The Chorus

The Chorus is a long term experiment which will explore how an artist led multiverse can open itself towards community and peer-led decision making, whilst recognising the fundamental artistic knowledge, curatorial experience and practical skills of our core team.

Current Chorus members are Tammy Woodrow, Lezli Howarth, Sarah King, Yva Jung, Lily Hall, Sym Mendez, Sarah Ali, Mat Leung, Karen Dhlamini, Déschanell Da Costa, Lucy Grubb, Paul McKeown, Helen Legg, Danil Boparai, Bushra Mohammed, Mavernie Cunningham, Alice Theobald, Verity-Jane Keefe, Marley Starskey Butler, Seema Mattu and Harriet Bowman.

Eastside Projects has long been influenced by the model of the Artist Placement Group, and the term ‘Incidental Person’ which they described as: “someone who invests in a situation, observes it and responds to it in a specific, though not necessarily tangible or practical, way.” The Chorus, like our Incidental Artists commissions, takes this proposition as a starting point, bringing together an evolving coalition of individuals with different expertise who “watch the doings and listen to the noises” reflecting on Eastside Projects and the wider context, and offering advice towards future ways of thinking, making and doing across all areas of our work.

We have retained a small, core advisory group which fulfils the requirements of our Arts Council England National Portfolio funding agreement. This group includes members with Financial knowledge, a representative from our NPO partners Birmingham City University and an Artist all of whom are also members of The Chorus.

The Chorus integrates our Advisory Board, Incidental Artists, and Staff Team with a wider network of individuals with a range of knowledge and life experiences in a new kind of support structure, with collective thinking and mutual exchange at its core.

We imagine …

A chorus that is agile and flexible
A chorus that is diverse and multi-vocal
A chorus that is transparent
A chorus that changes shape
A chorus that is responsive
A chorus that evolves
A chorus that is actively engaged with Eastside Projects’ work

A group of people who come together to make ‘configurations of knowledge’ to help, challenge thinking and connect Eastside Projects to other people, places, ideas and practices. Our collective work is to move the action along (like a chorus in ancient Greek theatre), to keep Eastside Projects flowing and connected with its community and context/s.

Above all, we want to convene generous conversations which are productive and enriching for everyone who takes part.

At least two Chorus assemblies are convened each year with each one focussed on a question/s Eastside Projects is asking itself at that time. Different configurations of the Chorus coalesce around different questions – Chorus members commit to attending at least one assembly each year.

Membership is also evolving with annual open calls. This is a voluntary role, though we have budget to cover access costs and travel expenses.

Find out more about the current Chorus and everyone else who makes Eastside projects happen HERE