Festival announces six artists who will turn Deptford into an exhibition space

Her Gaze, by artist Shawanda Corbett.

Six artists have been commissioned to turn Deptford into one large arts gallery as part of the local arts festival Deptford X this September.

Five of the artists have been commissioned for the Platform program of the festival are NT, from Forest Hill, Shawanda Corbett, from  Oxford, Georgia Lucas-Going, Stoke Newington, London, David Steans, from Leeds, Laura Yuile, who is from Glasgow but lives in Poplar, London.

Alongside them is Louise Ashcroft, from Walthamstow, London who has been commissioned to do a special project separate from the Platform programme. Her work is set to include “performances, objects and experimental social experiences” as she interprets a series of “micro-poems.”

Patrick Henry, Director and Curator of Deptford X  described the headliners as: Rising stars, artists with loads of potential but who haven’t yet got a secure foothold in the art world.”

The Festival is split into two programs that run simultaneously from September 21  till September 30.  The Platform program – made up of the five commissioned artists creating art for the festival – and the Fringe which is open to the public to show off their work, allowing both new and established artists to showcase their work alongside these rising stars.     

Objects for the Street installation by Laura Yuile. Pic Gh0stspace

Submissions opened last week for the Fringe program and will run till  July 22. The art ranges in medium from painting to sculptor to digital and uses local spaces as a venue, with previous venues including; Deptford Cinema, St Nicholas Church, and local cafes and pubs.  

Sarah Umar, the festival manager explained: “It’s not just the artists, we have local businesses that have volunteered their spaces. They get in touch with us and say they want to be involved with the festival. Which is amazing if you look at the variety of venues that we have had involved.”

She added: “It’s very much expected that you go to a gallery and you see that; but to bring that into your everyday space to a launderette, a record shop. It’s those unexpected things that catch your eye and makes you smile.”  

Deptford X logo. Pic: Deptford X

The Festival offers a chance for both new and established artists to collaborate and network and for the public to experience art in new places as well as explore Deptford itself.

For more information see here: https://deptfordx.org/Festival-2018  

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