Beverley Bennett

Comprising a newly commissioned 3-channel installation, Simon Says/Dadda was a collaborative project exploring father/daughter relationships among Black and Asian women and non-binary individuals, highlighting the deep impact that structural inequalities have within wider society.

Working in partnership with Metal, Liverpool, LUX, London, and The Newbridge Project, Newcastle, Simon Says/Dadda is an ambitious large-scale film project developed through a series of gatherings across England, bringing to light stories that are currently not represented in the visual arts space.

Comprising three core parts, ‘Simon Says/Dadda’ brings together numerous elements; gatherings, testimonies, collaboration, and community, of Beverley’s practice within the same body of work. Working over a longer period of time to allow for deeper connections and evolutions to manifest, the work has drawn together mediums that previously have been kept separate, to generate a whole.

With an imperative to look after visitors and participants, the artist provides a grounding experience before introducing the main components of the work. You are invited to take a moment before entering, to gather thoughts and take time. 

Developed in 2018, Beverley coined the term ‘gatherings’ to denote a methodology that differs from the more hierarchical model of the workshop; one person leading and sharing information, with participants taking part in the activities. Instead ‘gatherings’ are cyclical, whereby everyone learns from each other and often formulate in myriad ways, from reading together to gathering at a party. This has created a ‘tapestry of voices’, an interweaving of communalities and differences that provide a broader view, an important part of amplifying intergenerational relationships. 

Underpinned by a newly commissioned soundscape by Trevor Mathison, ‘Simon Says/Dadda’ is supported by a crew who the artist has worked collectively with from ideation development through to installation. The work pays homage, as so much of Beverley’s work does, to intergenerational voices and collaborations.