Pass the remote: June
Upcoming events and recommendations from the remote body and others
I’m kind of stunned that it’s already the summer. I love June because it has the summer solstice (which this year is the 21st of June) and Midsummer. A midsummer night’s dream is one of my favourite plays. Midsummer Eve is the 23rd of June, with midsummer day being the 24th this year.
It looks like it’s shaping up to be a hot summer in Europe so be careful everyone. June finds me starting the important work of stocking my freezer almost entirely of frozen ice-lollies and cat treats.
Here are some fun looking events that I found for June:
Monday 1st June, Camp long haul, free
A virtual summer camp run by ‘A friend for the long haul podcast.’ Registration and event information opens on the 1st, so check it out then. I never went to a summer camp as a child, but I consumed a lot of American books and films about them so I always have a curiousity about the concept. Promises to include an arrival week, a crafty week, a lake week, a campfire stories week, field day week, maybe a talent show week.
Tuesday 2nd June 20.00 - 21.30 gmt, Poetry in Pyjamas: an evening of poems with Laurie Bolger & Nottingham Love, from £15.87
Put on your best pyjamas and join for a relaxed evening of poetry.
Thursday 4th June 13.00 - 14.30, The Constitution of Spain, From opportunity to trap for the democratic self-determination of its nationalities, free
A talk by Pau Bossacoma Busquets from the Open University of Catalonia exploring whether the rule of law undermines national pluralism and plurinational coexistence. This talk will look at the Spanish constitution in light of Spain’s attempts to be a multinational democracy.
Saturday 13th June 14.00 - 16.00, Shaded Writers x Hackney Libraries Online Writing Group for QTIBiPoC, free
Poet, activist and educator PJ Samuels leads these free, hybrid, generative creative writing workshops for QTIBiPOC writing group every month. This is a writing group open to Queer, Trans, Intersex, Black, Indigenous, People of Colour (QTIBiPOC) supported by Hackney Libraries. It is hybrid; the virtual component delivered via zoom. A mix of creative prompts and mindfulness will be offered. A moment to pause, reflect and create.
Monday 15th June, World Premiere of ‘We Year’ by Sop, $0-$10
A mixed media, moving-image (love) letter to others with energy-limiting conditions. Using 16mm direct animation, archival & new footage, poetic voiceover, and an ethereal soundscape, artist Sop immerses the viewer into the both isolating and unifying experience of a chronic illness flare during a hot summer indoors.
This film is released on the 15th and is available to watch until the 28th.
Tuesday 16th June 14.00 - 16.00 GMT, Permeable Body, Porous Time: We Year Writing Workshop | Crip Resistance II, from £6.13
This writing workshop is led by our very own Char Heather in response to Sop’s new film, We Year.
Through creative writing prompts, we will respond to ideas of the permeable or porous nature of inside and outside, relating to physical space, bodies and time. You will be invited to experiment with different forms of writing, using prompts from and relating to Sop’s new film We Year, to generate ideas and writing.
Thursday 18th June 19.00 - 21.30 GMT, Scratch Nights X Homegrown, free
Live from home: bold new work by disabled artists, created for and shared live on Zoom. This special online edition brings together disabled artists creating and sharing work from home. Each piece has been made for a digital audience and will be performed live via Zoom, inviting you into the artists’ own spaces. The line up includes Lisa Franklin, Matt Alton (whose wonderful work you may have seen in the remote body newsletter!), Dorrie Halliday and Matt Allen.
Saturday 20th June 21.00 - 22.00 GMT, Barrenness of Self and Grave in Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market”, free
Another great looking talk from Romancing the Gothic. It examines Christina Rossetti’s Goblin Market with a particular focus on the character of Jeanie. Drawing on Rossetti’s experiences working with women at the Saint Mary Magdalene Home in Highgate, the poem is read as a complex commentary on Victorian social expectations surrounding female sexuality, virtue, and reproductive capacity.
Wednesday 24th June 20.00 - 21.30 CEST, Nordic Midsummer Stories, £6 - £10 donation
This event is my favourite find of the bunch. This lecture promises to transport you “to the heart of Scandinavia, where the magic of midsummer comes alive through captivating stories and folklore.” Come learn about midsummer traditions from tales of mythical creatures to celebrations that honour the Earth.
Saturday 27th June 10.00 - 11.00 GMT, Dictating Dads and Incestuous Italians: Introducing Mary Shelley’s Mathilda, free
Yanrong Tan gives this introductory talk on Mary Shelley’s Mathilda in conversation with gender, the Gothic, and others.
Tuesday 30th June 19.00 - 21.30, The Art History of Women & Vampire Literature, £11.50
Drawing on vampire-like creatures from around the world, this talk traces how female vampires evolve and morph to reflect the fears and concerns of their time. From the sapphic Carmilla of Sheridan Le Fanu’s 1872 novella to Octavia Butler’s Fledgling (2005) and Ana Lily Amirpour’s A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014), we’ll uncover shared bloodlines, themes and tropes.
Char recommends:
Care at the end of the world by Jina B. Kim
Jenny recommends:
A midsummer night’s dream by William Shakespeare - you can watch versions of this play online in various different places:
The Globe Theatre’s 2013 version - you can subscribe to the Globe’s streaming service or buy it.
The Los Angeles campus of AMDA College of the Performing Arts has the full play for free on YouTube here.
The Royal Shakespeare Company has a list here of places you can stream their plays.