New Exhibition The Art Underarm at The Gallery, The Hospital Club

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Catherine Balavage

British interdisciplinary artist, Isamaya Ffrench unveiled a beautiful collection of art titled “The Art Underarm” at The Gallery in The Hospital Club. All of the pieces were created using a canvas of women’s underarms.

The artworks celebrate a part of the body that is usually hidden away. A model posed on a chaise lounge with a beautiful piece of artwork on her underarm. We drank white wine and enjoyed the art.

The one-day exhibition was curated with Vaseline Deodrant to celebrate the female form. Each piece was inspired by one of the products in Vaseline’s new range which include; Derma Beauty, Double Invisible, Aloe Fresh and Active Fresh. All are priced at £1.86 and available from Boots and other retailers nationwide.

The Gallery at the Hospital Club

24 Endell Street

London

WC2H 9HQ

Top Art Galleries In London

Posted on July 23, 2013 by Catherine Balavage

London has a lot going for it. With an amazing variety of restaurants and cultural events, London really is the place to be for those who want a rich cultural life. When it comes to art, and a great selection of art galleries, London really does not slouch. There is something here for everyone, from the edgy to the classic. Frost has picked some of the top art galleries in London for you to get started. We will be adding more soon. Put your own suggestions below and join in the art debate.

National Portrait Gallery, St Martin’s Place, WC2H
An art beacon of London. A trip here is not complete without a visit to this gallery. And if you live in London and have not been, shame on you.

Tate Britain, Millbank, Westminster, London SW1P
Classic building, great art. Also has some controversial exhibitions which are quite different.

Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York’s Square, King’s Road, Chelsea, London SW3
Beautiful gallery situated on the King’s Road. Lots of great art here. If you are too busy to go to a gallery then the Saatchi Gallery Online is also where you can find art prints for sale.

Reflected (red canoe) SOLD

Painting

Charlotte Evans

United States

Gagged

Drawing

Álvaro Tomé

Brazil

I Found The Silence (edition of 25; 4 sold)

Photography

Martin Stranka

Czech Republic

White Cube Gallery, 25-26 Mason’s Yard, Off Duke Street, St James’s, London SW1Y
A bit different and edgy. Worth a visit.

Welcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, Bloomsbury, London NW1
Classic art and amazing exhibitions make the Welcome Collection a great stop for art lovers.

Serpentine Gallery, Kensington Gardens, South Kensington, London W2
Will be reopened on Saturday 8th June 2013. Join us in line.

National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, Westminster, London WC2N
Another classic London art gallery. A must visit.

Somerset House: Embankment Galleries, Strand, Covent Garden, London WC2R
Opened in 2008. The building alone is beautiful and worth going to.

Proud Camden, The Stables Market, Chalk Farm Road, Camden, Camden Town, London NW1
Has great exhibitions and events. We recently enjoyed their Withnail & I exhibition.

Sir John Soane’s Museum, 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3BP
Is a treasure trove of artifacts. A great experience.

What is your favourite museum? Make recommendations below.

Toulouse City Guide | Travel

Posted on July 15, 2013 by Catherine Balavage

Sometimes it is hard being a writer and editor, especially one with their own magazine. Going to the South of France to review Toulouse was not one of those times. In fact, it is now one of my favourite places in the entire world and I will definitely be returning. The Pink City of Haut-Garonne is called the pink city because of the brickwork of the buildings. It is the 4th largest city in France with 437,000 inhabitants and it is beautiful, dynamic and friendly.

We flew with BMI Regional via Birmingham. We also had a great time in the No.1 Traveller lounge at Birmingham Airport before flying to Toulouse Business Class. The flight was incredibly enjoyable and included free food and drink. The service on-board was also great. Our air steward, Michael Love, seemed to know what we wanted before we did and kept us happy with Gin & Tonics and brilliant, yes it is possible, plane food.

Toulouse is the birthplace of Concorde, the Ariane Rocket and the home of Airbus.Toulouse has also had a 100-year love affair with rugby. Stade Toulousain are one of the Northern Hemispheres best teams. 7 million passengers are transported via Toulouse Blagnac Airport every year.

Toulouse has more than 2000 hours of sun a year and more than 1000 restaurants. Sold yet? Whether the answer is yes or no, read on….

