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Press Releases
Major interactive and online initiative to support Simon Schama's Power of Art
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The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ and Arts Council England are working in partnership to deliver a range
of off-air content, on interactive TV and online, to support Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ TWO's new arts
series Simon Schama's Power of Art.
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Combining the expertise of the two largest supporters of the arts in England,
this additional content will allow viewers to take their interest beyond their
television screens and into galleries and museums across the country through a
series of interactive online maps, private views, city guides and artists'
commissions.
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In the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ series, Simon Schama recounts the remarkable story of eight moments
of high drama in the making of eight masterpieces, from Caravaggio's David with
the Head of Goliath to Picasso's Guernica.
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The interactive and online content will make a link between the historical works
of the series and contemporary work available to view in the UK.
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It will
include:
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 Inspired By: Eight leading figures from the worlds of art and culture
will each discuss contemporary and classical artworks relating to the artists in
the TV series.
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These films will be accessed by pressing the red button straight
after the programmes and on the dedicated website bbc.co.uk/powerofart (not yet live).
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All
the artworks will be available to view in galleries across the UK. Interviewees
include Ekow Eshun, Jack Vettriano, Gavin Turk and Alison Jackson. Μύ
Interactive Maps: A series of interactive maps will feature tours for
each of the eight artists from the TV series, revealing where audiences can view
their works in UK galleries.
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It will also offer Art Tours detailing the artworks
chosen by the eight interviewees above. The maps are available on the website. Μύ
City Art Tours: The website will also feature cultural guides to 14 UK
cities.
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The guides will provide details of exciting art to view in museums,
galleries and public spaces, with the focus on artworks which explore the themes
of the TV series.
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The Arts Council website will also list exhibitions taking
place outside the 14 cities Μύ
Artist commissions: Ten contemporary artists have been commissioned to
produce Alternative Art Tours for the Web and mobile devices that explore the
power of art in the city.
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Each artist will tour and document their chosen UK
city to produce an exclusive guide available via next generation web sites. Μύ
Mobile content: When visiting works featured in the TV series and
online, viewers will be invited to text a special number to access information
about the artworks and the series.
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With an introduction by Simon Schama, users
will be able to hear the audio commentary from the interviews as well as collect
exclusive content from the arts commissions. Μύ
Peter Hewitt, Chief Executive, Arts Council England, said: "An integral part of the Arts Council's vision and commitment to the visual arts
is to encourage greater links between contemporary art and the art of the past.
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"By working with the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ to develop interactive and online content for Simon
Schama's Power of Art, this ambition has been realised, offering audiences the
opportunity to see the links between artists from the TV series and contemporary
and classical artworks in galleries across the UK.
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"Our partnership also allows
us to achieve our shared aspiration to get more people participating in the
arts."
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Liz Cleaver, Controller of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Learning & Interactive, said: "We are delighted to be working with the Arts Council to produce such an
exciting interactive offer for our landmark TV series Simon Schama's Power of
Art.
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"Produced across a wide variety of platforms it allows you to explore the themes
of the series in a much wider context and take it with you to the gallery and
the city street.
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"The personal choices made by the cultural commentators are bold and daring, like
the series, and satisfy one of our key aims - to get people talking about art.
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"Based on these suggestions we are taking people on journeys across the country
to look and experience art they know and art they don't."
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Notes to Editors
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1. Simon Schama's Power of Art will be shown on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ TWO in October 2006. The
eight artists and artworks featured are: Caravaggio's David with the Head of
Goliath; Bernini's Ecstasy of St Theresa; Rembrandt's Conspiracy of Claudius
Civilis; Jacques-Louis David's Marat; Turner's Slave Ships with Slavers Throwing
the Dead and Dying Overboard; Van Gogh's Wheatfield with Crows; Picasso's
Guernica; and Mark Rothko's suite of paintings for the Seagram Building
restaurant, the Four Seasons in New York
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2. The eight Private Views interviewees and the artists they will discuss
are: Charles Saumarez-Smith on Caravaggio; Antony Gormley on Bernini; Alison
Jackson on Rembrandt; Gavin Turk on David; Ekow Eshun on Turner; Jack Vettriano
on Van Gogh; Iwona Blazwick on Picasso; and Kirsty Wark on Rothko.
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3. The 14 cities featured in the Cultural City Guides are: Belfast,
Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds,
Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle and Nottingham.
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4. The 10 artists commissioned to produced new works and the cities upon
which their works will be based are: Mary Yacoob - Birmingham; Richard
Billingham - Brighton; Yara el-Sherbini - Bristol; Richard Dedomenici -
Cambridge; Lone Twin - Leeds; Ian Forysth and Jane Pollard - Liverpool; Stewart
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ - London; International 3 - Manchester; Matt Stokes - Newcastle and Adele
Prince - Nottingham.
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5. Clips from the series and the interviews with eight cultural
commentators will be shown on the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's big screens around the UK.
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