Commissioned by Waltham Forest for the London Borough of Culture 2019, ATOMIC 50: Time Travels in Tin (1-30 April 2019) was created by Blackhorse Workshop working with acclaimed visual performance artist Abigail Conway.
The idea for the installation came from the borough’s rich metalworking heritage, and the world-famous tin toy factories that were in operation during the 1930s-1960s. ATOMIC 50 (the number of protons in an atom of tin) was a radical re-imagining of the traditional learning environment, leading participants on a journey through time and metalworking.
Transforming a disused school building in Leyton Sports Ground, ATOMIC 50 was imagined as a ‘ghost’ factory that returns when there’s a need to revive the importance of metalworking skills.
About Abigail Conway
Abigail Conway is a visual artist who works in the realm of live performance creating large scale installations. Her work crosses many disciplines (sound and video design, music technology, nature, architecture and performance) blurring the worlds of visual art and theatre. Previous projects include: ‘Party Skills for the End of the World’ developed with Nigel Barrett and Louise Mari for the Manchester International Festival. She has recently made a motorbike virtual reality project in Northern Ireland for Sky Arts called ‘Border VR’. Abigailconway.com
Project Credits
Design by:
Soraya Gilanni, James Lewis for Tin Shed Scenery, Toby Poolman, Bethany Wells, Studio Lux
Lighting by:
Marty Langthorne
Sound and composition by:
Ross Flight
Costume design by:
Natalie Pryce
Project branding by:
Studio Build
Performed by:
Mikey Armstrong, Elizabeth Bartram, Tyler Cunningham, Alex Donnachie, Katie Fotis, Lua Garcia, Enrique Melin, Alex Stedman, Lauren Deanna Meredith Stubbs, Toby Poolman.
Assistant Director:
Kira Golightly
Stage Management by:
Froud
Adult class development:
Rob Fawcett
Jessica Jue and Made by Ore
Production by:
Harriet Warden, Mhairi McGhee, Helen Mugridge, Sarah Jane Murray, Abigail Viner and the London Borough of Culture Team
