Tag Archives: Catherine Balavage

Young people in politics, Part 2; Writer Fran Singh on her love of Labour.

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For the next article on young people in politics I interviewed talented and beautiful writer Fran Singh, 23. She has some great stuff to say.

1) Why did you get involved in politics and why Labour?

I got involved in the politics because of my parents. My dad is a nurse and has been in trade unions all his life and has been BME officer and treasurer for South Wales branch of Unison. My mum was a local politician (council and ran for AM in Welsh Assembly for Labour). The reason Labour was because it’s what I’ve always known, though there was a time when I was a teenager I shunned it entirely precisely because of that fact. As I grew up and began to form own opinions I realised Labour was where I naturally belonged even it wasn’t very rebellious. I just think being from South Wales, and growing up the way I did made me choose Labour. I think there is quite a big poor rich divide in Swansea, and a lot of snobbery about people who rely on benefits. We lived on a council estate in my teens and I soon came to realise not all these people were the dole scroungers you read about in the Mail and were victims of inequality. The Labour party in my view are the only party truly connected with the needs of working class people and have tackling inequality at the top of their agenda.

2) How do you think we get more young people involved in politics?

I really don’t know what can be done to engage more young people in politics. At the end of the day Westminster can be quite scandalous, but on the local politics and the day to day administrative running of national politics can be very dry and often boring. I think better representation in parliament would be the best start. Younger MP’s, black and ethnic minority candidates, more women and people from different backgrounds. Until people in parliament start looking a bit more like the general public and talking on the same level of the people they represent, people will switch off. I think young people will start to become more politically engaged now we are in a coalition come the cuts and rising unemployment which will directly start to impact on their lives.. They sort of woke up a bit at the last election.

3) What is the best thing about being political?

Everything is political. Everything you do, even most mundane things such as paying your gas bill has been shaped somehow from all that really boring stuff that goes on in parliament so I think it is really important people are political and take an interest. The best thing about it is the debate. It feels nice to have an informed opinion and be able to argue your point well. Everyone loves a good row in the pub with their Tory friend. If you know about politics you know a little bit about everything which makes you a good all rounder.

4) How do you feel about Ed Milliband as Labour leader?

I like Ed but I can’t say I was thrilled. In fact I think and I sat in shock shaking my head for about an hour until my colleague asked if I was alright. To me it felt like we were signing ourselves for longer out of power, but I really hope to be proved wrong. I am quite cynical and can’t get swept up in this new generation stuff. I don’t believe the media narrative that he is Red Ed, but you could see the label coming a mile off. Doesn’t matter if it is true or not if it can be used by the media and opposition it will be and shouldn’t be underestimated.

Last time the Tories were in power we had what was represented as a very left wing party and were out of power for ages. I think the people who voted him first choice (I voted DM) were wrapped up in idealism (which is by no means a bad thing, you need to have some optimism, core values and vision) but they neglected the reality. People in the Labour party are generally quite socialist and left wing, but they forget the country isn’t and you can’t make proper changes in opposition. Like the Red Ed tag David was branded a Blairite, everyone forgets Blair saw Labour be in power for three elections. A leader of the Labour party was always going to be left wing, they just need to not be an easy target and have cross party appeal and appeal to non Labour voters. The loyal labour voters are only a small part of the electorate.

5) Can you give me a good canvassing story?

Hmmm, haven’t been out canvassing in ages, slack at election as was during my finals. I went out during election with Emily Thornberry’s team in Islington and David Miliband came along. I knew then I wanted him to lead the Labour party, he was so charming and captivated the room when arrived, everyone just couldn’t stop looking at him. There was a big young crowd out for that too. Did have a rather embarrassing moment. My friend was filming me for a documentary she was making on young people and politics for the election. I was microphoned up and didn’t realise was recording and had my own Gordon Brown Gillian Duffy moment when I realised I’d been recorded for about 10 minutes talking about the then foreign secretary’s arse.

That’s so funny. Thank you Fran.

