The Franklin Office

Return to Lego Mountain - A Bridge Too Far

2008-12-12T18:56:00.001-08:00

JCDC Versus LEGO from Four H on Vimeo.

Hells yes kids, we're back on for another LEGO Mountain this december - tentatively scheduled for Wednesday the 17th.

The object of this month's build will be to start from two separate raised platforms, and work together to build a bridge across the gap.

Toonie beers, but feel free to BYO too.

Boo ya

Que Legos!

2008-06-20T13:53:00.000-07:00

Well, the second installment of our monthly Lego build nights was a resounding success! This week we set a repeating timer and built a variety of objects, before starting again every time the timer went off. Check out what turned up at: http://flickr.com/photos/midnightsimon/sets/72157605725229317/ Better, yet, drop by the Office and have a look for yourself!

In other Office news, we're happy to announce the date of our next Tipping Point Vancouver meeting, a forum where those with an interest in independent or alternative creative spaces and venues in Vancouver can meet and discuss ideas and experiences. The theme for this month's meeting is networking, the emphasis being how to develop and expand on connections between creative spaces in Vancouver.

To facilitate this, we've also started a tipping point 'wiki' (big up to Paul from Free Geek) which you can read and contribute to at http://tippingpointvancouver.org. Help us make it awesome!

As usual it's pot luck themed so bring some eats and your appetite. The meeting starts at 7pm, on Wednesday July 2. For more information check out the blog at http://franklinoffice.blogspot.com/ or send us an email at franklinoffice@gmail.com

As usual, we are also continuing with our weekly beer brewing activities - come join us for brew day every Wednesday, starting at 10:30 AM!

Twitter?

2008-05-29T21:04:00.000-07:00

So we've created a Twitter page for the Franklin Office.

I know, I know - media overload, what with the blog, the fakebook, and the new tipping point wiki (stay tuned on that front! exciting news on the way).

So what is twitter? Twitter is like a mini blog for people with really short attention spans. Now if that sounds annoying to you - well, in most cases it is. What it does for us, however, is give you up to the minute details on what is going on at the F/O.

Check the twitter site and expect to see an extremely up to date account of whatever fun and inclusive activity is going on chez nous -

For example:

"Beer brewing going on right now! Come on over!"
"Book-Making workshop going on RIGHT THIS MINUTE! Come check it out!"
"Bike Fixing at the F/O - come by and use our tools this afternoon!"
"Communal Kitchen - Come make soup with us tonight!"

You begin to see the applications of real-time mini blogging.

So for the latest and up-to-date-est details of what we're upto, wander on over to http://twitter.com/franklinoffice and keep an eye on the F/O!

Return to Lego Mountain - Countown

2008-05-28T17:20:00.000-07:00

After the success of our first Lego night, Return to Lego Mountain: A Constructive Gathering, the Franklin Office is proud to announce our second of what will be monthly series of Lego nights.

Clear your schedule for Wednesday, June 18th when we will again free the contents of our Lego bin for an interactive, cooperative/competitive (you decide) Lego build. This month's theme is 'Countdown' - a repeating timer will be set, and participants will have a set amount of time to build whatever fits their fancy - when the timer beeps, set it aside and begin anew!

The fun starts at 7 pm. This event is FREE, byo beverages and if you feel like donating lego to the mountain, please do.

This event will be taped, see you there!

Bookmaking: the sweetest science

2008-05-15T23:12:00.000-07:00

Come learn how to make a hand bound, hard cover book with a rad artist from the east coast!
Bring a hardcover book size 9 x 11 1/2 and some recycled paper, old love letters, journals, bills etc...size not important.
8 1/2 x 11 paper will be provided to mix with the paper you bring to make an awesome book you'll probably want to call your mom and tell her about.

3-6pm thursday may 29th
at The Franklin Office
cost is 10$

I love the smell of hops in the morning...

2008-05-15T01:13:00.000-07:00

Brew Days at The Franklin Office: Wednesdays Weekly at 11am

Mark it in your calendar dudes, Wednesday is our weekly brew day at The Franklin Office. Those of you who partook in last week's lego build were treated to our first batch of FO amber ale with more ales, nut browns and porters scheduled for upcoming weeks.
Anyways, this is a chance to come by and see what is entailed in the super simple and boozily rewarding world of homebrew. Brew masters, novices and those who just like to drink beer swing by for this one.

the tipping point

2008-05-14T17:47:00.000-07:00

So here's the latest water cooler gossip in the office. This month, The Franklin Office will begin hosting a series of meetings addressing issues surrounding artist run/cultural centers in Vancouver today . Anyone who attends shows in this city has probably had the unfortunate experience of having their favorite underground venue shut down only to have it replaced or revived farther down the line by a new, sometimes even cooler, space. The Tipping Point meeting series will act as a hub for representatives of these spaces and the public to exchange and discuss ideas over a glass of beer and some home cookin'.
The first meeting takes place Wednesday, May 28th at 5 pm. Its potluck style, so bring a dish to share and something to drink. Theres lots of info on The Tipping Point forum, at http://thetippingpoint-forum.blogspot.com/

see you there!

