B.Y.O.C is the new B.Y.O.B
- Alex Cimpeanu
- Apr 27, 2022
- 3 min read
By Alex Cimpeanu
Everyone’s heard of B.Y.O.B (Bring Your Own Booze). B.Y.O.C was… intriguing.
But it made sense...put in context.
Cushion the Blow was the last event to take place in a Victorian house near Shepherd's Bush that is up for sale. The house has been home to three generations, Fausta Joly tells us. The 30 year-old is a writer and events producer, who grew up there.
"I'm glad we got to share the space, one last time," she says.
After the doorbell is rang, visitors are greeted by Mr Darshe, a drag king cosplay of Austen’s character.
That’s how you instantly knew it would be a different experience. And from the email received after buying a ticket, that asks guests to Bring Their Own Cushion.
"Cabaret being anout play, catharsis, fun and release- the Cushion," she explains, "spoken word being a verbal exhaltation, confession, truth bomb dropper- the Blow."
The first room is filled with Blaze Cristopher’s art. She’s a multimedia American artist, who plays with different media, including paint, sculpture, words and fabric. This time, her work is textile, colourful and made of soft and bright materials.
Photo by: Alex Cimpeanu
The 28-year-old artist from New Orleans
“I make art to challenge the confines of empathy and try to open up the engagement of the audience not just for the art world but for everyday people,” says the 28-year-old artist from New Orleans.
“Art isn’t just for people who went to art school, anyone can be an artist,” she adds.
Photo of Blaze’s work
Next is the bar, improvised in the kitchen with beers for 2.5 pounds and some other secret potions that Kultur did not dare try.
The main room is filled with cushions on the floor, and a massive book wall, and exits into a garden where people are flocking to have a cigarette before the performances start.
First up is Harriet Braine, who sings “about dead people”.
Her songs are creative and sound familiar, but paying attention to the lyrics makes the difference and shows whether her audience’s humour is on the same page as hers.
“Or actually, I have a few live ones for you tonight,” she announces. She’s writing comedy covers for well-known songs, twisting the lyrics and engaging her audience. She begins with a song about famous artist Ai Wei-Wei, and goes on to "everyone's favourite landscape architect, Capability Brown.
Here’s a bit of her performance:
Video of Harriet Braine performing by Alex Cimpeanu
Fancy that? You can find her on Instagram @harrietbraine.
Next up after a break was a clown act by Ella the Great, the co-producer of the event, who can be found at @ifindoubtaskella which took place in the cushion room, where everyone was asked to sit down.
Angela Pellilo, 27, who studies in West London found the event unusual and interesting. “I’ve never been to such an ‘indie-niche’ art night,” she says.
The organizer of the event also read some of her own poetry. Fausta Joly thinks poetry is empowering and she feels lucky to have been living in the house, where her budding art organization Joly Licks came to life.
Fausta reading her poetry, photo by Alex Cimpeanu
Another confusing yet brilliant performance was that of Scarlet Shambles, the alter ego of multidisciplinary artist Charmaine Wombwell. She connected with the audience through a personal story of a break-up, going from song to playing a full on breakdown that no one was sure whether was real or part of the performance.
Scarlet Shambles performing, video by Alex Cimpeanu
“It was my favourite part,” Pellilo said, “she created a very dramatic scene that exploded in heartfelt song,” she added.
To see what they're up for next, visit https://jolylicks.com
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