As the new year began, our attention turned to our long-gestating Oral History project. Training of volunteers for the project (covering interview techniques and familiarization with the required technology) had taken place earlier in 2023 but, having subsequently purchased our own recording equipment, we were ready to contact our wish list of Riverside-related interviewees, aiming to build a portfolio of ten conversations.
We began by scheduling an interview with Riverside’s first artistic director, Peter Gill. It was helpful that he still lives locally, and so our archivist Hope and volunteer Susannah visited him at his home. Over the course of an hour and a half, Susannah posed a variety of questions prompting Peter to recall everything from his establishing of the venue and the ethos he developed, to the creatives he attracted and the unique atmosphere that emerged.
Other early interviews were conducted with Greg Hilty (Riverside’s Curator and Exhibitions Director between 1983 and 1989) and Trevor Laird (co-founder of the Black Theatre Co-operative, who found a home at Riverside in the late 1970s).
In total, during the first three months of 2024, our four dedicated oral history volunteers researched and conducted seven fascinating interviews with a variety of figures associated with Riverside, including Milena Kalinovska who served as Riverside’s Gallery Director between 1983 and 1986, our current Creative Director Rachel Tackley and three founding members of the Riverside Artists Group, which was formed here in 1986. Amongst these interviews, two were conducted via Zoom with individuals now based in the US and Western Australia.
As well as the interviews themselves, two additional project volunteers have taken up the task of transcribing the conversations.
Our volunteers on this project have been incredible and we would like to thank Kiz Durrani, Rose O’Donovan, Susannah Herbert, Kate Middleton and Katrina Rooney for all of their hard work and enthusiasm. They have more interviews to conduct and transcribe over the next few months, after which we will begin making the recordings and transcripts available via an oral history library on our website – titled ‘Riverside Reflections’. Watch this space.
Over this same period, we hosted a variety of local schools who participated in our ‘Doctor You’ creative workshops. We had a lot of fun with the different classes, who all responded to the drawing and storytelling exercise with enthusiasm and imagination. Happily, based on positive feedback from children and teachers, a number of the schools have reached out to us requesting additional workshops – which we are delighted to arrange.
In preparation for our forthcoming photography exhibition – Music Seen: Recording artists on and off stage at Riverside and beyond - Hope has been working closely with Luke O’Shea Phillips, archivist at Allan Archive, which is the vast collection of photographs taken by celebrated music photographer Mark Allan. In the early 2000s, Mark spent a lot of time at Riverside Studios on the sets of Top of the Pops and Re:covered recording the on and off-stage antics of some of the world’s most popular musicians. It has been a delight to make selections from Mark’s wonderfully atmospheric images, which feature such stars as Elton John, The Cranberries, Roxy Music, Kelis and The Cure. The chosen photographs will be exhibited at Riverside from 24th April 2024 and members of the public will be able to view them for free until 1st June.
In March, members of the public, local dignitaries and other special guests gathered at Riverside Studios for the unveiling of a blue plaque commemorating actress and singer Eartha Kitt, who starred in the first live broadcast from BBC Riverside TV Studios in 1956. Speaking at the event, Cllr Patricia Quigley, Mayor of Hammersmith and Fulham, and (former mentee of Ms Kitt) singer Kym Mazelle paid tribute to this remarkable, pioneering talent. The crowd even joined in a rendition of her song ‘C’est Si Bon’. We were delighted to collaborate with the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and Nubian Jak Community Trust in recognizing Eartha Kitt’s remarkable career and her contribution to Riverside’s heritage.