Poet Dean Atta and visual artist Ben Connors used The Black Flamingo, a metaphor used within Atta’s work to explore identities of queer people of colour, as the starting point for this collaboration.
Responding to both their own conversations and those with visitors, they created new works in the space over the course of the residency, exploring identity through poetry and visual art. Through the duration of the open studio, an expanding mural populated the walls and Connors illustrated Atta’s poems which were compiled into a zine alongside contributions from audience members.
The project launched with an opening event featuring live performances from Dean Atta, Travis Alabanza and Lasana Shabazz. On days when the pair were not present in the space, audiences responded to a series of creative prompts in the space. The Black Flamingo Open Studio culminated with a closing event on Saturday 27 May.
Explore some of the outcomes of the collaboration. Download a copy of The Black Flamingo Zine below or watch a film produced by Dean Atta during the residency featuring him performing three poems, directed by Lisa Cazzato Vieyra.
This film file is broken and is being removed. Sorry for any inconvenience this causes.
The Black Flamingo
Get a copy of The Black Flamingo zine
As part of The Black Flamingo Open Studio, we invited the public to submit work exploring the theme of identity for inclusion in The Black Flamingo zine. We especially welcomed contributions from queer people of colour. Contributors to the zine include Keith Jarrett, Lasana Shabazz, Phoenix Fagbutt and Travis Alabanza, alongside a curated selection of submissions from the public.
The Black Flamingo Open Studio was a Tate London Schools and Teachers project programmed in response to Queer British Art 1861–1967.
