Networking: An Evening with Queerdirect

Part of the Creative Job Studio

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Thu 22 Mar 2018

19.00 - 21.30

£7.50 / £5.00 concessions

Great Arch Hall

South Wing

Part of the Creative Job Studio

Participate in this performance conceived by Gaby Sahhar, subverting the idea of a corporate networking space, resulting in something between office networking event & club dance floor questioning ideas of labour within the artworld & beyond.

Good networking skills are said to be key in achieving employment, particularly within the creative sector. Participate in this tongue-in-cheek performance, intending to challenge and subvert the idea of a corporate networking space, resulting in something between office networking event and club dance floor. Conceived by artist Gaby Sahhar, this evening based on many of the tropes of networking calls into question ideas of labour within the artworld and beyond, arguing that spaces curated around the needs of queer people are now more crucial than ever. Gaby Sahhar is also an initiator for Queerdirect, an LGBTQI+ Artist Creative Support network initiated in response to the fact that LGBTQI+ spaces in the city are under attack and over 50% of nightlife venues closing in the past five years.

This event is for those aged 18 and over only.

queerdirect

Biography

Gaby Sahhar is a Palestinian-French artist from South London and graduated from Goldsmiths with a BA in Fine Art in 2015. Much of Gaby’s work is autobiographical, often exploring identity in relation to gender. Gaby’s practice mixes painting, performance and video. With a focus on the ‘male’ in systems of Capitalism, Sahhar tries to understand how the changes that occur in London like gentrification are caused by the actions of these men, how their shared characteristics and shared, gendered identity, informs and shapes such processes - to the detriment of others and the oppressive effect this leaves on queer communities in London. Finding links between the struggle over public and private space in London with the state of occupation in Palestine, in recent work Sahhar connects his concerns to his Palestinian heritage, making work that examines how contemporary Palestinian culture can exist outside of Palestine today. Sahhar is also founder of LGBTQi+ project space: Queerdirect and in the past has worked with galleries such as the TATE, Arcadia Missa, and magazine such as I-D, Dazed and Confused.

This event is part of the The Creative Job Studio, London’s new space where young people from all backgrounds can meet employers, chat about skills development and network with other creatives. From friendly drop-ins and careers days to a programme of open discussions and artistic events, it provides a fresh platform for unheard voices, opens the door to hidden talents and future possibilities.

The Creative Job Studio is a partnership between The Creative Society and Somerset House, supported by Arts Council England.