| AdminHistory | Peter Gibson, artist, visual arts lecturer, musician and documentary film-maker (1943-2021) was appointed Head of Area of Docklands for Tower Hamlets Adult Education Service during early 1980s. Peter worked closely with members of the London Docklands Development Corporation to create relevant community projects for local people. He also helped develop activities at the Shadwell Centre and instigated the art foundation course at the adult learning centre in 1992, assisting access to people who had few opportunities to gain a qualification in order to attend a degree course.
See individual introductions on the two key projects achieved during his time with Tower Hamlets Adult Education Service which are reflected in the records:
- 'Gor Hoi - Crossing the Water' : South East Asia Arts Project. A multimedia performance project with Chinese and Vietnamese communities which took place during the London International Festival of Theatre in 1987 (I/THI/B/15/1).
- Queen Victoria Seamen's Rest Oral History Project (I/THI/B/15/2).
More about Peter Gibson and his creative partner Alex Hooper (source: Peter Gibson's notes, supplied when he deposited the records in 2018):
Peter Gibson was born born in Kendal, Cumbria in 1943. Before joining the service, his early career involved workíng on the Tug boats on the Manchester Ship Canal. He then studied Fine Art at Liverpool College of Art. Years later he met Alex Hooper at the Film Studies Course at the Slade School of Fine Art. They became lifelong friends and creative partners. Peter worked as a Senior Art Lecturer at schools and colleges throughout the United Kingdom. He also played music and performed in the well known blues band "Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts". He toured with Pip Simmons Theatre Company from 1979 throughout Europe returning to the United Kingdom in 1982.
His friend and creative partner Alex Hooper originally worked in the Merchant Navy. Alex Hooper then studied Anthropology and Archaeology at University College, London, and then Film at the Slade School of Fine Art. He then taught at art colleges and schools and did archaeological fieldwork and teaching at Ahmadu Bello University in Northern Nigeria. On return to London, Alex did research work for Pip Simmons Theatre Company productions. He joined Peter Gibson on oral history projects in the East End including at the Queen Victoria Seamen's Rest, and with Local South East Asian communities - in particular, the Vietnamese 'Boat People' and the local Chinese community.
Peter Gibson died in June 2021.
For further details on his life, see his website developed during his lifetime: http://peterjdgibson.com/
See also his obituary written by his widow Hanelle Levine: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/jun/30/peter-gibson-obituary |