Jasmine Guinness, Designer, model, toy shop owner and Mum, {Interview}

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Model, designer and Mum-to-be, Jasmine Guinness, posts her petition into the B&Q Green Piggy Bank to support the campaign to cut the VAT on green goods. The aim of the B&Q campaign is to make it easier and more affordable for everyone to live a more sustainable way of life. Just log onto www.diy.com/eco to find out how to sign up.

1) What is your number one eco tip?

I think lots of little things all add up. However I think the most important thing we really need to teach people of all ages is to switch electrical things off. Why do huge office blocks need their lights on all night? They don’t! Why leave your computer plugged in all night or all day? Stand by does not mean off. It is so easy to make sure everything is off before you go to bed or to work. We could save a massive amount of Co2 and money! Surely people want to save money these days. I love the idea of a monitor in every house so we can all see how much money we could save every day.

2) Which eco champion do you most admire?

I have two eco-heroes at the moment. The first is Prince Charles who I admire for his long standing support of green issues, organic farming and caring for our countryside as the finite resource that it is. Not only his support but he has put his time and money where his mouth is and really made a difference to how we think about our environment. He has always stuck to his guns no matter what criticism has been put his way and I really admire that.

My second eco-hero is Lucy Siegle who writes for the Observer on their eco page. She always has new and exciting ways to help us all make life greener and cheaper and is very informative about things we would never otherwise have heard about. She makes you think about things in a different way which is always good and she is also a great writer too!

3) How do you try to live a more sustainable life?

I just try to incorporate small things into everyday life and teach my kids respect for our planet and what she gives us. We recycle, bicycle, buy organic meat, buy vegetables and fruit from the market but none of these things make us truly sustainable. However we do plan to move to Wales where we have bought a small farm. Once there we plan to be as sustainable as possible. I want us to have our own power supply, chickens, fruit and vegetables. It will be hard work but I can’t wait!

Thank you Jasmine.

Art London 2010 {Art Review} by Catherine Balavage

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Where: The Royal Hospital, Chelsea, London SW3
When: Thursday 7 – Monday 11 October 2010
Opening Times: Thursday, Sunday & Monday 11am – 8.30pm
Friday & Saturday 11am – 8pm

Prices: £12 for one, £18 for two – this includes a fully illustrated catalogue
Tickets & enquiries: +44 (0)20 7259 9399 or info@artlondon.net
Transport: Sloane Square Underground

www.artlondon.net

I have attended Art London every year for 3 years. There is a reason I always come back for more, Some 70 art galleries from the UK and around the world are exhibiting at the 12th annual Art London, which opens in the special marquee at the Royal Hospital in London’s fashionable Chelsea from Thursday 7 until Monday 11 October 2010. The eclectic mix of art on sale offers visitors works by internationally renowned names, as well as accomplished emerging artists. The art
comes in many forms and media, including: paintings, drawings, glass works, sculpture and photography. These all sell from a few hundred pounds to six figures sums.

Art London 2010 sees a number of new international contemporary galleries exhibiting including Comodaa (Australia), Dea Orh (Czech Republic) and Villa Del Arte (Spain) as well as other galleries from France, Argentina and Belgium. Returning exhibitors include Whitford Fine Art and the John Martin Gallery. New galleries include Waterhouse & Dodd, Rountree Fine Art and Arthur Ackermann.

HISTORICAL WORKS AT ART LONDON:
This year the fair sees an increased number of exhibitors showing and selling historical works:
Stern Pissarro uniquely specialises in the work of Camille Pissarro and four generations of his artist descendants, of which there are 17. The London gallery is selling an oil painting, full of impressionist texture and colour, by Camille Pissarro (1830-1903), ‘Le Pré avec Cheval Gris, Êragny’ signed and dated C.Pissarro ’93, priced at £1.5 million. Also on the stand will be works by four of his five sons: Lucien, Georges Monzana Pissarro, Ludovic Rodo Pissarro and Paulémile Pissarro. From the third generation, there are paintings by H. Claude Pissarro and his daughter Lélia Pissarro, who is showing part of her new series ‘Beyond the
Spiral’. Lélia Pissarro will be at Art London painting on the stand. Her watercolours sell for between £500 and £1,000 with her oil paintings priced between £5,000, and £10,000.

