Media Release: Defence of the Public Realm (PDF)

Media Release: Defence of the Public Realm. 6pm, Monday 25th June 2012. The Great Hall, Bishopsgate Institute, 230 Bishopsgate, London, EC2M 4QH.

As London prepares to host the Olympic Games, military and security forces are being mobilized on a scale not seen since the Second World War. Our freedom to move through our city spaces will be monitored and restricted during this time.

Local authorities are selling off record amounts of parks, playing fields and allotments to the private sector. Does the privatisation of our public spaces together with arbitrary restrictions and controls – backed up with state of the art monitoring systems – constitute a threat to individual liberty, and does it also reveal a fundamental democratic deficit for society as a whole?

What is the reason for this tight control of the public realm, and how does it affect our freedom of expression, or that of the photographer, artist, protester, skateboarder, graffiti artist or rough sleeper? You?

The Speakers

Andrew Altman, Chief Executive, Olympic Park Legacy Company Limited.

Iain Borden, Professor of Architecture and Urban Culture at the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL and author of Skateboarding Space and the City: Architecture and the Body.

Anna Minton, writer and journalist. Author of Ground Control.

Robin Priestley, skateboarder and founding member of the Space Hijackers.

Anna Strongman, Project Director at Argent Group, working on Estate Management at King’s Cross Group.

Marc Vallée, documentary photographer whose work covers the London graffiti scene, anti-skateboarding architecture and political dissent.

Olly Zanetti, writer and journalist specialising in environmental issues, urbanism and political cultures.

Notes to editors.

“Defence of the Public Realm” – defenceofthepublicrealm.com

“London Festival of Architecture 2012″ – lfa2012.org

“Facebook Event” – facebook.com

Defence of the Public Realm is a free public event: 6pm, Monday 25th June 2012. The Great Hall, Bishopsgate Institute, 230 Bishopsgate, London, EC2M 4QH. The event will be.

The event is organised and hosted by Grant Smith, Jonathan Warren and Marc Vallée. With support from INGMEDIA.

Contact:
Grant Smith: grant@grant-smith.com
Marc Vallée: marc@marcvallee.co.uk

Over the last month or so I have been helping to pull together this event which is part of the London Festival of Architecture 2012. The list of speakers is strong plus we have a great venue. Please repost and link like crazy!

“Defence of the Public Realm” – defenceofthepublicrealm.com

“London Festival of Architecture 2012″ – lfa2012.org

“Facebook Event” – facebook.com

The privatisation of our public spaces along with arbitrary restrictions and controls – backed up with state of the art monitoring systems – is not only a threat to individual liberty, it also reveals a fundamental democratic deficit for society as a whole.

Who controls the ‘public’ realm? In whose name and for what purpose is this space used? Why is the protester, photographer, skateboarder, rough sleeper and graffiti writer demonised and excluded?

Why are local authorities selling off record amounts of parks, playing fields and allotments to the private sector with little or no oversight from communities and local people?

During the Olympic Games, the biggest mobilisation of military and security forces since the Second World War is to be implemented. How will our freedom to move through and engage in these spaces be monitored and restricted during this time?

The Speakers

Andrew Altman, Chief Executive, Olympic Park Legacy Company Limited.

Iain Borden, Professor of Architecture and Urban Culture at the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL and author of Skateboarding Space and the City: Architecture and the Body.

Anna Minton, writer and journalist. Author of Ground Control.

Robin Priestley, skateboarder and founding member of the Space Hijackers.

Anna Strongman, Project Director at Argent Group, working on Estate Management at King’s Cross Group.

Marc Vallée, documentary photographer whose work covers the London graffiti scene, anti-skateboarding architecture and political dissent.

Olly Zanetti, writer and journalist specialising in environmental issues, urbanism and political cultures.

Join the debate and come to Defence of the Public Realm free public event: 6pm, Monday 25th June 2012 at the Great Hall, Bishopsgate Institute, 230 Bishopsgate, London, EC2M 4QH.

The event will be chaired by Grant Smith, the acclaimed architectural photographer. Event organised and hosted by Grant Smith, Jonathan Warren and Marc Vallée. With support from INGMEDIA.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 20.08.11. A graffiti artist on Leake Street near Waterloo Train Station on Saturday 20 August 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2011. All rights reserved.

Marc Vallée Picture Library – marcvallee.co.uk

In no particular order here are my top ten pictures from 2011. It’s been a great year picture wise and I hope you enjoy this edit. I’m pretty much done for this year so see you all back here in 2012.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 14.08.11. Model Joe Ingham on a roof in Soho on Sunday 14 August 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2011. All rights reserved.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 21.09.11. Graffiti artist on Leake Street near Waterloo Train Station on Wednesday 21 September 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2011. All rights reserved.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 15.09.11. Graffiti artist on Leake Street near Waterloo Train Station on Wednesday 15 September 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2011. All rights reserved.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 16.10.11. Leake Street near Waterloo Train Station on Sunday 16 October 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2011. All rights reserved.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 15.09.11. Graffiti artist on Leake Street near Waterloo Train Station on Wednesday 15 September 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2011. All rights reserved.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 04.06.11. A set of anti-skateboarding devices in the City of London on Saturday 4 June 2011 in London, England. Anti-skateboarding devices are deployed by private corporations and local government. The aim is to reshape individual and group behavior and discourage skateboarders from using a particular public or semi public space. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2011. All rights reserved.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 06.01.11. French male sex worker Thierry Schaffauser and president of the GMB-IUSW, Adult Entertainment branch at home on Thursday 6th January 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2011. All rights reserved.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 02.07.11. ‘Pink & Black Glitter Bloc’ stage a die-in against the impact of government cuts at London’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride on Saturday 2 July 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2011. All rights reserved.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 15.09.11. Graffiti artist on Leake Street near Waterloo Train Station on Wednesday 15 September 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2011. All rights reserved.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 06.06.11. Robin Priestley, also known as ‘Agent Bristly Pioneer’, poses for a portrait on Monday 6 June 2011 in London, England. Skateboarder Robin Priestley is one of the founding members of the Space Hijackers. The Space Hijackers are an art/protest group that is dedicated to exposing and campaigning against the encroachment of public spaces by private corporations. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2011. All rights reserved.

Link: Click here to view more pictures.

Clients: Pictures are available for rights managed editorial licensing. High resolution images are available on request.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 06.06.11. Robin Priestley, also known as ‘Agent Bristly Pioneer’, skateboarding at the Undercroft on the Southbank on Monday 6 June 2011 in London, England. Skateboarder Robin Priestley is one of the founding members of the Space Hijackers. The Space Hijackers are an art/protest group that is dedicated to exposing and campaigning against the encroachment of public spaces by private corporations. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2011. All rights reserved.