2–4pm
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97–99 Hoxton Street
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This closed workshop invited Hackney Circle, a membership community for older residents of Hackney interested in creative and cultural events, to share their stories and histories through the creation of heritage plaque designs.

This event was programmed as part of Peer’s academic partnerships with MA Curating and Collections at Chelsea College of Art, University of the Arts London and is curated by Elena Wang, Maria Herrero Tejada, Mahalia Sobers, Kun Yu and Kato Ye.


Biographies:

‍Hackney Circle is a membership community for older residents of Hackney who are interested in creative and cultural events, discounts, and activities. They work with cultural partners in the borough to promote free events and activities and distribute special discounted tickets and offers. They also run their own events with partners supporting members to meet one another and enjoy new experiences.

MA Curating and Collections at Chelsea College of Arts, University of the Arts London is a 15-month course within which we, as students, strive to develop our curatorial practices by learning directly from professionals in the industry, both in the faculty and working alongside established curators, institutions and galleries. Hands-on experience is prioritised to develop both independent research and collaborative curatorial skills.

The politics, cultures, and creative outlets of the Black diaspora, in particular the Black British diaspora, are at the foundation of Mahalia Sobers’ curatorial practice. She strives to uplift the community through curation, facilitation, collaboration and education; and has a particular interest in addressing intersectional identities within the diaspora, acknowledging stories that are misunderstood or misrepresented.

Born in Barcelona, brought up in Dublin and now based in London, Maria Herrero Tejada’s curatorial practice is an amalgamation of the different political and cultural settings that have shaped her queer being. The decentralisation of art from art museums and art galleries is one of the main focuses of her practice. She aims to give art and the communities it belongs to the power to present and enjoy it in a less intimidating manner, by breaking down constitutional power and exploring more intimate ways of curating.

From the perspective of journalism and sociology, Elena Wang’s curatorial practice probes the impact of power structures on daily life. Grounded in Marxist Feminism, through exhibition-making she seeks to draw the attention of publics to neglected or overlooked facts, to try to liberate individuals from capitalist modes of production.

Kato Ye‘s curatorial practice focuses on art history and gender equality. She aims to present the origins and context of an artwork within a historical timeline, providing viewers with a direct understanding of the work.  She believes that conveying information in a simple and accessible way is the most important aspect of public education. At the same time, she is committed to exploring feminist insights in art history, seeing this as a ‘minority duty’ that one must undertake as a female curator.

Kun Yu’s curatorial practice focuses on exploring the boundaries of time and space, the application of multiple information media, and excavating the basic order and essence of human culture. She is interested in the power of exhibitions to evoke the viewer's reflection on the passage of time and the boundaries of memory and space.