Please pardon our appearance while we do some re-arranging round here….
Update: It’s a little bit better, beta release should alow us to show better resolution on the videos, it will do for now. I can see a few minor glitches to fix, if you’ve got any big issues on the site, please flag them up, and I’ll fix them over the next few days. If you’ve not got a 1680px widescreen monitor – don’t worry, you’re not missing anything out to the left.
[Ninja] 
Mmmmmmmministry Berlin 2009…
Oh my god it was an amazing experience. we had people coming to us all the way from Australia and the United States… not to mention most of Western Europe being represented there. Such a large group of friendly, inspiring and interesting people helped to make the week in Berlin the huge success that it was.
Take 40 jugglers from all over the world, add in a twist of Jea9, a squeeze of Moon, a handful of Kelvin, A sprig of Colin and Ed, and then season with a pinch of Meg, and you end up with an official workshop of epic proportions. My brain is only just recovering, and I was one of the teachers! I hope the students will be able to come and give us their accounts soon too, but I think we melted their brains pretty bad…
Anyway, in the meantime whilst the we take the time to separate all the awesome moments that make up one amazing week in order to bring you a more coherent review, I’ll leave you hanging some more with the video trailer, sent to us today by Lhupo, who was commissioned by the Katakomben to film the event. Look out for an article in Kaskade magazine too…
More Lhupo: Lhupo’s channel on youtube
[/Ninja]
We used to have a “suggest a link” page – Put if fell off the site in one of the updates last year, – So we’ve put it back (under manipulation links). Meantime some people have e-mailed us links, thank you. We’re having a tidy up and posting a few:
* 4 person interactive poi spinning… – link from Splinter on .org thanks.
* Porte à Porte – combines Cigar boxes with digital Manipulation – Thanks to Pich for the Link.
* Nata Galkina. Foot Juggling. Antipoden. Антипод – thanks to Marco Paoletti for the link.
* Nata Galkina (Feet-Füße-Ноги) Unusual love story. – Also sent by Marco.
Mr. Boul Juggling – Some contact, some Baffoonery in a big ball.
You could be forgiven for not knowing that the Ministry just had one of its biggest, and most successful events, a week long workshop in the Katakomb, Berlin. as there has been no write up on here. Some news leaking out on .org. Hopefully if we drop a few hints, Ed will post a longer write up about it.
I (Ryan Mellors) edited most of this series in the passenger seat while Dawn drove the car; admiring the scenery in between stops at Tim Hortons (where we would recharge on caffeine and latop power) and late-night diners. We drove 2000 miles through a slowly changing landscape, our car loaded with balls of all sizes, hoops, tetrahedrons, bendy sticks, half-spheres, blocks and a video camera. Our objective: build the community, find others like us and explore what this ‘contact juggling’ thing is all about. Shoot lots of video and get to Montreal without running out of money.
Thanks to all who came to the workshops and to all the supportive musicians who offered music for the project. Today marks the official release of the series; 9 short videos documenting the journey. Click below for the videos (RT: 38min,) descriptions and prop contents, as well as a download link in 720×480 .wmv.
Remember last year, The Ministry gave the workshop of the contact juggling year in February? Maybe you were there, and had an amazing time, learning so much information in five days, or maybe you were sat at home, kicking yourself, thinking how cool it would have been to hang with us and a plethora of other crazy contact jugglers in Berlin… we made this video to make you jealous:
Complete Listing: Previous Ministry Workshops
So we’re giving you another chance. Yes, once again the Ministry of Manipulation are teaming up with the Jonglier Katakomben to give you their biggest workshop ever! Only this time it will be bigger, better, even more nutritious, and on the 6-10 April inclusive. Behind the scenes, manipulation ministers have been working hard to bring you over 30 hours allocated teaching time, more spaces, more in-depth and a wider range of workshops along with the extra curricular activities, which last year proved to be such a success.