Whitfield Fine Art returns to Art London for the third time and is bringing a number of historical works, including a signed and dated bronze figure by Sir Eduardo Paolozzi (1924-2005), 1956, (£55,000) and ‘Head of Christ’, a gouache signed and dated ‘51
by Dame Elisabeth Frink (1930-1993). Themes of Christ’s Passion were an enduring inspiration to Frink: her last work, unveiled
at Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral just a week before she died, was the bronze of `Risen Christ’. ‘The Abduction of the Sabines’, an
oil painting by Ceri Richards (1903 -1971), is another highlight on Whitfield Fine Art’s stand. Ceri Richards was fascinated by this
subject and made numerous sketches, influenced by his feelings about the devastation of World War II. This masterpiece was
subsequently acquired by Richards’ patron, Sir Colin Anderson.

John Nash (1893-1977), younger brother of Paul Nash, has become known for his early war subjects. However, leaving London for Buckinghamshire and Suffolk resulted in a change in focus. The collection of watercolours, drawings and illustrations on Rountree Fine Art’s stand demonstrates John Nash’s extensive knowledge of nature and botany. A newcomer to Art London, Rountree Fine Art has a sporting scene by Alfred Munnings and are bringing works by Cecil Aldin and Graham Sutherland. as well as an interesting watercolour ‘The Downed German Zeppelin L19 adrift and sinking in the North Sea’ (English School, Early 20th Century, artist not yet identified). L19 was on route to bomb the port of Liverpool but drifted off course to Wednesbury, an industrial town in the West Midlands. It suffered engine trouble, landing in the North Sea, where it was spotted by a British trawler.
A large collection of Sir Terry Frost’s art (1915-2003), which comes direct from the Frost family, is on show by Arthur Ackermann. Three works including ‘Moon Blue for ‘M’, which was the design for a Mozart LP cover, and ‘Khaki, Emerald Green’, an oil on canvas given by Sir Terry to his son Stephen on his 5th birthday. It hung above Stephen’s bed in their family home in Banbury. Arthur Ackerman also has work by Donald Hamilton Fraser RA (1929-2009) and two Ruskin Spear (1911-1990) oil paintings, which were discovered under the bed of a Chiswick pub landlady, having lain there unframed and wrapped in brown paper for over 30 years. The paintings were Spear’s bar tab, however, he was later barred from the pub for using profanity.

Daniele Pescali established Imago Art Gallery with his wife Elisabetta Tremolada in London in 2007, continuing his grandfather’s tradition of supporting up and coming Italian artists and collecting the finest modern Italian art. Daniele’s grandfather was one of Lucio Fontana’s first patrons and also knew Giorgio Morandi. Works by both these artists are for sale on Imago Art Gallery’s stand, together with emerging sculptor Matteo Pugliese, who had a successful exhibition at Imago earlier this year.

The Court Gallery in Somerset is bringing two extremely rare items: an early Picasso drawing, ‘Personnages et Deux Chiens’ from 1901, and a bronze by the celebrated English sculptor Frank Dobson ‘Wading Female Figure’, a study for Cornucopia, possibly a one-off cast relating to his most important carving, c 1925.
Edinburgh’s Open Eye Gallery has an early oil by Scottish artist John Bellany CBE, RA (b. 1942) ‘The Persecuted’, painted in 1968 during the time when his subject matter was the gritty reality of death and war, priced in the region of £50,000. Bellany numbers Damien Hirst amongst his collectors.

