Archive for the ‘Clean Futures’ Category
A D.I.Y. Guide to Radical Cheerleading
Monday, March 10th, 2008
p1010773.jpg
Friends of the Earth Adelaide’s Radical Cheerleading Squad premiered at the opening night of the 2008 Adelaide Fringe Festival, and have since conducted workshops on this delicate art at the Fringe’s Academy of DIY. The Squad remains active, and will surface again when you least expect it! In the meantime, here’s some tips on how to start your ownWhat’s Radical Cheerleading?
All over the world cheerleading is getting seriously weird. Garbage bag pom-poms, men in pigtails and skirts, and cheers that cover topics ranging from gender politics to agriculture and trade policy. Welcome to the wonderful world of radical cheerleading! It promotes anti-capitalist, feminist, anarchist and anti-globalisation sentiments, all with a pinch of good humor and a triple back flip (well maybe). You will find passion, you will find politics, you will find fist pumping, corporate gate shaking action. And there won’t be a brain dead football jock in sight!
Brash Beginnings
Florida 1996. A pair of anarchist sisters decides that standing on street corners shaking placards just doesn’t cut the mustard anymore and radical cheerleading is born. Cara and Aimee Jennings, and sister Colleen, came up with the idea in a van on the way to a Youth Liberation conference. Sick of listening to uninspiring chants, and blokes on megaphones at protests they wanted to get a message across, be inclusive and have fun. After an impromptu workshop led by Cara and Aimee radical cheerleading began to spread far and wide, even to little old Radelaide!
Worldwide Radical Domination
Since taking off in the United States and Canada, radical cheerleading has also hit the pavement in the UK, Sweden, Japan and Poland. Radical cheerleaders invaded the streets of Melbourne in 2006 to raise awareness of the impending G20 meeting and cheered for action on climate change in Sydney at the 2006 Walk Against Warming. The Friends of the Earth Adelaide Radical Cheerleaders made our debut at the opening of the 2008 Fringe Festival.
p1010758.jpg
Radelaide Festive Cheering
After weeks of grueling rehearsals and high impact pom-pom making workshops the Friends of the Earth Adelaide Radical Cheerleaders took the 2008 Fringe Festival opening by storm with cheers on the theme of food sovereignty, linked to our Reclaim the Food Chain campaign. Amused and sometimes mystified Fringe goers and V8 Motor Racing enthusiasts looked on as we gyrated and cart wheeled our way through cheers on the benefits of locally grown, organic and GMO free foods. A selection of our finest follows.
…
EAT LOCAL
(everybody sings underlined words)
Eat, eat local, eat eat eat local x 2
My name is … and I’ll tell you what
I’ve got a garden and it’s hotter than hot (how hot is hot)
I grow potatoes in the ground
Feed my friends when they come around!
Eat, eat local, eat eat eat local x 2
I’ve got some chickens in a coop
Ain’t gonna use them for no soup
They give me eggs all year round
And they help scratch up the ground!
Eat, eat local, eat eat eat local x 2
I grow some herbs in a pot of mine
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Put them in every meal I eat
They’re my favourite organic treat!
Eat, eat local, eat eat eat local x 2
My name is … and I’m here to say
Free trade is bad with the USA
Screws local growers like you and me
Just tryin’ to feed our family!
Eat, eat local, eat eat eat local x 2
Apples, berries, plums and pears
From my neighbours they attract some stares
I share them with my community
Leave them in a box for free!
Eat, eat local, eat eat eat local x 2
This message comes to you today
From Friends of the Earth and we’re here to stay
Our office is stacked with volunteers
And you can join us if you like these cheers!