Public reading: ‘A Twenty-Four Hour Truce’ with Albert Potrony
Thursday 17th July 2025 , 6:00pm to 9:00pm
A Twenty-Four Hour Truce is a public reading and reconstruction that brings to life the atmosphere and fierce debates among anti-sexist men and feminists of the early 1980s. Presented by Albert Potrony as part of the Bow Open Show 2025 public programme.
Presented by Albert Potrony as part of the Bow Open Show 2025 public programme, A Twenty-Four Hour Truce is a public reading and reconstruction that brings to life the atmosphere and fierce debates among anti-sexist men and feminists of the early 1980s.
The performance is constructed from transcripts and academic texts that highlight the theoretical and personal tensions between men who wanted to change established notions of masculinity and their feminist contemporaries.
Expect strong language, unexpected moments of humour, and sexual references as anti-sexist men are shaken out of their complacency. Prepare to participate and express your opinion.
The Achilles Heel Project
This performance is part of Albert Potrony’s The Achilles Heel Project. Through excavation and reconstruction, Potrony addresses Achilles Heel by re-visiting some of the intense ideals and arguments within the anti-sexist men’s movement: arguments that, over-time, have resonated and reflected the struggle to combat sexism in broader social structures.
Achilles Heel was a publication produced between 1978 and 1999 by a collective of men. It aimed to challenge traditional forms of masculinity and patriarchy, and to support the creation of alternative social structures.
This event will take place at the Nunnery Gallery, 181 Bow Road, London, E3 2SJ. Doors will open at 6pm, with the performance running from 7pm till 8:30pm, followed by open socialising time. The Nunnery Café will be open from 6pm-9pm, selling their usual fare of delicious drinks and snacks.
This event is part of the Bow Open Public Programme.
More about Albert Potrony
Albert Potrony’s participatory practice examines ideas of identity, community and language. Albert is interested in generating social spaces through his projects, and participation from diverse groups and individuals is a key element of his work. Recent projects include equal play (2021-2022), a play installation, reading space and participatory project looking at equality and care through the lens of childcare and men’s roles in it and The Achilles Heel Project, researching anti sexist men’s groups of the 70s and 80s, who were striving for a new type of masculinity that would embrace and support Feminism. For the past five years Albert has been developing MORTALS, a participatory art and research project that seeks to address our own mortality; exploring ageing, care, loss, grief and death with diverse groups and collectives. Albert was with Bow Arts from the very start, helping to establish our first home on Bow Road. He worked as one of our Artist Educators, bringing participatory projects to schools and communities in east London.
Access information
The Nunnery Gallery has step-free access throughout from street level, including to the accessible toilet, and is service animal friendly. This venue does not have a hearing loop system. Accessible parking is not available on-site.
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
Address: Nunnery Gallery, 181 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.
About the Bow Open
The Bow Open is Bow Arts’ annual exhibition of astonishing artwork created exclusively by our Studio Holders, Affordable Housing residents, and Artist Educators. Every year, a different guest curator is invited to select the work. For our 30th anniversary we have three guest curators; Bobby Baker, Albert Potrony, and Nye Thompson have each had a studio with Bow Arts so bring an embedded insight and commitment to the selection process in this special year. This year, 22 artists explore the ties that bind and divide, responding to the theme of ‘Connections’.
Find out more about the exhibition here.
