UEL Reader Michael Pinksy says Fidgeting can be good for you
Tuesday 3 July 2012
Award-winning artist and Reader at University of East London, Michael Pinsky has devised an arts inspired carousel named the ‘FIDGET’ (10metres wide and 7metres tall) focusing on how individuals watch and consume television and how trends have developed over six decades. The carousel will go on display at the Granary Square in King’s Cross on Thursday 28June from 9am. Participants will be asked to engage in a series of six game zones to learn the positive impact that even moderate movement or ‘fidgeting’ can make to their health and well being.
The activity of fidgeting, natural to child, but trained out of us as an adult helps our body use food to develop our muscles. When we sit down for sustained periods our body uses food to build up fat reserves. There have been a series of studies and reports over recent years clearly establishing that the individuals who are more physically active throughout the day enjoy higher cardiovascular fitness and that even moderate levels of physical activity, such as ‘fidgeting ‘ or ‘wiggling’ can help people live longer lives.
Michael Pinsky says,
“We live in boxes called houses, we move in boxes called cars, we work in boxes called offices, whilst all the time we are looking at boxes called TVs, or perhaps now ipads, playstations and smart phones. We move our bodies less and less and if we are not careful we may just fade away. How many times were you told to stop fidgeting when in that box called school? We need to fidget to survive- let us welcome the Fidgeting Revolution.”
Fidget will go on a nationwide tour of festivals, public spaces and other events this summer including Skegness, Edinburgh, Bradford, Bristol, Taunton, Gateshead and London Broadgate (see full schedule below) giving visitors the opportunity to ‘fidget’ and ‘wiggle’ at will.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
For interview requests please contact Mary Rahman in the UEL Press Office onm.rahman20@uel.ac.uk or 020 8223 2062
Michael Pinsky is a Reader at University of East London and a renowned British artist whose international projects have created innovative and challenging works in galleries and public spaces. He has undertaken many residencies that explore issues which shape and influence the use of our public realm. He has exhibited extensively in galleries and festivals such as TATE Britain, the Saatchi Gallery and the Liverpool Biennial. Dr Michael Pinsky graduated from the Royal College of Art. He has received numerous awards including: RSA, Art and Architecture, Arts and Business, winner, Wellcome Trust, major arts award and his exhibition Pontis was shortlisted for the prestigious Gulbenkian Museums Award. www.michaelpinsky.com
UEL is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.www.uel.ac.uk
Michael Pinsky collaborated with Dr Wilby Williamson to develop the Fidget project which has been produced by London Arts in Health Forum and funded by theWellcome Trust. Fidget run by London Arts in Health Forum (LAHF) and funded and supported by the Wellcome Trust, will challenge the nation’s understanding of our love affair with the sofa, the telly and introduce us all to the quirky science of sitting. (www.fidgetproject.org.uk)
Online charity, YouthNet, who provide online advice and guidance for young people, have developed the online element to the Fidget campaign and will run a viral competition to encourage people to get active. The ‘00:22’ challenge will be promoted via video, social media and on YouthNet’s guide to life for young people, TheSite.org, and challenges people to come up with innovative ways that they can introduce simple activity in to their daily routine, starting with 22 minutes per day.
¹ Since its creation in 1994, the Foresight Programme has helped the Government to think systematically about the future. Some fascinating facts and figures:
- In 1900 there were 8000 cars registered in the UK now there are over 31 million on the roads
- In 1955 36% of homes had a television today that figure is 97% of homes
- In 1965 the first commercially available microwave came on the market, today 90% of homes have a microwave
- In 1988 17.2 % of homes had a PC, now over 78% of homes have internet.
Full list of events:
- London Kings Cross, June 28
- Skegness, June 30-1 July
- Edinburgh, July 3-6
- Bradford, July 7-9
- London Broadgate, July 16-18
- Bristol, July 20-21
- Taunton, July 23-24
- Camp Bestival, July 26-29
- Gateshead, August 4-6
Notes to Editors
The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.
