X MARKS THE

Initiated in December 2011 'X Marks The Spot' is a concerted period of research in conjunction with the Not Our Class and Jo Spence projects at Studio Voltaire, London - conducted by Ego Ahaiwe,Yula Burin,Emma Hedditch, Mystique Holloway, Zoe Holloway, Gina Nimbhard and Louise Shelley. Taking the focus of Spence's work, on body image, health, and the representation of a life lived, in the most social political form possible. This research does not stay on the page, or screen but has populated our daily lives and heightened our experience of the present. Through Spence's approach to photography as a transformative process, documentation of her life with breast cancer, and education around alternative therapy and self education through radical sociology, Spence's work has pushed us to the limits of what we can involve ourselves in. We are taking on Spence's ideas, with our selves as subjects, and sharing with our present communities. X Marks the Spot have worked on various outcomes that have crossed into public programming at Studio Voltaire, including: a radio programme, this blog, photography workshops, research and public events series.

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X Marks The Spot respond to the work of Judith Hopf. " Bad Dad Gallery Production"

Held at Studio Voltaire on Thursday 28th November 2013

This event is the outcome of a recent residency at Studio Voltaire. The event profiled the work of the collective as part of its ongoing research and as a response to the work of Judith Hopf.

Themes:

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X Marks The Spot presents a Bad Dad Gallery Production

Thursday 28th November 2013 7pm -9pm

Studio Voltaire 1A Nelson’s Row,  SW4 7JR

This event will be the first public outcome of a recent residency at Studio Voltaire. The event will profile works by the group connected to ongoing research and as a response to the work of Judith Hopf.

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#women #leadership + #arts = #anxiety

Lauren will be on a panel discussing the issues involved in navigating a leadership journey within the arts. This is in the context of health and well-being especially anxiety ahead of the Anxiety Festival 2014

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XMTS: The use of archives and archived material towards the creation of new work.

    Initiated in December 2011 'X Marks The Spot' is a concerted period of research in conjunction with the Not Our Class and Jo Spence projects at Studio Voltaire, London - conducted by, Ego Ahaiwe, Lauren Craig, Emma Hedditch, Mystique Holloway, Zoe Holloway, Gina Nembhard and Louise Shelley. They are focusing on Spence's work, on body image, health, and the representation of a life lived in the most social political form possible. Through the use of radical sociology Spence approached photography as a transformative process, documenting her life with breast cancer and use of alternative therapies.

    XMTS will share elements of our collaboration process that has stimulated new work, our interactions and reflections and thoughts around our objective. Our outcome will be an archive to be deposited at WAL.

  The themes we will be exploring during our breakout session are the following:

  Health

Therapy

Identity

Memory

Documenting

Class

Race

Gender 

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Gender, identity, culture and memory. The work of Lorna Simpson.

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"Chav - Linda"

If ‘cunt’ is reportedly losing its power to shock or offend, don’t worry, other c-words are available. ‘Class’, for instance, appears to have become unsuitable for use in polite society these days, while ‘Chav’ has never been so commonplace in the respectable parlance of those who would never dream of using any other c-word so blithely.

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A conversational documentary on the work of this New york based photographer. He is best known for his Colour 'street' photography though he also worked as a fashion photographer and took portraits. He is also a painter. This film was completed as he recessed his archive.

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Judith Hopf

Opting out, collaboration and the inappropriate behaviour of bodies

Frieze issue 109

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Judith Hopf - Hospital Bone Dance excerpt

'In Hospital Bone Dance (2006), produced in collaboration with filmmaker Deborah Schamoni, the programmatic patient–doctor relationship is thrown by the receptionist’s oblique response to a patient seeking help: ‘I’ve got a pain here, I’ve got to see the doctor.’ ‘The doctor? I’d like to see that doctor too!’ Only when the receptionist (the artist again) catches sight on a monitor of a doctor leading a band of mummies dancing zombie-like out of an operating room is her response pragmatic: ‘That moron. They’ll never get back.’ Kirsty Bell, Frieze Magazine

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Frieze: Some Ends of Things (2011)

A film by Judith Hopf

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X Marks the Spot are going to: 

The Trouble with Artist Collectives

17 April 2013 at the ICA , London

http://www.ica.org.uk/36998/Talks/The-Trouble-with-Artist-Collectives.html

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Thursday 14 February 7 - 8:30pm Discussion event: Not Our Class

Thursday 14 February 7 - 8:30pm Discussion event: Not Our Class Since Autumn 2011 Studio Voltaire has been running Not Our Class, a new programme of education and participatory projects that through research and practice take the work of Jo Spence as a starting point for investigating the legacy and potentials of her work in relation to contemporary culture and life. This discussion event will invite Rehana Zaman, Emma Hedditch and Conal McStravick to talk in relation to working within the context of Not Our Class and methods for collaborative practice. Free, no booking required

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Lambeth Women's Project closes after 30 years of amazing activity..

An email from LWP dated November 20, 2012. very sad news, x marks the spot wouldn't have been possible without the support of LWP

Dear all,

I am writing to let you know the news that the Lambeth Women's Project will close on the 30 November 2012. I'd like to take the opportunity to thank everybody for their support and I know that relationships that have been developed amongst women of different backgrounds, and ages through crossing paths with each other at the project will continue, and cannot be taken away as easily. 

After the eviction letter in June Stockwell Primary School continued to make it clear that there would be no future for our organisation or the potential of partnership working at 166a Stockwell Road. Though the decision has been extremely hard we were left with no choice but to come to the conclusion to allow the sun to set on over 30 years of a strong presence within the Lambeth community and beyond. 

We would particularly like to thank everyone for the amazing support during June and the following months. This has meant that we have been able to get our accounts finalised with the accountant, continue to have internet and a phone line, and remove our belongings without fear of imminent eviction. As we have had a long history of individuals and community groups supporting us through donations, we have distributed our belongings amongst local community organisations and individuals that will continue to do the work in different shapes and forms. We have also deposited our records with Lambeth Archives, to be accessioned and catalogued for permanent preservation and the blog is also archived with the British Library Web Archive project. 

The last meeting taking place at LWP is the monthly meeting of the Brixton Women's Institute on 29th November 2012.  After this the keys will be handed back to our solicitor.

Please forward this to anyone that you think would want to be informed.

Warmest Regards

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over 2000 people attended the event in the Tanks at Tate Modern to see our film amongst others. photographs by James Harris