Over the next few months, Exeunt will be conducting a range of interviews examining the different approaches to curating and presenting performance and live art. Given the proliferation of these different sites and modes of presentation of work, we are interested in considering the relationship between practice and its context, thinking, in dialogue with artists and producers, on questions of sustainability and duration.
Much has been said about the different problems associated with thinking about issues of presentation and contextualisation of work (for an in depth discussion you can read Robert Pacitti’s entry here). With the recent closure of platforms such as Stoke Newington International Airport and LUPA, and the development of more local platforms such as Buzzcut in Glasgow, Arnolfini’s programme of work in Bristol or Spill Festival’s National Platform showcase in Ipswich, to name but a few, looking at the kind of practices these different contexts might support is essential for a better understanding of this shape-shifting field of work. The relationship with the local, the perception of a community of artists as well as the kind of dialogue the work holds with its wider contexts are what define the perimeters of each platform. What are some of the current models of practice, and the strategies that define them? Is there an element of institutionalization occurring throughout these, or are they dominated by an interest in access and dialogue?
To start off the series, I spoke to Performance Space’s Directors Bean and Benjamin Sebastian about where the idea of such an artist-led space came from, what some of its current challenges are, and what shapes the energy and interest around the work. Performance Space is an artist-led venue and studio space in Hackney Wick. Founded in 2010, the venue has been presenting, supporting and developing a range of performance events, platforms and symposiums, as well as offering studio space, mentorship and technical support. Hackney Wick is also home to the Live Art Development Agency as well as the Yard Theatre.
Diana Damian: Where did the idea for performance space came from?
Bean: A combination of frustration, over excitement and my recent relocation to London.
I found my studio space inadequate, isolated and unaffordable. At the same time I had recently returned from my second year participating in workshops at I-PAH (run by Jurgen Fritz of Black Market International). I-PAH always felt like home, they manage to achieve such a dynamic space for development, with such a level of genuine passion and care. This is where I met Kiki Taira, who (with Benjamin Sebastian) was running ArtEvict in disused spaces and squats across London. ArtEvict, like IPA-H, was full of young artists fighting for space to make performance art. Our collective energy was charged and it felt like the time to have something more permanent – where dialogue, studio practice and events could take place all the time. In hindsight it was pure arrogance of youth that bought ]ps[ into existence – but with the best intentions and a real heartfelt belief that we would create a space that supported everyone, from an art form that was still ‘othered’.
I must also mention the influence studying at Dartington College of Arts (now incorporated by University College Falmouth) had on my practice and the loss felt by so many at its relocation. I guess there is an element of nostalgia & longing for that place in the creation of ]ps[ and its emphasis on performance, time-based art and collaboration.
Diana: What kind of work have you showcased and produced? What relationship does it have to its local and wider cultural context?
Benjamin Sebastian: To narrow the work that has been presented at ]performance s p a c e [ to a kind, or type would not make sense and would be too reductive an approach. The scope of practice we have supported through the space is epic. Working across programmes of performance, film, symposiums and workshops we have facilitated work by (in no particular order): Poppy Jackson, Sinead O’Donnell, Dominic Thorpe, Kira O’Reilly, Martin O’Brien, Ron Athey and Franko B (as part of the Illness and the Enduring Body symposium), Amanda Coogan, Dani Ploeger, Sheree Rose, Manuel Vason, Bean, Ernst Fischer, Rocio Boliver, Aine Phillips, Alastair MacLennan & Elvira Santamaria (members of Black Market International), jamie lewis hadley,myself (Benjamin Sebastian),Hugh O’Donnell,Nicola Canavan, Lynn Lu, Kris Canavan, Nick Kilby, Michael Mayhew, Klara Schilliger & and Valerian Maly, Paul Hurley and Richard Hancock. This is not a comprehensive list, and there have been many more incredible artists who have moved through the space, but I feel that it offers a democratic overview regarding the artists and subject matter(s) oscillating through and around ]ps[.
The most pervasive thread throughout all of our programming is that of Otherness. We work with those individuals who, for various and multiple reasons, often find themselves outside, or at the limits of the social, intellectual, emotional, artistic and physical mainstreams. It is important to reference our manifesto here, this is a challenging document, even to us and I think it helps to contextualise what ]ps[ is and is trying to do. Due to the location of our building, the artists who present work and our core ethoses, ]ps[ operates in a mode of provocation most of the time. A provocation to think, feel and act differently to imposed socio-cultural norms, or if not differently, at least with autonomy. We have to decide how our bodies exist, not be told. Our bodies, in our world.
