Hello everyone,
-for your support and attention for just a few
minutes. Nearly a year ago we were going full whack to try and get the
Cooling Towers in Tinsley, Sheffield, to be part of Channel 4' s Big Art
Project. Thanks to you lot, we managed to get down to the final 6 winning
sites and had the chance to make the Cooling towers project a reality. There
was only one problem...Eon (the company that own Powergen). They own the
towers, and the land around them, and were not interested in supporting any
kind of artwork on the site. They announced that they were going to demolish
the towers as they were unsafe.
-for your support and attention for just a few
minutes. Nearly a year ago we were going full whack to try and get the
Cooling Towers in Tinsley, Sheffield, to be part of Channel 4' s Big Art
Project. Thanks to you lot, we managed to get down to the final 6 winning
sites and had the chance to make the Cooling towers project a reality. There
was only one problem...Eon (the company that own Powergen). They own the
towers, and the land around them, and were not interested in supporting any
kind of artwork on the site. They announced that they were going to demolish
the towers as they were unsafe.
That was then. Now, after several months of site surveys, negotiation and
political goings on way above our heads, Eon have come to their final
decision. And surprise bloody surprise, they haven't budged an inch. The
towers are still meant to be coming down by the end of this year.
Eon, clearly, are idiots. They have listed all the reasons why the towers
have to come down, but have failed to choose very valid ones. They claim
that the majority of Sheffield is in favour of the towers being demolished.
What they have overlooked, is that their survey is of 500 people, with only
half of that (250) favouring demolition. If their maths is as good as ours,
then they have forgotten the fact that nearly 500 of you, including local
councillors and Antony Gormley, nominated the towers for the Big Art
Project. In my book, that's a few more.
They also claim that their plan will bring more jobs to the area. Oh dear,
they're wrong again. Will they never learn? Building a massive Toys R Us or
whatever they go for, will not usher Sheffield into a Golden Age of economic
happiness. Whereas, potentially, an internationally acclaimed artwork, and
new icon for the city, might just attract a bit of attention and investment.
Clearly, I should be mayor.
We wanted to tell you all this because you are the ones who helped us get
this far, and we couldn't have done it without you. You deserve to find out
like this rather than reading it in the papers.
But we may need to call upon your good nature again at some point soon.
We're not willing to let some goon from an electricity company tell us that
Sheffield is not worth it. We're not willing to let someone without even the
tiniest bit of vision stop us after we've come this far. Without meaning to
get all OTT and melodramatic, this is war.
It's The People versus. Eon will wish they'd never started on us. We're
double hard and all that. The thing is, who determines what our landmarks
should be? Who chooses the way we want our city to be? Who decides what to
do with our icons?
We don't think it should be some suit who doesn't get it.
This city is yours.
We'll be in touch.
Go x
--
GO Sheffield
Post-industrial City Lovers
>>>>
http://www.dontgo.co.uk >>>>http:// pretentiousartist.com
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Comments
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What are you on?
03.10.2006 15:09
If you think it's acceptable to risk the towers falling on the M1 for the sake of art then you have something missing. Take off those tunnel specs and use your brain. Art has its place but when it compromises safety then it comes lower on the pecking order. I fail to see how structural performance is not a valid reason for demolishing them.
Now you're going to say the towers can be repaired. Not without shutting the M1 for a few months. Given the cost of maintenance and cost of shutting the M1 for a few months - for information a 2 hour M1 closure costs £250,000 - the cost far far out weighs the benefit of a painting.
This is war? There are millions of children in the world who haven't eaten today. Grow up and fight a real crusade.
Simon