Hockney’s art under the hammer and Vikings come home
FOUR CANDIDATES remain in the running to become elected as the new leader of the Labour Party on April 4.
Sir Keir Starmer, Lisa Nandy, Emily Thornberry and Rebecca Long-Bailey are all vying to replace Jeremy Corbyn at the head of the party, following its crushing defeat in December’s General Election.
Each candidate requires the support of either five per cent of constituency parties or at least three affiliates, including trade unions, to be successfully included on the final ballot.
And the parties and affiliates have until Friday to make their nominations.
The ballot will then open on February 24 and run until April 2, before the winner is announced at a special conference two days later.
More hustings are scheduled to take place over the coming weeks.
ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE
THE COMMITTEE on Standards in Public Life will be launching a new report into artificial intelligence today.
Chair of the Committee, Lord Jonathan Evans, will be interviewed by Professor Nick Jennings on the report’s key conclusions and recommendations at an event in the capital this morning.
The committee announced the review in March last year and said it would examine the current use of artificial intelligence technologies in the public sector.
We’re likely to hear its views on whether existing regulations are sufficient to ensure high standards of conduct are upheld.
ART AUCTION
A PIECE of work by Bradford-born artist David Hockney is set to make waves at an auction in London on Tuesday.
The Splash is up at Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Evening Auction and is expected to sell for between £20m and £30m – over six times the price achieved when the work last sold at auction for £2.9m in 2006.
Painted in 1966, it immortalises a fleeting moment just seconds after a diver has broken the calm surface of a swimming pool.
The work is the second in a series of three ‘splashes’, the largest and final of which, A Bigger Splash, is a jewel in the Tate collection.
MUSIC AWARDS
SOME OF the best music from the past 12 months will be celebrated at the O2 Academy in Brixton on Wednesday. with the return of the NME awards.
Presented by comedian Katherine Ryan and radio presenter Julie Adenuga, the awards will see Swedish star Robyn crowned songwriter of the decade.
Awards will also be handed out for best album and song in the world, best solo act and best band, whilst festivals, TV series and podcasts will also be recognised.
Also taking place in the capital is London Fashion Week.
Launching on February 14, the event will be themed around ‘positive fashion’, the British Fashion Council’s initiative designed to celebrate industry best practice and encourage future business decisions to create positive change.
VIKING FESTIVAL
CLOSER TO home, two major events will begin in Yorkshire at the weekend.
The Jorvik Viking Festival, starting on Saturday, will celebrate York’s rich Norse heritage with a programme of events, including living history encampments, markets, workshops, talks, tours and dramatic combat performances.
Meanwhile, Saturday will also mark the start of the lambing festival at Barnsley’s Cannon Hall Farm. Farmers at the site, which featured on Channel 5 TV show Springtime on the Farm will be caring for more than 100 pregnant ewes and their newborn young.
A report into artificial intelligence is due to be released this week as a David Hockney piece of art goes up for auction with a multi-million pound price tag. Laura Reid reports.