Ctrl.Alt.Shift
Encyclopedia
Ctrl.Alt.Shift is a UK based experimental initiative politicising a new generation of activists for social justice and global change.
, with grime star Tinchy Stryder
lending his support outside the Russian embassy. The protests targeted the London embassies of Russia
, South Korea
and Saudi Arabia
, and were covered by CNN
. On 8th March 2009, International Women's Day, Ctrl.Alt.Shift marched through Guildhall in London to raise awareness of the 50 million women missing in India due to female foeticide..
and Carlos Acosta
were mentors and there was a performance by JME
of Boy Better Know
.
magazine focused on Gender, Poverty and Power. Nan Goldin
acted as an ambassador and Alexa Chung
, Alex Sturrock, Ben Rayner, and Andy Capper
were mentors. The winners were exhibited in February at the Association of Photographers
in London .
which focused on war and conflict in Colombia and Latin America as a whole. The exhibition took place over two floors of the building and featured work produced by 12 students and recent graduates from Newcastle University's LifeWorkArt programme. It also featured specially commissioned works from south London photo-artist Matthew Stone
and installation artist Graham Hudson, who acted as project mentors. Urban sculptor and photographer T-Magic, street artist Benjamin Wachenje and BALTIC freelance artists, Alison Unsworth and Paul Merrick also featured, and David Shrigley
was Creative Ambassador.
and Shelia Menon & Alex Monro who were helped out by established directors Aoife McArdle, Chris Harding from Shynola
, Kinga Burza
, Paul Andrew Williams
and Jim Threapleton
. The films were scored by the likes of Young Knives, The Thirst
, Chipmunk
, Shy Child
, Metronomy
, Denis Jones and Jesca Hoop
, and featured performances from Adam Buxton
, Julian Barratt
and Martin Freeman
. The poster art for the films was featured in Creative Review
.
edited by Paul Gravett
, which features short graphical stories looking at examples of corruption in the real world. It includes contribution by comics creators like Pat Mills
. An exhibition is being held at the Lazarides gallery in London to mark the launch and will included examples of misguided attempts to produce worthy comic books.
Magazine and Website
Ctrl.Alt.Shift was founded by Katrin Owusu and published the first issue of its magazine in June 2008. Since then it has published issues focusing on 'HIV & Stigma' and 'Gender & Power'. The magazine is edited by blogger and columnist Chantelle Fiddy who also edits the website, which is updated daily. The website features both regular columnists and staff writers such as Russell Myrie and Bibi van der Zee and user-generated uploads. The magazine is distributed free throughout clubs and shops in the UK.Direct Action
In November 2008, Ctrl.Alt.Shift launched the 'Nothing to Declare' project – a series of demonstrations with the intention of exposing the stigma created by HIV travel bans. The project was co-organised by activist pressure group Plane StupidPlane Stupid
Plane Stupid is a UK-focused group of environmental protesters who state their aim as wanting to see an end to airport expansion for what it sees as "unnecessary and unsustainable" flights. The organisation has no formal hierarchy, leader, or media figurehead. It is a loose association of...
, with grime star Tinchy Stryder
Tinchy Stryder
Kwasi Danquah III , better known by his pseudonyms Tinchy Stryder and Star In The Hood, is a Ghanaian British recording artist, music executive, A&R executive, and businessman...
lending his support outside the Russian embassy. The protests targeted the London embassies of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, and were covered by CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
. On 8th March 2009, International Women's Day, Ctrl.Alt.Shift marched through Guildhall in London to raise awareness of the 50 million women missing in India due to female foeticide..
