03.11.06
ALUNA IN THE LONDON PAPER
Aluna was featured in The London Paper on Thursday 26th October. For those of you who did not see it, click here to read the full page article.

Thank you for the great response we have had as a result of this article. Please help us to spread the word by telling your friends, colleagues and family about Aluna and get them to sign the London petition, send in comments and subscribe to the mailing list.

For people in a position to help, we urgently need financial support to keep the project's momentum going, particularly with the exciting developments in London. You can now donate securely via PayPal from our Friends page. Thank you.

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24/10/06
LATEST LONDON DEVELOPMENTS
The Aluna project is one step closer to finding a site on the River Thames in London. Aluna's team are working together with the Deputy Mayor of London Nicky Gavron's Office to garner support and funding for the development of Aluna at a site on the River Thames in East London. Visit the London page to find out more and register your support for Aluna in London.

Initial discussions have been held with the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority about the possibility of leasing land at East India Dock Basin. Situating the Moon Clock, which will be a major visitor attraction, in the most culturally diverse borough of London will resonate with the project's aims, and provide a 21st century symbol for the regeneration of East London and the Thames Gateway. Download the latest press release for more information. If you are press please visit our Press page.

Aluna has received the backing of major arts, science and regeneration figures in London including the Deputy Mayor Nicky Gavron, the Artistic Director of the South Bank Jude Kelly OBE, Venu Dhupa from SBC's Creative Innovation Unit, the architect and planner Sir Terry Farrell, Director of London Sustainability Exchange Samantha Heath, and the President of the Royal Society Sir Martin Rees. Aluna is also being backed by Docklands Light Railway, which would be the main overland public transport to the site. DLR have kindly contributed further seed funding to help the team continue responding to London developments. Click here to read London's latest endorsements.

DONATE VIA PAYPAL
Aluna urgently needs your support to keep its momentum here in London. Individuals can now donate via PayPal by visiting our Friends page. Your contributions are hugely appreciated and your support will be acknowledged on this web site.

SPONSORSHIP
Aluna has captured the imagination of the public, but we are still waiting for someone in business or philanthropy with the vision and finances to come on board and help get the project off the ground in London. Hailed as the modern day Stonehenge, Aluna presents a unique opportunity to be involved in one of the largest and most ambitious public arts project ever undertaken. If you are that person or organisation and are interested in sponsoring Aluna, please visit our Sponsors page.

LONDON EVENTS
Aluna will feature at a major event on the nature of time at the National Maritime Museum. At the Speed of Time will be taking place on Saturday January 27 th 2007. Aluna will also be showcased at a public art event organised by the Creative Innovation Unit at the South Bank Centre. New Ideas for London will be at the Hayward Gallery in March 2007. Subscribe to our mailing list or keep watching this news page for further information on these events.

NEW AUTOMATED MAILING LIST
Visit the Feedback page and fill in the new form to subscribe to our automated mailing list system. The new system uses PHPList software, and was implemented by IT technicians Jonathan Theodosiou and Nigel Rheam. If you would like to subscribe and express support for Aluna in London, please use our London page. We look forward keeping you up-to-date and won't pass your details on to anyone else.

2006 - A YEAR OF LUNAR EXTREMES!
"2006 is the year of the major standstill of the moon - a once in a nineteen year event in which the moon's range in the sky will never be as great. In June of this year we saw the lowest full moon and highest new moon possible, and in December we will see the highest full moon and lowest new moon. By 2015 the moon's range will have shrunk to another horizon standstill position, but this time when the moon's range is at its minimum - for the minor standstill of the moon.
To understand the properties of lunar standstills we will have to re-learn the knowledge still coded in our ancient monuments. For example, the stone circle at Avebury in Wiltshire had its main alignment on the major standstill and sarsen Stonehenge's is on the minor standstill of the moon. The common property of both of the moon's standstills is that they synchronise the moon's phases with the sun's solstices - there will always be dark moons coinciding with the days either side of the winter and summer solstices, when the unaided eye cannot detect any change in the sun's horizon positions. Contrarily at the midpoint between standstills there will always be full moons coinciding with solstices - but no ancient monument has ever had such an alignment.
For our ancestors it was not the time of the moon's greatest luminosity, but the time of greatest darkness when the most stars filled the night sky that was a time of magical potential. Such a message carries great power and promise to us today. Aluna is a step forward in re-educating ourselves in these rhythms that lie at the root of our being."
Lionel Sims, Anthropology lecturer at the University of East London, September 2006

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22/09/06
Today's New Moon marks the event of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Eat some apple dipped in honey to ensure a sweet and fruitful one! The Moon relates directly to many other cultural festivals around the world. The next Islamic New Year is heralded by the first sighting of the new Crescent Moon on January 20th 2007, and the Chinese Year of the Pig falls on the following New Moon on February 18th.

Full update on the IALD's Aluna tour of the US cities of New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco coming shortly.
There are some new links on the links page, including www.etheco.com, World of Water www.thehobb.tv/wow and www.greenspec.co.uk, three great resources for ethical and environmentally sustainable living and construction.

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04/09/06
ECO-DESIGN DAY ON THE THAMES, EAST LONDON
Aluna will be exhibiting at the Eco-Design Day in London on 16th September, very near to the site we are looking at as a possible location. This free event showcases cutting-edge products and ideas from new UK designers who actively apply principles of environmental, social and economic sustainability through their work. The event will also help increase the public’s awareness of issues such as energy efficiency, renewable and sustainable energy sources and new technological developments in the field of eco-design.
Co-ordinated and curated by innovative young company Fourth Wall Creations, Trinity Buoy Wharf Eco-Design Day is part of the London Design Festival and has been approved as an official Energy Day by the European Commission’s Sustainable Energy Europe Campaign. The event also coincides with London Open House Weekend, when guided tours of the Wharf’s buildings, including the well-known Container City, will be available.
The Eco-Design Day will run from 10am-6pm at Trinity Buoy Wharf, 64 Orchard Place, London E14 0JW. Admission will be free of charge. Visit www.fourthwallcreations.com for more information.

