During our initial research in 2019, performance artists stressed that the lack of rehearsal space in the capital was a major barrier for their practice, with those available being considered unaffordable. Some mentioned that even when commissioned or booked to perform, space to rehearse or warm up wasn’t guaranteed. Similar findings were included in the Greater London Authority's 2019 Cultural Infrastructure Strategy.  

Then & There is a multi-year, embodied exploration into how we can somatically queer concepts of time, how our pasts might inform our futures, and how our vessels - bodies and buildings - facilitate this. 

We have invited artists in the field of performance and creative health to further integrate our programmes across arts and health.  Artists participating in this multi year, performance based research are invited to use the space to play, develop new work and rest. 

To date this exploration has included:

• Tracing movement to unearth deep recesses of the unconscious with Rudzani Moleya

• Prioritising play, spontaneity and curiosity to discover new ways of moving with Oluwaseun Samuel Olayiwola

• How creativity and research might operate if there was time to be care-filled, not careful through craftivist crip-time with Lady Kitt 

• How yoga practices might help us move feelings of shame with Gemma Lucas 

• Open ended exercises and invitations to generate personal and collective enquiries into the political dimensions of identity with Jose Funnell

• Collectively Reflecting on the needs of performance artists to imagine what a dedicated queer studio would look like in the future. 

• Commissioning a piece of research by performance artist, Jose Funnell, due to be released in Spring 2025.

 A final ‘taster’ session by Oluwaseun Olayiwola was included as part of a sharing day for other somatic practitioners, part of our Queer Creative Health Network. One commented that the session had provided opportunities for peer learning for them:

“I got so much from Oluwseun's session, which took us on an intuitive, entirely improvised movement journey. Oluwseun positioned his voice as an anchor throughout the exploration, giving us images and guidance to inspire movement, and contrasting prompts to shift energy. Whilst his voice was ever present, he did not take up the space. I felt free to tune into how my body wanted to move. His voice affirmed my actions and was a supportive net that I could fall into when I had lost the thread. Oluwseun's approach has impacted my facilitation practice when stewarding group improvised vocal spaces.”