In the hundredth anniversary year of the opening of Deptford Central Library, a performative tour and publication by Ruth Beale will chart the the history of the building, the uses of each space, and the political ambitions of its occupants. Combining new writing and archive material, the work encounters presence and absence, ambition and legacy, from the Carnegie endowment to 75 years of public library service, from a brief occupation in the early 90s as a venue for raves to community protest, and the last 20 years’ tenure as an artists’ studio cooperative.

Ruth Beale is the current Graduate Studio Bursary Artist at Lewisham Arthouse.