Wide Open School

On Sunday I was delighted to contribute to Fritz Haeg's element of 'Wide Open School' at Hayward Gallery: "The Sundown Schoolhouse of Queer Home Economics invites the local queer community to our temporary HQ for an on-going dialog about 'making ourselves at home' with casual and programmed conversing, cooking, crafting, debating, decorating, demonstrating, discussing, dishing, eating, exercising, hanging out, lecturing, moving, performing, reading, speechifying, talking, teaching, and workshopping related to LGBTQ home-making (inspired by the program of ‘home economics’ developed in the 19th century to educate young women in domestic duties). As a place to queer our ideas of home, it is based in the very queer home of an intimate geodesic dome tent (above) installed over a seating platform and conversation pit surrounded by fruit trees on the rooftop terrace of the Hayward Gallery for their pre-Olympics Wide Open School Program.

I was invited by the 'Avant Gardeners' to speak about my work with The Pansy Project and to introduce other elements of my practice to a welcoming and sociable crowd whist helping with fabricating the rug above. I was especially pleased to meet Fritz Haeg as he features in 'Living as Form' a fascinating book I just happened to reading when I was invited to participate in the 'Wide Open School' the book; " is an unprecedented, international project exploring over twenty years of cultural works that blur the forms of art and everyday life, emphasizing participation, dialogue, and community engagement." It's proving especially relevant to my own practice and research, which as ever continues.