[spectre] the lux in london has closed

[Chris Byrne]

See below for an official press release from the Lux:


<bold><smaller>LUX CENTRE PRESS STATEMENT



</smaller></bold><smaller>Following a decision by Arts Council's
Recovery Panel based on the Lux Centre's continued financial
difficulties, the Board of Directors have had no option but to suspend
all operations at its Hoxton Square premises.


The current crisis was made worse by an imminent quadruple rent
increase. The inability of the organisation and funding bodies to
support these additional costs has made it inevitable that the Lux
cannot continue at its present address.


The Board of the Lux are now working with PricewaterhouseCoopers to
achieve both a satisfactory arrangement with its creditors and provide
the basis for a future Lux.  The Arts Council will receive details of
this proposal by the end of October 2001.


Mik Flood, the Chairman of the Lux Board said:


"In its 4 years of  existence the Lux has established itself as
London's foremost resource for artists' film and video and its film and
exhibition programme is unparalleled in the UK. 


The decision of the Recovery Panel has left us no alternative but to
take the action we have been forced to take, however, the Board is
totally committed to finding solutions that can take forward the
valuable work of the Lux and its unique collection - albeit as a
different organisation in a new location.  Our biggest regret is having
to lose our dedicated and talented staff at such short notice".


<bold>NOTE TO EDITORS


</bold>The Lux Centre is the merger of two long-standing artist
organisations, the London Filmmakers Coop and London Electronic Arts.
These two organisations moved into their new Arts Lottery funded
premises in Hoxton Square in October 1997.


The Lux comprises a cinema, gallery and state-of the-art post
facilities for film and video production and post-production.


Its daily public programme of screenings, exhibitions, talks, education
and training courses are widely acclaimed.


<italic>Pandaemonium,</italic> is the Lux's biennial film and video is
renowned throughout Europe.


The Lux Centre holds Europe's largest collection of artists' film and
video which it distributes on behalf of the artists. This is the UK's
only resource of its kind.


The Lux (and its predecessors) have provided support to a great number
of major exhibitions both in the UK and Internationally, and has
actively promoted the position of film and video in visual arts for
over 30 years.


Recent UK organisations that the Lux has assisted include the Tate
Galleries, Hayward Gallery, Whitechapel Gallery, Serpentine, Camden
Arts Centre, ICA, Arnolfini, Ikon, MOMA Oxford, INIVA, Dundee
Contemporary Arts.


The Lux Centre is the only UK organisation that offers support and
advice for the distribution and exhibition of film and video work.


Many artists have used Lux facilities to realise their film and video
projects at different stages during their careers, this has included
Richard, Billingham, Gillian Wearing, Mark Wallinger, Matt Collishaw,
Derek Jarman, Sally Potter, Jeremy Deller, Cerith Wyn-Evans, Kerry
Stewart, Tracey Emin, Ak Dolven, Jane and Louise Wilson, Jayne Parker,
Isaac Julian, John Maybury  and many more.


For more information, contact the following Board members:


Mik Flood.<italic> Chairman.

</italic><bold>020 77 36 86 68


</bold>Pauline van Mourik Broekman.<italic> Vice Chair

</italic><bold>020 73 77 69 49


</bold>Roland Denning

<bold>020 72 87 66 90


</bold>John Kelly

<bold>020 76 20 10 87

 


</bold></smaller>