Diana: What changed during the process of establishing it, what did the various artist collaborations make explicit for you?
Bean: Oh wow – so much! We started off with a non-hierarchical system, where no one was in charge and a group of core ‘Associate Artists’ made decisions. However although no one had a fixed commitment, we had committed to the premises – if it was to work people needed to take charge. This occurred very naturally, with myself and Benjamin being the individuals with the most time and interest in the potential the space had. Being able to programme our international peers means everything to us – these are artists we’ve grown up studying or shared platforms at festivals with. All of the artists we’ve worked with have made it explicit how real the sense of community is within performance art. We’ve had artists give so much to the space, the generosity has been overwhelming. This level of care gives me faith in what we are trying to achieve here and the importance of continuing our attempt to forge an alternative system.
Really this feels like just the beginning. Although terrified at what the future holds for ]ps[ I feel we can only continue to think & develop collectively – the current government and pre existing organisational and funding frameworks are no longer working for the arts. As creative people I think we need to get savvy and find our own way – an alternative system designed by and for artists. This issue of sustainability is something we will address directly in our ]performanc e c o n o m i e s [ programme – if our programming continue.
Diana: Why do you feel independence- both financial and artistic- is imperative for the work?
Benjamin Sebastian: As I stated above, autonomy is vital, in every respect, as each individual must be free to exist in whatever way they so desire. I believe this way of thinking must also extend to organisational structure, for ]ps[. Financially, (for our organisation) in order to support the unique and challenging output of artists through the space, it stands to reason that we must be free from having to tailor programming to fit restrictive funding guidelines. If ]ps[ were to lose financial independence, or had to tailor programming in order to adhere to politics or taste, we would no longer be able to platform some of the more radical work we support due to censorship. This would affect the space, audiences and artists mutually. For instance, if a conceptual (or morale) field were imposed on us that dictated ‘this will get funded and that will not’ artists who already find it hard to have their worked programmed, but that we are able to currently work with/support, would become further marginalised still. This in turn would alienate our audience base, because they would no longer find a mirroring of alternative values, processes and realities that are currently projected from ]ps[, leaving our organisation stripped of a community with no means to continue. For me, art is not and cannot be bounded. It is a system of experiments and processes. If this were not true, what would be the point? Would ‘the work’ not become produce or product as opposed to art? In short, to answer your question; why is independence an imperative? To ensure experimentation, however radical, is not stifled.
Diana: What brought about performance space’s financial struggles? Why do you think a lot of similar organisations are experiencing difficulties?
Bean: Gentrification.
]ps[ was never started as a ‘business’. Now as naive a truth as this may be, if its incarnation had of been more considered it may not have happened. By the ‘naughties’ DIY approaches were established as the norm for arts culture – to us if there were no jobs or opportunities, we just made our own. We’ve learnt a lot about both standard business models & finding ways to survive that keep us independent & self sufficient.
Hackney Wick is renowned for being an unregulated fringe space where anything can happen and has a deep history of both rave culture and creativity. Up until very recently our main source of income was venue hire to ‘club nights’ or parties – this has covered both our rent and core programming costs. Unfortunately a cultural shift from the arts to ‘creative industries’, combined with the legacy of the Olympics has also shifted the economics of the area, bringing rapid changes to both it and Local Authority policy. As such we were served an abatement notice following a single noise complaint. This took immediate effect, forcing us to cancel bookings to equal almost six months of our core costs.
We’ve received invaluable guidance from various organisations, such as The Legacy List and worked incredibly hard to develop a new model for sustainable operation – we just need a little time & money to implement it.
As for why so many other organisations are facing similar battles for survival, I think this is mixed. I’m aware of organisations such as STK International Airport being closed directly due to gentrification but for many others it seems to be due to funding cuts. As I mentioned before this calls for radical change in how we work together if the arts in this country are to survive. Under the current government Local Authorities are not required to have an arts & cultural policy – if the system doesn’t work for us we need to change the system.
To donate to Performance space’s current Crowdfunding campaign click here.
