Eek…Coffee Supplies Set To Dwindle

Few things fill me with impending dread, but news that coffee supplies are set to dwindle over the coming decades is one such thing.

The Guardian Eco has interviewed the sustainability director of Starbucks, Jim Hanna, who states that they are already seeing the effects of climate change on their coffee suppliers: “if conditions continue as they are there is a potentially significant risk to our supply chain.”

The increased threat surrounds the Arabica bean, one of the most important to the coffee trade. Climate change has meant that an influx in pest infestation, along with changing and more aggressive rain patterns, are threatening even the most well established coffee farms.

This is the second threat in less than a month to a food source that many cannot live without. Late in September, research from the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture warned that chocolate was also under threat due to spiking heat in Ghana and much of the Ivory Coast, the world’s main producers, meaning that by 2050 these countries may be unable to produce chocolate.

With this in mind, the question is now is it too early to start bunkering coffee?

While the shelves of supermarkets may not yet be stripped of the remaining coffee supplies, there is an onus on action in the present before it’s too late. With Hannah set to address members of Congress in Washington on the severity of the situation, coffee addicts the world over await with baited breath any decision that will keep our coffee mugs full in the decades to come.

Some Domestic Incidents: An Exhibition of New Painting from Britain

24^th September – 13^th November

MAC

www.macarts.co.uk

Home is where the heart is – or so they say. A new art show, in conjunction with Prague gallery Biennale 5, looks at the different perceptions that people have of their homes and how every day occurrences can make a home into an oppressive force. Instances like burglaries, family deaths or even visits fro bailiffs have the power to strip warmth from a home and leave an indelible mark.

For others, the home is never a happy place from the start. It is a place of loneliness and melancholy, misery and oppression – where the walls are more akin to a prison than the proverbial castle they should be. Some Domestic Incidents explores the reality of these differing perspectives and the gulf that exists in modern perceptions of the home.

With a number of artists collaborating, including Graham Chorlton, Sally Payen, Oliver Clegg and many more, the subject matter is as diverse as the perceptions of the home they represent. Midlands based Chorlton will explore, in his segment, night scenes often devoid of human presence, with chairs pulled from tables and cards discarded on tables, all signifiers of relationships and lives that have ended in the home. Another West Midlands based artist Sally Payen previous work has addressed issues of angst, protest and civil unrest. In her pieces for the show depict the remnants of a house party that has gone sour.

Curators Matt Price and Charlie Levine will be hosting a free tour of the work on 20^th Oct at 7.30.

Written for Area Magazine

George Shaw

I woz ere

18^th November – 11^th March 2012

Herbert Gallery

www.theherbert.org

Coventry born George Shaw has forged a formidable reputation within the art community over the last 15 years, culminating in his recent Turner prize nomination. His work surrounds the area he grew up in, Tile Hill, which was often riddled with the graffitied musings of a disillusioned youth, who took comfort in scribing I woz ere wherever they chose.

Much of Shaw’s work documents these, seemingly obscure, areas of his youth and the disembodiment he felt when returning later as a so-called ‘visitor’ to his old stomping ground to find everything changing. The moody simplicity of Shaw’s work is haunting and yet there is an underlying beauty that lurks beyond the surface. What usually would be considered mundane subject matters, are brought to life by the deft attention to detail and the skill of Shaw’s brush.

Having showed his work once this year already, Shaw believed that the Coventry paintings would end following the showing. It was not to be, as fresh inspiration following the death of his father means that he continues to cling to the past, working on his end to the Coventry paintings. In a sense, his work is his moniker on the Coventry landscape - his I woz ere.

For the first time, Shaw brings the product back to the inspiration with his first show starting at The Herbert in Coventry, in November.

Written for Area Magazine

PR clangers not restricted to former PM’s

A little less than a month ago I blogged about the PR gaffe involving Gordon Brown’s rant regarding a Rochdale senior citizen that arguably left the Labour re-election campaign in tatters. It now seems however, that it is not the former PM alone that is capable of PR Clangers but more worryingly, supposed PR experts that are the subjects of the latest faux pa.

In what is being billed as a staggering lack of professional decorum, PR Week have reported that a social media PR company have taken to their blog to verbally berate a rival company, for what they perceived as their inability to manage social media. The smaller agency’s crime; to send unsolicited press releases to a database of bloggers - hardly the crime of the century.

The blog post itself reeks of an overeager need to ‘get one over’ on a competitor that won a pitch (the very pitch that forms the subject of the blog) they were interested in. Not only is it excessively hasty in its criticisms of a growing company, it is exceptionally hypocritical. The blog post makes fun of grammar that is correct whilst the post itself is riddled with grammatical errors for which the writer atoned by explaining it was ‘hastily’ written, highlighting at the very least the incompetency of the individual in question.

What is most concerning about the post is not its flagrant transparency or the spiteful tone it adopts, it’s not even the mistakes that litter the text, it is the fact that the offending company has done little to assuage the contempt felt by fellow industry professionals. In fact, they seem content to add to their woes by attempting to excuse their actions under the pretence it was ‘for the good of the industry.’

NixonMcInnes MD Will McInnes said of the issue: 'Inevitably we all make mistakes so we shouldn't point the knife when someone slips up. Effectively we exist in what is like a village so we should act like a community. We're all in this together.'

