The Tin Can Globe

Finished and down!!

2009-03-19T18:01:00.000-07:00

Well the Tin Can Globe (a.k.a. Dragon's Den) finally got finished in the last week of February and sat proudly on display causing much interest with Terry the Sea Serpent inside disguised as a Dragon! The big question now is what happens next? Do I pursue the venue (which rhymes nicely) idea and build a bigger version (or rather get the money together to pay someone else to build it to my specifications. Or do I say well that was an intersting project and leave it at that?
The den currently sits in bits in my back garden and am trying despeately to persuade Julie (my wife) to let me put it up as a den for our son Tom. Don't want that work to go to waste and the experiment isn't really over. How long can it stand up before it rusts to nothing?

Building work underway

2009-01-31T10:41:00.001-08:00

Well the building is underway and going pretty well. Pics here to show progress. More to follow soon. Big problem has been that it is nearly the end of January and feels like sub Arctic conditions. Freezing my nuts off. Plus nothing is standard. Pallets aren't all the same size neither are tin cans and neither are the other waste materials being used, have to adapt and modify design all the time. Also as one bystander said to me "You may be a bloody good actor but you are a rubbish carpenter!" How right he is but at least people can get the idea and are very interested in whats going on.

Building starts!

2009-01-07T01:12:00.000-08:00

After the Christmas break and now we are into New Year building has finally started on the Tin Can Globe (Dragon's Den). Nothing on site yet as need to make frames to hold the raw recycled materials which with the sub Arctic temperatures is very difficult - Bit of work - freeze knuckles off - back inside for a warm up and then back out again. Confident though that should be at the Museum In The Park in the next week with walls going up. All I need now are a few more tin cans! If you've got any and live in the area then take them to the museum in Stroud. Someone will find somewhere to put them - One important thing - wash don't squash - need them whole!!

Moving onwards

2008-12-04T15:55:00.001-08:00

Starting to get interest from people about the "Dragons Den"/"Tin Can Globe" project. We are collecting cans and other assorted paraphenalia to start to build in January. Hopefully will have some kind of day to day coverage on the blog and should be finished by mid to end of January. Here's to recycled building work!

What have you got to do?

2008-11-06T16:43:00.000-08:00

Well, we got the news today that our funding bid has been turned down by Grants For The Arts. Now I know that the success rate is only 41% or whatever they said in the letter but really we were asking for a miniscule amount in the grand scheme of things. You can't help feeling paranoid about these kind of ventures - like the money will only go to certain little favourites and stuff everyone else.

Maybe when I've calmed down a bit from the frustration of this latest blow then I'll be able to regather my thoughts and try again.

Still the build must go on as we have events planned for the mini globe - the Dragons Den as it is nicknamed in January.

Frustratedly

John

The Tin Can Globe - First Blog

2008-10-10T18:04:00.000-07:00

Start of this year, well around Christmas last year got diagnosed with oesophegeal cancer. After rigourous chemo and radiation in July I was told I was in remission - at which point it all seemed to tumble down. Maybe the energy of keeping things going or maybe just the view that I had stepped back from the abyss a bit suddenly plunged me into a morass of depression.I shouldn't feel dark that's my thinking.......I am now in remission but...........

Some good things come from adversity like new ideas. Ok its at this point that I should say I'm an actor and a writer and I run a theatre company based in Stroud, Gloucestershire called Spaniel In The Works. I will tell where the name came from at some point because it's what everyone asks but not for now. We generally perform in museums, schools and other unusual venues doing all manner of shows. Which is why I have had the birth of the idea that is the madness that is the Tin Can Globe.

Its quite simple madness really - its a travelling theatre venue that is made entirely out of recycled materials - tin cans and such like and can tour Gloucestershire offering theatre, music, exhibitions etc. to the county. And after that Britain and after that the world. And after that take theatre to some little fellers who live on Bettlegeuse or Alphan Centauri.

So the purpose of this blog is to do what? Well, to give progress reports, to launch the project, to hopefully give daily or weekly updates to show pics and to get the jolly folk of Stroud, Gloucestershire and the world to find out more about Spaniel In The Works Theatre Company's madness in building a venue out of rubbish. That is the big advantage with a project of this nature in that anyone coming can walk ut saying "Well, enjoyed the play but the venue was rubbish! and we won't be offended because it will be!"

So where are we. We have plans which are changing as they do with buildings. We have a local singing architect on board. We have offers of intriguing industrial waste, we have people who are interested in performing in it and we have a venue to build it in January and February 2009. This will be at one of our regular performance sites - the courtyard at the Museum In The Park. Yep. Gonna build it in January - the coldest month of the year in an outside space and freeze if not my nuts then certainly my fingers off!

All we need now is for the Arts Council to say "Yes!" and it'll be rolling - and not down any hills. Even if they don't say yes, well it'll be done anyway! The Tin Can Globe is coming. Summer 2009 you could be seeing Hamlet with incredibly skilled actors, sitting surrounded by baked bean tins and all manner of other industrial and household waste but it will be brilliant and inspiring and you will want to know how its all been done! More news later. John