10th birthday issue
Spring 2014
inside Compton
Verney
The Creatures Among Us: Flora and Fauna at Compton Verney
Spring 2014
2
Contents Page 2 What a year for Compton Verney
Page 3 News Bites, You—The 12th Plinth
Page 4 The Creatures Among Us: Flora and
Fauna at Compton Verney
Page 6 Redisplaying our Chinese Treasures
Page 7 Telling Tales; Science and
Art Combine
Page 8 Happy Birthday Compton Verney
Page 10 Re-Viewing the Landscape;
Progress Update
Page 11 Get Involved
Page 12 Behind the Scenes with
Moore Rodin
Page 14 A Day in the Life with Gary Webb
and Volunteer Jenny Jones
Auguste Rodin, Eve, (1881 )and Henry Moore Three Piece Sculpture Vertebrae (1968 - 1969), Reproduced by permission of The Henry Moore Foundation and Musee Rodin Photo Andy Stammers
This is a watershed year for Compton Verney,
and we couldn’t be more excited. With our
10th anniversary exhibition, Moore Rodin, off to a
flying start, our Re-Viewing the Landscape project well underway, thanks to a Heritage Lottery Fund
development grant, and a birthday party in the
planning, it is an exciting time to visit, re-visit,
volunteer and support.
Installing 11 magnificent and sizeable pieces of
sculpture in the landscape in just over a week was
always going to be a challenge. Given saturated
ground and torrential rain storms, it became even
more fun. We are deeply grateful to our Grounds
Team, MTEC and the Henry Moore Foundation
staff for their intrepid efforts, which have had such
splendid results.
What a year for Compton Verney
That is not to say that other aspects of the
installation were not equally tricky. Through the
talents of Curator Penelope Sexton and Gallery
Technician John Crossley, and the in-kind paint
supplied by Farrow and Ball, however, we are
confident the galleries have seldom looked better.
This edition of Inside Compton Verney brings you
stories of the beasts, bugs and birds that were
thriving in our landscape long before we became
an art gallery, and new developments that ensure
that the art we display here continues to be of the
very highest standard and presented in a world-
class setting. Don’t forget that when you see
something underlined, you can link through to
more information. Thank you for your continued
support!
Why not consider leaving us a legacy? Just 1% of
the sale of your home can make a huge difference.
Stand on the empty 12th Plinth and
strike a pose to create a living sculpture.
Photography was an important tool for both Rodin and Moore, so make sure to capture your pose on
camera and post it on Twitter and Facebook.
You – The 12th Plinth
www.facebook.com/
comptonverney
www.twitter.com/
comptonverney
News bites
Vertical Rush Challenge
Congratulations to Aly Grimes, Development
Administrator; Sally Owen, Trainee Accountant;
Harriet Lund, Events Manager and Rachel Davies,
Deputy Director all of whom raised over £2,300
for Shelter by climbing 920 steps in London’s
Tower 42.
Book Now!
Our Opera Fundraising
Gala promises to be an
outstanding evening, with
Don Giovanni performed by
Diva Opera, an exhibition
private view, and several
catering options. Tickets are selling fast so book
yours now!
Recent Grants
We are incredibly grateful to the following trusts
for supporting a range of activities:
The Rowlands Trust has generously donated
£2,000 towards our 2014 learning programmes,
including our popular Face to Face and Pattern,
Shape, Design activities. The Rowlands Trust has been supporting Compton Verney’s learning
projects since 2010, previously aiding our learning
backpacks, a grounds
investigator kit, educational play
equipment and an architectural
trail booklet.
The Stanley Smith Horticultural
Trust gift of £3,000 will enable
us to provide critical
maintenance for the historic
cedar in front of the mansion.
The Wilmcote Charitable Trust
has granted £500 to pay for
materials used in our collection
in focus activities.
We’re Family Friendly
Please help promote Compton
Verney as a Family Friendly venue by nominating
us for the Family Friendly Museum Award 2014.
Simply email [email protected] and
tell them why we make your family feel welcome.
Photo by Charlotte Gallimore (yr12) Akeley Wood School
While you’re at it, why not help us
spread the word by posting a review on
tripadvisor?
14
The Creatures Among Us: Flora and Fauna at Compton Verney
Our landscape has been under constant
management for many centuries, from
Compton Murdak to Compton Verney.
