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Urban dancers at UEL
The University of East London (UEL) has opened two new state-of-the-art dance studios for their Institute of Performing Arts and Dance (IPAD).
The two large dance studios are in the heart of one of the largest artistic and cultural sites in East London and the studios will be used to train students studying the UEL’s BA Dance: Urban Practice.
The studios are the UK’s first teaching space devoted to Urban Dance Forms and East London is fast becoming a hub for urban dance innovation.
Kevin – www.studylondon.ac.uk
The new sculpture at LSE
Richard Wilson RA, one of Britain’s most renowned sculptors has revealed his ambitious five storey high work at the London School of Economics (LSE). Called, Square the Block, the sculpture has been installed on the north west exterior of the LSE’s New Academic Building.
Commissioned by the School, and curated by the Contemporary Art Society, Square the Block is a spectacular outdoor sculpture that appears to have been twisted and compressed as if by a giant hand or greater tectonic forces. It is an important contribution to public art in London and is sure to become a sightseeing stop for students and tourists.
Kevin – www.studylondon.ac.uk
Sindy, a model of British fashion in the 1960's
A University of East London (UEL) academic will exhibit a display of British vintage fashion doll Sindy in celebration of the doll’s popularity during the ‘Swinging Sixties’.
This is when the UK’s cultural influence spread across the world in the 1960’s. The movement was so significant, many of the innovations can still be seen to influencing the arts today.
Helen Carter, Programme Leader of Fashion Design at UEL will use the exhibition to explore how the launch of Sindy in 1963 coincided with the countries explosion of youth culture.
The display will feature many examples of vintage 1960’s Sindy dolls, her friends and the fashions and accessories of that time. The exhibition will also highlight how fashion artifacts such as the doll’s clothes relate to the period of huge change and revolutionary ideas.
The exhibition takes place at the V&A Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green which houses the UK’s national collection of childhood-related objects. One of the finest collections in the world, it spans from the 1600s to the present day, featuring toys, dolls, games, puppets, children’s clothing and furniture.
Kevin – www.studylondon.ac.uk
Building on the huge success of last autumn’s opening festival, Kings Place once again staged a staggering 100 concerts in three days – with a genre-defying selection that brings together classical, contemporary, blues avant-garde, world, folk and spoken word.
Taking part were some of the finest musicians, composers and performers from the UK and beyond – including the legendary Chilingirian Quartet, the London Sinfonietta and BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards winner Chris Wood.
There were a host of free events including jazz and choral concerts together with a variety of arts exhibitions.
Kevin – www.studylondn.ac.uk
Elisabeth Bond's exhibition
University of East London (UEL) MA Fine Art and Contemporary Design Practice students exhibited their creative talent at a recent exhibition.
The six international students showcased their projects as part of the university’s art shows. Projects on display include Yiran Wu’s colourful photographic portfolio which included a contemporary red book referencing Mao’s little Red Book of the Cultural Revolution.
Yiran’s book explores and contrasts London with her home city of Beijing from the perspective of someone who has lived in both cities.
The show, which is open to the public, also features the work of Elisabeth Bond (pictured) that was influenced from her time in Italy.
Kevin – www.studylondon.ac.uk
Artist impression of the new building
Middlesex University have unveiled plans for a brand new art, design and media building on its Hendon Campus. The building will provide new teaching and research facilities for 1,600 creative art students.
Facilities will include new art and design studios, digital media labs, workshops, photographic studios and darkrooms, TV studios and exhibition areas.
The building will also include a range of sustainable features to reduce energy consumption such as a combined heat and power system and solar panels.
The new building will open in 2011 and will be linked with more facilities for cyclists to add to the university’s green travel networks.
Kevin – www.studylondon.ac.uk
The National Gallery
Inside Out is a major new arts festival organised by nine of London’s leading creative universities.
It is the UK’s first-ever festival of higher education and will see a range of cultural events taking place all over the city, both on-campus and at leading cultural venues in the city including King’s Place, Somerset House and the National Portrait Gallery.
From film and music to theatre and visual art, from exhibitions and screenings to workshops and debates, the Inside Out Festival will add an extra splash of colour and energy to the city’s university campuses in October.
The participating universities are:
- University of the Arts London
- Birkbeck, University of London
- City University London
- The Courtauld Institute of Art
- Goldsmiths, University of London
- Guildhall School of Music & Drama
- King’s College London
- Queen Mary, University of London
- Royal Holloway, University of London
Kevin – www.studylondon.ac.uk
Dominic's Contortionist bike design
Royal College of Art MA graduate Dominic Hargreaves has designed an innovative full size folding bike.
The new graduate’s invention is called the Contortionist in reference to the way the full-sized aluminium frame collapses into the circumference of its wheels.
The design has already been shortlisted for the James Dyson Award for student designers, sponsored by the entrepreneur and inventor James Dyson. The design is only a prototype at the moment but has attracted considerable interest in the industry.
Dominic is also a graduate from Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication, where he undertook a BA in Product Design. The self-confessed bike fanatic admits to owning 14 bikes, although many of these are in pieces to help him discover how they work.
With cycling increasing in popularity it may not be long until we see these folding bikes being walked along London’s streets.
Kevin – www.studylondon.ac.uk
Video
Indian superstar AR Rahman
Indian superstar AR Rahman has been awarded an Honorary Degree from Middlesex University at a ceremony to celebrate the partnership between the University and KM Music Conservatory in Chennai.
AR Rahman is best known for recently winning two Oscars for the music he wrote for the smash hit film Slumdog Millionaire.
The partnership between the two institutions will focus on educational collaboration, especially in the area of music and the blending of Asian and Western musical styles.
Kevin – www.studylondon.ac.uk
Duke of York delivers his speech
City University London’s newly refurbished School of Arts was recently opened by HRH Duke of York.
The School’s £12 million transformation provides state-of-the-art accommodation and new facilities that include a television and radio studios; music recording studio; concert space and resource centre.
The new building will house the university’s departments of journalism, music, cultural policy management, languages and translation studies.
Kevin – www.studylondon.ac.uk
“London is a city where different cultures and thoughts meet. Living in this city, I never feel bored.
