LAST DAY to bid for the SquatSpace couch at charity auction online

While it’s hard to fathom why we would be involved in a show that is more about giving kudos and advertising to IKEA (!?), we have used the opportunity to criticise the hidden social issues surrounding  IKEA.

And for some reason, that seems to be a bit unsaleable!

So our couch design for the IKEA HOME PROJECT is in its last day at the online auction, and it’s currently going for the crazy low price of $289!  With all proceeds going to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal! Act now!

About our design:
Looking at the planned obsolescence of an IKEA couch, it has FREE TO A GOOD HOME painted large onto its surface, with added drawings of what the homes of ten people who encounter it on its life cycle might look like, from the home of a Swedish designer, thru to a Chinese factory worker, ship worker, IKEA store worker, onwards towards the vagrant that uses it as a home, and the home of a council worker who disposes of it.

With such raw labour and social equity issues exposed right under the nose of IKEA, this couch belongs in the foyer of trade unions, Labor politicians, Greens politicians, politically progressive design agencies, or just your place, dear fan of SquatSpace’s activities.

Remember, all proceed go to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal, and right now the couch is bidding at below basic cost price!

Bid here! or here: http://www.graysonline.com/Lot.aspx?id=3844086

Design for Fire – Challenge Pitch

The 2009 Design Challenge, an initiative of RMIT’s Design Research Institute, brings together research and specialist teams across a broad range of diverse sectors to generate innovative design proposals in response to the issues raised by bushfires. The Design for Fire: Challenge Pitch is the first stage of assessment of the teams’ design proposals, from which a shortlist of finalists will be invited to further develop their ideas. One team will be selected to receive the RMIT Design Research Institute Challenge Award and funding to the value of $25,000 for the next stage of research and development in 2010.

Design for Fire: Forum
A free public forum dedicated to uncovering innovative design solutions that can help communities deal with extreme fire events. Design for Fire will present a range of perspectives, experiences and proposals in response to this urgent and topical issue.
(sic)

As part of the forum our keynote international guest Michael Reynolds – the Garbage Warrior will present his perspectives on designing for extreme conditions, other presentations will draw from the Design Research Institute’s 2009 Design Challenge – an RMIT University-led design challenge that will bring together research leaders and industry specialists to explore how innovative design solutions can help communities deal with extreme fire events.

More from State of Design website

Friday 24 July
Challenge Pitch: 9.30am-11.30am
Forum: 12pm-2pm
Location: BMW Edge, Federation Square, Melbourne
Cost: Free: RSVP to designforfire@stateofdesign.com.au

Food drops for Victorian wildlife

Guidelines and how you can access food to help bushfire affected wildlife has been prepared by Wildlife Victoria.

Many of Victoria’s native wildlife have managed to survive the recent devastating bushfires, but their food source is no longer available. Many are now facing starvation.

With the tireless work of many volunteers conducting food drops in fire affected areas, many lives have been saved; however, there are still large numbers of wildlife which have not been reached and they need our help!!

Wildlife Victoria has been providing the appropriate food free of charge to all wildlife carers, community groups and members of the public interested in doing food drops.

General information about how to evaluate and assess the food drop process has also been developed to help make the decisions accordingly.

To access this information, please click here.

If you would like to help with food drops in your area, please contact

Adriana Simmonds
Food Drop Coordinator
Wildlife Victoria
E: Adriana@wildlifevictoria.org.au

Animal Remembrance Day – Sunday April 26th.

Remembering the animals lost in the recent devastating Victorian bushfires.

RSPCA, in conjunction with Rochford Winery are holding an Animal Remembrance Day – Sunday 26 April 2009.

The Black Saturday bush fires devastated many areas of Victoria and many animals including pets and native wild life lost their homes, habitats and their lives.

The Animal Remembrance Day is an opportunity for the community to come together to remember the beloved pets that were lost or injured in the fires. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the devastating and unprecedented loss of over 1 million animals and native wildlife on Black Saturday.

Organised by the RSPCA, the Animal Remembrance Day will be held at Rochford Winery on the outskirts of the Yarra Valley. This free outdoor event will bring together Victoria’s fire affected communities, emergency services, animal aid organisations and the general public for a morning of reflection and contemplation.

Through music, readings and visual presentations, the Animal Remembrance Day will be an opportunity for the community to acknowledge the animals affected by the bush fires. This event will acknowledge the emergency services, animal aid organisations, volunteers and the public who rescued and cared for countless animals affected by the fires.

When: Sunday April 26, 2009
Where: Rochford Winery
Cnr Maroondah Hwy & Hill Road, Coldstream, Victoria, Australia

Click here to secure your FREE tickets to this special event

If you are from bushfire affected regions please call 03 9224 2222 to secure your FREE ticket and to arrange transport if needed.

Pets are welcome!
Dogs on leads and other animals in pet carriers please.

Important information regarding food drops for wildlife in Victoria

Some animals have survived the recent devastating bush fires but their food source is no longer there. We can help those animals to stay alive and healthy under very specific guidelines.
 