We arrived in Toulouse via Toulouse Blagnac Airport, a beautiful and stylish airport and made our way to our hotel, the Citiz Hotel, a modern four star hotel in the heart of Toulouse. It opened in 2010. The hotel has air-conditioning, free wifi and a car park near the hotel entrance. The hotel faces Wilson square and is only a 15 minute drive from Blagnac airport. My hotel room was incredibly stylish, the bed was large and comfy, the bathroom was elegant and the shower powerful. There was a minibar, safe and a flatscreen TV. I also had a balcony and a wardrobe. The hotel also does a great breakfast spread and the staff are very helpful.

Rio Loco, the world music festival that happens every year on the 21st of June to get all of France partying, happened while we were there. We had lots of fun listening to all of the different music and went to bed in the early hours.It was like one huge street party. Definitely recommended.

We went on a walking tour offered by the Toulouse Tourist Board.This was informative and very enjoyable, a great way to see the city. Great things to see include The Capitole (the City Hall), Saint-Sernin Basilica, The Jacobins Convent, The Hotel d’Assezat (built by Nicholas Bachelier for Pierre d’Assezat who made his fortune from Woad, a plant used in dyeing. More of which later), the river Garonne and The Augustins Museum, an amazing fine arts museum with beautiful pieces. It has a lot of 19th century sculptures.

J’Go, 16 Place Victor Hugo, 31000 Toulouse. Tel: 05 61 23 02 03. They accommodate people regardless of importance and budget and have authentic cuisine from the love of Gascon culture. The fruit and vegetables are grown by farmers in the South West and is in season. They also buy the whole carcass of animals from farmers in their region. The food we had was amazing and a brass band started playing outside while we were eating. The waiter also really knew his stuff. Check the pictures out here.

Cite de L’Espace. Avenue Jean Gonord – BP 25855 – 31506 Toulouse cedex 5. This wonderful space adventure theme park is dedicated to space. We went to Mars (Almost), walked on the moon thanks to the Moonrunner (I was six times less than my usual weight, which was great!), and saw a documentary on the Hubble Telescope in their glorious IMAX Big Screen 3D cinema. The theme park covers 5 hectares and receives 270,000 visitor a year, but it should be more, Globally, 50 million Euro has been invested into the Cite de L’Espace and it shows in the quality. They do tours in English in the summer and have had over 4 million visitors.

There is also a 53 meter high Ariane rocket, I am now one of the privileged few to go into Soyuz Vessel, the indestructible Russian spacecraft. There was authentic Moon Rock on loan from NASA which was brought back by astronauts during the Apollo 15 landing, rock from Mars, great photos which show how the earth looks from up close, to outer space, there is also exhibitions, a children’s area, a planetarium, restaurant and lots of experiments to test yourself on. Do not go to Toulouse and not go to the Cite de L’Espace. It is a must visit.

Cite de L’Espace is accessible to disabled people.

Le Chai Saint-Sauveur, 30 rue Bernard-Mule- 31400 Toulouse. Tel: 05 61 54 27 20

This was a brilliant restaurant with a rustic, country feel. The food was amazing and so were the staff. Highly recommended. See the food here.

Terre de Pastel is a museum, boutique, spa and restaurant opened in June 2013 in Toulouse-Labege. The spa is amazing, with lots of different treatments, an idyllic swimming pool, sauna, Turkish bath, jacuzzi, herbal tea shop and a gym. The museum is informative, telling the story of the woad plant which is responsible for the pastel, the wonderful blue colour. You will learn about the history of blue, the symbol of blue, traditional applications and all about the woad plant, which grows in a field and looks like a rapeseed field; pretty and yellow. Sandrine Banessy, the owner and also author of books on woad, showed us how the woad dyes fabric. It was incredibly interesting and the woad will continue to dye the fabric blue until the fabric is dry.

The shop at Terre de Pastel made me want to spend all of my euros and go over my luggage allowance. There is a great selection of homeware, cosmetics, food, haberdashery and books. It is almost all blue. There is also a restaurant with great food and wine.

Le Py-R. 19 descente de la Halle aux Poissons – 31000 Toulouse. Tel: 05 61 25 51 52. Chef Pierre Lambinon has won many awards and it was easy to see why, the food in his small gastronomic restaurant was amazing and unique. Pictures here.

The Victor Hugo Marketplace. This is the most prestigious marketplace in all of France. It has 5 small restaurants on its upper floor. I bought some great cheese here.

