Bold Tendencies

BOLD TENDENCIES

Bold Tendencies is a not-for-profit organisation based in the rooftop spaces at Peckham Multi-Storey Car Park, London.

Founded in 2007, Bold Tendencies created a public space in this disused building, and over 16 years has transformed the site into an experimental civic space and much-loved place of assembly.

Bold Tendencies supports artists to develop their ideas and to realise site-specific projects and present live performances from its rooftop home. It commissions new visual art and architecture and produces an award-winning live events programme of music, dance, opera and readings.

New architecture commissioned for the site includes Frank’s Cafe (2009) and the Straw Auditorium (2010) by Practice Architecture and the Peckham Observatory (2017) and Concert Wall (2016) by Cooke Fawcett. The acoustic remastering of the covered spaces is being designed by Feilden Fowles (2023).

Bold Tendencies is for everyone. We have welcomed more than 2.5 million people in 16 summer seasons since 2007, animating the programme and the site for the neighbourhood through standalone education and community initiatives that take culture and civic values seriously.

Bold Tendencies celebrates the free enjoyment of public space in the city, welcoming participation in its rich, experimental programme and preserving open access to this special, spectacular place.

OUR BUILDING

Peckham Multi-Storey car park was commissioned in 1980 by Sainsbury’s Supermarkets. Designed and eventually built in 1982 by their in-house Architect and Engineers Department, the 700-space car park stood with exposed concrete frame and brick cladding, very much the style of its day. The car park was built to service as a brand new style of self-service supermarket, replacing the traditional counter-store branch that had operated on Rye Lane since 1931 (now Clark’s Shoe Shop).

In November 1982 the Sainsbury’s counter shop closed, the last ever counter service. On the last day of the same month, its replacement supermarket opened its doors to the public. With a sales area of 17,094 sq ft, it was eight times the size of the old store.

Photo: London Viewpoints

After 10 years Sainsbury’s moved in 1992 to its present location on Dog Kennel Hill. Two years later in 1994 the Rye Lane site was transformed into a cinema – Peckhamplex – which has occupied the space of the former Peckham supermarket ever since. From then on, the adjoining car park infrastructure was underused, eventually disused, and the top four floors were closed from public access.

Bold Tendencies was started in 2007 with the support and encouragement of Russell Profitt and David Strevens at Southwark Council. The top floors of the car park were reopened to the public as a sculpture exhibition and Bold Tendencies was established as a not-for-profit organisation. It has since developed an annual summer season of site-specific art, new architecture and live events.

In 2017, Bold Tendencies reached an agreement with Southwark Council for a new long-term lease. The car park was taken off the local area redevelopment plan, solidifying the cultural status of the building for years to come and guaranteeing Bold Tendencies a secure future in its home in these unique spaces.

OUR TEAM

Chief Executive
Hannah Barry (she/her)

Hannah Barry studied History of Art at the University of Cambridge and started her work in Peckham in 2006. She founded Bold Tendencies as a not for profit project in 2007. She is on the Board of Artangel and on the Serpentine Contemporary Council. She sat on the Mayor of London’s Night Time Commission (2017-18) and was Founding Co-Chair of the Chinati Contemporary Council in Marfa, Texas (2013). She was awarded an MBE in 2022 for Services to Contemporary Arts in London.

Managing Director
Diana Cordoba Barrios (she/her)

Diana studied at the Universidad de las Americas Puebla, Mexico. From 2006 she worked at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice where she became an Intern Coordinator, running the prestigious Guggenheim Internship Programme. She was selected by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation to run the USA Pavilion for the 53rd and 54th Art Venice Biennale. She designed and delivered educational programmes with USA Pavilion partner museums including Indianapolis Museum of Art, Ponce Museum, Puerto Rico, Bronx Museum of Art, New York.

Site and Production Manager
Tom Kelly (he/him)

A graduate of Royal Academy of Music specialising in performance (cello), Tom has always had a passion for live events whether on stage or off. Tom began freelancing in 2010 as a Stage and Production Manager for a variety of concert halls and production companies in London, including Kings Place, Roundhouse and Spitalfields Music. This led to taking on the role of Orchestral Manager for The Multi-Story Orchestra in 2015 before joining the Bold Tendencies team as Site and Production Manager in 2016. In 2020 Tom brought the responsibility of Safeguarding Officer into his role.

Artist Liaison
Charlie Mills (he/him)

Charlie Mills is a curator and writer based in South East London. Since 2017 he has worked as Artist Liaison for Bold Tendencies and Hannah Barry Gallery. Charlie curates and produces independent exhibitions across London and writes for a number of international galleries and artists, as well as conducting regular artists interviews. Charlie is a founding member of Collective Ending HQ, a collectively run gallery and studio complex in Deptford, South East London. He graduated with a Bachelors in History of Art and a Masters in Cultural Studies from Goldsmiths College.

Toby Taylor – Visitor Services & Live Events Front of House

Artist Research
Katrina Nzegwu

Katrina Nzegwu is a London-based artist, writer and freelance curator. Currently studying MA Print at the Royal College of Art, Katrina is a regular workshop facilitator at Bermondsey Project Space and Community Manager for the project OneWork in collaboration with Lindon Gallery, Artists in Residence and the social commission. She hosts a monthly radio show on RTM, MP3 4 Bois, which engages artists, practitioners and activists in conversations regarding contemporary politics, feminism, philosophy and psychology. Katrina has worked for Bold Tendencies since 2019, first on the Education, Community and Play team, and in her current role as Artist Research since 2022. Katrina graduated from Goldsmiths College with a Bachelors in Fine Art and History of Art.

Misty Ingham – Creative Learning Producer

Special Projects
Riccardo Pillon (they/he)

Riccardo Pillon is a curator and art historian working with art, fashion and identity. They are Associate Director and Exhibitions Coordinator at Hannah Barry Gallery, London. They assist with Special Events at Bold Tendencies, London, working closely with the dance company L-E-V. They have collaborated with The Venice International Art Exhibition (La Biennale di Venezia), The Venice International Film Festival, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and MoMA. They hold an MA in Fashion Curation from The UAL London College of Fashion and a BA in Contemporary Art History from Ca’ Foscari University in Venice.

Mitzi Clarke – Back of House Assistant
Supermodel – Graphic Design

OUR BOARD

Helen Newman

Helen is a lawyer with a city background and reputation for advising clients in the luxury, fashion and art sectors on the creation, protection, exploitation, monetisation of and international deals centred on intellectual property rights. Previously international head of IP, Competition and Projects at Simmons & Simmons, partner at CMS Cameron McKenna Navarro Olswang and director of Stella McCartney Limited since its foundation.

Tom Dingle

Tom is Senior Director at Thomas Dane Gallery, he joined the gallery in 2009 and works across the gallery’s activities supporting artists and working with clients. Previously Tom produced artists’ projects independently (specialising in moving image) and as part of the team at Artangel.

Zia Zareem-Slade

Zia is Chief Creative Officer at Hauser & Wirth. Previously Customer Experience Director at Fortnum & Mason, overseeing all aspects of the creative and strategic agenda of the brand, and Head of Online at Selfridges. She is an Ambassador for Rooprai Spinal Trust, and holds a non-executive role for Marcus Lipton Youth Trust.