Whitford Fine Art has works by Pop artist Clive Barker, and painters William Gear and Kudditji Kngwarreye. ‘Landscape, Blue Element’ by William Gear, 1959, was painted at the time when this Scottish artist was curator of the Towner Art Gallery in Eastbourne. Aboriginal artist Kudditji Knwarreye’s landscapes include ‘My Country 06’. In September 2009, Prue Gibson wrote in Australian Art Review, “Although Kngwarreye’s paintings are personal, they are also collective. They document the stories of an entire people. They are closer to narrative than traditional landscape scenes.”

CONTEMPORARY PAINTING & PHOTOGRAPHY AT ART LONDON:
The Little Black Gallery, showing at Art London for the first time, is exhibiting a number of photographic works by Terry O’Neill,

Patrick Lichfield and Bob Carlos Clarke whose piece ‘Fantasy Females Are Impossible To Satisfy’ is priced at £7,000.
The Heartbreak Gallery, which recently opened in Marylebone, London, is exhibiting a solo show of works by Anne Magill in advance of her forthcoming launch in New York where she has been included as one of the few artists to be displayed in the new British Airways Concorde lounge at JFK airport.

Prague gallery Dea Orh is showing works by a number of Czech artists including Jakub Spanhel and Stefan Toth, a dynamic young artist and rising star on the Czech art scene whose paintings are most famous for their use of strategies of reinterpretation and appropriation.

The recently opened Apricot Gallery, the UK’s first dedicated gallery for Vietnamese art, whose collectors include the HRH the Duke of York, is exhibiting at the fair for the first time showing a mixture of up and coming and established artists including Do Quang Em, a founding father of the Vietnamese Young artist association, and Le Quy Tong.

Galerie Ariel Sibony from Paris is showing works by Benoit Trimborn who develops his work in rural landscapes, articulating between tradition and contemporaneity. His paintings are built up in layers to achieve a highly realistic effect that nevertheless flirts with subtle abstraction.

Galerie Olivier Waltman, also from Paris, presents photography by Jean-Pierre Attal with his lambda prints mounted on aluminium, Spanish photographer Aleix Plademunt from Spain and Israeli Tali Amitai-Tabib, as well as paintings by Patrice Palacio and New York based Jérôme Lagarrigue. The Metropolitan Opera, in New York, commissioned a large painting by Jérôme Lagarrigue for their last production of Tosca and photographer Tali Amitai-Tabib was commissioned to do a series of photographs on the Camondo Museum in Paris, which were exhibited at the Museum of Jewish Art and History in Paris. She is having a solo show at the Tel Aviv Museum in February next year.
The Woolf Gallery is showing works by artists including Clay Sinclair, who has built his career by painting ‘backwards’ onto his unique medium of Perspex, Marcus Egli and Brighton based Fiona Morley.

NOMINATED CHARITIES:
This year’s charity partners include the British Heart Foundation who will be auctioning off works designed by top British contemporary artists including pieces by John Hoyland, Bruce McLean and Sir Peter Blake.
Organiser Ralph Ward-Jackson, director of Art London, said “Art London has always been eclectic, cosmopolitan and relaxed.”

Featured image:
Fantasy Females Are Impossible To Satisfy, 2004, by Bob Carlos Clarke
24″ x 34″ giclee print, edition of 100, £1,500 + VAT or 41″ x 70″
giclee print, edition of 9, £7,000 + VAT

New play raises funds for Pakistani Flood victims.

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An award winning play about Eva Shloss, Auschwitz survivor and step-sister of Anne Frank, is raising funds for the Pakistani flood victims. The play is supported by leaders from Britain’s Jewish, Muslim and Asian communities as well as other prominent figures, including Zac Goldsmith MP.

At a press conference Eva was joined by the play’s producer/director, Nic Careem, a Muslim. Nic has used the play to combat extremism across the U.K and in many other countries.

Dr. Eva Schloss, announced the special showing that will be on at the Garrick theatre in London. She made this comment:

‘ Many people were saved from the tragedy of the Holocaust through the action of others. A major tragedy is now unfolding in Pakistan with over 14 million people affected by the floods, who are at risk from diseases spread from contaminated drinking water and flooding after further rainfall. There is much we can do to help them.’

