Olympic screens go live with graduate's big idea
A large-scale art exhibition, inspired by London 2012 and created by a graduate from the University for the Creative Arts (UCA), has gone live to the nation.
The LIVELIVE Project transforms the BBC's network of 22 city-centre Big Screens, installed around the country for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, into digital art galleries.
Since initiating the venture in June 2010, UCA Canterbury Fine Art graduate Mark Smith has been awarded Cultural Olympiad status, received the official 'Inspire' mark from London 2012 organisers and began its first daily broadcast in January.
Mark, who is 24 and originally from Cambridge, said: "When I visited Dover a few years ago, I saw the Big Screen site and immediately thought that it would be an ideal place to show a curated presentation of local and national artwork.
"In so many of our cities, public space is taken up by commercial advertising but this project is about claiming back digital media sites and use them to create a network of enriching and stimulating works that the public can enjoy.
"Thanks to the support of the BBC and their Big Screen technology I have been able to fulfil my goal of creating a new kind of interactive arts programme which engages new arts audiences and promotes increased interaction with the creative arts."
London 2012 chairman, Lord Sebastian Coe, said: "The LIVELIVE project is encouraging the public to fulfil their potential.
"I am proud that with the help of partners such as LIVELIVE we are delivering our vision to use the power of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games to boost participation in the creative arts."
The Big Screen project is a collaboration between the BBC, LOCOG and UK Local Authorities who want to create 'live sites' for local communities to gather and watch live coverage of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The 25 square-metre displays, which will also show local content, news, events and now art, thanks to Mark, have been installed in city centres nationwide, including Edinburgh, Manchester, Portsmouth and Dover.
Dave Battcock, from the BBC Big Screen Project, said: "I have been working with Mark over the last 18 months on a variety of digital art projects here in the South East and found his enthusiasm and ambition both infectious and impressive."
LIVELIVE, which is broadcast at a different time every day, is already onto its second edition and looking for more artists to submit their work. It is also taking to the streets of the South East with iPads to introduce new audiences to the arts.
"As London prepares to welcome the world, LIVELIVE looks to celebrate global creativity and visual culture, so we're still on the look-out for more talented creatives to send us their work," Mark added.
"All of our programmes are interactive and curated by a unique mix of online discussion and public involvement, so I'd encourage the public to join in on Twitter via our hashtag #followartglobal or @liveliveproject and help create or be featured in our next issue."
For more information visit: www.liveliveproject.com.
For more information contact:
David Reilly, Press Officer, UCA
T: 01252 892939
E: dreilly@ucreative.ac.uk
