A series of films were curated and commissioned by Pope and Guthrie for showing on an adapted boat. Commissioned by the Olympic Delivery Authority, UP Projects invited Pope and Guthrie (working as Somewhere) and architects Studio Weave to develop the project connecting communities with the new Olympic Park. The project involved many local makers, designers and boat specialists, contributing to the cinema’s distinctive identity – a water-borne cinema with capacity to project film on to screens on the bankside. Somewhere curated films by 60 filmmakers, mainly local to East London, related to the places they were shown. Somewhere also contributed a new film, remaking Barging Through London (1924), contrasting the waterways of 90 years ago with today’s.
Somewhere’s research innovation was in developing strategies for engagement with the waterways’ communities through conversation, local employment, exploiting design familiarity, etc. ‘Floating Cinema’ hosted 31 different film-related events, connected six boroughs and navigated 11 different waterways during its three-month programme of on-board screenings, newly commissioned performances and tours, talks, workshops and large-scale outdoor screenings. Contributions included Olympic Park tours by Iain Sinclair and Richard Mabey, performances by Ian Giles, a new film by Michael Smith and graffiti tours by Cedar Lewisohn. Outdoor screening events attracted 300–400 people, greatly exceeding expectations. The website received over 75,000 unique visitors, highlighting the potential for further development, the subject of a current bid to the Digital Fund for the Arts.
The project received extensive specialist press coverage, including The Sunday Times Magazine, London Evening Standard, The Guardian, The Independent, The New York Times Style Magazine and BBC online (all 2011) and The Daily Telegraph (2013). Pope was interviewed by BBC London radio (2011) and the project was featured on BBC London News television and Sky TV (both 2011).