Spake presents SPAKE 666, a haunting night showcase of short films from an array of talented filmmakers, experimental and innovative live sets from sound artists, performers, and dancers, alongside improvised moving visuals.
We feature artists with a wide range of experience. From undergraduate fine art students at London art schools (Central Saint Martins, London College of Communication, Goldsmiths etc.) to established, full-time sound/film artists represented by world-renowned galleries and creative institutions (BFI, ICA, Whitechapel Gallery, etc.)
The night will feature sound performances from Josh Clarke, Eva Leung, and Adrian Johnson. Also, a special live pole performance from Lila Oleander (accompanied by sound design from Andrew Marriott). As well as this, we will have live visuals generated and mixed by Psychiceyeclix and Kirsty Sorley. We will also be screening exciting new films from Ashley Defoe, Aisosa Edokpayi, Dian Joy, and Katie Grenville.
As well as our merchandise stand (we will be selling a selection of original SPAKE merchandise such as posters and stickers) we are excited to announce that SPAKE 666 will feature live screen-printing from Bench Allen, making custom prints that will be available for purchase.
F i l m
Dian Joy (She/They)
@dian__joy
Dian Joy is a British-Nigerian transdisciplinary artist living and practicing in Central London, working across various mediums, including video, installation, sculpture, and extended reality. While conceptually rooted in the practices of Cultural Analysis, Joy remains deeply grounded in the physicality to which the experience of the subaltern is bound. The processual within their work engages the viewer in a way that gestures towards a sublime notion of liberation. Never indebted to a darkening horizon, the artist faces the potential between personal experiences, political realities, and community building as a way of offering alternative modes of inhabiting the social world.
Katie Grenville (She/Her)
@katie_grenville_studio
Katie Grenville is a naughty naughty visual artist living and making in Manchester, United Kingdom. Poly for practices, a slag for skills, and a tart for trades - Katie works across many disciplines. Short film, painting, performance, installation, drawing, signwriting, jewelry, clothing design, poetry, woodwork, and digital. Through each of these media, Katie continuously explores themes of kitschiness, campness, sexual relationships, extremes of emotions, dark comedy, and cult/pop culture references, doing so with a distinctly queer and radical-feminist viewpoint.
Name of piece in the show: The Queer Space (A short film written by Katie Grenville, Illustrated by Danny Gregson, narrated by Steffi Felton, edited by Eden Hawkes.)
Ashley Defoe (He/Him)
@ashdefoe
Ashley Defoe is a London born film maker living south of the river. Since his first short "Dear Kim" he has earned significant credit creating an eclectic catalogue of work. All the while developing his own perspective on the relevance and application of film as an artform.
Matt Ritson (He/Him), Will Ritson (He/Him)
@j___maw
J___Maw is a collaborative filmmaker project by Matt Ritson and Will Ritson. Based in London, J___maw create finely crafted films that incorporate elements of stylised cinematography, spoken word and impressive sound design.
Aisosa Edokpayi (He/Him)
@sosa__edo
Aisosa Edokpayi is a filmmaker expressing ideas and beliefs by exploring how sensitive bodies respond to their surroundings through docu-fiction.
S o u n d
Adrian Johnson (He/Him)
@chiliadj
Adrian Johnson is a live-looping experimentalist who likes performing outdoors in his tent.
His last performance was 10 years ago for BBC Introducing at T in the park under the name 'Damgroove’.
Josh Clarke (He/Him)
@daystarssounds
Josh Clarke loves retro fantasy and video game soundtracks, both shaping the music he makes today.
“Classic RPG soundtracks stick with you forever, and most game soundtracks don’t need to go as hard as they do.”
He started making music on his phone in Garageband before buying a keyboard and moving to a Mac. Many of his recent tracks are finished versions of forgotten remnants from the depths of his phone. This year he hopes to release more music online and find more people to make fairy fountain music with.
Eva Leung (She/Her)
@watermelonlaidbackgal
Eva Leung (she/her) is a London-based sound artist and DJ working across performance, spoken words and installation, her sonic practice usually references from deep listening, creating sonic journeys to the audience and exploring the relationship between sounds of nature and human bodies.
P e r f o r m a n c e
Lila Oleander (She/Her)
@lilaoleander
Lila Oleander is an artist and pole performer based in London, UK. Lila’s performance work envelopes intersecting elements of glamour, pole practice and contemporary dance and movement, all with a resounding basis in London’s queer scene.
L i v e P r i n t i n g
Bench Allen (He/Him)
@benchallen
Bench Allen is a London-based printmaker and illustrator, hailing from the Ocean City of Plymouth. Known for his encyclopedic documenting of natural history and specialising in nautical narratives; his work is inspired by the beauty of the natural and unnatural world - from the Mariana Trench to the Crab Nebula.