October 2018 – May 2019

North-East Enders was initiated by Artist in Residence Andrew Wilson during October 2018. Andrew Wilson invited us to adopt the TV soap as a playful metaphor to reflect upon the many challenges facing the residential area of Shieldfield.

Often derided as addictive trash, Wilson suggests otherwise and has proposed that the TV soap has many things to offer but particularly when considering the demise of public space, social interaction, and individual and collective well-being in general.

For an example let’s consider EastEnders. Imagine the pub, The Queen Victoria;, the heart of the London– based drama has gone out of business, boarded up, and repurposed for student accommodation. Imagine Albert Square, the public green which many of the soap’s resident’s’ homes overlook, has been established as a private zone, with CCTV, and patrolled by private security guards.  And imagine the local café, Kathy’s, previously owned and ruan by local residents has closed to make way for a Tesco Metro or a Subway franchise.

How would these changes alter the interactions between the London borough’s fictional residents?  Where would the characters encounter one another, if at all? What impact would these changes have on the everyday engagement and long-term wellbeing of the fictional residents? And now, if it is plausible to imagine an entire cast of individuals, sat at home, alone and socially isolated, how do these imagined scenarios reflect our own lives and social surroundings?

Hosting multiple opportunities for residents and workers in Shieldfield to encounter one another, including workshops, conversation events, and screenings, this residency has been the beginning of a process to collectively reimagine our daily lives through storytelling, narrative building and collaborative film-making.

Wednesday 20th March

BROADCAST BARTENDER

The Holy Biscuit, 6.30-9pm

There were once 19 pubs in Shieldfield, now there are none. Join us as we transform the Holy Biscuit into a functional public house for a unique conversation event where five guest drinkers and one guest bartender talk freely in front of a small audience.

Friday 22 March

CELEBRATION / DISCO

The Holy Biscuit, 6.30-10pm

Get dressed, feel glamorous and help us celebrate the ‘world premiere’ of three short films created by Shieldfield residents over two weekends in February. The screenings will be followed by an opportunity to dance in the gallery.

Sunday 24 March

SHIELDFIELD ON SCREEN

The Star and Shadow Cinema, 2-4pm

An eclectic mix of short films about Shieldfield screened from our local cinema – the volunteer run Star & Shadow: the shorts include – Sharp with the Flats(1964), How the Land Lies (2017) and Past Master: John Armstrong (1990s).