Arts writer Fi Anderson catches up with Brixton’s self-styled DIY artist collective.
The Effort Collective – or Vanessa Pope, Jon Rowe, Abel Kohen and Sim Eldem – is a group of self-styled DIY artists who make attention-grabbing and often subversive art on a tiny budget. Pooling their skills, the group work on and facilitate everything from film screenings to art installations to gigs.
Ever wanted to know what it’s like to delve inside a bee hive? Win a canapé-eating contest? Witness a shotgun wedding, complete with deranged, sobbing bride? No? Well, The Effort Collective will, without a doubt, change your mind.
Often found at The Windmill, Brixton or occasionally venturing to Brick Lane, the foursome have been friends for years. Theatre director Vanessa and musician Sim’s first project was a series of plays, kicking off in Norwich, four years ago. Fast-forward to London and their school friend, Abel, joined the fold, using his animation skills to create promotional film shorts and graphics. Jon, the fourth member of the collective, spotted a film-maker sized gap in the group’s expertise and jumped on board.
“You need a bit of fear in what you do. When we get together we think, ok, that would be terrifying,” admits Sim, who takes care of all things musical, from composing to booking bands to performing herself. “At the moment we’re working on doing a 24/7, week-long performance. Essentially an art marathon. It’s still in development and it’s terrifying, but very exciting.”
Originally stationed above the now defunct George IV pub on Brixton Hill, the group used to put on events regularly at The Windmill. According to the group, the venue’s management have been very supportive, often providing them with food and offering them free rehearsal space.
“Now without a permanent base we operate from our bedrooms, and meet up wherever we can to make common decisions face-to-face,” says Abel. By focusing on specific projects, the team manages to make its entirely self-funded projects break even. “We keep ticket prices as low as possible,” says Vanessa.
The collective recently put on an event called Bitesize at Brick Lane’s 93 Feet East. A show of edible sculptures, poetry, art installations, short films and the aforementioned, and highly popular, canapé-eating competition kept audiences amused. “What makes our events unique is that we create a playful, silly, casual and really interactive environment. It’s as fun for the artist as it is for the audience.”
What makes the collective even more unique is their focus on collaboration and skill-sharing. “We tend to attract a specific type of artist who is open-minded and up for playing,” says Vanessa. “All our artists are weird and wonderful,” smiles Abel. “It’s exciting to collaborate with someone who has their own style and their own performance.”
The Effort Collective are always on the hunt for new artists, musicians and performers, as well as those with the technical know-how, to continue where the team’s own knowledge ends. For fresh, exciting talent, without so much as a whiff of artsy pretentiousness, visit www.theeffortcollective.com.
[…] The Effort Collective is a group of DIY artists who make attention-grabbing and often subversive art on a tiny budget, holding everything from film screenings to art installations to gigs. Effort Collective member Vanessa writes about the group’s struggles to find spaces for their projects and the support they’ve had from the Brixton community. […]