4th-15th September 2019

Flock Project is an installation of over 200 ceramic birds created by artist Julie Nelson and with people who have overcome adversity and are recovering from trauma. The birds represent the challenging individual migration journeys their makers have experienced as refugees and asylum seekers.

Birds are a metaphor for transcendence, connection and the universal need to congregate. With social prescribing now placed high on the political agenda, Flock Project serves as a positive response to current issues around mental health and recovery, encouraging group participation.

The exhibition at Lewisham Arthouse is the result of workshops held over a number of months, working with group members of the Grounding project, supported by the Maudsley Charity and South London and Maudsley NHS Trust (SLaM). The project has offered an opportunity for creative expression and participation that also serves to inform the wider public about the subject of migration.

The workshops were assessed in collaboration with academics from UCL, and funded by a Grand Challenges grant to assess the wellbeing of Julie’s art workshops on those taking part.

The exhibition at Lewisham Art House will be the first time that Flock Project will have been shown altogether with birds by Julie, group members, the general public and other participating artists.

Focusing on birds as a subject for the installation has enabled the participants to express themselves in a subject that is ever present even in the city. The project has helped to connect participants with the environment, increase awareness of birds and the sometimes difficult journeys they make and to help us to engage with them.

Rita* is one of the group members who regularly attends The Grounding Project, and has been taking part in Flock. She suffers from arthritis, and enjoys working with the clay as it helped her to move her fingers. She spent a lot of time moulding out her bird and later she shared: “Playing with this clay takes me back to my childhood in Africa when we used to pull clay from the rocks and make pots and plates. It was a fun time.”
Daris* has a great interest in birds, having kept homing pigeons back in his country: “I used to have many of these as pets and I know how intelligent they are. I am really enjoying learning more about birds and working with the clay”.

Dr Humera Iqbal is a Lecturer in Psychology at University College London, and has been coordinating the research side of the project. She says: “Working on Flock with group members has been an incredibly fulfilling experience. We know from research that participating in cultural activities can help improve wellbeing and combat loneliness in individuals. It has been great to witness first-hand the healing power of clay. Our ceramic birds stand for a shared community and a sense of resilience; they have been able to battle the odds just like their makers.”

Julie Nelson comments: “The workshop has been a focus for people to think about the metaphor of birds and to engage with nature and the environment. We also encourage shared production so that a clay pinched head may attach to a press moulded body created by someone else in the group. Everyone has been very happy to collaborate and join in. The focus and concentration has been amazing. One interesting result of the project has been the diverse styles and forms of birds that have been made. When I’ve researched birds from Ethiopia, Syria and Iraq, for example, I can see where the inspiration comes from. I think that having a common goal of the exhibition has really helped.”

We will be holding a talk event on Thursday 12th September from 6.30-8pm at Lewisham Arthouse. Please join us for drinks and meet those involved.
Speakers include Dr Humera Iqbal, lecturer in Psychology at UCL, Dr Gemma Eke, Clinical Psychologist at the Maudesley, Helen Shearn Art and Wellbeing Strategist and artist Julie Nelson. We will also have involvement from members of the Grounding Project who will talk about their experiences.

www.flockproject.co.uk

Opening times:
Wednesday to Sunday 12-6pm

Lewisham Art House
140 Lewisham Way
London SE14 6PD

*Names have been changed to protect the anonymity of the participants.

Lewisham Arthouse curates and helps organize contemporary art exhibitions and associated events. The Project Space offers a fantastic opportunity for artists, curators and community groups to realise experimental works, and contribute to an engaging and ambitious programme.

Lewisham Arthouse is working to ensure that the opportunity to use the Project Space is open and equal to all. We acknowledge the structural barriers that can block people engaging in and creating art. In an effort to do more about this in our programme we will be allocating time in the year equally to different kinds of applications. The form now encourages you to tick as many of the following boxes that apply to you or your group: schools or community group, mid career or established artist, emerging or early career, student or graduate show, non white or BAME. This system will help us ensure that the programme on offer at Lewisham Arthouse reflects the diversity of our local community in Lewisham.

Our hire fee to use the Project Space is amongst the most affordable in London. Please see our terms and conditions (new link/doc) for full details. If you are a curator, artist or someone with an idea, please get in touch

View Project Space application form

View Project Space hire terms & Conditions

*The Project Space is now fully booked for the rest of this year. We will be reopening applications on October 1st to find projects for our programme January – July 2020. Proposals will not be considered until after October 1st.*

Hire Fee – rates from October 2018 as follows:
1 week = £250
2 weeks = £400 (making it £200 per week)
3 weeks = £550 (making it £183 per week)
4 weeks = £680 (making it £170 per week)

Pls Note: charities, schools and non profit organisations are entitled to 25% discount.

Send your applications to:

Project Space
Lewisham Arthouse
140 Lewisham Way
London SE14 6PD

projectspace@lewishamarthouse.org.uk