Part concert, part theatrical performance, 100% engaging, outspoken entertainment, SPIN is an innovative musical show that investigates The Bicycle as muse, musical instrument, and instrument of social change.
Created by Toronto-based songwriter, spoken word and theatre artist Evalyn Parry, SPIN travels the distance between social history and social comment; first wave-feminism and corporate sponsorship; the first woman to ride around the world in 1895 and Toronto’s most notorious, accused bicycle thief awaiting trial in 2010; bicycle as revolution, bicycle as metaphor, and bicycle as musical accompaniment. Funny, personal, political, engaging, challenging and thought-provoking: SPIN is intelligent entertainment for a world on the brink of a paradigm shift.
Suspended in a mechanics stand on stage, a vintage bicycle is outfitted with contact microphones on its frame, seat and fenders, which are connected to digital effects units. The bike is “played” by percussionist Brad Hart (using brushes, sticks, hands and bow) and the amplified signals are manipulated by sound artist and musician Anna Friz, who works her pedals to create a richly textured, unique sonic accompaniment to Parry’s guitar, poems, songs and narration. Accordion, melodica, harmonica and beautiful three-part harmony round out the bicycle band; evocative projections and costumes add a captivating visual layer to the show, staged by award-winning theatre director Ruth Madoc Jones.
SPIN answers your pressing questions and concerns! Like:
* Why the Women’s Christian Temperance Union were big boosters of bicycles for women
* How bicycles helped change women’s fashion, freeing millions from the corset, and other sartorial imprisonments
* How bicycles paved the way for cars
* the story of the first woman to ride around the world on a bicycle in 1895, funded entirely by corporate sponsorship
*how Toronto’s most notorious bike thief broke hearts as well as locks
*and many other things YOU NEED TO KNOW….
for more info go to the SPIN page
Water must be public | Water must be free | Water is a human right, not a luxury…
This is my campaign: THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU DRINK!
Water… bottled in plastic and shipped all around the world, burning fossil fuels to transport it, leaching toxic chemicals when you toss the bottle, brand names marketing it like it’s something we should have to pay big bucks for.. Please, people. Plastic bottles of water are a problem. A big problem.
But the beauty of this highly political issue is that YOU take take a very simple, very direct action: stop buying plastic bottles of water sold for ridiculous prices from dubious sources. Instead, buy yourself a nice reusable water container (I recommend SIGG bottles, made of buffered aluminum, rather than plastic), and you can fill it from your tap. Then, while sipping H2O from your fancy new reusable water container…you can play evalyn’s tune BOTTLE THIS! for all your friends.
Access to clean water being a basic human right. Water should and must NOT be privatized.
To read more about it, check out these organizations doing excellent work on the issues involved.
Polaris Institute
KAIROS
The Council of Canadians
Blue Planet
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
Testify!
Please, contact me with info and stories about other people and groups working on this important issue, I am trying to develop this section of the site. I want your information, experience and testimonials! Seriously! send me your stories about drinking water…
“After hearing “Bottle This” by Evalyn Parry in Health class last week, I was motivated to make some changes in my life. I have not bought a bottle of water since I heard her poem. In addition to this, I bought her song in itunes and burnt cd copies for three other people. I sent one copy to some friends in Ottawa who were doing research over the summer about the bottled water industry. I alsosent a copy to my mother who is also a teacher and I thought perhaps she would pass the message to her students. And lastly, I sent a copy tothe camp director at of the children’s summer camp where I work, urging him to buy less bottled water for our candy shop. I suggested that he buy re-usable Nalgene bottles that we could fill with water and place in the coolers and then have the children return them to the kitchen to be re-washed and re-stocked in the candy shop. I don’t know if the director will go to the effort of initiating this but I feel that it is an appropriate atmosphere to encourage environmentally friendly behaviour.” Karen Terluk, student at University of Western Ontario
“Hi Evalyn, I have discovered the perfect water bottle for those of us who already carry far too many things in our purses and pockets: the stainless steel hip flask. Sure it gets some looks, but then it starts the conversation. I assure people that this flask is reserved for water while they tease me about drinking on the job, etc. and it is good fun. People often say it seems too small, which could be a concern on a long hike but I mostly hang out in the city, and I can fill my flask anywhere because I believe tap water is safe and good! This reinforces the message that it is not just about the plastic but about the idea of buying water twice (we already pay for city water). The flask is perfect: it is non-breakable, non-toxic, the lid is attached, and it fits nicely in the side of the purse. Cheers!” Maura, www.mauravolante.ca
