Taking opening of creative studios to another level or two
BY TOBY PORTER
toby@slpmedia.co.uk
A pioneering cultural hub created in a multi-storey car park will open its doors for the first time on December 8. Peckham Levels have announced a specially programmed free weekend of events.
This will be the first time the public will have access to see who and what the creative spaces will have in them. The line-up will include exhibitions, performances and interactive installations throughout the six-storey building.
The first five floors will contain workspace for emerging artists, designers and creative entrepreneurs. The two top floors will become a food, drink and events destination where the public can discover some of South London’s most exciting creators, with seven resident street food traders, two bars, a restaurant and café, live music venue, gallery space, hair salon and yoga studios.
There will be Californian-style poké bowls from Lords of Poké, superfood vegan pizza from Pickywops and signature Caribbean chicken wings from Drums & Flats and Kurdish cuisine from Nandine. Sparkling cocktails, palm trees and glitter balls will be by Near and Far, the team behind The Magic Roundabout.
Also offering refreshments are Lady Godiva, who boast a diverse selection of craft beers, and WEST, a wine bar and kitchen serving Californian small plates to accompany.
On Level 6, Yog will open its studio to the public and there will be free hair consultations from Cahoonas Hair Hub and live mural paintings by artist Erica Akerlund Art plus a special ‘Hair of the Dog’ event on the Saturday.
The lower five floors of Peckham Levels include 50 studio spaces offered at affordable rates to local artists and entrepreneurs working in design, fashion, crafts, film, architecture and social enterprise. After nearly 300 people applied, memberships were offered to 70 applicants, some of whom will share studios.
They include jewellery designers, fashion designers, illustrators, painters, musicians, embroiders, composers and writers.
Mi.Mu Gloves will demonstrate their wireless, sensor-enabled gloves that can create music through gesture. Patchworks Collective and Chritstina Burke Womenswear will showcase their work, along with jewellery designers Ella Bull and Tilly Sudbury plus expect up-cycled garments from The Secret Costumier and work from award-winning conceptual artist, Jade Chorkularb.
An interactive sound and light installation on Level 2 features composer Will Wadham, audio visual creative agency Sugarlane Sounds and Peckham Rye Music Festival.
There is also a fashion, photography and arts show. A photography exhibition has pictures from Brother Film Co, world renowned violin maker Andreas Hudelmayer, and Intoart, a studio working inclusively with people with learning disabilities.
Level 4 members will tell their stories of Peckham and visitors themselves will be invited to contribute their own thoughts via a podcast. Light shows will fill the floor and dance performances will come courtesy of Movement Factory.
There will be live screen printing from 3rd Rail, The Bright Rooms Darkroom and an exhibition by local portrait and documentary photographer Adama Jalloh.
The front of the car park is home to Peckhamplex Cinema, which has operated on the site since 1994. The top four floors of the Peckham car park are home to arts commissioning organisation Bold Tendencies who with Frank’s Café and the Multi-Story Orchestra, have occupied that part of the site for the past decade.
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