All of the above places are where you should go if you visit Toulouse. It is a wonderful city and everyone I know loves it. Frost loves….

For more pictures check out Toulouse in Instagram Pictures Part 1, 2 and 3.

Get the Toulouse en Liberte City Card at the Tourism Office to get more than 250 discounts on hotels, restaurants, museums, shops and tours.You can also explore by boat.

www.toulouse-tourisme.com

www.toulouse-visit.com

www.tourisme-midi-pyrenees.com

www.uk.toulouse-tourisme.com

Have you ever been to Toulouse? Make recommendations below.

About No.1 Traveller – fast facts

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Airport lounge: Birmingham

· Opened October 2012; the first of No.1 Traveller’s lounges outside London

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· Open daily from 0430hrs – 2030hrs; facilities include a range of seating areas across two levels, fully-tended bar, bistro area serving complimentary hot and cold dishes, complimentary newspapers, magazines and internet access

· Entry £27.50 per adult at reception, for up to three hours access (children £17.50 each), £22.50 if booked in advance (children £15)

BMI regional operates over 450 flights a week throughout the UK and Europe with one way prices starting from £59. bmi regional flies from Aberdeen, Antwerp, Bristol, Bremen, Billund, Birmingham, Bristol, Brussels, Copenhagen, Glasgow, Gothenburg, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Esbjerg, Frankfurt, Hannover, Hamburg, Lyon, Milan, Munich, Norwich, Manchester, Toulouse and Zurich. All flights include complimentary food & drink on-board, free 20kg hold baggage allowance and 30 minute check-in. bmi regional is the world’s most punctual airline having recently been crowned the title for the 8^th consecutive year. For more information, visit www.bmiregional.com.

Arty partying in the Secret Garden

Posted on July 10, 2013 by Richard Mylles

An artist's impression of one of the spectacular art installations gracing this year's Secret Garden Party

Luz, by Les Mechants – An artist’s impression of one of Secret Garden Party’s spectacular art installations

Assuming you haven’t been driven mad by Glastonbury envy by now, you will probably be looking for another festival which has managed to bottle a little of that Glasto magic to see you through what’s turning out to be a rather glorious British Summer. Here at Frost, the festival that provided a glint of hope as we unkindly hoped for torrential downpour to rain on the parades of the 180,000 people who hadn’t inexplicably slept through multiple 9am ticket-buying wake-up calls is Secret Garden Party.

It doesn’t boast the monster stadium rock acts of its bigger rival (though headliners Bastille aren’t exactly the My Little Pony of the NME stable) but it does have the same unfakable, unidentifiable, unexplainable vibe that makes Glastonbury quite simply the greatest show on our fair isle.

One of the key parts of that ‘vibe’, beyond the music, the theatre, the lake, and the pyrotechnics, is the art. Huge, ambitious works scatter Secret Garden Party like giants’ toys, some to be interacted with, some gawped at, and some shat on by. Yes.

Lucky Shit by Hungry Castle, is described as “A giant pimped out yellow bird sculpture which, at some undisclosed stage of the festival, will ‘shit’ yellow goo on Gardeners who dare to pass beneath it.”

Luz by Les Mechants, is a giant sculpture cum architectural installation that comprises a glowing purple, pyramidal structure with a collection of carefully arranged mirrors inside. Festival goers are invited to creep inside and lend their (probably beautiful) visages to the sculpture, creating a kaleidoscopic extravaganza of headbands, flower necklaces and good looking humans which would stop Michael Eavis dead in his tracks.

There are nine of these extraordinary works at this year’s festival. They’re funded by commissioned grants via Secret Productions, the team behind Secret Garden Party and the Secret Arts Foundation, with the aim to encourage and support young artists whose work is interactive, thought provoking and suitable for a non-gallery location.

Each year the biggest and most spectacular sculpture is planted right in the middle of the lake. This year’s, somewhat unimaginatively code-named the ‘Middle of the Lake’ sculpture, will remain a closely guarded secret until the Garden opens on the 24th July. However we can offer readers of Frost one enigmatic clue from the conceivers and makers of this year’s sculpture, Pirate Technics:

“About his shadowy sides; above him swell
Huge sponges of millennial growth and height;
And far away into the sickly light,
From many a wondrous grot and secret cell”

So it’ll be something about Eric Pickles taking a bath in a poorly lit motel then. Let us know if you have a better idea!

