Guerrilla kindness for Christchurch
A$5,757
of $5,500 targetyrs ago
Successful on 15th Feb 2014 at 11:55PM.
************STRETCH GOAL!!!!**************
We've hit $5,000! So I've made a pledge - for every dollar over the goal I'll donate a third to The Kakapo Recovery - The Official Site and a third to Gap Filler to help them fund the amazing work they do. Come help me raise some cash for some amazing charities!
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Journey - The Kakapo of Christchurch is a two week participatory public art project for Christchurch by Melbourne public artist Sayraphim Lothian, utilising the Kakapo's journey to recovery as a metaphor for Christchurch’s journey to rebuild.
The Kakapo is the world's heaviest, flightless parrot. It's native to New Zealand and it's currently critically endangered. In the 70s the Kakapo was almost wiped out - only 18 remained. Since then, the Kakapo has been on its own journey of healing thanks to a conservation group called Kakapo Recovery. Even though the Kakapo is still endangered, there are now there are 124 birds alive and well in the wild. Each one has a name - like Sirocco, the Kakapo Recovery program ambassador, who is pictured below.
From the 13 - 23 of March 2014, I will travel to Christchurch to install a number of soft sculpture Kakapos around the city. These birds are then left for the people to find and move, hide, remove, adopt or throw away. Part participatory art project, part game, part scavenger hunt and part social media check in, Journey invites people to get involved with an art project on a very personal level.
When I contacted the Kakapo Recovery team about this project, they were very excited and asked how many I was planning to make. "Wouldn't it be great," they wrote in an email, "if you made 124 of them, one for each Kakapo alive today?" How could I turn that idea down? So over the next two months, I'll be making 124 Kakapo to place out in Christchurch over the 10 days I'll be there. Each soft sculpture bird will have a tag attached, introducing it to the finder as well as having Journey's website address to provide more information about the project. There will also be a hashtag for social media so people can follow the Kakapo’s journey around the city.
Running parallel to this installation will be free public craft workshops over two weekends, supported by Gap Filler and presented in their Pallet Pavilion, where the general public will be invited to make their own Kakapos to keep or to install on the streets for themselves as a gift for others. These workshops will offer a simple felt Kakapo pattern with local crafters on hand to help if needed.
Gap Filler is a creative urban regeneration initiative started in response to the September 4, 2010 Canterbury earthquake, and revised and expanded in light of the more destructive February 22, 2011 quake.
Gap Filler aims to temporarily activate vacant sites within Christchurch with creative projects for community benefit, to make for a more interesting, dynamic and vibrant city. Gap Filler sees vacant sites – awaiting redevelopment as a result of the many earthquakes or otherwise – utilised for temporary, creative, people-centred purposes. They work with local community groups, artists, architects, landowners, librarians, designers, students, engineers, dancers – anyone with an idea and initiative! Gap Filler projects are temporary in nature, seeking to activate vacant sites for relatively short periods, to demonstrate that the city can grow in important ways without large capital expenditure or major construction.
I am thrilled to be working with this amazing charity for Journey.
And over the first weekend I'll be there (14 - 16 March), the Gap Filler Pallet Pavilion is hosting a Tales@ The Pallet Pavilion a story telling festival organised by The Story Collective Facebook.com/TheStoryCollective – they may even have a couple of stories told about the beautiful Kakapo.
I want to do this project to celebrate the resilience and unity of the people of Christchurch after the earthquakes and the recovery of the Kakapo from near extinction. Neither of these things could have happened without the resourcefulness and kindness of the people involved.
Journey - The Kakapo of Christchurch is about recovering communities, helping hands, and of being surprised by joy.
We've hit $5,000! So I've made a pledge - for every dollar over the goal I'll donate a third to The Kakapo Recovery - The Official Site and a third to Gap Filler to help them fund the amazing work they do. Come help me raise some cash for some amazing charities!
********************************************************
Journey - The Kakapo of Christchurch is a two week participatory public art project for Christchurch by Melbourne public artist Sayraphim Lothian, utilising the Kakapo's journey to recovery as a metaphor for Christchurch’s journey to rebuild.
The Kakapo is the world's heaviest, flightless parrot. It's native to New Zealand and it's currently critically endangered. In the 70s the Kakapo was almost wiped out - only 18 remained. Since then, the Kakapo has been on its own journey of healing thanks to a conservation group called Kakapo Recovery. Even though the Kakapo is still endangered, there are now there are 124 birds alive and well in the wild. Each one has a name - like Sirocco, the Kakapo Recovery program ambassador, who is pictured below.
