- Peter Capaldi and Brad Pitt lend support by becoming Trustees
- Appeal aims to raise around £20m
A Message to The Glasgow School of Art from Peter Capaldi from The Glasgow School of Art on Vimeo.
Today, Wednesday 18 June 2014, The
Glasgow School of Art launched The Mackintosh Appeal with the aim of raising
around £20m to support the institution in the work that needs to be undertaken
following the fire in the Mackintosh Building. It was also confirmed that Peter
Capaldi and Brad Pitt would lend their support to the GSA by becoming Trustees
of the Appeal.
Glasgow School of Art launched The Mackintosh Appeal with the aim of raising
around £20m to support the institution in the work that needs to be undertaken
following the fire in the Mackintosh Building. It was also confirmed that Peter
Capaldi and Brad Pitt would lend their support to the GSA by becoming Trustees
of the Appeal.
“Our priority to date has been to
address the immediate physical and academic impact of the fire,” says Professor Tom Inns Director of The Glasgow
School of Art. “We have been overwhelmed
by the offers of support from around the world since the fire and are hugely grateful to
all those people who have donated. This support, along with that of the
Scottish Government, has been vital. It has enabled us to put in place the
Phoenix Bursaries programme to help those students who were most affected by
the fire.”
address the immediate physical and academic impact of the fire,” says Professor Tom Inns Director of The Glasgow
School of Art. “We have been overwhelmed
by the offers of support from around the world since the fire and are hugely grateful to
all those people who have donated. This support, along with that of the
Scottish Government, has been vital. It has enabled us to put in place the
Phoenix Bursaries programme to help those students who were most affected by
the fire.”
“We are now beginning to look forward
to the work we will need to do to return the Mackintosh building to its former
glory, and to make sure it continues to be a fit and inspiring place for our
students to make work.”
to the work we will need to do to return the Mackintosh building to its former
glory, and to make sure it continues to be a fit and inspiring place for our
students to make work.”
“We are delighted that both Peter
Capaldi, one of our most celebrated alumni, and Brad Pitt, whose admiration for
Mackintosh is well known, have both joined our campaign and will be Trustees on
The Mackintosh Appeal.”
Capaldi, one of our most celebrated alumni, and Brad Pitt, whose admiration for
Mackintosh is well known, have both joined our campaign and will be Trustees on
The Mackintosh Appeal.”
“I hope
we can come together to help raise the funds to restore the Mackintosh Building
it to its former grace,” adds Capaldi who studied Graphic Design at the GSA.
“ It always seemed to me, when I studied
there, both as a student and as a child in Saturday morning art classes, an
exotic place of the imagination…. all nooks and crannies, guarded by stern
ancient statues and full of artistic possibilities.
we can come together to help raise the funds to restore the Mackintosh Building
it to its former grace,” adds Capaldi who studied Graphic Design at the GSA.
“ It always seemed to me, when I studied
there, both as a student and as a child in Saturday morning art classes, an
exotic place of the imagination…. all nooks and crannies, guarded by stern
ancient statues and full of artistic possibilities.
“There is
no greater symbol of the artistic spirit of Scotland than the Mackintosh
Building. But more than that it is a symbol of where art belongs, rising as it
does out of the heart of a great city. A mighty castle on a hill, it is a part
of me, and of all Glaswegians.”
no greater symbol of the artistic spirit of Scotland than the Mackintosh
Building. But more than that it is a symbol of where art belongs, rising as it
does out of the heart of a great city. A mighty castle on a hill, it is a part
of me, and of all Glaswegians.”
In a specially recorded message for the students
he said: “I’m so sorry for all of you who
have lost your Degree Shows. All I can say to you is that you are artists. This
will only add to your story. You will be reborn, and rise from the ashes even
stronger.”
he said: “I’m so sorry for all of you who
have lost your Degree Shows. All I can say to you is that you are artists. This
will only add to your story. You will be reborn, and rise from the ashes even
stronger.”
Ends
Further information
Lesley Booth
0779 941 4474
Notes for Editors
- Peter Capaldi graduated from Graphic Design at the GSA
in 1980, and went on to give an acclaimed performance in the film Local Hero, his breakthrough role in
1983. He has subsequently featured in numerous films and television programmes,
including The Hour, Neverwhere, Skins,
The Crow Road and Torchwood. He
is arguably best known for his portrayal of fictional spin doctor Malcolm
Tucker in the television series The Thick
of It, and later in the film In The
Loop. In 2013 it was revealed that Capaldi would be the 12th Dr Who. Capaldi
is also a director, and won the 1995 Academy Award for Live Action Short Film
for his film Franz Kafka’s It’s a Wonderful Life, produced for BBC Scotland in
1993.
- William Bradley “Brad” Pitt
is an American actor and film producer. He began his acting career in
television guest spots, including a recurring role on the CBS soap opera Dallas in 1987. He gained recognition as
the cowboy hitchhiker who seduces Geena Davis’ character in 1991′s Thelma &
Louise. Pitt’s first leading role in a major film was in Interview with the Vampire (1994). He
was cast opposite Anthony Hopkins in the 1994 drama Legends of the Fall, which earned him his first Golden Globe
nomination. The following year came two contrasting, widely acclaimed starring
roles, in the crime thriller Seven
(1995) and the science fiction Twelve
Monkeys (1995), in which he won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor.
Pitt received worldwide attention in the 1999 film Fight Club, for his role as Tyler Durden. Following the success of Fight Club, he was cast as Rusty Ryan in
the 2001 film Ocean’s Eleven, and its
sequels Ocean’s Twelve (2004) and Ocean’s Thirteen (2007). He has had his
biggest commercial successes with Ocean’s
Eleven (2001), Spy Game (2001), Troy (2004), the action-comedy Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
(2008).
- Brad Pitt’s interest with
architecture is well known. He has collaborated with Frank Gehry to build homes
in New Orleans and spoken of his admiration for
Charles Rennie Mackintosh. When filming World War Z in Glasgow in 2011 he took
time out of the schedule to visit Hill House in Helensburgh.
The
Mackintosh Appeal will be run by The Glasgow School of Art Development Trust.
Current Trustees are:
Mackintosh Appeal will be run by The Glasgow School of Art Development Trust.
Current Trustees are:
Honorary Patron
The Rt Hon The Lord Macfarlane of Bearsden
KT
KT
Colin Grassie (Chair)
Peter Capaldi
Kelly Cooper-Barr
Dr Kenneth Chrystie
Bob Downes
Ken Ross OBE
Bryan Ferry CBE
Dr Muriel Gray
Prof Tom Inns
Douglas Kinnaird
William Bradley “Brad” Pitt