All posts by tom

Melbourne Launch 19th Feb 2015

AddingPimento-19Feb2015Launch

Breakdown Press is excited to invite you to the publisher launch of our new book!

ADDING PIMENTO
: Caribbean Migration to Victoria, Australia

Thursday 19 February 2015

6 for a 6:30pm start

To be launched by Australian Author and Storyteller
 Arnold Zable

Edited by Karina Smith, Lisa Montague & 
Pat Thomas, in association with CaribVic. 
Published by Breakdown Press

Adding Pimento reveals the relatively unknown and fascinating history of Caribbean (or West Indian) migration to Victoria; a vibrant, diverse community made up of people from different countries, cultures, ethnicities and racial backgrounds. A collection of thirty personal stories from and about community members, the book delves into experiences of migration and the choice of Victoria as a home (far) away from home.

Venue: Collected Works Bookshop

Nicholas Building, Level 1, 37 Swanston St, Melbourne CBD

Books for sale on the night – credit card and cash sales only (no Eftpos). 
Proceeds from sales go to CaribVic to support ongoing community projects.

All Welcome! No RSVP required.

ADDING PIMENTO – Caribbean Migration to Victoria, Australia

AddingPimento-COVER

 

‘This collection has to be seen as a breakthrough in our larger understandings of the meanings of migration, community, globalisation, transnational identities’
–  Professor Carole Boyce Davies,   author of Caribbean Spaces.

Adding Pimento reveals the relatively unknown and fascinating history of Caribbean (or West Indian) migration to Victoria; a vibrant, diverse community made up of people from different countries, cultures, ethnicities and racial backgrounds. A collection of thirty personal stories from and about community members, the book delves into experiences of migration and the choice of Victoria as a home (far) away from home.

From a Caribbean migration perspective, Adding Pimento explores various aspects of our national and state history, including the Eureka Stockade in Ballarat and the White Australia Policy. The stories reveal how migrants either maintain links to the Caribbean or choose to distance themselves from it; perceptions of Victoria as a new ‘home’ and experiences of ‘settling in’, political upheaval, loss, racism; and the importance of community, resilience, and ‘the taking of space’ in the wider society.

Adding Pimento alludes to the berry (also known as allspice) or the mild Pimento pepper which is added to Caribbean cuisine for a distinctive, pungent flavour.  The leaf and the wood are used in the smoking process for enhancement to the famous barbeque jerk dishes.  In this context, the Caribbean people and their stories of migration have added another layer to multicultural Victoria since the early 1800s.

Published December 2014
Paperback  • 132 pages  •  full colour photos  •
historical overview •
 30 personal stories

EDITORS: Karina Smith, Lisa Montague and Pat Thomas, in association with CaribVic
EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS: Leslyn Thompson & Lou Smith
BOOK DESIGN: Tom Sevil
PROOF READERS: Leslyn Thompson, Robyn Phillips & Lou Smith

FOREWORD: Carole Boyce Davies – Professor of Africana Studies and English, Cornell University, USA

RRP PRICE: $29.95 (plus postage/handling)
TO PURCHASE: Online: http://caribvic.com/addingpimento
Bookshops: 
Readings Carlton (309 Lygon Street, Carlton VIC 3053) and
Brunswick Bound (361 Sydney Road, Brunswick VIC 3056)
(In-store Tuesday 9 December 2014)

Buy PM Press Edition of “How to Make Trouble and Influence People” Online

Buy the book direct online from PM Press.

This book reveals Australia’s radical past through more than 500 tales of Indigenous resistance, convict revolts and escapes, picket line hijinks, student occupations, creative direct action, street art, media pranks, urban interventions, squatting, blockades, banner drops, guerilla theatre, and billboard liberation. Twelve key Australian activists and pranksters are interviewed regarding their opposition to racism, nuclear power, war, economic exploitation, and religious conservatism via humor and creativity. Featuring more than 300 spectacular imagesHow to Make Trouble and Influence People is an inspiring, and at times hilarious, record of resistance that will appeal to readers everywhere.

