Many of you will be aware of the Anthony Gormley Fourth Plinth project in Trafalgar Square. One & Other.

None of you will yet be aware that I've been selected to spend one hour on the plinth between 3.00am and 4.00am Wednesday August 12th. (UK time)

To be honest I didn't know myself until lunchtime yesterday when, at 36 hours notice, I was asked if I would take the place of someone who'd had to cancel their hour. (Clearly somebody with a lot more sense than me - someone who thought, '3.00am !! - you've got to be joking'.)

Anyway... insomniacs amongst you can watch the live streaming on the website... www.oneandother.co.uk

Those of you with as little sense as me could even turn up in Trafalgar Square where you'll meet various odd members of family, friends and other associates who are rising to the challenge...

If neither of the above suit you can always catch up at your leisure via the website... or...

Check out the compilation programme broadcast on Sky Arts Channel 25 next Friday evening around 7 / 8 pm - although I can't guarantee I would be featured on that.

By now you might be wondering what I'm going to do up there...

Strange as it may seem - I'm going to be operating a puppet - a very beautiful puppet called Chaz. She is connected to a project that CARAD here in Rhayader is now partnered into and I've become one of a group of operators working with children here.

As Chair of CARAD I have helped to establish a partnership with the London based street performance and carnival organisation Kinetika. During my time on the plinth I will introduce a very special visitor to Trafalgar Square - Chaz, a Champion created in community workshops in Brick Lane, East London.

Chaz, a beautiful puppet, is hoping that many of her friends will come to see her explore the world from this unique point of view. Chaz is part of a project called...

ImagiNation Our Nation.

The project was initiated and incubated by Kinetika, created from an original idea by
Ali Pretty. It is currently being led by a consortium of individuals and delivered by a
range of partners across the UK. It could evolve into a standalone company.
The group of producers is a collaboration of experts and practitioners within arts and
culture and outdoor performance. The co-producers have expertise of large scale
outdoor events, Olympic Ceremonies, carnival diversity, partnerships with schools and
education, European mela, puppetry and circus. There is also cultural spread as well
as artistic expertise.

Our aim is to create and deliver an innovative project that helps broaden minds,
discuss change, connect communities and leaves a legacy using the performing arts
as a tool. We view it as essential that this initiative embraces and provides
opportunities for communities to interact and connect with new media.
We are passionate about engaging communities, and connecting diversity within
communities and encouraging learning through conversation, creativity and largescale
participatory outdoor performance.

Imagination Our Nation Objective

To deliver an exciting contemporary and collaborative national arts programme over
the next three years and create a legacy of annual events, which exemplify the
changing world and how we can embrace the future and equip ourselves with tools to
deal with change through the outdoor performing arts.

Imagination Our Nation Vision

ION is an inclusive and engaging project that reaches, touches and captures the
imagination of the youth of today – the citizens who will shape the future.
Imagination Our Nation is a national conversation about who we as a nation
want to be in the future.

It is a social movement about innovation and change, engaging with the youth of today
and encouraging them to shape their future, encouraging them to become champions,
ensuring they achieve their personal best, and fulfil their potential. The story will take us on a journey that asks questions and seeks solutions, a journey
in our communities, and a journey connecting communities, discovering facts from the
past that will equip communities to live in the future.

Imagination Our Nation Values

Diversity, Collaboration, Passion, Celebration, Conversation

What is Imagination Our Nation?

‘The only nation I have now is my imagination’
Derek Walcott

Inspired by this simple, powerful idea, Kinetika has initiated Imagination Our Nation, a
five-year project that will culminate in 2012 with a major event in East London.
• GermiNation 2008 Sowing the seeds for the future - creating the project.
• FasciNation 2009 Champions are born and wake up to a world of
opportunities- engaging communities to discover their challenge.
• DetermiNation 2010 The Champions embark on their journey -finding a
solution to the challenge.
• IllumiNation 2011 Teams of Champions work together to find solutions and
create a gift.
• ImagiNation 2012 Champions North, South, East, West and London lead a
procession to East London for the collective sharing of the vision for the future.
This finale culminates in a gathering of the regions and nations in a national
celebration of our “Future Champions” and all of our communities.

Potential Cultural Olympiad Links

ION is a project exploring citizenship, inclusivity and diversity, how to become fit for
the future, as well as leaving a legacy, it links very strongly with a number of the major
strands of the values and vision of the Cultural Olympiad, which include:
• to generate sustainable long-term benefits to our cultural life
• to use creative industries to boost economic regeneration
• to generate a legacy
• to animate and humanise public spaces
• to inspire young people

The Future - What is the Imagination Our Nation Intention?

The ambition is to walk the Puppets/Champions to London, bearing their gifts, which
will take huge collaboration throughout the nation, demonstrating the emerging sense
of collectivism – different communities belonging to one culturally diverse nation

The Potential

Imagination Our Nation has the potential to be a project that crosses over all elements
of the Cultural Olympiad, as well as meeting many of the overall objectives for
example creating a national presence, diverse community inclusion and engaging all
ages of children.

The Legacy

To leave a legacy of ownership, engagement and collaboration and acceptance of
change, to create a voice for change, by engaging the youth of today (school children,
college and university students) as the citizens of the future in a conversation with
their community.

National Engagement - The Twelve Regions

The intention is that ImagiNation is a national project that engages with communities
in the nine regions London, Southeast, Southwest, East, East Midlands, West
Midlands, North East, North West, Yorkshire & Humberside; and 3 nations Scotland,
Wales and Ireland.

* * *

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Comment by Peter Cox MBE on August 13, 2009 at 18:51
Will be blogging soon - still knackered and very stiff in the shoulders and back. (Chaz is normally operated by four people so a lot of weight and work for one!) Will blog once some images have been sorted.

Whole thing was one of the most extraordinary things I've ever done. Incredibly exhilarating. Totally focussed for whole hour, but all through Chaz - how she reacted to things, behaved, explored this new view of the world etc. Loads of people associated with the project turned up (at 3.00am)! Brought instruments etc and set up this hour long mini music fest / party for her in the square below! Got fantastic feedback all round.

Irritatingly there's been a delay getting Chaz's hour on the One and Other website but they are working on this and other glitches. Will let you know when it's accessible
Comment by Catherine Paskell on August 12, 2009 at 1:21
Sounds intriguing Peter, sorry I couldn't stay awake until 3am - how did it go? Did many people come along? x

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