually is made up of mainly black/Gospel music and events many of which are not in Leicester/shire. This Sunday the programme began by examining an examination of the recent legal case involving a Derby couple who are Christian and black who wanted to start fostering children again. The case went to a high court and, even though they were supported by a Christian legal organisation, they lost. The programme went on, unusually, to consider the relationship between homosexuality and the black community, or at least the Black churches. It then attempted to discuss the aetiology of homosexuality. A number of people appeared on the programme. Most of them took the view that homosexuality was a sin to be avoided.
The programme can be heard for just a few more days here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p001d738
It would be interesting to read your opinions.
The programme can be heard for just a few more days here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p001d738
It would be interesting to read your opinions.
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