~ Aespia, London Takeover ~
We inhabited Grow Tottenham in North London for a 16-hour Aespia extravaganza of live art, music, theatre and escapism.
We transformed the venue into three worlds: THE CAVE, SHACK and THE GLASS THEATRE.
Our beloved SHACK, who so far we've collaborated with at Aespia Festival, Bestival and Latitude, is part sound system, part museum, part exhibition.
It brings together music, fun, art, film and partying, all under one tin roof. Using found and discarded wood, videos and music, it gives them a new life in the form of an art installation. From the wooden frame to the videos and music being projected, SHACK reinterprets it all in a fun and immersive experience.
Nestled in a nook of Grow Tottenham's backyard, THE SHACK blended into its surroundings, and was decorated by the exquisite, movement-and-motion-sensor interactive hanging light sculptures by Jade Ping of Interlume Studio.
The music policy was strictly anything goes: from Jungle & DnB to Hip Hop & Film Score, no two DJ sets were alike.
Take a further peek at the spectacular SHACK here →
THE CAVE was hosted by Aespia resident DJs - Jnr Smooth, Keisuke and Late Nite Johnson - and was where sensory, visual dreams came true. Bursting with light installations, hanging sculptures, projections, infinity mirrors and tactile glitter nonsense, THE CAVE was where revellers got lost in the day and got loose at night.
THE CAVE showcased a line-up of passionate record collectors, live percussion, an interactive light installation by Central Saint Martins graduate, Theola Sturridge, and a secret midnight spectacle performance with burlesque performers, all to a custom-built sound system that took participants right through 'til 6am.
We were exceptionally proud to announce the grand opening of THE GLASS THEATRE at Aespia, London Takeover. An intimate, glittering paradise of live performance art, THE GLASS THEATRE was brimming with the latest, greatest, loudest and proudest LGBTQIA+ FOC, female-identifying, living-with-disability huns with something to prove.
Participants cosied up in the only theatre in London made of glass, where the performances were as transparent as their surroundings. We laughed, cried, and found ourselves unexpectedly aroused, as our talented storytellers, comedians, performance artists, drag royals, poets, spoken word-ers and dancers gave the world what she needs most: truth, beauty, love and art.
THE GLASS THEATRE showcased back-to-back scratch-style sessions until the audience was shimmying in their seats, ready to dance off the drama on stage with DJ Tasty Lopez.
Discover more about Aespia's queer little sister, THE GLASS THEATRE, here →
In addition to all these treats, Aespia, London Takeover exhibited live saxophonists, intimate art classes, creative workshops to music, artist stalls, a live painting mural, a vegetarian and vegan feast courtesy of Grow's chef, and two bars, where participants filled their own Aespia-decorated pint-sized camping mugs with delicious drinks.
Aespia, London Takeover was featured in Time Out and Shift Magazine.
Read reviews here →
~ Photos by Sam Cooper ~