Cats Creep and Avant Garden: two Open Houses team up to create an extraordinary artistic experience

Hi Roberta and Xavier, Cats Creep has been an Open House for several years now, but this is the first time you have partnered with Avant Garden. Would you like to tell us how this came about?

Roberta and Xavier: We’ve always known about Daisy’s extraordinary garden but only got the opportunity to really appreciate it when Daisy visited our Open House last year, and we suggested we gang up together to create our own Roundhill Theme Park! Since then both Daisy’s and our sides of the Cats Creep have been constant hives of activity trying to get everything ready for the public to visit.

Daisy, Avant Garden is new to AOH – can you tell us a bit about who you are and what you do?

Daisy: The Avant Garden has only just emerged into a usable space from being a wild, neglected hillside. A huge amount of back-breaking work from volunteers has made it possible and AOH has given us the perfect event to gun for! My background is theatre – directing and writing, and I see The Avant Garden as a kind of slow-growing organic play, but one that doesn’t need to end!

Roberta & Xavier, would you like to tell us what other artists and events visitors will encounter in your house and garden?

Roberta and Xavier: Visitors to our house, which at first sight appears to be a regular Brighton terrace, are bemused on entering a bright open space spanning two floors, filled with carefully curated works by a close group of painters, sculptors, a jeweller and a ceramicist. Descending the stairs you will enter a courtyard dedicated to 10 young graduates of the only fine art degree in blacksmithing, in Hereford.

The fun is only just starting though as the large, vaguely tamed garden offers a secret haven; under the trees, a pop-up cafe with a collection of Xavier’s photographs, a magical tree house with friendly textile bats. And throughout the garden, Robert Littleford’s powerful installations reflecting on issues of immigration. 

We have worked closely as a team, determined to put on a beautiful but thought provoking exhibition we are all proud of.  In the midst of the panic and stress to be ready, we had great fun creating our group identity the ‘Cats Creep Gang’, where Wes Anderson meets the Brady Bunch.

Daisy, can you tell us about the artists’ projects and performances visitors will find? 

Daisy: You’ll find Jim Sanders and his bones from the legendary Spirit House, Scarlet Ostick’s haunting artworks, Karen Francesca’s ceramic collage, Kate Alderton’s dream collages, many other emerging artists as well as a giant sun, workshops and impromptu turns in the amphitheatre.

Roberta & Xavier and Daisy: Do you have plans for future developments and for collaboration between you?

Roberta and Xavier: Personally, the carrot on the horizon is a holiday in Cornwall! Once our batteries are replenished and the stress forgotten, I’m sure we’ll be back again with more adventurous plans yet. 

Daisy: I for one have been astonished at the reaction this collaboration has had. Once we’ve all recovered I’d love to talk about more!

Is there anything else you would like to tell us?

Roberta and Xavier: One of the pleasures of this project has been to offer art and a beautiful experience to everyone, and to combine with Daisy in creating such a fun and unexpected experience.

Visit: Cats Creep
10 Richmond Road, Brighton, BN2 3RN
No.6 on the Beyond The Level trail

Visit: The Avant Garden
14 Wakefield Road, Brighton, BN2 3FP
No.6 on the Beyond The Level trail