Brixton's proposed £1m crowdfunded David Bowie memorial - news and opinions

[editor]

£990k crowdfunded Bowie memorial proposed for Brixton

Crowdfunding campaign launched for a ‘monumental’ Brixton memorial to David Bowie

 

[EastEnder]

£990k crowdfunded Bowie memorial proposed for Brixton

Crowdfunding campaign launched for a ‘monumental’ Brixton memorial to David Bowie

Won't that get in the way of the Christmas bush tree?!

 

[twistedAM]

£990k crowdfunded Bowie memorial proposed for Brixton

Crowdfunding campaign launched for a ‘monumental’ Brixton memorial to David Bowie

Nice gift for the taggers. It's bloody massive.

 

[editor]

Nice gift for the taggers. It's bloody massive.

I love the idea of the memorial but I'm not sure it's the best location. As EE points out it's going to block the Xmas tree that's been there for years on end too - and £990k seems a fucking immense amount.

 

[shakespearegirl]

I love the idea as well and the design, but really a million quid? That seems hugely expensive..

 

[editor]

I love the idea as well and the design, but really a million quid? That seems hugely expensive..

You'd kind of expect the sculpture to do something for that kind of dosh.

 

[trabuquera]

I quite like it as a design, but it's not in any sort of really Bowie-associated spot, will 100% guaranteed get covered in tags and honestly I can think of about 990,000 better things to spend money on in Lambeth rather than this. Really don't like to be a memorial-pooper but this doesn't sit right with me.

 

[shakespearegirl]

Looking at their breakdown, they have 20% for VAT. If they are setting up a charity to maintain it, why not use the charity to build it and avoid nearly £200k worth of VAT..

 

[editor]

I quite like it as a design, but it's not in any sort of really Bowie-associated spot, will 100% guaranteed get covered in tags and honestly I can think of about 990,000 better things to spend money on in Lambeth rather than this. Really don't like to be a memorial-pooper but this doesn't sit right with me.

I get your point, but the 'money could be spent elsewhere in Lambeth' argument doesn't really ring true because it will be raised by donations. Without the sculpture, there would be no money to spend elsewhere.

 

[editor]

I took a quick peek and couldn't find a planning application for this huge sculpture....

 

[snowy_again]

You'd kind of expect the sculpture to do something for that kind of dosh.

You get a credit on the Crowdfunding page - so maybe use that as a chance to feedback to Binki etc? Just short of £1m for a piece of metal is a bit of a waste - a smaller sculpture for tourists and then other funds to support young local people from the area might achieve something more in terms of a bowie legacy?

 

[trabuquera]

I understand the argument and that it would funded by donations - but I think even those donators would do better to give their heads a shake and send their £s to foodbanks - or educational trusts - or the Terrence Higgins - or whatever - instead of funding this particular monument. If you want to pay tribute to Bowie, fine, but maybe a very very expensive sculpture is not the way ... there are plenty of associated 'causes' (trans/gay acceptance and education, or arts funding, or coke rehab, or a thousand other things) which could do with some cash.

 

[editor]

I understand the argument and that it would funded by donations - but I think even those donators would do better to give their heads a shake and send their £s to foodbanks - or educational trusts - or the Terrence Higgins - or whatever - instead of funding this particular monument. If you want to pay tribute to Bowie, fine, but maybe a very very expensive sculpture is not the way ... there are plenty of associated 'causes' (trans/gay acceptance and education, or arts funding, or coke rehab, or a thousand other things) which could do with some cash.

You really can't tell people what to spend their money on or try to shame them into spending it on something else. If they want to put their money towards this, that's their choice. For all you know they might already be donating generously to other charities.

I get your point though: a friend just asked me if I'd do a benefit gig for this. I declined as I'd rather give the money to smaller charities which I feel are more in line with what Bowie meant to me (I gave away the £600 profits from the recent Bowie charity night to two local music charities, Raw Material and School Ground Sounds.).

 

[Reiabuzz]

£990k crowdfunded Bowie memorial proposed for Brixton

Crowdfunding campaign launched for a ‘monumental’ Brixton memorial to David Bowie

Is that not just ever so slightly OTT?

 

[editor]

Is that not just ever so slightly OTT?

I'd prefer it if locals could pick it up and arrow it into Foxtons windows. Every week.

 

[trabuquera]

now THAT's an artistic movement I could get behind.

 

[Reiabuzz]

I used to live right near there on brighton terrace. That thing will be covered in urine and other assorted fluids in absolutely no time.

 

[EastEnder]

I have a suggestion: The same sort of structure, in the same place, but smaller and high up - suspended between wires/poles/whatever, between the body shop side & cafe nero side. So it appears to sort of hover in midair. It'd be out of the way of taggers, etc, but still visually quite dramatic.

Could probably be done for way less than 990K as well!

 

[Dan U]

Should be in Beckenham anyway

 

[EastEnder]

Seems pretty obscene, especially when you compare it to the relatively extremely modest new memorial for Black Caribbean and African Commonwealth soldiers who fought in WW1 and 2 which is soon to be installed in Windrush square.

Bowie left plenty of value by which he will be remembered by for a long time to come. This is unnecessary and feels more about Brixton trying to claim him for itself. I hope they have a rethink.

In the form as presented I think you're right, it's way too big & seems rather gaudy. Definitely needs to be a bit more low key.

 

[billythefish]

I used to live right near there on brighton terrace. That thing will be covered in urine and other assorted fluids in absolutely no time.

Agreed. It should incorporate a urinal around the back.

 

[editor]

Should be in Beckenham anyway

Nothing stopping those mustard keen Beckenham Bowie fans crowdfunding their own sculpture.

 

[editor]

They've got a fair way to go: £17,347 raised of £990,000 target, 28 days left

I guess that mahoosive size is to accommodate all the names of the people who donate £20.

*Oh wait: the names only go on the website.

 

[editor]

Looking at their breakdown, they have 20% for VAT. If they are setting up a charity to maintain it, why not use the charity to build it and avoid nearly £200k worth of VAT..

The site says:

What about maintenance and protection of the memorial?

We’ve built initial maintenance costs into the crowd fund appeal. On an ongoing basis the memorial will be looked after by the David Bowie Memorial charity, which, as the name suggests, will be a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the upkeep of the memorial.

 

[shakespearegirl]

The site says:

My point was if they are setting up a charity to maintain it, why don't they use the charity to build it and largely be VAT exempt, thus saving a large % of the budget

 

[editor]

My point was if they are setting up a charity to maintain it, why don't they use the charity to build it and largely be VAT exempt, thus saving a large % of the budget

Yes, I was agreeing with you, sorry!

 

[snowy_again]

Would that be VAT exempt though? Probably not as its a folly not a tool.

 

[wurlycurly]

I love the idea as well and the design, but really a million quid? That seems hugely expensive..

You could buy 230,000 pints for that.

 

[shakespearegirl]

Yes, I was agreeing with you, sorry!

I wasn't sure if I was being clear!!

 

[shakespearegirl]

Would that be VAT exempt though? Probably not as its a folly not a tool.

I'm sure many charities are follies rather than tools