The Creativity ManifestShow

The Informal Manifesto (P1)

A brief history of The Creativity P.art.y, and its organic emergence out of the The 491 Gallery & Vertigo Cinema Art Squat in Leytonstone, East London (1999-2013)

Once Upon a Time, there was a row of 5 abandoned derelict buildings in a Land called Leytonstone in East London. These buildings were a dangerous, dilapidated, derelict eye sore to the Community for over 10 years, left to rot and ruin by 2 private landlords and The London Undergound who collectively owned these 5 seriously derelict buildings, and the land they sat upon.

These buildings were being used as a dark, dangerous, den of criminal activity and serious drug use, which had a very negative and fearful effect upon the local Community. Even just walking past these buildings on the way home from work was an intimidating scary experience for local people on a daily basis.

So one day, a local homeless street artist who was doing nothing much except sleep on his girlfriend's sofa was "encouraged" by his partner to get out of the house, and go and do something about the empty derelict row of buildings. So after cautiously entering the buildings and having weeks of discussions and creative conversations using all of his previous life expereinces, drawing heavily upon his education and training in Sociology, Social Psychology, Criminology, Conflict Resolution, Mediation Management, Creativity, and Counselling the various interpersonal barriers and emotional walls of  drug users/addicts and the typical bravado of street gangster crimiminals were ultimately persuaded to move out so something more positive, benefical, and community centred could be created and organised within the row of derelict buildings. Although many of them often came back occassionally to help clean, repair, and renovate the buildings bouyed up by a new sense of purposeful activity and a certain sense of curiousity.

Over the next few months more creative art-outsiders began to get word of what was happening, and mote and more people began to turn up, and as they continued to work clearing all the rubbish out, discarded shopping trollies, needles and drug paraphernalia, a creative community began to organically emerge and grow into what eventually became an self-sustaining Community Art Squat.

It took 18months of hard physical effort, graft, and toil to repair and re-construct floorboards, windows, roofs; entire buildings were repaired using nothing but recycled paint and found materials, including a steady supply of furniture donations of chairs, tables, tools and equipment by local people glad of the change in their community, and more and more community volunteers from the good Land of Leytonstone and beyond came to help. Eventually, after 2 years of this organic community centred social art creative process, what emerged was one of the most successful Community Centred and Community run Art Squat Galleries & Independent Cinemas of London.

Once the buildings were reasonably fit for human habitation, albeit at the rough level of camping at Glastonbury, all the local artists, community creatives, musicians, new age hippies, and more outsider mavericks moved in; and as you can imagine it was quite a heady mix of diverse personalities, ambitions and talents. Picture in your mind if you will, a small Glastonbury occurring inside Andy Warhols' Factory every weekend, and sometimes every night of the week.

Of course, those first 2 Foundational Years were not for the faint hearted, or weak of consitution; living in semi-derelict buildings during freezing Winters with no hot water, and holes in the walls instead of windows, was a brutal test of endurance and creative survival for even the most enthusiastic volunteer. It didn't really matter whether they were an artist or musician, DJ, Singer, Photograher, Activist, Caberet Entertainer or Environmentalist, or random homeless person. They we all united in one single goal, one creative ambition;  try and create an arts space they could be part of, that they could run and manage as their own to support and facilitate their own dreams and ambitions in London

Out of the initial creative chaos, gradually the 491 Gallery & Vertigo Cinema was born, now with hot water, electricity, a shower, 2 kitchens, bedrooms, art studios, and a huge fire pit within a large community garden. It eventually settled down into a more organised, creative, multi-arts community arts venue to live in, visit, enjoy the events, workshops, music gigs, parties, experiences, and just be.

The Legendary 491 Gallery - Art Squat & Vertigo Independent Cinema.

The 491 Gallery & Vertigo Cinema which was created in the building Next Door hosted all manner of creative & community events for an astonishing 13 years; until the Government decided that self organised Community Art Centres & in particular "Art Squats" were illegal, and a profound creative threat to local Councils & Government creative control to maintain power over Communities, and decided to ban them all.

So the Artists, Creatives, Community Volunteers and good People of the Land of Leytonstone were themselves eventually evicted after 13 years; the buildings were demolished, and the Land sold to developers for £1 Million,  who built another boring block of prison-like commuter flats for the gentrified 9-5 escalator robots to move into,  and follow the right way of conformist thinking and conventional living;  with no spontaneous Community Centred Creativity, except that which is controlled by the Powers that be, and managed in good orderly fashion through very expensive music and alcohol Licences, mountains of form filling, bureaucratic red tape, and a few thousand pounds to the Government via Councils for Licenses before you can organise any creative event, unless of course it's organised. and controlled by Government Councils, and Policed by The State Apparatus.

So the 13 years of Self-Organised Free Creative Community events, music gigs, art exhibitions, Cinema nights, Circus Nights, Community Café, Weekend Trade Fairs, Organic Kitchen, Community Garden, Large Community Fire Pit, Artists Studios, Home made Music Recording Studio, and temporary rooms for homeless people was no more. 

