LDAF

4.00pm 27/5/2011

Between 2000 and 2002 I worked at London Disability Arts Forum (LDAF) which was based at the Diorama Arts Centre near Great Portland Street.Since I left LDAF the organisation has closed and the Diorama building on that site has been knocked down and replaced by a big new shiny office development. Working at LDAF was a really important step for me as it was my first steady job after six years on the fringes of society. On my first day at work I felt a profound shift as if I was suddenly partly accepted by society as a worker rather than being seen as an outcast. LDAF was also importantly my real introduction into the world of disability arts.

It was difficult to place the sound system as the road was busy and there were workers on cigarette breaks from the hotel opposite. In the end it was placed on the wall of the hotel. Only a low volume was needed and levels seem to be largely dependant on the degree of traffic noise from site to site. I was also concerned about rain but in the end got away with it.

Again there was a huge sense of release when I had placed the sound system and walked away. There was a flashback to years ago, there were profound differences to the location but small details still remained the same. The same vine was growing on an adjacent building.

On the way home I stopped off at the Rainbow Centre to check the site and the vibe of the place had definitely shifted in my perception. What defines this vibe? Is it a summation of every individual’s interaction to the energy of the space, weighted massively towards my own?

The Track

http://soundcloud.com/chasds/ldaf

The Sound System

2011