Media Advisory - 23 April

MEDIA ADVISORY - 23rd April 2008

What’s the link?

Joan Bakewell, The Paddingtons, Nobel Laureate, Mairead Corrigan McGuire, Nitin Sawhney, Phoenix Dance Theatre

The Next Generation of Nobel Peace Laureates!

All over the UK a new generation are putting their vision of a world free of violence into word, music, art, drama, photo and film. They will be coming to party with The Paddingtons in London on 4th November

The frenetic Rock and Roll band The Paddingtons will headline the concert and Peace Awards ceremony to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the life and vision of the Nobel Peace Laureate, Joseph Rotblat, and the achievements of the young folk in keeping his vision of a culture of peace alive.

The musician and composer Nitin Sawhney, the Nobel Peace Laureate, Mairead Corrigan McGuire, dancers from the Phoenix Dance Theatre, the broadcaster Joan Bakewell and the artist Gabrielle Rifkind will choose their favourite entries in the Peace of Art competition. The creators will be invited to perform and exhibit their work in London and to receive their awards.

The Peace of Art competition takes the life of one incredible man as the inspiration to a new generation to think creatively about what a future ‘culture of peace’ might look like. Peace of Art is supported by (the NUT once confirmed), the Director of the Guardian Hay Festival, Peter Florence and Glastonbury Leftfield.

The Paddingtons: ''This is all about giving people the space and peace of your mind. Starts out with kids at school and bullying; kicks in around town and then, you're in Iraq. We've all just gotta learn to give people space and we can all have the time of our lives''.....

Sally Milne worked with Professor Sir Joseph Rotblat until his death in 2005, “ Jo had great faith in the young generation today to take up his life’s work and that they would be the ones to create the world he dreamed of where war and nuclear weapons are obsolete. He was a wonderful man whose humanity and wisdom inspired so many.”

ENDS

For more information see: www.peace-of-art.co.uk or call Carol Naughton 07736 698702

NOTES AND SHORT BIOGRAPHIES

Professor Sir Joseph Rotblat was the only scientist to resign on moral grounds from the Manhattan Project that went on to create the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He dedicated his life to using science for the good of humanity and to persuading other scientist to do the same. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1995 together with Pugwash Conferences and World Affairs.

Peace of Art is open to all individuals or groups up to age 25. In addition to performing in London, participants can win a cash prize of £1,000 and one of the winning musical entries will play Glastonbury Leftfield stage live in 2009.

The Paddingtons The Paddingtons? Who are they? A fearsome-fivesome from Hull have come out of the maelstrom and into the fire with their debut double A-side single and chart hit: 21 and Some Old Girl are now returning with their already classic hooligan bruiser and forthcoming single of ‘Panic Attack'. Their debut album is being handled by Owen Morris, legendary producer of Oasis' Definitely Maybe

Joan Bakewell’s broadcasting career continues into its fourth decade with her series for BBC Radio 3: Belief. She also appears on Radio 4’s Saturday Live, BBC 1’s Daily Politics, and GMTV’s Sunday programme. Her latest play was broadcast on Radio 4 in 2007. In 2007 she published “The View from Here: Life at 70”. She currently has a weekly column in The Independent each Friday. Her first novel will be published early in 2009.

Nitin Sawhney “It would be easier to jot down what this man can’t do than what he can.” -The Guardian, London, England There is no disputing the fact that Nitin Sawhney is widely regarded as one of the most influential and versatile creative talents alive today. Firmly established as a world-class producer, songwriter, DJ, multi-instrumentalist, orchestral composer, and cultural pioneer, Sawhney has become a latter-day Renaissance man in the worlds of music, dance, theatre, and film.

Phoenix Dance Theatre
Javier De Frutos (Artistic Director) was born in Venezuela where he began his dance training, continuing at the London School of Contemporary Dance and at the Merce Cunningham School, New York. In 1999, his achievements were recognised with an hour long documentary produced by the prestigious South Bank Show. In 2000 Javier was among the first fellowships of the Arts Council of England.
Ana Lujan Sanchez (Rehearsal Director and Dancer)
Born in Valencia, Spain, Ana trained at the Ballet Clásico de Valencia and at the Rambert School in London. She danced with Ballet Clásico de Valencia between 1993 and 1994 and with Rambert Dance Company for the next eleven years. Ana was awarded Best Female Contemporary Artist in the British Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards 2003 and The Artes Escénicas Award 2006 in Spain for her performance in the solo Necesidad de Silencio.

Mairead Corrigan Maguire is one of the co-founders of the Peace People in l976, along with Betty Williams and Ciaran McKeown. Mairead was the aunt of the three Maguire children who died as a result of being hit by an Irish Republican Army (IRA) getaway car after its driver, was shot by a soldier. The deaths prompted a series of marches throughout Northern Ireland, and further afield, all demanding an end to the violence. Mairead and Betty went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize in l976.

Gabrielle Rifkind is an accomplished artist and author. She is a group analyst and specialist in conflict resolution and is convener and founder of the Middle East Policy Initiative Forum (MEPIF). She is working on developing dialogue between Iran, the US and Israel. She makes regular contributions to press and media and is author, with Scilla Elworthy, of Making Terrorism History (Random House, 2005).

EXTENDED BIOGRAPHIES

The Paddingtons

The Paddingtons? Who are they? A fearsome-fivesome from Hull have come out of the maelstrom and into the fire with their debut double A-side single and chart hit: 21 and Some Old Girl are now returning with their already classic hooligan bruiser and forthcoming single of ‘Panic Attack'. Their debut album is being handled by Owen Morris, legendary producer of Oasis' Definitely Maybe.