Wildlife Victoria is supporting carers by providing food and advice.  
 
…If we really care about our wildlife, we need to care just as much about the environment that supports it…
 
-         Only feed on private land with the land owner’s consent. Leaving food for wildlife in public land is prohibited by DSE due to the environmental and health risks involved.
-         Using food with seeds and grains in it could spread environmental weeds into the forest, unbalancing the fragile ecosystem and therefore, affecting wildlife in the long term.
-         We recommend kangaroo and wallaby pellets in combination with pasture replacement pellets, since processed food does not pose a risk of weeds spreading.
-         Some animals will take a while to recognise this type of food, but eventually they will start eating it.
-         For birds, use small seeds such as cockatiel mixed with fresh green and/or orange vegetables. Do not use sunflower seeds.
-         Clean up feeding stations regularly to avoid health hazards.
-         Feed away from roads and dangerous places for the wildlife.
-         When natural food is available, start reducing supplementary food to avoid dependency.
-         When using hay, be aware that Meadow and grass hay have seeds in them. Lucerne hay does not have seeds, but it may predispose macropods to lumpy jaw.
 
For further information please contact Adriana Simmonds. mb: 0423242037

Email:adriana@wildlifevictoria.org.au
Website: http://www.wildlifevictoria.org.au

International Virtual Cat Show

Join in the fun of Wildlife Victoria’s first International Virtual Cat Show. From your pedigree cat to cats of unknown parentage, even your beloved cat that is with us no more. All are welcome to be entered & at the same time raise money for animals devastated by the Victorian Bushfires.

http://www.virtualcatshow.com/

RSPCA – Victorian Bushfire Appeal Auction

A venture by the Frontier Touring Company, bwired and the RSPCA. A neat little site that allows you to bid on some rockin’ good shows and it’s all helping our animal pals effected by the Bushfires!

http://www.rockinrelief.com.au/

Teen Youth Bushfire Support – Thursday March 26 Toolangi VIC

The “Get Real Empowering Youth” organisation works with Journey trauma counselling, and is welcoming all youth who were impacted by the bushfires to come and receive support for free on Thursday March 26 at Toolangi, Victoria.

The Journey tools are tremendously effective with helping people process the deep painful trauma caused by loss, death, anger, fear of the unknown, and feeling like life has turned its back, so that they can come to a place of acceptance, and for some to just breathe easy again.

These are the kinds of issues that could already have had a “shutdown” effect on youngsters that if left unresolved, can remain for life, stored inside the cell memory of the body and affecting the life of the youngster, friends and family.

If you know of families with youth who have been affected by Victoria’s bushfires, please send them this information.

They will experience a truly welcoming embrace, where they can rest their head and let go of grief in an extremely safe, supportive, and empathetic way.

NB: Following teen youth support, the Journey Outreach and its practitioners will be holding free on-going trauma healing days in the months of April, May and June, as well as setting up fundraising stalls and offering on-going trauma support in the areas every month for the whole year ahead. I’ll send out information regarding this in the following weeks.

For details and bookings – Tam 02 668 44663
mb 0402 556 711
e: info@getreal4youth.com

Stand As One – Hip Hop fundraiser – Bushfire benefit

A huge Melbourne Hip Hop benefit in support of the firefighters & the communities who have lost their property, loved ones and lively hoods in the aftermath of the tragic bushfires that have engulfed this state….

In a show of unity and support, Melbourne’s Hip Hop community will stand as one!!!

MARCH 15TH @ THE PRINCE ….more info

ACMI Bushfire Benefit Screening

Melbourne’s screen culture community comes together for a special screening of Gomorrah, raising funds for the Victorian Bushfire Appeal.

On Saturday 7 March ACMI joins forces with Melbourne’s major film institutions to present Matteo Garrone’s award-winning drama Gomorrah (unclassified 18+). All proceeds from this screening will go to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal. Adapted from Roberto Saviano’s book, an unsentimental account of the Italian mafia, Cannes Grand Prix winner Gomorrah interweaves five fragmented episodes exposing the criminal underworld dominating the city of Naples.

Collectively known as the Camorra, these gangs have a stranglehold on every aspect of Neapolitan life – from waste disposal to high fashion. In the words of film critic Longman Oz: “To challenge them is futile, to resist them is futile, to ignore them is futile, and to walk away from them is futile.” The feature will be introduced by Australian actor Nina Landis (City Homicide, The Hollowmen, MDA, Blackjack) with a package of short films from the Australian Film Television & Radio School to also screen. Presented by the Melbourne Cinémathèque, RMIT and ACMI, with the support of Madman Entertainment, Australian Film Television & Radio School (AFTRS), Victorian College of the Arts (VCA), Film Victoria, the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) and the Australian Film Institute (AFI).

The Bushfire Benefit screening of Gomorrah will be held at ACMI Cinemas on Saturday 7 March, 2pm. Tickets are full $25, concession $20 with all proceeds going to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal.

http://www.acmi.net.au/appeal.aspx