Famous London venue to have its history documented in graffiti

23/04/2009

The Royal Albert Hall, which has played host to some of the greatest events ever staged in the capital, is to open its lower floor to graffiti artists who will paint its history.

The young artists are being invited to document the Hall’s illustrious past in a series of depictions, including Muhammad Ali’s fights and concerts by Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton.

The show, which is called ‘Load’ as it is based in the loading area of the hall, usually only seen by staff, will be open to the public for just one day, on Monday 22 June. After this date it will only be enjoyed by cast and crew of its future shows, events, parties and concerts.

Included in the 1.125 square metre area will be depictions of the suffragettes who used the Hall for meetings and would disrupt concerts in protest. Other legends such as Pavarotti and Winston Churchill will be remembered. Pavarotti sang at the venue and Winston Churchill gave a TV broadcast from the Hall.

Lucy Noble, head of programming at the venue, said, "It's a massive space, quite industrial-looking and I think it will look fantastic."