In the summer of 2011 I attended ‘Les Recontres D’Arles’ and participated in the ‘Inside Out’ project by, french street artist, ‘J.R’. At the festival there was the kind of photo-booth you might find at any major train station or post office. Instead of four passport photos, however, each participant was gifted with an A0 poster print of themselves to take home with only one request; to past their poster in an area that matters to them. I chose ‘The Ivy House’, an old, difficult to find, pub that was precious to the local community, sold to developers to be turned into flats and, ultimately, saved by the local community.
During the 1970s the Ivy House (then called Newlands) was a key venue on the “Pub Rock” circuit, hosting gigs by many famous names including Joe Strummer, Ian Dury, Dr Feelgood, Jeff Beck, Hugh Cornwall and Graham Parker. In 1974, before setting off for an American tour, Jeff Beck used the venue for a final warm-up performance. The Ivy House has been used as a set for many films including the 2015 Kray Brothers biopic Legend.
The Ivy House is London’s first co-operatively owned pub, the first pub in the UK to be listed as an Asset of Community Value, and the first building to be bought under the “community right to bid” provisions of the Localism Act.
In South East London, just up the hill from Camberwell Green is an old pub called ‘The Joiners Arms’. The patrons are a mix of long standing locals, students from Camberwell College of Arts, fans of the live, local music scene and, quite often, relatives of inpatients at Kings College hospital who just want a pint after visiting hours. The Joiners holds dear to the ideal that if you drink there long enough you become part of the family.
This warm welcoming venue was the subject of my MA final show at the London College of Communication, and, along with the accompanying book, was the winner of that year’s ‘Photofusion‘ award.
