Since 2021, Upswing has been running a residency for people with experiences of misogynoir and trans misogynoir*, where the measure of success is not a new piece of work.
*Misogynoir and trans misogynoir refer to the specific discrimination faced by Black women and Black trans people, shaped by both race and gender.
In the face of funding pressures and a growing need to end a process with a product that can tick boxes, the Flex Lab community has been created in response to marginalisation, where the only agenda is connection and the space to simply ‘be’ as an artist.
The previous Flex Lab focused on “Rest as Resistance”. This time we took that theme a step further, into what it actually looks like to sustain a creative practice in a world that asks so much of artists. Those from marginalised groups often get one chance to be able to succeed, which in of itself is a recipe for failure, with potential for burnout in the pursuit of success or a lack of feeling able to push creative boundaries.
Flex Lab is part of our answer to that problem – a regular space for Black women and Black non-binary folks to gather, reflect and share, without the pressure of having something to show for it.
We believe the best way to learn is to have the space to fail, and to fail repeatedly, without judgement, as part of a larger unfolding. This is a process that will never have a definite conclusion, and rather than a limitation, we see that as a strength.
“Opportunities like this are deeply valuable, especially for Black artists who can often feel isolated within the industry.”
- Flex Lab Attendee
The most recent Flex Lab Mini was a day-long event, held this spring at Flying Fantastic, Peckham. Seasoned and newer artists, each passionate and inspiring in their own ways, gathered together to experience unrestricted play.
Before each retreat, artists are asked what they need – and the day is built around those answers. The day featured a warm-up by Aerial Mel, technical soft acrobatics led by Anesta Mathurin in collaboration with Fleur Hall who brought group choreography using the technical skills to the group, aerial harness led by Upswing’s founder and Artistic Director Vicki Dela Amedume, and aerial pole.
A roundtable conversation on sustainability and creative practice was led by long-term Flex Lab collaborators EM Williams and Farrell Cox – both seasoned performers, facilitators, and accessibility and inclusion experts, who opened up a conversation about what it means to plan and create through a funding crisis, and how to change the goal posts to allow the time for accessibility, adaptability and building sustainable practices.
“I most enjoyed being in a space with other artists who brought generosity, openness and different perspectives... as well as the chance to reconnect with play and creativity without pressure.”
- Flex Lab Attendee
What Flex Lab has resulted in, is a brave space, for people to attempt things that they haven’t done before without the pressure of it going on stage, or failure resulting in them not being able to try again. The unintended and beautiful consequence of these gatherings has been that people are galvanised and refreshed, even sometimes thinking of creative projects they wish to pursue with the support and collaboration of members of the group.
With a room full of artists across generations and disciplines sharing what they know, and no specific outcome in mind, learning gently and naturally emerged anyway, the kind that can only happen when nobody is asking you to produce.
“Flex Lab encouraged me to value slower processes, collaboration and embodied research in new ways. It supported my confidence in contributing beyond performance alone, through facilitation, discussion and creative exchange, and it strengthened my sense of myself as both performer and maker.”
- Flex Lab Attendee
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Written by Associate Artist and Flex Lab Lead Artist Rebecca Solomon
Photography by Flex Lab attendees