The local community came together to celebrate creativity and talent at the ‘Birth of Cool’ exhibition – an interactive history of Chelsea’s iconic Kings Road showcasing the work of young people from Octavia’s eponymous digital media project.
Community leaders mixed with leading industry professionals to celebrate the opening of the pop-up exhibition, which featured a collection of music, fashion, photography and films that capture the area’s unique history of sound, look and attitude through the eyes of today’s youth.
Deputy Mayor for Kensington and Chelsea Cllr Sof McVeigh and Colville councillor Ian Henderson came to show their support and meet and mingle with Octavia staff including Octavia chief executive Sandra Skeete.
Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the multi-sensory experience took up residence at the 508 Gallery on the Kings Road from Thursday 29 July until Monday 2 August.
Inspired by the revolutionary ‘youthquake’ culture, the heritage-based pop up explored how the Kings Road evolved from being the birthplace of a new ‘swinging’ London in the 1960s into a fashion melting pot that exploded into the 1970s punk movement.
Two broadcast-standard documentaries that were filmed, directed and produced in the area were played on a retro television from the era, including the award-winning ‘Punk Road’ that was selected for five film festivals worldwide.
A wide range of artists, designers and creatives feature in the documentary including Terry Jones, co-founder of I-D magazine and previous Art Director for British Vogue.
Other artwork on show included:
- A fashion concept video filmed in west London’s trendy Portobello Road and featuring original t-shirt designs
- ‘Portraits of West’ street style photography collection
- A spoken word art installation inspired by the World’s End Estate
- Over 20 oral histories sharing intimate accounts from the lives of those connected to and shaped by the Kings Road
All works were made through Octavia’s ‘Birth of Cool’ youth project – a holistic development and skills-based training programme for local 18-25 year olds seeking a career in the creative industries.
The project enabled 139 young people, many from under-represented backgrounds, to work closely with leading design and media experts, gaining invaluable experience and industry knowledge, as well as opportunities to develop their technical and creative skills.
Deputy Mayor for Kensington and Chelsea, Councillor Sof McVeigh, said: “It’s wonderful to see so much young talent in the borough – a real explosion of creativity, appropriate for our iconic Kings Road and perhaps heralding a 2021 Youthquake!”
Tommy Edwards, Digital Media and Remote Projects manager at Octavia, said: “The creativity generated by Birth of Cool perfectly epitomizes this vibrant period of trailblazing expression.
“I have been so impressed with the professionalism of the young people involved and the quality and originality of their creations.
“They absorbed an impressive array of digital media skills during their time on this project and it has been fantastic to see their confidence and their ambition for the future grow.”
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