Caravan of Dreams - Intro Video!

So finally after waiting for what seems like days and days and days....

I have managed to upload the short film made which introduces the Caravan of Dreams nicely! Please enjoy - and if you really enjoy - please share and tell all your friends!

Millie =)

Ultimate team building… a view from the van

How do you build a network of wildly different organisations spread across a region of 6,000 square miles into a team of co-workers? 

A snap shot of an EMPAF meeting would show you that there are not enough hours even in a day-long meeting for passionate people to get everything off their chest.  Everyone has so much to say, share and hear from each other – our UK meetings often end when people suddenly stand up and say “I have to be on the train at 10 past”, put on their coats and walk out.  Then everyone travels back to their part of the region thinking of all the things we didn’t talk about; how interesting it would be to get views on a pressing issue that wasn’t on the agenda.

What was discovered at ICAF 2011 was the space to explore anything and everything on people’s minds, and the content of the conference itself as a catalyst to brand new thoughts and ideas.  Well, so I was told – I wasn’t there; my colleague Jill Turner was the High Peak representative that year, and she came home with a twinkle in her eye and a spring in her step.  So the Caravan of Dreams was born at some point between then and 2013 when our planning began.  Taking that idea of finding the space to work together intensively, we now have four of us sharing a journey in a van (two in relay), plus the reinforcements of another three who have joined us.   And I have to say it has been such an honour to visit and be welcomed by so many wildly different and passionate workers here in Holland.  They almost feel like part of our extended network now and reflecting on their practice has shone a light on our own.

I’ve loved being in the van – Andy Barrett from Excavate talks in his blog posts about approaching each encounter with a sense of mischief.  Yes, having witnessed him leaving a food parcel by the door of the family who told us where to find the supermarket, I can attest.  His warmth and energy have made an impression on me and it is exactly this kind of close working which we have no space for back in the UK.  Millie Ferguson from the Core in Corby is a legend of digital knowledge – I have been quietly sucking up new information and loving seeing how someone does it properly.  Keeping up with technology is a major issue for a tiny organisation like ours, where I am the default IT Manager, but am entirely self taught.

Everyone at home thinks I’m away on the ultimate Jolly.  But we have worked till near midnight on most days, and with a sense of panic over the volume of footage shot, the photos to upload, the coordinates to plot on Empedia.  Now is the time to make sense of it all and get gifts for those at home who have planned so hard and supported us while here (yes, Amy Smith, that’s you, and Tony that’s also you and many more…).  ICAF 2014 starts today – so watch this space for the fireworks that sets off.

Sophie, High Peak Community Arts

Points to ponder....

Millie's Log - Earth Date 24 March 2014


It is morning!

And I have awoken to sunlight streaming in to my room. I have also woken up to the slightly disorienting feeling that I have no idea what day it is and where I am. Now that I have had a shower to remove some of the cobwebs creeping round my brain, I am fully aware that it is Thursday December 17! 

Only joking! I know it's March and I am about to start breakfast before embarking on our tour for day 5 (Or is it 4 or maybe 6)!

The side of my bed looks a bit like an electronics shop with cables and batteries galore! And clothes are strewn everywhere as I try to locate my hairbrush! My derriere is still slightly sore from the saddle and I cannot find my hairbrush!

I am having an amazing time - but sometimes it feel people and places are going so fast that I barely have time to take it in before we load up the van and drive to our next location!

If you check out http://empedia.info/maps/223 you can see just how much we have seen, but it doesn't really give you a flavour of how little time we seem to spend in each place. I am finding that there is so much for my (little) brain to process that I am feeling slightly surreal.

Yesterday for example, we met with Ingrid and Christine, we were slightly late due to my successful navigating and driving which led us to see the harbour from about 6 different views. We had a great time over coffee and 'BitterBallen' talking about our different projects - Andy's Raleigh project and some of the Concept Album projects at The Core by Lisa, and hearing about the differences in community art between the UK and Holland, before we had to say our goodbyes and head from Hoorn to Amsterdam a good hours drive away. 

