Rotherhithe artist Ed Gray has led a project called Everyone Lends A Hand that brought together Boutcher Primary School and the Appleby Blue Community, writes Michael Holland.
Over several weeks, Year 5 of the Bermondsey school went to Appleby Blue, the almshouse of the future in Southwark Park Road, to work on the project with some of the residents, and on other days the residents visited the school.
At the launch party the school’s choir gave a note-perfect performance of favourite Christmas Carols before Ed Gray gave a few words of praise to his young fellow artists. Pupils from Boutcher then told the audience what they had personally learnt from the project; touching words that hit home and gave meaning and relevance to intergenerational initiatives.
I spoke to Adam Ola who explained that when he first started on the project his drawings were short on detail but at the end his sketches were full of the detail that was once lacking. As he talked me through is sketchbook I could see, page by page, his skills developing under the tutelage of Ed Gray. His mum, seeing Adam’s completed painting for the first time, could not conceal her pride and disbelief at how good he had become by having the right help.
Resident Toni Morrison, who was a regular at the collaborative sessions, appears in several of the students’ artworks, as does Gwen McCalla, who also created one of herself as triplets. Gwen loved doing the art as she enjoyed the learning process and gaining the confidence to have a go at a large painting. She explained that she got involved because she loves kids and always attends the weekly Mother & Baby Group at Appleby, where young parents bring their babies to join in with different games and exercises with residents. One of the Boutcher students and Gwen have now become best friends.
Morgan Tume at Appleby Blue emphasises the importance of the residents being a part of the community: ‘We have many classes and events that anyone in the borough is welcome to be part of; our doors are open.’
The title of the show comes from Appleby cookery class chef Hulya Erdal, who tells me it is a Turkish phrase that explains how everyone gets involved when a meal is being cooked in a Turkish household to make it more special.
Her Man With A Pan class has also been the subject matter of several paintings in the exhibition because Hulya allowed the budding artists into her kitchen, saying, ‘Everyone has a part to play in this project that perfectly represents what it is to be part of a community.’
Many discerning readers will know Hulya from her Saturday food slot on BBC London’s Robert Elm’s show, where she entices us into trying out different simple but exotic recipes. ‘I love teaching,’ she told me, ‘especially when I get to be a part of something special like this.’
Hulya’s class at Appleby Blue is open to non-residents and attracts people from all over the borough to the purpose-built kitchen. This week it’s chicken tagine so I’ll be going along to have a go and report back.
