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Pixelache 2008 Helsinki features the first edition of 'Baltic Boxwars: Northern League', initiated by Andrew Gryf Paterson in collaboration with Demian Deadly & Tamsyn Pop Tart of Boxwars UK ; co-produced with Pixelache club organiser Antti Ahonen. Supported by Taidekoulu MAA.
Thursday13th-Friday 14th March: 1200-1800
Workshop led by Demian Deadly & Tamsyn Pop Tart (Boxwars UK)
Hosted on Thursday at Suomenlinna Hostel.
Hosted on Friday at Korjaamo, Töölönkatu.
Friday 14th March: 2000-
Punk line up: Kansalaistottelemattomuus, Igni et Ferro & Abnormi
Boxwar FI fight-performances (Outdoor: 2100; Indoor: 0000 approx)
at Pixelache Club, Korjaamo, Töölönkatu 51 b.
See Call for Participation
Respond before 11th March to: balticboxwars _at_ gmail .com
Boxwars: What is it?
'Boxwars' is a concept-event involving cardboard-clad 'warriors' who engage in gladiator-style fight-performances, in music-club and outdoor contexts. Created by cardboard enthusiasts in Melbourne in 2001, Boxwars UK was transposed to Edinburgh in 2006 by Demian Deadly. He and friends developed the concept within the punk and 'DIY' cultural scene, integrating live music/ club enviroments, as well as outdoor events such as flash-mob-style imromptu battles, and Box-Car Racing.
boxwars.co.uk | myspace.com/boxwars
In Edinburgh, at different venues and over 20 self-organised events, a community of participants has developed who 'fight' each other in personally-customised waste-cardboard costumes, with cardboard weapons. As part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the largest event included 74 'boxwarriors' and a crowd of around 250.
As a cultural phenomena, the collective is gathering media attention and interest from press and media channels, including coverage from Belgian-based Che Magazine, Dazed and Confused, Front Magazine, as well as local and national British media. Recently the Edinburgh Boxwars collective were filmed as part of a documentary by London based production company Somethin' Else, commissioned by British commercial television channel ITV2. The documentary takes a 'reality-tv' perspective to Boxwars club events, casting two people who have never taken part in Boxwars before, to experience the creative process and subsequent chaotic destruction of their cardboard creations.
Promotion of unsigned punk bands in club events, and grassroots music distribution/ syndication is an important accompanying practice to the 'Boxwars' events. The media-savvy coordinators of Boxwar UK events have successfully combined both mainstream and participatory media to promote fringe cultural grassroots activity. Common to all is the use of popular online social-media and network platforms, to facilitate audience development and community sustenance.
Further-afield, the ongoing collective in Australia has been going for 7 years, with a 'Big Day Out' national tour as the latest development of this chapter. Meanwhile a Canadian version, 'Skull Man's Box Wars', organises team events, always fighting in large-scale events, and provides online costume-building guidelines.
Boxwars AU: www.boxwars.net | Boxwars CA: www.boxwars.tv
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'Baltic Boxwars: Northern League' events
The 'Baltic Boxwars: Northern League' has the ambition to make a 2-day workshop and performance events, that bring together cardboard-clad warriors across North-Eastern Europe.
Upcoming..
BoxWars EE: Haapsalu Horror & Fantasy Film Festival: *27-29th March*
To-Be-Confirmed www.poff.ee/hoff/
27 March: Workshop in Haapsalu, NW Estonia.
29 March: Fight-performance at Haapsalu Cultural Centre.
More information coming soon!
Expressions of interest to: balticboxwars _at_ gmail .com
Events coordinated and produced in collaboration with Sten-Kristian Saluveer (HOFF Festival EE)
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Boxwars UK (photo by Will Cowan)
Boxwars UK (photo by Will Cowan)
Pedagogical and cultural interest
Boxwars is a excellent example of grassroots creativity by young organisers, producers and participants.
Involved is self-organising, event production in music club and outdoor contexts, networking and promotion, community and audience-building, use of popular technology platforms, media and journalistic interaction, and multi-disciplinary cultural activity.
From a network-media studies perspective, Boxwars harnesses the 'free' proprietary platforms familiar with young people, to promote social and cultural events in physical space, as well as syndicate new music and bands in the underground club scene. The practice of Boxwars offers an alternative model to the mainstream, corporate-induced 'prosumer' relationships, in which the materials for getting involved in a creative cultural community are brought to a new cardboard level.
Unusual in a period of serious environmental concern and politics, Boxwars offers a fringe and creative/humourous slant on creative recycling practices ("fight or be recycled!"). Although not openly part of its promotional materials, the events do promote the use of recycled materials re-applied in new cultural production and actvities. One thing is for sure, unlike the usual war-mongering with which we are more familiar, the threshold for taking part in this 'extreme cultural sport' is both ethical and very low cost. Absurdity, fun and respect for other boxwarriors is absolutely crucial. Boxwars comes with a disclaimer:
“Warning. BoxWars is a dangerous activity that should not be undertaken by anyone that is not in perfect health and/or positive frame of mind. Misconduct and failure to abide by the unspoken mutual respect and care for other Box Warriors may result in injury or death. We do not take any responsibility for actions undertaken by anyone that result from reading this site.“
Baltic Boxwars: development in FI & EE
'Baltic Box Wars' is a cross-national cultural networking and event-workshop project, that expands 'Box Wars UK' event series in Edinburgh, Scotland, to North-Eastern Europe. This process was initiated by artist-organiser Andrew Gryf Paterson.
It aims to develop the ambition for a scalable network of practitioners and event-organisers; and introduce alternative, grassroots cultural production, with pedagogical value and good practice to young adults. Workshops developing custom-made individual 'armour' and 'weapons', presentations, reflecting upon experience of self-organising and developing one's own cultural practice, will be held at two venues, in different festival contexts. Performance 'fight' events will take place at the end of the workshops, to a gathered audience.
The Pixelache Network in Helsinki, promotes events and workshops under the banner of Electronic Arts and Subcultures, with the theme in 2008 being that of 'university'. This pedagogical theme extends to include alternative education in network and media arts, as well as local and grassroots initiative.
The Haapsalu Horror and Film Festival is a growing festival event promoting this particular subculture in the Baltic region, with horror and fantasy films from near and far. The 3rd installation takes place in cooperation with the City of Haapsalu and Black Nights Film Festival.
Both these events offer technical and AV cultural influences which can expand the Boxwars concept, including new musical genres, VJ accompaniment, and specific visual subcultural references which may influence the styling of cardboard-costuming.
In the Finnish and Estonian context, it is important to offer alternative self-organised cultural practices for young-people, and see the creativity in grassroots events managemant. The participatory nature of Boxwars, despite its violent referencing, is a good way to engage these themes, and encourage respectful play-fight which releases energy in a good way.
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