Again in Amsterdam we were met by Maaike in a beautiful park which hosts community arts events every Sunday, where we had a cup of tea (because we are British), saw the workshop associated with the Umbrella Art installation, some traditional African dance before whisked of to meet Jorik to hear about the good work he has done.

Thus all leading to a general sense of over whelming!

However - the sun is shining! I have not dented or damaged the van! (I may have lost it once but thats ok as I found it again!) No one has been hit, maimed or killed - and the sun is shining!

And it's time for breakfast which I am ready for listening to the grumble of my tummy - even if I did eat a whole cow last night!

Laters!

Millie =)

PS - Still baffled at the tea making! Hot water before the bag!!!

Dinosaurs & Disco Balls!

Millie's Log - Earth Date 20 March 2014

We begin! Today was the day! The day of the epic journey starting in Chesterfield, going to Nottingham, onwards to Leicester then to Dover! (Via Maplins!)

For those of you who know me well, will not be surprised to hear that I left it to the last (very last) minute to pack - and for those who have yet to get to know (& love) me - I can sometimes leave things till the 11th hour and 56th minute!

Luckily the traffic was on our side and we made it to those white cliffs with plenty of time to spare. The whole ferry experience was a bit weird as compared to the security at the airport it seemed on the whole very non-existent - not that we had anything to hide!

We all felt a surge of excitement as we saw the sea - the adventure begins! (& Of course lunch!)

When we reached Calais-  France, the fun did start! Paul made driving on the wrong side of the road look a doddle - and when we finally found a petrol station it was my turn to acquaint myself with driving. Which of course I handled like a pro!


Getting through France to Holland seemed to take no time at all  - three hours to drive through three countries - the roads were nice, straight and little traffic!

When we arrived at the Hotel Port, us road weary travellers decided that a drink was in order - which could commence once we had unloaded the van - Buckaroo anyone? We were also met by Sikko from Cal XL (http://www.cal-xl.nl/) who has been organising our trip from this end. Over a pint for the chaps and a modest JD & coke for me, we chatted about the week ahead - which sounds fab!

As for Dinosaurs & Disco Balls? The bar we ended up in was Jurassic Park meets Hard Rock Cafe!

And on that note - I bid you good night as I make a bee line for my bed!

See you on the 'morrow!

Millie =)

And so we begin....

Millie's Log - Earth Date 18 March 2014


Today was the all important planning session taking place at Mission Control aka Junction Arts in Chesterfield!

I (Millie) did not get off to a great start as I managed to get lost (even using a SatNav) trying to find Junction Arts! I have a feeling this does not bode well with the rest of the group as I am one drivers and navigators for the first part of the trip!

However things greatly improved when I finally got there and had a nice cup of tea! It was brilliant to finally meet everyone who I had been chatting with over e mail! This is going to be exciting!

Amy, who is the Head and Chief of Mission Control has been hard at work organising, collating and preparing plans, diagrams, charts and maps for us had done a fine job and all that was left to do was to make a final kit check, agree timings, shake hands and they we were off! (Well off to our homes to pack n stuff!)

Upon discovering that the van had a cassette player (!) I quickly came up with the solution of a cassette / ipod adapter as there were some murmurings of some rather dodgy music selections - so a major disaster was avoided! Phew!

After successfully navigating my way out of Chesterfield and back to the 'Shire, I reacquainted myself with drivings of a big van, thanks to the watchful eye of my little brother who made me do a 'turn in the road' (as its called now) in the narrowest lane ever! So I may not know where I am going, or the route there but rest assured we will make it there in one piece!

And finally I would like to say a few thanks to people who are helping me on this journey:

• The guys and gals at EMPAF for inviting me along
• Sarah who lent us a SatNav with European maps
• My brother for the driving lesson
• Martin for a refresh on some filming / editing solutions
• Tony for the last minute dash for a FireWire adapter
• Everybody else who has put up with me over the last week as I planned for situations (both real and imaginary) stressed and was otherwise a general pain in the...!

See you in Rotterdam (Via Dover, France, Belgium & Mexico!)

Millie x