Praise:

“I noticed clear back on my first visit in ’83 that radical Aussies fighting back seem to be far more tenacious and creative than most Americans—Roxby Downs, that damned Franklin dam in Tasmania, Operation Titstorm, etc. A far better way to heat up the planet than your lovely mining companies. So keep up the good work! A prank a day keeps the dog leash away.”
—Jello Biafra

“A fascinating recovery of Australia’s neglected past and a worthy inspiration to today’s would-be troublemakers.”
—Sean Scalmer, author of Dissent Events: Protest, The Media and the Political Gimmick in Australia

“The perfect book for enlightened coffee tables.”
—Rachel Evans, Green Left Weekly

“If you’ve ever thought of speaking out about an issue or have idly wondered what you could do to make the world a better place, this is the book for you! Fascinating interviews, quirky historical snippets and stunning photos chronicling all the Australians who have made a difference and who have done so with courage, audacity and a lot of humour! Keep it on your desk at work for all those moments when you need some inspiration, a bit of hope or just a good laugh.”
—Jill Sparrow, co-author Radical Melbourne 1 & 2

“Fascinating interviews with Australia’s best troublemakers make for a riotous scrapbook covering our radical history of revolts and resistance.”
—Rachel Power, Australian Education Union News

“McIntyre has amassed hundreds of tales alongside dramatic photographs in what is unashamedly a songbook for Australia’s future culture-jammers and mischief makers.”
—Katherine Wilson, The Age

About the Contributors:

Iain McIntyre is a Melbourne-based author, musician, and community radio broadcaster who has written a variety of books on activism, history, and music. Recent publications include Wild About You: The Sixties Beat Explosion in Australia and New Zealand, and Tomorrow Is Today: Australia in the Psychedelic Era, 1966–70.

Andrew Hansen is a Sydney based comedian and musician, best known for being a member of satirical team The Chaser who have produced six award winning television series for Australian television.

Josh MacPhee  is a designer, artist, activist, and archivist. He is a member of both the Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative (Justseeds.org) and the Occuprint collective (Occuprint.org). He is the coauthor of Signs of Change: Social Movement Cultures 1960s to Now, coeditor of Signal: A Journal of International Political Graphics & Culture, and he recently cofounded the Interference Archive, a public collection of cultural materials produced by social movements (InterferenceArchive.org).

Product Details:

Author: Iain McIntyre
Forewords by Andrew Hansen and Josh MacPhee
Publisher: PM Press
ISBN: 978-1-60486-595-0
Published September 2013
Format: Paperback
Size: 8.25 by 8.25
Page count: 320 Pages
Subjects: Politics–Activism/History–Australia

Melbourne Launch, Friday 18th October

MELBOURNE BOOK LAUNCH AND EXHIBITION
Friday 18th October
6-8PM
Friends of the Earth
Food Co-op & Cafe
312 Smith street, Collingwood
(Crn of Smith and Perry Streets)

HOW TO MAKE TROUBLE AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE
Pranks, Protests, Graffiti & Political Mischief-Making from across Australia
(Second Edition)
With talks by:
Iain McIntyre (book author)
Tom Civil (book designer and street artist)
Rayna Fahey (craftivist)

This book reveals Australia’s radical past through over 500 tales from the time of colonisation all the way to the present: Indigenous resistance, convict revolts and escapes, picket line hi-jinks, student occupations, creative direct action, media pranks, urban interventions, squatting, blockades, banner drops, street theatre and billboard liberation;
including stories and anecdotes, interviews with pranksters and troublemakers, and over 300 spectacular photos documenting the vital history of creative resistance in this country. This new edition is being co-published by Breakdown Press and PM Press. As it will mainly be distributed to audiences outside of Australia all of the
listings from the first edition have been put in chronological order, introductions added for key periods in Australian history and new material added.

Books Available on the night, and from PMPRESS.ORG
(https://secure.pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=505)
– Comes with free e-book edition

“I noticed clear back on my first visit in ’83 that radical Aussies fighting back seem to be far more tenacious and creative than most Americans—Roxby Downs, that damned Franklin dam in Tasmania, Operation Titstorm, etc. A far better way to heat up the planet than your lovely mining companies. So keep up the good work! A prank a day keeps the dog leash away.”
—Jello Biafra

TROUBLE-MelbLaunch13

How to Make Trouble and Influence People – Second Edition

The expanded Second Edition of How to Make Trouble and Influence People co-published with amazing US radical publishers PM PRESS is here!

Bookcover

This book reveals Australia’s radical past through more than 500 tales of Indigenous resistance, convict revolts and escapes, picket line hijinks, student occupations, creative direct action, street art, media pranks, urban interventions, squatting, blockades, banner drops, guerilla theatre, and billboard liberation. Twelve key Australian activists and pranksters are interviewed regarding their opposition to racism, nuclear power, war, economic exploitation, and religious conservatism via humor and creativity. Featuring more than 300 spectacular images How to Make Trouble and Influence People is an inspiring, and at times hilarious, record of resistance that will appeal to readers everywhere.