The most enduring form, however, is
the ‘natural’ landscaping completed by
Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown from 1768.
Naturally, a desire to utilise and make the grounds
attractive for our visitors is strong, although we
tread a fine line in respect of the delicate ecology
of the site, which has been understood through a
range of surveys completed over the last twenty
years. As a long-established estate, Compton
Verney features many elements that are being
nurtured, protected and where possible enhanced.
As the initial restoration phase and planting settles
down, so do the grounds, which have developed
a richer fabric and character.
General site information:
Local Wildlife Site - In 2013 we were
awarded Local Wildlife Site status following
a long running ecological survey, and we
are now developing a new working
relationship with the Warwickshire Wildlife
Trust. In addition to bees, bats and a well-
established badger set, we hope to support
our barn owls, hedgehogs and otters
Parkland - Managed under Natural
England’s Higher Level Stewardship
programme, this has been returned to
pasture and, as with our West Lawn, sown
with wildflowers. New trees have also been
planted in historically correct locations
Woodland - We have several areas of
woodland on site which are being enjoyed
by students and families alike through our
popular Forest School
Lake - This key landscape feature supports
a range of fish, aquatic plants and wildlife
and the reed beds provide nesting
opportunities for our Great Crested Grebes
and other fowl
Lawns - Our West Lawn and other areas are
managed for wildflowers, which attract a
large range of insects
Left: Red Kite 2 , Alwyn Knapton 2013; Above: Ruby-Tailed
Wasp © Ed Phillips Wildlife 2013; Right: Great Crested Grebes
Award - Compton Verney sponsors a
Conservation Award for students at nearby
Moreton Morrell, part of Warwickshire
College. We have also worked alongside
students on planting projects in the grounds
and the college helps manage the parkland
with stock and mowing
Aspirations
As a team we aim to nurture all of the existing
elements of the estate whilst providing the environment for appropriate flora and fauna to
flourish. Our activity, whilst primarily producing a
protected and accessible site, provides much
opportunity to improve the content in favour of
flora and fauna – a subject that is very dear to us.
With our new landscape restoration project
underway, some of the opportunities we’ll be
exploring include:
Bird/badger viewing hides – One bird
hide has been established and there are
many other locations that could support
wildlife viewing hides
Wildlife cameras – Cameras of all kinds
could offer valuable interpretation material on badgers, bats and many other species
Nest boxes – We have recently installed
two barn owl boxes in the Ice House
Coppice and a wider range of feeding
station equipment would be ideal
Habitat creation – Planting and features
to support water voles, nesting and possibly
otters are in the planning stages
Woodland management – A section of
unused woodland could be restored to
demonstrate this ancient skill
Walks and talks – These are always
popular and, with a growing band of
volunteers, could become more frequent.
Gary Webb
Head of Landscape and Gardens
Peacock Butterfly, Alwyn Knapton August 2013
6-Spot Burnet Moth (Zygaena filipendulae) © Ed Philips
Brimstone Yellow Butterfly, Alwyn Knapton August 2013
6
Compton Verney’s Chinese gallery
contains one of the top three collections
of Chinese bronzes in Europe. The
collection is designated as being of
national and international importance,
and consists of over 100 objects
spanning over 3,000 years, dating from
the Neolithic period to the Qing Dynasty.
Crafts, especially pottery making and jade carving,
reached a very high level in Neolithic China, but it is
the bronze vessels of the second and first
millennium BC that have made the most distinctive
impact in the history of world art, and their cultural
significance cannot be overestimated. Bronzes were
to the East what sculpture was to the West.
The vessels in this collection were produced over a
period of over 1500 years under many different
Chinese rulers, and date from the early Shang
Dynasty (about 1700 to 1050 BC) to the Han
Dynasty (206 BC to AD 220). The collection also
includes pottery pieces, such as a set of twelve
painted pottery equestrian figures made for placing
in a tomb to guard the deceased.
