We are pleased to premier three exciting new film works that have been made to mark the centenary of the Becontree Estate. These will be screened in the Sydney Russell School‘s screening room from midday until 4pm, next Sunday 15 August. 

Shezad Dawood, Visions of Paradise (2021)

This new work illuminates its surroundings through a digital animation, hosted in a sculptural display that borrows its form from ancient Neolithic standing stones, connecting a pre-industrial past with Becontree’s present-day sense of place. 

Verity-Jane Keefe, Banjo on the Banjo (2021)

BANJO ON THE BANJO was a musical performance located in various banjos across the Becontree Estate culminating in Parsloes Park in August 2019 as part of Living Together. Twenty-one people learned to play the banjo with musician and teacher Ed Hicks and were then joined by a group of more experienced players to perform a new piece of music that responded to the banjos of Becontree and the estate itself. This new film shares the process and performance. 

Abbas Zahedi, Raised Voices & Michalis, We Don’t Know Where We Are In The Drama (2021)

Abbas Zahedi worked with Arc Theatre’s young women’s group, Raised Voices to develop an on-going dialogue around the Dagenham idol that interconnects with the young women’s own lived experiences on the estate. The resulting conversations, recollections, anecdotes and statements act as contemporary myths and symbolically continue the story of the idol.  

Alongside these works, Create will also be screening Larry Achiampong’s The Expulsion (2019).  The Expulsion is a deeply personal work crafted from the imagination of the artist. The film highlights the rich interior world of an unnamed migrant with references to themes of race, class and gender. Achiampong, who spent time living in Dagenham, is producing a new sound work this autumn as part of our Becontree Centenary programming. 

All of the works are commissioned by Create London, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and sit within Becontree Forever: a programme of art, architecture and infrastructure to mark the centenary of the estate. Larry Achiampong’s work is courtesy of the artist with Copperfield, London & LUX London). 

Additional Credits
Abbas Zahedi: Nikolai Azariah – Assistant Editor; William Barylo – Assistant Photographer; Barry Gene-Murphy – Visual Support.

Shezad Dawood: Sculpture with cast resin lights and Super 8 with HD video, 3D animation and vintage archive transferred to HD, 16’23”. Courtesy of the artist and UBIK Productions. 

Verity-Jane Keefe:Additional cinematography by Leo Leigh and the banjo volunteers: Charlotte Klein, Lois Acton, Rupert Acton-Thompson, Jessica Agwa, Danny Baxter, Susan Shirley & the families of the banjo players. Additional sound recording by Louisa Steyaert