The Exemplars

The Truth About Stanley

By selina | Published: May 3, 2012

Homelessness is something I seem to be thinking and blogging about a lot at the moment as it is hard to ignore given the widespread media attention to the international financial crisis. Harking back to my previous post on The Crisis Commission, I feel it is very important to break down the negative stigma attached to those who are homeless.

I wanted to share this particularly beautiful and moving short film, The Truth About Stanley by Lucy Tcherniak, displaying a very touching relationship formed through homelessness.

The film was produced in association with Trademark Films, The Big Issue Foundation and Anchor House. Its purpose is to bring the growing problem of homelessness back into the main public debate, so please help by spreading the word.

You can donate to The Truth About Stanley fund here with all donations going to The Big Issue and Anchor House.

If you are voting in the Mayoral elections today, please think about affordable housing when you cross that box.

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Greenpeace: Oil on canvas

By rachael | Published: May 1, 2012

Just one more post from New Zealand because I wanted to show the exhibition that we slipped into whilst in Christchurch. Greenpeace NZ were having a pop-up exhibition at the container mall there. The artwork exhbited was a collection of these prints that were made with birds killed by the Rena disaster that spilt 350 tonnes of oil into the ocean. The New Zealand Government has opened up their waters to deep sea oil drilling. I know that the oil spill off the Gulf of Mexico leaked 627,000 tonnes of oil, that caused a lot of damage to the coastline. A spill of that size near New Zealand would be detrimental to the country’s economy which relies so heavily on fishing and tourism.

The Rena disaster killed aroud 20,000 birds, and these Oil on canvas prints are a powerful way of getting people’s attention. The prints themselves are beautiful, but of course when you look deeper at how they were made and what it means, the beauty of the oil paintings soon fade.

Radiohead, who are touring NZ this year donated their music for the video ‘Ghost Birds’ which is great to hear. Please see video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mypRC3RvjmY&feature=player_embedded

If you would like to sign the petition click here: http://www.greenpeace.org/new-zealand/en/take-action/Take-action-online/No-New-Oil-or-Coal/

I was always more interested in humanitarian issues over animal rights or environmental issues, but this is something that has been caused by humans. The demand for oil is what has created the death of these birds, which is of no fault of the birds, any every fault of the human race. An interesting arguement and I will now look forward to researching more into Greenpeace and what they do.

www.greenpeace.org

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‘Waves are toys from God’ Clay Marzo and Asperger’s Syndrome

By rachael | Published: May 1, 2012

OK so as you probably all know by now, The Exemplars is all about making a difference but having fun. We are trying to get away from your average charity street chugger and show you all things that are inspirational, and man have I just found a gem. This story is fucking cool!

I am now living in Queenstown, New Zealand, waiting for the snow and working in Quiksilver. Quiksilver is a very cool boarding brand which although has pioneered the snowboarding scene in NZ, is primarily known as an Australian surf brand. They sponsor the best althetes in the snowboarding, skating and surfing world, and the one that caught my eye is Clay Marzo. A 21 year old surf champion who was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome (Autism Spectrum Disorder) a few years ago. People living with Asperger’s tend to find social interaction diffucult, but excell greatly in other particular mediums. For Clay Marzo, this happens to be surfing. The way he moves his body when he surfs is almost unbelievable, he looks like his whole body is double jointed or something. Check out this video:

Since his fame, Marzo has helped out with Surfers Healing which is a charity in California that teaches kids with Autism how to surf. It is so great to see a guy that is now so famous in the surfing world making a difference with his talent.

I also met a guy in Thailand that told me about another great international charity Surf Aid International. He got to travel the world to all the great surf spots and volunteer to help the locals. Surf Aid International was started in Indodesia by a groups of surfers, and is now a huge global humanitarian company.

These guys have the right idea because they are tapping into something that millions of people love to do; surf and travel. This concept means that the people involved can make a difference while they are doing what they love best, surfing! These are some of my favourite organisations found so far, and Clay Marzo is a definate hero!

www.surfaidinternational.org

www.surfershealing.org

www.autismspeaks.org

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Mission To Lars

By selina | Published: April 26, 2012

Mission To Lars is about Tom Spicer, a man with Fragile X-Syndrome (a form of autism) and his obsession with and quest to meet Mars Ulrich, the Metallica drummer. The film is made by Tom’s siblings, Will and Kate, who set out to help Tom on a fantasy road trip to meet Lars, but along the way there are difficulties to overcome with Tom’s disabilities and family dysfunctions.

There is a charity screening of Mission to Lars taking place on 8th May at The Gate Picturehouse in Notting Hill, where you can also meet the filmmakers. Tickets are £15, with all money raised going to Mencap. According to the NME the “film has been scored by Mike Lindsay of Tunng and Bob Dylan, Devendra Banhart and Blur feature on the soundtrack. Producers of the film have already raised £25,000 for the charity and Kasabian donated items to raise money, while Huey Morgan from Fun Lovin’ Criminals and 6 Music also helped out with the production.”

