************* PRESS RELEASE: MONDAY, APRIL 12TH, 2010 *************

The Purple Thistle Launches its
YOUTH URBAN FARMING PROJECT

The Purple Thistle Centre in East Vancouver has launched a new project this spring with support from Vancouver’s Whole Foods Markets, MEC and the City of Vancouver.

Twenty-five low-income youth and friends have started farming unused industrial-area boulevard land on the Eastside of the city. The project is transforming one of the least attractive, most polluted areas of the city into viable food production space, while building local knowledge of food security, youth participation in the neighbourhood and re-imagining urban possibilities.

Please come and visit us on Earth Day, April 22nd at any of the four Whole Food Market locations in Vancouver where we will be participating in the stores’ 5% Day, distributing information about the project and talking with anyone interested about our work and plans.

Much gratitude to all our supporters and especially to Whole Food Markets for their generosity.

*
Please contact Matt Hern at matt@purplethistle.ca for further information.

HERE

ASTRA TAYLOR AT THE THISTLE !! FREE!
*MUST RSVP FOR TWO OF THE EVENTS- SEE BELOW*
Astra Taylor is a Canadian-American documentary filmmaker and writer, best known for her 2005 film, Zizek!, about the Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek, and for her 2008 film, Examined Life. Taylor grew up in Athens, Georgia and was unschooled until age 13. She attended Brown University for a year and holds an MA in Liberal Studies from the New School. She has taught sociology at the University of Georgia and the State University of New York. Her writings have appeared in numerous magazines, and in 2006 Filmmaker Magazine listed her as one of “25 new faces to watch.” She is the sister of painter and disability activist Sunny Taylor and is married to Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel. She is a vegan

1. MONDAY, MARCH 29TH, 7:00

Monday night – instead of a collective meeting – we’re going to introduce her, show her most recent movie, Examined Life and have a discussion about the film.

All collective members and Thistlites, and friends are invited. Snacks provided.

2. TUESDAY, MARCH 30TH, 4:30 This is an event for unschooling, altschooling and homeschooling kids and families. Astra will talk about her experiences growing up out of school, how college/work life has worked out, and her thoughts on the unschooling movement.

This is open to anyone interested, but you need to RSVP: carla@purplethistle.ca

this event is free!

However, donations are welcomed! all donations will go to the youngunz to help pay for their trip to Albany, NY where they will be giving a presentation at the AERO conference! http://www.educationrevolution.org/conference.html

AND

3. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31ST, 5:00

This event is for young filmmakers and people interested in film. Astra has made a couple of movies that were widely distributed and shown in theatres, without any formal film school training. Here she is going to talk about how she made her films, how she got them distributed and shown, what thoughts and advice she has for young people making films.

All welcome, but you need to RSVP: matt@purplethistle.ca

Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/carlabergman#!/event.php?eid=107333809289046&ref=ts

Sunday March 28th Noon to 2 PM

Guerrilla art Group will have graffiti artist Craver give a presentation.

He will cover subjects such as:
-Changing the look of public space
-Legal vs illegal (commisioned murals, late night bombing, trains,etc..)
-Politics in graffiti
- Reasons for doing it

and he will show his own work.

All welcome.

RADICAL ART IN NATURE: GUERRILLA ARTING