Paul Cummins, Ceramic artist “People should get involved in physically making things so that they mean something more” Artist Paul Cummins' Blood Swept Lands And Seas of Red art installation is taking shape at the Tower of London.
More than 800,000 ceramic poppies are being planted at the Tower in order to commemorate the British and Commonwealth soldiers who died during the First World War. The installation, which was unveiled at the start of August, will see 888,246 poppies progressively filling the moat, creating a dramatic display. The last flower will be planted on Armistice Day, 11 November 2014.
“There will literally be 16 acres of ceramic flowers around the moat to encase it to represent the people who died at the front of the First World War,” said Paul Cummins.
Cummins was inspired by a line in the will of a Derbyshire serviceman who died in Flanders in which he described the 'blood-swept lands and seas of red, where angels fear to tread'.
Cummins enlisted the help of a team of volunteers to make the poppies, which are being assembled and fired in Derby. “I normally make everything myself but I need help with this because there are so many poppies," he said. "I've managed to gather together a lot of people – seventy per cent of whom are artists – who all have a direct link to a member of the armed forces, or people they know who've died [during the war].
“I prefer to make my work using as little machinery as possible. People should get involved in physically making something so that it means something more.”
The flowers are on sale for £25 each, with 10 per cent of each poppy being donated to six service charities. Sales of the poppies raised more than £2.5m in the first two days alone.
paulcumminsceramics.com
Paul Cummins
photo: flickr/Martin Pettitt
The eye-catching poppies appear to cascade out of the Tower of London and into its moat
photo: getty images
The installation was unveiled by Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince Harry in August
Nick Hounsfield, co-founder, The Wave “Bristol has strong links to ground-breaking engineering. The Wave could build on this reputation” After receiving planning consent in June this year, The Wave Bristol – a £6m man-made surfing lake planned for greenbelt land outside Easter Compton near Bristol – has been awarded up to £840,000 funding by The West of England Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
The project, which is the brainchild of Nick Hounsfield and Tobin Coles, will feature a freshwater lagoon which will use Wavegarden® technology by Instant Sport in Spain to generate surfing waves suitable for beginners and experienced surfers. The site will also feature a swimming lake and multifunctional gardens including an activity garden, barefoot trails, a sensory garden, a healing garden, a culinary garden and herb gardens. A core facility building will house a café, an educational space to support school visits and a small retail space.
According to the founders, Bristol is the perfect location for the project.
“From Brunel to Banksy, Bristol has always been a leader – The Wave could build on this reputation,” said Hounsfield. “From Brunel to Concorde, there's long tradition of engineering firsts in the city. This technology seems a natural fit.
"Bristol also offers an opportunity to tap into other areas that are important to us, such as getting more city-based children into the water and making a change to the lives of those from some of the city’s most deprived areas.”
the-wave.co.uk/Bristol
The surfing lake will be at the centre of the development, with other facilities around it
Nick Hounsfield, co-founder, The Wave
Nicky Roche, CEO, TdFHUB “The public sector really rose to the challenge of the Tour de France” The Tour de France's first three stages in England this summer were hailed as the "grandest opening in the race’s history,” by race director Christian Prudhomme. It is estimated that more than 4 million people packed the sides of roads during the first three days, which saw the riders travel from York to London. Lavishing praise on the public who lined the roads as well as the English organising team, the Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme said it is not a question of “if but when” the Tour returns to British shores.
The TdFHUB, a subsidiary of UK Sport, was led by Yorkshire-born Nicky Roche. A keen sports fan, Roche’s journey to lead the TdFHUB is a curious one, but demonstrates her passion for sport.
“I had been working for the Home Office as a civil servant for quite a time when, in 2004, I saw the role of director of sport advertised in The Sunday Times.” Roche said. “I thought it was my ideal job but that I’d never get it – until the DCMS’ permanent secretary, Sue Street, called and encouraged me to go for it.”
At the DCMS, Roche worked closely with Tessa Jowell and was part of the team that worked on the winning 2012 London Olympic bid.
