THE ART OF PROTEST

AND THIS issue, by way of a change, I offer you a quiz, a little brain teaser, a test of your cognitive and deductive powers.

Question One: What do the following personages all have something in common? Leigh Bowery, Jo Brand, Simon Callow, Julian Clary, John Cooper Clark, Smiley Culture, Derek and Clive, Helen Lederer, Paul Merton, Jonathan Miller, Michael Moorcock, Simon Rattle, Claire Rayner, Tony Slattery and Steel Pulse. The answer is not, as one might initially assume, trouble in getting their hair to behave, but score one point anyway. The connection is that theirs are amongst a host of names on a petition, more of which later.

operation spanner

Question Two: What sort of a gallery gives space to the likes of the following:

1. Photographs banned by the British Department of Trade and Industry under UN sanction against Serbia drawing attention to the hitherto officially denied atrocities being committed against the Serbs.

2. A cartoon competition taking the piss out of the royalty, the winning entries being judged by Roger Law (Spitting Image), Jolyon Jenkins (New Statesman) and Jeremy Banx (Financial Times) amongst others.

3. A protest exhibition against Operation Spanner and the censorship of private sexual preferences by the State.

Answer: A gallery which is against censorship and for showing the world and its diverse inhabitants as they are. If your answer was 'a gallery that gets closed down' score as many points as you like and go to the pub. Mine's a Long Island Iced Tea.

What this is all leading up to is the fact that the Angle Gallery, located in Birmingham's prestigious Arcadian, has been closed down by its landlords. Not that its organisers have moved out. They are occupying the building, gathering support from the likes of the luminaries listed at the top of the page and limbering up to do battle.

It was the 'Sex Crimes - Repression and Censorship in the '90s' exhibition, which I reviewed for you when it was in London, that was the final nail in the coffin as far as property developer landlords, Avatar, were concerned. The landowner, Sir John Gooch, is said to have been far from happy, too. The exhibition was due to open August 13. The day before, a repossession notice and termination of tenancy order, to take effect two hours before the opening, was slapped on the gallery.

The Angle and its many supporters have been in illegal occupation ever since, with up to 100 people staying in the building day and night to keep the bailiffs out.

The Angle however, was not entirely non-compliant. It did indeed do something about the content of its exhibition; it changed it to 'Ban Nothing', a sort of best-of all its shows to date.

The gallery started up in November 1992 as a radical and alternative arts initiative, but by April 1993 it was in trouble with the landlord over its 'Another Annus Horribilis' exhibition, lampooning the monarchy. From here on, Avatar said they wanted a say in the content of exhibitions after the exhibition lampooning the royalty.

Publicly, the landlords have been claiming commercial reasons for their keenness to shut the Angle down. Gallery co-ordinator Ceri Dingle is emphatic that not only does the gallery not owe any money, it has even offered to pay more rent. "The truth is," she said, "they don't like the content of the exhibitions. They are being completely censorial and high handed."

A campaign was launched on the day of eviction for a 'bigger, badder Angle gallery, as an anti-censorship art space'. "We've had so much support, we're even more determined not to shut up," said a very determined sounding Ceri, "We've got more interest in the gallery than we would ever have got otherwise."

A major financial appeal has been launched, Galleries like this one don't get grants funding because "we're not prepared to operate under constraints from other people."

unwelcoming

committee

Question 3: If freedom of speech, information and expression are of any relevance to me and I'm in a protesting sort of mood and can be bothered, what can I do to express my opposition to censorship?

Answer: Send the Angle some money. Visit it. Sleep there. Join in the readings of banned literature, quiz shows, recitals from banned plays, debates on taboo subjects, video screenings and round-table discussions on censorship.

You can even join the 'Unwelcoming Committee' for when the bailiffs arrive. If all else fails and you're basically not about to take your Lear Jet to Birmingham because you're having your family crest embossed on the wings at the moment, then send a recorded or written letter of support, or use the boss's fax even, to: The Angle, The Arcadian, Ladywell Walk, Birmingham B5 4ST. Fax/phone: 21 622 7187/21 455 9216.