East London gets boost from “WickED”

by YankeeJim | August 1, 2011 at 05:29 am

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Hackney WickED Arts Festival

Artists are most often at the spearhead of community and economic development. They are resourceful and exploit their surroundings to create a better space and place.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-14342074

“30 July 2011

Hackney WickED Art Festival held in east London

Banksy gallery squatters' plans dashed

Galleries and studios in east London have opened their doors to the public for a festival to showcase the East End's art scene.

With 624 studios, Hackney Wick claims to have one of the highest concentrations of artists in the world.

The Hackney WickED Art Festival is promoting the work of international and local artists through local galleries.

With the Olympics close by, many works will depict the impact and opportunities of the Games on artists.

About 25,000 people went to the three-day festival last year.

Artists have been given access to more than 20 buildings in the area to create "pop-up" galleries and studios, in addition to random events on the streets.

"The buildings probably lend themselves to artistic practice," said Laura-May Lewis, the artistic director and co-founder of the festival.

There was "lots of natural light and affordable rent" in an area which had previously been "quite cut off" by the canal, she added.”