When the Chinese galleries were opened in 2004,
the aesthetic value of the objects was presented
beautifully, but visitors have told us that the current
Redisplaying our
Chinese Treasures
level of interpretation fails to enable them to fully
appreciate the significance, social and historical
context, purpose and production of the
collection. Additionally, gallery staff have noticed
that the layout, colour and lighting of the gallery
fails to attract many visitors’ interest. We are
delighted to announce that £190,000 has
recently been granted by the DCMS/Wolfson
Fund and the Arts Council’s Designation
Development Fund to enable us to make this
stunning collection more accessible and
engaging. It will:
Highlight the importance of the bronzes,
particularly in relationship to Western art
and culture
Improve the interpretation of the galleries
by drawing out themes related to the
history, manufacture and purpose of the
bronzes
Improve the lighting and display of the
objects so that their beauty, intricacy and
imagery can be fully appreciated
Produce a new printed guide to accompany
the re-display
Ensure that the entire collection is made
more accessible to all visitors, including
disabled visitors and children
The re-display will take place between December
2014 and March 2015, when Compton Verney is closed to the public. The collection will be re-
launched when we re-open in March 2015.
Left: Wine Vessel
and cover, fangjia
Bronze - Late
Shang Dynasty
(about 1550-1050
BC)
Above: Heavenly
Horse, tian ma
Bronze
Han Dynasty (206
BC-AD 220)
Art of China Talk Tour and Tea and the chance to handle two
bronzes. Thursday 18 September, 3pm. To book tickets, call
01926 645 500.
Telling Tales: Science and Art Combine
7
The Beecroft Trust for Science and Education has
a tradition of supporting outstanding projects
that include the Beecroft Institute of Particle
Astrophysics and Cosmology at Oxford
University and the Royal Academy Science Book
Prize. Founders Adrian and Jacqui Beecroft also
have a life-long interest in art and artists.
Joining these interests together, the Trust's
support for the forthcoming Periodic Tales
exhibition is not only a
g r o u n d b r e a k i n g
philanthropic gift for Compton Verney, it also
fits with the Trust’s
desire to promote
science as interesting
and creative.
“We have been very
impressed with the way
that Compton Verney
has become such an
important part of the
local community,” says
Adrian Beecroft. “This
exhibition meets all the
objectives of our Trust
and we are delighted to
be able to support it.”
Curated with Hugh
Aldersey-Williams, author of the best-selling book
Periodic Tales, the exhibition brings together
artworks from collections across the UK to
explore the cultural significance of the chemical
elements.
The elements have always inspired artists. They
are the prima materia of their work, as they are for all that is made. Those known to the ancient
world – gold, silver, copper, iron, lead, tin,
mercury, sulphur and carbon – carry rich
symbolism to which artists continue to respond.
As newer discoveries like chromium and neon
have acquired their own cultural associations, so
artists have begun to explore their meanings,
too. The elements do not simply occupy fixed
spaces as they do in the periodic table. From the
moment of their discovery, each element
embarks on a journey into our culture.
Featuring historic and contemporary works and
new commissions by artists including Bill
Woodrow, Marc Quinn, Eduaordo Paolozzi, Tim
Etchells and Roger Hiorns, this exhibition seeks to
discover the cultural themes that group the
elements, bringing visitors into direct contact with
the chemical elements in an unprecedented way.
This exhibition also brings with it the opportunity
to develop innovative learning programmes that
address both artistic and scientific concepts.
Designed to extend people’s understanding and enjoyment of the exhibition and draw attention to
the fact that elements are all around us, not just in
‘chemicals’ kept under the
kitchen sink or locked in the
laboratory, they will include
hands-on activities based on
the use of science in art such
as an interactive periodic
table, charcoal drawing and demonstrations, as well as
more targeted engagement
with schools at primary and
secondary levels.
The Beecroft Trust has very
generously sponsored the
exhibition itself, the first such
private benefaction. We are also delighted to announce
that Paul Cooney, long-time
Patron, has generously
sponsored the learning
programme for the
exhibition.
Sponsorship is critical if we are to secure loans,
design beautiful exhibitions spaces and provide
inspiring learning programmes. You’d be
surprised at how just a few hundred pounds can
help to cover costs such as supplies for a learning
resource room.
Upcoming exhibitions still in need of support
include: British Folk Art, Autumn 2014; The Arts and
Crafts House, Summer 2015; Canaletto’s
Architecture, Spring 2015; and Creating
Shakespeare, Spring 2016
If you or someone you know might like to
discuss this opportunity, please contact the
Development Team on 01926 645 562.
