Whilst at OSE I developed my interest in generating documentary material through theatre making and devising, as well as continuing to work with a concern for community, locality and collaborative processes.

I worked on three films in 2016: 

Love Where You Live was the result of a six-month collaboration with Terry Turner, a long-term resident of Stoke Newington. This project in conjunction with the teaching programme at OSE developed my awareness of the ethics of participation within artistic practice. 

In How The World Works, young adults from East London discuss their feelings around some of the themes proposed in the most stolen books from Foyle’s bookshop (all of which are from the Philosophy department) and were invited to map out their past experiences in relation to these texts. The project was preceded by a period of research involving preparatory workshops with a group of teenagers who are at-risk (of offending or being offended against) who meet and rehearse music at The Rose Lipman Building. 

Staging of Death by Streetcar was made in collaboration with fellow associate Anneke Kampman and The Florence Lawrence Chorus. It is a film about Florence Lawrence, the first ever named female movie star and draws parallels between events that occurred in Florence’s own life and those of the fictional characters she portrayed. 

I enjoyed working on the broader public programme at OSE and benefited from being part of a community of artists, developing a new community of collaborators. I was pleased to have been mentored by artists John Smith and Olivia Plender, and curators Marijke Steedman and Janna Graham.