BiG TeA PaRtY Sustainable Living

BiG TeA PaRtY editor VaLerie K has just received a grant from the Philadelphia Independent Film and Video Association (PIFVA).

Congratulations Val!

This grant will help support a NEW BiG TeA PaRtY DVD on GREEN issues like composting, the importance of buying local food, water conservation and much more. Look for it this fall.

PIFVA is a membership organization whose mission is to strengthen, promote and serve Philadelphia’s independent media community through programs which provide opportunities to learn, mentor, produce and screen work, advocate for the community and network. PIFVA is dedicated to increasing the creative capacity of Philadelphia media artists, promoting public appreciation of independent media making, and encouraging the talent and ability of the region’s creative community of filmmakers.

VaLerie K is a professional film and video editor, specializing in Final Cut Pro, Avid, Photoshop, After Effects, DVD Studio Pro, mixed-format projects, HD, DV, DigiBeta, you name it. Contact her if you’re in the NY/Philly/NJ/DE area and need an experienced editor to start/finish/critique your video or film project, tutor or teach editing techniques and skills.

Posted by Elizabeth Fiend.

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What BiG TeA PaRtY does on VACATION:

Playa del Fuego, an East Coast Burning Man
BY ELIZABETH FIEND

Click here to see us in 2009.

And check out the Wormwood Iced Tea Party we threw.

They burn a pony, not a man. The vibe is chill, not hot.

I was trying to describe the difference between Burning Man, which by now every one knows about, and Playa del Fuego, which is still pretty much a secret, to my Burning Man campmates last year, who would be coming to PDF for the first time. ) PDF is the mid-Atlantic regional “burn” – one of the many regional off-shoots of Burning Man.

Playa del Fuego is nothing and everything like Burning Man.

Held in not-so remote Odessa, Delaware, PDF is a four-day campout with a max capacity of 800 peeps (editors note: as of 2009 1,000), and this alone changes the tone. It’s a personal, intimate scene of outlandish, crazy, weird, extraordinary strangers who will end up being your best friends at the end of the weekend. That is, if you do it right.

Playa del Fuego is closer to the first Burning Man I attended, way back in 1996, when there were only 8,000 participants, unlike today’s 40,000-plus.

At today’s Burning Man, you’ll encounter astounding creations like the Belgian Waffle — a $250,000 project constructed of 100 miles of wooden beams. A spun-shredded wheat marvel by day, and a glorious electronica shrine by night. State-of-the-art sound and light with cult DJs flown in from Europe, it’s impressive and amazing, but it isn’t that personal.

Interaction is what PDF is all about.

PDF is about connecting and participating. Sure B’Man’s motto is participation, but it’s increasingly difficult to compete for attention if you don’t have some major bucks and a lot of folks behind your group.

I was telling my six campmates that we needed to dream up a theme camp to make the most out of our experience at PDF. A theme camp is an event, a residence, a place to dance or chill, a giving of yourself, music, street theater, performance, art of any kind.

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Future Weather the Movie: Philly Filmmaker Jenny Deller is on a Quest to Make a Feature Film Sustainably

by VaLerie K

Ever think about the wastefulness of the entertainment industry?  Here’s a biz where they build a whole city in a matter of weeks, only to dismantle it or blow it up in the end.  A movie crew can sweep into a city, a major U.S. city that is struggling to maintain funding for basic public services, and make streets over to look like Toronto in the 1800s, filled with horses and carriages with fake street signs and gas lamps.  Or a movie crew can make a summer day look like fall, or a sunny day into an overcast sky pouring rain.  And as is probably obvious, these movie and tv projects use an enormous amount of energy and resources, usually without really taking the environmental cost into account.

And yet there is a lone warrior, on a noble mission to actually produce an independent feature film without a huge carbon footprint.  Ok, she’s not so lone as all that, Jenny Deller has gathered a group of talented and dedicated folk around her to work toward making the story come to life in as environmentally-friendly way as possible.  “Future Weather” is a tale about a plucky tween determined to learn to grow trees from seed in an effort to help slow global warming.  Deller and her team have also developed a resource blog about all things green and sustainable. where you can find all kind of info from green gifts for any occasion, to how to navigate the complex world of plastic recycling, to a review of an automotive product called ‘the blade’ that you can attach to your car to reduce carbon emissions instantly.

For Future Weather: The Movie [website], click HERE.

For Future Weather Report [the Blog], click HERE.

To see the BiG TeA PaRtY blog post about our participation in GreenFest Philly 2008′s Eco-Film Fest, programmed and hosted by none other than Jenny Deller and Future Weather the Movie, click HERE.

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The Physics of “Green” and an Exploration of Sustainability

Six Week Workshop For Teens In Philadelphia’s Historic Italian Market

Instructors: Elizabeth Fiend and  Richard Hwang

Project 360 Spring Workshops For Home-schooling Teens and Youth Seeking Enrichment

April 20-May 29 (6 weeks)

Register today!  Call Sonia at 215/336-2418 to sign up or email her at sonia@meow.name for more information. Enrollment is limited to 10 youth per class.

The Physics of “Green” and an Exploration of Sustainability: Wednesdays 6:30-8 pm April 20- May 29 (six weeks)

(HWANG and FIEND)
This class will look at lifestyle issues of sustainability as well as “green” technologies such as wind turbines and solar energy. Two tag-teaming teachers will rotate weeks bringing a lively element to this investigation of how to become more sustainable.

Sustainable living refers to a lifestyle and set of choices that minimize a person’s ecological footprint. It is a lifestyle that pays attention to the symbiotic relationship between Earth and humanity with the ultimate goal of preserving the Earth’s natural ecology, its plants, animals and resources.

