Goldsmiths Library/Lewisham Libraries Research Cafe

Our next event is in collaboration with Lewisham Libraries at Deptford Lounge on 8th October, and ties in with Black History Month and the SEEN arts festival, celebrating cultural diversity through the arts.

Professor Julian Henriques is convenor of the MA Cultural Studies programme, Principal Investigator on the ERC Sonic Street Technologies: Culture, Diaspora and Knowledge project, director of the Topology Research Unit and a co-founder of the Sound System Outernational practice research group in the Department of Media, Communications and Cultural Studies, Goldsmiths, University of London. His credits as a writer and director include the reggae musical feature film Babymother and We the Ragamuffin short. Julian researches street cultures, music and technologies and is interested in the uses of sound as a critical and creative tool. His sound sculptures include Knots & Donuts at Tate Modern and his books include Changing the Subject, Sonic Bodies and Sonic Media (2026).

'Researching the Sounds of Lewisham' - The talk will discuss a local research project on sound system culture in the borough, taking an historical approach decade by decade from the 1950s through to today. It will also discuss the value of research for the participants in the process and the community.

Sibihan Dara Lawrence is a London born Performance poet, certified Listener Poet, Theatre deviser, and Arts Education Specialist. Currently in her 3rd year of a practice-based Theatre and Performance PhD at Goldsmiths, her research interests lie in exploring relationalities between Black British dramatic performance, interculturalism, cross-cultural adjacency and community engagement.

Her presentation will consist of a talk framing and contextualising her research, followed by an excerpt from 'Tales from My Mother’s Kitchen', an 8 minute poetic monologue entitled 'The Alley' which focuses on the widespread adultification of Black children through the lens of Sally, a 17 year old Black girl from south London.

Mikey Kirkpatrick is a musician, an associate lecturer in educational studies at Goldsmiths, and the founding director of Goldsmiths Alchemy, a music and youth work mentoring programme that runs on Saturdays in the Goldsmiths Music Department and CCA Gallery as part of their residents programme. As an artist working in both creative and academic contexts, Mikey draws from the intrinsic philosophies of sound and music, the practice of ‘deep listening’, humanising, listening-centred pedagogies, and his experience as a musician and educator, as foundations for imagining, co-designing and activating innovative architectures for community-driven and student-led spaces for learning and networks of support.

Alchemy is a collective of professional artists, youth workers, Goldsmiths students and youth mentors that offers space, time, skills and resources to the local young community, where they can take the lead in their own learning, and their own futures. The programme has grown over the years, and so have the participants, which has led to the formation of the Alchemy Masters programme in 2023, that offers paid time and training to 18+ year olds who are interested in exploring the relationship between their teaching and creative practice. Mikey will introduce Alchemy and its plans for the future, sharing some of the learning, methods and pedagogies behind the programme, and discuss the importance of bridging institutions like Goldsmiths with the local community.