Whether complete novice having only just picked up their first ball, or seasoned professional, we will fill your head with so much information, it’ll be close to exploding.
Alongside the all star MoMcast of Jea9, Colin and Ed to teach, we also have two special guest teachers. We have Das Supertalent that is Kelvin Kalvus (www.kelvin-kalvus.de) added to the line up, who proved to be such a hit last year, along with a special appearance by Moon. We’ve all been working hard to bring to you the best teaching, and the best techniques to help you get the most out of your manipulation.
For more information on booking and prices, go to the KataKomben Website, and click workshops.
Limited spaces, so book early!
Red and Jonny on Flickr
What else do you need to see today?
Except perhaps this picture of Jeanine. We took last summer as part of a big photo shoot…for a book.
ADVERT: The Hangar crew in East London just called me to say Hangar Christmas show is on the 19th-20th December, and they’re desperately looking for a Juggler or manipulator (ball, club or contact) to be a wise man in the show – which otherwise will be mostly aerial/acro.
Very good experience of aspiring/ good amateur performer.
2 nights audience of 150, Unpaid, although you might get travel expenses.
Hint: Getting to know the Hangar crew is very useful- particularly if you’re the sort of person who needs a training space and being aerialist they tend to throw paid gigs at jugglers occasionally.
E-mail: Drew at this domain, or leave a comment, and I’ll sent you Juliet’s phone number.
MCP > You guys suck. There’s loads of great videos you haven’t posted.
MoM > Think you can do better?
MCP > Yeah!
MoM > Yeah?
MCP > Yeah!!
MoM > Ok then…But no rude words.
Introducing, MoM’s first guest blogger, someone who spends even more of their life than us – on teh internetz watchin’ teh videos of teh manipulationz!!1! MCP, I wonder how many days before she finds a way to plug her new staff DVD?
Over to Meg for the next week.**
Enjoy
Drew
disclaimer: There may be fireworks, in the case of MCP insulting any or everyone, the Ministry denies all responsibility.
First video in the new series; shot on Saltspring Island, British Columbia, Canada
Ryan and Daydream will be running a series of contact juggling workshops across Canada this summer. The aim of the workshop is to give students a foundation in contact juggling technique as well as introduce them to many of the concepts that form the basis of modern contact & manipulation. The unique workshop is divided into five parts, and will be structured as follows:
(more…)
Urban Cultural event in Spain, long video [8 Min] featuring some great dancing and occasional appearances by some weird British kid with a ball. 
For the full series and a description of the workshop, click HERE
To Register, email: contactworkshops@gmail.com
In our efforts to spread creative contact juggling techniques, The Ministry is sending Ryan and Daydream across Canada to teach an all-levels official contact juggling workshop in 5 parts: History, Butterflies and Curves, Multiball, Isolations and Lines, and a Show and Tell at the end. The workshops were held in the following Canadian cities. Click for the completed series links.
Vancouver, British Columbia (July 13th)
Victoria, British Columbia (July 15th)
Nelson, British Columbia (July 19th)
Calgary, Alberta (July 22nd)
Edmonton, Alberta (July 26th)
Regina, Saskatchewan (July 29th)
Winnipeg, Manitoba (July 30)
Montreal, Quebec (August 18th)
Toronto, Ontario (August 14th)
All workshops will run for 2-3 hours during the date specified; cost is $20-35 depending on venue/etc. Specific location/pricing info will be made available to everyone who contacts us. The email is:
contactworkshops@gmail.com
Previous Ministry Workshops:
Berlin 2008, CLIPS
Vienna 2007
London 2006
This week, MoM, has launched its multi-squadrillion pound, international advertising campaign to promote the high fibre goodness of our book Multiball Contact.
By Playpoi Nick, with assistance from Ronan and G. Thanks guys. Laughs.
Multiball Contact can help slimming only as part of a calorie controlled diet, may contain traces of nuts.