Sadiq Khan urged to boost high streets with public art and new community projects
The suggestion comes just months after Sir Sadiq's deputy mayor for culture, Justine Simons, rejected a separate proposal from the Assembly for a 'London Art Trail', which would have seen a new sculpture or artwork installed in every borough. Ms Simons claimed it was not something City Hall 'has the resource to commission, deliver and maintain at this time'.
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Time Out
13 hours ago
- Time Out
‘Grenfell: Uncovered' interview: ‘This community lost so much and got so little back'
The biggest residential fire since the Blitz broke out in Grenfell tower on June 14, 2017. Few Londoners can have shaken off the memory of the North Kensington high-rise blazing through the night as firefighters worked desperately – and fruitlessly – to subdue it. 'I was on holiday in Thailand at the time,' remembers Grenfell: Uncovered director Olaide Sadiq. 'The news [chyron] had 'fire in London' on it, but I didn't think it was real. I didn't understand how it was even possible that this had happened.' When she got back to the UK, the filmmaker discovered that she knew one of the victims of the fire – 'Her face was popping up in group chats as missing' – which added a personal dimension to the disaster. Eight years on, her documentary about the fire is both poignant and enraging. None of the responsible parties is let off the hook – cladding manufacturers like Arconic, bureaucrats like Hammersmith and Fulham Council, and politicians alike – but the deeper story is one of resilience and misplaced trust. 'This was the biggest residential fire in Britain since the Blitz,' says Sadiq. 'You expect this kind of devastation at war, but you don't expect it in the middle of the night when people are sleeping.' You speak to a lot of traumatised people in the film. How did you approach those interviews? With respect and care. A lot of the Grenfell community have been poked and prodded for a long time, and there's a lot of trauma in everyone that's been affected by the story. We had to make it as safe a space as possible. The interviews were still the hardest I've ever done. You interrogate the companies behind the cladding products. How challenging was that aspect of the film? Yeah, the corporate side of things was complicated and eye-opening. A lot of people didn't want to speak to us, and understandably so, but everyone was given an opportunity to respond. But I'm very aware there's an ongoing criminal investigation, so I wasn't expecting anyone to welcome us with open arms. Are you concerned that a fire like this could happen again? Yeah, I think I am. We've had cladding fires since Grenfell: there was a fatal cladding fire in Valencia last year, and another one in Dagenham, where luckily there were no fatalities. I have to think that it's possible that it will happen again. Hopefully, the response will be different. The Prime Minister at the time, Theresa May, famously failed to meet Grenfell survivors. How did you get her to talk in the film? The decision to talk to us was quick; the decision to be on camera was slower. Regardless of people's political affiliations and opinions, I think it was quite brave [of her]. She wanted to own what she did and didn't do. She was happy to own that on camera, and we gave her the opportunity to do that. I respected that. What does this story say about the country that we live in? Great question. That we place a lot of trust in those that are meant to look after us. It showed me that this country is sometimes hesitant to change, but hopefully this film will spark real conversations about change. It's what the people affected by Grenfell want. Accountability, as well. You must have had two audiences in mind: the Grenfell survivors groups and those who were less familiar with the story? The story is not finished for [the Grenfell groups]. They are still waiting for what the Met Police decides to do. They're hoping [the film] brings more awareness to their story. We want it to ignite real conversation about what happened and what people want to happen next. There's still a lot of buildings with flammable cladding on them. What did you learn about Londoners making this film? I felt a sense of closeness within the community, but a sadness to it. I've always felt relatively safe living in London. What working on this showed me is that there's times it isn't safe – but in a way that you're not expecting. If you go down a dark alley in the middle of the night, you might expect something bad to happen to you, but they went to bed and woke up in the middle of night with their building on fire. That's the biggest violation of safety most people could experience. What binds the survivors together? Resilience. We spoke to very young people, we spoke to grandparents, and across the board there was a sense of resilience that I was astounded by. I was breaking down just reading the witness statements – it was harrowing. I couldn't imagine how people could get up and go after that. There was such resilience and strength in the community that lost so much and got so little back. The community lost so much and got so little back How do you cope with watching this harrowing footage, day after day? It was very difficult. It was really hard to watch some of the footage – some of it was too harrowing to use. I went for walks and listened to cheesy music, but there were people there to support us as well. I had to make sure I wasn't always sitting with the images.
