Last Picture of You
This is about last wishes… The send off’ communicates a lot about life; what life means to us, what we want, need and how we would like to be remembered; our final impact, subtle release or what comforts us and those still on their mortal journey without us.
This summer, 2023, Last Picture of You was revisited, requested by Liyanne Unasa, and with the Deptford X deadline a week later. Here we are.
We will release a contribution from people each day from the 21st September on ‘your last wishes’ through the festival.
There will be a workshop on the 23rd & 30th from Ema and discussion led by Sharon on the 25th of September.
Why?
The idea came about over a 10 years ago. late one night , as Arti’s mum was in Intensive Care and last wishes had come and gone.
In talking about the grief+ Tina shared her last wishes, which, like her, were powerful and colourful.
We asked others questions around their wishes and the replies received were moving , so we printed those in full and Lisa led the editing process for the installation as part of Writing on the Wall many moons back
These combined influenced the creation of the first iteration of Last Picture of You a decade ago, a collection of last wishes in a booklet, installation film and workshop.
Arti is leading and delivering this, as loss has been around us more so in the last few years. It is about death and living.
Percy Street Riots?
Percy Street Riots are; Arti, Lisa and Tina. We met over 30 years ago, towards the end of the Liverpool 47 City Council battle against Thatchers cuts and the Poll Tax, which we helped defeat.
We have lived and fought together for many years. Percy Street Riots was the name of the band we’d be. It has become an occasional umbrella for us to create, imagine, communicate and play a little. Shining and sharing light in some of the darkest spaces.
Whilst starting an MA in creative Arts, Arti focused on representing resistance: Performing resistance. This led to working most directly with Lisa around the Liverpool 47, called Don’t mention the 47. Screened with discussions in Liverpool and London. It led to a month long Anti Austerity festival at the Richmix featuring photographs, theatre, a locally themed walk and discussions.
