A workshop, open discussion and conversation on artist archives.  

Over the past 2 years, the Artist Archive programme has platformed 12 archives. We’ve worked alongside 30+ extraordinary artists and companies. 759 people have attended live events, 2500+ have explored online archives and over 15,000 have witnessed Material Archives installed in the building.

Now, as we consider the programme’s contribution to a wider, necessary and new dance history, we want to focus on the key question of the programme: What can an archive be and who gets to have one?

This day event will offer (details below):

• a workshop with Co-Artistic Director Annie Pui Ling Lok and Siobhan Davies
• an Open Space on the question of ‘why archive?’
• a conversation between Annie, Siobhan and ID Co-Director Nathaniel Parchment.

In the Roof Studio

Tickets

Workshop + Evening
£35 / £45 / £55

Evening (Open Space and Conversation)
£8 / £10 / £15
Free tickets for Support Workers, Carers and PAs

2-5pm Workshop with Annie Pui Ling Lok and Siobhan Davies

Explore your personal archive/s through image and movement.

Expect a multitude of practices, with opportunities to work in parallel and see your thinking in the context of other people’s. We will explore from this place of permeability, understanding our histories and experience as something constantly being shared or excluded – whilst also influencing and influenced. These reflections will invite us to revalue, look forwards and amplify discussion around who and what gets to be seen and remembered.

This workshop is open to all, but it’s not a space to start from nothing. Annie and Siobhan will offer frames to experiment within, and an existing practice and confidence will be needed to access this. You might have questions about your archive, and you will be ready to enquire deeply. 

5.45 – 7.15pm Open Space on ‘Why archive?’

‘Open Space Technology’ is a way for groups to talk together – delving into a central question by breaking it up into topics. This Open Space event offers a short but deep dive into the question ‘why archive?’. At the start of the session anyone can propose a topic, a question or an action to plan. We will then split and discuss these in flexible groups. How to work together is up to those taking part. At the end everyone is invited to report back, individually or as a team. 

You don’t need to come prepared with questions, or ideas. But we invite you to look back on our Artist Archive programme, and the reflections on our blog, to get you thinking. 

With thanks to Improbable for the work they have done in practicing and sharing these methods created by Harrison Owen. 

7.45 – 9.30pm Conversation with Annie, Siobhan and Nathaniel Parchment + Post-event drinks

To close the evening, we will be joined by Co-Director of Independent Dance to talk about the Artist Archive programme so far and the potentials of archiving dance.

Siobhan Davies Studios is mostly accessible, with lifts to all floors. There are two accessible parking spaces available on site which can be booked in advance. Blue Badge parking is also available nearby on West Square and Garden Row (for a full map visit the Southwark Council website). Our main door is power assisted.

Amenities include: 

• Changing facilities* 
• Communal showers* 
• Toilets / wheelchair accessible toilets 
• Kitchen: tea and coffee making, fridge, and microwave
• Snack Bar: We have a small selection of bars, drinks and food available to buy from the front desk.
• Shops: The closest shop is Superway Supermarket on Garden Row (4 min walk), the closest supermarket is Sainsbury’s on New Kent Road (7 min walk). We also recommend the Art Cafe which serves sandwiches, jacket potatoes and meals (3 min walk).

* Our changing facilities and showers are not fully accessible. Our closest publicly available and fully accessible changing facility is at The Castle Centre, a leisure centre 0.3 miles away from the studios. You can find full details of their features here.