This page is an ongoing tribulogue to the creative arts of public speech.
THE HUMAN MICROPHONE
First, there was the Human Microphone – the original People’s Mic. For some early coverage and commentary on the People’s Mic as Human Microphone, check here and here.
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THE PEOPLE’S MIC – Helsinki remote
Oct 15 2011 – In response to the global call to action, a pulpit-powered open-mic street amp, to relay the noise from near and far.
For more about the Mic or the Wagon, see here.
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THE PEOPLE’S AMP
Quite a bit later, after Zucotti Park was evicted, and in support of the first organized attempt to “reoccupy”(#D17), there came the People’s Amp. See the original here.
The cool diagram was the PEOPLE’S AMP’S idea. We copied it in gratitude and solidarity.
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STREET SPEAKING
A whole wildlife of charismatic street speakers came out on the occasion of Occupy Wall St, and for a moment word from the street was getting channeled through onto mainstream TV news. See this guy, for example.
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One genre of communicative strategy advanced by Occupy has been the choreography of direct actions carried out in the street. From #S17 2011 to #S17 2012, OWS provides us ample matter for psychogeographic analysis.
See, e.g. this study of Liberty Square.
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MESSAGE DRESS
Pictures can speak a thousand words, but sometimes it takes a costume to fit the whole message in one click. Walking your talk can begin with wearing it. Show up with what you know and smile. A whole toolbox from sandwich boards to Anarchopanda.
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STREET STARS
Street-speaking stars like Reverend Billy, Tom Morello, Cornell West, Naomi Klein, Michael Moore, and Chris Hedges came down ready to talk to the cameras – and the people.
Br. Billy on the steps of St. Paul’s – Revolujah!
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VEHICLES
From bikes to bat signals, Occupy as could have been expected produced a number of advanced vehicular solutions for roving free speech conveyance.
The illuminator is the Occupy posterchild of messaging vehicles.
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LIVESTREAMS
Tim Poole and other livestreamers brought the events of Occupy Wall St to the world and made them happen there. If the eye is the mouth of the mind, livestream is its free speech. For a good article, see this.
Or an extended interview on Tim’s own site, here.
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THE OCCU-COPTER
Tim Poole was also behind the Occucopter, a catchy little aerial video drone, for counter-surveillance and good crowd cover.
For an early Guardian article, see here.
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The People's Mic 