London – A temporary structure is due to open on 24 June in the capital’s east end, transforming the undercroft of a busy main road into a multi-purpose performance space.
In the Folly for a Flyover project, an imagined historical building will appear underneath the A12 in Hackney. The Folly will host a programme of film screenings, events and performances over its six-week residency, curated in collaboration with the Barbican Art Gallery’s Watch Me Move exhibition. During the day, the space will host a café, and visitors can participate in boat tours of the surrounding waterways.
The temporary structure will be built in a month with help from local volunteers, using local reclaimed and donated materials. After six weeks, the project will be dismantled, and the materials re-used across the surrounding area.
LS:N Global reported on the emergence of Beta theatre in our Conviviality Culture report. A similar pop-up event last year, The Jellyfish Theatre, showed how such events can appeal to consumers’ desire for more intimate and local experiences.