 

ORDER THE BOOK direct from PM PRESS

 

Praise for the book:

“I noticed clear back on my first visit in ’83 that radical Aussies fighting back seem to be far more tenacious and creative than most Americans—Roxby Downs, that damned Franklin dam in Tasmania, Operation Titstorm, etc. A far better way to heat up the planet than your lovely mining companies. So keep up the good work! A prank a day keeps the dog leash away.”
—Jello Biafra

“A fascinating recovery of Australia’s neglected past and a worthy inspiration to today’s would-be troublemakers.”
—Sean Scalmer, author of Dissent Events: Protest, The Media and the Political Gimmick in Australia

“The perfect book for enlightened coffee tables.”
—Rachel Evans, Green Left Weekly

“If you’ve ever thought of speaking out about an issue or have idly wondered what you could do to make the world a better place, this is the book for you! Fascinating interviews, quirky historical snippets and stunning photos chronicling all the Australians who have made a difference and who have done so with courage, audacity and a lot of humour! Keep it on your desk at work for all those moments when you need some inspiration, a bit of hope or just a good laugh.”
—Jill Sparrow, co-author Radical Melbourne 1 & 2

“Fascinating interviews with Australia’s best troublemakers make for a riotous scrapbook covering our radical history of revolts and resistance.”
—Rachel Power, Australian Education Union News

“McIntyre has amassed hundreds of tales alongside dramatic photographs in what is unashamedly a songbook for Australia’s future culture-jammers and mischief makers.”
—Katherine Wilson, The Age

 

About the Contributors:

Iain McIntyre is a Melbourne-based author, musician, and community radio broadcaster who has written a variety of books on activism, history, and music. Recent publications include Wild About You: The Sixties Beat Explosion in Australia and New Zealand, and Tomorrow Is Today: Australia in the Psychedelic Era, 1966–70.

Breakdown Press is a small, radical publisher based in Melbourne, Australia, co-founded by poet, researcher and community organiser Lou Smith and street artist, printmaker and activist graphic designer Tom Sevil (aka Civil). Tom and Lou both have a longstanding involvement within the zine, DIY, street art, and alternative media communities in Australia. Breakdown Press have been producing posters, zines and anthologies since 2004 and first published How to Make Trouble and Influence People: Pranks, Hoaxes, Graffiti & Political Mischief-Making from across Australia in 2009. To date publications include: Scrapbook to Somewhere, The Stolenwealth Posters, The Breakdown Posters, The Nuclear Posters, The Peace Posters, Civilian Sticker Packs, Civilians Unite, the poetry chapbook Mining, zine anthology YOU: some letters from the first five years and Market Crossings: Plotting a Course through the Preston Market. We believe in producing ethically printed and affordable publications, with the hope, through bringing together artists, thinkers and writers, to build friendships and solidarity with different communities both locally and internationally. And, to tell stories that too often remain untold.

Andrew Hansen is a Sydney based comedian and musician, best known for being a member of satirical team The Chaser who have produced six award winning television series for Australian television.

Josh MacPhee  is a designer, artist, activist, and archivist. He is a member of both the Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative (Justseeds.org) and the Occuprint collective (Occuprint.org). He is the coauthor of Signs of Change: Social Movement Cultures 1960s to Now, coeditor of Signal: A Journal of International Political Graphics & Culture, and he recently cofounded the Interference Archive, a public collection of cultural materials produced by social movements (InterferenceArchive.org).

Product Details:

Author and Editor: Iain McIntyre
Forewords by Andrew Hansen and Josh MacPhee
Book Design and Photo Editor: Tom Sevil (aka Civil)
Editor and Additional Research: Lou Smith

Publisher: PM Press and Breakdown Press
ISBN: 978-1-60486-595-0
Published September 2013
Format: Paperback
Size: 8.25 by 8.25 Inches
Page count: 320 Pages
Subjects: Politics–Activism/History–Australia

BROKEN BUT BEAUTIFUL …

This website is all over the place at the moment.  Bit by bit we’ll get there…  :)

PRINT: “BROKEN BUT BEAUTIFUL” Hand-printed woodcut print by Ned Sevil (printed by me in February, 2012).

Just to also let people know I’ve been making a small website WWW.TOMCIVIL.COM

X

Thankyou to everyone who bought a copy of How to Make Trouble and Influence People

The first print run of How to Make Trouble and Influence People has almost sold out and we have no more mailorder copies available from our website. However,  it is still available from some bookshops. So if you didn’t get yourself a copy call your local bookshop to check if they still have it in stock. We are hoping to raise money to do a second print run, so keep visiting this site or join our mailing list for details. And of course, donations towards printing costs are always welcome, ha ha! Donation details click here.

