Dokodemo Door (2016 - ongoing)
Social sculpture / intentional community

From 2016, my practice has been focussed largely on the making of social sculpture works, which took the form of long walks, research, singing and writing. 

This project is called Dokodemo Door.

Taking its name from the magical pink door that the Japanese cartoon character Doraemon keeps in his pouch - a door that can open up to anywhere in the world - Dokodemo Door is a fellowship group exploring ideas of landscape, myth and ritual.

Between 2016 and 2019, I led a band of merry fools along both the North Downs Way and the South Downs Way (over 253 miles in total, with more than 30 people at different times). 

These walks involved lots of research into the local history, folklore and songs of the areas through which we travelled.

Although far too organised to be considered dérives, I see these walks as part-psychogeography, part-social sculpture and part-ritual. 

It could just be a bunch of people wandering around in a forest. Getting lost. And sometimes it is just that. But often it's singing folk songs and following a path through the trees and across the fields. Then the walkers gather in my house, or in the upstairs room of a pub, to watch films that relate to the walks, or to sing songs that were sung on the walks, to eat food and play games, and to be a part of something.

When you cross the threshold, whether it be by entering a forest, or stepping off a train, you go into another place. It is my sincere privilege to be able to open this door, and to step through it with friends.
If you would like to know more about this ongoing project, please sign up to the mailing list here.