All of these weekly /weekend events and Creative Community Open Resources were free (except for voluntary donations or a small fee of a few pounds for special events. They were creatively self organised by a diverse ever-changing cycle of creative community volunteers, both artists and those who didn't identify as such.

Now in Leytonstone, their stands a grim brownish prison type block for people to look at, and ask themselves, is this really better for Leytonstone, or any given area, in any given Town or City, than a Community led and self organised  Community Art Gallery, Cinema, and Garden, where people could meet, relax and interact with others? 

Is this block of a few commuter flats really better than all the creativity, community events, and cherished social - art memories the people of Leytonstone and thousands of others from across London AND Europe created over 13 years with hundreds of volunteers and thousands of people coming together to socialise and be entertained by music, DJs, bands, art, cabarets, singers, performers, comedy, and to frolic about dancing, or just hang out with others having a good fun community centred, creative, inexpensive time?  Well, I suppose there are still a few Pubs left! If you can afford £7 a pint in Luna Lounge or The North Star. Otherwise, I guess it's the grim reality of The Wetherspoons Walnut Pub.

Back to the main story: The 491 Gallery was responsible for hosting some of the most varied and iconic community art events in London such as one of the first and largest Transgender Party events in London Social-Art history, a Ukrainian Culture & Media-Arts Night (many years even before the current diabolical War), that welcomed over 200 Ukrainian people and artists to share their creativity and culture, and The European Cycle Courier Championships which led to over 100+ bikes being hung from the Gallery ceiling due a to lack of space, that resulted in one of the greatest spontaneous community art installations ever seen in London.

Then one day, the G.Niece (Poet / Perfomer),  of a former core member of the 491 Gallery, and Co-Founder of  Vertigo Cinema "Creative Dave", was sitting at home and feeling all sad and dejected with her face paint on (See Last Pic below), because she had no community art centre to go to anymore where she could run around in a free creative venue and safe place surrounded by family, and all the people in her community who she knew and trusted, safe from the anxiety of potential terror attacks.  and other perceived threats, real or imaginary, due to her excessive online Iphone use.

So once again Creative Dave set out on another Great Art Adventure of Conscious Community Creativity, to see what he could to, to help create a better, safer, more positive Creative Future World for his young niece to grow up in. 

But, as the days of simply turning empty, derelict buildings that have been left empty to rot and ruin into Centres of Vibrant Community Art were now over, and made illegal by The Government, unless you could afford to invest about £1M, he would have to find another way, another means and method, to draw upon the Creativity of the Community, as well as share his own.

So, if you would like help this Creative Social-Art Mission, or have ideas to help the social-art process, please feel free to contact us to arrange an informal telephone chat, or coffee meet up; and if you are feeling particularly art adventurous, you can arrange a visit to Creative Dave's Studio AKA "The Creativity-Cell" for a relaxed lookabout, p informal chat,  or even try an art video / interview chat about anything creative or community art related, or  maybe about your own creative-art ideas - ambitions or struggles. Alternatively, you can show arrange to show videos or films, hang art, or just visit to explore and chat about all things across the whole spectrum of Creativity, Community, and Consciousness.

Tea & Coffee, soft drinks, biscuits, cake and snacks available

PLEASE feel free to bring your own food, snacks or refreshments, because to be honest my Fridge and Kitchen Cupboards are always nearly empty due to the rising cost of living, and food prices going through the roof.

Yours, Creatively & Faithfully,

Creative Dave / Blue Dave
 

Membership Guide Notes

There are no set membership fees. The ethos and philosophy of The Creativity Party is based solely on Voluntary Creativity,  P.art.cipation, and spare time available to help out. But, for those who can afford it, voluntary donations are welcome. For those who wish to take a more active membership role. All fees are fluid, negotiable, and dependent upon your current creative - social - educational - work - life - mental health status.

Please note: 100% of ALL fees and donations are expressively for the development of The Creativity Party aims, structures, organisation, publicity, promotional activities, social-art philosophy, activities, and events, to be agreed and voted upon at any event that holds a quorum of not less than 3 - 7 persons.

The Chair P.art.cipant is a fluid, open, flexible role at every event every month, and is open to any person, artist, or volunteer who wishes to be the Chair of that event, of that month. No experience of leadership or art, or facilitating a group discussion, or event, is necessary.  Anyone wishing to be the Creative Chair of a meeting, gathering, or event will be given full support and will be fully supported to do so. 

A real creative democracy should not allow for the power and decision-making process to lie in the hands and whims of a single autocratic leader, nor should creative power be held by a fixed permanent core group of individuals. Whether in a voluntary art organisation, politics, or Government itself, The Creativity Party operates processes and practices that ensure this will never happen. Each creative participant and each volunteer will be as creatively important and valued as everyone else in terms of ideas, experiences, skills, abilities, enthusiasm, motivations, and reasons for being involved with The Creativity Party. 

"It is the infinite well of collective creativity, and community social -art consciousness that is our most valuable resource from which to draw upon, and in this regard, all are considered equal."

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