An interdisciplinary studio in Hackney, London, working across the arts, wellbeing and mental health
Social Material CIC exists to support people to their best mental health and wellbeing: and we can’t do that without you. The best advocates for change are those who have been through change themselves; the best advocates for recovery are those in recovery.
Image description: two large clumps of pale grey-green oak moss lichen, growing from thin, dark purple-brown branches, against an out-of-focus brakcground of greens and purple-browns.
Image description: a pink square, on which the following text is printed in the centre, in black: Connor Butler, Queer Nature Walk on Ham Lands. Saturday 4th May 2024. @ 2:30 PM - 5:00 PM. IN-PERSON: link.outsavvy.com/queer-walk
Image description: a pale green square, on which the following text is printed in black: Roy Vickery, Queer Plant-lore: Stories and Tales from the Plant-lore Archives. Tuesday 30th April 2024. @ 7:00PM - 8.30PM. Online: link.outsavvy.com/queer-ecologies
AFTER LONDON: Queer Nature project
After London is an open access learning and collaboration programme in queer nature and queer ecology.
Inspired by the writings of 19th Century nature writer, Richard Jefferies, we are exploring ideas of queer nature, LGBTQIA+ plant lore, and wild places in London.
Sessions led by artists, poets and ecologists will take place online and in-person.
Upcoming Dates:
Queer Utopic Ecologies with P. Eldridge: ONLINE, on Thursday 25th April, 7-9pm
Queer Plant-Lore : Stories and Tales from the Plant Lore Archives: ONLINE on Tuesday 30th April, 7.00-8.30pm
Queer Nature walk with Connor Butler: IN PERSON: Ham Lands, Richmond, on Saturday 4th May, 2.30-5pm
Wild London Herbs with Hackney Herbal: IN PERSON: Sutton Place and Sutton House, Homerton, London: Sunday 5th May, 2-4.30pm
A Palimpsest Nature Immersion with Sheree Mack: ONLINE, on Saturday 18th May, 2-5pm
After London is coordinated by Daniel Baker-Wells with Jasmine Isa Qureshi, Connor Butler, Roy Vickery (Plant Lore), LiLi K. Bright, Pierce Eldridge (Worms, Sissy Anarchy), Sheree Mack (Earth Sea Love, Black Nature in Residence), Tom Moulsdale, Scarlett Fay (the Strawberry Rat, Molly No-Mates), Hackney Herbal, and others tbc.
all activities are queer affirming and queer-led, the programme is designed to be as open and accessible as possible.
for any questions- email us: socialmaterialcic@gmail.com / thebluehouseblue@gmail.com
queer-affirming & queer-led: LGBTQIA+ and allies welcome
PAY WHAT YOU CAN: suggested donation per ONLINE workshop £4-6
After London is supported by the National Lottery using public funding through the Heritage Lottery Fund.
NEWS / NEWS / NEWS / NEWS / NEWS / NEWS / NEWS / NEWS /
we’re looking for new members to join our Board of Directors and / or Advisory Group! they’re mainly voluntary roles- supporting our staff and freelancers to deliver great work, but expenses are provided
we’re particularly keen to hear from anyone who has lived experience of significant mental health challenges; and also Hackney locals and members of the Afro-Caribbean, ethnically diverse, Black and Asian communities
and if you are a former resident of one of our local mental health housing schemes…we’d love to hear from you too, please do contact us on our contact page!
Our Green Summer 2023 project was funded thanks to Sport England’s amazing small grants scheme. The project included outdoor activities- walks, exercise, sports, games and picnics led by our brilliant team of coaches- Mel, Charlene and LiLi. As you can see, the participants really enjoyed exploring nature and taking photographs along the way!
gallery description: 4 photographs of flowers of various colours, blue, yellow, purple, white, amongst plants and greenery; one photograph of a green beetle on a white flower; one photograph of tree branches with pears. and photograph of a group of people of mixed ethnicities and gender, standing outdoors in front of a cloudy sky and green fields on Hackney Marshes, they are looking at the camera and smiling.
our Platinum Garden project with Sutton House and Breaker’s Yard went wonderfully well in Summer 2022: an LGBTQ+ led garden exploring queer plants and queer histories at this fantastic National Trust property. check out some photos from the newly planted garden:
gallery description: a series of photographs taken on a sunny day of a garden area, they feature plants with bright flowers, planted in tyres and cattle troughs, with stones and pieces of metal as sculptural features. There are also photographs of a celebration event, at which 40 or so people are in the garden, some sitting, some standing, of different ages and cultural backgrounds. They are talking in small groups and looking at the garden and the plants.
our State of Now Studio project is now closed, as we explore exciting new ways of working, but you can see some of the fantastic work by our resident artists here:
gallery description: a series of images of artworks, mostly drawings and paintings on paper. The first three are of an exhibition of drawings and collages in bright colours, some are portraits, others are of animals, others are abstract or fantasy scenes. They are mounted on a dark grey concrete wall. The other pictures are drawings, some are black and white and created with charcoal on paper, others are drawn with felt-tip pen on white paper, or chalks on white paper.
If you’d like to get involved or hear more about what we do, we’d love to be in touch, email us through our contact page!
SNAPSHOT: the Marsh Hill Community Quilt coming together!
Image description: approximately fifty square pieces of quilt are lying on a table, arranged in a grid. Each piece is different. Some are collages of flowers and natural forms, created with textiles; some are woven from felt; some are drawn with inks. There are drawings of birds, plants and flowers, and prints of natural forms. The colours are varied, and include lots of shades of pink, blues, light green, reds, yellows, and purple.
SNAPSHOT: our Studio Artists busy working on the Community Quilt for Marsh Hill, 2019-20.
Image description: the table of an arts and textiles workshop, with images of flowers and butterflies printed on square sheets of paper, pencils, printmaking materials, and square pieces of textile material that geometric and natural patterns have been printed on.
SNAPSHOT: decorated pots created by residents for the gardens at Link Street Supported Housing
Image description: a collection of decorated terracotta plant pots are standing on a table in the sunlight. Each pot has been decorated by hand in different colours, with geometric and organic shapes. There are lots of bright colours, reds, yellows, blue, green. In the background is handmade bunting in green, yellow and pink. The bunting has been cut-out to show stars and other repeated patterns. Sunlight is shining.
SNAPSHOT: arts day at Marsh Hill, led by peers and artists
Image description: Charlene Sandy, a Black woman in her thirties, stands and demonstrates how to decorate a small terracotta flowerpot with a pen. She is wearing a red and green headscarf, a pink and yellow top and a white apron. She is demonstrating to the workshop participant, a Black man in his early forties with a shaven head. He is wearing a red top and a blue vest and he is smiling broadly. It is a sunny day and in front of both people there is a table with pens, tape, collage materials and brushes.
SNAPSHOT: Artwork created during our Natural Dyes Workshop with the brilliant Amanda Wayne
Image description: A series of textile pieces hang on a white wall. Each one is approximately 40cm by 20cm and has been made with natural dyes. The effect of the dyes is to create abstract patterns and shapes in orange, brown, purple, grey against yellowy cloth. Next to each texile piece is a small postcard with a detail from the textile pattern.
check our our free Mindfulness resources ^^^^^^^^^^^^ we made some years ago, but they’re still relevant! free guided meditations for you, created as part of our Mindfulness & Art project