Striking work by Ben Graville (www.bengraville.co.uk) is positioned just inside the front door. It feels very simple in form, clean, full of meaning - and interpretation. A hoody leans against a brick wall, Red Stripe lager-can and plastic cup at his feet; a dark figure reflected on a wall faces him. It's called The Less We Have The Cheaper The Party .. more by FringeReport

Film credit: Richard Helliwell, Jennifer Hall

A major London Art Award is now open for artists to submit their work online at LondonFestivalFringe.com.

This is one of 10 London Awards in the London Festival Fringe, August 2 – 30.

“The London Fringe is all about turning the stone that is London over and showing the hidden alternatives that exist in the city”, said Nick Kaplony, London Art Award Judge.

“The London centric viewpoint has always been questioned and challenged; one of the things that makes any creative scene exciting is the change and influx of new ideas. These things are particularly prevalent in London. I think a Fringe Festival is particularly important because there is so much going on here that just doesn’t get seen and I see it as the Fringe Festival’s role to help discover hidden gems.”

The London Art Award will be given to an artist whose work is exciting, contemporary and pushes the boundaries of art.

An exhibition of shortlisted artists will be to be held at 3 Befordbury Gallery, Covent Garden, WC2N 4BP, opening on 5 August 2010.

Judges on the selection panel include: Jason Brooks, Artist; Nick Kaplony, Artsquest & Pumphouse Gallery; Zoe Whitley, Curator Contemporary Collections, Victoria & Albert Museum.

Submissions are now open and close on 15 June – please visit www.londonfestivalfringe.com/general/awards/artaward/ for more information.

Links:  Zoe Whitley, Victoria and Albert Museum; Jason Brooks, Artist; Nick Kaplony, Artquest

.. at Nolias Gallery.

Both awards recognise visual artists whose work pushes the boundaries of art. The Art Award is being run by Gillian Best Powell from Cor Blimey Studios, and the Photography Award is being run by photographer Tracy Howl.

Here's the gallery: www.3bedfordbury.com

Cor Blimey Studios in Deptford.

Lots of ideas from the artists at the Cor Blimey Studios in Deptford. Just one of the ideas that came up today was to use the River Thames as the route for a visual art and performance show on a ferry. Apart from the fact that the Thames is the reason why London was built in the first place - the Romans called it Londinium, August is a good time to be on the River.

Julia is an excellent photographer. We'll be using her photos to put together an e-book on the 2009 London Fringe. Here's some she did for the film competition. Please don't mind if she asks you to sign a model release. We need it to be able to use your picture.

.. for his picture of Underground Rebel Bingo in Islington. The theme was London, Glamour and Grime. See more photos below, selected by judge Kate Day of The Daily Telegraph.



Thanks to judge Kate Day at the Daily Telegraph.

Dan's website: www.daniellanephotography.co.uk

Shortlisted entries selected by Kate Day at the Daily Telegraph.

Merry Christmas by Fabian Acker
Canal tower block, Commercial Road by Phil Clarke-Hill
Ridley Road Jet Wash taken in Ridley Road Dalston by John Crutchlow
Girl in Southfields by Sam Seager
Underground Rebel Bingo by Daniel Lane
Sushi in Kensington by Andy Hewson
Mask by Lanis Levy
Bird cast away with rubbish by Marijo Alba

Winner to be announced shortly.

Photo: Julia Burstein, more here

Actors: Zosha and Faith, Photo: METbrand (www.metbrand.com)

The paradox that is London Bridge. It is the heart of London where people come to enjoy the city, the many performers along the embankment and the art and entertainment in the various venues in the area. Yet, it is an area where people 'collide'. Market traders drink back to back with London's design community, while pin stripe 'suits' bump along with various down and outs. Everyday in the area we see people 'collisions', these are good, bad, sometimes with anger, often with love.

We are looking for various performers interested in being part of this visual experience. It will be photographed and documented as part of the London Fringe which continues through the year. Please contact Alex at - metbrand@metstudio.com

When will it be finished? When will it be dry? How much will it be? Questions people asked Bahar as she painted a canvas of Tower Bridge in a beautiful costume in the window of the gallery.

Bahar will be back for more questions the last day of the festival 25th July. For more details about the gallery, please visit www.newcitygallery.co.uk

Natalie Amber is helping organise the Collisions project now. Meeting outside the Wheatsheaf Pub on Southwark Street.

The project will have various acts, dancers, comedians, magicians, street theatre iand hopefully you!

The collisions will all happen spontaneously around the people outside the market and the various pubs and restaurants. The event will be photographed and filmed by the creatives at MET Studio (www.metstudio.com), METbrand (www.metbrand.com) and John Ross photography (www.johnross.co.uk) and the images will be used as an online gallery and as promotion material for the festival. There may also be further printed records created in a variety of formats.

We also want to use the event as a way of you promoting your show, whilst the festival is in full swing, to a captivated audience. So if you want to come down and give out flyers, introduce yourself to a potential new audience or hopefully to come down and a be a part of our event by doing some of your act on the streets please get in touch.

Please contact Alex at - metbrand@metstudio.com

BCalling, Oil on Canvas, Rosa Genchi.

Rosa, and fellow artist, Eddie Aidoo, opens their exhibition at the St Thomas a Beckett Gallery tonight, 6 - 10 pm. more

Saturday, July 11, 6 - 11 pm, St Thomas a Beckett pub, 320 Old Kent Road, London SE1 5UE

by Lee Slaymaker.

Taken in an old tram depot, now a studio warehouse, Prout Road, Clapton, Hackney, East London E5, 2009

Celebrate an extraordinary place to live - London. One of the biggest, busiest metropolises in the world, this city has everything you can imagine. What makes our city so alive? It's the 7 million people who live in the area, the rich diversity of lifestyles, the mingling of old and new in design and architecture, the random springing up of shops and buildings and offices. It's all here. Turn your photographic eye to our amazing city and show us what you see.

We are looking for photographs that show the glamour, or the grime. Nothing in between. more

Scheduled for July 2, before the Theatre in a Car performance. Come along to the next Festival Club on June 16 to find out more.

We are looking for various performers interested in being part of this visual experience. It will be photographed and documented as part of the buildup to the Festival in July.

"London Bridge is an area of collision. At the heart of London the spreading city, crawling across the river, hits head on with the south. The lights of the West End and grandeur of Westminster radiate eastwards crashing elegantly into the grit of the east end. Market traders drink back to back with London's design community, whilst pin stripe suits bump heads with various down and outs. The new shard of glass building is now colliding with Borough Market and winning the battle. Everyday in the area we see people collide here, sometimes good, sometimes bad, sometimes with anger and sometimes with new found love."

Brief For one day only we will arrive at Borough Market and you will create your collision. In pairs, in groups or on your own we want to create as many collisions as we can. With actors, comedians, members of the public, market traders, workers, tourists, homeless people - everybody who is part of the area. We will record these collisions and hope to display them in various mediums. Only you will know what your collision is and when it begins. Some of the collisions we record will be real and will be created by you and each will be very different. People will meet old friends, new friends, enemies and lovers they will kiss, argue, embrace, shout, dance, push, sing and jump for joy. What will be your collision that reflects the passion and conflict of the area?

Art Director: Alexander McCuaig from Met Studios , a leading design studio based near the bridge.