Wednesday Visionaries

LIVE at 7pm

Visiting people and spaces that send ripples in the art world and society; Artists who actively practice the change they wish to see in the world. We speak to Desperate Artwives founder, The Cave’s founder and Artesian Well’s collective.

Wednesday 22nd of July 2020 - Amy Dignam an artist, a founder and curator of the Desperate Artwives project. Amy is one of the founding mothers of Maternal Journal, Maternity Voices Partnership co-chair for the hospitals of Chelsea and Westminster a…

Wednesday 22nd of July 2020 - Amy Dignam an artist, a founder and curator of the Desperate Artwives project. Amy is one of the founding mothers of Maternal Journal, Maternity Voices Partnership co-chair for the hospitals of Chelsea and Westminster and West Middlesex. Already a hypnobirthing teacher, Amy is currently training to become a doula and last but not least she is the mother of 3 children aged 12, 9 and 7

Wednesday 29th of July 2020 - Karen Turner founder of The Cave, Pimlico. Karen Turner is the founder of The Cave in Pimlico. She did her foundation at Camberwell and her BA in Fine Art at the Met in her 40’s and could only consider doing her MA at City and Guilds due to the focus on process. Although not creative herself Karen’s mother was supportive and encouraged her experimental creativity.
Karen has grown up in Pimlico and raised her own family so when it came to being an artist she set her own terms and space to make the most of Pimlico’s public relationship.
Karen is relentless when faced with challenges and supports both artists and the public selflessly. We wanted to find out about Karen the Artist, beyond founder, mother, curator, workshop leader, life drawing host.
Bodies, self images and the process of making has been at the heart of Karen’s practice. In an aging body and with voluptuous curves Karen was unafraid to ask for a second towel at her local pool voicing big bodies and different needs in her blog. There’s an extra towel waiting for her now.
Finally Karen has claimed the old gallery at The Cave as her own studio during the pandemic and is determined to keep it that way. Her partner and The Cave’s technician, Nigel has managed to turn around the space after floods and closure. His challenge now accomplished on creating a new gallery space. Karen hopes that the 3rd chance to run Cave may be her last year in London. Having given 50 years to London and a ton of energy to the performers, sculptors, painters, illustrators, filmmakers who can blame her?. Wherever she goes her energy and mark is sure to stay within Cave’s walls and all of us who had the joy to collaborate with her. We are exited for Karen, The Cave and the year ahead and look forward to welcoming Karen at Platform 1 with a solo show before she heads for the hills. Be it her films, crochet body parts, self portrait or abstract gesture Karen is a doer and we thank her immensely for letting us behind the scenes and sharing her wisdom and truth.

Wells Projects - Victoria Szanto, Sonja Teszler, Charlie Hawksfield and Kariem Ismail talk about the Artesian Wells Battersea Bar rebirth into a socially engaged community art hub. This unique, free, inclusive and diverse space has been hosting shows for experimental proposals in film, performance, installation and sound.

Well’s Projects recently was awarded with a grant to launch into an NHS trust partnership and use the arts to support and engage the public, particularly in times of anxiety and social exclusion imposed by the pandemic.

In the meantime you can catch up with their latest participatory film ‘Clocked in’. They may have shut the doors of the location but they have certainly widened the floodgates in conversation and collaboration on their digital platform.

'In Conversation' - 7 Days | 7 Artists | 7 pm

Live @platform1gallery

Mon 6th-Tues 12th of July


A series of dialogues with Platform 1 collaborators observes our adopted format of communication enforced by the pandemic. The tactility of human connection, touch and relationships is visited through the personal and cultural shifting society’s make up through much needed change. We discuss active involvment and impact in creative practices of performers, musicians, choreographers, artists and activists.

The conversations delve into Black Lives Matter movement, Mental Wellbeing, Environmental relationship, State of Being, Questions without answers, the rise of Domestic abuse and poverty. This Covid enforced time for self-reflection is redefining humanity and the world as it is, it is a chance for improvement, soberness and gratitude but most of all it is time to stand together and practice what we preach.

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In Conversation Collaborators