Plot 9 Presents... (#9) 'Air' | FREE!

August's Plot 9 Presents… is lining up to be a very special one indeed with three fine local characters lined up to speak on their passions and new co-host, long-term friend and local-treasure, Horatio Blood. We'll also be blessed with a local poet and a local singer-songwriter  performing on the evening. Full info below.

Plot 9 Update:

It's been a busy summer with some incredible events (photos at the bottom), a visit from the council (who are fully supportive of the project, yay!) and not one but TWO pots of funding from the council:  1. Ward funding for plants and tools and more excitingly… 2. A successful Greenwich Council Community Arts Fund application with actor/playwright friend of Plot 9 (and Plot 9 Presents… performer) Rens to create a site-specific play ‘Star-Crossed’ to be staged in Plot 9 at the end of October (3 performances, free to attend). More info soon….

The Event:

Right, now onto this months' Plot 9 Presents…  for those that haven't been, it's a monthly, free,  themed evening event featuring speakers,  poetry and music, held under an ex-army parachute in a circular living-sculpture (called The Dodeca-Den).  Also featuring our ‘community call-outs’ slot where anyone can stand up and speak to the group (for a minute) with an offering, announcement or ask. 

The programmed part of the event runs to around 9/9.30pm then the fireside social begins (and normally runs until late).

The evening kicks off at 7:30pm with arrival from 7pm.

*** THIS IS A FREE EVENT BUT PLEASE BOOK A TICKET!!! *** 
*** AND DO LET US KNOW IF YOU SUBSEQUENTLY CAN'T MAKE IT ***
 

Presenters for our 9th event… ‘Air’

* Andy Millns and Horatio Blood are your hosts for the evening.  Greenwich protagonists and friends for over 10 years… seen here visiting Andy's homelands up north.

Horatio is a local history enthusiast and curator and regularly presents the colourful meanderings of his curious mind at Greenwich Historical Society's events at The Trafalgar Tavern. Horatio is the Society Secretary of GHS.

Andy is the creator of Plot 9 Maze Hill.

Andy's Instagram: @Greenwich_Sky

 * Angel Mawlabaux is a British female singer-songwriter, musician and music producer based in Blackheath, SE3.

Angel uses music to seek meaningful moments of connection, offering therapeutic group sound and voice arts sessions, drumming circles, vocal improvisation groups and original new music.

Her songs explore deep personal growth, covering themes like fear, vulnerability, love, loss, grief, motherhood, femininity, nature, and breaking free from psychological constraints. She weaves wisdom into musical stories with truth, courage, and love. 

We met Angel at a recent event held at Plot 9 and are excited to hear her perform live for the first time along with everyone else. Angel will be bringing some of her more unusual instruments along to create a calming start to the evening and performing one of her folk songs later on.

Angel's Website

Angel's Instagram

* Anthony Cross is a local historian and a specialist in antique maps and prints. He is currently President of Greenwich Historical Society and has written on many aspects of local history.

A chance encounter in the old churchyard of St Margaret’s, Lee, with the late Robert Cocking who died after descending in an experimental parachute in July 1837 led him to a fascination of what might be called the ‘pregnancy of flight’.

The 120 years that separate the Montgolfier Brothers’ first successful experiment with the hot air balloon on 21 November 1783 and the Wright brothers’ first actual flight on 17 December 1903 are punctuated by cunning design and ingenious engineering, as well as extraordinary courage - but the road to Kitty Hawk is also littered with a broken bones and fatalities.

Mr Cocking’s concern was not so much how to get up there, but how descend safely. His leap of faith suspended beneath his experimental parachute in July 1837 ended fatally - but as a pioneer aeronaut his name is well worth remembering.

We're delighted that Anthony has agreed to speak about this incredible story from the early days of parachute design, right under our own parachute!

Anthony's Instagram:  @instantman111
Greenwich Historical Society's website: https://www.ghsoc.co.uk/

* Chalk  has a bespoke tailoring business based in Greenwich market, with workrooms in Aldgate East and the West End.

Chalk will be sharing with us his love of birds, birds of the air and other encountered critters along the way. Focusing on Greenwich and his journeys to and from work, expanding on its impact upon his life…

We've shared many a late-night post-event fireside chat with Chalk about these fabulous encounters and really look forward to him sharing his passion  for his feathered friends with you all!

Chalk's Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/themrchalk
The Greenwich Collective (Tailors): @TheGreenwichCollective 

* Edward, Greenwich-local  and poet who used to run the beautifully-bohemian Red Door Cafe in Greenwich Market and will be sharing some of his work with us. It will be memorable for sure…

* You! We set aside 10 ‘Community Call-Outs’ minutes for anyone to stand up and talk about about requests or announcements  to everyone gathered. Each call-out can last for up to a minute to give everyone a chance to speak.

Examples of topics of previous call-outs… jobs offered/needed, workshop space needed, recent book published, funding for play needed, artistic collaborator needed, yoga classes offered…

And finally…

You're welcome to bring your own drinks, snacks. (Reasonably) well-behaved dogs and children also welcomed.

This event and Plot 9 are committed to long-term community-building and plan to hold this event monthly until Christmas, no matter the weather!

The area is covered and will go ahead unless the wind is strong enough to make the ex-army parachute break free from its tethers and take to the skies again! …and even then, we'll find a way…. and if it gets cold, we have blankets and fire.

Travel info: Arrival

Plot 9 is in east Greenwich, a few minutes walk from Maze Hill Overground Station which is served by Southeastern and Thameslink trains. You can catch a direct train to Maze Hill from any of: Greenwich, Deptford, London Bridge, Cannon St, Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Farringdon, St Pancras or West Hampstead.  

VIDEO DIRECTIONS: It's a short route from Maze Hill station to Plot 9 but a little bit convoluted so please look at video directions here showing the route from Platform 2 of Maze Hill station where you'll alight if coming from central London.

It is also possible to travel via North Greenwich and get the 188 or 422 bus, alighting on Trafalgar Road or Woolwich Road and walking up Vanbrugh Hill, turning right onto Restell Close. The space is halfway down the hill on the right. Look for the bright green campervan and the entrance is 10 metres beyond it on the right.

Google maps pin. Postcode: SE3 7RD

If you're driving then there's usually plenty of free space on nearby Humber Road (free parking from 6:30pm).

Plot 9 is not (yet) wheelchair accessible.  

Travel info: Leaving

To head back into town at the end of the event, trains leave platform 1 of Maze Hill - only 1 minute walk from Plot 9. 

Please leave quietly as it's a residential area and any noise complaints could put our fledgling venue at risk.

Toilets

Happy to announce our wonderfully crowd-funded toilet is open for business in all its truncated-pyramidal glory.

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Thanks to:

Clare Barry of Urban Curiosity who created the event with Andy in 2023 and co-hosted it until earlier this year.
Our volunteers who help at the door
Our lovely allotment and other neighbours
Greenwich Council for supporting the project and recent financial support
Friends and family for supporting the project with their time, ears, and donations

Keeping in touch / interested in using the space?

Plot 9 is available to hire (by donation) for events that align with our values of providing an inclusive, therapeutic space for activities that support community-building, well-being, nature-connection, creativity and learning. Send Plot 9's Instagram a dm or email andy.millns@gmail.com if you're interested in talking.

To stay informed of events at Plot 9 and Andy's other projects or to get involved, fill out this form to join our mailing list and Whatsapp Community or follow Plot 9's Instagram.

Some Photos from the last month…