Working with the Goldsmiths Design Department and utilising Goldsmiths resources, the Bus-Tops team will develop the first installation prototypes later this year. Working on such a high profile and innovative project offers a high value experience for the students which will be important for their future careers.

Matt Ward, Programme Leader of the BA Design at Goldsmiths commented: ‘The Bus-Tops project utilizes a lost piece of London real estate to reveal and connect people within the city. Having our students and graduates involved in the project is fantastic. Our programme promotes a thoughtful and critical approach to design, which should sit well next to a project that intends to create new and exciting experiences throughout London during the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.’

Alfie Dennen, Director of Art Public commented: ‘The Bus-Tops project is all about London and Londoners. Working with talented students and Goldsmiths is another aspect of the project’s commitment to involving Londoners and develops the incredible design talent in the capital. This is just the beginning and we hope thousands of people all over London engage with the project when it goes ‘live’ in the run up to the London 2012 Games.’

The London 2012 Cultural Olympiad is the largest cultural celebration in the history of the modern Olympic and Paralympic Movements. Spread over four years, it is designed to give everyone in the UK a chance to be part of London 2012 and inspire creativity across all forms of culture, especially among young people.

Moira Sinclair, London Executive Director of Arts Council England said:

‘We always knew the London 2012 Games were going to offer an array of opportunities for artists and Londoners alike, so it’s great to see these two teams coming together to develop prototypes for Bus-Tops. With over six million people using London buses every week, these bus shelters will form an iconic part of the capital’s landscape in the year of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and offer an unprecedented boost to the CVs of the designers involved; I can’t wait to see what they come up with.’

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For more information, please contact:

Art Public/Bus-Tops: Alfie Dennen on +44 (0)207 241 4859, alfie@bus-tops.com visit the website at http://bus-tops.com or follow us on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/bus_tops

Arts Council England: Mathew Hanratty, Media Relations Officer, London, on 020 7973 5233 or mathew.hanratty@artscouncil.org.uk

Goldsmiths, University of London: Lynne Milford, Press & PR Officer, 020 79197970 or l.milford@gold.ac.uk

An overview of the different elements and concepts of the Bus-Tops project can be found here.

Notes to editors:

Goldsmiths Department of Design draws upon the interdisciplinary and intellectual climate which makes Goldsmiths so unique. Drawing on a wealth of perspectives and discourses, academics in the Department promote a holistic approach to both practice and theory, helping to form what are often radical design practices and cutting edge research projects.

Artists taking the lead is part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad and is being developed by Arts Council England in partnership with London 2012 and the arts councils of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Twelve commissions of up to £500,000 have been awarded to create 12 new works of public art across the country; one in each of the nine English regions, and in the nations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The winning commissions are currently under development and will start taking place around the UK in 2011. Follow their progress at www.artiststakingthelead.org.uk

The London 2012 Cultural Olympiad is the largest cultural celebration in the history of the modern Olympic and Paralympic Movements. Spread over four years, it is designed to give everyone in the UK a chance to be part of London 2012 and inspire creativity across all forms of culture, especially among young people. Millions of people around the UK are already part of the Cultural Olympiad, through the Inspire programme and Open Weekend.

The finale of the Cultural Olympiad will be in a twelve week UK-wide festival in the summer of 2012, bringing together leading artists from all over the world.

The Cultural Olympiad has benefited from a National Lottery grant of £16.6 million from the Olympic Lottery Distributor. Other funders include The Legacy Trust and Arts Council England. British Council will commit £3million to the international development of London 2012 Cultural Olympiad projects.