SPACE

              January 2007 - May 2008     SPACE Age Sirens

SPACE Age Chorus Photo: Peter Abrahams

The development of a three year programme of artists’ activities and projects with older residents aged 50+ in partnership with Age Concern, Old Ford Housing Association, London Borough Tower Hamlets, St Paul’s Gallery, and Bow Idea Store.

SPACE Age Sirens
In January 2007 SPACE invited older residents to informal singing sessions - no singing experience neccessary. There are now over 30 women who have formed a choir and sing Doo Wop, Gospel and contemporary popular songs led by Laka D, a vocal animateur and jazz musician. The SPACE Age Sirens performed for the first time in public in the same Main Stage line up as Neville Staples of the Specials at St Barnabas Fete, Roman Road, E3. SPACE organised the BOPP Tea Tent and created a social space at the heart of the Fete for people to sit down and talk. DJ Jacky played music from the 1940s on and gave dance lessons with the Laundrettas to a multi generational audience. Monitors placed around the Tea Tent showed screenings of artists Michael Needham's and Lizzy Hobbs' work in progress.

The SPace Age Sirens participated in the Not Quite Yet / on the margins of technology project and exhibition, working with Laka D and artists Manu Luksch and Mukul Patel to create new musical work for the exhibition.

Collaborations believes an important part of working participatively is to question what happens after the project funding comes to an end, and is currently supporting the SPACE Age Sirens through the process of constituting themselves as an independent community group.

Bowhaven - Elizabeth Hobbs
Elizabeth Hobbs worked with people at Bowhaven User Run Mental Health Centre in Bow, London E3. The artist created an animation which explores daily life at the centre with members of the Outward Club. Bowhaven provides a number of support groups, including an Afro-Caribbean group, a women's group, 2 mixed groups - the Outward Club and the Sunrise Drop-In, and Hush, a self harm group. The film was screened at 'Being at St Clements' a one night showing at SPACE of artwork and performance made with artists and patients at one of London's psychiatric hospitals.

Elizabeth Hobbs is an artist who works with animated film, based in East London. Recent projects include a SPACE commission to work with patients at St Clement's Psychiatric Hospital, and a short film called The Old, Old, Very Old Man, funded by The Hackney and Tower Hamlets Film Fund. www.spellboundanimation.co.uk

21 Stories - Michael Needham
'Clare House is a twenty storey residential block situated off Old Ford Road in Bow, Tower Hamlets. Its two sister blocks were dismantled in a simultaneous controlled explosion in 2002...Clare House now stands alone as a last bastion of 60's housing.'

This project explores, shares and celebrates the cultural choices and identities of residents in Clare House, offering an opportunity for tenants to connect with their neighbours. Michael Needham examines the content and formats of popular culture already present in residents' homes, inviting young and old alike to share the films they own and enjoy.

Michael expanded and united this fractured 'video library' by inviting participants to attend 'culture clubs', a weekly opportunity for residents to bring one video or DVD from home to screen, share and discuss over a cup of tea and bucket of popcorn. 

Through these sessions and chance conversations in lifts, corridors and stairwells he compiled a list of the twenty most popular films, and from these films he has created a new video work, the 21st Story for Clare House. 

Brandon Ballengee
On 17 July 2007 The Geezers Group, participants in the Bow Older People's Project, took part in a field trip with artist Brandon Ballengee at Gunpowder Park in the Lea Valley. The Geezers studied the varied life forms in their natural habitats and discussed Ballengee's combined science and art practice with him. SPACE is working with Brandon Ballengee as part of a long-term project in partnership with The Arts Catalyst, Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Gunpowder Park.

BOPP is funded by London Borough of Tower Hamlets (Neighbourhood Renewal Fund) and (Arts and Events Fund), Leaside Regeneration (Action for Bow).