At this free virtual event, John will talk and take questions about his portrait of the community surrounding Kensal Rise Library.
John says: “It’s a portrait of the community in their own words. By ‘community’, I mean the community of the library. Where it becomes geographic is that the emphasis is on the subjective responses to the environment and the changes within that environment, rather than looking for some objective, dry, historical overview of the area, or even contemporary commentary on the area.”
John’s work unfolds as a series of interviews with locals, drawing on their memories of the changing streets, communities and the library. These stories are accessed via plaques dotted around the neighbourhood, from which the audio can be downloaded.
The library itself represents community activism and struggle: Kensal Rise Library was closed by Brent Council in 2011. But following the community’s long battle - including taking the council to the High Court - locals have reclaimed and refurbished the ground floor, which they now run independently of the local authority.
John Rogers is an artist, filmmaker and author of This Other London – adventures in the overlooked city. He directed the feature documentaries The London Perambulator (2009), Make Your Own Damn Art – the world of Bob and Roberta Smith (2012), London Overground (2016) and In the Shadow of the Shard (2018). He produced and co-presented the popular Resonance FM radio show and podcast on walking, Ventures and Adventures in Topography. He also produces a regular series of walking videos on his YouTube channel.
John’s work is part of Brent London Borough of Culture 2020.
To register for this event: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/john-rogers-kensal-rise-has-a-story-tickets-127040845589?aff=ebdssbonlinesearch
Kensal Rise Community Library receives no regular funding from the Council.
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