home news from a board

Is it that time of year already.

February is upon us and here at The FRS headquarters we are bracing ourselves for the onslaught of exciting news from all our 'articipants' or 'billbods'. 

3 months ago we gave away an 18ft billboard for re-appropriation and re-assignment. We have heard small snippets of juicy gossip an manipulations, situations and calibrations of the 'bits o'bill'.

We are now asking all our articipants to get in touch and send us at least 2 images showing just what has become of the billboard.

We will be setting up a flicker account, and also hope to make something more of it all. We may invite everyone back for a showing perhaps at a gallery perhaps at a book fair, perhaps as an intervention; all will depend on the nature of what has been created from each 2ft x 3ft piece. 

Ken Rose [r.a.] Head of Recent Acquisitions

on the edges

We are now 60.

Yes, 60 people are now articipants in the Big Billboard Bonanza.

4 more have now take bits o' bill to do with what they will. Their bits of the billboard are the remaining bits cut from the edges of the billboard. They amount to the same overall surface area, so we are all equal; you have been assimilated.

There have been lots of questions and debates about the project. All will be answered in time. The team are working hard to get everything in order, and more updates will be added in due course including a F.A.Q.s section.

We bid you welcome. Watch this space for more.

Best

Ron Seaker 

Head of Research & Development

up n' at 'em

We have now contacted (or attempted to contact), all recipients of the Bill.

Inevitably by relying on e-mail alone some have bounced back. We think that 90% of Billbods have now received their initial e-mail outlining what to do next.

Anyone not receiving a congratulations e-mail get in touch with Ken Rose at ken-rosera@ntlworld.com.

It is good to see we now have 2 followers to this blogsite. If all 56 articipants register as followers to this blogspot we will be able to be sure most of the information/disinformation is getting to all.

Either myself or Ron Seaker, (Head of R & D), will be updating this site at least every fortnight with information and misinformation.

Due to the popular demand for our product; outstripping supply in fact, we have agreed at our latest Billboard meeting to allow 3 extra mini-bills to be included. 3 people will be sent a billboard in smaller pieces but adding up to the same overall surface area as all other articipants bits o' bill, (made up from the off-cuts), so we should soon have 59 taking part.

Exciting stuff!

Giving it large

Our first 'product fair' went well on Saturday 7th November. We had a stand at The Manchester Artists Book Fair. Business was brisk!

It was great to see so many happy customers going away with a bright yellow'bit o' bill'. 56 people in fact went away happy, if a little confused as to what they have gotten themselves into. As one 'discernible customer' said; "It just goes to show that you are just a mad as everyone else out there."

It will be interesting to see where the Big Billboard Bonanza, (nicknamed Bob), goes. Apparently at least one bit o' bill is going traveling, and quite a few people were going to collaborate.

Now some of you won't know what the Dickens we are on about here, so here's the lowdown.

A large billboard, [approximately 18ft x 6ft], was actively re-assigned on Saturday for redistribution. Each person was given a section of billboard 30" x 24". Some selected their piece carefully, others took the one at the top of the pile. Everyone can do anything, or nothing with their bit o' bill. Each person, [henceforth co-opted to the Billboard Urban Re-appropriation Project, (BURP), and to be referred to as a 'Billboard Director'; (or BillBodfor short)], has been given 3 months to tear, cut, burn, drill, paint, re-site, fold, delete, make into a book, box, or banner, or something more creative. Around 7th February each BillBod will be asked to report on their work with evidence of what Bob has become, where he is, and anything else relevant to the re-appropriation.

The team at The FRS are really keen to see what becomes of Bob.

He may go on to show in his new forms. He also may go on to publication, but all will depend on the BillBods and how their creative juices flow. We have every faith in them all!

We will be raising funds to make sure the best and biggest outcome is achieved at the end of the BURP.

Manchester Artists' Book Fair

We will be selling our wares and spreading the good word at Manchester Artists' Book fair on Saturday 7th November, (between 12pm and 6pm).

Ken Rose (Head of recent Acquisitions), will be manning the stand and displaying our 'products'. The team are working hard on getting the point of sale displays together.

We hope it's going to be a busy 'product fair'.

See you there.



a report on the fair will follow afterwards.

Ken Rose (R.A.)