Xtra-Diary- Little Venice Musical Festival... Music spanning three centuries at St Saviour's Church

Published: 01 April 2011

Harp on... Sounds of our Venice

MUSIC spanning three centuries will be performed in the striking surroundings of St Saviour’s Church in Warwick Avenue next week. 

The Little Venice Music Festival is gearing up for its first fundraising concert of spring, which will take place on April 11 at 7.30pm.

A solo piece by Hungarian composer Franz Liszt, Six Consolations, be performed by award-winning pianist Viv McLean. 

“It’s going to be absolutely spellbinding,” said Dr Ken George, a linguistics professor and flautist who will also be performing at the event.

The concert will help raise funds for the festival’s main gala event in October.

• For details see www.littlevenice-mf.com

Yes we can! Obama artist wants his mural removed

HAVING your art whitewashed by local authority jobsworths is an occupational hazard for spray can-wielding “guerrilla” artists.

However, one such painter – who was responsible for this eye-catching version of a nursery rhyme which can currently be seen beautifying a West End wall – actively wants the council to paint over his work.

Graffiti artist Ben Eine achieved minor fame last year after one of his creations was purchased by 10 Downing Street as a gift for Barack Obama. 

It was presented to the US President by David Cameron (whose wife Samantha is apparently a fan of Eine’s work) and now proudly hangs on a wall in the White House.

With the backing of Soho gallery Art Republic, Eine painted his Oranges and Lemons on the side of Covent Garden’s London Graphic Centre – but he told Diary he wanted City Hall to get rid of it to expose their attitude to graffiti painters.

Eine, who claims Westminster City Council have a “zero tolerance policy on graffiti”, said: “The council’s policy on graffiti is that if they see it, they remove it. I wanted this mural to be positive and uplifting – something that wouldn’t offend anybody. I didn’t want it to be slightly tongue in cheek or slightly humorous or something that could be taken the wrong way. 

“My grandfather used to work in the old Covent Garden market, when it was a vegetable market, and so I wanted to do something that echoed the cries of old London. I hope Westminster Council paint over it because then we can have a very public and loud argument with them.”

Asked if the piece was intended as a provocation, he replied: “Yes.” 

A spokesman for Westminster Council said: “We are aware of the display on the side of the London Graphic Centre and will be talking to the business about the issue.”

Uni cash closely studied

THE spotlight is on British universities following the resignation of Sir Howard Davies from the directorship of the London School of Economics over donations made to LSE linked to Colonel Gaddafi’s regime in Libya. 

The University of Westminster is one of several scholarly establishments now being scrutinised in the media for their hard-nosed business interests in foreign lands – in this case Uzbekistan. However, opinion is divided as to whether  the Regent Street uni’s relations with the central Asian country are for good or ill.

The Westminster International University in Tashkent (WIUT), Uzbekistan, was built in 2002 and paid for by the dictatorial government of president Islam Karimov – a regime widely criticised for its brutal suppression of dissent (it recently forced Human Rights Watch to close its office in Tashkent by “making it impossible” for staff to operate). 

Karimov has received support from Western governments due to Uzbekistan’s geopolitical importance.

While some have suggested the WIUT might merely be serving to legitimise his unsavoury administration, one Uzbek emigre told Diary this week that the institution was doing good work by opening up horizons for young people in Uzbekistan.

“WIUT is open to all,” she explained, “not just the sons and daughters of the political elite.”

A University of Westminster spokeswoman said: “The establishment of UK higher education institutions abroad is enabling thousands of students overseas to be part of a high-quality and valued education system, where standards of teaching and accreditation are of paramount consideration. Nurturing creative and independent thought are recognised benefits of the British education system. 

“We encourage all our students to discuss their opinions and thoughts in class to enable them to develop problem-solving and intellectual skills.”