Cultural interventions
Ctrl.Alt.Shift has garnered widespread media attention for its involvement in a number of arts-based cultural interventions, each of which has focused on a different area of social injustice in developing countries.Sadler's Wells 'HIV/Aids and Stigma' Dance Event
In November 2008, it held a showcase of dance, film and music based on the stigma surrounding HIV/Aids at Sadler's Wells, London. Nitin SawhneyNitin Sawhney
Nitin Sawhney is an Indian-British musician, producer and composer. His critically acclaimed work combines Asian and other worldwide influences with elements of jazz and electronica and often explores themes such as multiculturalism, politics and spirituality...
and Carlos Acosta
Carlos Acosta
Carlos Acosta is a Cuban ballet dancer. He has danced with many companies including the English National Ballet, National Ballet of Cuba, Houston Ballet and American Ballet Theatre...
were mentors and there was a performance by JME
JME
JME may refer to:* JME , grime artist from Tottenham, North London,* Java Platform, Micro Edition, a Java platform designed for embedded systems* JME Molecule Editor, a Molecule Editor applet* jMonkey Engine, a Java scenegraph API...
of Boy Better Know
Boy Better Know
-History:The band and label were established by Jamie Adenuga "Boy Better Know" is a registered trademark, clothing line and Boy Better Know sim cards....
.
VICE 'Gender, Poverty and Power' Photo Competition
In early 2009 a photo competition run in conjunction with VICEVice (magazine)
VICE is a free magazine and media conglomerate founded in Montreal, Quebec and currently based in New York City.Vice is available in 27 countries...
magazine focused on Gender, Poverty and Power. Nan Goldin
Nan Goldin
Nancy "Nan" Goldin is an American photographer.-Life and work:Goldin was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in the Boston, Massachusetts suburb of Lexington, to middle class Jewish parents whose ideas, moderately liberal and progressive, were put to the test when on April 12, 1965 their eldest...
acted as an ambassador and Alexa Chung
Alexa Chung
Alexa Chung is an English television presenter, model and contributing editor at British Vogue.She currently hosts Gonzo with Alexa Chung for MTV UK, and is scheduled to host Thrift America for PBS in 2011...
, Alex Sturrock, Ben Rayner, and Andy Capper
Andy Capper
Andrew Richard Capper is a London-based journalist and global editor of Vice Magazine.-Career:Capper has contributed to wide array of fields related to Vice magazine, as well as freelance journalism for The Guardian, Observer and NME.He has also worked with Jonathan Glazer and J Spaceman of...
were mentors. The winners were exhibited in February at the Association of Photographers
Association of Photographers
The Association of Photographers , often referred to colloquially as the AOP, is a trade association for British photographers.-History:...
in London .
BALTIC 'Conflict: War & Peace' Art Exhibition
In March 2009, Ctrl.Alt.Shift launched an art exhibition at BALTICBALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art
The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art is an international centre for contemporary art located on the south bank of the River Tyne alongside the Gateshead Millennium Bridge in Gateshead, North East England, United Kingdom...
which focused on war and conflict in Colombia and Latin America as a whole. The exhibition took place over two floors of the building and featured work produced by 12 students and recent graduates from Newcastle University's LifeWorkArt programme. It also featured specially commissioned works from south London photo-artist Matthew Stone
Matthew Stone
Matthew Stone is a London based DJ and artist. He is part of South-London art collective !WOWOW!. Stone lives and works in London.He graduated from Camberwell College of Arts, London in 2004....
and installation artist Graham Hudson, who acted as project mentors. Urban sculptor and photographer T-Magic, street artist Benjamin Wachenje and BALTIC freelance artists, Alison Unsworth and Paul Merrick also featured, and David Shrigley
David Shrigley
-Life and career:Shrigley was born in Macclesfield on 17 September 1968, the younger of two children born to Rita and Joseph Shrigley. Shrigley grew up in Oadby, Leicestershire, England...
was Creative Ambassador.
Short Film Project
On 14th May 2009, Ctrl.Alt.Shift premiered five short films: "1000 Voices", "HIV: The Musical", "Man Made", "No Way Through" and "War School". The films were directed by 7 young, talented, up and coming film makers; Tim Travers Hawkins, Joe Patrick & Tim Woodall, Fern Berresford, Ben NewmanBen Newman
Ben Newman is an award winning music video, short film and television commercial director based in London, England.Having worked on numerous music shows for the BBC, Channel 4 and MTV in the early 2000's, Newman made a number of budget videos for artists he'd had contact with during this time...
and Shelia Menon & Alex Monro who were helped out by established directors Aoife McArdle, Chris Harding from Shynola
Shynola
Shynola is the collective name of a group of, then, four visual artistsbased in London who have collaborated on a variety of projects,most notably a number of acclaimed music videos for several pioneering artists....