From touring with the riotous Babyshambles, to opening up for Har Mar Superstar, to having Bez from the Happy Mondays doing his cosmic dance during a Death Disco set or just doing their own thing of frenetic tour-tour-tour in their now legendary white van - swamping the country in a plague of noise and early PIL basslines. They want to do one thing. They are here to bring you the rock. No, not rock as in rock. BUT RAWK.

Their incendiary live shows have become stuff of legend. Alan McGee signed them straight after seeing them live. They crank up the adreneline and make the world their own for three minutes. The Paddingtons experience is a 1,000 mph riot of maxed out, sugar-coated electricity, delivered with wired intensity. Tom; vox, Grant; drums, Marv; guitarist, Josh; guitars and Lloyd; bassist welcome you to their world. The world of the Paddingtons

Joan Bakewell

Joan Bakewell’s broadcasting career continues into its fourth decade with her series for BBC Radio 3: Belief. She also appears on Radio 4’s Saturday Live, BBC 1’s Daily Politics, and GMTV’s Sunday programme. Her latest play was broadcast on Radio 4 in 2007. Her first novel will be published early in 2009.

Joan’s three areas of interest are : the arts, religion, and old age. She was BBC television’s arts correspondent throughout the 80’s, and was later on the board of the National Theatre, The Aldeburgh Festival, and Friends of the Tate. She is currently Chair of the theatre company Shared Experience and also of The National Campaign for the Arts.

In the 90's Joan presented Heart of the Matter on BBC 1 – a programme that dealt with moral and religious dilemmas of our times. A selection of her interviews for her radio series Belief was published in 2005. In 2003 she began a column for The Guardian called Just Seventy.

In 2007 she published “The View from Here: Life at 70”. She currently has a weekly column in The Independent each Friday.

Mairead Corrigan Maguire, Nobel Peace Laureate (1976) Hon. President, Peace People, Northern Ireland

Mairead Corrigan Maguire is one of the co-founders of the Peace People in l976, along with Betty Williams and Ciaran McKeown. Mairead was the aunt of the three Maguire children who died as a result of being hit by an Irish Republican Army (IRA) getaway car after its driver, was shot by a soldier. The deaths prompted a series of marches throughout Northern Ireland, and further afield, all demanding an end to the violence. Mairead and Betty went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize in l976.

Some of the awards and honours received by Mairead include: The Norwegian People’s Peace Prize, honorary doctorates from Yale University, University of South Korea, College of New Rochelle (NY) and special awards from Trinity College (DC) St. Michael’s College (VT). She was a special honouree of the UN ‘Women of Achievement’ program in l978 and of the American Academy of Achievement, the Pacem in Terris, Peace and Freedom Award, and the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s “Distinguished Peace Leadership” Award.

Nitin Sawhney

“It would be easier to jot down what this man can’t do than what he can.” -The Guardian, London, England

There is no disputing the fact that Nitin Sawhney is widely regarded as one of the most influential and versatile creative talents alive today. Firmly established as a world-class producer, songwriter, DJ, multi-instrumentalist, orchestral composer, and cultural pioneer, Sawhney has become a latter-day Renaissance man in the worlds of music, dance, theatre, and film.

Sawhney has released 7 studio albums - each one garnering critical acclaim. London’s Outcaste Records released the breakthrough Gold selling Beyond Skin in ’99, which took a prestigious Technics Mercury Music Prize nomination and won Sawhney the coveted South Bank Show Award. Subsequently, Sawhney signed a 6-album deal to Richard Branson’s V2 Records, and released the millennial epic and Silver certified Prophesy in 2001, winning a MOBO Award as well as two BBC Radio 3 Music Award. Sawhney’s seventh studio album, Philtre, was released in May 2005, and he is currently recording his eighth album, London Undersound, which features performances from Paul McCartney, Anoushka Shankar, and Imogen Heap amongst others. Clubland has seen

Biographies of Phoenix Dance Theatre dancers:

Ana Lujan Sanchez (Rehearsal Director and Dancer)
Born in Valencia, Spain, Ana trained at the Ballet Clásico de Valencia and at the Rambert School in London. She danced with Ballet Clásico de Valencia between 1993 and 1994 and with Rambert Dance Company for the next eleven years. Ana has worked with many major choreographers. Ana has created choreographic works for the Rambert School, The Curve Foundation Dance Company in Edinburgh (Scotland), Resolution! at The Place, and for a short film, Helena. She has also taught Classical and Contemporary classes at Universidad Miguel Hernandez, Museo Principe Felipe, Compañia Centro Coreográfico, NSCD, Rambert Dance Company, Rambert School, and Phoenix Dance Theatre. Ana was awarded Best Female Contemporary Artist in the British Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards 2003 and The Artes Escénicas Award 2006 in Spain for her performance in the solo Necesidad de Silencio.

Javier De Frutos (Artistic Director)
Javier De Frutos was born in Venezuela where he began his dance training, continuing at the London School of Contemporary Dance and at the Merce Cunningham School, New York. In 1999, his achievements were recognised with an hour long documentary produced by the prestigious South Bank Show. The programme was nominated for a Royal Television Society Award. In 2000, the digital channel Artsworld made an hour long documentary about the making of The Celebrated Soubrette for Rambert Dance Company, as well as a companion broadcast of its performance at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London. His Ballet Milagros features in the documentary celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Royal New Zealand Ballet. In 2000, Javier was among the first fellowships of the Arts Council of England.

Gabrielle Rifkind

Is an accomplished artist and author. She is a group analyst and specialist in conflict resolution and is convener and founder of the Middle East Policy Initiative Forum (MEPIF). She is working on developing dialogue between Iran, the US and Israel. She makes regular contributions to press and media and is author, with Scilla Elworthy, of Making Terrorism History (Random House, 2005).