A Million Miles better...

Catalyst Campaigns has been delighted to help promote the ground-breaking new Million Miles project launched by Transition Black Isle - including designing their logo in collaboration with their team. Locals say they have set up the project to "help Black Isle residents discover the joys of safer, greener, more sociable ways of travelling."

In the Highlands of Scotland, transport accounts for more than 20% of per capita greenhouse gas emissions, so the project hopes to help people reduce their carbon footprint  dramatically - while also saving money and getting to know others in the area. The Million Miles project has appointed two enthusiastic Project Officers who will co-ordinate and develop the project during the next three years.

Music as positive action - Lorraine McCauley and the Borderlands' new album

While much of Catalyst Campaigns work tends to be supporting environmental and social justice groups, the arts have so much to offer the wider field of creating positive change and we relish the new approaches that emerge from working from the artist's perspective. Recently we've designed artwork and video-based promotional material for `Light in the Darkest Corners’ - the soaring debut album of Lorraine McCauley and The Borderlands.

Lorraine has been a long-standing climate campaigner and community activist and her music is very much part of that. Karine Polwart recently tipped the band to be the breakthrough act of 2012, and sure enough, the album has been receiving fantastic reviews across the board, including a 4-star review in The Scotsman.

The songs range from tender love stories to feisty battle cries - all rooted in the folk tradition but with an experimental twist placing them firmly at the cutting edge of the contemporary scene.

Already familiar faces on the contemporary Scottish music scene, the talented musicians in Lorraine’s band, The Borderlands, include Jonee Duggan the accordionist and producer of the album, Nick Jenkins on viola, mandolin and fiddle and Billy Hamilton on cello. Together they create a magical and uplifting experience both in the recorded album and in live performances. They raised money to produce their album through Pledge Music - where fans pre-order the album, thereby funding it. 

You can hear their music here and order the album here.

Order your copy of Reforesting Scotland magazine now

This year marks a decade since I started designing the Reforesting Scotland magazine, and the organisation continues to be one dear to my heart. The latest issue focuses on sustainable living in a well-forested land, in terms of a healthy ecosystem, fuel harvesting, land use, recreation and food - in other words, a sustainable forest culture.

The magazine was timed to coincide with this year's Reforesting Scotland Annual Gathering at Badaguish near Aviemore.

You can order your issue at www.reforestingscotland.org

A useful environmental education toolbox

The innovative educational collective Moving Sounds recently partnered up with Transition Scotland Support and Catalyst Campaigns to produce this lovely book full of games and activities for groups of  children and adults alike. 

Games to Save the Planet is a toolbox of arts-based environmental education activities. It's a 48 page book of the many activities and games Moving Sounds have used over the years to explore issues through the arts. It's both playful and profound; great for anyone wanting to facilitate positive change or just have creative fun in groups. 

You can download a pdf of the book at the Moving Sounds website or at the Transition Scotland Support website. 

Alternatively, send a cheque for £11 with your postal details to: 

Moving Sounds, Unit 9, Phoenix Place, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 1BH

Do you dream of a hut in the woods?

Huts are the focus of the latest issue of the much-loved magazine Reforesting Scotland, designed by Catalyst Campaigns. The magazine is selling out fast, so if you are one of Scotland's many hutting enthusiasts, contact Reforesting Scotland soon to become a member and receive a copy of the magazine. It includes articles about how to build your own hut, or how to buy a good quality off-the-shelf one if you are not inclined towards woodwork yourself. It also includes articles about the potential for many more hutting opportunities in Scotland, together with the launch of Reforesting Scotland's Thousand Huts campaign.

If you'd like to keep abreast of the latest hutting news, join the Thousand Huts campaign Facebook page, which already sports over 400 members.

Your guide to a feast of ideas

Transition Scotland Support commissioned this fantastic book from Edinburgh-based Bespoke Organic Events. Designed by Catalyst Campaigns, it has countless recipes to help you feed large groups of 20-200 people at large gatherings, camps or events. All the recipes are vegetarian with an emphasis on seasonal ingredients. The book is full of helpful tips for estimating quantities of food for large groups, and is ideal for ensuring no-one at your event is left hungry and disgruntled!

You can download the book at the Transition Scotland Support website

Launch of Lorraine McCauley and the Borderlands EP

We're big fans of Lorraine McCauley and the Borderlands and were delighted to work on the cover art for their EP, as well as this promotional poster for the launch. Lorraine recently performed her songs about protest and climate change at Edinburgh Castle as part of Earth Hour. We're currently working on a music video for the song "What if..." from a new cd which will be released in late 2012.

To listen to the music of Lorraine McCauley and the Borderlands, have a look at these links:www.soundcloud.com/lorrainemccauley

www.lorrainemccauley.wordpress.com

www.youtube.com/user/lorrainemccauleyband