IN THE SPACE WITH… DAVID TOVEY
It is at the core of Old Diorama’s charitable purpose to provide space and opportunities for local and creative communities, and in doing so, we are fortunate to meet fascinating people doing inspiring things. This is the third in a series of interviews with some of the creative people we support here at ODAC, an opportunity to find out more about what they do in our spaces and their plans for the future.
With World Homelessness Day coming up on Monday 10th October, we wanted to share a conversation we had with David Tovey whose art installation ‘The Ghost of Who I Used to Be’, was exhibited in our foyer earlier this year. David is the Founding Director of the One Festival of Homeless Arts; which has historically takes place here at ODAC, and returns in January 2023; and was an early Artist in Residence at ODAC. We caught up with David to hear about his journey, and how ODAC has been a part of it.
More information about the One Festival Launch event on Monday 10th October.
For more information on the One Festival in January 2023, please contact Claire and the team on onefestivalha@gmail.com.
So David! Introduce yourself! What is it that you do?
I’m David Tovey, I come from London but originally from Kent. I am an Artist. I would probably say a social justice artist but it’s really hard to define what that means. I make work to try and make a difference to the various communities I’m embedded within - people who have gone through mental health problems, suicide survivors, and the veteran community, especially the LGBTQI+ veteran community.
And what is it you do with or in those communities?
Historically, I feel those communities have been misrepresented and I want my art to be a part of the change in that narrative. I think we as a society automatically look at these groups as people who take from society, which they do, but so does everybody. To get out of homelessness or addiction or something like that takes a hell of a lot of effort and willpower, and I believe that resilience can be a massive asset to society, and the arts has the potential to represent that powerfully.
In terms of what I am currently actively doing, I have run a homeless arts festival, the One Festival of Homeless Arts, for six years which I will be handing over at some point very soon to some new curators to run. The festival exhibits the work of artists with ongoing and former experiences of homlessness. I also work for a charity called Arts & Homelessness International - I’m one of the senior producers at the moment but in a few weeks I’ll become co-director.
Would you mind telling us more about your journey as a formerly homeless artist?
I started being homeless on June 20th 2013, and it came about because I had tried killing myself that night. I got resuscitated. But when I came out of hospital, all the locks had been changed in my flat. You see stuff like that happening every single day all over the UK.
Thinking about my mindset during 2013 and 2014 when I was homeless, I would never have pictured that I would be doing what I am doing now. I was just trying to survive. After years of self abuse you lose something about ‘you’ as a person, you lose that spark, especially when you’re on the streets trying to survive. You feel like a complete failure.
Now I look back at that and think that not only did I survive and get out of homelessness and addiction, but I’ve taken positives from it.
My first step on that journey was my very first artistic performance. It was a street fashion show, a guerrilla theatre piece on the Southbank. It was the complete opposite to what I had when I was homeless, because even though you had thousands of people around, no one saw you. So suddenly I flipped this on it’s head. By taking some beautiful models, a real collection of people, walking down the Southbank in these costumes. And people stopped, they wanted to learn more, wanting to know what was going on. Then they were all following us. I felt like the f***ing pied piper, it was nuts. We got to where the skate park is, and then people wanted photos with the models and everything. It was during London Fashion Week - it was timed perfectly. I think that moment - that one event was what completely transformed my life.
And how has ODAC been a part of your journey?
I first worked at ODAC in 2015, and then in 2016 I did the artist in residency, the first one, and then the next place I exhibited after ODAC was the Tate Modern. Not only did ODAC give me the space to work on my art, but it has a name and reputation: people recognise the name.
So being able to say I was an artist in residence there is amazing. And then you go and I exhibited at the Tate Modern and I exhibited at Tate Liverpool. I guess that part of the journey is pretty much unheard of. And that’s why I do the work that I do, especially with the charity and the festival: to get other people who have gone on this journey the same opportunities.
If I got knocked over and killed tomorrow, it wouldn’t bother me because I’ve had some of best things you could ever expect in my career. I never thought I could do the things I’ve done, and that means I guess I don’t see other barriers. If there is something I want to do, like write an opera, I just do it,
What do you like most about working, exhibiting here at Old Diorama?
The first thing was that ODAC full free access to a studio. I could never afford a studio before, so to have access to that space where I could work for free was brilliant. I ended up producing the work for the Tate here. I created work which was exhibited in Canada, Leeds and Manchester. It became this brick, this stepping stone and building brick to helping move me up.
What I really love about it though is the fact that it’s really f***ing friendly. And I mean f***ing friendly and I like that because so many arts centres that I’ve dealt with over the years aren’t. Those places have certain types of person they want in there. But this place is different because ODAC have everyone here. You get the top end people in here, but you also get the local ‘grannies’ group and I love that. It’s that accessibility of the space which is so important, and that’s what I love about it.
Final question… what do you want to see happen at Old Diorama?
I love this! Do you know what right? Number 1: Carry on being friendly and accessible. Number 2: Get rid of those bloody covid screens because I hate them - it adds a barrier. I feel like when you have a barrier up then it’s ‘them and us’ and I don’t like that.
(Our screens came down approximately 20 minutes later.)
Thank you so much for taking the time to speak to us, and for sharing your story with us as well as your artwork. We can’t wait for One Fest in January 2023 and continuing to be a part of your journey.
