Leah■LovetT■

projects
writing
biography
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Born London 1983, lives and works in London.

Leah Lovett is an artist who works collaboratively to make performances, videos, drawings, writings and workshops that explore the socialising fictions played out between people in cities and across mediated space. Her work borrows from other disciplines and cultural forms including human geography, music and theatre. Leah recently completed a practice-related PhD thesis investigating invisible theatre and spatial politics at the Slade, with financial support from the AHRC and UCL. She is a member of the Family Activist Network (FAN), and works as a freelance writer and an arts educator in gallery, higher education and school contexts.


Education

2010-2018 PhD, 'Making a Scene: Invisible Theatre and Urban Performance after Augusto Boal (1931-2009)', Slade School of Fine Art
2007-2009 MA Fine Art (Media), Slade School of Fine Art
2001-2006 MA Fine Art, University of Edinburgh and Edinburgh College of Art

Solo Exhibitions and Events

2018 Standing in the Same River Twice, Štúrovo, Slovakia
2016 Contracorrente/Upstream, commissioned by UP Projects in partnership with Foundation for Future London for the Floating Cinema, London and Casa 24, Rio de Janeiro
2015 Light Transmission, commissioned by Wellcome Collection with UCL for the Wellcome Collection, London
2014 Contra Band, commissioned by UP Projects, Somewhere and LADA for the Floating Cinema, London and Casa 24, Rio de Janeiro
2010 A Solitary Occupation (curated by Nadege Derderian), Studio 106 Gallery, London

Group Exhibitions, Screenings and Performances

Current and Upcoming
2018 Re.Future, The Folly, Birmingham

2017
Rise (performance), The Intercontinental, Roaming Room, London
Support (performance), Oxytocin: Birthing the World, Royal College of Art, London

2016
Project Platform (lead artist), commissioned by Newham Council and MTR Crossrail for Coffee7, London

2015
Women of the World with Forest Voices, Cutler Night, Camden People's Theatre, London
Song for Socialists (performance), Muckle Mouth, The Horse Hospital, London
Beam, Heavenly Sights, The Forge, London

2014
Rise, Salon, King Christian VII Hunting Lodge, Copenhagen, Denmark
Hardcore (screening), Peak-End, Comfort Station, Chicago, IL and The Armory, Pasadena, CA
Ideas from Elsewhere, Winn's Gallery, Walthamstow, London
Murmuration, Hemi Encuentro, Montreal, Canada
Voicing, Counterpath Press, Denver, CO
Hardcore (screening), Trip the Light: Life is Absurd, Tripspace, London
Sock Puppet State, Flaming Skirt Festival 2, Amber Valley, UK
Support at SMASH LAB, The Book Club, London
Mother Tongue, audio commission for Sam Belinfante & Simon Lewandowski, 'The Reversing Machine', The Tetley, Leeds

2013
A Small Hiccup (curated by George Vasey), Grand Union, Birmingham and touring.

2012
T.R.I.P.O.D at Camden Art Centre, London

2011
T.R.I.P.O.D. at Whitley Art Trail, Whitley
Sounding, Come to Ours, BAS7 Fringe, Plymouth
Saturday Night (Costume Designer), Vanishing Point, Teatro Nacional São João, Porto, Centro Cultural Vila Flor/Teatro Oficina, Guimarães, Teatro São Luiz, Lisbon, Tramway, Glasgow, MacRobert, Stirling, Eden Court, Inverness and Traverse, Edinburgh
Belly Speak, Performance event on 12th August at the Angus-Hughes Gallery, London
Online Project for the Solar Pavillion, International Art Festival, Edinburgh and here
Burst: Diverse Universe London, Copenhagen Place and Stoke Newington International Airport, London
Act II (Project Coordinator), Rhubaba, Edinburgh
T.R.I.P.O.D. at Cities Methodologies 2011, Slade Research Centre, London
Surplus to Requirements?, Slade Research Centre, London

2010
Sexuate Subjects, Bartlett, London
The Dreamers, Whitstable Biennale (Satellite)
Conversation Piece, Inaugural Event, Intervention Gallery, London
Cities Methodologies 2010, Slade Research Centre, London
What is not but Could be if, 12 Vyner Street, London
Off Modern, Corsica Studios, London
Performance Metrics, The Gallery, Goldsmiths College, London

