HomeBRIXTON LABYRITH

About the Project

Brixton Labyrinth is a socially engaged art project that prioritizes care, accessibility, and the transformative power of co-creation. Conceived and led by artist Juan delGado, the project explores the intersection of food, identity, and belonging through creative collaboration with local young people, including neurodivergent participants.

Day 1: The Foundation of Trust

The journey begins at the Stockwell Community Centre, a space dedicated to building a supportive and inclusive creative environment. This initial session focuses on establishing trust between the participants and the lead artists. Through guided group discussions and introductory image-making, the group begins to define the boundaries of their collaborative “labyrinth,” ensuring that neurodivergent perspectives are celebrated as essential to the project’s collective expression.

Day 2: Mapping Personal Histories

Participants engage in deep narrative reflection, using food as a primary carrier of memory, migration, and cultural identity. By sharing personal and collective stories, the group begins to map out the “internal” landscape of the project. These stories serve as the conceptual foundation for the audiovisual works that will be produced in the following weeks, turning abstract memories into tangible creative starting points.

Day 3: Field Research & Artistic Inspiration

The group moves beyond the studio for a field trip to the Serpentine Gallery. This day is dedicated to observing professional models of visual storytelling and digital archiving. By engaging with contemporary art in a gallery setting, participants gain fresh perspectives on how to document their own environments and how sensory exploration can be translated into a compelling digital narrative.

Day 4: Entering the Living Canvas

The workshop shifts to the Brixton Food Market, an iconic multicultural site deeply embedded in histories of migration and trade. The market serves as a “living canvas” where participants begin on-site filming. They explore the vibrant covered arcades including Reliance Arcade, Market Row, and Granville Arcade, using the market’s bustling energy as both a backdrop and an active collaborator in their storytelling.

Day 5: Capturing Textures & Rhythms

Focusing on the technical aspects of mobile filmmaking and sound recording, participants document the specific “textures and rhythms” of Brixton Village. This day is about sensory immersion-capturing the sounds of the market, the visual details of local trade, and the everyday gestures of the community. These recordings act as the raw data for the project’s digital archive, grounding the work in the authentic atmosphere of the neighborhood.

Day 6: The Digital Archive

Back in the studio, the group begins the meticulous process of digital archiving. Participants organize their raw footage and soundscapes, identifying the threads that connect their individual experiences to the wider community spirit. This session is a critical step in transforming raw documentary engagement into a structured, collective audiovisual portrait of Brixton’s cultural landscape.

Day 7: Shared Authorship & Post-Production

The project enters the intensive post-production phase. In collaborative editing sessions, participants work together to refine their short audiovisual works. This phase emphasizes “shared authorship,” where individual contributions are woven together to create a unified narrative. It is a time for deep creative engagement, as the group decides how best to represent their “living, evolving map” to the public.

Day 8: Return to Tenderness & Celebration

The journey culminates in a public celebration titled “Return to Tenderness.” The final day features an Italian Kitchen, where the group shares a meal that reflects the project’s themes of food and belonging. This is followed by a community film screening, where the collective audiovisual portrait is finally unveiled, celebrating the transformative power of co-creation and the shared memories of Brixton.

Explore Other Projects

Flying Dreams of Future Using the same marketplace backdrop, this project title suggests a thematic focus on the aspirations and daily hustle of the community. The visual emphasizes a woman in a bold red dress and headpiece, serving as a focal point of personal expression and forward-looking identity within a traditional setting.
Return to Tenderness This iteration of the project looks at the human connection found within busy public spaces. By framing the everyday exchange of goods and conversation, it highlights the softer, more personal side of community life that exists even in the middle of a crowded street market.