This summer, FRAMELESS, the UK’s largest immersive art experience, has teamed up with the Mayor of London’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) and London-born spoken word artist, poet and rapper, George the Poet (GTP) to launch Art of Expression – a pioneering initiative to make art more accessible and relevant to young people.
The collaboration comes in response to new research by FRAMELESS revealing that almost half (48%) of young people don’t agree that historical art is relevant to their modern lives and over a quarter think art galleries can be intimidating.
To make art more meaningful and accessible to the next generation, FRAMELESS has commissioned George The Poet and members of the VRU’s Young People’s Action Group to create a series of original spoken word pieces that retell the story of some of the most famous artworks ever created. From Rembrandt’s The Storm on the Sea of Galilee to Hokusai’s The Great Wave or Munch’s The Scream, the reinterpretations aim to breathe new life into classic masterpieces, connecting them to the real-world challenges young people still face today, all of which will be available to hear in the FRAMELESS Galleries this summer.
Leading the charge, George the Poet has created a powerful spoken word response to Reflection on the Thames by John Atkinson Grimshaw, bridging the historical and the contemporary and reframing the artwork through the lens of modern London and the voices of its next generation.
George the Poet supported the VRU’s young people through their writing process in the form of an intimate spoken word workshop at FRAMELESS, helping them to create spoken word based on what they saw in the Galleries. The initiative and wider campaign aim to broaden their understanding of art – encouraging them to see it not only as spectators, but as creators.
The initiative will come together with an exclusive live performance of the spoken word pieces by George the Poet and young people from the VRU at FRAMELESS on 17th July and all pieces will be available for visitors to listen to via in-gallery QR codes and on the FRAMELESS website throughout the summer.
George the Poet said: “It is a huge privilege to collaborate with Frameless on ‘Art of Expression’. Art’s ability to connect us across time is enhanced by the gallery’s breathtaking immersive style. I can’t think of a better way to enjoy an artwork than to literally sit in it, and am grateful for the chance to contribute to such an unforgettable experience.”