For tickets please go to: http://www.remotegoat.co.uk/event_view.php?uid=115080

All proceeds go to charity.

{Disclaimer: Frost’s editor – and writer of this article- is in the play}

Young people in politics, Part 1: Young Conservatives & Zac Goldsmith strike gold at Kingston University.

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I recently joined the Richmond Park Conservatives and Zac Goldsmith at the Kingston University Fresher’s Fayre. Their aim? To start a Kingston Conservative Society. No mean feat since most people, when they are young, are incredibly left leaning. They need at least 10 members, or no go.

None of this is helped by the fact that, directly opposite, is the Socialist worker’s party, The Marxists and, less worrying, the Liberal Democrats. The Socialist Worker party chant, rather inaccurately “No Tory cuts!” When I point out to them it’s “coalition cuts.” I get a blank look.

Left to right: Editor Catherine Balavage, Zac Goldsmith, Ben Howlett.

The Project manager of the event is Gus Magalhaes. I interviewed Gus, 22, who”s Richmond Park CF is Canbury Ward Chairman and is policy formulator. He had some interesting things to say.

1) Why did you go into politics and why conservative?

I went into politics because I was passionate about making a difference in people’s lives and I felt politics was a good way to do this. I am a firm believer in giving individuals the opportunity to shape their own futures and this ties in well with the Conservative way of thinking with ideas such as meritocracy and entrepreneurship.

2) How do you think we get more people involved in politics?

I feel that in order to get more people involved in politics we need to engage them in issues that are relevant to their lives – a bottom up approach as opposed to a top down outlook. The best way this can be achieved is by inspiring localism as opposed to ‘big government’.

3) Tell me about setting up the Kingston Conservative society.

Setting up Kingston University Conservative Society was challenging, and at some points daunting, as in recent years it has failed to get off the ground but it has been worthwhile considering the numbers we have recruited. I am very proud of the society and of everyone who worked with me to achieve it success.

4) How big a help has Zac Goldsmith been to CF?

Zac Goldsmith has played a pivotal role in CF in Richmond as he has taken a keen interest in supporting its objectives and has provided vital support on numerous occasions. Zac himself has made CF a more formidable and respectable force within the Conservative Party.

5) You got 186 members. How does that feel?

Cracking! I am overwhelmed by the amount of students that signed up to the society over the two days of Fresher’s Fayre. This is a true testament to what I said before about engaging people in the right way in politics – you can get people interested in politics if it is presented in the right way. No one would have expected Kingston University to have delivered the biggest Conservative Society in London.

Gus Magalhaes

6) The Socialist worker’s party has been unpleasant. What is your reaction to people who automatically think all Tories are evil?

One of the great things about our country is that everyone is entitled to their own opinions, whichever side of the political spectrum that you may stand. Our challenge as Conservatives should be to continue to try and engage as many people in politics as possible.

7) What’s next?

The first and most important priority is to ensure that Kingston University Conservative Society continues to build on its recent success and build on its membership. After that, I would love to help in making Kingston – upon – Thames a Conservative seat once again.

Gus is joined by Ben Mallet, Nicholas Clarke, Ben Howlett – Who, a few days later, gets voted in to be Conservative Future Chairman-, Carrie Apples Symonds and Charlotte Borg. All young and passionate people who believe in making a difference.

I bring along Frost photographer, Anthony Epes to take pictures and the day ends up becoming an unqualified success. They get 186 new members. None of this is hurt by the presence of Zac Goldsmith. He pacifies the Socialist Worker’s party by listening to their questions and answering them with grace and dignity. He walks around the fayre and gives people his email address, invites them to have coffee with him. His manners stretch to the CF members. They are called ‘tory scum’ for two solid days and give it the contempt it deserves. One wonders why someone’s political believes means that can’t be friends with someone who has different ones. What a dull world that would be.

This is what Zac Goldsmith had to say about the fair: “there was real enthusiasm among students, but even so, I was amazed by the number of new members. I look forward to holding lots of events at the University.”

