East Street Library Workshop

Yesterday East Street Library were kind enough to allow me to run a new workshop in their cosy, welcoming space. Experimenting with a slightly less visual workshop instead focusing on street songs donated to me by a local resident a few months ago. 

The archive is a fantastic insight into the fun, silly and often sad songs sung by Southwark children as they clapped, skipped and danced around the streets in the area. We used the songs as a starting point to either make our own, or write our favourite lines onto labels we decorated, laminated and hung out on the railings to entertain the curious passers-by on Old Kent Road. We bumped into a local family whose daughter I met at Surrey Square School as we hung them out, who came to join us decorating the streets of Southwark. 

Eleanor Shipman

PLAY SWAP

Third and final day of filming!

Today was the third and final day of filming with the brilliant Michael Radford. We had a great day talking to the older person's group at Brandon Library, local children playing around the blocks near Pembroke House and Patricia Dark, Southwark's archive manager. From cups of tea being forced upon us, to tales of discovering treasures playing in bomb shelters, rowdy teenagers showing off for the camera, skipping with local girls to the history of Southwark coming alive in front of us, I think it's fair to say we had a good end to filming. Yes, I did say 'It's a wrap'. 

Eleanor Shipman 

PLAY SWAP

PLAY SWAP behind the scenes: Day 2 of filming

Second day of filming the upcoming PLAY SWAP film as Michael and I wandered Walworth again absorbing the wealth of knowledge and stories from local people as well as stocking up on a bit of visual context...

Today we spoke to East Street shop owners from Pakistan who told us about playing football and cricket from behind their butcher's counter and between the upside-down chicken heads then Luis, a local boy we met playing in the park with the soon-to-be-cut Southwark Play Team. Luis was a brilliant interviewee, keenly telling us about games he plays in the local area including the well-known Run Outs, as well as Family It and Camouflage as well as highlighting his love for the local park. 

We also had a fascinating chat with Ricky, a member of staff with the Southwark Play Team which sets up a bouncy castle as well as art activities in Nursery Row Park every Monday and Wednesday. Ricky has grown up on the Aylesbury Estate and spoke to us about the effect the architecture of the space has on its participants, most notably the council's removal of bridges linking the blocks together to prevent easy escape for burglars, but also severing the communal pathways between blocks, now creating hostility and very separate residential islands. 

Thursday is our last day of filming where we have some more exciting interviews lined up, ready to culminate over the next month in the production of PLAY SWAP's first short film. We will be screening the film at Pembroke House early September. Watch this space. 

Eleanor Shipman

PLAY SWAP

Apple Crumble - Games with songs

I was recently donated a whole load of songs from Southwark, Walworth and Deptford recorded and archived in 1908 by local people who learnt them from their grandparents. 

At the Pembroke Academy of Music four girls showed me a contemporary local clapping and singing game called Apple Crumble.

Perhaps we could create some new singing games...