Artist in Residence: Emily Pope
Over the summer and autumn of 2021, artist Emily Pope undertook a residency with The Box. It resulted in the creation of 'One In Every Village' - the first in a new moving image and exhibition series. We're proud to have premiered it.
'One in Every Village' uses experimental film and writing to embrace stories Pope has heard since childhood, and the people she has met in unexpected locations who lead inspiring, authentic and feminist lives in opposition to, and which actively disrupt patriarchal, heteronormative, middle and upper class structures.
'One In Every Village' starts with the peculiar tale of Bowerman's Nose, a character called Levera, an investigation leading her to the archive of folklorist Theo Brown and ultimately to a missing cauldron, whilst remembering growing up in Plymouth in the 90s/early 00s and exploring her changing perception of these characters and oral histories in relation to queerness and working-class culture. The work plays with tropes associated with populist docu-series, exploring the nuances of this genre with humour.
The film features an original score by London based music composer, visual artist and DJ Molly Ellen O’Reilly, as Terribilis. The Wire describes her music as 'melodically complex territory, with pulsing lyricism and wandering, purgatorial negotiation of light and darkness.' Listen to more by Terribilis.
This project is supported by Arts Council England, The Box (Plymouth) and WOMP Studios (Sheffield).
Running time: 40 mins 19 seconds
One In Every Village
About Emily Pope
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Visit Emily's website.
Emily Pope is a visual artist working in film, printmaking, radio, creative writing + publishing. Her research explores a history of experimental contemporary broadcast media with a focus on humour and satire, feminism, political rhetoric + class politics and she is excited by alternative forms of distribution.
She has exhibited and performed in solo and group presentations at artist-led organisations and UK and international contemporary spaces including Tate Britain, London; BLOC Projects, Sheffield; Vogue Fabrics, London; Peak Gallery, London; Paradise Works, Manchester; The Royal Standard, Liverpool; Serf, Leeds; VI VII, Oslo; Matthew Gallery, New York; HA HA Gallery, Southampton; Auto Italia, London; Turf Projects, London with upcoming projects with The Box Museum, Plymouth; VO Curations, London.
Emily is the founder and curator of the queer comedy night and community venture ‘You Can’t Blame a Girl for Trying’ (2019-ongoing) which presents performance, music and comedy at venues including Vogue Fabrics and The Horse Hospital. Between 2015-19 she produced ‘Got 2 B Radio’ with Ruth Angel Edwards, a monthly radio show on Resonance.FM which covered ‘current events’ in relation to sub- and pop culture.