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Big Art at Beckton Alp! Channel 4 visits UEL for debate on upcoming artwork

Monday 2 October 2006

Plans for a major new artwork at the Beckton Alp were the subject of a creative workshop held at the University of East London (UEL) Docklands campus on Friday 22 September.

Staff and students from the UEL School of Architecture and the Visual Arts joined project curator David Bailey for a discussion filmed by Channel 4 as part of their ongoing Big Art Project. The Beckton Alp has already been selected as one of six UK sites to be developed as part of the project, which will form the basis of a prime-time Channel 4 television series.

The former dry-ski slope was nominated by Newham residents Jonathan Swan and Stacy Blanc. 
Jonathan, a UEL governor and Director of Operis financial advisors, said: “'The Beckton Alp is the highest point in Newham and offer amazing views over London. The site can be seen from a very wide area, and for me it's just crying out for something big and spectacular.”

Stacy, an art student and single mother from Plaistow, added: “As somebody born and raised in Newham, I see this project as a great opportunity to create a major new artwork that everyone can relate to.”

At the UEL workshop, seven Fine Art students debated issues concerning the design of the artistic brief, including the importance of balancing individual artistic vision with general accessibility. The students were particularly keen that the piece should encourage access to the Beckton Alp and demonstrate the qualities of the site.

Pete Cobb, Subject Director for Fine Art and Digital Arts and Visual Communication at UEL, said: “The debate focussed on the challenge of making a highly visible, cutting edge piece that signposts Newham as a diverse and developing area and allows the whole community to feel a degree of involvement and ownership.”

The final Beckton Alp artwork will be unveiled at the culmination of the Big Art Project series on Channel 4.

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For details and pictures contact Patrick Wilson: 020 8223 2061 or 07951 797 975

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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