If you are a young person in politics and have a story to tell, contact info@frostmagazine.com

Boyarde on Saatchi, Belize, Charlotte Dellal: How an artist finds their voice. {Art}

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I met artist Boyarde through her mother, Nike. I was immediately taken by how original and beautiful her work is. I think Boyarde is a visionary. So, even though she is ridiculously busy, I got her to sit down and tell me about how she makes her fabulous photography, her inspiration and her idea to create a new piece with the help of her friend Charlotte Dellal. Read on…

Boyarde.
I was always destined to be a painter, at school at Bedales, everyone ‘knew’ I was going to be a great painter one day, destined for big things; after going on to do my foundation at Wimbledon School of Art, I suddenly dropped the paint brush, flipped the coin, and decided to do a degree in photography much to everyone’s surprise. And for years i listened to ‘she was so talented, she should have stuck to painting, her photographs are nice, but her paintings were stunning’…. I set out to prove them all wrong!

I was doing commercial photography in London after graduating with BA hons in photography from Bournemouth Arts Institute. At first i wanted to go into fashion, to follow in my mothers foot steps, but it became clear i was more of an environmental portraitist, interested in creative portraits from album covers to even doing music videos. In late 2006 my great friend set up her art company and asked me to create a body of work for her first show in Fulham, she said I had 2 months!

So having studied Kitsch and Post feminism at uni I decided to follow my love: to photograph and empower the female body, and to bring out the inner goddess.. I had dipped in and out of this idea for a while but now it was time to create. So out of nowhere i whipped up my goddess photographs and sold and got incredible feedback; i suddenly realized that perhaps i was a photographic artist after all, as i had never felt worthy enough to actually put my pictures on the wall.

The show was at the end of 2006 and i had my tickets booked already to go for three and a half weeks to Belize, in Central America, to photograph a friends wedding, and go and hang out at their brand new restaurant. I had never heard of Belize, I didn’t even bother to look what part of the globe i was going to! But it became pretty apparent that within a week or so, i had taken more creative pictures there than i had in 2 years in London. I felt so free, i felt alive, and the combination of the sun, the simplicity of the Caribbean lifestyle, the free spirit of the people and my subconscious need to get away from the constraints of the London rat race, enabled me to feel truly inspired for the first time in years.

The rest is history and when i came back i had this empty feeling inside that i had left my heart in Belize. So i started exhibiting my work and got the money to go back for a few weeks by myself which at the time seemed totally normal but actually i see was a bit bonkers! But i had made friends, i had found my place in a little village, and i was welcomed back with open arms. It was there that i had already made friends with this gorgeous belizean girl whose self esteem was completely battered. In Belize, it is not normal to photograph women the way i do, to photograph them nude. But this girl saw my work and she loved it and she asked me to photograph her. She became my belizean goddess, my muse and we started doing lots of photographs together. I brought a set of body paints over, i missed painting so much and was desperate to find a way to incorporate the brush, and through the help of the paint covering her body in one sense, it helped her to release her body in the other: i brought out her inner goddess. I started showing the work over here, and the reaction was incredible.

Nudity in photography is a strange thing in the western world still, but in a third world country it can automatically be seen as dirty or wrong. Men and more importantly, women, loved the pictures and i started getting other girls asking me to photograph them, it was such an amazing feeling knowing i was helping to transform the way the women looked at their bodies in a alpha male dominated country. My original muse gave me the biggest compliment of my life: she told me i had transformed her life forever and made her see how beautiful she was, i had given her her confidence back and her self esteem and she was proud of her body.
I still had many hurdles to over come with the stigma attached to nude photography, but i carefully and quietly started to build my new portfolio of photographs up.

I had to come back to England where i realised i needed to have Belize in my life, and slowly started the transition of my dual life, half in Belize, half in London. In the mean time i continued to exhibit in London, and i quickly saw that another element of my nudes, the bottoms photographs, were incredibly popular. what started from a snap shot of my girlfriend’s bottom sunbathing in the south of France in a pair of ‘naughty’ knicker on a totally accidentally matching colour towel, that sat on my computer hard drive for two years, quickly escalated into my best selling piece!

