Reclaiming Spaces

About

The process of creating and recreating a living environment develops throughout a lifetime for every individual, and reflecting on how an urban environment does so over time on a larger scale can offer commentary on the social and artistic biography of an area. We put artwork in our homes to create or display meaning – do our public spaces and structures engage with this idea?

About Kate

Kate is an artistic programmer and theatre-maker based in London. A founder member of Barrel Organ Theatre Company, she has appeared in and worked on several tours of award-winning new work as well as running workshops, scratch nights and youth theatre groups in and outside of London. Kate has appeared onstage in London, at the Edinburgh Festival and in several short films, and also been involved in the creation of accessible audio interpretation for museums and galleries across England and Wales. Having previously worked with educational programmes aimed at spreading access to the arts amongst young people, this exhibition has been an exciting new adventure into Fitzrovia’s creative heart. She has been Programme Coordinator at The Fitzrovia Chapel since January 2017.

About Dwelling

DWELLING: an exhibition of beauty and attachment in Fitzrovia residencies (14 to 28 November)

Home is Where the Art Is is part of the Fitzrovia Chapel’s second free autumn exhibition, Dwelling. The show, which explores the design choices, style and perceptions of beauty in dwellings across Fitzrovia, will include pieces and contributions from television presenter, writer and comedian Griff Rhys Jones, TED speaker and ritual maker Tiu de Haan and art critic Tabish Khan. It will also include art and images from hotels, homes and hidden parts of the area.

Exhibition dates
Dwelling is open Wednesday 14 to 28 November 2018, 11:00 to 16:00

Free talks
Thursday 15 Nov, 13:00, ‘Dwelling – Why and how?’, Faye Hughes and Kate Thorogood
Friday 16 November, 13:00, ‘Reclaiming spaces, Kate Thorogood
Sunday 18 November, 13:00, ‘Rituals in our home’, Tiu de Haan (with BSL interpretation)
Tuesday 20 November, 13:00, ‘Critics’ choice at home’, Estelle Lovatt
Thursday 22 November, 13:00, ‘Home is where the art is’, Hannah Watson
Sunday 25 November, 13:00, ‘A critical eye’, Tabish Khan

Dwelling is supported by Derwent London through the Derwent London Community Fund.

The Fitzrovia Chapel Foundation receives support from the Golsoncott Foundation.

About The Fitzrovia Chapel

'The most beautiful room in London you probably didn’t know about’ - The Telegraph

The Fitzrovia Chapel, a historic Grade II* listed secular building, originally part of the former Middlesex Hospital, was, for nearly a century, a place of quiet contemplation for staff, patients and visitors alike.  The hospital no longer exists, but the chapel was beautifully preserved and restored.  It now sits in the centre of the new development of Fitzroy Place.

The Middlesex Hospital was first opened in 1745, although the chapel was designed in 1891 by celebrated Victorian architect John Loughborough Pearson and completed posthumously in 1929 by his son Frank.  

The architecture was inspired by Gothic architecture of north Germany and Italy.  Within an unassuming red brick enclosure, the chapel has a simple rectangular nave with a small narthex at the entrance. JL Pearson was part of a Gothic Revivalist movement, while his son, Frank, took his inspiration from a wider palette of architectural styles.  One of the most striking features of the chapel is the beautiful and ornate mosaic ceiling of the chancel.

The chapel is an exquisite place to get married, celebrate, hold an event, or exhibit. It is open to the public for reflection and quiet contemplation each Wednesday between 11:00 and 16:00. Once a month we offer an audio presentation linked to an influential figure linked to Fitzrovia.