On Thursday 24th September, Jarvis Cocker officially launched Metal's new low carbon space for art, ideas and conversation. 

The permanent, landmark artwork by Ackroyd & Harvey, commissioned by Metal for Chalkwell Hall is being completed today. Strata engages both with the sustainable credibilty of the architectural design of Chalkwell Hall's reburbishment, and a slice of local building history. The material used in the artwork is a waste product from the roof tile industry - thin slips of slate crafted in intensive layers to give a rich quality of texture. Locally, many garden walls around Chalkwell Park are built from over-heated, distorted bricks - a waste product from the once prevalent brick industry. Here at Chalkwell Hall, the slates are laid in a complex, dark surface visually suggestive of geological strata and subtly reminiscent of landscape.

Metal's attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the longest line of bunting in the lead up to the launch of our new space in Southend on Sea, Chalkwell Hall, is gathering pace.  We are aiming for a length that is the same length as Southend's famous landmark Pier (1.3 miles long).  We need 8,991 flags - our latest count indicates that we have done it - with the help of a huge amount of people, organisations, schools and community groups from right across Southend.  Our next task is to stitch them all on to the 1.3 mile long length of ribbon.  Progress will be on exhibition at our Village Green festival on 26th September 09 at Chalkwell Park in Southend.

For a full programme of events at Village Green download a detailed
programme here