Twestival raised over £300k this year, of which a third came from the UK and Ireland. Applause due all round!

March 25, 8am, practise run:

Wish you’d thrown a sponge at Claire, our co-ordinator for South East and Midlands Twestivals?

Pay a pound for your sponge here, and we’ll televise it for you on Sunday, when Twitter user @Dogsbodyorg is fixing it so that you’ll be able to identify your own flying sponge!

http://www.amiando.com/Twestival2010_UK.html

So for her Twestival coordinators challenge, Anna Bosworth got the teas in, charging £1 a time.

She’s now very, very popular with her workmates!

Anna makes the tea!

In case there was any doubt that Man U supporter Abi wouldn’t suffer the humiliation of wearing a ‘Pool t-shirt for 24 hours, here’s the awful proof!

(Abi is the Twestival UK co-ordinator for Scotland and Ireland and was forced to wear the T-shirt for 24 hours, after a target of £250 was raised.)

Abi loves Stevie G

)

Aren is the co-ordinator for Twestival in the South West & Wales

You can sponsor him further here:http://uk.twestival.com

For further information: http://uk.twestival.com/twestival-ireland/

Belfast Twestival round up - Slide Bar, Belfast

Not one, not two, but three bands will be performing live at Belfast’s Twestival at Slide Cutaways, Rams’ Pocket Radio and Seven Summits will play you through what is sure to be a rocking evening.

Plenty of prizes will be up for grabs in the grand raffle - all generously donated by local businesses across Belfast. Mouth-watering cupcakes from Marshmallow Grove, a ticket for four for Coasteering from Adventure Team Ireland, gig tickets courtesy of the Black Box and deadonmusic, not to mention meal vouchers from Little Wing Pizzeria, Oodles loves Noodles and cinema vouchers from QFT Belfast. That’s only half of it!

Lorraine Anthony and Laura Kelly are organising the event in Belfast. You can reach them on:
Blog: http://belfast.twestival.com
Email: lorraineanthony1@gmail.com or lulabell85@gmail.com
Twitter: @belfastwestival

Galway Twestival round up - Fagans Sports Bar, Hotel Meyrick

If you love dirty groovy baselines spine-tingling samples or heart-breakingly beautiful vocals, head down to Fagans Sports Bar, Hotel Meyrick where DJ Sasha Von Thulen will be manning the decks for Galway’s very own Twestival.

And to top that, there’ll be some great raffle prizes up for grabs - and a even a Twestival cake!

Ina O’Murchu is the lead organiser for Galway. You can reach her on:
Blog: http://galway.twestival.com
Email: iomurchu@gmail.com
Twitter: @twestgalway

Dublin Twestival round up - Odeon Bar, Dublin

To kick off the evening, it’ll be first come first served bar food and cocktails thanks to the Odeon, and after a quick meet and greet, the live music will kick off proceedings. And, with four live acts - The Shoos, Candice Gordon, The Last Tycoons, The Morning Dew -  AND a DJ, you’re in for an amazing party!

I’m keeping my challenge short and sweet, being the newbie and all…

I’ve decided that for every £1 donated, I will make some lucky person in my office a cup of tea!

With nearly 60 people passing in and around the office each day, I reckon that’s an unexplored gold mine of charitable giving to be tapped into!

So get donating, I might even deliver (!) if you’re anywhere in central London, or if you’re really lucky I’ll throw in a biscuit.

Click to donate

Triple Twestival Tour

@Epic26 will be doing three - yes three! - Scotland twestivals in one night!

Kicking off the Triple Twestival Tour with a bang will be a live performance at the Glasgow Twestival, being held at The Lansdowne Bar & Kitchen. Then it’s a sprint north, performing live at the first Dundee Twestival at Dexters Lounge Bar. The final leg is homeward to the Edinburgh Twestival, being held this year at brand new venue, Ghillie Dhu.

Dundee Twestival round up - Hannah Maclure Centre and Dexter’s Lounge Bar, Dundee

Dundee are holding two events for Twestival. In the afternoon, at the Hannah Maclure Centre, they’re holding a series of talks and workshops to showcase Dundee’s academic talent, such as Andy Macdonald (a BAFTA winning 4th year Computer Artist at Abertay) who’ll provide speed drawings for donations to concern and drop-in sessions run by Sensation Dundee where you’ll be able to make your own DNA bracelets and Genes in a Bottle.

In the evening, they’ll move to Dexter’s Lounge Bar for an evening of music and dancing with entertainment provided by Angel Fire, Must Be Something, Chris Symmons and of course a set from Triple Twestival Tour band, Epic26. Dexter’s resident DJ, Dez, will be manning the decks through the night.

