may 2022
arts & entertainment
A Q&A with Deptford based trans/ non binary performance artist Joseph Morgan Schofield, who curates this year’s Futureritual at the Institute of Contemporary Arts ―
It’s kind of exhausting. While there is growing visibility and understanding of trans* identity within our culture, healthcare is a disaster, with many people in the community waiting for years to receive help, and there is a lot of hostile rhetoric and action in the media and in the Government. It’s terrifying to see our lives and experiences used as a tool to create fear and division. In the face of this, community is everything – initiatives like We Exist, which operates between art, mutual-aid and healthcare, are vital. Possibly, this is another reason I am drawn to ritual – it provides a space to meditate, mourn, dream and process. Right now, I’m really hungry to witness more work that does this, that holds space for the imaginative and emotional processes of the audience.
What can people expect from Futureritual, the performance art season you’re curating at the ICA? Ritual offers a sense of belonging, a place to process, meditate, a way to mark the passage of time. Even in a nominally secular society such as ours, these are things we very much need. I’m interested in how performance operates as contemporary ritual. The ICA season involves four new performances by Rubiane Maia, Soojin Chang, Benjamin Sebastian and myself, a workshop exploring queer kinship, and a three-part podcast exploring the project themes. The works explore memory, power, grief, sex, ecology, survival. In different ways, they transgress invisibility, acceptability, violence, gender and desire. Our approaches are very different. Each performance will be a unique experience for the audience, inviting you to reflect on your own beliefs, experiences and relationships.
Where did you grow up? Where’s home now? Do you have any favourite south London art and performance venues?
What does it mean to be a young, trans/non binary artist in London today?
Joseph Morgan Schofield’s With bare feet touching the sky I yearn is on 26 May from 8pm– 9:30pm
I grew up just north of Manchester, and the South West Pennines, which were my childhood horizon, are a major influence in my work. I now live in Forest Hill and get a lot of sustenance from Sydenham Hill Woods. My studio VSSL is in Deptford and we host a lot of performance there, in a relaxed way. VSSL is next to some galleries – Castor, Xxiraja Hii, Indigo+Madder, and South Parade. They’re all really active and always have great shows. FUTURERITUAL runs from May 18-29 at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, The Mall, SW1Y 5AH. Phone: 020 7930 3647. www.ica.art Joseph Morgan Schofield and Es Morgan’s Summoning is on 20 May from 2:30pm – 6pm
©Jemima Yong
Brixton House’s summer line-up
Patricia Gets Ready (for a date with the man that used to hit her) Patricia has spent a year crafting a kick-ass speech while recovering from an abusive relationship. But when she bumps into her ex on the street and accidentally agrees to dinner with him that night, she’s got some big decisions to make; what to wear? What to say? And whether or not to go? Join Patricia as she gets ready for the date; tells stories of her past, how it has affected her present and looks honestly at her future.
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May 17-22 at 8pm. Tickets: £21. Concession/student: £17.
Black Voices: Celebrating Aretha Franklin
Brixton House Choir Learn to sing different musical styles from Gospel to Reggae at the Brixton House Choir. Guests for this season are Kevin Mark Trail, a UK singer, songwriter and producer with world critical acclaim. He has had solo releases with EMI records and Warner Records. And Rachel Huggins, a singer and songwriter who specialises in gospel, soul and jazz. She has been a two-time finalist on BBC’s Gospel Choir of the Year.
Brixton’s newest theatre (formerly the Ovalhouse) opened its doors earlier this year and has a jam-packed season of live performances and workshops for the coming months.
Studio 6, from May 9-July 23 at 7pm. Tickets: £8. Concession: £6.
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Celebrating the Queen of Soul, Black Voices team up with a four-piece band to cover some Aretha classics. This trip down memory lane includes love songs about looking for love, finding love and being in love. Black Voices’ Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves is a soul-stirring anthem that all women can relate to and starts an ‘80s medley where the audience can have fun and “drop some moves” if the spirit moves. The all-time classic People Get Ready sends a message of moving forward and making the most of every opportunity. Black Voices certainly capture the spirit of Aretha Franklin in this collection of her songs that will live on forever. June 25 at 8pm. Tickets: £20. Concession: £18. Visit Brixton House at 385 Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8GL. Phone: 020 7582 7680. For more information visit: https://brixtonhouse.co.uk