If you want to join us at Secret Garden Party you can buy tickets here: http://tinyurl.com/at5tgug

Withnail And I Gallery Review

Posted on June 29, 2013 by Daniel McCarthy

The free booze was flowing generously and the sounds of Jimi Hendrix were pounding as Withnail and I returned to their old stomping ground in Camden Town, basking in the glorious summer heat. June sees the start of an exhibition at the Proud Camden Kitchen of a remarkable set of candid, behind the scene stills taken during production of the cult British classic, taken by the renowned film set photographer Murray Close.

Murray Close is considered the go to man for film production photography in a career that has spanned over three decades. He got his big break at the age of nineteen, working for the great Stanley Kubrick (himself a photographer in his youth) on the set of horror adaptation The Shining. The publicity still of Jack Nicholson’s face peering with menace through a freshly axed door has become synonymous with not just that film, but for Nicholson’s bad boy persona and has become an icon of horror cinema. Close has worked for some of the biggest names in the business such as Spielberg and Eastwood, and on some of their best known works. Tucked away in his extensive C.V. is the low-budget 1986 comic drama Withnail and I, written and directed by Bruce Robinson. It’s a semi-autobiographical tale of two out of work actors (Richard E.Grant and Paul McGann) in 1960’s London, who tired of waiting for the phone to ring and drowning themselves in a sea of liquor and lighter fluid, decide to go ‘on holiday by mistake’ to the remote rural setting of Penrith in Cumbria. Their situation improves little. It’s a terrifically British comedy and by that I mean that as hilarious as it gets, every scene is undercut with an overwhelming melancholy. It is every bit as achingly sad as it is funny. Over the years it has become the definition of the word ‘cult’ creating an entire legion of fans across the years, not least amongst countless students who attempt to match drink for drink what the characters consume in the film.

Close’s portraits of the film’s production are a joyful and revealing spectacle. They range from the cosy intimacy of the London based segments (the warmth of Uncle Monty’s flat radiates from images) to the roaming, overwhelming countryside locale that seems to swallow cast and crew whole. The collection captures the comradery of the cast and crew, and also fits in with the almost anarchic tone of the films story. Grant seems to take centre stage in many of the portraits. The character of Withnail can’t help but infiltrate each shot he is in and that unique blend of charisma and chaos permeates from his pictures, as intoxicating as anything he consumes in the film. As he does in the film, McGann remains a calm centre in the midst of his colleagues tomfoolery. His handsome features would not look out of place in a fashion shoot and they create a nice contrast with the displays of comic caricature. Look out to for an appearance from Ringo Starr; fellow Beatle George Harrison was one of the driving forces behind the films production.

The title of Withnail and I: The Finale is given a deeper, bittersweet meaning by the sad passing earlier this year of Richard Griffiths. The established character actor had many hits to his name (Pie In The Sky and Harry Potter were standouts) but none more memorable than that of Uncle Monty; Withnail’s eccentric uncle, fellow would be thespian with a passion for cooking and lust for ‘I’. His gentle yet unmissable presence was another key factor to the films success and its staying power over the years. This gallery serves up a fitting tribute to not just a great character but, by all accounts, a genuinely lovable human being.

Withnail and I: The Finale is running from June 21st to September 1st at Proud Camden, Stables Market in Chalk Farm Road