The Peace Posters Launch at BRUNSWICK BOUND Saturday 31st July, Melbourne

Come celebrate the 32-page broadsheet featuring a powerful collection of 30 posters for peace.

2–4pm Saturday 31st July, 2010

Exhibition Launch upstairs at BRUNSWICK BOUND
361 Sydney Road, Brunswick VIC 3056.
This is a FREE event.

Come collect your free copies of the publication!

Show runs until 28th August.
Open: 10am – 6pm Monday – Saturday, 11am – 5pm Sunday

The 2010 Breakdown Poster Series contains 30 new, original and provocative political posters and poetry.

FEATURING POSTERS by Colin Matthes, HA-HA, Ann Newmarch, John Emerson, 7U?, Kathleen McCann, Olaf Ladousse, Lluis Fuzzhound, Marc Martin, Marc de Jong, Caitlin Poduska, M.P. Fikaris, Van Rudd, Iain McIntyre, Stewart Cole, Aris Prabawa, Tom Civil, Rasool Parvari Moghaddam, Mathew Kneebone, Erik Ruin, KA’a, Bretton Bartleet, Arlene TextaQueen, Lou Smith and Tom O’Hern. And poetry by Ocean Vuong, Anwyn Crawford, Mammad Aidani and Opal Palmer Adisa.

Published by Breakdown Press  \\   Printed in Winter 2010  \\   WWW>BREAKDOWNPRESS>ORG

This project has been funded by the Graham F Smith Peace Trust: www.artspeacetrust.org

…………………..…………………..…………………..…………………..…………………..…………………..…………………..…………………..…………………..…………………..…………………..…………………..

Breakdown Press first created a ‘poster series’ in the form of a newspaper in 2006 to coincide with the Indigenous-led protests and convergence at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. The series was titled The Stolenwealth Poster Series, with artists looking at the issues of Genocide, Sovereignty and Treaty.

In 2006, we initiated The Breakdown Posters addressing issues of corporate globalisation, coinciding with the G20 protests in Melbourne. The Nuclear Posters, in 2007, investigated the nuclear industry in the lead-up to the Federal Election that finally kicked John Howard out for good.

Now we’re very proud to be presenting our 4th Breakdown Poster Series – The Peace Posters.

Breakdown Press, a Melbourne-based publishing outfit with a background in zines, street art, and activism has published a free, 32-page broadsheet featuring posters for peace.

The aim of the The Peace Posters, the latest in Breakdown’s ongoing poster series, is to create compelling designs that promote peace and get them in as many bedrooms, offices, and public places as possible. The poster is an enduring art form that continues to capture our imagination.

We are very excited to have been able to include artwork and writing not only from across Australia, but also from Iran, USA, Spain and France, and also by people whose lives cross many borders. We believe there is much hope to be found in playfully creating solidarity around the world, to build peaceful autonomous alliances that traverse governmental borders.

Actions against war and towards the building of a peaceful society couldn’t be more relevant today. Especially considering not only Australia’s involvement in conflicts overseas (the war in Afghanistan has been raging for nine years) but also the involvement of Australia in the manufacturing of war machines, the use of Australia as a centre for US military bases, and the everyday injustice faced by Indigenous Australians particularly in areas under the Federal Government intervention.

One featured poet, Mammad Aidani, says he hopes that people reading his work “reflect deeper that war and hatred are not the solutions for our problems in this violent world, and recognise that peace, human rights for all and freedom are the only ways which can unite us. We need to respect, care, recognise and learn how to live together regardless of who we are, what we believe and where we come from. We have a long way to go, but we must never lose hope and determination and work as hard as we can to make this dream possible.

—–
We are able to organise high res versions of the images for re-publishing and/or interviews with featured artists.

For media enquiries contact –
Tom Civil and Lou Smith (Project Artistic Directors) on 0405819955 or [email protected]

 



BREAKDOWN PRESS
http://www.breakdownpress.org
http://howtomaketroubleandinfluencepeople.org
PO Box 1283, Carlton VIC 3053
http://www.flickr.com/photos/breakdownpress
The imagination, never domination.

Act boldly for peace – We need your help to distribute The Peace Posters in your local area!

