8 March 2024
Peer-to-Peer update: weeks 4 and 5
Group discussions and a visit to the garden!
The Peer-to-Peer 2024 cohort have now had 6 weeks of peer learning sessions at Metroland and beyond! Read on to hear about what they got up to in week 4 and 5.
Week 4
In week 4, the Peer-to-Peer cohort were back at Metroland Studios after a week off over half-term.
After catching up and discussing their takeaways from previous sessions, the group jumped right into a workshop with Morgan Quaintance, a filmmaker, artist and writer.
Morgan talked to the group about about his experience and led a discussion on filmmaking and curation. The group watched a handful of short films and held discussions about the themes and ideas that they provoked. Discussions touched on: the role of the filmmaker, the ethics of filmmaking, risk-taking in filmmaking, and what responsibility the filmmaker holds in the filmmaking process. They also discussed positions of privilege in the art world.
In the afternoon the cohort were joined by one of Metroland’s curators, Christy O’Beirne. Christy took the group on a tour of St.Raphael’s edible garden in Wembley. Owned and operated by Sufra, a local food bank and support charity, the garden is used to grow produce for Sufra’s Saturday garden market, as well as as an educational resource. The group toured the garden and visited the glasshouse recently built and furnished as part of a Metroland community commission, With Us All.
Christy talked to the group in more detail about fabrication and the specifics of how the glasshouse was built, touching on how the glasshouse was conceived of and designed by artist Sean Roy Parker, and created from reclaimed materials.
The group also spoke to Nicholas Smith, who is responsible for Sufra’s growing plan to supply their Food Bank and Kitchen. He oversees the planting, cultivation and harvesting of all produce, and leads the Saturday garden market. Nicholas talked to the group about the day-to-day running of the garden and Sufra’s work within the community.
Week 5
In Week 5 the Cohort were again at Metroland Studios for the day.
The cohort got to meet Lizzie Grahamm, Metroland Cultures’ new Programmes Curator. Lizzie will be leading the Peer-to-Peer programme from week 6, picking up the baton from Rebecca Heald who curated the first half of the programme. After an introduction from Lizzie, the group introduced themselves and their practices.
The main focus on the session was for the cohort to discuss working practices and how they intend to work together. Discussion touched on preferred working and collaboration practices, and setting boundaries in creative and professional environments. The group talked about how previous Peer-to-Peer sessions had gone and shared their thoughts, bringing Lizzie up to speed on where they were each at.
Stay tuned for more updates on what the 2024 Peer-to-Peer cohort are getting up to as they continue the programme.
More from Metroland…
Peer-to-Peer Update: Sessions 2 and 3
Peer-to-Peer 2024 Cohort announced!
Today the first Peer to Peer session of 2024 took place at Metroland Studios. We are thrilled to welcome the ten artists who have been selected to participate in this year’s artist support programme, Peer to Peer 2024.
With Us All – Sufra and Sean Roy Parker
A glasshouse commissioned for a community garden in the heart of the St. Raphael estate