From the 13 - 23 of March 2014, I will travel to Christchurch to install a number of soft sculpture Kakapos around the city. These birds are then left for the people to find and move, hide, remove, adopt or throw away. Part participatory art project, part game, part scavenger hunt and part social media check in, Journey invites people to get involved with an art project on a very personal level.
When I contacted the Kakapo Recovery team about this project, they were very excited and asked how many I was planning to make. "Wouldn't it be great," they wrote in an email, "if you made 124 of them, one for each Kakapo alive today?" How could I turn that idea down? So over the next two months, I'll be making 124 Kakapo to place out in Christchurch over the 10 days I'll be there. Each soft sculpture bird will have a tag attached, introducing it to the finder as well as having Journey's website address to provide more information about the project. There will also be a hashtag for social media so people can follow the Kakapo’s journey around the city.
Running parallel to this installation will be free public craft workshops over two weekends, supported by Gap Filler and presented in their Pallet Pavilion, where the general public will be invited to make their own Kakapos to keep or to install on the streets for themselves as a gift for others. These workshops will offer a simple felt Kakapo pattern with local crafters on hand to help if needed.
Gap Filler is a creative urban regeneration initiative started in response to the September 4, 2010 Canterbury earthquake, and revised and expanded in light of the more destructive February 22, 2011 quake.
Gap Filler aims to temporarily activate vacant sites within Christchurch with creative projects for community benefit, to make for a more interesting, dynamic and vibrant city. Gap Filler sees vacant sites – awaiting redevelopment as a result of the many earthquakes or otherwise – utilised for temporary, creative, people-centred purposes. They work with local community groups, artists, architects, landowners, librarians, designers, students, engineers, dancers – anyone with an idea and initiative! Gap Filler projects are temporary in nature, seeking to activate vacant sites for relatively short periods, to demonstrate that the city can grow in important ways without large capital expenditure or major construction.
I am thrilled to be working with this amazing charity for Journey.
And over the first weekend I'll be there (14 - 16 March), the Gap Filler Pallet Pavilion is hosting a Tales@ The Pallet Pavilion a story telling festival organised by The Story Collective Facebook.com/TheStoryCollective – they may even have a couple of stories told about the beautiful Kakapo.
I want to do this project to celebrate the resilience and unity of the people of Christchurch after the earthquakes and the recovery of the Kakapo from near extinction. Neither of these things could have happened without the resourcefulness and kindness of the people involved.
Journey - The Kakapo of Christchurch is about recovering communities, helping hands, and of being surprised by joy.
Rewards
When you support Journey - The Kakapo of Christchurch, you can select a reward for yourself or purchase one for a friend - I'll happily post them to whoever you request, with a note from you! Imagine organising a surprise reward to land in someone's letterbox - how lovely is that? Just let me know in the comments where you'd like it to go and what (if anything) you'd like the handwritten note to say.
Video credits
A film by The Public Studio - http://thepublicstudio.net
Christchurch photography by BeckerFraserPhotos - https://picasaweb.google.com/11478812744020107635...
Music - "Things Ain't What They Used To Be" by the Oscar Pederson Trio
Christchurch photography by BeckerFraserPhotos - https://picasaweb.google.com/11478812744020107635...
Music - "Things Ain't What They Used To Be" by the Oscar Pederson Trio
How The Funds Will Be Used
If my campaign is successful, the majority of funds will go
towards flights, accommodation, publicity for the project and materials for bird making and the free craft kits. The rest of the
money will go to the rewards that I’ve set up for this campaign.
The Challenges
The risks and challenges for this project are pretty low. Once I get to Christchurch it's just a matter of putting ten birds out a day for the time I'm there and running the craft workshops on the weekend at the Gap Filler Pallet Pavilion. Even if it pours, Gap Filler has secured me a room in a local library so I can run the workshops from there, which is pretty awesome!
I've been asked by the Kakapo Recovery team to make 124 of the birds, which is a pretty big amount when you take into consideration that each bird takes between and hour and a hour and a half to make, but I have plenty of time between now and mid March so I'm confident I'll get them all done.
I've been asked by the Kakapo Recovery team to make 124 of the birds, which is a pretty big amount when you take into consideration that each bird takes between and hour and a hour and a half to make, but I have plenty of time between now and mid March so I'm confident I'll get them all done.
Every dollar counts! Your name will go on the Journey website as a supporter of the project.
12 chosen / 38 available
Est. delivery is Feb 14
A DIY Kakapo kit! This kit comes with everything you'll need to make a little 18cm (7in) felt Kakapo of your own, to keep or to leave somewhere as a sneaky gift of your own! Kit includes - felt, stuffing, embroidery floss, needle, ribbon for hanging, pattern and instructions and also information about the Kakapo, the Kakapo Recovery project and Gap Filler. You'll also have your name on the Journey website as a supporter of the project. If not in Aus or NZ please add $10 for postage.
