You’re all invited to a month of socials, celebrations, laughs and tears at Metal Peterborough about what is possible when the sh*t hits the fan.
Metal and the other organisations based at Chauffeurs Cottage will be leaving in December. It wasn’t our decision and it’s one we’re still trying to get our heads around, but we’re working hard to find a new space in the city that will be just as wonderful, whilst celebrating all the magical moments we’ve spent here.
Being thrown into this situation has made us reflect on ‘necessity as a mother of invention’ – being faced with a challenging situation and being inspired to create a new imaginative solution. It’s made us dream about inspiring futures and what a queer, accessible, anti-racist space would look like from scratch.
To mark our final moments in the building, we’re hosting a series of celebrations, sharings, and dinners all exploring what’s possible when things go wrong.
Join us for evenings filled with food, conversation and dancing. There’ll be opportunities to support us by helping on our volunteer days, packing up and filling storage boxes with bits from the building and garden, and seeing out our time at the building with a bang at one big celebratory party. Time to look to the future!
Dates for your diary
Check back for further information as the programme develops and follow us on our social media for the latest updates: @metalpeterborough
Food Gatherings
Reimagine the future with us, from dumpling making to discussions over democracy of space and ownership of land via a ‘pub’ quiz and karaoke.
- Thursday 28 November, 6.30 – 9.30pm: Food Gatherings: Who Owns The Land? With Emma Edmondson and Shaun C Badham
Join artists Emma Edmondson and Shaun C Badham for an evening of activity exploring the theme of land ownership, agency and what’s possible when things go wrong. Expect talks around artists’ agency, protest postcard writing, hearty root vegetable stew and a quiz titled Who Owns the Land?
For One Night Only
Join collectives and artists hosting events at Chauffeurs for ‘one night only’ in response to ‘what’s possible when things go wrong’…spoiler alert: a lot!
- Friday 29 November, 7.30 – 10.30pm: Syntax Poetry Do Write Club
Join Syntax Poetry for a comeback of Write Club at Chauffeurs. Originally created by poets Mark Grist, Charley Genever and Keely Mills back in 2016, Write Club is best described as Fight Club-meets a pokemon battle-meets a poetry slam. - Saturday 30 November, 4.30 – 6.30pm: Battle Lines
A new selection of street artists is taking to the Chauffeurs floor for a fast, furious and freeform art battle. Join local artists Graham George, Amanda Rigby and Process Smith who will have 2 hours to respond to the theme of ‘What’s possible when things go wrong’.
Out with a Bang Party: Saturday 30 November, 7pm
We can’t leave our home of over 10 years without celebrating with the people of Peterborough and those who have enjoyed using our space, old and new! Save Saturday 30 November from 7pm in your diaries. Expect a special host and DJ to keep us all dancing and laughing into the night. Come raise a glass with us, dance through the happy and sad tears, and help us make this a night we’ll never forget. Learn more here.
Volunteer Days
Up for shifting a box or two? We’re looking for folks to help us pack and fill some storage boxes with bits from the building and deconstruct the garden, ready to take to our new home. Who knows what artwork you might stumble across in our storage room!
- Pack up after the party: Tuesday 3 December, 11 – 3pm
A day of teamwork, laughs and a whole lot of bubble wrap as we box and label our way to a fresh start. From wrapping items to taping boxes, there will be a job for everyone.
Past events
Food Gatherings
Reimagine the future with us, from dumpling making to discussions over democracy of space and ownership of land via a ‘pub’ quiz and karaoke.
- Saturday 16 November, 4 – 7pm: Food Gatherings: Dumplings for Dinner Tonight! With Hidden Keileon
“When I was 16, my dad would lure me home by saying ‘dumplings for dinner tonight’. Now I’m in my 30s, when my dad visits me in the UK, the first meal he makes is still dumplings.” Join artist collective Hidden Keileon as we stir ingredients, wrap up memories we create at reunions, and dream about possibilities that arise in chaos.
- Thursday 21 November, 6.30 – 8.30pm: Food Gatherings: The Body Remembers with Kate Marsh
Join artist-researcher Kate Marsh for a practical session exploring what the body remembers, what we want to leave behind, and what we want to take forward. We’ll use improvisation and play to discover what’s possible when we have permission to fail.
For One Night Only
Join collectives and artists hosting events at Chauffeurs for ‘one night only’ in response to ‘what’s possible when things go wrong’…spoiler alert: a lot!
- Monday 18 November, 7-8.30pm: The Gleaners and I (2000) with Cine Sister
For one night only, join Cine-Sister for a film screening of The Gleaners and I, a poetic and deeply personal documentary that explores themes of waste, resourcefulness, and the overlooked lives of those who make use of society’s excess.
Support us – Become a Metal Champion
Be part of something extraordinary and help support the future of Metal Peterborough by becoming a Metal Champion. Join us in driving lasting change across the city and nationally. Now, more than ever, we need your support to make this vision a reality. Learn more and support us here.
