SHIFT: Louise Ashcroft

Louise Ashcroft's performances, comedy, videos, writing, community projects, drawings, games and sculptures spawn from their optimistic but antagonistic fieldwork in public space; meddling with the bizarre norms of capitalism and reinventing what's possible. 

Describing the participatory formats they create as "the parachute into the chaos of freedom", Louise's playful and deeply generative educational practice encourages releasing pedagogical outcomes, to collectively create more meaningful adventures alongside students. They invite vulnerability and openness through their own participation, weaving in autobiographical exchange through the subject or structure of what is facilitated, creating space for empathetic togetherness not afraid of failure; an openness to experimenting with guidance. 

Louise Ashcroft is a multidisciplinary artist who uses performance, humour, playfulness and comedy to challenge social conventions and hierarchies. Louise’s artistic and educational practice encompasses writing, sculpture, drawing as well as games, community projects and participatory experiences. Their work responds to everyday experiences in public spaces such as museums, shopping centres, protests and train stations; their interventions draw from these social contexts and their conventions to question and subvert them. In this film, Ashcroft explores four strategies that are key to their practice. They show us how comedy techniques can be adapted and used within an educational context to enable imagination to thrive, allow the creative process to embrace differences and enhance togetherness.

Louise teaches Fine Art at Goldsmiths, University of London and is an Artist in Residence at Wysing Arts Centre. The residency is a partnership with St Peter’s School, Huntingdon, where they have worked with year 7 & 8 students as part of their Learn Aspire Exceed curriculum (LAE) where students get to discover subjects and skills beyond the core curriculum that are not prescribed or assessed. Also at St Peters, they're currently leading workshops making books of creative prompts with neuro-divergent students on the theme of reimagining clock-time commissioned by Collective Imagination Practice Fund. Ashcroft is a co-founder of AltMFA, London’s first peer-led alternative art school, and was a Tate Schools Visits Artist in Residence (2015-16).

This film is part of SHIFT – Freelands Foundation’s seasonal series of short films spotlighting varied practices, approaches and philosophies within art education. 

All audiovisual material and research is courtesy of the artist.

Produced by Giulia Vandelli.

Captions and editing by Sixbetween.