Join Setpoint for a day of walking, making and gathering at the Soanes Centre as part of Whitechapel Gallery's Backyard Biennial: East.
Graphics by Naias Morgan
Photography by Harriet Thorpe
Our one-day slow festival at Soanes Centre takes the form of a curriculum, centred on the theme 'Digging.'
The earth beneath us shapes both natural environments and the built structures that give form to the city. Across a day of activities and learning, we’ll use this lens to explore the Soanes Centre, its surroundings, and the role it plays for its community in a changing city and climate.
Across three distinct sessions suitable for all ages, and linked by community gathering, we'll explore the physical fabric of the earth, collective and reflective making, and themes of community resilience in a context of ecological and climate change. Each session offers an opportunity to connect with the layers beneath our feet and the histories we situate ourselves within. We're digging, physically – but what about digging deep, as a community? Digging our heels in? Digging lessons out from the archives? Or digging foundations for the future?
11am–12pm
Digging Weeds – an ecological walkshop
An interactive ecology walkshop using the Soanes Centre and its surroundings to explore the theme of ‘digging’ in the natural environment: from animals that dig to make their homes, to questions of value in the plants we choose (or choose not to) dig up.
Led by Ella Walker (ecologist) and Dim Meehitiya (ecologist, Setpoint).
12pm–1.30pm
Family Lunch
Our volunteers will set up the dinner table, where we can eat as a community. Bring your own lunch, or some items to share.
1.30pm-3.00pm
Future Foundations, a making workshop
A practical workshop focusing on making as a reflective process. Participants will experiment with rammed earth as a material process, contributing to a collective installation for the Soanes Centre, and explore earthbuilding traditions throughout the world.
Led by Rhea Martin (designer, Setpoint), Naias Morgan (artist) and Sara Omar (artist, researcher).
3.15pm–4.45pm
Imaging + Imagining
A filmmaking workshop pairing personal experience with archival material of Soanes Centre, exploring dialogue between past, present, and future. Participants will use film to “dig” through layered histories of the site and imagine different futures.
Led by Nina Jang (spatial designer, RESOLVE Collective) and Morgan Passmore-Ramdin (artist).
With thanks to:
Whitechapel Gallery
This project was programmed as part of Whitechapel Gallery's new Backyard Biennial. For Setpoint, creative commissions are opportunities to test ideas, build relationships and shape the future of Setpoint's work at the Soanes Centre. We're incredibly grateful for the opportunity, the support of the Whitechapel team, and the new collaborations emerging through the Biennial programme.
Save Soanes
Save Soanes is an intergenerational and cross-disciplinary group formed to work towards a long-term future for Setpoint London East, the Black and Brown-led environmental education charity based at the Soanes Centre. Through research, strategy, and creative programming, the campaign aims to communicate Setpoint’s value, and to collaboratively navigate systemic conditions that threaten the centre and other similar community spaces.
For Setpoint, the campaign has become more than advocacy. It has created a space to experiment, build relationships and imagine new possibilities for the organisation. Many of the ideas taking shape today have grown from that shared process.
Rescued Clay
Rescued Clay started as a group of ceramicists aiming to utilise clay from London construction sites to foster innovation and build communities. They process clay that would typically be sent to landfill, making it available for use, alongside hosting workshops and classes from their North London studio.
RESOLVE Collective & Material Store
For the donation of materials and time to prepare for the event. RESOLVE is an interdisciplinary design collective that combines architecture, engineering, technology and art to address social challenges. Their project, Material Store, builds community around the redistribution of materials and resources to historically marginalised communities.