Page 51 - The Digital Cloth Issue 6

Ian Berry #iClapFor They can now be seen with more artists Royal Brompton Hospital

Ian Berry interview July 5 2020 was the 72nd
hands including his sons, only six, who in-
spired the whole project. Elliott loved the
birthday of the NHS and people across the
clapping here in the UK on Thursday nights
country came back onto their doorsteps to
at 8pm. ‘It enabled us to be able to talk to
applaud our nation’s hardworking clinical staff
who had been on the frontline of the Covid-19
him about it while he was engaged and
interested. We could tell him about his auntie outbreak. To mark the occasion the entrance
who was on the COVID team in Lund,
Sweden and our friends on the frontline. to Royal Brompton Hospital was illuminated
by a projection of two hands clapping. The
He now sees the NHS workers as heroes video installation called #iclapfor also con-
and gets excited every time he sees the logo. tains the message: “HAPPY BIRTHDAY
That’s why I think the clapping is great, while THANKS” and was created by artist Ian
I understand the arguments if kids can grow Berry. Ian said: “In this time we’ve seen who

up seeing health workers and others to be are the people who we should listen to and
respected then we have more hope for the look up to, who children should aspire to be
future.’ like, and that’s people in the NHS.”
Ian Berry projection film of the clapping
hands can be seen in this film link Painting the Clapping Mural by Atma Art.
Ian Berry, Wood Street Walls and ATMA
collaborated and now have the Clapping
Hands.
Every Thursday during the 2020 lockdown,
the UK clapped to applause the NHS workers
and carers. The denim artist IAN BERRY
created the iconic animation “I clap for”,
Movement of thanks projected all over the country. To commemo-

rate this moment, WOOD STREET WALLS
commissioned ATMA to paint this visual on a
London NHS surgery.
Championed by Castle, the South
distinguished artist David Bank Centre and the BT
Hockney, Ian creates incredible Tower in Birmingham – it was Thank you to the artists Ian Berry, Andre
works of art in denim. What goes with even on the white Cliffs of Dover! Veloux, Benjamin Murphy, Max Zorn, Sophie

denim? Pin badges that’s what! Ian is a big fan Standing, Will Rochfort, Daisy Collingridge,
of eco-art, recycling and up-cycling, and was It began with an idea between father and Marcus Aitken, Ruth Fox, Kirstie Adamson,
a leader in the #IClapFor movement that saw son - Ian and Elliott Berry. Jess Wilson, Alicja Kozlowska, Barbara Shaw,
the clapping hands animated across the UK “I Clap For” happened by accident, a reac- Juan Manuel Gomez, Elliott Berry, Terry
and the world. tion to the Clapping that took off around the Aske, Béatrice Beraud, Cas Holmes, Holly
For the last few months his hands have been world. Their response has now been projected Brown and Zariha Rachadi
projected on buildings as far away as all around the globe. It also helped the com- Thank you to Phil Fearnley from Halo Vue
Colombia, Mexico City, New York, Sweden munity to give messages of thanks during the Aerial Photography for his work on the film.
and Brazil and here in the UK on 70 COVID-19 pandemic - aimed at those we clap
different areas walls from Land’s End to John for.
O’Groats, the most Southern and Northern

areas of Britain. They were seen on places
such as the Baltic in Gateshead, Edinburgh