I had visited the Serpentine Gallery’s Centre for Possible Studies two months previously and had fallen in love with the faded grandeur of the building which houses the talks, workshops and film screenings of a myriad of artistic groups that work with the Centre both in London and abroad. It reminded me of a childhood spent reading ‘The Hidden House’ by Martin Waddell and Angela Barrett:

‘In the beginning an old man called Bruno lived alone in the little house. Then he made three dolls to keep him company. The dolls sat on the window ledge and watched Bruno. But one day Bruno went away and didn’t come back and the house began to change. Slowly it was overgrown by plants; slowly it filled with wild creatures; slowly the wilderness grew around and inside it and hid it from the world. And year after year the three dolls stood on the ledge and watched the changes happening’

Nicola Anthony and Abigail Box Conversation

The Centre was the perfect metaphor for the Edgware Road area that I had envisaged our Imprint project working in tandem with- a community bursting with incredible stories that just needed the encouragement and channels through which to express themselves to paint the world with a beautiful chatter of interweaving narratives. Just so, I could envisage number 21 coming to life with a world of stories, song and artwork to create a melting pot of creative talent to mimic Bloomsbury in its heyday.

‘Then a man came down the lane and found the little house by poking his way in through the branches. He didn’t spot Masie and Ralph and Winnaker, because they were hidden in the ivy. He liked the little house. Next day he came again with his wife and daughter, and they explored the house and the garden, and they liked it very much. They said they’d come back, but a long time went by and they didn’t come. The hidden house had been forgotten, and I think the wooden dolls were sad.’

Candlelit Cabaret

I knew that I had taken on a challenge but I was determined to persevere, the more time that I spent in the Church Street area the more its dynamism and mix of cultures took a hold of my heart and inspired me to make this project a direct representation of that community spirit and wealth of inspiration.

As I have stated in an interview for RunRiot: ‘I have a firm belief that art should be in conversation with the surroundings that it is exhibited in – there is nothing worse than a piece of work that looks like it’s been photo-shopped from another planet and means nothing to the local community. That is not to say that I think art answers all social problems- I simply feel that it is a positive way to express emotions and should not just be a tool that is identified with imposing white-walled spaces. I have seen with the Fabelist group how artistic practice is a really strong adhesive to building communities and I want to share that message with a wider public audience- to give people the opportunity to access contemporary art at whatever level they can identify with.When I heard about the regeneration plans in Church Street I immediately wanted to help the residents to preserve their experiences of the area and to spread the message across London- to put Church Street on the cultural map where it belongs. I wanted to tell their stories, just as we give voice to a range of personalities at Fabelist.’

Story Village of Community Outreach Work

And so I tentatively started devising workshops to work with different age groups in Church Street with the aim to create a representation of stories past, present and future that could be staged in art, literature and performance. I wanted to give some unrepresented and underfunded groups a chance to find a voice and work with a truly energized and talented group of artists and writers. The workshops were a resounding success with the venues, participants and artists having a wonderful time and forging some really strong connections.

Library Workshop

‘I just wanted to send a thank you for the story event last week at Church Street Library- I thought it was a great success, and we were really pleased to see how much the children got out of it. We would love to work with you again in the future.’ (Alison Clarke Learning Support Librarian, Church Street Library)

A Look of Concentration from Francesca

This was not all- I wanted to truly capture the amazing atmosphere and hub of overlapping conversations and meetings that happen on a day to day basis in the community centre, the schools and the market place. Some of this involved myself giving talks at nearby schools about the benefits of the creative process to young people and attending meetings concerned with the regeneration plans. Another day was spent meeting market traders with members of the Edible Art Movement to source local produce for an interactive installation at the festival and, learning how best to advocate the sourcing of fresh ingredients. Monika Powalska and I had been conversing about a group that she runs about the benefits of fresh, local produce and so we devised a piece with the EAM whereby drawings could be exchanged for a beautifully wrapped item of food and a recipe from one of Monika’s groups. Likewise the activities that I devised for the workshops with the school group from Gateway school and the residents of 60 Penfold were geared towards investigating how local people felt about the regeneration schemes and how they might best take advantage of the wealth of community projects in Church Street.

Workshops completed and it was time to stage the results- the work of over 50 Fabelist artists, spoken word performers, musicians and actors at Gloucester Place. The odds were against us- the building was not meant to house exhibitions and had been sporadically renovated by some drugs barons before they were evicted. Amidst the beautiful architecture therefore were monstrous cement constructions that looked akin to graveyards. The walls were filthy, the windows were boarded, one of the exhibition spaces looked like an office, the rooms were full of junk- ranging from tents to market crates and a wooden lorry from Egypt. We  had no budget whatsoever. The thing that kept my vision alive was the joy that we had inspired with the Church Street community, the support of my wonderful artists and a gut instinct that the place just needed some love, beautiful laughs, chatter and work to fill it to make it come alive and sing.

