#leverhulme

[jumpneoshoots]

The Pigeon Tower

April0219

[londiniumlundene]

Hampstead Pergola

William H Lever, later Lord Leverhulme, had made his fortune from selling soap (his Lever Brothers company would later become part of giant transnational company Unilever). Having become monumentally rich, he purchased The Hill, a large house on Hampstead Heath. Buying up more land around his estate, he hired a landscape architect to improve the expanded gardens, the centrepiece of which would be a raised walkway: the Pergola.

Construction began in 1905, but building the Pergola was no easy task. The whole level of the garden needed to be raised, requiring a huge amount of soil and numerous workers – and no aid from mechanical diggers or earth-movers. Fortuitously, it was during the time that the Hampstead extension to the Northern Line was being dug. Ever the shrewd businessman, Lord Leverhulme negotiated for the spoil from the tunnelling to be delivered to his land – for which he was paid a nominal fee! The first part of the Pergola was completed quickly, and soon it was covered with vines and exotic flowers, and made a sumptuous setting for garden parties and summer evening strolls. 

Lord Leverhulme would purchase yet more land, enabling him to extend the Pergola in both 1911 and 1925. After Lord Leverhulme’s death, the subsequent owners of The Hill (later renamed Inverforth House) were less invested in the Pergola, and its grandeur declined to the point that it was almost falling down when the London County Council took the structure and surrounding gardens into its care in 1960. In the many years since, the Pergola has undergone significant restoration, and now makes for a strange yet serene discovery for walkers on Hampstead Heath. 

Open all year round (though with varying times depending on the hours of daylight), the Pergola is draped in blossom during spring, bursts with in green in summer, sports a carpet of orange and red leaves in autumn, and is apparently just as enthralling hidden under winter snow.

[rodwey2004]

Around London. Do visit my website RodweyPhotography.com #landscapephotography #metroldn #hampstead #cityscape #globalcapture #skyline #london #pictureoftheday #bestlondonphotos #thisislondon #mycanon #cpfeatureme #inverforthhouse #leverhulme #canonuk #photooftheday #visitlondon #igerlondon #prettylittlelondon #earthescope #toplondonphoto #timeoutlondon (at London, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/rodwey2004/p/BugVIdwABgF/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=eirwxwlkrsdi

[nationalcircus]

An interview with David Sánchez - Circus Arts student

David is a third year BA Hons student and a recipient of the prestigious Leverhulme scholarship. He is currently preparing for his final year Devised Piece which will explore expectation.

How did you get into circus and how did you find out about the National Centre?

I’ve always juggled for fun and as a hobby. When I was around 20 years old, I moved to the Canary Islands. I met a guy who was working for a circus company and he asked me to juggle for the company in a parade. At that point, I realised that I could make some money from circus so I started to take my juggling more seriously.  I moved to London and I joined a juggling club at UCL.  At the club, I met a girl who was going to attend an open day at the National Centre for Circus Arts. The National Centre is very famous in Spain so I was really excited to attend. I auditioned and I was given a conditional place as a juggler on the Foundation Degree. In Spain I’d studied Mechanics and I worked as a Mechanic for around 3 years. I felt like I’d been given a second chance when I was accepted onto the degree programme at the National Centre. Now I’m living this again and I’m doing something that I feel passionate about. I’ve really enjoyed the vibe of the school and the environment. Being surrounded by super creative people has been an amazing experience.

What has it meant to you to have the support of the Leverhulme scholarship and the hardship fund?

As a European student, I received a loan for my tuition fees but I wasn’t entitled to a loan for living costs so I had to work part time. Some months it would be a struggle to pay my rent as I couldn’t work because I had to be in school. Having access to a hardship fund made the difficult times much easier. I’m incredibly happy to have been awarded a Leverhulme scholarship. When I graduate I will only have to repay £12K instead of 27K so having this support has eased a lot of financial pressure.

Tell us about your devised piece?

My piece is about expectations.  In comedy expectation is particularly important. There’s a lot of theory behind what makes an audience laugh. When a person sees something, they’re going to imagine the next step- that’s their expectation. If I break that expectation, I feel that’s what will make people laugh because what happened wasn’t what their brain was expecting. We are now in rehearsals and some days we are in from 09:00am-21:00pm. I’m going to do my devised piece without music. I know it’s risky. I’ve had a lot of feedback from this process and I was told that having music would be easier for me but I don’t want it to be easy. I think that’s why I really like this instant feedback from the audience so that I can feel what they are feeling. I can spend 7 hours juggling without stopping. I practice at least 3-4 hours of solid juggling every day. Juggling is discipline of repetition so some of our body parts get injured from this. Whilst in the 2nd year, I had a knuckle fracture caused by the repetition of the club hitting my hand.

What are the best things about being a circus artist?

I’ve already had the experience of waking up in the morning and feeling bad about going to work as a Mechanic so one of the best things is being able to make a living from something that I feel passionate about. Sometimes artists or performers speak about a connection with the audience; it really does exist and being able to make people laugh is a great gift as you can really feel all of that energy. Saying I’m a circus artist always gets a great reaction from the people who I meet. It makes me feel good and it sounds cool.

What are your plans after graduating? 

I don’t like to plan my life, I just wait for the things to come to me and then I decide if I want to do it. My dream is to travel and I know that I’m going to travel. I’d love to perform at festivals around Europe. 

Find out more about David at itsmedavid.com

Book tickets to see David and his fellow students perform their Devised Pieces at the National Centre for Circus Arts, London, on 21 March – 24 March. 

[johnbrace]

Planning Appeal (DAY 6 (EVE)) Wirral Council refusals of 7 planning applications by Leverhulme for residential development in the greenbelt

[creativeawards]

Drilling, sawing, drill some more... . . . . . #packingsculpture #wip #exhibition #backache #alexandracarr #leverhulme

[jess-lees]

Playing in the river @hanelees #cob #hunter #ponies #horse #splash #leverhulme

[putneyhighschool]

Putney musician Caitlin Whitnall named NCO cellist

Putney High School musician Caitlin Whitnall, 11 years old, has been awarded a place as cellist in the National Children Orchestra’s Under 12 Orchestra for 2016.

This year, the NCO auditioned a staggering number of talented youngsters.  A record number of more than 1,130 children, aged from 7-13 years, tried out for a coveted place in one of their six age-banded orchestras.

During her audition, she played Tarentella by William Henry Squire and The Swan by Camille Saint-Saens as her prepared pieces, and two pieces of sight-reading. She says:  ”At first I was very nervous, but then I calmed down as I got used to it and was able to do what I enjoy the most; playing music”. Her outstanding performance impressed the judges, and Caitlin was not only awarded a place as cellist in the NCO’s Under 12 Orchestra but also selected to be one of the only 20 NCO- Leverhulme Scholars 2016.

As a NCO-Leverhulme Scholar, Caitlin will have her NCO’s membership paid and will attend an awards ceremony and concert at the Royal College of Music of London on 27th February 2016, where she will be presented with a certificate to mark her tremendous achievement.

Year 6’s Caitlin has been working hard on her music studies; she obtained an excellent 85% at her Grade 5 Music Theory Examination which enables her to proceed to her Grade 8 practical examinations. In addition to the cello, she also plays the piano, Mozart and Squire being her favourite composers. She takes piano and cello lessons once a week but practices and trains every day at home, without looking at the clock.