Get your tickets here

Ryan MacGillivray is the lead organiser for Dundee. You can reach him on:
Blog: http://dundee.twestival.com
Email: rmacg89@googlemail.com
Twitter: @DunTwestival

Edinburgh Twestival round up - Ghilie Dhu, Edinburgh

There’s a fantastic music line up including Mitchell Museum, Pose Victorious, Shooting Stansfield, Idlewild DJs and soul DJs George Wallace, and of course, rounding off their Triple Twestival Tour, Epic26. Other entertainment includes a whisky tasting with the Edinburgh Whisky Blog, manicures and massages from Secret Beauty Garden and floor magic from Edinburgh International Magic Festival.

And if that’s not enough, Cupcakes and Ribbons are creating some very special Twitter-inspired cupcakes for the bakesale, you can have a game of ‘Hook-a-Duck’ - or rather ‘Hook-a-Tweetie’ and an incredible set of prizes for the raffle, generously donated by local businesses in Edinburgh.

Get your tickets here

Kate Trussler is one of the co-ordinators for Edinburgh. You can reach her on:
Blog: http://edinburgh.twestival.com
Email: kate.trussler@live.co.uk
Twitter: @edtwestival

Glasgow Twestival round up - Landsdowne Bar, Glasgow

Another fantastic music line is planned for Glasgow including live music from 100 Paper Boats, Kessel and of course Epic26. Between the bands, there’s a Spotify playlist that punters have been lining up requests of all the top tunes they’d like to hear, and DJ David Johnstone (one half of Alternative) will be manning the decks through the night.

Glasgow businesses haven’t held back in their generous donations for the auction and raffle - including an incredible offer of an iPad from Alienation Digital. Other items include, among others, meals for two, magazine subscriptions and wine!

Get your tickets here

Stewart Priest is the lead organiser for Glasgow. You can reach him on:
Blog: http://glasgow.twestival.com
Email: smiley@stewartpriest.com
Twitter: @gtwestival

Inverness Twestival round up - Rocpool reserve restaurant, Inverness

The Inverness Twestival will take the form of a charity lunch event planned at the very swanky Rocpool restaurant. Facilitated by David Sim and Rene Looper of 4TM Social Media, invited business leaders will participate in a round table discussion on the role of Social Media in their business and organisation.

To reserve your place email Rene at info@tuminds.com

Rene Looper is the lead organiser for Inverness. You can reach him on:
Blog: http://inverness.twestival.com
Email: info@tuminds.com
Twitter: @invertwest

Claire is the regional co-ordinator for Twestival in the South East & Midlands

Hi, Claire here.

This post’s just a bit of a teaser as we’re just putting some finishing touches on stuff, but come Thursday morning I shall be in the stocks – having wet sponges directed at me.

Superclever Dan Benton (@dogsbodyorg on Twitter) is weaving some supergeek magic that we hope will mean that we can link payments, tweets and flying sponges. And if we’re really clever the whole lot may come to you live.

The video below speaks louder than words. And we’ll update later in the week with more detail on where exactly to witness this ritual humiliation.

We’re setting a target of £250 for all four of our Twestival UK & Ireland regional co-ordinators to submit themselves to a humiliating challenge for the day.

Aren Grimshaw (a.k.a. 'Social Media Playboy') the co-ordinator for the South West and Wales.

Second up for the challenge is our South West and Wales coordinator, Aren Grimshaw (@arengrimshaw). Sponsor him here.

In Aren’s home of Cornwall, he has come to see his local Starbucks as a second home and remote office. As such, it seemed befitting to set him a task which would make it uncomfortable for him to return to his favourite haunt without some embarrassment.

After putting our heads together and thinking long and hard about a suitably awful challenge, someone close to Aren actually came up with the chosen forfeit.

Should we reach the overall £250 target for all four challenges, Aren will take to the floor in Starbucks Chiverton Cross on the morning of the 25th March and bellow out his own special rendition of ‘I’m a Little Teapot’ complete with all the actions. (In case you’ve forgotten the actions and what it sounds like watch this YouTube video here.

Full Lyrics and Actions:

First verse:

I’m a little tea pot,
Short and stout
Here is my handle (one hand on hip),
Here is my spout (other arm out straight)
When I get all steamed up,
Hear me shout
Just tip me over and pour me out! (lean over toward spout)

Second verse:

I’m a clever teapot,
Yes it’s true
Here let me show you
What I can do
I can change my handle
And my spout (switch arm positions)
Just tip me over and pour me out! (lean over toward spout)

To ensure that Aren goes along with his challenge we will be organising someone to video and photograph the event so the online community can benefit from his embarrassment.

So, if you’d like to see Aren suffer humiliation this Thurday, please donate now by clicking here.

All proceeds to @concern.

Keep your eyes peeled for Claire and Anna’s challenges which will be appearing in the very near future.