Periodic Tales runs from 3 October— 13
December 2015
Pair of Victorian moulded silvered and lustred glass baluster
candlesticks, photo by Harminder Judge
10
the elements: historic buildings and landscape
restoration, habitat conservation, the construction
of a new visitor welcome centre and an extensive
programme of interpretation and activities which
will encourage many more people to visit and enjoy
this very special place.”
Our next steps include:
Undertaking all of the necessary surveys for
both design development and planning
purposes
Updating the existing landscape conservation
plan and preparing a new one for the Chapel
Recruiting interpretation designers
Continuing to fundraise toward the
£950,000 match funding requirement
Consulting with stakeholders and users to
ensure that our buildings and planned
activities deliver the best outcome for all
If you would like to be included in consultations,
or learn more, please contact Chris on 01926 645
517 or [email protected].
The design team has now been appointed, led by
award-winning architects Purcell, known for
sympathetic heritage restoration and stunning
new buildings in heritage settings (their previous
work includes the Arnos Vale Cemetery, Crown
Properties, Canterbury Cathedral and Dover
Castle.) Leading on the landscape development
plans are Bea Landscape and Design. Having
worked on the ‘Capability’ Brown parkland at
Croome Court and also the historic landscapes at
Coughton Court and Spetchley Gardens, Bea is
extremely well-qualified to help us restore and
enhance our beautiful grounds.
We are confident that, under the able leadership
of Project Manager Chris Rice - who, as
Birmingham Museums’ Head of Heritage Services
for 17 years, has delivered numerous Heritage
Lottery Fund projects - we will not only end up
with a restored and enhanced landscape, but will
be able to offer visitors so much more in terms of access and services. Chris says, “It is a real
privilege to be part of the team working on the
Chapel and landscape restoration project at
Compton Verney. What is so nice about the project is
It has been a busy few months as we develop our plans for the next phase of our
major landscape renewal project, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Re-Viewing the
Landscape:
Progress Update
Get Involved
you’d like the opportunity to make new friends,
gain new experiences and get behind the scenes at
Compton Verney, take a look at these roles:
Gallery Support
Membership Stewards
Grounds Stewards
Shuttle Drivers
Event Support
Marketing Support
Bunting Buddy
Bunting Co-ordinator
To explore these opportunities, download an
application form from the website or contact
Emily Medcraft, Front of House Manager, on
01926 645 516.
Photos left and below by Gary Webb. Photo above ©John Cleary
Volunteers broaden the range of services that
we can offer and the efficiency and
effectiveness of the organisation as a whole.
As a registered charity, we have limited resources but our ambitions and standards are
high.
We offer a unique working environment and a
variety of roles across the organisation that
supports us in achieving our aims. We’re a
relatively small but friendly and supportive
team, with people from lots of different
backgrounds and interests. Many of our
volunteer roles involve working with the
public, so if you love talking to people and
want to make a difference, we’d love to have
you on board.
We pay travel expenses up to £11 per day and
all volunteers receive a pass that entitles them
to unlimited free visits to the gallery for
themselves and up to five guests. You will also
receive a discount in the shop, restaurant and café, as well as a chance to meet new people
and experience life in a busy visitor attraction. If
8
In 2014 Compton Verney’s doors
will have been open for a decade, so
come along and join us for our big
10th birthday party celebrations on
Monday 5 May 2014, 11am—5pm.
There will be lots to do for all the family
including games, music, arty activities and a
look back over the past 10 years. We’ll also
have information about Compton Verney’s
history and future, with archaeologists and
our HLF project architects on hand. So help
us celebrate the past and be part of our
exciting future.
The celebration will be a traditional Penny Fair
with rides such as a Cascade Slide and a Mini
Carousel as well as stalls including Splat the
Rat, Guess the Weight of the Sculpture,
Rename an Artwork, Hook-a-Duck and Tin
Can Alley. Share your memories in our video
booth, listen to a wide variety of live music on
the West Lawn and enter our fancy-dress
competition by dressing as your favourite
artist or artwork.
Birthday bunting world record attempt
There are three ways you can help us achieve the
world record for the longest line of bunting:
Come to the birthday party celebrations and join
in making bunting on the day
Make bunting in our first floor Discovery Room
(available until Aug 2014)
Download our birthday bunting pack and make bunting at home. All clubs, societies and
organisations who help us with this record
attempt will be acknowledged on our website.
