LOVE IN SOCIAL PRACTICE
 
Cubitt Commission
Film duration: 8:44 mins
 
"In November 2018, I was nominated by Harold Offeh to take part in a radical experimental workshop titled No Shortlists that was conceived and facilitated by Joshua Sofaer. 

Joshua devised a three-hour workshop based on the premise of flattening the hierarchy and shifting the inevitable power relation that exists between commissioning art institutions and artists. Through the strategy of a nomination process, four commissioning arts organisations (Cara Courage from Tate Exchange, Emily Gee from Heart of Glass, Elena Gifford from Festival of Making and Dimity Nicholls from Cubitt) and four artists  (Amy Pennington, Juan delGado, Sadie Edginton and myself), were brought together before being randomly matched to 'explore alternative models for commissioning socially engaged practice'. I was matched with Cubitt, and a reciprocal discussion around a new commission was born where I would create a new piece of work. 

A couple of months later, I was invited to a meeting at Cubitt with the staff and artists Lucy Steggals and Ania Bas, who were delivering two of the community outreach projects. From my observations at this initial meeting, it was clear how much Charlene Sandy's position as the then Creative and Outreach Coordinator played such a central and indispensable role between the participants, artists, and the organisation. Further to this, what I witnessed most from Charlene was her enormous amount of natural love and care. 

I decided to make a short film over the following months in an attempt to capture the essence and spirit of Charlene at work, which I titled Love in Social Practice." 


Related links:
Chloé Austin chats with Katy Hessel for The Great Women Artists Podcast