DUN LAOGHAIRE FESTIVAL OF WORLD CULTURES

Oh glorius Summer Fun, it’s that time of year again to head to the sea for Dun Laoghaire Festival of World Cultures.

Immersed in folk, traditional, eclectic, tribal, digital and the experimental, the dlr Festival of World Cultures presents a kaleidoscopic programme of concerts & club nights, fairs & markets, performances, street events, workshops and so much more. Ireland’s first Global Carnival!!

Festival time at Dun Laoghaire

The Festival of World Cultures is an annual international arts festival celebrating cultural diversity.

The Festival is held in late August, coinciding with the UK bank holiday weekend.

Saturday 29th & Sunday 30th August

Highlights include:
Mr Whippy Soundsystem (tropical sounds from an ice-cream van)
Cool Earth (eco-market & cafe)
African Drum Circle
Children of Soweto (gospel choir)
Bachir Attar (sufi musician)

www.festivalofworldcultures.com

THE ANTI-ENERGY DRINK

Out to help those looking for a quick relaxation fix, a new drink from Canada offers ‘an acupuncture session’ in every can. An antidote to energy drinks like Red Bull, Slow Cow was developed to help people de-stress.

Slow Cow

Under the premise that caffeine-packed drinks tend to increase anxiety, Slow Cow contains theanine, chamomile, valerian, passiflora and other ingredients known for their calming effects. The beverage is meant to increase mental awareness while improving relaxation, without the post-hit dip that caffeine and other stimulants cause.

Slow Cow, whose tongue-in-cheek logo apparently did not amuse Red Bull, might have found a gap in a market saturated with energy drinks of every possible variety. It’s not the only beverage to position itself as a relaxation drink, mind you,

but Slow Cow gets our vote for best branding. Seems like a natural fit for spas, hotels, airlines—or anywhere else consumers could use a serving of relaxation.

www.slowcowdrink.com

FREE BOOTCAMP FOR THE UNEMPLOYED

What to do after being laid off? For 26-year-old Alex Light, there was only one option: head down to the beach and get fit. After losing his job in Dubai real estate, he set up Bad Times Bootcamp to help unemployed people get fit and get to know each other & avoid any recession induced low-morale.

Badtimes Bootcamp

A qualified personal trainer, Light set up his free fitness classes to help others stay active and stay positive. The group had its first session in March 2009, bringing together people in new but similar situations to share experiences and find the support they need.

Light now hopes to spread the concept across the globe, welcoming the possibility of sponsorship in order to keep the classes free whilst supporting himself and his new social enterprise. And when the downturn ends, he hopes that his classes will offer the employed a more valuable way to network.

www.badtimesbootcamp.com

REMADE – WHEN IS A BAG NOT A BAG?

When it’s reMade of course!

Durable and malleable, leather is an ideal material for reusing and upcycling. Seizing that potential, reMade USA just launched a line of stylish handbags made from used and scrap leather. reMade’s bags were initially made from leather jackets found in charity stores, with details based on the original garments. The company now also gets cast-offs from the furniture and automotive industries.

reMade

reMade has around 10–15 different bags available for order on its website at any time, currently ranging in price from USD 125–365. If they’d like to breathe new life into a garment they no longer wear, customers can also supply their own leather jacket and request a design based on one of reMade’s models. Hand-crafted in San Francisco, stamped with its own unique serial number, and lined with a recycled silk scarf, each bag is inherently unique.

reMade isn’t the first to make leather jackets into bags. But as planet-friendly products jostle for attention, it’s not enough just to be green. How to stand out and create a sustainable business on top of a sustainable product? reMade’s founder, Shannon South, demonstrates the importance of building a brand: using good design and photography; showing the process and telling a story; and adding charming and recognizable details like a silk scarf lining.

www.remadeusa.com

PARIS – HOTEL PARTICULIER DE MONTMARTE

Paris in the spring-time…gimme Paris anytime!

Visit the artistic haven of Montmartre in Paris and you will find the restored aristocratic mansion The Hotel Particulier de Montmartre.

Owners Morgane Rousseau and Frederic Comtet commissioned well known artists, designers, sculptors and architects to create five completely different rooms in a variety of styles and influences.

This large directoire style house has been transformed into a stunning homage to design and style.

www.hotel-particulier-montmartre.com