Have a look:

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Dark tourism in Christchurch

By rachael | Published: April 25, 2012

During our Kiwi Roadtrip from Auckland to Queenstown, we saw some amazing things; geothermal activity, displays of Maori culture and the most amazing landscapes you could ever imagine. Christchurch was the place that got me thinking though. We stayed at a friend’s house for a couple of days mainly to visit him, but also to see what has happened to one of New Zealand’s biggest cities after two major earthquakes. When speaking to Kiwi’s in Auckland about what has happened to Christchurch, they just could not fathom that New Zealand has a place that is like a war zone. 185 people died, which compared with Japan’s nearly 16,000 death toll, does not seem like a lot, but when you are there you can really feel it. You also cannot compare death tolls, a life lost by a catastrophe is a life lost, end of. In Christchurch I felt an eerie sense of loss not just for the people that died, but for the now unrecognisable place that is home to so many. The cathedral, which was the icon of Christchurch, was completely ruined in the second earthquake, and this is what seemed to hurt people the most. This was their major symbol of loss. New Zealand is in the geological ‘ring of fire’ so natural disasters happen all the time, but the people of Christchurch have really felt the brunt of it this time.

It will take 25 years to get Christchurch back on track, but the mentality of the people of Christchurch is so strong. They have a very inspiring sense of community. The Container Mall that they have built is amazing, a real tourist attraction. A series of stores and boutiques have been built into colourful containers because there is no longer a shopping area in Christchurch. The city centre was hit the worst due to the height of the buildings so the Container Mall is a place for people visit when they feel like going into the ‘city’.

I started to try and put myself in this position, if my hometown was suddenly not there any more. Hard to imagine when you are from London, but I pictured Chiswick being in the middle of the countryside and then being destroyed. All the shops and buildings that I have been visiting for 25 years no longer being there and it’s pretty scary. Random places that trigger child hood memories being completely destroyed by nature. Certain areas of the city really did feel like a war zone, I didn’t actually want to imagine by home town in this position.

The most interesting thought is that places like this become tourist attractions. Our friend Adrian took us around the city to show us the places that had been hit the most. This seems to be what lots of people touring the country now do, dark tourism that has been created by the aftermath of the earthquake. It got me thinking about places like Auschwitz and Ground Zero that now see numbers of people visiting every year. Why are we so interested in seeing these things? Is it to empathise with the people? Is it to see how powerful mother nature is, and how small we are in comparison? Is it to put our own lives into perspective and realise how lucky we are? I think for me it is a lot of these things and more, especially to realise how helpless we are against nature. This was sobering, especially when we were driving 50k’s out of Christchurch and we heard on the radio that eathquakes had happened in the city just after we left, as well as in Mexico City.

Talking about the earthquakes to young people that live in Christchurch, (there is lots of work at the moment, perfect for folk here on working visas), they are not phased by the tremors that can occur daily. It seems that living here both temporarily and permanently means that you just get used to the earthquakes. Just like anything, it becomes normal. Visiting Christchurch just made me realise that natural disasters could happen anywhere, it could happen to anyone, but at the end of the day there is no point in living in fear. The people of Christchurch are definitely an inspiration to New Zealand, and h0pefully now to people all over.

To find out more about Christchurch click here http://christchurchappealtrust.org.nz/

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Exemplar Sam Coleman smashes the Coastal Challenge!

By rachael | Published: April 23, 2012

Being on the other side of the world has it’s ups and it’s down unders (get it?!), but the hardest thing is being so far away from family and friends. Being away from my fellow Exemplars is also tricky in terms of communication, especially with the 11 hour time difference. Though my lovely boyfriend and I are still making a difference as much as we can over here. Sam took part in the Auckland Coastal Challenge to raise money for the North Shore Hospice. Now Kiwi’s do not do things by halves when it comes to sport, and this charity run was far away from the 11k ‘fun run’ that I took part in for Cancer Research UK in London. These guys were scrambling over rocks, running up cliffs edges and wading through water to get to the finish line. Despite all of this intense madness, including a rope swing that they grabbed onto to launch themselves into the water, Sam came 5th! Well done Sam!

Sam chilling out at Takapuna Beach after the Coastal Challenge.

Coastal Challenge, Takapuna Beach, Auckland North Shore.

This is obviously not Sam, but some participants of the Coastal Challenge 2012.

www.nshospice.co.nz

www.coastalchallenge.co.nz

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The Crisis Commission

By selina | Published: April 19, 2012

Whilst the sun had disappeared in London I decided to hide from the rain in Somerset House to see The Crisis Commission exhibition, a remarkable project that celebrates and supports the work of Crisis, the United Kingdom’s national charity for single homeless people.