Happy Birthday Compton Verney!
comment and
join in!
I knew before I
began this article
that I couldn’t fit
all the many daily
happenings in, so
please excuse if I
failed to hit the
mark; it certainly
isn’t due to a lack of daily grounds activity! I will say
in my defence that no two days are the same, and offer that you’d be very welcome to join one of my
monthly grounds tours where I regularly talk about
our landscape, its history, ongoing management
and our exciting plans for its development – tours
on the first Thursday every month!
Gary Webb
Head of Landscape and Gardens
Gary above and, with Jenny, below
Volunteer Jenny Jones: Grounded in Art
Jenny Jones has been volunteering with Compton
Verney for five years. First serving in the galleries,
she moved into the grounds when the then one-
person “team” needed help. As she is keen on both
art and gardening (she’d just finished her Fine Arts
degree from Birmingham City University and has an
NVQ in landscape design) it seemed like a natural
step.
“It is so different from working in my own garden,
and so beautiful, that it is a real pleasure.” Jenny
says, “In addition, they are so generous with tickets
that we can bring our friends for free.”
Jenny keeps the box in shape, weeds, prunes, plants
and occasionally chops. Over the winter, she has
also spent several weeks looking at 18th century
accounts from Compton Verney in the Warwick and
Stratford record offices. “It is interesting to see how
many local trade and crafts people, as well as workers
from the household, took part in the garden’s
transformation. There are undoubtedly descendants
of these people in the area to this day.”
How many gardeners do you have? Is the most
frequently asked question and there’s quite often
a surprised reaction when I relay that there are
only two employed staff, including myself, and
three volunteers. We have plenty therefore to pack
our days and keep us busy throughout the year.
It’s a swan-like skill to remain calm and controlled
when so much needs doing outside!
Daily tasks are to ensure we’re ship-shape and
ready for opening. We then to move on to other
activity such as mowing, pruning and so on or, for
me in particular, more administration-based tasks.
As a gardener by trade with a particular attraction
for heritage gardens, I naturally prefer the great
outdoors and I thrive on seeing, understanding
and presenting them. Indeed, with my favoured
period being the 18th century, I’m sometimes
convinced I was born 200 years too late!
I am therefore delighted to be steering the
grounds team as we turn our attention to the
significant Heritage Lottery Funded project. I see it as a great opportunity for us, as custodians of the
site, not only to understand its fabric more than
ever before, but also to refresh some of its delicate
elements. Furthermore, the prospect of
representing such a diverse landscape, and in
doing so interpreting its special components to a
modern audience, is thrilling.
Presenting a wonderful landscape as I’m painfully
aware doesn’t guarantee visitors. Indeed, what is
the point of maintaining a landscape if people
can’t experience and enjoy it in person? Some of
my time therefore is now spent promoting our
landscape, a task which is helped by the rise of
digital media. To this end, we have a grounds blog
that in the first year alone received over six
thousand hits, and we’ve now also added a Flickr
group dedicated to building a stock of
engaging grounds
focused images. If
anyone is keen to
look us up, these
features can be
reached via the
grounds pages of the Compton Verney
website – please
A Day in the Life Gary Webb, Head of Landscape and Gardens
8
Behind the Scenes at the Moore Rodin exhibition
Clockwise from below: Auguste Rodin, Monument to the Burghers of Calais, 1889; Auguste Rodin, Jean d'Aire, Monumental Nude,
1887; Auguste Rodin, Eve, 1881; Henry Moore, Seated Woman, 1958 - 1959; Monument to the Burghers of Calais.
Autumn Exhibition: British Folk Art 27 September to 2014 December 2014
As part of our 10th anniversary celebrations, and as
home to one of the UKs largest collections of British
Folk Art, we are delighted to be hosting an exhibition
which is the first major survey of British Folk Art.
Over 150 paintings, sculptures, textiles and objects
have been drawn together from collections across the
country in an exhibition that will celebrate folk art in
the UK.
Folk Art is an established subject in many countries;
however in Britain the genre remains elusive. Rarely
considered in the context of art history, ‘Folk art’ has
been viewed as part of social history or folklore
studies. This show unites an extraordinary selection of
objects, exploring the threshold between art and
artefact and challenging perceptions of ’high art’.
