World Art Advisor Pays Tribute to The Bogside Artists

World art expert, consultant, and art advisor to governments, Professor Franco Bianchini pays tribute to The Bogside Artists at their studio in Derry, N.Ireland. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) November 08, 2009 - Culture after Conflict at The Bogside Artists’ Studio

This Friday 6th November 2009 there took place at The Bogside Artists Gallery, Derry in N.Ireland, an important and very significant seminar chaired by world art authority Professor Franco Bianchini. The subject was Culture and Regeneration; addressing the gaps between policy rhetoric and economic and social realities and opening a new public debate about the role of artists in cities of conflict.

This is a major coup for The Bogside Artists who are rapidly gaining recognition from the art world for their outstanding public murals situated in the Bogside area of their native city. Tom Kelly, in his address, expressed thanks to Ian Hunter of Littoral, an organization devoted to freedom of expression around the world, for making it possible.

Present at the symposium were many of the city’s leading figures including Nobel Laureate John Hume, local Mayor Paul Fleming, and VIPs from the Belfast Arts council and the Derry City council. The professor sang the praises of The Bogside Artists, Tom Kelly, William Kelly and Kevin Hasson, and of their work and expressed dismay as to why Belfast and not Derry had been nominated as the European Cultural Capital for last year. Tom Kelly, spokesman for the group, said later; “It is no mystery why Derry was passed over for the Cultural Capital title because the politics of appeasement has meant the dumbing down of the Bogside in general and of our murals in particular which explains why the lights that were promised for them five years ago have not materialized and probably never will. We are grateful to Professor Bianchini for recognizing what we have achieved and what it means, in terms of art, for the rest of the world.”

(http://www.bogsideartists.com)

Dr Franco Bianchini is presently Professor of Cultural Policy and Planning at Leeds Metropolitan University, formerly Reader in Cultural Planning and Policy, Director of the Cultural Planning Research Unit, and Programme Leader for the MA in European Cultural Planning at De Montfort University, Leicester.

He has acted as advisor and researcher on cultural planning strategies and projects in various European countries, on behalf of organisations such as the Arts Council of Britain, the Council of Europe, the European Commission and the European Task force on Culture and Development.

Lectured on urban and regional cultural policy and planning issues in many countries including Ireland, the UK, Sweden, Finland,
Denmark, Russia, Poland, Spain, Greece and Italy. He was chosen by the European Parliament to serve on the international panel of experts responsible for recommending the city to be selected as European Capital of Culture for 2005.

His books include “Planning for the Intercultural City” (with Jude Bloomfield, Comedia, 2004), “Culture and Neighbourhoods”: a Comparative Report (with L.Ghilardi, Santacatterina, Strasbourg, 1997), “The Creative City” (with C. Landry, 1995), “Cultural Policy and Urban Regeneration”, “The West European Experience “(with M Parkinson, 1993) and “City Centres, City Cultures” (with M Fisher et al., 1988).

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