Designing the Middle East: Part 1 at 19 Greek Street | Art

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Frostie

‘Designing the Middle East: Part 1’ (28 March – 17 May 2013) is the first in a two-part exhibition series presented by Soho design gallery, 19 Greek Street. It will showcase, for the first time in the UK, the work of Tel Aviv designers Noam Dover and Michal Cederbaum, alongside their longterm collaborator, the London based Israeli designer Yoav Reches. The exhibition will also include several works by senior Israeli designers, invited by the exhibitors in order to foster an additional dialogue between the displayed works.
Curated by 19 Greek Street owner and creative director Marc Péridis, ‘Designing the Middle
East: Part 1’ acts as a tribute to the passion, courage and love that exist alongside the terrible
conflict that divides this area of the world.
The exhibition will explore how contemporary design can respond to a reality marked by
conflict and division. It will present an exploration of creative processes within a local context:
how do the characteristics of a place influence our use of tools and materials, and what visual
forms come out of these choices? This perspective demonstrates a unique link between design,
craft and production, formulating a distinctive nature of design and fabrication.
Works such as ‘Saj Tables,’ constructed from the spun steel domes used for making pita bread,
and ‘Concrete,’ vases that explore the relationship between fragility and mass fabricated from a
material not normally associated with craft, highlight this continued questioning of the creative
process and the materials used.
The work by Noam Dover and Michal Cederbaum can be seen to merge the traditions of
craftsmanship with technology, while frequently confusing this relationship. ‘Scan & Scale’
perfectly illustrates this by taking nature, in this case a pebble, as a starting point and recreating
it through computer-aided design via CNC technology. In doing so they seek to stretch the
boundaries of various technologies.
Yoav Reches’ ‘Composition of Air’ celebrates the diversity of and delicate composition of that
most everyday and omnipresent item that surrounds us, namely the air that we breathe. A
collection of ten glass vessels represent the ten most common gases found in the composition of
air and are colour coded according to their industrial charts.

Featuring Tel Aviv designers
Studio Noam Dover and Michal Cederbaum
in collaboration with Yoav Reches
28th March – 17th May 2013
www.19greekstreet.com

Launch Party For Russian Week in London 2013

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Catherine Balavage

The Russian Week in London, Festival Maslenitsa

Frost went along to the amazing restaurant Mari Vanna to celebrate the opening of the Maslenitsa Festival, Russia’s cultural welcome to spring and celebration of pancakes. We greatly enjoyed the canapes and the drinks, including vodka infused strawberry juice. We enjoyed the presentation and talks about the up-coming Russian festival and were told to ‘drink in moderation’ by Boris Johnson. All in all, we had a great time and will be popping down to the Russian Festival. See you there.

The Russian Week in London, Festival Maslenitsa

FREE entry, 13:30–18:30, Saturday 16 March 2013
Trafalgar Square, London, UK

Zdravstvuj! (Hello!) What better way to welcome spring and banish winter than Maslenitsa, the Russian Sun
Festival. This Shrovetide feast before Lent is celebrated the world over with traditional Russian arts and
culture events and, of course, delicious Russian cuisine – including the iconic and delectable blini (pancake).

Organised by Ensemble Productions, London’s Maslenitsa festival has the backing of the Mayor of London
and Natalia Vodianova’s Naked Heart Foundation as official charity partner, and is the largest Russian
celebration of culture, art, music and food outside of Russia. The free event returns for its fifth year on
Saturday 16 March in Trafalgar Square from 13:30-18:30. Coinciding with Maslenitsa celebrations across
Russia, a live satellite link will allow audiences to share in the authentic festival atmosphere and exchange
cultural dialogue as well as highlight important links between the UK and Russia, with a particular emphasis
on the Olympic years of London 2012 and Sochi 2014.

Comments the Mayor of London Boris Johnson:

“I am delighted to give my backing to London’s Maslenitsa celebrations, a sure sign that spring is on its way. London has a large Russian population and this popular event is an opportunity to become immersed in the rich traditions and heritage of that great country. It also offers a taster ahead of Sochi 2014, which is now just a year away and I am sure will be a huge success. Int he meantime, whether you try a delicious blini, pirogi or chebureki, to our friends in Moscow and Russians everywhere have a fantastic Maslenitsa! Maslenitsa gulyaet – vesnu vstrechaet, zimu provoshaet!*”

The popular festival features a variety of activities for all ages including musical performances by Russia’s
leading musical talent, a children’s marquee with songs, competitions and games, and a bustling bazaar
organised by the Russian National Arts and Crafts organisation, with original Russian art, handicrafts and
souvenirs for sale.

Maslenitsa is also known as Pancake Week and there will be plenty of authentic Russian dishes to sample. In
addition to blini there will be other traditional staples such as beef stroganoff and borscht (beetroot soup)
as well as delicacies such as pelmeni (Russian-style pasta).

Maslenitsa 2013 will include, among others, a special visit by Eurovision Contest 2012 stars the Buranovskie
Babushki (Singing Grannies); performances by celebrated folk diva Nadezhda Babkina with her
contemporary take on traditional Russian sounds; young folk group Rodnaya Storonka who cover multiple
genres; the legendary State Academic Ensemble Berezka; the award-winning and innovative Bis-Quit
Quartet; charismatic and much-loved soul Russian artist Petr Nalich accompanied by his band; national
treasure Oleg Gazmanov and one of the most famous Russian rock bands of all time, Smyslovye Galuzinazii.

