Bow Skills groupwork: with Cairo Clarke and Seyi Adelekun
Thursday 7th November 2024 , 6:00pm to 8:30pm
Introducing Groupwork: our new interdisciplinary peer-to-peer sharing space for artists, curators, critics, gallerists, and other creative practitioners to present ideas and works in progress for feedback, in an informal, low-stakes, and discussion-based environment.
Groupwork is a newly established mini-series in our Bow Skills programme, homing in on the potential of multidisciplinary spaces to generate peer-to-peer learning and the insights we can gain from other creative practitioners with different knowledges, interests, and lived experiences. These sessions are small, informal, and low-stakes gatherings, with an emphasis on discussion, sharing, reflection, and the building together of dialogues.
For this first edition, we will hear from writer and curator Cairo Clarke and multidisciplinary artist Seyi Adelekun as they present works in progress for feedback and reflection.
Alongside Cairo and Seyi, there are three 20-minute ‘open slots’ for attendees who would also like to present a work in progress, project, or idea for feedback from others in the space (the 20 minutes includes both presentation and feedback time). For those who sign up, we will follow up with you to make sure we can facilitate what you need for your presentation!
More about the presenters
Cairo Clarke is a contemporary art curator and writer focused on embodied decolonial practices. Her work is informed by slowness, centering forms of knowledge production and dissemination that slip between the cracks, are formed on unstable ground and take on multiple temporalities.
Cairo has worked closely with artists to develop and share instances of work across film, performance, printed matter and exhibition on international levels. She has extensive experience across community outreach, youth education, and mentoring.
Cairo produced and edited the book project this broken piece of yard published by LUX in 2022. She has worked with Villa Stück, The Douglas Hyde Gallery, Project Arts Centre Dublin, Pompeii Commitment: Archeological Matters, Jerwood Arts. Cairo was the 2020/21 Curatorial Fellow at LUX. She was a research associate for Iniva’s Archipelagos in Reverse Research Network, In 2019 she launched SITE, a publication and curatorial project exploring alternative encounters with artist practice and the dissemination of research.
Seyi Adelekun is a London-based multidisciplinary artist with Yoruba-Nigerian heritage. Their practice focuses on creating sites rooted in deep ecology and nature’s spiritual wisdom, with the aim to foster interconnectedness, ecological awareness and environmental stewardship. Seyi’s work centres indigenous knowledge through embodied practices such as eco-somatics, movement, rituals, and bio-material craft. Creating installations, performance art and facilitating workshops that embrace ancestral connections with the more-than-human world and collectively cultivate spaces for deep listening and healing, especially for global majority communities.
Seyi has exhibited in the group show ‘Lagos, Peckham, Repeat’ at South London Gallery 2023, London Festival of Architecture 2021, Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail 2021 and London Design Festival 2019. As well as, exhibited and performed internationally at KLA ART Festival 2024, Kampala; Art X Lagos 2023, Slum Party 2023, Lagos; and participated in ÌMÍ 2023, Abuja. They are a G.A.S Foundation Fellow, Nigeria and have facilitated workshops at The Barbican and London College of Fashion; and contributed to projects for Assemble Studio; Artangel; and A New Direction.
In this groupwork session, you will:
- Connect and meet a community of other artists, curators, critics, writers, gallerists, and creative practitioners
- Engage in discussion, dialogue, and peer-to-peer learning
The Nunnery Cafe will be open until 9pm, so attendees are able to move over to the Nunnery Cafe after the session ends at 8.30pm to continue their conversations!
The event will take place in our breakout space at Bow Arts Trust, 183 Bow Road, E3 2SJ.
Concession rate applies to students, over 65s, under 18s, Bow Arts artists, National Art Pass members, and key workers
About Bow Skills
Bow Arts seeks to support creative professionals at all stages of their careers. In 2015 Bow Arts launched Bow Skills in response to an artist survey which showed over 90% of practicing artists find it useful to receive further support outside formal education.
Bow Skills is a dynamic and relevant programme of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) which is informed by an artist steering group and open to all creative practitioners across London. The programme of talks, panel discussions, new skills labs and peer crits is open to all, with concession rates available to students, over 65s, under 18s, Bow Arts artists and key workers.
Access information
The Bow Arts breakout space has step-free access throughout from street level, including to the accessible toilet, and are service animal friendly. This venue does not have a hearing loop system. Accessible parking is not available on-site but blue badge parking can be found 500m away on Fairfield Road.
If you have any questions regarding accessibility at this venue or event, would like to make us aware of any access requirements that you have in advance of visiting, or would like this information in an alternate format including Easy Read, please email nunnery@bowarts.com or call 020 8980 7774 (Ext. 3)
Access requirements could include things like providing equipment, services or support (e.g. information in Easy Read, speech to text software, additional 1:1 support), adjusting workshop timings (e.g. more break times), adjustments to the event space (e.g. making sure you have a seat near the entrance) or anything else you can think of!
Transport Information
Opening hours: Mon-Fri, 9am to 5pm
Address: Bow Arts Trust, 183 Bow Road, London, E3 2SJ
Nearest station(s): Bow Road (District and Hammersmith and City lines) is a 6-minute walk away, and Bow Church (DLR) is a 3-minute walk away.
Bus: 205, 25, 425, A8, D8, 108, 276, 488 and 8 all service the surrounding area.
Bike: Bicycle parking is located at Bow Church Station. The nearest Santander Cycles docking station is at Bow Church Station.
