Date: Tue, 08 Mar 2005 11:06:15 +0000
From: Friends Of Bedlam 
Subject: Friends of Bedlam - brief


You have received this email because you are signed up to
the Friends of Bedlam website at www.bedlamites.co.uk

London-based bedlamite Ginny Buckley has asked us to forward the
following talent brief:



THE 5O65 LIFT PRESENTS: a spectacular ARTS FESTIVAL inside the LONDON EYE

Flight 5O65 is now boarding: we are inviting entries from writers,
theatre companies, dancers, comedians, musicians, poets, video, sound,
and performance artists for a spectacular one night arts festival,
with simultaneous events in every one of the London Eye's 32
pods. Flight 5O65 will raise awareness of Fairtrade and celebrate the
transformation of cultural attitudes towards Africa in 2005 with an
extraordinary showcase of new talent - in a media spotlight high above
the Thames.

"Africa, not the heart of darkness but the land of light." 
    - Aminatta Forna, writer

Flight 5O65 is scheduled for June 21st - two weeks before G8
Gleneagles. The key item on the agenda is Africa. Cafedirect, pioneers
of UK Fairtrade and creators of the 5O65 Lift, build personal
relationships with African coffee growers, helping resolve economic
issues at micro level through first class Fairtrade products,
guaranteed prices and a serious commitment to ongoing support and
development programmes. We're looking for shows inspired by the broad
theme of darkness to light and by the unusual venue itself.  The aim
of the festival is to excite and enlighten audiences, bust through
stereotypes and create a real awareness of Africa at a very personal
level.

If you are interested in creating an event for Flight 5O65 please send
us a one page proposal, together with supporting material - a script,
a sample of your writing, reviews, personal or company biographies,
video or audio recordings, photographs or slides of your work - to the
address below.

Proposals should embrace the challenges of the space itself - an
up-close and personal audience of no more than 20 people, a changing
panoramic view of London, butterflies in the stomach and a performance
time of 27 minutes - no longer, no shorter.  Please detail in your
submission how you would address these issues.

This is a mind-blowing venue and we're looking for work that blows
minds in as many different ways as possible; work that is adventurous,
stimulating, personal, modern, uplifting and entertaining; work set
anywhere from the Congo to Casablanca to Chesterfield, from satire to
song, from truth to fantasy, from personal to political.

The first deadline for submissions is 21 March - a small number of
shows will also be taken to the Edinburgh Festival, reply by the
earlier date if you would like to be considered.  Final deadline for
submissions is 8 April.

You can meet the team and ask questions about Flight 5O65 and
Edinburgh, at an open house meeting on 12 March in the Host Office
from 12.00 - 2.00pm.  Please email if you would like to attend.

Please write to:

5O65 Lift Content Submissions
Host Universal
56a Poland Street
London
W1F 7NN

Or email to steve.keyworth@hostuniversal.com. If you would like your
material returned please include an envelope with return postage.
Stephen Keyworth is the Artistic Director of Flight 5065 and Virginia
Buckley is the Content Producer.

For three years the 5O65 Lift has created platforms for new talent at
Edinburgh & Brighton Festivals and at the Soho Theatre in London.
Previous new writers include Jack Thorne, currently under commission
to the Bush Theatre, Joy Wilkinson winner of Verity Bargate Award 03,
Darren Murphy & George Gotts both runners up in the Verity Bargate
Award 03, and Stephen Keyworth now under commission to BBC.  Comics
Mark Little, Dara O Briain, John Hegley, Adam Hills, Flight Of The
Conchords, Will Hodgson and Reginald D Hunter have all performed in
the 5O65 Lift.

"The very confines of this space fuel the imagination... the standard of
writing is so very high, I can't recommend it enough." - Mark Fisher,
Scotland on Sunday

5O65 is Cafedirect's premium instant Fairtrade coffee. Through 5O65,
Cafedirect builds long-term business relationships with small
producers. By always paying them guaranteed prices above market rates
their partnership with growers offers them the security to invest in
their farms and, very simply, gives them a sustainable economic Lift.

"The relationship between Cafedirect and the producer partners does
not stop at trade alone. It is about developing together. It is about
strengthening weak producer organisations, making them more
independent and able to make their way in the market. We only have
Gumutindo now because of the Cafedirect philosophy of developing
together" - Willington Wamameye, Secretary, Gumutindo Coffee
Co-operative

Flight 5065 is part of Africa 05.

To find out more, visit:
www.5065.co.uk 
www.cafedirect.co.uk  
www.africa05.co.uk 
www.makepovertyhistory.org 
www.g8.gov.uk