When I first heard that there was a new project to make London’s Technorati bare all for a charity calendar I was a tad skeptical it would actually happen, but the organisers are getting their act together fast, as you can see from the video below. (WITN = Why Is This News).
To anyone stumbling on this post from Silicon Valley or beyond, let me explain. Britain, the home of Benny Hill, still thinks it’s titillating to have people appear semi-naked. Hey, it takes all sorts. But from this culture was born Calendar Girls, a project by some normally straight-laced British women to pose for a calendar in the name of a cancer charity. The project eventually became a movie and is now even a West End play. The calendar they shot had them posing, in reality only semi-nude, but with little cover other than strategically placed objects. Ok, so that’s your history lesson over.
Anyway, the London Nude Tech Calendar now has a Ning group, and explains all here. And they’ve even done a teaser video:
London Nude Tech Calendar Teaser from Leap Anywhere TV on Vimeo.
Obviously the calendar will be sold for charity, and this will be for Take Heart India. This is a youth-run charity focused on IT education projects in India for blind and disabled students. The charity doesn’t employ anyone, so 100% of proceeds are spent on education projects. Take Heart is guided by the principle that “Work builds, charity destroys”: rather than giving money to people, it empowers through practical education and skills training. Here’s a video:
And the Calendar itself? I’m told by organiser Milo Yiannopoulos that it will be double-sided, featuring both women and men and a few group shots. It will be in “Tasteful, calendar-girls style” and have a full editorial, creative and financial team running it.
Over 30 people from the tech industry are so far involved in its production, including Andrew Keen, Alex Hoye, Loren Feldman, Nick Halstead and Phil Wilkinson. Sponsors include Skimbit, Huddle, Tweetminster, Rummble and ilikeucoz and Reevoo.com.
They need more sponsors though so get in touch if you can help. Packages start at £250.
The calendar will be published in November, with a print run of 5,000. No word yet on how much it’ll be sold for.
The deadline for “nominations” for people to appear in it has been extended to Fri 9 October
And for updates you can follow #LDNnudetech on Twitter.
The organisers want me to appear. You can vote yes or no in the comments below.