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Livingstone: I will build an open-air cinema on the Thames
Paul Waugh21.04.08
Ken Livingstone today pledged to build a new open-air cinema beside the Thames as he unveiled his arts manifesto.
The Mayor said he wanted to work with the Government to create a permanent big screen facing the river at the redeveloped British Film Centre on the South Bank, offering free performances all year round.
The plan, part of a wider move to set up open-air cinemas in parks and other public spaces, was the centrepiece of a string of proposals to improve the capital's cultural life and maximise jobs in the £21 billion-a-year "creative" industries.
But he also used the launch of his manifesto at the Institute of Contemporary Arts to join forces with Culture Secretary Andy Burnham to attack rival Boris Johnson's "cultural elitism" and anti-Chinese views.
Mr Burnham, the fourth cabinet minister in seven days to back the Mayor on the campaign trail, warned that Mr Johnson would be an "embarrassment" to London.
Both he and Mr Livingstone criticised remarks made several years ago by the Tory MP in a Daily Telegraph article, in which he claimed that China had not made a "single" cultural contribution to human civilisation.
The minister and the Mayor said it would damage London if Mr Johnson had to take the torch from the mayor of Beijing at the Olympics this summer.
Mr Livingstone said that his open-air cinema plan would be practical now that global warming had changed Britain's weather. The Mayor said that he also wanted to expand the current range of free festivals that have been criticised by the Tories as a waste of public money.
Mr Livingstone said that with London's Chinese population doubling in the last 15 years, he wanted to "lock-in" the capital's increasing ties with China as it became more important in the global economy and was set to outstrip the United States.
Mr Livingstone promised financial backing for the new international film centre on the South Bank. It would replace and modernise the existing British Film Institute. In today's manifesto Mr Livingstone also pledged to:
• Supply capital funding for new arts centres.
• Change London's planning rules to ensure the protection of live music venues.
• Work with the music industry and venues to establish a music "expo", modelled on festivals such as South by Southwest - the series of concerts, conferences, exhibitions, trade fairs and parties that take place in Austin, Texas, every spring.
• Expand the current programme of free festivals to celebrate more London communities.
• Work with arts organisations to create a major contemporary art event.
• Support a bid for the Gay Games, the international sports and cultural event.
Reader views (17)
Didn't we have a really bad summer last year or is my memory failing me? The National Theatre already run an outdoor cinema season projecting films onto the wall of their building and I saw the few people who used the facility freezing wrapped in sleeping bags etc to watch it. Not an original idea and not even a good one Ken....
- Sj, London
Support a bid for the Gay games? Whatever next! With 12 billion being muted as the "real" cost of the Olympics, we're now talking about chucking more money at a "gay" games! Oh well yeah why not, its only tax payers money, lets have an animal swimming gala while we're at it too. Oh and lets not forget Christian Somali table tennis, or ginger wrestling and any other minority group who wants to make themselves different and do things their way on their own! So much for integration and understanding! Typical Ken, wants to be loved by all and will tell everyone anything and everything he thinks they want to hear, just to get elected!
- Jc, London
Here we go again - the pathetic and whiny dictator spouts out more politically correct rubbish and crazy promises.
I tell you what Ken, seen as you are so keen to throw all our hard-earned money down the drain, why don't you do something we really want and pay for your own "Devil's Island" as far away from London as possible, so you can be a ghastly dictator there!
Get Ken Leavingsoon out!
- Daniel Howard, London,UK
How typical to make a big deal of the paltry funding that goes to the gay games. This article raised a more interesting point - Boris' curious attitudes towards the Chinese, who we have to learn to do business with. Also, I've heard nothing about Boris' arts manifesto and London's creative industries are hugely important to this city. Ken's promise of an open air cinema is very much in keeping with projects he's pioneered like the pedestrian access to Trafalgar Square which has brought a previously dead square to life. We need a mayor who deals in big ideas not somebody who just snipes at the sidelines. That's called political cowardice.
- Tony Mcmahon, London, UK
That's Londoner's money he's talking about spending there. Aren't there one or two more basic needs that require solutions before projects like this?
- Rogan, DFW Texas
Support the Gay Games? Why? Can't gays compete against non gays, or do they have special gay sports that the rest of us can't compete in?
Thanks Ken. I really want my council tax wasted on such things in the desperate hope that you can secure the "gay vote".
- Phil Todd, London, UK
What a loser that Red Ken. Why did he not actually do anything good over the last 8 years?
- Jacqueline, Hampstead, London
Crikey! Ken is so desperate to get our votes, his promises are getting wilder and wilder. Girls, I suggest we cash in now! I want a boob job, I am going to get him to pay for that, and my friend wants lipo and a holiday in Mauritius. He is obviously promising anything we want, so we might as well go for it.
- Angela King., London
This is is pure Labour: Free Cinemas, Gay Games and so on, at the same time stealing our civil liberties. Its all reminiscent of the Roman era of 'bread and circuses'. And as for Boris being an embarrassment to London this is surely a Freudian Slip, but whether Mr Burnham meant 'Ken is an embarrassment to the Labour Party' or 'Boris is an embarrassment to the Labour Party' who knows? At least he will surround himself with good advisers, and listen to them. Also he might even listen to the public unlike those who hold consultations and simply ignore the outcome, or don't bother to consult at all, goodness that sounds too much like democracy for some people.
- Jerry, London
An open air cinema in London? Wake up Ken, it rains for three quarters of the year here. You should get out more Ken, preferably right out, of London and our lives.
- Peter Thurgood, London, UK
Kenny can you make sure it's bomb proof in case any of your terrorist associates bomb it please? Thanks.
- Neil Grinsell, London
Ken, you might not have noticed because you're more often out of the country in Cuba and Venezuala than you are in the outer boroughs like Harrow but London is a pretty rainy city. An open air cinema isn't therefore the best idea I've heard of in the mayoral contest so far. Stop being ridiculous and come up with some ideas that people actually want. Like cutting crime and not charging £25 for cars to drive in to Central London. Go Boris.
- Sue, Harrow, London
Ken doesn't seem to get it. We don't want open air cinemas, we don't want gimmicks and we don't want terrorists coming to London preaching hate.
All we want is to feel safe on the streets and the buses. It isn't rocket science and it is pretty obvious to everyone it seems apart from the man who is paid to run our city. Go away Ken and let Boris make this city great again.
- Emma, Dulwich, London
Is it just me or is Livingstone starting to sound like Alan Partridge when he can't get a second series? What's next, "Monkey tennis - 2 monkeys, playing tennis", "Knowing M.E. Knowing you - KL travels round London meeting M.E. sufferers?".
- St, London
The only thing we want from you Ken is to go away.
- Tim, London UK
Why not start a London Space Program? Or invite Disney to build a new Disneyworld in east London? What about building the tallest skyscraper in the world? How about a monorail, or a mag-lev elevated train?
How can we keep our 'lead' over New York and Paris without these things?
Basically I don't want London ruled by someone whose favourite breakfast food is whiskey.
- Sally R., London, UK
Are any of the films going to be in English?
- Jilly, London, England
