Hi family and friends!

The show in Brighton was a massive success. It was a wonderful first showing for the Folding Chair Coven. Requiring two years of planning, the group arrived in Brighton and spent the 27th and 28th October setting up, making adjustments, and catching up for the first time in-person since our time together in Florence in October 2023.

Exhibiting artists: Yoni Chepisheva, Gina Cincinnati, Lula Cornejo, Claudia Dieguez, Andrea Latorre Orfebre, and Velimna.

In attendance: Yoni Chepisheva, Gina Cincinnati, and Lula Cornejo.

Although the weather might have deterred some from attending, there was a steady stream of guests throughout the week. It was the perfect time and space to meet with locals in Brighton and have deep conversations about our art, motivations, and the coven itself. I invigilated the show each day, with Yoni and Lula attending and invigilating with me as often as they could. It was so nice to be so close to the sea. I found four hag stones on the beach one morning on my way to open the event!

From 30th October to 1 November (Thursday to Saturday) we were joined by the Savage Heart Theatre group, who put on an event entitled “Dark Bites”, a mobile performance that took participants room-to-room for a sold-out series of small, dark plays.

For myself personally, I was most pleased at the amount of people, total strangers, who felt comfortable speaking with me about my work and shared their own experiences of or thoughts on SA. The artworks were initially launched online here and on social media, to friends and followers who know me well enough. There was a context in releasing the works in this way that allowed an experience of trust and understanding, due to our close ties. Showing in Brighton, even with a trigger warning at the venue entrance and at the door of the gallery, allowed the work to be viewed by strangers with no idea of who I am or what I am like. Layers of understanding were not present. And yet, the people still came and told me their stories. I could not have been happier with the outcome. It solidified my plan to create a book of the series, and gave me practice speaking about the artworks and my experiences with people who didn’t have that aforementioned context.

We can’t thank the team at the Regency Townhouse enough for their hospitality, and the Savage Heart Theatre for partnering with us. And we look forward to the next big group event!