People
Meet the Dockers: Bryony Fraser
Royal Albert Wharf resident, Bryony Fraser is a curator and creative producer, and co-founder of A La Carte Arts, which provides independent consultation and exhibition services for photographers, illustrators, and graphic artists. She also founded The Home Curator, offering home picture-hanging and organising services.
In this Meet the Dockers interview, we talked to Bryony about London: Time and Tide, the latest group photography exhibition she curated and the importance of community art spaces like Art in the Docks and Bow Arts.
Tell us about yourself
I’m a freelance curator and creative producer. My degree was in Graphic Arts and Design which has served me well as I can create the identity, signage and marketing materials for exhibition projects myself. I worked in studio and gallery management before going self-employed after I realised, I was just not built for office routines and politics.
There’s very little in the way of support after you graduate into a photography career unless you are lucky enough to get an agent. I co-founded A La Carte Arts for the organisation of exhibitions and to advise and support photographers on how to present and exhibit their work. I also set up The Home Curator, where I offer services like picture hanging and organising people’s homes.
The Royal Docks has been home for two and a half years now and I also have studio here. In that time, it has been interesting to see the neighbourhood evolve and welcome new businesses and enterprises to the area. It is going from strength to strength which I‘m glad to see as the docks is a unique and historical part of London with so much to offer residents and visitors alike.
Where else can you watch the sun set over the water while planes fly overhead with a lime and chilli mojito from Café Spice Namaste?
You have a highly sought-after Bow Arts studio in Royal Albert Wharf. Can you tell us more about it?
Bow Arts is a great organisation which provides artists and creatives with affordable workspaces, connecting them with local communities and supporting their development. I’ve had my studio there for around and year and a half now. When I first moved to the area I used to walk past the windows and daydream of having a studio of my own. It took me a year to pluck up the courage to apply. I wasn’t sure I was the right sort of applicant, but they accepted me and here we are!
It isn’t just a physical place to house and organise all my creative tools and archive, it has given me the mental room in which to imagine and execute projects and plans that just would not have been accessible or possible at home.
It is relaxed and collaborative thanks to the other residents being the sort of people who will lend or give you something you need. Although there are many varieties of practices going on, in general my studio neighbours share an ethos of using recycled materials which I really respect. They are a very talented and visionary bunch, and I enjoy seeing the progress of projects and transformations they make.
Could you tell us about the last exhibition you curated?
London: Time and Tide was a group photography show exhibiting the work of nine very different photographers with the overarching theme of London lives and landmarks with transformational or reflective moments at their heart. The main inspiration for the exhibition was the largely forgotten Princess Alice Disaster that happened on the Gallions Reach stretch of the River Thames in 1878. There is no permanent memorial to the estimated 650 people who died which is surprising as, to this day, it remains the largest loss of life on a British waterway.
Art in the Docks once hosted an amazing event to mark the anniversary. The story of the ship was told by Dr Hannah Stockton of National Maritime Museum, a commemorative artwork by Vincenzo Muratore and Christopher Mike was unveiled by Mayor of Newham, Rokhsana Fiaz followed by a recital of J.S. Bach by world famous violinist, Shlomy Dobrinsky.
From there I expanded the concept and approached Art in the Docks about hosting a free exhibition at Royal Albert Wharf for locals to enjoy and to broaden awareness of the area, Art in the Docks, the disaster and the work of the amazing photographers involved. Art in the Docks generously gifted the gallery space to show the exhibition.
The exhibition was also part of PhotoMonth Photography Festival, celebrating photography across East and Southeast London.
My goal was to create a space where anyone visiting would be reminded that London holds countless stories and experiences of life with its ups and downs, triumphs and tests. The river is a symbol of the ebb and flow of those lives led in mutual surroundings whether they pass each other by or overlap. Most importantly to be reminded that there is always something new to discover about somewhere or someone, remain open to challenging preconceptions and to find a reason to look at ourselves and fellow Londoners with more compassion and optimism.
What is the importance of organisations like Art in the Docks and Bow Arts to the area?
Art in the Docks works across three main strands, inspiring young people to pursue creative careers, making art accessible through free inclusive events, and supporting wellbeing with creative workshops for those facing isolation or mental health challenges.
If every neighbourhood was fortunate enough to have organisations like Art in the Docks and Bow Arts so many lives would be meaningfully enriched and inspired beyond measure. Art in the Docks, Bow Arts and organisations like them, are an invaluable part of society and should be cherished and protected.
Discover the Photographers Behind London: Time and Tide
London: Time and Tide showcased work by nine talented photographers:
- Sylvie Belbouab
- Giacomo Brunelli
- Briony Campbell
- James Clifford Kent
- Chiron Cole
- Siobhan Doran
- Julia Fullerton-Batten
- Laura Pannack
- David Swainsbury
Discover A La Carte Arts and The Home Curator
To find out more about A La Carte Arts and The Home Curator services email alacartearts@gmail.com