37 chosen / 63 available
Est. delivery is Apr 14
Your very own 'For you, stranger' fake cupcake - Kakapo coloured of course! 'For you, stranger' was my first Guerrilla Kindness project, making fake cupcakes to leave out in the streets for people to find and take. You can see the project here: http://sayraphimlothian.com/for-you-stranger/ You'll also have your name on the Journey website as a supporter of the project. If not in Aus or NZ please add $10 for postage.
8 chosen / 42 available
Est. delivery is Apr 14
A Christchurch Kakapo made especially for you! Each Kakapo measures approximately 23cm (roughly 9 1/4in). Unless you'll be wandering the streets of Christchurch in March, this is the only way to get one of these little guys! You'll also have your name on the Journey website as a supporter of the project. If not in Aus or NZ please add $10 for postage.
35 chosen / 5 available
Est. delivery is Apr 14
A soft sculpture Here Be Dragons work (approx 40cm/15in) - Kakapo coloured, of course! Here Be Dragons was a soft sculpture public art project focusing on abandoned urban spaces and our fear of the unknown. You can see the original project here: http://sayraphimlothian.com/here-be-dragons/ You'll also have your name on the Journey website as a supporter of the project. If not in Aus or NZ please add $15 for postage.
5 chosen / 25 available
Est. delivery is May 14
NEW REWARD! A limited edition handsewn A5 journal featuring a gorgeous owl (by the street artist Barek) lino-printed (by me) on this fantastic vintage curtain material. Inside is 68 pages of high quality handmade paper. A thing both beautiful and useful! You'll also have your name on the website as a supporter of the project. If not in Australia or New Zealand, please add $10 for postage.
5 chosen / 5 available
Est. delivery is May 14
---------------- CHRISTCHURCH ONLY ---------------- A two hour Guerrilla Kindness masterclass with me! We'll investigate it's influences, chat about craftivism and be introduced to other artists around the world doing this kind of work. We'll also make a felt cupcake of our own (Kakapo coloured, what else?) to leave out for someone to find, or take home to keep. Cakes will be provided! Also, your name will go on the Journey website as a supporter of the project.
0 chosen / 12 available
Est. delivery is Mar 14
---------------- MELBOURNE ONLY ---------------- A two hour Guerrilla Kindness masterclass with me! We'll investigate it's influences, chat about craftivism and be introduced to other artists around the world doing this kind of work. We'll also make a felt cupcake of our own (kakapo coloured, what else?) to leave out for someone to find, or take home to keep. Cakes will be provided! Also, your name will go on the Journey website as a supporter of the project.
0 chosen / 12 available
Est. delivery is Apr 14
You're very own unique Knitted Beastie! I'll knit you a fantastic beastie of your choice, up to 30cms. Previously I've knitted a yaktopus (a yak/octopus - pictured), a bunnybird, a pengufant (a penguin/elephant) and the feegee mermaid (monkey/fish). What fantastic beastie would you like to own? You'll also have your name on the Journey website as a supporter of the project. If not in Aus or NZ please add $10 for postage.
1 chosen / 9 available
Est. delivery is Jun 14
--MELBOURNE ONLY-- This reward sees you get your very own Constructive Play event for up to 25 people for 2 full hours! As adults, we don't really make things with our hands as much as we did as kids. Constructive Play is designed to redress that balance. Using every day stationery and craft supplies, this 2 hour workshop will have you making like crazy. http://popupplayground.com.au/constructive-play/ You'll also have your name on the Journey website as a supporter of the project.
0 chosen / 3 available
Est. delivery is Apr 14
I will plan and execute a small scale Guerrilla Kindness project for or with you (around 20-30 small items). We will have a discussion and you can influence the direction and outcome of the project. Then you can help me install it around the streets or receive loads of photos of the project finished and out in the streets. You'll also have your name on the Journey website as a supporter of the project.
0 chosen / 2 available
Est. delivery is May 14
I will plan and execute a larger scale Guerrilla Kindness project for or with you (details to be negotiated). Would you like to raise awareness about a particular issue? Or have a favourite thing you'd like in the streets for ppl to find & take home? Do you want to do something lovely for strangers but not sure how? Once created, you can help me install the project out in the world or sit back & receive loads of photos. You'll also have your name on the website as a supporter of the project.
0 chosen
Est. delivery is May 14
A handmade felt Kakapo badge! You'll also get your name on the Journey website as a supporter of the project. If not in Aus or NZ please add $7 for postage.
30 chosen / 0 available
Est. delivery is Apr 14