, Kinga Burza
Kinga Burza
Kinga Burza is a Polish-Australian music video director.-Biography:Kinga Burza was born in Poland and raised in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia before moving to London in 2005 and signing with respected film production company Partizan of Michel Gondry fame in 2006.She completed a BA at the...
, Paul Andrew Williams
Paul Andrew Williams
Paul Andrew Williams is a British film writer and director, born in Portsmouth, England in 1973. He won the New Director's Award for his film London to Brighton in the 2006 Edinburgh International Film Festival.-Career:...
and Jim Threapleton
Jim Threapleton
James Edward "Jim" Threapleton . Threapleton has worked as an assistant director on many films, including Hideous Kinky....
. The films were scored by the likes of Young Knives, The Thirst
The Thirst
The Thirst are an indie band based in Brixton, London. The band consists of brothers Mensah and Kwame Hart , Mark Lenihan and Marcus Harris .-History:...
, Chipmunk
Chipmunk (rapper)
Jahmaal Noel Fyffe known by his stage name Chipmunk, is a British hip hop rapper and songwriter from Tottenham, London....
, Shy Child
Shy Child
Shy Child are an electronic music duo from New York consisting of Pete Cafarella on vocals and synthesizers and Nate Smith on drums.-History:Shy Child formed in the summer of 2000, when former college friends Pete Cafarella and Nate Smith separately moved to New York...
, Metronomy
Metronomy
Metronomy are an electronic music group formed by Joseph Mount in Totnes, Devon, England in 1999. The current band consists of Joseph Mount , Anna Prior , Oscar Cash and Gbenga Adelekan...
, Denis Jones and Jesca Hoop
Jesca Hoop
Jesca Ada Hoop is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist from Northern California, who writes and performs in diverse musical styles, under the initial encouragement and guidance of her former employer, musician Tom Waits.-Biography:...
, and featured performances from Adam Buxton
Adam Buxton
Adam Offord Buxton is an English comedian and actor. With Joe Cornish, he forms one half of the duo Adam and Joe. The pair presented Adam and Joe on BBC 6 Music, whilst Buxton also presents his own show on 6 Music on Sundays, called Adam Buxton's Big Mix Tape, currently on hiatus.-Major work:His...
, Julian Barratt
Julian Barratt
Julian Barratt is an English comedian, musician, music producer and actor. Barratt is best known for playing the character of Howard Moon in the cult comedy The Mighty Boosh, which he also co-writes with comedy partner, Noel Fielding.-The Mighty Boosh:Barratt stars as the character Howard Moon...
and Martin Freeman
Martin Freeman
Martin John C. Freeman is an English actor. He is known for his roles as John in Love Actually, Tim Canterbury in the BBC's Golden Globe-winning comedy The Office, Arthur Dent in the film adaptation of Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Dr. John Watson in Sherlock and Mr. Madden...
. The poster art for the films was featured in Creative Review
Creative Review
Creative Review is a monthly magazine targeted on the commercial arts and design scene. Creative Review has a circulation of around 20,000 readers. In general it focuses content on media originating in United Kingdom, Europe, and the United States, showcasing some of the best contemporary...
.
Ctrl.Alt.Shift Unmasks Corruption
Ctrl.Alt.Shift Unmasks Corruption is a comics anthologyComics anthology
Comics anthologies collect works in the medium of comics that are too short for standalone publication.- U.S. :- UK :British comics have a long tradition publishing comics anthologies, often weekly...
edited by Paul Gravett
Paul Gravett
Paul Gravett is a London-based journalist, curator, writer and broadcaster who has worked in comics publishing and promotion for over 20 years....
, which features short graphical stories looking at examples of corruption in the real world. It includes contribution by comics creators like Pat Mills
Pat Mills
Pat Mills, nicknamed 'the godfather of British comics', is a comics writer and editor who, along with John Wagner, revitalised British boys comics in the 1970s, and has remained a leading light in British comics ever since....
. An exhibition is being held at the Lazarides gallery in London to mark the launch and will included examples of misguided attempts to produce worthy comic books.