By Claire Geddie According to that old adage, one should never mix business and pleasure -but a career in the creative industries leaves little choice. Long hours, longer meetings and clients in need of entertaining make a 9-to-5 schedule a luxury most cannot afford. In London however, a members' club and creative hub called The Hospital has addressed this malady head on, and in several ways aims to cure what ails London's arts communities.
Conceived by Dave Stewart, British musician and one half of the Eurythmics, and Paul Allen, American co-founder of Microsoft, work/play and creative/capital dialectics are writ large in the very structure of the organization that describes itself as London's "pre-eminent centre for the Creative and Media communities." Membership is drawn from "those who practice, support and celebrate creative work in the UK and abroad," and, unlike exclusive Soho waterholes such as The Groucho, The Century Club or the infamous Soho House, The Hospital provides 60,000 square feet of professional and social spaces for use by members and industry alike. And they are used well: The main-floor Gallery has housed exhibits by the likes of Annie Leibowitz and Richard Young, and the various onsite high-def TV and music recording studios are frequented by artists who include Travis, Beck and Radiohead, as well as newer British acts Lily Allen and Keane.
Members are in no way overlooked, however; they can partake of lush furnishings in two private bars ideal for self-medicating, as well as games and meeting rooms, a restaurant and a library. Film previews are regularly held in The Hospital's state-of-the-art cinema, and members also benefit from a calendar of premium events that range from wine and chocolate tastings to networking initiatives. The premises are rigged with WiFi, and, during the week, members' spaces are liberally strewn with lattes, laptops and chatter. Social but civilized, it's a wonderfully cubicle-free way to spend a working afternoon, and an ideal meeting place for those who regularly toil from home or live outside London.
Allen bought the dilapidated and defunct St. Paul's Hospital site, once home to the first artificial kidney unit and dialysis treatments in the UK, in 1996. While this heritage may render it an unlikely location for libations, The Hospital Group has retained the building's nurturing tradition since its September 2004 opening. A members' club with a difference, The Hospital has a mandate to recognize and foster creative and entrepreneurial potential. Under the leadership of Group CEO Will Turner, their programs have come to include an annual awards ceremony celebrating British talent - 2006 winners included Catherine Tate and Joe Wright - and a mentoring scheme inclusive of free membership. One of this year's participants, director Suzie Templeton, enjoyed the help of mentor Peter Dunne in completing her animated feature Peter and the Wolf, which then premiered auspiciously at London's Royal Albert Hall.
Embracing their role as cultural propagator and ambassador, The Hospital regularly has a presence at major cultural festivals and events; 2006 saw them attending the Guardian Hay Festival, the Edinburgh International Festival and the Frieze Art Fair. The 2005 Cannes event has become particularly legendary, as Paul Allen welcomed members onto his megalithic yacht, The Octopus - a floating mansion cum entertainment complex complete with basketball court, spa, cinema, recording studio and yellow submarine. Guests, including George Lucas and Rose McGowan, mingled over oysters, champagne and a chocolate fountain before Allen and co-founder Dave Stewart took to the stage with their guitars. Actor Damian Lewis (Band of Brothers, Stormbreaker) grabbed the mic at one point and delivered a most convincing performance of Elvis's "Don't Be Cruel," complete with authentic pelvic thrusts. Equally celebratory on the home front, The Hospital recently celebrated its second anniversary by taking over one of London's most picturesque locales, Somerset House, for an evening of ice skating with ringside martinis and glasses of warming winter Pimms. Indeed, their reputation for a party has led to a thriving events management operation, recent functions including the opening night party for West End musical Wicked!
The Hospital will soon be announcing details of their planned physical and online expansion in 2007, as well as anticipated forays into content creation. All of this will continue, however, to feed back into a goal to foster local and international communities of mutually supportive artists and media professionals. Just what the doctor ordered. |
