Livingmaps Network is delighted to welcome artist Alexander Mourant to discuss the project A Place to Call Home, an amazing example of collaborative community arts. Alexander will introduce us to their artistic practice, and present the genesis of A Place to Call Home, exploring the goals, ideas and main exercises within the project, to finish with the final exhibition, outcomes and feedback. There will then be a short workshop led by Alexander followed by a discussion about the project.
The event will be hosted by Jina Lee, an artist, researcher and a Director of Livingmaps Network.
A Place to Call Home project statement:
A Place to Call Home was a landmark schools collaboration project, led by Wandsworth-based artist Alexander Mourant, working with Wandsworth Council’s Children’s Services and Arts Service, and pupils from 51 local schools. The project saw 2,216 pupils and 123 teachers in the borough of Wandsworth, participate in a series of expanded art sessions, exploring the subject of community. The project was designed to encourage children to reconnect with their sense of being part of their local community in response to the distance and isolation felt during the pandemic.
The focal point of A Place to Call Home was a large architectural installation of many different homes, built collaboratively with contributions from each class, in the form of a panel artwork. These panels merged together (180 in total) like a puzzle, piece by piece, to form a series of dwellings or collective ‘homes’, that we could all reside in. The outcome was a vibrant tapestry, one interwoven with the voices, interests and imagination of the children, representing the diversity and social fabric of the community.
Alexander Mourant is an artist, writer and educator based in London. His work has been included in publications such as FT Weekend Magazine, British Journal of Photography, Photograph, Unseen Magazine and The Greatest Magazine. Solo shows include Aomori at The Old Truman Brewery and Unseen Amsterdam, alongside group shows at Edel Assanti, Saatchi Gallery and Peckham 24. Mourant is a recipient of grants from ArtHouse Jersey, Jersey Bursary and Arts Council England. He has won the Free Range Award and was nominated for Foam Paul Huf Award. In 2020, Mourant became a member of Revolv Collective. He achieved BA Photography at Falmouth University, and MA Photography at Royal College of Art, London. In addition to his practice, Alexander Mourant is a Visiting Lecturer and Tutor on BA (Hons) Photography at University of Westminster, he believes passionately in the power of creativity.