As I set off travelling in 2006 I wasn’t quite sure what or why I was filming and recording. Little did I know how useful it would be to carry light-weight and semi-professional camera and recording equipment on my journey. I discovered that I was able to use my media skills and to take an artistic approach to solve other people’s problems in numerous situations, none of them planned or premeditated, always as a result of the flow of the universe. And so I found my way to give service to the world at the same time as travelling around it, which elevated the sense of purpose to it all. I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to create or support many projects of a humanitarian or charitable nature at the same time as simply doing what I love. I was offered deep insights into issues, cultures and people through the lens, co-operation and inter-personal relationships that continue to this day. Some of these projects are still running and could use more support and funds and I am happy to facilitate in this process.
At the same time I also worked on my own art projects for no other reason than art itself and to tell stories that deserve to be told.
On this website I have separated the story of the journey from the collection of my “art”. Below I will summarise the different projects with links to the pages in the Art section that contain the media and in-depth descriptions.
- Group Boufoulous. A charismatic but humble group of musicians in Marakech, Morocco, invited me to their home village to record and film a concert, resulting in a DVD they sell to tourists to augment their modest income.
- Female Genital Cutting. A local organisation (with no outside influence) in a remote corner of Mali is attempting to end the traditional practice of excision in young girls by changing the culture of their own ethnic group, the Dogons. An information film by themselves, for themselves and in their own language, shot and edited by myself, is toured around the villages to thousands of people to this day. This film has had a serious impact on this complex issue but the fight goes on. I have embedded the information film itself but I am still working on a documentary about the making of it in order to put the whole issue into context for a worldwide audience.
- Jasper Hall. An Australian Permaculture community farm who single-handedly have regenerated 1% of the original Australian rainforest on the North Coast were threatened by the bulldozers of the local council because of a lack of building permissions. My film helped to communicate the beauty, magic and importance of this project to the council. Their buildings are still standing but their fight for ownership, self-determination and self-sustainability continues.
- Bach in Rio. A professional classical pianist from Poland plays two Bach piano concerti in a concert hall in the centre of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, supported by a youth string orchestra from a nearby favela. The orchestra offers marginalised kids opportunities very far from their everyday reality. I recorded and filmed the concert, resulting in a CD they sell at concerts, but I am still working on a documentary which will put the concert with the pianist into context.
- The Horse Caravan. A group of up to 25 people from around the world with 27 horses ride 1000km across Brazil in 8 months, living from their shows of music and circus. A story that deserves to be told. I recorded the music and filmed the journey, which will one day result in a stand-alone music album and a documentary. Some of this footage has already been used in a Mexican TV series.
- The World Rainbow Caravan. Up to a hundred people from all around the world travel together in a gypsy-style caravan from Brazil to Mexico in the name of peace and unity, offering theatre, music, circus, seed exchange, music therapy and sheer craziness everywhere they go. This will result in a documentary made by myself, but selected scenes have also been submitted to the collaborative film project Down the Rainbow Rabbit Hole which is in the editing phase and will be taken to film festivals.
- Rainbow Crystal Land. Hundreds of people from around the world come together to create the idealistic framework for a worldwide network of eco-friendly, sustainable communities, and then head off to Costa Rica to build the first one. Both a documentary in the early stages of editing, and a real living solution for anyone.
- Global Musical Collaboration (working title). The story of my journey in music, this is a highly experimental artwork that brings together dozens of musicians from around the world to create, through their diverse but related individual contributions, a musical oneness. A few more recordings and a lot of editing remains, but the work in progress can be witnessed on the GMC page.
- The Mouth Harp Travels the World. A music album of mouth harp jams with musicians from all over, and some studio recordings.
- Journey Out. A music album in probably more than 20 languages with traditional music from around the world. The songs I learned while travelling, basically.
- Journey In. A music album of the songs I wrote while travelling.
- Book. I need more than a website to explain all of this; what I’ve learned while travelling and the reasons behind my choices in life and points of view. I wrote an extensive “travelogue” while travelling and I want to publish the best bits from it along with my current feelings. I am actually thinking of making this into a massive digital book that will collect all the films, photos, music, sounds and writing I bring back from my journey in one place.