In 2007, she was named a director at the Government Olympic Executive (GOE), where Roche worked closely with all stakeholders – LOCOG, ODA and GLA – and helped shape the Olympic journey from start to finish. “My responsibilities for the 2012 project didn’t come to an end until March 2013 when the handover to Rio was completed,” she said. Soon after, in August 2013, she was appointed as CEO of TdFHUB.
One of the first tasks Roche faced was to work with the French team to get the final route confirmed. “Once that was done, we could then start planning where the crowds would be, how we would be able to get them in and out safely and so on,” she said.
The most rewarding aspect for Roche was the public’s reaction to the event. “Watching the huge crowds line the route pretty much from start to finish was amazing,” she said.
uksport.gov.uk
Tour de France's first three stages in England
Nicky Roche was appointed chief executive of the TdF HUB 2014 in August 2013
Richard Loat, founder, Five Hole for Food “We set out to unite hockey fans under a single cause” A volunteer-driven, non-profit organisation in Canada is using ice hockey – the country’s national game – as a vehicle for social change, and reaching a new generation of social entrepreneurs. Five Hole for Food (FHFF) is a nationwide project with a bold, enterprising and entrepreneurial approach aimed at helping those most at need.
Over the past four years, FHFF has raised in excess of 1 million pounds of food in support of local food banks across Canada. Armed with national partners, more than 40 volunteers and an identity borne from social media, FHFF has set out to bring communities together.
The organisation is the brainchild of Richard Loat, a young serial entrepreneur who described the project’s aim as mobilising the disengaged.
“We want to use the power and passion of sport to inspire micro activism which creates a significant collective impact,” he said.
“Our goal has always been to mobilise people, and disrupt typical philanthropic processes in support of charity. At the moment, this is directed specifically towards food security, but it's not limited to that in its future development.“
The idea of using hockey for social good came to Richard following the 2010 Olympic Games, held in Vancouver. “There was a real energy around hockey following the 2010 Games, as it was the great unifier for Canada. As a result we set out to unite hockey fans under a single cause. From there, we started hosting ball hockey events for people to participate in and to donate to the local food bank – and the idea has taken off since then.”
FHFF has since grown under the umbrella Sport for Food, to include Footy for Food (a football programme) and a soon to be launched Hoops for Food (a basketball programme).
Loat is also planning to make the concept global. “I think the most ambitious part so far has been taking things outside of Canada and starting to lay a footprint in Continental Europe,” he says. “It's been exciting to see how well it's been received.
fiveholeforfood.com
In an annual tour, FHFF travels across Canada playing hockey for local food banks
Richard Loat
Shigeru Ban, architect “I wanted to open the building to the outside so visitors could appreciate the beauty of Aspen” The new home for the Aspen Art Museum (AAM) opened in August.
Designed by Pritzker Prize winning architect Shigeru Ban, the 33,000sq ft (10,058sq m) gallery almost triples the museum's previous exhibition space.
The project is Ban’s first permanent museum in America, and offers views over the awe-inspiring Ajax Mountains as a backdrop.
The building is based around a simple glass box structure. Externally, the building's façade is draped over the glass in the form of woven wooden cladding, made of resin and paper.
The new museum features a public rooftop space, which is accessible via a lift inside the foyer, or by a three-level grand staircase, which hovers between the glass and wooden façades, blending the outside and the inside seamlessly.
“In designing the Aspen Art Museum, I wanted to create a site-specific sequence that took into account the mountain views and the building’s purpose as an art museum, and to open the building to the outside so visitors could appreciate the beauty of Aspen from inside the building,” said Ban. “I made the entrance foyer on the rooftop. It is like the experience of skiing – you go up to the top of a mountain, enjoy the view, and then slide down.”
The opening weekend saw the museum host exhibitions and renditions of music, dancing and culture.
www.aspenartmuseum.org
PHOTO: David X Prutting_BFAnyc
Woven wooden cladding creates a permeable façade for the museum
Paul Cummins, Ceramic artist “People should get involved in physically making things so that they mean something more” Artist Paul Cummins' Blood Swept Lands And Seas of Red art installation is taking shape at the Tower of London.