2009
Testing Grounds, South Hill Park, Bracknell
Bilateria, Five Hundred Dollars, London
ORTA at Friends of the Divided Mind, RCA, London
Set Off Set (Curator), Arts Complex and The Forest, Edinburgh
The Voice and Nothing More, Slade Research Centre, London

2008
Speed is Open, BearSpace Gallery, London
Catherine Day, Kings Cross St Pancras Underground, London

2007
Oresteia (Costume Designer), Lazzi Experimental Arts Unit and Cumbernauld Theatre, Cumbernauld and Edinburgh
Darkspace II, Royal Scottish Academy and DJCAD, Edinburgh and Dundee
Society of Scottish Artists’ Annual Members’ Show 2007, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
Body Parts III, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
Birdie, Collaboration with Lazzi Experimental Arts Unit for Six Cities, Edinburgh

2006
Brave Art ’06, The Atlantis Gallery, London
Orangutan’s Breakfast, Collaboration with Lazzi Experimental Arts Unit, Scottish Poetry Library, Edinburgh
Where the Marigolds Grow, Los Grecos, Goltho Chapel, Lincolnshire

2004
Concert in Three Flats, Vague, various locations, Edinburgh

2003
Sirius Considerations, Vague in collaboration with Sirius, Reid Concert Hall, Edinburgh

Residencies

2015 Micro Residency in Kieren Reed's Social Sculpture at ArtSway, Sway
2013 CTO, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2010 Lab39, Seoul, South Korea
2006-2007 Kilgraston School, Bridge of Earn, UK

Artist's Talks and Workshops

2017 Participant in panel discussion on technology/communication/art coordinated by Jake Margolin and Nick Vaughan as part of the their project, 50 States, Houston, Texas.
2016 Project Platform, or Practising Logistics and Art (paper), Queen Mary University, London
2015 Participant in Library of Light, an action-research day at the V&A organised by London Fieldworks
2015 Live Art, Mediated Censorship (paper), Tenth International Conference on the Arts in Society, Imperial College London
2015 Contra Band: Performing the Spatial Politics of Censorship (paper), Rethinking Approaches in Theatre and Media, TfTV, University of York
2014 Tapestry Workshop, The Red House, Bexleyheath, London
2014 Childsplay: A Den-Building Workshop, Focus E15, Carpenters Estate, London
2014 Violence and the City (panel discussion), CASA Festival, Rich Mix, London
2014 Contra Band Artist's Talk, The Floating Cinema, London
2013-2014 Making Mamas: Drawing at Significant Seams, Walthamstow, London
2011 Act II development, Rhubaba, Edinburgh
2011 A Solitary Occupation Artist's Talk, Studio 106, London
2011 School workshop, Studio 106, London
2010 Performance Workshop for Cities Methodologies 2010, Slade Research Centre, London
2010 Artist's talk at Lab39, Seoul, South Korea
2009 Artist's talk at Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh
2007 School workshop for Fusion Arts Festival, Kilgraston School

Teaching

2015 The City as Site, BA Fine Art, Slade School of Fine Art, London
2014 Performance, Activism and the Urban, MA Fine Art, Slade School of Fine Art, London
2014 Writing Art, BFA Fine Art, Slade School of Fine Art, London
2013 The City as Site, BA Fine Art, Slade School of Fine Art, London

Awards

2014 Arts Council England AIDF
2014 Jean Spencer and Malcolm Hughes Award
2014 Step-Out Funding
2011 The Elephant Trust (Funding for Act II)
2010-2014 AHRC PhD Studentship
2009 Clare Winsten Memorial Award
2009 Duveen Travel Scholarship
2007 The Society Of Scottish Artists Award
2006 Loomship Award for Tapestry
2006 Andrew Grant Travel Bequest

Bibliography

Alice Brooke-Smith, ‘Testing Grounds', Interface, www.a-n.co.uk (accessed 03/02/10)
Kate Cowcher, ‘Formative Influences', Scottish Art News (Spring 2007) pp.32-7
Gabrielle Hoad, 'The Show Must Go On', artcornwall.org (accessed 28/11/11)
Heather Iqbal, ‘Bilateria at Five Hundred Dollars', Dialogue, www.murmurart.com (accessed 20/08/10)
Joyce McMillan, Review of Vanishing Point's Saturday Night (costume designer), The Scotsman (13th October 2011), online here (accessed 28/11/11)