The festival comes at the culmination of the Russian Maslenitsa Week which includes satellite events across
the city of London. These include the exhibition Treasures of the Royal Courts: Tudors, Stuarts and the
Russian Tsars at the V&A, a culinary evening at Russian restaurant Mari Vanna, a Russia Literary Evening at
Waterstones and a performance by the vivacious Theatre Praktika. This year’s Maslenitsa festival will also see
the first winner of the Maslenitsa Prize for Song and Dance take to stage to entertain the crowds at
Trafalgar Square.

“Due to high interest from the public, the Maslenitsa Festival remains an extremely important cultural event
not just in the UK, but in Europe,” comments Olga Balakleets of Ensemble Productions. “Each year the
festival grows, allowing more and more people to learn about the modern face of Russian culture as well as
its rich cultural heritage.”

Maslenitsa also serves as a platform that fosters business and cultural links between the UK and Russia.
Commented Vitaly Nesis, CEO of Polymetal International, one of Maslenitsa’s event sponsors:

“We are delighted to be supporting the Maslenitsa Festival in London and providing the opportunity for more
people in the United Kingdom to see and experience a range of exciting Russian culture and social events.
As a company that has most of its operations in Russia and many of its shareholders in UK, we are keen to
see the relationship between the two nations prosper backed by thriving business and cultural cooperation.”
Added Dmitry Mints, Chairman of the Management Board of fellow sponsors, O1 Properties, “The
Maslenitsa festival offers audiences in the UK the unique chance to take part in this ancient Russian tradition,
and O1 properties is happy to support this cheerful event.”

A special VIP Gala Dinner will take place on 15 March at the Royal Courts of Justice. Tickets are available for
purchase from Ensemble Productions.

Russian Week in London, Festival Maslenitsa: Line Up

Tuesday 12 March
Culinary Evening
Mari Vanna
Situated in the heart of Knightsbridge, foodies have the chance to sample some of Russia’s spectacular
culinary delicacies, with a special menu curated by celebrity chef Alexander Rappoport.

Wednesday 13 March
Russian Literary Evening
Waterstones, Piccadilly
Book and culture lovers unite in Piccadilly’s iconic bookshop to immerse themselves in the English versions
of Russian best sellers, including a special theatrical performance.

Thursday 14 March
Craft Fair
Russian Culture Centre (Rossotrudnichestvo)
The Kensington High Street-based culture centre will host two sessions – a master class and children’s class
– to introduce DIY lovers to authentic Russian crafts.

Friday 15 March
Talk and tour of Treasures of the Royal Courts
V&A
Art and history fans can explore over 150 objects from Henry VIII to the early Romanovs, including royal
portraits, jewellery and luxury goods, as well as processional armour and heraldry, chronicling the close
relationship between the English monarchy and the Russian Tsars.

Saturday 16 March
Maslenitsa Festival
Trafalgar Square
A day of pancakes, music, art and live performances, this free fun-filled family day brings together people
from all walks of life in a celebration of the coming of spring and the wonderful cultural offerings of Russia.

Sunday 17 March
Edward Boyakov’s Theatre Praktika
Duke of York Theatre
Praktika’s mission is to reflect modern reality in all its complexity and address questions that are of burning
importance to contemporary society – hold onto your hats for the company’s iconic new theatre style and
vibrant energy.

Further information on venue details and event timings will be announced in due course. Updates, along
with a list of performances to take place on the main stage are available on the Maslenitsa Festival website
http://maslenitsa.co.uk/

For more information or to book tickets, call +44 (0) 20 8832 7424

The Russian Week in London, Festival Maslenitsa

Trafalgar Square, London
13:30–18:30
Free
Dates: 11 March 2013 – 17 March 2013

Naked Heart Foundation

Mayor of London, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Embassy of
the Russian Federation in London, Federal Agency Rossotrudnichestvo, Russky Mir Foundation,
Polymetal International, ICT Group, O1 Properties, Lycamobile

