Press Release: ARTISTS FROM ACROSS THE WORLD DONATE TO SAVE THE FOREST AUCTION
Local and international artists, including superstar musician and artist Amanda Palmer, have donated their work to a charity art auction to benefit the Save the Forest Campaign. The auction will be held at the AXO Gallery in Leith this weekend (preview 7-10pm Friday 13th May; auction 6-10pm Saturday 14th May).
Donated works have come from as far afield as Italy, Croatia, Germany, Bulgaria, and include Matthew Kolakowski’s “Daddy’s Suitcase”, which is the cover image for this year’s Edinburgh Art Festival. Other works on auction include a reliquary from US artist Eric Brooks, prints by photographers Norman McBeath, Neil Bacon and Krzysztof Brudlo, large calligraphy works by up-and-coming artist Everitte Barbeea and miniature sculptures from Newcastle artist Rachael Allen.
The auction will launch with a live performance by Sara Sinclair, 6pm on Saturday 14th May, which will produce an action painting for the auction itself.
Auction organiser and contributing artist Mirja Koponen said, “The range and quality of donations has been overwhelming—- we’re delighted to be organising such an exciting, high-profile auction with AXO, and that artists worldwide have show such strong support for the Save the Forest campaign.”
AXO owner Sarah Wilson said, “By bidding in this auction, not only are people buying art but are also supporting the arts in the community. Buy art to save art.”
Further information about the art action can be found online at http://blog.theforest.org.uk/artauction, and a preview of some of the works can be found at http://www.theforest.org.uk/artauctiongallery.
The Forest Cafe, one of the few remaining independent art centres in the city, has been running a campaign to raise funds to secure its future since October, when Edinburgh University Settlement (EUS), who owns the Forest’s premises at 3 Bristo Place, was declared bankrupt and forced into administration.
For the latest updates from Forest go to http://www.theforest.org.uk/, or contact fundraising@theforest.org.uk.
The AXO Gallery (http://www.axolotl.co.uk/axo) is on 59 Queen Charlotte Street, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 7EY.
FUNDRAISING UPDATE
As of today, over 1,500 people have pledged their support in the Save the Forest e-petition, and the Forest has raised nearly £25,000 towards the purchase of the building or future rent — halfway towards the goal of £50,000.
Artists and celebrities who have pledged their support so far include Stephen Fry, musicians Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley, Guardian theatre journalist Lyn Gardner, playwright Lucy Kirkwood, and artists Andy Field and Deborah Pearson.
WHY AND HOW TO SUPPORT THE FOREST
BECAUSE FOREST IS MASSIVELY AND UNIQUELY MULTI-ARTS. We have a publishing house, a record label, a dark room, a music studio, an art gallery, workshops, and we run events from dancing, yoga, massage, poetry recitals, and knit-ins to book tours, language teaching and monsterbike making. Nowhere else has the variety and exuberance of Forest.
BECAUSE FOREST IS A FREE SPACE. We are committed to providing free events, free access to artists and makers and participants, free learning and workshops, and free attitudes. We are accessible to everyone, and do our best to be space where a huge diversity of people can get involved.
BECAUSE FOREST MAKES THE WORLD BETTER. We’ve held workshops and teach-ins by campaign groups, we’ve built a radical library, we’ve hosted fundraisers for so many projects, we’ve always been committed to providing healthy and ethical food, we’ve tried to make space for social, political and environmental work.
BECAUSE FOREST IS YOU. Forest has always been made up by the people who volunteer and run events here. You are part of what we’re doing: you bring your projects to us, and they define what Forest is. We think that makes us just a bit special.
BECAUSE WE CAN’T DO IT WITHOUT YOU. Right now we need you more than ever: whatever you can give to us will help us keep doing what we do long into the future. We’re confident that Forest will run long into the future, but that’s because we know we can rely on our friends for support.
THREE SIMPLE ACTIONS TO HELP SAVE THE FOREST
SIGN THE E-PETITION at http://gopetition.com/petition/43255.html declaring your support for the campaign and for Forest to stay in its home. This will show just how many of us there are. If you use social networks, you can also tweet or Facebook about that petition from that site, follow us @foresttweets on Twitter, and you can “Like” our Facebook page.
JOIN THE CAMPAIGN TEAM by offering your time, energy and skills. We want to hear every offer, from doing admin to running events, from smooching celebs to chugging on the street. E-mail fundraising@theforest.org.uk to offer you help, and see http://blog.theforest.org.uk/savetheforest for more information.
COMMIT TO A MONTHLY DONATION. The more money we have, and the more secure our income, the stronger a position we are in. You can be giving as little as £3 a month and be making a huge and significant contribution to Forest: it’s a much better way than just throwing money into a bucket. You can get forms at the cafe or online at http://blog.theforest.org.uk/savetheforest
BACKGROUND
The Forest is one of Edinburgh’s last remaining open-access arts centres, and has become an award-winning Fringe venue (The Forest Fringe). The volunteer-run charity operates an art gallery (Total Kunst), a theatre, performance and rehearsal spaces, a darkroom, a publishing house, a swap shop, a record label, a hairdresser, and a thriving vegetarian cafe. It has inspired like-minded projects and people all over the world, from Switzerland to Korea.
The Forest is not sponsored by the government, city council or the arts council. It has been been running a successful alternative business since it was established in August 2000, thanks to the commitment of a large and enthusiastic team of volunteers. It is a registered charity (SC038234), funded mainly by the Forest Cafe, and by the rental of facilities and the sale of books from Forest Publishing and music from Forest Records. In keeping with their ethos that art should be accessible, all of their events and workshops are free.
A detailed press pack about the Forest’s work is available at: http://www.theforest.org.uk/forestpresspack.pdf
Previous publicity and information about the campaign can be found at: http://blog.theforest.org.uk/savetheforest
CONTACT
The Forest, 3 Bristo Place, Edinburgh
http://www.theforest.org.uk
(Twitter: @foresttweets)
Harry Giles
Fundraising Officer / Media Contact
fundraising@theforest.org.uk
07766191817