Performance art group Lone Twin is renowned internationally for creating performances through making journeys and explorations into places. In Town Crying, it will collaborate with Alnwick’s award-winning town crier to create a unique series of proclamations that tell stories of places, events and communities back to the people of the region.

The script performed at each location will be developed from conversations and chance encounters between the artists and people who live, shop, work or visit that very place. Through collecting stories, ideas and opinions, the artists will build up a catalogue of ideas about how we want to live. Check out the dates of live performances - they kick off 19 July at Eldon Square.

In terms of someone's carbon footprint, a single holiday in New Zealand is equivalent to 60 short domestic visits to the North East of England by a UK citizen. But those 60 trips are not sustainable if they stimulate a wasteful use of finite resources by visitors and their host businesses.
Tourism is fundamental to the North East's economic strategy and in many other regions around the world. So how might we re-shape tourism to be
consistent with sustainability?

Join us to discuss this on 12 July at the RSC.
Speakers include:
Chris Little, Leandro Pisano, Alessandro Esposito, Beth Davidson and Ross Lowrie.

The event is free but you need to reserve a place with Beckie.

As a new addition to the Design Event 07 (DE07) programme, film and new media curators Cinefeel are inviting filmmakers and animators to send in work which relates to DE07's theme 'How do we want to live?'
This call is open to everyone, from established design studios to bright new talent. Deadline for entries is 10 August and the work will be screened at Baltic Centre for Contemporary Arts in October.

DE07 also have a new innovative series of talks in association with NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts), and have invited high profile designers and practitioners to talk about their work and issues which are pertinent in design today. Visit DE07 for more information.

Dott 07 and Northumbria University School of Design will host a national conference on design practice in October. ‘Intersections 07: design know-how for a new era’ aims to engage the global design community in an inspiring discussion of the skills required for future world-class design practice.

Speakers include: Tim Brown (IDEO), Andy Altmann (Why Not Associates), Durrell Bishop (Luckybite), Christoph Boninger and Allan Chochinov (Core 77). See full list of speakers.

The two day event will take place at the Baltic, Newcastle upon Tyne, on 25 and 26 October 2007, during the two week Dott 07 Festival. Tickets: £300 + VAT. Book your place now.

Steve Gater, head teacher of Walker Technology College, is something of a visionary. Walker Technology College is part of the government's BSF challenge and under Steve's inspiration the school has signed up for Dott 07's OurNewSchool project. In an innovative move, Steve wanted to involve service design team Engine in the process of redesigning the school before the architects come on board in September 2007. He talks about 'welcoming students who challenge us as teachers, adults and governors' and of the urgent need to 'ask searching questions of the education system' and of the necessity 'to listen to what our clients - the students, parents and community think and feel about the system'.

Listen to the podcast today.

The best way to experience the full range of Dott 07 activities will be during the Dott 07 Festival. This two week, free Festival takes place in Baltic Square, on the banks of the River Tyne from 16 - 28 October. Visitors will encounter all those who have taken part in Dott 07 projects and events, and Creative Community Awards will be given in recognition of outstanding achievement.

The Festival will bring together the results of projects and enable all the people involved to share experiences. It will be an opportunity to celebrate their achievements. More importantly, it will enable many more people to find out how to participate in similar projects themselves and thereby accelerate the region's transition to sustainability.