More than 800,000 ceramic poppies are being planted at the Tower in order to commemorate the British and Commonwealth soldiers who died during the First World War. The installation, which was unveiled at the start of August, will see 888,246 poppies progressively filling the moat, creating a dramatic display. The last flower will be planted on Armistice Day, 11 November 2014.
“There will literally be 16 acres of ceramic flowers around the moat to encase it to represent the people who died at the front of the First World War,” said Paul Cummins.
Cummins was inspired by a line in the will of a Derbyshire serviceman who died in Flanders in which he described the 'blood-swept lands and seas of red, where angels fear to tread'.
Cummins enlisted the help of a team of volunteers to make the poppies, which are being assembled and fired in Derby. “I normally make everything myself but I need help with this because there are so many poppies," he said. "I've managed to gather together a lot of people – seventy per cent of whom are artists – who all have a direct link to a member of the armed forces, or people they know who've died [during the war].
“I prefer to make my work using as little machinery as possible. People should get involved in physically making something so that it means something more.”
The flowers are on sale for £25 each, with 10 per cent of each poppy being donated to six service charities. Sales of the poppies raised more than £2.5m in the first two days alone.
paulcumminsceramics.com
Paul Cummins
photo: flickr/Martin Pettitt
The eye-catching poppies appear to cascade out of the Tower of London and into its moat
photo: getty images
The installation was unveiled by Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince Harry in August
Nick Hounsfield, co-founder, The Wave “Bristol has strong links to ground-breaking engineering. The Wave could build on this reputation” After receiving planning consent in June this year, The Wave Bristol – a £6m man-made surfing lake planned for greenbelt land outside Easter Compton near Bristol – has been awarded up to £840,000 funding by The West of England Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
The project, which is the brainchild of Nick Hounsfield and Tobin Coles, will feature a freshwater lagoon which will use Wavegarden® technology by Instant Sport in Spain to generate surfing waves suitable for beginners and experienced surfers. The site will also feature a swimming lake and multifunctional gardens including an activity garden, barefoot trails, a sensory garden, a healing garden, a culinary garden and herb gardens. A core facility building will house a café, an educational space to support school visits and a small retail space.
According to the founders, Bristol is the perfect location for the project.
“From Brunel to Banksy, Bristol has always been a leader – The Wave could build on this reputation,” said Hounsfield. “From Brunel to Concorde, there's long tradition of engineering firsts in the city. This technology seems a natural fit.
"Bristol also offers an opportunity to tap into other areas that are important to us, such as getting more city-based children into the water and making a change to the lives of those from some of the city’s most deprived areas.”
the-wave.co.uk/Bristol
The surfing lake will be at the centre of the development, with other facilities around it
Nick Hounsfield, co-founder, The Wave
Nicky Roche, CEO, TdFHUB “The public sector really rose to the challenge of the Tour de France” The Tour de France's first three stages in England this summer were hailed as the "grandest opening in the race’s history,” by race director Christian Prudhomme. It is estimated that more than 4 million people packed the sides of roads during the first three days, which saw the riders travel from York to London. Lavishing praise on the public who lined the roads as well as the English organising team, the Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme said it is not a question of “if but when” the Tour returns to British shores.
The TdFHUB, a subsidiary of UK Sport, was led by Yorkshire-born Nicky Roche. A keen sports fan, Roche’s journey to lead the TdFHUB is a curious one, but demonstrates her passion for sport.
“I had been working for the Home Office as a civil servant for quite a time when, in 2004, I saw the role of director of sport advertised in The Sunday Times.” Roche said. “I thought it was my ideal job but that I’d never get it – until the DCMS’ permanent secretary, Sue Street, called and encouraged me to go for it.”
At the DCMS, Roche worked closely with Tessa Jowell and was part of the team that worked on the winning 2012 London Olympic bid.
