Conversations with an elephant

One of the most memorable London cultural events of the 21st century so far has to be The Sultan's Elephant.  Created and performed by French company Royal de Luxe, this public extravaganza took the capital almost completely by surprise over the first weekend in May 2006.  The arrival of a twenty-foot high little girl from outer space and a elephant parading through the heart of the old Empire changed many people's perceptions of what art and theatre and spectacle might mean, including it seems Arts Council England's.  Some initial reactions from the professional arts world were aired the following Monday at a conference convened by LIFT (London International Festival of Theatre), which had supported Artichoke Production's risky proposal to put on the show in the first place.  I was commissioned to write up the conference and my report is downloadable here.  It covers the impact of the weekend's events as well as the conference discussions - and it is unashamedly personal in tone.  This was one arts project I will never forget, along I suspect with the thousands of others who witnessed it.  Artichoke continues to promote the unexpected and its more recent activities can be seen at www.artichoke.uk.com/ and LIFT, too, continues to break new ground, as a visit to www.liftfestival.com will demonstrate.

 

Click here to download:
LIFT Conversations about an Elephant.pdf (1.43 MB)
(download)

A case worth studying

Getting young people actively engaged in the transformation of their communities into happy, thriving, sustainable places in which to live and work are the core aims of government policies on youth, on education and on regeneration.  Fundamental: Architectural Inclusion has been doing this for five years with a unique project: the Architecture Crew.

 

Click here to download:
Architecture Crew.pdf (3.94 MB)
(download)

The Architecture Crew is the first of its kind - a youth architecture forum that has led the field in sustained youth engagement in the built environment since its establishment in 2004.  Set up to provide teenagers in Newham in East London with the opportunity to come together and express their views about regeneration and as it affects their own borough, it has stimulated young people's interest in their environment and built the self-confidence they need to make their voice heard in their own community  - and listened to by professionals in the wider world of architecture and regeneration.

Although composed of 13-19 year olds, the Crew's professionalism and accumulated knowledge has given it a substantial and growing role in local, regional and national debates around regeneration and the way that local people should be consulted about changes to their environment.  The Architecture Crew provides a viable model and inspiration for developing 'architectural inclusion' youth projects across the country.

Fundamental commissioned me to write the case study, which you can download here.  If you want a hard copy of this beautifully illustrated and designed publication, write to Jane Leighton, Director, Fundamental: Architectural Inclusion, 379/381 High Street, London E15 4QZ or email jane@fundamental.uk.net.  You can also see more of Fundamental's work at www.fundamental.uk.net