No Art Please, We're British!

For those of you who have been following us, you'll know that we've been desperately trying to get through bureaucratic red tape to gain permission for an integral part of the London leg of Travelling Light. One of the Travelling Light submissions consists of a public art intervention, and it forms a central part of the artist's practice and research. A visionary and beautifully simple work, planned to take place in parallel in London and Venice. We can't divulge details of who, what or when, but suffice to say we are still in a bit of a headlock with various gov. officials who seem to lack vision and imagination. Ridiculous when you consider that important cities as diverse and widespread as Rome, Paris, Adelaide, Cairo, Edinburgh and Oxford, have all already given permission. The bishop of another Italian city (who recently gave the go ahead for the same happening in July 2009) even declared "The church should not interfere with art and artists."

And yet...London...this great city, home to perhaps the largest concentration of art and artists in the world, seems unwilling to support and promote its emerging artists and arts organisations for fear that the work may spark guerilla, copycat events or result in an increase in similar requests bombarding an already busy council office. While we understand all the security, health & safety, conservation and heritage issues around our planned event AND have everything in place to satisfy the authorities - all at no financial cost to them, whatsoever - we are still being fobbed off again and again with new excuses...

We shall not be moved!

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