Ghosts of Gone Birds   

This month, Tower Hamlets plays host to a major new multimedia art exhibition, which aims to throw light on the increasing loss of bird species across the world. More than 80 contemporary artists, sculptors, musicians, writers and poets will come together for Ghosts of Gone Birds, which will run from 2nd to 23rd November 2011 at the Rochelle School, Shoreditch. Each artist has been asked to choose a different extinct species, producing a new piece of art inspired by the bird and celebrating its life. Selections include Jamie Hewlett with the Hawaiian Crow; Rob Ryan with the Stephen's Island Wren; Ralph Steadman with the Pallas's Cormorant, Dodo and Liverpool Pigeon; Harriet Mead's King Island Emu; and Greg Poole's Jamaican Red Macaw.

Ghosts of Gone Birds aims to raise awareness of the need for bird conservation and to raise funds for BirdLife International's Preventing Extinction Programme to prevent further losses. The natural rate of bird extinction is one bird each century but in the last thirty years alone, 21 species have disappeared. At present, 190 are classified as Critically Endangered and, without immediate action, many will not be here in ten years' time. One clear example is the albatross family, which is fast becoming the most threatened family of birds in the world, dying at a rate of around one every five minutes. In fact, they are disappearing at a rate faster than they can actually breed — so 18 out of the 22 species of albatross are now facing global extinction.