In this class you will learn ways to tweak your current life to become more sustainable. But to really achieve a sustainable future, we need science.  You will also learn about “green” technologies such as wind turbines, solar energy, and other elements of physics being used today in the new trend toward a sustainable future.

Each student will receive a free 30-minute VHS video, Green Tea Party, with tips on how to live a more environmentally friendly life, and make their own green shopping bag from recycled materials.

Materials are included in the cost of the class.

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Don’t worry, I’ll be bringing you an entire recap of my adventures in Japan, stories, photos and of course more monkeys. For now a teaser: Photo through a fish restaurant window in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Love, Elizabeth Fiend

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CHAIN LETTER or EXCITING SOCIAL EXPERIMENT and ON-LINE COMMUNITY ACTIVISM? By Elizabeth Fiend

I normally don’t do this sort of thing. [Sorry to everyone I know in the world that has sent me the ‘recipe’ chain letter. I didn’t do it. Because, well, I was the first person everyone thought of in regards to great recipes, which meant I received that chain letter, oh about a million times.] I’m only doing this one because it was sent to me by Rodney Anonymous of the Dead Milkmen (Oh my did I just imply that my celebrity friends are more important than my other friends?!?). I was also quite taken aback that there was no biting sarcasm in the request. So I figured it must be an extremely important experiment and I should be happy to have been plucked out and given a chance to participate in this time-wasting Internet exercise.

Here’s the email I got from Rodney:
Hello Elizabeth,

Earlier today, I was invited by the good folks at
Skepchick to take part in a small experiment that
falls somewhere between charting the evolution of a meme and an obnoxious
chain letter. One of my tasks is to
see if I can get six other people involved in this, so I’m asking Tim &
Eric, Eleanor Cliff, Steven Pinker, The Dalai Lama, and you to participate.

If you’re interested in participating, please follow the instructions
provided at the above link; if you’re not, I’ll more than understand.

Thanks,
Rodney

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LARGE PUBLIC ARTS PROJECT: MULTI-MEDIA, MULTI-WORKS

CALL FOR ARTISTS! Hear ye hear ye…..

I’m on the advisory board for a new and unique venture proposed by the Mural Arts Program.

The Mural Arts Prgram (MAP) is one of the top public-arts programs in the country and has produced over 3,000 murals in Philadelphia. This particular project involves multiple works, in any media, to be executed in my own neighborhood — South Philly.  Following is MAP’s call for artists. If you have any questions you can ask me or contact MAP directly: Lindsey Rosenberg at (215) 685-0729 or Lindsey.Rosenberg@muralarts.org

This is true community activism. Good luck! Love, Elizabeth Fiend

Below you’ll find all the information about how to apply for this unique opportunity. If you have additional questions leave comments or email me: elizabeth @ bigteaparty.com  (remove spaces to email)

Request for Qualifications for an exciting project with the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program

This project, entitled “Journeys South” seeks to produce multiple works of art that explore the history, struggles, and traditions of South Philadelphia in a public setting. The project will explore the theme of immigration and migration as told through the histories of the peoples who settled there and shaped its character over almost four hundred years.

Below you will find additional information about eligibility and necessary items for submission. Please note, artists of all disciplines are encouraged to apply (ie, visual artists, poets, writers, performance artists). Only those artists that are considered will be interviewed mid-December. Announcements of selected artists will be made by December 31, 2008.

Multiple artists or teams of artists will be chosen.
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3rd at 5

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MaKE YR OWN RoSeMaRY ORaNGE BaTH SaLTS

BY ELIZABETH FIEND

Renew your skin. Take a bath to sooth the stiff muscles after a winter of inactivity.
Epsom salts = magnesium sulfate
Baking soda = sodium bicarbonate

makes enough for 4 Baths

Tip: USE RIGHT AWAY AS THE NATURAL SCENTS DON’T LAST FOREVER

Bath salts are simple to prepare and make great gifts, either for yourself or for your friends.

Homemade = better
Mass produced = chemical-laden products

The invigorating scents orange and rosemary, the herb of remembrance / memory star in this recipe.
But you can try any pleasing combination of scents.

BASIC MINERAL BATH RECIPE:
Mix in a plastic container:
3 parts Epson salts (3/4 cup)

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 HaPPy WoRlD VeGeTaRiAN DaY!!!
October First Kicks off a Month of
Vegetarian Awareness and FuN
and Don’t Forget — Lots of Great Food!

For more information:
North American Vegetarian Society

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Guess what! BiG TeA PaRtY, always ahead of the curve, already has a video about clothing swaps on our compilation tape OOLONG. Click HERE to see “All Girls Clothes Swap”, hosted of course by ELIZABETH FIEND, shot by me, VaLerie K as guest cameraperson.

Check it: there are handy tips at the end of this article for having a successful clothing swap of your own. Host a swap and report back, ok? Now, on to the article….

ClOtHiNg SwAp by VaLerie K

Clothing swaps. Not to BRAG or anything, but I think I was the first to host a clothing swap in my crowd of girlfriends back in 1988 or so. 20 years later, we are still doing it. We just had a clothes swap last weekend. We do it, oh, about twice a year, usually when the one of us who has been itching to purge their closet the longest can’t stand it anymore.

What exactly is a clothing swap?

I searched Wikipedia for ‘clothing swap’ and sure enough, there was a definition right there. I surfed around and found many sites and posts, and though there are variations, the gist is the same everywhere.

A group of people gets together.

Everyone brings clothes, accessories and other items still in good shape that they are no longer using.

Everyone looks through everyone else’s stuff and takes what they want at no charge (some ambitious sorts have large-scale clothing swaps that are fundraisers with a cover charge that goes to a local shelter or something like that, but all items are still free for the takin).

Then whatever’s left at the end of the swap gets donated to a charitable org like Good Will, United Way or charity thrift stores, women’s shelters, places like that.

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