ENDORSEMENT
Jane Taylor Associate Editor Positive News, has endorsed Aluna: "What a tremendous project! Aluna will be a great reminder of the natural cycles and our place in the cosmos. Let's hope it will mark a turning point in our affairs when we begin again to live in harmony with nature."
Visit www.positivenews.org.uk for the latest on people, events and influences that are helping to create a more positive future for the world and its people.

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22.08.06
ALUNA / IALD USA EVENTS: SEPTEMBER 06
"IALD Presents: The Aluna Project - where enlightenment and illumination meet"
Please click here to download ticket and venue details for Laura Williams’ Aluna presentations on the following dates:

New York City Sept 6th 2006
Boston Sept 7th 2006
Chicago Sept 11th 2006
Los Angeles Sept 13th 2006
San Francisco Sept 14th 2006

These events are kindly being hosted by the International Association of Lighting Designers (www.iald.org).

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16.05.06
LONDON SUPPORT CONTINUES TO GROW
Support for Aluna to be realised on the banks of London’s River Thames in time for London 2012 continues to grow. Deputy Mayor Nicky Gavron continues to champion Aluna, and is being joined by other senior government officials, political and cultural leaders to help progress the project towards feasibility studies.

NEW ENDORSEMENTS
Aluna has gained enthusiastic endorsements from Jude Kelly OBE, London Sustainability Exchange’s Director Samantha Heath and Docklands Light Railway:
"On behalf of Docklands Light Railway (DLR) I wish to back the Aluna Moon Clock project. It is an impressive proposal that would represent a striking landmark for the Lower Lea Valley, London. Aluna's key themes of regeneration, community understanding and social inclusion are in line with DLR objectives and have been key factors in the ongoing renaissance of the Docklands. The DLR considers the project an asset to both the area it encompasses and London itself." David Sanders, Stakeholder and Publicity Manager, Docklands Light Railway.

DOCKLANDS LIGHT RAILWAY: ALUNA’S FIRST LONDON SPONSORS
Docklands Light Railway have kindly committed seed funding towards development costs and look forward to supporting Aluna further during the coming months and years as project partners.

SUPPORT FROM DERBYSHIRE FIRM
Chartered Accountants Walker Sharp & Co from Ashbourne, Derbyshire have kindly contributed their valuable time and expertise for free. Visit the sponsors’ page to see who has provided support to Aluna.

PLEASE DONATE
The Aluna Project is at a critical point in its journey and we are in urgent need of financial support to enable us to continue responding to growing interest. Philanthropists and interested organisations…please consider donating to Aluna and become a vital part of seeing this unprecedented project come to life. Large or small, all contributions count and your support will be recognised and hugely appreciated! Please contact Jason Hollingsworth at sponsorship@alunatime.org or call the Project Office +44 (0)20 7683 1138.

PAYPAL COMING SOON
To make it easier for you to donate, we are in the process of setting up a PayPal facility which will be activated on the friends page during the next couple of days.

ALUNA USA EVENTS
Laura Williams will be giving talks about Aluna in the USA (NYC, Boston, Chicago, LA & San Francisco) between September 6th – 14th 2006 and Hamburg, Germany on November 8th. More details about these events hosted by the International Association of Lighting Designers coming soon.

NEW LINKS
We have added some interesting new links including a campaign to slow down a world city (www.slowlondon.com) and an organisation that unites UK and French mud-larkers at the lowest tide each year…next Low Tide Festival is this coming New Moon’s spring tide during the May bank holiday weekend.

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31.01.06
Our warmest wishes for a very happy 2006 and Chinese Year of the Dog, which was signalled by the New Moon two days ago!

One of the UK locations we have been in continued talks with during the last few months is the capital city of London. We are discussing funding opportunities and several sites - in close proximity to where the Meridian crosses the tidal Thames - with government agencies and landowners.

Deputy Mayor of London Nicky Gavron is personally championing Aluna and is hoping it will find its home in London."The Aluna Moon Clock project is amongst the most interesting and imaginative proposals I have seen while being Deputy Mayor and an extraordinary example of a living landmark… It is essential to maintain the momentum and turn an excellent concept into reality on the ground." Click here to find out what Nicky Gavron has to say.

New Years day saw Wisconsin Public Radio’s Anne Strainchamp interview Laura Williams about Aluna. "To the Best of Our Knowledge" new year special was about the way we experience and understand time. Click here to listen www.wpr.org/book/060101b.html.

Aluna is featured in Ocean Magazine (Volume 3 Issue 9, 2006), Diane Buccheri’s publication that is dedicated to the celebration and protection of our world’s oceans. www.oceanmag.org.

Aluna has been gathering significant pace as it finds its way to a suitable site. However, meeting the resulting increased demands (eg meetings with government agencies and land owners, funding applications, project management, administration, writing updates, responding to growing interest) is becoming difficult and financial resources are extremely low. If you would like to help support the project please get in touch team@alunatime.org. If you know individuals or organisations that are looking to support projects like Aluna, please let them know and point them to our web site. Thank you! We are a not-for-profit organisation and all donations will be put directly towards Aluna’s realisation.

We are in the process of setting up an automated email update system so that we can communicate with you more efficiently and more regularly! We appreciate your messages of support and would love to hear from you if we haven’t already. Please click here to join our growing mailing list, send in your comments, and receive regular updates in the very near future.

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