As part of Ben Judd’s Stanley Picker Fellowship project The Origin, a series of workshops, performances, talks and tours took place at Stanley Picker Gallery, a boat moored in Kingston Upon Thames and online throughout June and July 2021.

On 2 July, author Caitlin Davies shared research and extracts from her book Downstream which covers the Hampton Court – Richmond stretch of the Thames. 

Caitlin is a novelist, non-fiction writer, teacher, mentor and journalist. She’s the author of six novels and seven non-fiction books, many of which are inspired by forgotten women from history. Some of her books have a watery theme, such as Taking the Waters, Downstream, and Daisy Belle: Swimming Champion of the World.

Ben Judd’s Stanley Picker Fellowship project The Origin reflects on Britain’s island status, both literal and metaphorical, and how islands shape the communities that live there. The Origin brings together the communities surrounding the Stanley Picker Gallery – from Kingston University students and academics to local networks, charities and residents – and asks them to imagine a classless, stateless, humane society based on common ownership. A temporary community, an experiment in living, a fictional island group. This collaborative project culminates this summer with an installation at the Gallery, a boat on the River Thames and a series of performances, workshops and events – a rehearsal for an alternative future.