Old Man and
Donkey, George
Smart (photo by
Prudence Cuming
Associates Ltd) ©
Compton Verney
While much Folk Art is anonymous, this exhibition
also presents works by a number of prominent
individuals, often neglected in the story of art in
Britain, including George Smart the tailor of Frant and eminent embroiderer Mary Linwood. There is
also a section devoted to Cornish painter Alfred
Wallis.
Exhibition organised by Tate in collaboration with
Compton Verney.
It took two weeks, lots strength and know-how using a crane, tractor, gantry and the odd carefully placed
sling, to install the exterior works for Moore Rodin on their custom made plinths in time for opening. It was
vital to place each piece correctly, an intricate process not helped by wind, rain and more rain!
All Moore Rodin photos by Andy Stammers and reproduced by permission of The Henry Moore Foundation, musée Rodin and Royal
Parks.
Corporate & Director’s Circle Members
Thank you for your support
Supporters
Lady Goodhart Dr Catherine MS Alexander
Kirsten Suenson-Taylor Alex & Mary Robinson
Adrian & Jacqui Beecroft Wyn Grant
David & Jill Pittaway
David & Sandra Burbidge
Joanne Perry
Peter Gregory-Hood
Roger Cadbury
Lord & Lady Willoughby de Broke
Mrs Susan Bridgewater
Pam Barnes
Dr & Mrs Munchi Choksey
David & Catherine Loudon
Sarah Stoten
Mr & Mrs Ludovic de Walden
Mrs Patricia Trahar
Dr Stephen Large
Prof Jacquie McGlade
William & Jane Pusey
Paul Cooney
Mrs Christine Archer
PE Shirley
Margaret Fraser
Mrs Michael Markham
Sir Martin & Lady Jacomb
Victoria Peers
The Brook Family
Nicholas & Marie-France Burton
Professor Robert Bluglass CBE &
Dr Kerry Bluglass
Bridget Barker & Simon Herrtage
Richard Shore
Roger Salmon and Helen Rose
Thank you to all our Benefactors, Patrons, Supporters and
Corporate Members for your continued support. Your
membership makes a huge difference to us and contributes
towards all aspects of Compton Verney, from our
exhibitions and collections to our grounds and educational
work.
The Four Pillars
When you purchase a membership at any
level and/or make a donation, you are
welcome to specify an area of your own
interest towards which your membership/donation will contribute. Funds, and the
kinds of things they supported in 2013, are:
The Exhibition Fund for our exhibitions
and collections helped to reinstall our Enid
Marx Collection.
The Adam Fund for our built heritage
has contributed to the repair of the Adam
Hall floor and plasterwork.
The Inspire Fund for art education has
supported the development of a new
outreach programme for schools.
The Capability Fund for our historic
landscape has supported the lake
maintenance and bulb planting.
For further
information, or if you would
like to support
The Four Pillars
of Compton
Verney, please
call Aly Grimes
on
01926 645 547
or donate
on-line now via
the Big Give.
Benefactors
Patrons
Mr & Mrs Peter Kenworthy-Browne
Clive Barnes
Lady Butler
Mr Peter Boycott
Graham Greene CBE
Jenny Grimstone
Sarah Holman
David Howells
Howard & Melanie Jackson
Bob & Sandy Marchant
N Meades
Dr James Mooney
Mrs Penny Perriss
Andrew & Julia Pick
Michael Robarts
Bill Slora
Christopher Trye
Sir Robert Wade-Gery
Benjamin Wiggin
Matt Broadhurst
Mike & Joan Broad
And 40 others who wish to remain
anonymous, or have not yet
specified how they would like to be
listed.
Martinspeed Ltd
Bonhams
Farrow & Ball
Aquarelle Publishing
Blackwall Green
Fred Winter Ltd
Goldcrest Cleaning
Lightmedia Communications Ltd
Mitchell Gallery
Renaissance Creative
Wright Hassall
Perrywell Computer Systems Ltd
Larch Consulting
Audley Binswood Hall
Castleacre Insurance
Harrison Beale & Owen
James Butler Ltd
Clifton Cowley
Healthcare Development Services
Ltd
Other ways you can help
Consider leaving us a legacy, organising an
event or naming a tree, artwork or room for
yourself or a loved one! Call 01926 645 547 or
visit the website for more information.
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