Green Thumbs at the Franklin Office

2008-05-08T16:18:00.000-07:00

I'm sure most of you have heard something about the global food crisis unfolding right now. There are several factors globally that are pushing our food consumption beyond our ability to produce it:

-Climate Change is affecting predictabile weather patterns and increasing droughts
-Newly Developed countries such as India and China are consuming more in general as affluence rises, and meat in particular. It takes 7kg of grain to produce one kg of meat.
-Biofuels are reducing the stock of available grains, as well as using valuable food-producing land
-Intensive agriculture is reducing the long term ability of arable land to produce new food

Coupled with the (likely, unchanging) rise of energy prices, the food we eat is going to be getting more and more expensive.

While we won't likely be seeing the food riots that have happened in about a dozen or so less developed countries, this is a good time for us to reflect on where our food comes from and how it is produced.

As such, we've started growing over here at the F/O. Do you have materials (soil, pots, cuttings, seeds or seedlings) or knowledge you can contribute to the project? Drop us a line - or better yet, drop by!

This is an exciting and important issue, and expect to hear more about it from us in the future. Keep your eyes peeled, too, for potentially some workshops or forums on the idea of urban food production. Got some ideas? We'd love to hear them!

Bike Bike Bike party 2008!

2008-05-02T13:58:00.001-07:00

Return to Lego Mountain! A constructive gathering

2008-04-29T13:49:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, May 7 at 5pm

The premise: working on a finite area of lego 'land', participants will dig through a mountain of lego and begin to build.
The challenge: work together to use the entire mountain of lego on one collaborative creation.
The rules: ...there are no rules in lego.

This event is FREE, byo beverages and if you feel like donating lego to the mountain, please do.

This event will be taped, see you there!

2008-04-15T00:36:00.000-07:00

Time lapse documentation from the april 10th performance.

2008-04-03T21:42:00.001-07:00

A Sleep Performance

Shannon Munro

Thursday, April 10, 7pm-10pm
for more information, email: franklinoffice@gmail.com

An invitation to record thoughts and observations of an intimate experience. All materials and recording devices welcome.

March Madness at the Franklin Office

2008-03-13T16:21:00.000-07:00

Well It's been an active couple of weeks here at the Franklin Office. I think its fair to say that the door is open, and the wheels are in motion after two consecutive weekends of workshops that were nothing if not productive and straight up fun!

First off we had Marie Horstead's Felting for Art & Craft. Marie led a small but interested group through the process of wet felting (the transformation of raw wool to felt as a textile), as well as some shaping, colouring, and texturing techniques.

Check out some pictures up on flickr:
http://flickr.com/photos/lostandlau/
http://flickr.com/photos/midnightsimon/sets/72157604086915751/

Next was last weekend's two day 'BYO' workshop - reclaiming waste material to build new objects, led by Alexander Witko. Alex, who had tirelessly collected ruined furniture and other interesting waste materials set them out along with a smorgasboard of tools out back, while we had more craft oriented activities going on inside the Office. Over two afternoons, used their imaginations to transform one man's trash to another man's treasure.

More photos of the festivities here:
http://flickr.com/photos/oneonethreefour/
http://flickr.com/photos/midnightsimon/sets/72157604086915751/

All in all we're feeling great about how this month has started, and even more so about the future! Keep your eyes on this space to find out about upcoming events at the Franklin Office, or better yet, join our mailing list by contacting us at Franklinoffice////gmail.com.

A huge thanks to everyone who came out to participate in this months activities. We really are nothing without you. Hope to see you out soon!

Simon & Liam @ the Franklin Office

2008-02-22T12:37:00.000-08:00

BYO__

build your own ___ !
resist consumerism...
by reusing it's wasteful by-products!

join us for a refuse design/build

THE PREMISE: waste = resource. the most abundant local material that our city has to offer lie in the very things we throw out. It is plentiful, free and can be valuable!

THE GOAL: reuse found materials into whatever your heart desires. - it could be repairing a table or creating something totally original.

HOW WILL THIS HAPPEN? come to Franklin studio the weekend of march 8-9 with an idea or a few found objects or just a good mood and work with others to create, not consume. Materials, tools and some expertise will be provided. Additions welcome!

WHEN: march 8-9 in the afternoons @ The Franklin Office Studio (1924 Franklin St., just north of Victoria and Hastings, use the alley entrance)

THE GOOD WORD: BRICOLAGE, from french origin meaning "do-it-yourself" tinkering. a creative and resourceful act of making use of materials at hand regardless of there intended purpose.
A person who engages in bricolage is a bricklayer: someone who invents his or her own strategies for using existing materials in a creative and original way.

Just fooling around

2008-02-08T18:12:00.000-08:00

Yo!

While while we here at the Franklin Office intend to use this space to keep you informed of upcomming activities and events, we're also planning to use it as a creative outlet for thoughts and ideas, images, and more.

Today's offering: A series of photos I took of the Port of Vancouver cranes, while experimenting with our russian telescope...

Felting for Art or Craft.

2008-02-01T17:05:00.000-08:00

The Franklin Office is proud and excited to announce our first scheduled workshop, Felting for Art or Craft, led by Marie Horstead. This session will take place at 1 pm, March 2nd 2008.

In this workshop you we will explore the technique of wet and dry felting and experience the possibilities of wool as a medium for art or craft. This hands on workshop will also feature a presentation of artists and crafts people who have used felt and wool in their work.

Participants will be asked for $5 to defray the cost of materials, and due to time and space containts we are looking at a maximum of 15 participants - so register now! Contact us at franklinoffice//gmail.com

Much more is in the works, so stay tuned and get excited!