The Peace Posters is a 32 page BROADSHEET NEWSPAPER which unfolds to 30 posters and available for FREE … Released very soon!
Help us get them out into the world. To obtain copies of this Free Broadsheet for bedroom walls, workplaces, street poles, community notice boards, shopfronts and schools, please email: [email protected] with your address and how many copies you wish to receive! This is our biggest poster series yet.

FEATURING POSTERS by Colin Matthes, HA-HA, Ann Newmarch, John Emerson, 7U?, Kathleen McCann, Olaf Ladousse, Lluis Fuzzhound, Marc Martin, Marc de Jong, Caitlin Poduska, M.P. Fikaris, Van Rudd, Iain McIntyre, Stewart Cole, Aris Prabawa, Tom Civil, Rasool Parvari Moghaddam, Mathew Kneebone, Erik Ruin, KA’a, Bretton Bartleet, Arlene TextaQueen, Lou Smith and Tom O’Hern. And poetry by Ocean Vuong, Anwyn Crawford, Mammad Aidani and Opal Palmer Adisa.

Published by Breakdown Press  \\ Printed in Winter 2010  \\
Direction by Tom Civil and Lou Smith

The project has been funded by the Graham F Smith Peace Trust: www.artspeacetrust.org

Please help us to cover our international postage costs. Thanks so much for your support! These prices are pay what you can, and are for International Air Mail. For Sea Mail which can take 2-3 months prices are $20 for 5 copies, $35 for 10 copies, $100 for 40 copies. For the moment postage in Australia if free, but if people or organisations can contribute prices are $10 for 5-10 copies, $22 for 40 copies.

Make all cheques payable to: ‘Breakdown Press’, PO Box 1283, Carlton, Vic, 3053
or pay direct to: ‘Breakdown Press’, Bendigo Bank BSB: 633 000  Account No: 127 570 174
PAYPAL address: [email protected]

 

 

Extended Timeline for Submissions for The Peace Posters! Breakdown Poster Series #4

We have decided to extend the deadline for POSTER submissions for The Peace Posters until the 21st May. We have received some amazing contributions from Australian and International artists and designers and the publication is already shaping up to be a powerful collection of posters! Many people have been asking for extensions for their designs so we thought we’d open this up to everyone. More details below and attached.

The Peace Posters is going to be a BROADSHEET NEWSPAPER and distributed for FREE. This is a great chance to get a large broadsheet-sized poster (similar to in size to The Age or Sydney Morning Herald) of your artwork printed and distributed widely! If you are interested in distributing the publication through your networks, organisation or on the street please contact us with your details and the amount of copies you would like to receive at: [email protected]

We are also looking for ARTICLES and POETRY to be included in the publication! Articles on any of the following issues would be great: Peace Building / The Arms Trade / Redirection of Resources Towards a Peaceful Society / Militarisation of Everyday Life / Global Harmony / Human & Environmental Impact of War. Also any up-to-date writing about Australia’s current role in the region and afar would be great to include as well. Please get in touch if you have any questions or would like to run any ideas past us?

This gives you all another 2 weeks to send in poster designs!

Peace.

X Tom Civil and Lou Smith


BREAKDOWN PRESS
http://www.breakdownpress.org
http://howtomaketroubleandinfluencepeople.org
PO Box 1283, Carlton VIC 3053
The imagination, never domination.

The Peace Posters

We’re putting together another poster series! And this time we’re seeking posters about PEACE.

This is a great chance for designers, artists and writers to work towards creating a peaceful future. Hopefully these posters will end up on bedroom walls, in workplaces, streets, shopfronts and schools!
Artists and designers are encouraged to use writing and statistics from academics, historians, poets, scientists, activists and song writers in their poster designs. We want to see stencils, printmaking, illustration, painting, typography, photography and collage in poster designs. Think handmade.

 

Wanted: Graphic Artists & Writers
to Create Poster Designs for Social Change.

The Peace Posters – Breakdown Poster Series #4

Seeking poster designs to be published on the following fascinating topics:

• Peace Building

• The Arms Trade

• Redirection of Resources Towards a Peaceful Society• Militarisation of Everyday Life

• Global Harmony

• Human & Environmental Impact of War

Submissions due by: 21st MAY 2010

For publication:
Black & White or Colour
Printed A2 Newsprint
(42cm x 59.4cm)

To find out more about this project email us at: [email protected]

email: JPGs to [email protected]
post: CD or artwork to PO Box 1283 Carlton VIC 3053

Order copies of our 3 previous poster series – The Stolenwealth Posters, The Breakdown Posters and The Nuclear Posters. Currently only available through mail order though our website.

 

With thanks to the Graham F. Smith Peace Trust for financial support for this project!