Sunday, February 04, 2007
London Hauling
Tuesday was a big day. A daytrip to the Hayward Gallery with our pet tonne of rice. Arts Council England where launching a policy initiative with us as the floor show and a string quartet as the band. Setting off at 08.00 we hauled into the South Bank at 11.00 and everything was up and ready by 17.30. You could tell these were crack touring troops and the prep was good. The show looked slick. Each delegate, even the late additions, got a bag with their name on the label and a grain of rice inside. It stands to reason that if the Arts Council reckon these folk are important enough to be invited they've got to be worth impressing.
Openings are always a bit tricky with the rice, people are keen on it but soon start chatting to each other, eating canapés, swigging free wine and striding through rice mounds representing the poor and undernourished. You expect casualties but it’s still distressing when it happens.
We got a couple of name checks in the speeches, hung around until the room was clear, then raced the techies and catering staff to see who would be first out. We lost out to both but were still home by 01.00.
The gig paid a fee but the true value may only become clear when efforts to finance a World Version in London crank up later this year.
James
Openings are always a bit tricky with the rice, people are keen on it but soon start chatting to each other, eating canapés, swigging free wine and striding through rice mounds representing the poor and undernourished. You expect casualties but it’s still distressing when it happens.
We got a couple of name checks in the speeches, hung around until the room was clear, then raced the techies and catering staff to see who would be first out. We lost out to both but were still home by 01.00.
The gig paid a fee but the true value may only become clear when efforts to finance a World Version in London crank up later this year.
James
