Lauren is passionate about platforming the creativity of the global majority through supporting independent artists and curating inclusive and challenging public programming that connects art spaces and venues with local audiences.
PUBLIC PROGRAMMING
- I am curating the public programme in response to Keith Piper’s Rex Whistler commission, this consists of three key events that further contextualise Keith’s research and film, as well as offering reflection and debate around what this commission symbolises more widely for the sector, and what the methodology public institutions are using to reckon with these contested artworks and artefacts.
- Supporting ‘Undocumented’, an outreach project seeking to build relationships with London’s Black Communities to introduce them to, and support them to develop a deeper interest in screen heritage and its power to tell untold stories. It is stage one of London Screen Archives’ wider ambition for a screen heritage preservation project, with the focus on building trust, interest and engagement.
- In this role as part of LSFF Orbital, I am responsible for engaging local, multicultural communities and young people, identifying new opportunities for the festival to expand their work and potential avenues for new partnerships and funding.
- I curated an event for National Windrush Day, celebrating the 75th year anniversary. I curated a spoken word event titled ‘Speak Pon Dem’ featuring poets: Kareem Parkins-Brown, Nathaniel Coles, Maia Watkiss, Kat Francois and Zena Edwards.
- I curate the Young People’s Programme, ensuring there is a range of engaging and exciting events and sustained artist led projects. Projects have included a collaboration with GALA festival; a gallery takeover across both sites and a collaborative podcast platformed by the White Pube.
- I was responsible for producing the 2 year long Hackney Windrush Public Programme which revolves around the installation of the first statues in the UK to commemorate the Windrush generation. In addition to the project management of art commissions, I was responsible for devising and delivering a public programme that maximises engagement around the works of Veronica Ryan and Thomas J Price.
- I assisted on 'Yuh Figet Yuhself', a creative programme co-led by an intergenerational group of Peckham residents and multi-disciplinary artist Beverley Bennett.