About the Naked Heart Foundation

It was the Beslan school siege in 2004 that motivated international model Natalia Vodianova to set up the Naked Heart Foundation. Desperate to do something to help, she had a simple idea – if the young survivors could be distracted by play for at least five minutes each day, it would help them to heal. Providing them with safe outdoor play facilities would redefine their city landscape and act as a form of therapy. The Naked Heart Foundation was set up in the same year, and in 2006 it completed its first play park, five minutes from where Vodianova grew up in Nizhny Novgorod. In 2009, 40 play parks and 30 Russian cities later, Vodianova had fulfilled her dream of giving the children of Beslan their very own Naked Heart play park. To date the charity has built 90 play parks and playgrounds and is now creating a network of family support centres to care for families raising children with disabilities. It also provides funding for dozens of Russian NGOs working in the field and holds an annual international Forum for child development specialists. In 2013 it will open its 100th site. For more information visit www.nakedheart.org or www.facebook.com/NHFcharity

BURANOVSKIE BABUSHKI (SINGING GRANNIES)

Buranovskie Babushki visit The Russian Week in London,

Festival Maslenitsa, 14 & 15 March

Translated as ‘The Grannies from Buranovo’ – or better known to us as the ‘Singing Grannies’ – Buranovskie
Babushki is an ethno-pop band comprising eight elderly, yet sprightly, women. After finishing second in the
2012 Eurovision Song Contest for Russia, the Grannies became an Internet sensation with more than 30,000
hits in less than a week. They will be visiting London in support of the Festival Maslenitsa and will be
attending the British Russian Gala on 15 March at the Royal Courts of Justice as part of the Maslenitsa Week.

The Grannies sing in their native Udmurt, and often surprise audiences by singing covers of Tsoi,
Grebenshchikov and The Beatles. The grannies are currently using their Eurovision money to help rebuild a
local church from their home town Buranovo.

Festival Maslenitsa: FREE entry, 13:30–18:30, Saturday 16 March 2013
Trafalgar Square, London, UK

Festival supported by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson
Official charity partner, Naked Heart Foundation, founded by model Natalia Vodianova
Free entry, family-oriented day of fun and special children’s marquee
Live satellite link between Moscow’s Red Square and London’s Trafalgar Square during festival
Bazaar featuring Russian culinary delicacies and traditional arts and crafts
Tickets to VIP gala reception available through organisers Ensemble Productions
Week of events preceding Maslenitsa Festival includes a literary salon at Waterstones and Russian
delicacies at Mari Vanna restaurant in Knightsbridge

The Affordable Art Fair Returns To Battersea

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Catherine Balavage

Kate Moss, Watercolours on paper, 53x38cm by Cate Parr

£1,950 at SD Gallery

The Affordable Art Fair returns to the Battersea Evolution building in Battersea Park from 7 – 10 March, and they are giving people a chance to Sleep Now, Buy Later…

– Art lovers given chance to sleep on decision before purchase –

In a consumer shopping first, one lucky visitor to the Affordable Art Fair this month will be given the opportunity to ‘sleep with’ their prospective art purchase in order to make a fresh and considered decision after a good night’s rest.

Fair organisers hope to put more first time buyers at ease with the one off concept which will be trialled with a single lucky winner at the Battersea Park event. The idea came as a result of research* which found that nearly half (47 per cent) of people found it helpful to sleep on a decision when making a purchase for the home.

Over half of Brits (51 per cent) admitted to taking up to 24 hours to make a decision when buying a piece of art.

The public can enter to win the chance to ‘sleep before they buy’ by tweeting the hashtag #sleeponit by no later than midday on Wednesday 6 March.

The lucky winner will be notified on Thursday 7 March and invited to attend the fair on the day of their choosing, select their prospective piece of art to sleep with for the night to allow them some time to relax and consider their chosen work.

To announce the initiative, the Affordable Art Fair has created an original image, inspired by a famous installation shown at the Tate, to demonstrate what the winner will experience.

Nicky Wheeler, Fair Director of the Affordable Art Fair Battersea said “We’ve had so many comments from visitors over the years who have found a piece of art they like but are reluctant to make such an important decision on the spot. Often customers fall in love with a piece at first sight but sometimes thinking time can help in making the right decision – one person will be given this chance at the Affordable Art Fair next week.”

The Affordable Art Fair is the UK’s friendliest and most welcoming art fair, well-loved for its informal and un-stuffy atmosphere. With over 100 galleries exhibiting art priced from £40 – £4,000, the fair runs at the Battersea Evolution building in Battersea Park from 7 – 10 March.

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Tag Archives: Art

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