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
Oasis shows blamed for Edinburgh Festival Fringe ticket woes
And there are fears that the Fringe, which relies heavily on last-minute ticket sales, will be badly affected in August when the festival will clash for the first time with concerts at Murrayfield. Read more: The Fringe Society and venue operators are expected to launch eleventh-hour efforts to try to boost ticket sales in areas within easy reach of Edinburgh, as well as encourage concert-goers to take in festival shows. Assembly runs several venues in the George Square area during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. (Image: Assembly) Three Oasis shows and an AC/DC concert are expected to attract more than 290,000 ticket-holders in total to the home of Scottish rugby between August 9 and 21. However major Fringe venues are reporting slower ticket sales compared to this time last year. Oasis and AC/DC will be staging stadium shows at Murrayfield this summer during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. (Image: Jane Barlow/PA) There are concerns that the scheduling of the shows may have already put off many Fringe performers and regular attendees at the festival due to the impact they have had on demand to be in the city in August. Some city centre hotels are charging upwards of £800 a room for the second Friday in August when Oasis will play the first of three shows. The Pleasance Courtyard is one of the busiest Fringe venues. (Image: Neil Hanna) The cheapest available hostel or accommodation on August 12, when Oasis will play their final show in the city, is £200 for a bed. One Fringe operator told The Herald: 'The last thing the Fringe needed was these concerts being staged in August. 'We are looking at a situation where thousands of people who have booked to stay in the city during the Fringe are going to be going nowhere near Fringe venues. 'These concerts are going to make it harder to book accommodation over the next few weeks and harder to get in and out of the city.' Another long-time promoter said: 'The staging of these concerts in August doesn't just affect the dates when these shows are on at Murrayfield. 'They have affected the cost of accommodation throughout August, which is putting off people who have coming to the Fringe for years and usually see loads of shows when they are in the city.' William Burdett-Coutts, founder of Assembly, the longest-running venue operator on the Fringe, told The Herald that its advance sales were down by 35 per cent year-on-year. He said: 'We are constantly getting anecdotal feedback that people are finding it too expensive to visit Edinburgh for the festival, especially with the Oasis concerts that are on this year. 'Personally, I don't think they are a good thing. They are taking up a lot of days when the Fringe is on. 'Oasis can go on tour anytime and get the audience that they get. We are trying to attract people to Edinburgh to come to a festival which is all about introducing new talent and don't have the same level of exposure. 'I don't think these concerts are going to be beneficial to the overall festival as it's going to be really hard to get accommodation now. 'We will have to do more marketing of our shows to a local audience than we would normally do. At the end of the day, they will still be able to come. 'A lot of our ticket sales are very last minute. We probably only sell 20 per cent of our tickets before August. Anything that impacts on that period is really important. 'Our budgets are built on what we normally do, which is selling around half a million tickets. That's a major undertaking. 'The whole economy of the Fringe depends on ticket sales. People take the risk to come to Edinburgh with their shows on the basis that audiences are going to be there.' Sam Gough, who leads the programming of Summerhall, one of the Fringe's biggest venues, said: 'I don't think that people who are coming to Edinburgh to see Oasis or AC/DC are not going to stay for more than a night. They will be in the stadium for around 5pm, they won't get any further than the west end and will be on trains the next day. 'I think the city will feel emptier on the days when these concerts on because of the number of people who are going to Murrayfield. 'I think our audiences are very different to some of the bigger venues who will probably be affected by these concerts way more. 'But I think it will affect the city and it has already affected the bigger picture of artists deciding whether they are coming to the Fringe.' Pleasance director Anthony Alderson urged Oasis fans visiting Edinburgh for their concerts and local residents living near Murrayfield to take in the Fringe this summer. He told The Herald: 'It is hard to imagine that any fan of Oasis, travelling to Edinburgh for the concert, won't want to also enjoy the world's greatest arts festival. 'We would encourage anybody attending the Oasis concerts to come and see shows at the Fringe. If you live in the west side of the city you may want to come and enjoy the Fringe to escape the noise and people. That whole of that side of Edinburgh will undoubtedly be affected. 