news2008

A little something from me to you for 2008. A free download of one of my old books MAENAD ANGEL POETICS . ENJOY! Robert Dellar called the book, "The deranged descendant of Allen Ginsberg's 'HOWL'"

Feb 2008: It's been awhile since I added something to the news, but I have been having problems with my hosting company, but things are resolved now. Anyway, back to business. I am now blogging for Disability Arts Online, click here to check it out.

I am also going to perform at my university's LGBT's event on Feb 29th. More details when I have them.

I am putting on with the other mad chicks, a gig on 9th March at Corsica Studios. Go to our website for more details.

Also, I am making a film called 'Why am I Mad?' asking a variety of people with conflicting viewpoints just that question. It should be an interesting experience!

The latest 'The World is Full of Laughter' review from Chris Barchard of the magazine 'Perceptions': 'She succeeds in doing something very difficult, which is to describe the process of going mad in an intergrated way... it is not a book for the squeamish and is completely unsentimental. However it is a book about hope, the conquest of adversity and forgiveness that should be an inspiration and a lesson to all of us.'

I will be part of the film festival, presenting a couple of films at Islington Arts Factory on Saturday 10 May. http://www.ladyfestlondon.co.uk/

A film at Cannes: One of my films 'Life as a Side Effect' has been shown at Cannes, hosted by Cannes in a Van http://www.cannesinavan.com/ and will also show at the Movieum at County Hall.

JULY 2008

I was interviewed for a Sunday Times article about pushing madness into the limelight. If the image below is not readable. Check out the online version here.

Bonkersfest

The reason the article was written is because the 3rd Bonkersfest is on this Saturday 19th July on Camberwell Green. BonkersFest! is a free annual one day summer arts and music festival, illuminating and celebrating madness, creativity, individuality and eccentricity; combating stigma and promoting good mental health.

Armed with nothing more than a stepladder and a light bulb, I will attempt – at set periods during the day – to screw the lightbulb into the sky. I am doing this because the world needs more light. To quote Groucho Marx - 'Blessed are the cracked, for they shall let in the light'.

If you are attending, come say hello to me. I will be very easy to recognise: I will be holding a lightbulb. For more details go to the Bonkerfest website

RUBY WAX
I will also be interviewed by Ruby Wax this week for the Headroom Campaign on the BBC website. More info when I have actually done the interview and know when it is online.

BBC London radio Breakfast Show with JoAnne Good and Rowland Rivron - On Saturday 19th July I will be on their morning show from 8am - check it out. Here’s the link to the show/presenters: http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2005/05/24/weekend_breakfast_feature.shtml

THE RUBY WAX INTERVIEW: Despite the fact I had a cold, that my shirt collar was upturned, and my hair kept getting into my eyes, I thought it was a good interview. (There is a point in the interview where Ruby brushes the hair out my eyes, which I thought was very sweet of her.) Click here to watch it.

Here's me in my local paper, the South London Press, screwing a lightbulb into the sky, with the original photo next to it.

photo by Carina Wint.

COME TO MY ONLY BOOK READING THIS YEAR: a free signed copy of 'The World is Full of Laughter' for every audience member.

Please help out on a film I am working on. We need your support!

The Drowners is a film that underlines the powerful and unique intoxication of love, the uniqueness of emotional connection, and the idea of romantic and sexual tension within a microcosm. The action takes place within a synchronized swimming team, who are preparing for a production of The Sleeping Beauty that recalls the grandeur and spectacle of the 1930s synchronized swimming films. A new swimmer enters the club, and an uneasy romance develops between her and the protagonist, Charlotte. The upcoming show presents a ticking clock against which Charlotte must act or risk losing love forever. The film is not simply a beautiful romance; it is also an exploration of the sinister side of love and romance, against a backdrop of stunning exquisiteness.

For a student film, the film has incredibly high production values, as the crew is not the usual student crew. My credits include a short documentary for Channel Four, many award winning shorts, and I have just finished directing a horror feature film, Temptation, which will be in cinemas later this year, for an international production company. Carolina Costa, the cinematographer of The Drowners, was also the cinematographer on Temptation, and she has numerous films in festivals and on television. Our production design team has experience of everything from high budget shoots for 35mm at Shepperton and Elstree Studios, to working with CGI on the upcoming Fantastic Mr Fox feature, to prop making for Coldplay and prosthetics for Kerrang.

However, high production values do not come cheap. We have received overwhelming support for the project so far. The donations we have received include use of a swimming pool for ten days, 35mm film cameras from Arri Media, and HD cameras and underwater housings from Liquid Noise films. The prestigious Aquabatix Synchronized Swimming Team, many of whom are recent Olympians, and whose credits include Austin Powers and Kenneth Branagh’s Love’s Labours Lost, are participating for expenses. I have been lucky enough to entice the best of the crew that I have worked with in the past into working on The Drowners and to waive their fee, but expenses are still expensive.

My reason for contacting you is that the film is a student project and we are in desperate needs of funds. We have secured £3,000 already, which is a huge leap for us, but we still need a further £7,000 to complete the project. We are asking bodies whatever they can come up with, in donations of cash or kind. In return we are open to ideas for product placement- the film has already secured at least two screenings at the National Film Theatre and numerous photo shoots in various magazines, and co-operative promotional ideas.

Whilst any donation would be very much appreciated:

£50 gets you a warm fuzzy feeling, and an invitation to the premiere at the National Film Theatre.

£100 gets you a credit in the film, and an invitation to the screening at the National Film Theatre.

£200 gets you a credit in the film, the chance to be an extra in the film, and an invitation to the screening at the National Film Theatre.

£1000 gets you an Executive Producer’s credit, and a cameo in the film, and an invitation to the screening at the National Film Theatre.

Donate Safely via Paypal, or please send a cheque made out to C Taylor to 248 Fellows Court, Weymouth Terrace, Shoreditch, E2 8LL. Please include your details, especially an email address!

For paypal payments, please make payments to catmanstar@yahoo.co.uk or follow the paypal link on www.catherinetaylor.co.uk

Any help you can give would be very much appreciated. Thank you very much.

Best regards,

Catherine Taylor (Director)
The Drowners.

Thanks for listening!

I will be hosting the recovery workshop. If your are a survivor from the bme community, come along.

An article I co-wrote for Open Mind Magazine: