"THE LOCAL CREATIVE COMMUNITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO ME WHEREVER I HAVE LIVED. IT HAS PROVIDED SUPPORT, INSPIRATION AND MUCH NEEDED MOTIVATION AT DIFFICULT TIMES. I WAS ABLE TO EMBARK ON A CAREER AS AN ARTIST PRIMARILY BECAUSE I WAS PART OF SUCH A SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY."
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LEYTONSTONE, EAST LONDON:
MY TIME IN EAST LONDON WAS HIGHLY INFLUENTIAL. HAVING LIVED IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE CITY I TRULY FOUND HOME IN LEYTONSTONE, THIS WAS A SURPRISE TO ME, AND I BECAME OVERWHELMED BY THIS FEELING OF BELONGING.
I FOUND MYSELF FASCINATED BY THE EVER CHANGING URBAN LANDSCAPE, THE ECLECTIC MIX OF ARCHITECTURE AND THE LAYERS OF TIHS METROPOLITAN CITY. THERE IS SOMETHING VERY ENERGISING AND EXCITING ABOUT THE RAPIDLY EVOLVING AND CHANGING EAST. |
THE STONE SPACE GALLERY:
THE FIRST TIME I BRAVED A PRIVATE VIEW WAS AT THE STONE SPACE GALLERY IN LEYTONSTONE. IT WAS A GROUP SHOW AND THE PLACE WAS PACKED OUT. HAVING LOOKED AT THE WORK, I TOOK A PEW, ALONE IN A CORNER TO CONTEMPLATE THE WORK AND THE EVENT UNTIL I WAS APPROACHED BY ONE OF THE EXHIBITING ARTISTS. “DO YOU HAVE WORK IN THE SHOW?” SHE ASKED “NO” I SAID TO WHICH HER RESPONSE WAS “ARE YOU AN ARTIST YOURSELF?” I REPLIED “NO BUT I DO TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS” SHE THEN WENT ONTO TELLING ME HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS TO TAKE THE STEP TO CALL YOURSELF AN ARTIST WHICH GOT ME THINKING.
I BEGAN VOLUNTEERING AS AN INVIGILATOR AT THE GALLERY AND EVENTUALLY ENDED UP ON THE STEERING GROUP AS A FRONT OF HOUSE MANAGER. WITHIN THIS, I TOOK ON A NUMBER OF ROLES FROM INVIGILATING, PROMOTION, SOCIAL MEDIA, TO HANGING THE SHOWS. I ALSO HELPED TO ORGANISE THE LEYTONSTONE ARTS TRAIL: AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEDICATE A RANGE OF EXHIBITON SPACES (GALLERIES, CAFES, TATTOO PARLOURS!) TO EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED LOCAL ARTISTS, AS WELL AS HAVING OPEN STUDIOS, WORKSHOPS AND OTHER EVENTS. DURING THIS TIME I WAS MADE REDUNDANT AND GOT TO LEARN WHAT IT REALLY WAS TO BE A PART OF THE COMMUNITY AND TO FEEL THE SUPPORT OF OTHERS, MY DECISION WAS MADE NOT TO RETURN TO THE 9-5. THERE WERE SO MANY AMAZING INDIVIDUALS FROM LEYTONSTONE WHO ORIGINALLY INSPIRED AND SUPPORTED MY TRANSITION: ELLIOTT ASHTON, EL BEDLOW, NEIL BENJAMIN, FRANCIS BOWMAN, FLASH AND MIKE BRISTOW, MARTINE CHARALAMBOU, JEFF COX, ASHLEY DAVIES, CHRISTINE DAVIES. HILARY DOUSE, CARNE GRIFFITHS, HEATHER MILLER AND GILLIAN SWAN. IT IS FOLKS LIKE THESE WHO ARE INVALUABLE TO THE COMMUNITY, AND COMMUNITIES LIKE LEYTONSTONE THAT ARE SO SPECIAL. |