'Concerts of this scale in a city that is already very busy will, of course, have an impact but it's difficult to currently see what that will be. 'What's important to note is there is no doubt that the rise in accommodation costs have an impact on visitors. 'We know this has a negative impact on the festival in terms of affordability for both artists and audiences.' A spokesperson for the Fringe Society said it was planning a 'tactical marketing campaign' to encourage ticket-holders for the Murrayfield concerts to see Fringe shows while they are in Edinburgh. Tourism bodies will be asked to help promote the Fringe to people staying in the city overnight, while transport operators will be asked to ensure they increase services at during pea The spokesperson added: 'Each year the rhythm and pattern of ticket sales is unique and can be affected by a range of factors, including timing of early ticket sales, marketing efforts, individual venue programmes, and broader economic and social factors.' Neil Ellis, chair of the Edinburgh Hotels Association, said: "Supply and demand will always dictate a destination's room rates around the world and we all have to accept that. Unfortunately for Oasis and AC/DC fans and Fringe-goers, the venue and promoters chose the August dates. "We're sure that had they been playing outside of the Festival in a quieter period, rates for accommodation and essential travel costs to Edinburgh would be lower. "Edinburgh is on the bucket-list of many people and the city offering is always improving in order to keep us there. "From our fantastic array of hotels, Michelin-starred restaurants, world-renowned festivals, museums and visitor attractions, parks and green spaces, and an airport connecting over 160 destinations, we certainly think Edinburgh provides value all year round to suit every type of visitor."
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Scottish Sun
New English lido to open next month with live DJ sessions and sunbathing deck – and it's free to visit
Plus, the UK's deepest lido is reopening this summer after three years SPLASH IN New English lido to open next month with live DJ sessions and sunbathing deck – and it's free to visit Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A NEW lido will open in London this summer - and it will be completely free for anyone to use. Opening for one month, Summer Splash will be located at the Royal Docks in London. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 A new free lido will open in London this summer Credit: Royal docks/Instagram 3 And alongside it, so will a whole host of water-based activities Credit: Royal Docks The lido opens each year to provide a safe outdoor water space for the local community, especially those living nearby without any gardens or outdoor space. The new lido will open on July 25 and stay open until August 17. It will be unheated though - so prepare yourself for a refreshing dip - but it is manned with lifeguards. However, it is one of the few London lidos with amazing views of the city skyline. At the lido there will be also be sandpits for kids as well as a deckchairs area, DJ events and a wood-fired sauna. The website states: "It's the perfect place to cool off and relax, providing an urban retreat like no other. "Lounge in a deckchair, take a dip and soak up views of the Royal Docks' vast open waters, framed by the City's iconic skyline." Not only that, but a larger programme of events also include paddle-boarding along with wakeboarding. In addition, there will be waterside event like The Cause's big birthday bash and Ensemble Festival with live circus and dance shows. According to Time Out, Justine Simons, the deputy mayor for culture and the creative industries, said: "The Royal Docks is one of London's best-kept secrets, a vibrant hotspot for creativity and culture, so I'm delighted to see the return of the At the Docks season. New £4million lido to open in UK next year "There's so much for young people and families to enjoy, from fun activities to open-air performances and festivals, as we continue to build a better London for everyone." Also part of the events this summer will be the 10th anniversary of Dock2Dock. According to the Royals Docks' website, this is "London's most iconic swim event" which allows participants to swim London's historical Royal Docks. There are five distances - 1.5k, 3k, 5k, 10k, EPIC 15k - and this year there will also be a special 20k feature to celebrate the anniversary. And later this month will be The Royal Wharf Summer Fete, which includes live music performances, morning fitness sessions, children's workshops and games, street food and a craft market. The fete will take place on June 28. A woman has also found the UK's little-known lidos to visit ahead of 29C weather – with no queues and some are even free to enter. Plus, the UK's deepest lido is reopening this summer after three years.
