The Royal Over-Seas League (ROSL) is pleased to announce Nisha Duggal as Artist-in-Residence in partnership with Riverley Primary School in Leyton, East London. Thanks to generous funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Nisha will create original artworks in response to the heritage and communities of ROSL and the pupils and locality of Riverley, to be displayed at exhibition events in mid-July.
Over a ten-week period Nisha will explore the heritage of ROSL’s historic Grade I listed home, Over-Seas House, whilst also working with Year 5 pupils from Riverley, supporting them to reflect on their own differing community experiences of heritage alongside that of Over-Seas House. Many of the pupils have rarely left their own part of East London or discovered the exceptional heritage of Central London. They may not feel that buildings such as Over-Seas House have a connection to their own lives and we wish to share our heritage with the pupils to enable them to gain information on these buildings, increase confidence in their knowledge over the histories and purposes of these types of buildings, and to increase their skills in making creative responses to Over-Seas House and the purpose of ROSL in Central London.
Nisha will devise and deliver art workshops based on developing their own creative practice, inspired by the project themes. Throughout the project, both Nisha and pupils will create artworks, which at the end of the project will be showcased at two launch events, one at ROSL and the other at Riverley Primary School, as part of the annual Griffin Arts Festival.
On conclusion of the project, we will install long-term exhibitions and webpages at both ROSL and Riverley to display the project outputs and outcomes and to acknowledge the generous support from National Lottery players through The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
For more information and developments on the project: www.rosl.org.uk/
For more information contact ROSL ARTS on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. visit www.rosl.org.uk
NOTES FOR THE EDITOR
About Nisha Duggal
Nisha Duggal explores expressions of freedom in the everyday. She is interested in the transformative qualities of making and doing, engineering situations that uncover deep-seated primitive impulses to connect.
Nisha works internationally, including installations at ArtNight and Watermans (London), Arnolfini (Bristol), Ginza Art Lab (Tokyo), Baltic (Gateshead), and Oriel Mostyn (Llandudno), with screenings at Videobabel (Cusco, Peru), European Media Art Festival (Osnabrueck, Germany), Rekalde (Bilbao, Spain), Cornerhouse (Manchester) and Iniva (London). She been awarded commissions by Site Gallery (Sheffield) and Contemporary Art Forum (Kitchener, Ontario), and was shortlisted for the Jerwood Moving Image Awards in 2008 and the Jerwood/Umbrella Moving Image Awards in 2013. In 2018, Nisha was the first Artist-in-Residence for Walthamstow Wetlands and lead artist for Supersmashers at South London Gallery. She is currently artist-in-residence at Powis Castle, Wales.
About the Royal Over-Seas League and ROSL ARTS
The Royal Over-Seas League is dedicated to championing international friendship and understanding throughout the Commonwealth and beyond. A not-for-profit members’ club, it has been bringing like-minded people together since its launch in 1910.
Over-Seas House is also home to ROSL ARTS, which supports young emerging talent in music and visual arts through various programmes, including the renowned Annual Music Competition and international Visual Arts Residencies. It hosts regular concerts and public affairs and literature talks, most of which are open to the general public, as well as to members. In 2017, ROSL ARTS began an outreach programme in partnership with the Griffin Schools Trust as part of its commitment to opening access to the arts to all, regardless of background.
The ROSL building is formed from Rutland House, 1735-6; Vernon House, late 17th century, substantially rebuilt 1835; the former gatehouse to Rutland House; and extensions dating from 1937 which link these buildings. Many outstanding original features survive, including the grand stone staircase, with one of the earliest wrought-iron decorative balustrades in the country, topped by a glazed domed lantern; the large marble fireplace designed by John Rysbrack; wall panelling in Rococo Revival style, and the Ionic screen and fine mouldings. To the rear of the main stair is an unusual 'Crinoline stair', its balusters bowed to make room for women in hoop dresses.
The buildings, together known as Over-Seas House, house bedrooms, social meeting spaces, event rooms and a well-equipped concert hall.
About Riverley Primary School and Griffin Schools Trust
Riverley Primary School endeavours to provide the finest educational experience for every single child at its inspirational and thriving school. This holistic and well-rounded approach towards education provides an exceptional foundation for life-long learning and ensures that each child has the opportunity to grow in self-confidence, academic success, and artistic endeavours. The school does this by providing a rigorous curriculum, opportunities for wide-ranging extracurricular provision and ensuring learner-centred lessons.
It is a proud member of the Griffin Schools Trust whose vision is Proud Traditions, Wide Horizons and High Achievement, and which has created a family of happy, exciting and successful schools.
Life at Riverley is an engaging learning journey from Nursery through to Year 6; the experiences gained providing a lasting value. Children understand what it means to be a ‘Riverley child’ and how they are a part of the Trusts wider ‘Griffin family’. Riverley is a happy school where our pupils feel a sense of belonging and pride, show respect for all and always aim to be the very best they can be.
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Using money raised by the National Lottery, we Inspire, lead and resource the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future. www.heritagefund.org.uk.
Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLotteryHeritageFund