The Creativity Manifest-show

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.

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 dilapidated derelict eye sore to the Community for 10 years, left to rot and ruin by 2 private landlords and London Undergound who collectively owned the 5 seriously derelict buildings, and th e land they sat upon.

These buildings were being used as a dark, dangerous, den of vice and criminal activity for drug dddicts to shoot-up in; and other nefarious criminal activities; Often scaring and intimidating local people who had to walk by these buildings on a daily basis, or on the way home from School or Work.

So one day, a local homeless street artist who was doing nothing much except sleep on his girlfriend's sofa, often getting on her nerves, was "encouraged" by his partner to get out of the house, to go and do something with the empty derelict buildings. So he cautiously entered the buildings after a few nice, polite, democratic, understanding creative conversations, using all of his previous life experiences, education, and drawing heavily upon his training in Criminology, Conflict Resolution, & Mediation Management, the drug addicts and street gangster crimbos were ultimately persuaded to move out, so something more positive and benefical could be created and organised within the 5 empty derelict buildings.

He then rounded up a few more creative art-outsiders, and they set to work clearing all the rubbish out, the discarded shopping trollies, needles and drug paraphernalia, and turned the buildings into an Art Squat; and with a few tins of recycled paint, and 18 months of hard physical graft of creative re-construction, floorboards, windows, roofs, and whole buildings were repaired using nothing but recycled and found materials, including a steady supply of donations AND volunteers from the good Land of Leytonstone and beyond; one of the most successful Community Centred and Community run Art Galleries & Independent Cinemas of London  was born.

Once the buildings were reasonably fit for human habitation, albeit at the rough level of camping at Glastonbury, all the lovely middle-class 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 day of the week.

Of course, those first 2 Foundtional 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 artist, or desparate homeless musician to try and create a space to support and facilitate their long dreamed of London creative art ambitions.

But, gradually the 491 Gallery emerged out of the creative chaos, and now with hot water, a shower, kitchen, bedrooms, studios, and electric! It eventually settled down into a more organised, creative, and wonderful creative community multi-arts venue to live in, visit, and 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  B.Soc.Sci (Hons)
(Sociology of Art)
 

Membership Guide & Fees

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, here is a fluid flexible guide to voluntary donations 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 by a monthly quorum of not less than 7 persons consisting of at least 3 core p.art.cipants, 3 volunteers, and one Chair Person. 

The Chair Person is a fluid , open, flexible role every month and is open to any  participant or volunteer who wishes to be the Chair 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 warmly helped 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 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."

Individual membership / voluntary fees 2025
 
I. Core Artist category - annual fee £22 +£3 per event / group gathering 

II. Employed Non-Artist status - annual fee £22 + £3 per event / group gathering 

III. Student Category - annual fee £10 + £3 per event /group gathering 

IV. Unemployed Category - £3 per event / group gathering 

V. Active Volunteer Category - All Free. 

Become a member