Visual and performance artist Victoria Melody is spending time with FreeShop to get to know the cafe customers of Bewbush and beyond. In the past she has become a pigeon racer, northern soul dancer, championship dog handler, beauty queen, funeral director, comedian and skipper.
Interested in chatting to Victoria? She will be there on Wednesdays at FreeShop’s Community Cafe and Shop. Drop in and say hello, no need to book.
Residency Dates
September 10th, 17th & 24th
October 15th & 22nd
November 5th & 26th
December 3rd, 10th & 17th
Time: 9am-3pm
About Victoria Melody
Victoria Melody is an award winning British artist with a fine-art and performance background and a passion for other people’s passions. She works across theatre, film and stand-up, with and about Britain’s enthusiasts. Fascinated by anthropology, she immerses herself into communities and becomes an active participant in their rituals as research for her work.
She documents from the inside presenting contemporary voices that are rarely heard, connecting audiences with fascinating stories that might otherwise go unnoticed. Engaging with audiences “who don’t normally go to the theatre” is at the forefront of what she does. Her work merges the personal with the political and although it can tackle difficult subjects such as funerals, neurodiversity and impossible beauty standards it does so with care, creativity, tons of humour and an ambition to make change.
Victoria has presented her work nationally and internationally at venues including the Victoria & Albert Museum, Soho Theatre, Bristol Old Vic, Battersea Arts Centre, Summerhall and Pleasance (Edinburgh Festival Fringe), Cherry Lane Theatre (New York), Virginia Art Festival, Push Festival (Canada), Aarhus Festival (Denmark) and Brisbane Festival (Australia).
Read more about Victoria Melody here.
Follow on Instagram @victoriamelody_
About FreeShop Crawley
FreeShop Crawley started in November 2020, during the challenging COVID-19 pandemic. Inspired by their own personal experiences, a couple of mums got together to offer people a way of receiving help that provided them with pride and dignity.
FreeShop is on the Core Consortium of Creative Playground and oversees the project with Manor Royal BID, Tamil Learning Centre, CCA and The Hawth.
Read more about FreeShop Crawley here.
Follow on Facebook /Freeshopcrawley
Follow on Instagram @freeshopcrawley
Victoria Melody’s residency at FreeShop Crawley is part of Creative Playground, a Creative People and Places programme funded by Arts Council England. Managed by Creative Crawley.
Image Credit: Ian Greenland.
