Just a taste of the Great Western Jazz Company - still sounding great after a few pints....

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 00:48:09 +0000

Just a taste of the Great Western Jazz Company - still sounding great after a few pints. http://yfrog.us/2qvsvz

So, it’s been a great night - writers&designers, Crabbies, @JNSim, @robselfpierson and the...

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 04:25:27 +0000

So, it’s been a great night - writers&designers, Crabbies, @JNSim, @robselfpierson and the start of another amazing project - @26flavours

did we mention 26 Treasures?

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 00:10:00 +0100

Dan’s designed this www.26treasures.com

And we’re both helping to manage the project with John Simmons and Olivia Sprinkel from 26. Here’s the latest press release for more info:

Writers reveal 26 treasures in 62 words

The poets Andrew Motion and Maura Dooley are among the 26 writers taking part in 26 Treasures, a unique collaboration between the writers’ collective 26 and the V&A, as part of this year’s London Design Festival. Through personal and poetic responses, the writers aim to encourage visitors to take a different, non-scholarly look at precious objects in the V&A’s collection.

The project sees 26 writers paired with 26 objects in the V&A’s British Galleries, with each writer writing exactly 62 words in response. The written pieces will be on display next to the objects during the London Design Festival, from 18 – 26 September.

Writers were paired with objects at random. Andrew Motion was paired with a bust of Homer, and Maura Dooley with an ornate mirror. The other objects range from the The Great Bed of Ware to a Rococo candle stand, from James II’s wedding suit to Mr Nobody with a drinking glass.

26 Treasures is a project created for and run by members of the writers’ collective 26 www.26.org.uk. The visual identity for the project was designed by Pearlfisher; Domenic Lippa at Pentagram designed the exhibition materials; and Dan Oparison designed and built the 26 Treasures website.

Rob Self-Pierson, the writer who had the initial idea for the project, said: “I loved the idea of telling the stories behind the objects, inspiring visitors to see the treasures in a new light. 26 Treasures is also an amazing opportunity to showcase writing in the V&A. We hope people will follow the trail and feel inspired.”

Sophie Reynolds, London Design Festival Officer at the V&A, said: “The V&A has a long history of inspiring artists, and every day we see people sketching in the galleries. So what a brilliant idea to ask writers to respond in words. The responses are wonderful – from the personal and serious to the laugh-out-loud funny. The 26 Treasures trail will give visitors a new, rewarding and insightful way to view the 26 objects. It also promises to be a lot of fun.”

John Simmons, one of the founders of 26, said: “It’s the eighth year that 26 has participated in the London Design Festival, making sure that writing is celebrated as an essential element of design and communication. This has been our most exciting collaboration yet and the results have been extraordinary.”

The project will continue after the London Design Festival, with members of the public invited to submit 62 words on an object of their choosing, and students from the London College of Communications will also be taking part in a 26 Treasures inspired project.

For further information:

1.    The 26 Treasures website is www.26treasures.com, Twitter @26Treasures.

2.    Contact John Simmons either by phone 07976916502 or email johnsimmons[at]blueyonder.com, or Rob Self-Pierson by phone 07754808899 or email rob.selfpierson[at]gmail.com

3.    Contact Sophie Reynolds, V&A, by email s.reynolds[at]vam.ac.uk

4.    Other websites: 26 www.26.org.uk, V&A www.vam.ac.uk, LDF www.londondesignfestival.com

Notes to editors:

·    26 is a not-for-profit association of writers drawn from many different backgrounds and activities. We run events and projects, we create books and websites, to champion the cause of better writing in every area of working life. It’s a membership organisation with 300+ members, many of whom work with the very best designers.

·    We can provide photos on request

We didn’t win. But we had good fun trying.

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 22:10:34 +0100

We didn’t win. But we had good fun trying.

"Nobody knows anything"

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 17:41:14 +0100

“Nobody knows anything”

- William Goldman

1,2…26 Treasures - http://www.26fruits.co.uk/blog/

Mon, 24 May 2010 12:24:48 +0100

1,2…26 Treasures - http://www.26fruits.co.uk/blog/

All entries from the “wanted ads” competition. T’was a good day....

Fri, 21 May 2010 21:22:30 +0100

All entries from the “wanted ads” competition. T’was a good day. http://bit.ly/aFRqhq

dan&rob

Just a taste of the Great Western Jazz Company - still sounding great after a few pints....

So, it’s been a great night - writers&designers, Crabbies, @JNSim, @robselfpierson and the...

did we mention 26 Treasures?

We didn’t win. But we had good fun trying.

"Nobody knows anything"

1,2…26 Treasures - http://www.26fruits.co.uk/blog/

All entries from the “wanted ads” competition. T’was a good day....