Had they removed the post and apologised for any offence then the matter may have been forgotten. But they have not seen fit to do this and all the blog has succeeded in doing is cause one to question the integrity of said company and its Managing Director, who cleared the post for publication. With 95% of the comments on the blog being negative, future relations with PR professionals will no doubt prove difficult for the company in the coming weeks.

11th May 2010 Review: Blood Brothers the Musical

The iconic Blood Brothers returns to Wolverhampton in this sublime interpretation guaranteed to have you laughing hysterically one minute and in floods of tears the next. Surrounding the exploits of the Johnstone twins Mickey and Edward who, when separated at birth, grow up on opposite sides of the tracks in tough Liverpool. Despite Edward enjoying all the advantages of wealth while Mickey has struggled in depression hit Liverpool, the two strike up an unlikely friendship, forging a blood pact. As the poison of the secret increases the ‘mother’ of Edward descends into madness fearing the truth will be revealed. Ultimately the friendship of the two brothers proves disastrous. Sufficed to say this is not one for those who enjoy a happy ending!

The cast of this latest interpretation were superb and have continued the long, distinguished history of this play. Throughout the crowd are treaded to the mesmerising vocals of Lyn Paul, former member of 70’s group New Seekers. She is excellent in her reprisal of the role that she first took in 1997. Her portrayal of loving mother and hard Liverpudlian is excellent, even maintaining traces of the accent in her musical scores. She engages with the audience who can’t help empathise with her plight.

This play is also rich with young talent whom display a wealth of maturity and experience. Notable performance of the evening was the charismatic Sean Jones who played Mickey. Also reprising his role, he seamlessly flowed between the cheeky, lovable rogue that Mickey is through the first half into the depressive drug addicted Mickey, who has been hardened by the toughness of his upbringing. He was responsible for the largest laughs and the largest tears.

Other notable performances come from Tracey Spencer and Robbie Scotcher. Spencer played the part of Mrs Lyons, the ‘mother’ of Edward. Her portrayal of a woman descending into madness had an eerie feel to it and made the hairs stand on the back of your neck. Her desperation to conceal the secret that has blighted their lives oozes from her performance.

Likewise, Scotcher who played the narrator generated an immense sense of foreboding and was an ominous presence on the stage - like a shadow of the tragedy that was about to unfold. While his timing was sometimes off, the manner in which he skulked around the stage was exquisite.

As always the musical score was exceptional as was the set design and use of props, particularly from Mickey and his green jumper. Despite its age, this play has the ability to captivate audiences of all ages and is assured a long future to come. In what was certainly the best performance I have seen this year, I laughed, I cried and I’d do it all again.

Fabio’s PR own goal disallowed by FA

It seemed to have crossed the line but the FA has evidently seen fit to intervene in the latest scandal to have hit football. Whilst not quite on the national scale of Ashley Cole’s numerous affairs or John Terry’s infidelities, it does pose the most significant threat to the harmony of the England team and strikes at the heart of the credibility of the one time untouchable England Manager, Fabio Capello.

The subject of the controversy is Capello’s new business venture unveiled on 10^th May, which would have seen him publish his post match reports from the World Cup in order to collate a performance table/ranking system. The goal of the service termed the Capello Index, would have been to create an accurate scoring system that would be implemented into Capello’s soon to be released video game Capello XI. The move was immediately branded as a ‘PR own Goal’ from the usually suave Capello.

Imagine if you will having submitted a tender or proposal, that the first thing your bosses did was to immediately Tweet about your performance even going so far as to give you a score out of ten. The embarrassment alone would impair your judgement on your next case and cause you to question yourself, making decisions that normally you would not. That in effect, is the system that Capello was hoping to deploy.

Amidst the growing debate Capello’s employer (the FA) have stepped in and put the kibosh on the deal suggesting that the move is insensitive and could affect the mood of the players. This comes as a massive blow for both Capello and Pitch who were brought in to handle PR for the account. In the wake of all the bad press and with an indefinite postponement and distancing from Capello, it will be interesting in the coming weeks to see how Pitch can disencumber the rubble of their campaign.

A Taste of the East for the HP Site

In 2007 the new owners of HP moved production from its Birmingham site to Holland in cost cutting measures that left the iconic HP factory dormant and derelict for three years, along with the loss of 125 jobs. Now though East End food company, who have been producing authentic Eastern cuisine for over 30 years in the Birmingham area, have bought the site and revealed a £25 million plan that will rejuvenate the area and put Birmingham back on the food map.

The ambitious plans for the site include a 15 storey building that will host a cash and carry warehouse, a 150 bed hotel with conference facilities and a new based of operations for the Indian food company. The company even hope to create kitchen space in which people can come and learn the art of cooking authentic Eastern cuisine.

Committee member Keith Linnecor had this to say “This is an excellent development. A great looking building and will lead to the creation of so many jobs in the area…far more than there were on the site previously.”

Since the closing of the factory the area has suffered a great deal. But these plans will undoubtedly bring the site back to its former glory and will provide twice the number of jobs previously employed at the site. The firm have stated that it would very much like to hear from HP staff that have been unable to find work and promises “quite a mixture of employment.”

With construction set to end within the next 18 months, East End food has proven its commitment and confidence in the Birmingham area and hopes that this rejuvenation project will inspire other such projects in the area.