The Cynthia Corbett gallery in London, took my work on, starting with just the bottoms, and they were a huge success, selling my colourful bottoms in London, New York and Paris. We realised i was onto something, the demand for bottoms was high. I think it is because my bottoms are nudes technically, but they are fun, frivolous, mischievous and very colourful. they are sensual at best and definitely not sexual.

So i took this idea over to Belize, with my brand new set of paints and started slowly on creating a new body of hand painted bottoms to compliment my hand painted nudes. I was covering the idea of bringing out the inner goddess, from all angles, literally!!! My painted bottoms in the style of zebra and leopard patterns caught on, and despite the beginning of the recession, people still wanted bottoms!

So i go every year to my beloved Belize, where life is so simple, to create my body of work to get my inspiration. Life there is funny, it has helped me grow enormously as a person, and when i come back i appreciate London so much more, but i learn to disconnect from the parts i don’t like. London is a rat race, its mutli cultural and glorious but it can be so crammed with layers of whose who and whats what, and whose got the best job and the best restaurant reservation, that sometimes people don’t actually get to ‘live’ their lives. They stop feeling extreme emotion, smothered by the layers of London, so that some people never truly unravel their full potential.

In Belize, sitting on the beach in a small village, when life is hard, its really hard, and when life is great, it is fantastic and orgasmic, there are no layers to cover up those simple reactions and emotions. I have been through a lot of good times there and also bad times, but i cherish them all for helping to actually feel my true emotions and not cover them up conveniently under layers of cotton wool. It has also helped me appreciate the simpler things in life, i am quite a odd bod now, i am just as happy sitting on the beach, eating a plate of rice n beans, and playing cards in a pair of flip flops and jeans, as i am dressing up in a pair of sky scraper shoes, going for delicious dinner in a gorgeous restaurant in London, drinking sumptuous burgundy white wine! I love London, through Belize, Belize has helped me to love London… but i do love my simple life!

Anyway, so my dual life started, i started making the bottoms and it is this year that i threw myself into it and created a massive new collection of hand painted bottoms, i had so much fun painting, the women had so much fun, it was so liberating! And this collection is going to be exhibited, split between the Saatchi gallery and Art London Chelsea both at the same time!

and bouncing backwards a bit…

Tracey, the founder of Art of Giving came to one of my shows last year, i was exhibiting with Jason Bradbury, and she loved my work and immediately asked me to be involved in the Saatchi show and of course i was delighted and said yes yes yes!

It was only this year in July that i came up with the idea of doing an actual body painting installation for the event; this occurred because i was starting to get so bored of having to repeatedly tell people i hand painted the bodies, not the photographs, and nor did i project paintings onto the photographs. Even standing in front of my art pieces, the photographs of painted bodies, people still get so confused! And i technically am a trained painter, and i love painting i miss it when i don’t get to paint, so what a great idea to get the message across in the most gorgeously fabulous way! I was then asked to team it up with some kind of fashion designer for example and immediately jumped to mind, was my great friend Charlotte Dellal and her amazing shoes. She is so talented and her shoes are like pieces of art work in their own right. I have 5 pairs!!!! whenever i wear them to my private views i always get people asking about them and asking to take pictures its brilliant, although sometimes i say ‘you can photograph my feet in front of my art work’ ha ha!

I asked Charlotte and said i wanted to paint some godesses in the style of her shoes and she thought it was a brilliant idea. and that is that! I am currently making the designs for the body paints, but its going to be spectacular, no expense spared. Charles Fox, professional makeup, where i get all my body paint from is sponsoring me and we are going to make these girls look incredible, there is no way you are not going to notice these women! I am also trying to promote healthier toned curvy women, and am not using below a size 10, i want girls who look after themselves but eat healthily and embrace their bodies, and together we are going to liberate the inner goddess tee hee!

Victoria Aitken on music, film and fashion.