A group of nine leading artists: Anthony Gormley, Tracey Emin, Anthony Caro, Gillian Wearing, Jonathan Yeo, Bob and Roberta Smith, Nathan Coley, Nika Neelova and Yinko Shonibare, have donated works to that express many challenging themes related to homelessness. Isolation, property, security and space are issues amongst others which are displayed through the exhibition. The works will be sold at auction at Christie’s on 3^rd May 2012, and all proceeds will go towards supporting the charity.

Often homeless people have stigmas attached to them, such as tramps and hobos, demeaning words which give a far from fair representation of what it actually is to be homeless. Mental health, financial, abuse are, amongst many other reasons, why people become homeless. It is a devastating experience, which can lead to anxiety and depression. In a stage of economic austerity it is important to recognise those who have been affected, and on such a rainy day this exhibition made me think of those trying to find shelter amongst the city.

Some of the proceeds will go towards the Crisis Skylight programmes which provide education, training and creative facilities for homeless people across the country. They offer a wide range of arts opportunities which helps those with mental health issues build confidence and self-esteem. The exhibition features work from five Crisis Skylight artists. One piece in particular stood out to me by Andy Anderson where it stated: “I empty my mind put my issues into a box and put the boxes in the cupboard. Then I open my mind’s subconscious to be creative on the long road to recovery from 25 years of suffering with the illness in silence”.

Catch The Crisis Commission before it closes on 22^nd April 2012, or if you miss it then you can view the works here on The Guardian.

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New Hero Exemplary Blogger Kirsty Duke!

By rachael | Published: April 13, 2012

I am very pleased to welcome another new addition to The Exemplars. Kirsty has been the London coordinator for Help for Heroes for the last three years, and will be a great asset to our team. Please read on to hear some of her experiences below, and look out for her blog posts coming soon!

‘I was inspired to get involved in charity work a few years ago following a battlefield bike ride across Normandy that my father took part in. Not only was I hugely impressed with his commitment to raising funds for Help for Heroes, but I recognized that there were many ways to skin a cat and charity is so much more than dusty shops selling enormous elasticated lavender skirts and glassware from the 1970’s.

I have now had the fortune of representing Help for Heroes as a London Coordinator for the past three years and it’s opened my eyes for to the reality of the world we are living in. It has touched me quite profoundly to see the indescribable bravery of individuals, young men and women who wear the scars of their trauma in some cases visually, in others emotionally, as a consequence of serving our Armed Forces. Help for Heroes focuses on getting our wounded back into a position where they can tackle their futures with great confidence and provide support physically, emotionally, financially and holistically depending on the needs of the individual. I feel a great sense of humility when I’m around these men and women and it spurs me on to contribute what I can of my time to a hugely important cause.

As I mentioned earlier, charity work can be a great deal of fun as well as achieving an end goal. I have had the great honour of working alongside the Mayor of Kensington and his fantastic team as he chose H4H as his Mayoral charity of the year. The peak of the year for me was the carol concert held in the prestigious St Mary Abbotts, Kensington. An evening which not only raised thousands of pounds for the charity, but encouraged people at a very important time of the year to remember those that were serving our country, both at home and abroad and those that had given their lives for us. Amongst the festive cheer and the Decking of the Halls, there was a message. Events like this I feel really work – it’s a social evening, people are enjoying themselves, they have donated to the charity by attending and it takes a few moments to remind us all that we have the power to bring about change in the future.’

Kirsty Duke, London.

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Homes for London Campaign

By selina | Published: March 15, 2012

Homes for London is a campaign brought to you by Shelter.

The campaign aims to bring London’s housing crisis to the forefront of people’s minds. Finding and keeping a home is a top concern for Londoners and they are campaigning to make sure it becomes a top priority for the next Mayor too. Perfect timing in the run up to the Mayoral Election on Thursday 3rd May 2012. They will be following the debate and keeping pressure on all the candidates to create Homes for London.

They are looking for Londoners to tell them what they think of their ideas and suggest their own in order for the campaign to become a success.

There’s TFL, so why not HFL?

Check out this nice vid’ by Abbie Brandon featuring Ben Eine painting on Great Eastern Street in London for the HFL campaign.

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KONY 2012 – What do you think?

By selina | Published: March 8, 2012

KONY 2012 has created an international debate. There has been much criticism about the work of Invisible Children sparking numerous questions, ideas and points circulating.

“Is the viral campaign a scam?’”

“What do they do with that money?”

“It is the latest fauxtivist fad sweeping the web.”

“Something isn’t always better than nothing. Sometimes it’s worse.”

“But we could learn something from them about how to get a message across.”

“Awareness is good!”

What do you think about KONY 2012? We would like to hear your opinion. Here are some links to some interesting articles on the topic:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/uganda/9131469/Joseph-Kony-2012-growing-outrage-in-Uganda-over-film.html

http://visiblechildren.tumblr.com/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/reality-check-with-polly-curtis/2012/mar/08/kony-2012-what-s-the-story#block-4

http://mashable.com/2012/03/08/kony-2012-scam/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-news-blog/2012/mar/07/kony-2012-video-viral-invisible-children