From the volunteer's mouth: A Guest Blog Post

Today, a guest blog post from Assistant Extraordinaire Sam Taylor, pondering how he found his way to the Branchage...  (and we're gosh darn glad he did).  

Hi there! For me, that is Sam Taylor, Branchage was an event I was clueless about until 2 years ago. What brought on this drastic change you say? Whilst doing an AS in media studies, my teacher asked me if I’d like to represent Branchage for the school, Victoria College, a job which I can honestly say I was abysmal at, was it nerves? Who knows, at the time it was quite a daunting prospect, and juggled with the ‘responsibilities’ of a budding six former probably not the most mature decision to have made. Thankfully, despite that blunder, I have now been helping out wherever I can for two consecutive festivals. 

It may not sound much at first to be running odd-jobs here and there, but regardless of said impression I was actually dead chuffed to be part of the events, making sure that tickets were delivered (relatively) on time, and that everyone was in the mood for a good time!

Hopefully I helped out at the festivals, I definitely know I had a blast; and as a result opted to help Xanthe (as best I could) with the opening of her current event in Jersey ‘Whatever Else Remains’, an art exhibition that promises to be equally as incredible for any buyers as it is for the hyper-active 18 year old, thrilled that he’s got the chance to be close to so much art (that’s me, by the way.)

 Personally my favourite pieces that are being exhibited are from the street-art spectrum of sales, whereas the Hirst’s and Emin’s are, I find, just dead boring; I mean how clueless do you have to be to think that four differently coloured spots are worth thousands?! Maybe I have no taste...

Put a face to the name... this is Sam:

Give Us This Day... OUR DAILY BREAD + LIVE SCORE

At the Roundhouse, London, SUNDAY 19th DECEMBER 2010.

Watching Nikolaus Geyrhalter's mesmerising documentary Our Daily Bread is more like gradually tracking through a series of stunning photographs, each one a tableau of modern industrial food production in some form.  From soulless production lines to doomed animals it's a slow and meditative journey through this massive, surreal and disturbing industry.  Beautiful, eerie, at times witty, often unpleasant, there are some humans dotted throughout the mechanised landscape, but interaction is limited in this nearly wordless hygienic world.  

The Studio Theatre at the Roundhouse, Camden, consistently puts on brilliant, one-off, very special Special Events, we like this, and we like the fact that on Sunday 19th December they're putting on Pevin Kinel's inspired live score to the Our Daily Bread.  Also what's nice is that it's in association with Branchage and the utterly excellent film and music website The Quietus.

Branchage commissioned this soundtrack for our 2010 festival, and as it was only on once, in Jersey, and in a barn on an organic farm, there are lots of people out there who won't have had the chance to see it.  Now is your time.

We're very proud to be associated with this event.

You can read more and buy tickets on the Roundhouse website or join the facebook event and share it with your pals.