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1) You have tried a few different careers in your life. What is your favorite?

Same ones as you…Aren’t you also a writer and actress ? [I am indeed – Editor] I love being a singer songwriter as its a combination of being a writer and actress. But love acting too as its so fun-I almost gave it up but this year was great-a fun film I just acted in Persuite just got into rain dance and this summer I acted in film – called the lotus eaters, the script was amazing- and they have lots of great bands music in the film.

2) Who are your musical influences?

Ace of Base, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Dave Aude – I love his remixes- I also was just listening to some Bimbo Jones remixes which are great.

3) Who is the most inspirational person you have ever met?

That varies from time to time, right now its very inspirational listening to Glam Scum radio -its not your usual kind of radio station , check out www.glamscum.com

4) Do you think being called Aitken is a help or a hindrance ?

In music- a hindrance for fashion parties it helps- helps with some things, hinders things with others.

5) Your music career is going well. How does that feel?

It feels amazing ! I can hardly believe I’ve had 4 songs in the charts one after the other.

6) Where do you get the inspiration for your songs?

Usually men ! As Lady Gaga’ would say usually from some “Bad Romance”

7) Where do you hang out in London?

Bungalow 8 , Whisky Mist – Piers Adam is amazing- I ran into him in the street recently and he has been very kind. Also Guy Pelly- who used to be the man behind Mahiki has a new venture (place) coming soon and knowing him, it will be somewhere amazing –

8) What are your favorite designers?

Latisha Reuss- I love her rings, Just Bluff for T-shirts, Gina for shoes,
Mecura sunglasses are amazing.

9) What is your proudest moment?

Getting to number 7 in the dance charts without a record label.

10) What’s next?

New songs

Thank you Victoria.

ENGLAND RUGBY STARS CLOSE LONDON FASHION WEEK IN STYLE BY STRIPPING OFF FOR CHARITY

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It takes a lot to get Genevieve and I excited. Rugby stars Ugo Monye, Danny Care, Nils Mordt and Seb Stegmann stripping off to help Ghanaian children’s charity AfriKids, managed to do it though.

Perfectly toned Rugby stars Ugo Monye, Danny Care, Nils Mordt and Seb Stegmann got their kit off in support of Deutsche Bank’s charity of the year, AfriKids, bringing London Fashion Week to a close with The Alternative London Fashion Event. I have never heard grown women scream so much in my life.

Monye made his first public appearance for the Ghanaian children’s charity AfriKids, bringing along his England Rugby pals to bare all (well, almost!) for the evening and support the event, at the exclusive One Mayfair. The beautiful converted church setting showcased some of the world’s most recognised designer’s autumn and winter collection pieces, alongside some African designers connected to AfriKids. Not only did the England stars parade in the designer underwear, but guests also bid for the skimpy items protecting their modesty in an auction at the end of the night.

Thanks to the likes of Jaeger, Ted Baker, The Couture Gallery, Wolford, Frank Usher and many other designers who donated pieces from their latest collections, nearly £20,000 was generated on the night which will go directly to help improve life for Ghana’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged children, including the ‘spirit children’.

During the evening the audience were also given the chance to bid for a dinner date with Ugo and former England Captain Nick Easter

About AfriKids.

AfriKids is a Child Rights organisation set up nearly a decade ago to work on traditional children’s projects including foster homes, schools and street child centres and also more groundbreaking initiatives which tackle complex cultural issues, including child trafficking, child labour and the spirit child phenomenon. During her gap year in 1997, Georgie Fienberg, Founder of AfriKids, realised that there was a dire need to prevent the deaths of so-called ‘spirit children’. ‘Spirit Children’ are those whose mothers die during childbirth, which are then regarded by African society and culture as outcasts to live and survive on the fringes of society.

As well as financing and delivering sustainable child rights projects, AfriKids owns and runs businesses, including a medical centre, an eco-lodge and several ethical trade programmes. AfriKids aims for its Western office, based in London, to be redundant by 2018.

www.afrikids.org