Blind Tiger Theatre

So Zoe Catherine Kendall EC artist and myself began clearing, cleaning and attempting to keep warm around two storage heaters. It was tough but the conversation, jokes and slight hysteria made for a few days of exceptionally happy exhaustion. I should probably attribute Pret hot chocolates in the acknowledgments for the success of the show. As the work began arriving I knew that we were onto something special. I felt like a mother with new born children as I carefully unwrapped the pieces- pockets of never before exhibited treasure that I had watch develop on the Fabelist blog over the last few months just waiting for the looks of visitors to make them shine.

Darren MacPherson's self- portraits ready to hang

‘Then in spring, the man brought back his wife and his little girl, and he brought a big axe. He cleared away the wildness round the little house. The man and his wife and his little girl cleaned and cleared and hammered and nailed and painted and washed and brushed and did until everything was lovely’

Chantal Powell- Relics

I started to project how the colours of the art, the installations, community work and performances could begin to weave together into a coherently told collective story. Work relating to words. movement and discovery in the entrance was softly illuminated to cast shadows up the iron wrought winding staircase sweeping over the ‘pool of unforgotten stories’- a pool in which to cast memories in exchange for a balloon to carry you forward into future narratives. Monochrome signage led into a room of contemplative pieces of personal reflection in which ‘Poppy’s Paper Doll Parlour’ was also open for creative customers- mounting the anticipation for the main room.

Poppy's Paper Doll Parlour (Image: Carlos M Burgos)

Here a ménage of a beautiful installation banquet table, impromptu spoken word, acoustic harp and guitar music bounced their collective energy over the walls filled with sprawling works of organic earthy colours and visual impact.

Story Salon (Image: Edible Art Movement)

On the second floor visitors would be led into a reclining room filled with the sounds of ad- hoc musical performances and activities led by artists constructing a ‘story village’ to house the stories and personalities of the church street groups displayed on the walls. A relaxed sanctuary for people to meet, make work and enjoy a creative salon experience.

Simon Green entertaining young visitors

Having spent installation day carefully arranging and hanging the work with the magnificent Kenji- an incredibly helpful and insightful technician from the ICA- the centre was ready and now just needed visitors to congregate and help lend their voices to bring the exhibition to life. I was keen for all the artists and performers to be in the space from 10am- Fabelist is about personalities as much as product and I wanted this to be an opportunity for them to meet, make friends and really enjoy the show. This made for a wonderful vibe by the end of the day- when the main performances began to kick off- as visitors to the exhibition were drawn into this cohesive, frivolous atmosphere of laughter, companionship and outstanding talent.

Impromptu Spoken Word and Jazz (Image: Frederick Thiede)

Many comments from visitors were exceptionally receptive to this, saying that the exhibition stood up against top galleries and yet had none of the stuffiness and pretension that white walls inspire. This was clearly a group who adored what they did and were producing work collectively simply because they could and wanted to- a very rare thing in these current financial times. The energy of the show came from the enthusiasm and sheer delight that each and every Fabelister brought through the door and circulated wherever they trod. The evening closed with a very fitting impromptu collaboration between Simon Roth, Richard O’Brien and Zoe Catherine Kendall who finished the event with a musically accompanied spoken word performance. Everyone from participants to visitors lounged on the large floor cushions surrounded by the story village where adults and children alike had been engrossed in drawing and making all day. The audience was captivated and it a few moments for a reconnection with reality to come and break the spell. We had woven magic with Imprint- online, in the community and on the day of the festival. Long may the spell continue.

Busy in the Story Village

‘The little girl found Ralph and Winnaker. She got her paintbrush and painted them. Then she set them on the window ledge, looking out at the garden. The garden was filled with flowers. ‘There you are’ said the little girl.‘A whole new world to look at’‘A whole new family to look after’ said the woman.‘Our family,’ said the man, and he hugged his wife and daughter.’

The Center for Possible Studies is open to the public until the 4th February 1pm-5pm to view Imprint if you didn’t manage to make the opening festival. Each and every piece of work is utterly unique- from Abigail Box’s owls to Nicola Anthony’s ‘Rubik’s Years’ sculpture and Hormazd Narielwalla’s ‘Lady Gardens’ collaged from tailor’s patterns. Each is, however, bound into the collective through the stitching of voices and stories that still echo now that the space has been vacated.

Hw I Move Through My Days- Zoe Catherine Kendall

‘Masie and Ralph and Winnaker didn’t say anything. They couldn’t. They were wooden dolls. But now they had a whole family to live with, and I think they were happy again’.

‘Imprint’ runs until 4th February, open 1pm-5pm at The Serpentine Gallery’s Centre For Possible Studies, 21 Gloucester Place W1U 8

With thanks to: The Edible Art Movement, Blind Tiger, Church Street Neighbourhood Centre, The Serpentine’s Centre for Possible StudiesAnd our Media Partners: ‘We Heart’, Run Riot, Time Out, Trebuchet, Jotta