Monday 25 February 2013

Myths of Social Capitalism screenings


Rastko Novakovic and I have made a new preliminary version of Myths of Social Capitalism.

It will be screening today in the Taking Place programmes curated by Duncan White and me for British Artists' Film and Video Study Collection in the Black Maria at Central Saint Martins, King's Cross, and at Self Organised London space at Eileen House in Elephant and Castle
 
This is a 'preliminary version', a work in progress if you like, because it bears little resemblance to what we are intending the film to become. This version sets out the stall of the project, introduces the context which is Southwark Council's woefully incompetent management of the Heygate Estate. The estate, which is now emptied of most of its residents, has been sold to developer Lend Lease for an absurdly small sum. Lend Lease plan to build a luxury residential estate on the site, and where there were once more than 1000 social housing households there will be fewer than 80 'affordable'.


This version of the film combines ensemble voice performances recorded on the estate which parody the language of regeneration planning as found in documents such as the Lend Lease masterplan, constructions of landscape images shot on and around the estate, and text outlining the estate's recent history and current situation.

Many of the details of the Heygate saga and other attempts at gentrification in Southwark can be found on the Southwark Notes website.

Myths of Social Capitalism