BIG Landscape Conference 2020

In case some of you haven't heard about this conference taking place in London on the 1-3 July, I thought I better send a quick post. There is still time to apply and the line-up for speakers and workshops is looking very good now.

If you can't make the whole weekend you are able to pay for the Friday separately. I really hope some of you can make it, I am sure it will be worth it and you will find it interesting meeting other students studying Landscape Architecture from all over the UK, hopefully other countries too.

I will be helping on the day so if you do want to know more or need any help just email me laurakateparsons@hotmail.co.uk

End of Year Party

Thanks to those who organised and attended the annual Landscape Awards and party. It was lovely to have such a happy send-off to the year.

waiting for our dinner!

After food it was time for the awards - too numerous to mention - suffice to say there were some funny stories. And I can't resist posting a picture of one of the prizes...

Mr Inappropriate

Thanks to everyone for all your hard work over the year, and best of luck for the next!

Have a look at the lovely website radical cartography - lots of food for thought.


Bill Rankin is a historian and cartographer. His mapping activity is focused on reimagining everyday urban and territorial geographies by pushing techniques of statistical information design and rethinking everyday cartographic conventions. His maps have appeared in several publications and exhibitions, including articles in Perspecta, Harvard Design Magazine, and National Geographic and shows at Harvard University, Pratt Institute, and the Toronto Images Festival; several of his maps are also traveling with ICI’s “Experimental Geographies” show through 2011. Most of his cartography can be seen on his website, www.radicalcartography.net. His historical research is about the changing technologies of cartography and navigation in the twentieth century. He is currently finishing a PhD on this topic at Harvard, and will begin teaching in the history of science program at Yale in the fall of 2011.

Agriculture Bill Rankin 2007

National Ecosystem Assessment

Very interesting item of news on BBC, well worth looking at as it may have a significant impact on our profession, the kinds of work we get involved in, how it is valued and how it is perceived in the future. Your thoughts would be worth hearing!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13616543

Eddy

Chorlton Arts Festival

... and while I'm at it, there is a more locally based event going on at the moment which may interest some of you. The Chorlton Arts Festival is a community organised festival which has been building up for about 10 years and now attracts a wide range of artists in all media to local venues. It includes this year an art walk around Chorlton Meadows which has been contributed to by an odd mixture of local schools and artists. While hardly breaking new ground it is quirky and has the odd pleasant surprise. It also makes for a nice walk around the local nature reserve which can be accessed by 86 bus to Chorlton Bus Station and a short walk down Beech Road, across Chorlton Green and down past the Bowling Green Pub to Ivy Green Car Park. Second years will remember this from the Carbon Neutral Project.

Jaume Plensá at Yorkshire Sculpture Park

There is a fantastic exhibition on at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park at the moment by the Catalan sculptor Jaume Plensá. His work is monumental but with a unique translucency and meditative quality. The pictures here do not do it full justice and I would recommend a visit. The Yorkshire Sculpture Park is near Wakefield and about 1 hr 10 mins by car or can be reached by train and bus. It is a wonderful place to go anyway with a huge collection of sculpture in a beautiful landscape but would recommend this exhibition highly even for those already familiar with the rest. A last minute addition to your journals???

Why Invest in Students?

Here is a short stills film in response to the recent education cuts and increases in University fees as part of my Critical Practice module.

In my view we live in such a fantastic technological time that enables us to have a voice, place and an influence within our global community. I really hope new students take advantage of these exciting opportunities to communicate.  Blogging being one of them!