“SHOWFLAT: THE ANNUALE”

London has a new organisation that takes art back to basics. They’re like the fairy godmother for the art world’s unemployed. Their unique type of guerrilla exhibiting creates a new way to see work: no more silent shows with people whispering in front of the sculptures. No more waxing-lyrical about the meaning of a portrait. And no more sky-high price tags. They create fewer boundaries and more interaction. And there’s always a party. They’re all about the struggling artist that can’t afford studio or gallery space, and they’re making art fun again. They are SHOWFLAT.

“AGAINST TYRANNY”

John ‘Hoppy’ Hopkins is not a name that is instantly remembered. Yet his images are. The black and white scenes of 1960s life in London mix pop culture with underground movements. His pictures of liberation are constrasted against filth and poverty: dole queues, The Beatles, freedom protests, The Rolling Stones. Lonely streets and lively clubs depict the turbulence of the era and Hoppy’s role in it.

“WHAT’S ALL THE FUSS ABOUT?”

This is what the G20 riots were like for me. I’m sure it would have been a different story if we’d been allowed to join the protests.

“BORIS JOHNSON, YOU ARE MAKING A MISTAKE”

Boris Johnson you are making a mistake. It is sad that as the Mayor of London you are unable to see the importance of multiculturalism. What is worse is that you cannot see the importance of uniting Londoners against racism.

Rise was Europe’s largest anti-racism festival. Since 2001 it has been supported publicly and financially by the Mayor of London, the trade unions Unite and Unison, and by the National Assembly Against Racism (NAAR). Last year 100,000 people from all over London – notably families and young people – turned up to support the message of previous years: ‘London united against racism’. It’s a simple line, but a strong one.

It is the young people who will react to the cancellation of Rise, the people that Boris should be trying to please the most. We are the generation who have been taught in school to appreciate others’ religions, heritages and skin colours. We are the generation who hate racism but can still see its presence in the capital. And, as we are constantly reminded, we have a vote – and therefore a voice – which matters. Boris, take note.

While announcing last year that the slogan was to be changed to ‘Celebrating Diversity’, our Mayor did not realise how effective a few words could be. The trade unions and NAAR decided to pull funding from an event that did not directly promote anti-racism. This should have kick-started Boris “piccaninnies” Johnson, but he pulled the festival altogether reasoning that: “Without a major sponsor in place it is not considered appropriate to spend such a large amount on a single event, particularly during a recession.”

Boris is instead planning launch a two-day festival called Rhythm of London. Its intent is to give youngsters the chance to “have a go” and gain “access to music education, instrument tuition and venues”. The first day of the July festival will see schools hand-picked by City Hall having the chance to learn music performance and education. A nice idea, but a bland one. Music education is an important part of children’s education, but surely the curriculum has music classes firmly stamped into its timetable already?

The second day witnesses live performance across the capital, including the project ‘Street Piano’, where pianos are placed at public landmarks for people to “have a go” on. But Mr Johnson’s motivation is a little more transparent than he would like to appear – he has also commissioned live music from local musicians to play in bandstands. Coincidentally, the bandstands are in areas that supported Boris in the election: Barnet, Hillingdon and Redbridge, among others.

The problem is not that the Mayor has replaced one musical event with another; it is that he has replaced the overarching message. Rhythm of London promotes musical education – well done. But Rise promoted anti-racism, addressing an issue that needs focus and attention now that the BNP has won its first place in the London Assembly.

Rise festival was not perfect and last July it had its’ technical glitches – the power on the main stage was cut bang on 20:30 when Jimmy Cliff was practically mid-song. But it didn’t matter. The festival worked because music is something that can be communally enjoyed despite the racial or cultural make-up of the audience. It created pride in the community and pride in the city.

The atmosphere of the whole day was that of celebration, inclusion and fun. It was community created through the belief that racism is wrong. Boris, do not shelve this belief, it is important that Londoners hear it coming from you, too.

“A-MAZE-ING”

Hampton Court Maze. 

