Cadavre Exquis Poetry with Alex Magneron on January 7 at 18:00

Alex will lead a participatory workshop where attendants write a little something using surrealist games, like the “cadavre exquis” or Burroughs’ cut up technique.

Born and living in Paris, Alex is studying Jewish literature and spends most of their time reading or writing poetry. Their work centers on Jewishness, exile, diasporism, mysticism and anarchy. Alex is also interested in the intersection between poetry and visual arts, especially photography and painting. They are a huge fan of Leonard Cohen and Arthur Rimbaud.

I’m Scared: (How) Should I Do This?: Kate Emden and michelle brint on January 14 at 18:00 on Zoom

Kate and Michelle are artist-friends who have been (both collaboratively and independently) exploring the intersections of risk-taking, injury, challenging conversations, and healing. In this session, they will share their discoveries, offer their questions, and invite participants to engage with the creative methods they have been developing.

Kate is a dancer, movement artist and writer. Their work pays attention to political cultures, what we do with different forms of (dis)embodiment and what they do to us, and how to encourage play and deepening senses of belonging. Recent projects have included FEAR (community dance performance, Siobhan Davies Studios), Not My Dad (drag king debut, Soho Theatre) and On (im)possible identities: an exploration of left-wing british jewish political subjectivies (participatory research, Birkbeck College).

michelle is a conceptual artist who works predominantly with found materials. she prefers to let her hands ask the questions, designs experimental protocols that attempt to totally isolate creation from analysis, and relishes in the joy of discovery which becomes possible through collaboration.

Family Folklore and Ancestral Mythology workshop with Emily Zinkin on January 21 at 18:00 on Zoom

We often think about mythology coming only from long ago time periods and far off places, but what about our own family’s mythology? In this workshop we will explore how family memories often passed down purely through oral storytelling begin to form into their own family folklore and mythology, and seek to capture these important ancestral myths through collective storytelling and the written word. In this workshop Emily will talk about how she used Jewish historical and mthological stories to inspire her writing, and how we can and should all look to our own histories when it comes to storytelling. Please bring your favorite family tales, especially the ones about female ancestors who are often only remembered in this fashion, and get ready to share these stories and to commit them and the people to page so we can turn them into a collective feminist mythology to be shared and celebrated.

Emily Zinkin is a queer, Jewish writer whose work has appeared in TLDR Press’ anthology ‘Hope’, Keats Collective, Lip Magazine, among others. Her work was recently longlisted for the Dorothy Dunnet short story prize, and she has also been a judge on the London Independent Story Prize (LISP), and is an editor for the Words of Wandsworth anthology. She has taught creative writing workshops at Wilderness Festival, the National Trust among others, and collaborated on creative projects with Rene Cassin, Moishe House, and others. She has a Creative Writing MA from the University of Nottingham.

Writing and Pitching an indie film with Tristan McShepherd on January 28 on Zoom

Tristan McShepherd is an award winning filmmaker who co-founded the film collective, Take Cover Films, in 2012. His short films have screened at film festivals around the world winning numerous awards including a Best in Fest selection at Palm Springs International Shortfest and Best Yorkshire Short Film at Leeds International Film festival. Tristan has also worked extensively in theatre. He was Stephen Daldry’s video designer on The Jungle and the creative video director for the landmark project, The Walk, in 2022. He is currently working on a slate of feature films.

Writing in Theatre and Performance to Support Black Women with Michelah Desnai on February 4 at 18:00 on Zoom 

Michelah Desnai is an Artist of many mediums; Her debut one act play The Road S Traveled premiered at Omnibus Theatre in Clapham with Unshaded Arts. She has played concerts in Kigali, Rwanda, Bali, Indonesia, and Madeira, portugal. 

New Jewish Electronic Music with Dan Gouly on February 11 at 18:00 on Zoom 

In this lecture we’ll explore the making of “New Jewish electronic music” through a Judeo-Futurist lens, drawing on the legacies of Jewish thinkers and artists like Isaac Asimov and Marge Piercy who envisioned Jewish-infused futurism. I will discuss the blending of traditional Ashkenazi musical sensibilities with avant-garde electronic sounds, inspired by both ancient mysticism and the possibilities of modern technology, to create a radically original, Jewish cultural expression. The talk will highlight influences from both Jewish musical forebears and contemporary electronic artists, envisioning a collaborative future where Jewish music, technology, and creative innovation come together.

Dr Daniel Gouly is a clarinetist, composer, and co-founder of Don Kipper, an ensemble celebrated for its innovative blend of traditional Mediterranean and contemporary music, earning multiple awards and critical acclaim. He specialises in performing musics from across Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean, and has studied with, and played alongside, legendary Klezmer musicians such as Alan Bern, Frank London, Merlin Shepherd, Christian Dawid, and Joel Rubin, as well significant figures from other traditions such as Manos Achalinotopoulos. With a strong focus on theatre, he has toured the UK, US, and Europe with the acclaimed Bubbleschmeisis, and created multi-sensory shows with Oily Cart and other theatre companies, demonstrating his commitment to accessible, community-focused art, blending music, storytelling, and cultural history to create compelling and impactful performances. He also has a parallel career releasing the deepest, darkest Techno he can make, and spends far too long hanging out with his synthesisers.

Dying Under Your Eyes screening with Oreet Ashery on February 18 at 18:00 on Zoom 

I will be showing my film Dying Under Your Eyes, 27 minutes. The film utilises the intimacy of smartphone technology to witness and document the last years of my father’s life, particularly the month leading up to his abrupt death. The practice of filming becomes an act of care, as the digital footage fluctuates between remote communication and our physical proximity during my visits to Jerusalem. There will be time for discussion afterwards. 

Oreet Ashery is a London based artist and educator. Their work has explored fiction, community, friendship and mutual care through the lens of class and gender, often in multi-platform projects that include video, performance, photography, sound, assemblage, textile and writing. Their practice crosses established arts institutions worldwide and grassroots social contexts. Ashery won the Film London Jarman Award in 2017 and in 2020 was a Turner Prize Bursary recipient, (replacing the Turner Prize during a pandemic year) for her influential work Revisiting Genesis, a 12-episode online film on illness, death, grief and digital legacy. In 2022 Ashery was commissioned by KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin, to produce the film Selfish Road, a semi- autobiographical film that journeys through highways in and around Jerusalem. Most recently Ashery’s interests have included queer farming communities as way to imagine the past, present and future.