From the Picturesque to the Demolished

I have been invited to make a protest film in Stratford - London. It will be screened at 7pm on 27th September at The Railway Tavern Pub, Angel Lane, Stratford

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Following the illegal destruction of Stratford's Georgian ‘Angel Cottage’ last year we are putting on an art event at the RailwayTavern Pub on Angel Lane. We will be showing videos, performances and installations by artists and architects that relate to ideas of destruction, political protest or regeneration. The event will also include talks by local activists as well as members of Newham council. What happened: The Grade II listed Angel Cottage in Windmill Lane was illegally demolished under the cover of plastic sheeting by a developer in November last year. The 1826 Georgian cottage had been sold at auction for £400,000. It stood opposite the Olympic site and the new Stratford City development on some of the most valuable development land in London. The illegal demolition was discovered by outraged local residents who demanded an investigation into the case by both Newham Council and English Heritage. The investigation concluded that the owner had no permission to demolish the building. The local council is therefore currently taking the owner to court. They hope to serve an enforcement notice to have the building reinstated brick by brick at the owner’s expense. The loss of one of Newham's few historic buildings is not just a tragedy in terms of the preservation of local heritage, it also stands for the recklessness of profit driven development that all to often accompanies large-scale regeneration projects.