In 2007, she was named a director at the Government Olympic Executive (GOE), where Roche worked closely with all stakeholders – LOCOG, ODA and GLA – and helped shape the Olympic journey from start to finish. “My responsibilities for the 2012 project didn’t come to an end until March 2013 when the handover to Rio was completed,” she said. Soon after, in August 2013, she was appointed as CEO of TdFHUB.
One of the first tasks Roche faced was to work with the French team to get the final route confirmed. “Once that was done, we could then start planning where the crowds would be, how we would be able to get them in and out safely and so on,” she said.
The most rewarding aspect for Roche was the public’s reaction to the event. “Watching the huge crowds line the route pretty much from start to finish was amazing,” she said.
uksport.gov.uk
Tour de France's first three stages in England
Nicky Roche was appointed chief executive of the TdF HUB 2014 in August 2013
Richard Loat, founder, Five Hole for Food “We set out to unite hockey fans under a single cause” A volunteer-driven, non-profit organisation in Canada is using ice hockey – the country’s national game – as a vehicle for social change, and reaching a new generation of social entrepreneurs. Five Hole for Food (FHFF) is a nationwide project with a bold, enterprising and entrepreneurial approach aimed at helping those most at need.
Over the past four years, FHFF has raised in excess of 1 million pounds of food in support of local food banks across Canada. Armed with national partners, more than 40 volunteers and an identity borne from social media, FHFF has set out to bring communities together.
The organisation is the brainchild of Richard Loat, a young serial entrepreneur who described the project’s aim as mobilising the disengaged.
“We want to use the power and passion of sport to inspire micro activism which creates a significant collective impact,” he said.
“Our goal has always been to mobilise people, and disrupt typical philanthropic processes in support of charity. At the moment, this is directed specifically towards food security, but it's not limited to that in its future development.“
The idea of using hockey for social good came to Richard following the 2010 Olympic Games, held in Vancouver. “There was a real energy around hockey following the 2010 Games, as it was the great unifier for Canada. As a result we set out to unite hockey fans under a single cause. From there, we started hosting ball hockey events for people to participate in and to donate to the local food bank – and the idea has taken off since then.”
FHFF has since grown under the umbrella Sport for Food, to include Footy for Food (a football programme) and a soon to be launched Hoops for Food (a basketball programme).
Loat is also planning to make the concept global. “I think the most ambitious part so far has been taking things outside of Canada and starting to lay a footprint in Continental Europe,” he says. “It's been exciting to see how well it's been received.
fiveholeforfood.com
In an annual tour, FHFF travels across Canada playing hockey for local food banks
Richard Loat
Shigeru Ban, architect “I wanted to open the building to the outside so visitors could appreciate the beauty of Aspen” The new home for the Aspen Art Museum (AAM) opened in August.
Designed by Pritzker Prize winning architect Shigeru Ban, the 33,000sq ft (10,058sq m) gallery almost triples the museum's previous exhibition space.
The project is Ban’s first permanent museum in America, and offers views over the awe-inspiring Ajax Mountains as a backdrop.
The building is based around a simple glass box structure. Externally, the building's façade is draped over the glass in the form of woven wooden cladding, made of resin and paper.
The new museum features a public rooftop space, which is accessible via a lift inside the foyer, or by a three-level grand staircase, which hovers between the glass and wooden façades, blending the outside and the inside seamlessly.
“In designing the Aspen Art Museum, I wanted to create a site-specific sequence that took into account the mountain views and the building’s purpose as an art museum, and to open the building to the outside so visitors could appreciate the beauty of Aspen from inside the building,” said Ban. “I made the entrance foyer on the rooftop. It is like the experience of skiing – you go up to the top of a mountain, enjoy the view, and then slide down.”
The opening weekend saw the museum host exhibitions and renditions of music, dancing and culture.
www.aspenartmuseum.org
PHOTO: David X Prutting_BFAnyc
Woven wooden cladding creates a permeable façade for the museum
Shigeru Ban, architect
Originally published in Leisure Management 2014 issue 4
