DIGITALGENTLE
A digital iteration as part of SOFTwhilstBLACK:
Revisiting softness IRL + AWK
A project by Amy Lawrence and collaborators.
SOFTwhilstBLACK is a conversational and collaborative digital and IRL collection of conversations, glitching imagery, video, autobiographical text and scruffy word-art. A joyous, soft, slow exploration of personal and familial love; exploring acts of softness specifically within the context of the perception of bodies of Black heritage in the UK.
For the CLAY April ‘Open Studio’ Amy shared various iterations of including the ‘SOFT FORUM’; A live DEEP DRIVE and online conversation about SOFTNESS, BLACKNESS, CLUTTER and GENTLENESS between strangers alongside a Free GENTLE TEA @ the Bar, with a heavy bedtime vibe.
SOFT FORUM W/ STRANGERS revisited the dynamics of squishiness & closeness as an opportunity for dialogue around emotional softness, woolly ideas and a consideration how the intimacy of Black bodies meets both public and private in its sweaty embrace of ephemerality.
DIGITAL/GENTLE: Amy invites you to download and browse the DIGITAL/GENTLE Pack - a loose archive of bits of surplus, consuming moments and passing ideas.
Important:
This pack is created for and recommended for BIPOC audiences (Black and People of Colour) only as the project speaks to a racialized experience.
The pack will be available until the 21st of July
We ask that you please do not share the content on social media.
Thank you to the writers who created the content and ideas featured in the experts, credited below and on each file.
Credits:
All about Love: written by bell hooks: Harper Collins: 2001
Decolonising Non-Violent Communication written by Meenadchi: traumainformednvc.com: 2021
The Moongazer: African and Caribbean folktales,myths and legends: written by Wendy Shearer: Scholastic: 2021
The GEN Grief toolkit: complied by Camille Sapara Barton and GEN, as well as the ancestors who have built the foundation: 2022
Access:
Anybody with a phone or laptop that allows image view should be able to access the images which are a combination of PDFS and Jpeg files.
PDF should be viewable on most laptops/ phones/ ipads- or its free to download Acrobat PDF viewer here
Please note that the font and text size varies in the PDFS as these are scans for original books
If you don't have access to a laptop then you can find your nearest library here
You are also invited, where possible, as part of DIGITAL/GENTLE to listen to the ’Soft playlist for easy listening’ whilst looking through the archive . This is only publicly until the 21st of July. We understand this might not be possible for everybody to use Spotify, please see a list of some suggested tracks below.
Track List
1. I’m not in Love: 10cc
2. City Rain: 4d nature recordings
3. I’m Every Sparkly Woman: Ana Roxanne
4. Night Journeys I: Courtesy
5. Fountainhead: Courtney Swain
6. Dirt: Deem Spencer
7. First Rain: Duval Timothy
8. Next Tomorrow: Duval Timothy
9. Whatsapp: Duval Timothy
10. Whale: Duval Timothy
11. Ball: Duval Timothy
12. Language: Duval Timothy
13. No: Duval Timothy
14. Nijo: Duval Timothy
15. Bankside River: Earthlight
16. Falling: Julie Cruise
17. Listen and See as…: Klein Blue
18. Shit: Mica Levi
19. Interlude 2: Mica Levi
20. Love: Mica Levi
21. Wellness Rain
22. Space 1
23. Ada: Nala Sinephro, Lyle Barton
24. Fanfare for naran…: naran ratan
25. Caretaker:Nico Segal
26. Together is a beautiful …: Nubya Garcia and Nala Sinephro
27. Wrood: Rasha Nahas
28. He Hu: Rosie Lowe and Duval Timothy.
29. Furah Bay: Rosie Lowe and Duval Timothy.
30. Say: Rosie Lowe and Duval Timothy.
31. Living Hazard: Salamanda
32. Melting Hazard: Salamanda
33. Sharing Prosperity: Salamanda
34. Dream Puppy: The Sweet Enoughs
35. Lena’s Song: The Sweet Enoughs