North East artists join Olympic Games race

Aug 14 2009 by Paul Loraine, The Journal

FIVE artists from the North East have been shortlisted for a £500,000 commission as part of a national celebration of culture to tie in with the Olympic Games in 2012.

Plans ranging from an edible trail through Newcastle to a revolving dancefloor on the Tyne will be presented to a panel, with the successful applicant announced in October.

Earlier this year, Arts Council England and London 2012 challenged artists to submit their ideas for a commission to play its part in the Cultural Olympiad.

More than 2,100 applications were received from across the country, 80 of which were from artists based in the North East.

An independent panel of artists and producers then judged each of the applications and made a shortlist.

The listed artists will each receive a development grant of up to £5,000 to turn their initial proposals into comprehensive plans. They will present these to the artist panels in late September, who will then decide which works to commission.

The 12 successful commissions nationwide will be developed across 2010 and 2011, with involvement from local communities, and form part of the celebrations before the opening of the Games in 2012. In a project called ‘Is there anything sweeter?’, shortlisted artist Kathryn Hodgkinson is planning a trail of edible produce through Newcastle leading to a floating garden on the Tyne. Also based on the river would be Ed Carter’s Flow, which will include a floating gallery and watermill.

Peter Evans’ Build Your Own Monument would seek ideas about what to build on a site, with the proposals voted for and the successful ideas built, joining onto each other.

Susie Green and Laura Harrington want to create a wind-powered revolving dance floor in the middle of the Tyne, complete with a giant mirror ball, while Richard Wilson and Locus are proposing Red Hot, an iron cube heated to the borderline between solid and liquid states.

Alison Clark-Jenkins, director of arts and development at Arts Council England, North East, said: “I can’t wait to see one of these ideas come to life. The Olympics inspire people to think differently about the world and it’s important that culture is a part of that.”

London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe said: “I’m thrilled with the calibre of this shortlist.”

As part of the Cultural Olympiad, a national celebration tied to the Games, £500,000 artworks will be commissioned in nine English regions, and there’ll be commissions from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Barbara Follett, Minister for Culture, Creative Industries and Tourism said: “This remarkable shortlist shows the breadth of artistic talent we have in the United Kingdom and how many people have been inspired to make their mark for London 2012.

“Through Artists Taking the Lead, every part of the country will get a new and exciting artwork which combines the sporting and cultural spirit of the 2012 Games.”

For further information log onto www.artiststakingthelead.org.uk