“JERRY DAMMERS HAS THE FLOOR”

10th March ‘09,Barbican Theatre. Jerry Dammers’ Spatial A.K.A Orchestra presents: ‘Cosmic Engineering: A tribute to Sun Ra and other musical mavericks’

New is dead. Come-backs are out. Tributes are just plain poor.

Not all is lost: Jerry Dammers has the floor. 

The Spatial AKA Orchestra (note the amalgamation of Sun Ra’s Arkestra and The Specials’ first name Special AKA) is the Two Tone founder’s latest musical offering. The 18 strong jazz ensemble is comprised of modern musical greats: Denys Baptiste (sax) and Zoe Rahman (piano) are both Mercury Prize nominees, Finn Peters (flute) is a BBC Jazz Award winner and Harry Brown (trombone) of Jazz Warriors are just a few on the line up. Dammers takes compositions from his favourite jazz artists and combines them with Sun Ra’s own creations to make new music. This is not a tribute act, it is a celebration.

The Barbican’s full theatre first sees Jerry walk on stage wearing a shimmering cape and an Egyptian mask worn back to front, with his trademark sunglasses on in spite of the dark set. With his back to the audience, the back of his head becomes an eyeless King Tut. Taking his place as conductor, he stands behind six synths boxing him into one corner of the stage while the orchestra walk through the audience playing their instruments and chanting. They are all in Egyptian costumes – from gold head-dresses and ornate masks to rich purple, blue, yellow and orange floor-length cloaks, they look like jazz royalty. 

The Spatial AKA move from Sun Ra’s Nuclear War! and Space is the place to songs by Cedric Brooks and the Light of Saba. Moondog’s Bird’s Lament later becomes a song by Alice Coltrane, and Jerry’s own Ghost Town becomes Sun Ra again. From jazz to dub, afrobeat to ska, the orchestra’s combination of saxophones, trombones, guitar, bass, percussion and synth make an other-wordly experience. It’s all backed by footage of Sun Ra and his Arkestra, planets, stars and space projected onto a large screen, completely filling the back wall. 

It’s the last time Jerry is going to pay tribute to Sun Ra in this way, but he’ll be back with something new. Here’s a sample until he does:

Artists: Jerry Dammers – MD/selector/keyboards, Denys Baptiste – saxophones, Larry Stabbins – saxophones, Zoe Rahman – piano, Jason Yarde – saxophones, Finn Peters – flute, Nathaniel Facey – saxophones, Anthony Josep – poet, Francine Luce – vocals, Neil Charles – double bass, Patrick Illingworth – drums, Crispin ‘Spry’ Robinson – percussion, Robin Hopcraft – trumpet, Mat Fox – baritone saxophones, Harry Brown – trombone, Ollie Bayley – electric bass, Guy Clarke – guitar, Steve Gibson – classical percussion/vibes.

“FACE FOR RADIO”

Thursday 26th March ‘09.

Production fortnight for XCity magazine has been intense. We leave the ‘office’ at nine every night with square eyes, but each morning is started with a round up of the headlines. Here is this morning’s offering from myself and Lucinda:

25 Mar_podcast_lucinda_loulla-mae.mp3

My tutor said I have a “good voice for radio”.

I think that’s the nice way of saying “You’ve got a face for radio”. 

 

Produced and edited by Clarissa Sebag-Montefiore. Written and read by Lucinda Dunseath and myself. 

See (and hear) more at xcity-magazine.com

“TRASH”

Here’s a new picture by Holly Dinsdale.

This time it’s a male trashy journalist. No scruples. No morals. No soul.

Sounds like my kinda guy.

“JOURNALIST”

This illustration is by Holly Dinsdale of an unscrupulous journalist, devoid of morals and happy to stab sources in the back. I commissioned it for the magazine we’re working on at City. 

I think it’s pretty damn good.

“EH MONKEY!”

The newest addition to the Economist Plaza is a chimp. Alastair Mackie’s ‘Mimetes Anon’ is a life-size cast bronze chimpanzee, perched thoughtfully on the south wall, staring back at the world.
 
Read the rest of the review at Artjournal.co.uk here.