Opposite the railway tracks by Peckham Rye station in Southeast London is a disused multi-storey car park. Southwark Council were planning on tearing it down ten years ago but sustained local opposition caused them to rethink. The reason? It’s the site of a diverse and ambitious summer arts programme called Bold Tendencies that has become a much-loved addition to south London’s cultural scene.
Bold Tendencies is now in its 20th year. It was set up by gallerist Hannah Barry when she was 22 years old. Working out of her Peckham gallery in nearby Holly Grove, she oversees an international season of arts events and installations that this year is themed around ‘Euphoria’. The programme includes a ceramic ‘pub’ by Emma Hart and Tarek Lakhrissi’s glowing butterfly chrysalis.
There’s music by award-winning teen pianist Ryan Wang and the Colin Currie Group, who specialise in Steve Reich’s work. There’s also a world première of choreographer Oona Doherty’s latest solo work Leather Jacket (specially commissioned by Bold Tendencies) and an evening with poet and novelist Ben Okri.
From May to September anyone can climb the bubblegum-pink staircase – a permanent artwork by Simon Whybray – to reach the top floors where the summer takeover happens. Here you can sit behind acoustic curtains in the concrete concert hall (think Barbican Brutalism but with no frills whatsoever) to hear the Philharmonia or the Multi-Story Orchestra, before visiting the tranquil Derek Jarman Garden on the top floor. Artist Richard Wentworth’s Agora (2015) covers the entire rooftop in snaking silvery lines, while Frank’s Café serves mean negronis and lazy Hugos as you watch the sun set behind an impressive skyscraper skyline.
Initially, Barry used the car park solely to exhibit contemporary sculpture. Fundraising for an expanded programme was difficult because she never knew if the building would be available again the following year. But once the council decided not to knock it down, and she was able to agree a 20-year lease, there was a shift in her thinking. This was the start of the site’s permanent commissions, such as Wentworth’s interactive Agora and Whybray’s Instagram-friendly stairwell (officially titled hi boo I love you).
In 2019, Barry added a rooftop billboard to the roster of annual commissions. The first was by Jenny Holzer; this year’s is by Andreas Gursky. The latter’s wraparound one features a rave at the Frankfurt club Cocoon and recalls the euphoric days of early trance music. These days, however, the site reverberates to the sounds of Louis Morlæ’s green buggy. It self-drives across the car-park roof as the sun goes down, fuelled by wind and sun measurements that have been transformed into electronic beats.
Bold Tendencies is for everyone, not just cultural insiders. The fact that the organisation takes a car park, free to enter, for its setting means it’s more approachable than a cross-town visit to the classical columned edifices that are our national museums. It employs young local people, has a committed youth programme and offers neurodiverse events alongside community coffee mornings. Local groups and schools praise Bold Tendencies for its accessibility, inclusiveness, participatory nature and inspirational warmth.
This year, up on the roof, you can pay £2 for a padlock to clip on to the shutter of Athen Kardashian and Nina Mhach Durban’s derelict ‘shop’. This interactive artwork, with its dusty windows and flier-strewn doormat, looks similar to the shuttered shops around Peckham Rye station. But Rye Lane itself is a vibrant and diverse high street with nail bars, hair salons and pound stores sharing the pavement with bespoke coffee shops, organic wine bars and independent foodie hangouts, as well as the Peckhamplex Cinema, Bussey Building and legendary Peckham Soul record shop. There’s something for everyone and everyone is welcome: at Bold Tendencies and beyond.
Bold Tendencies, Floors 7–10, Peckham Multi-Storey Car Park, London SE15. The ‘Euphoria’ season runs until 12 September 2026. For more information, visit boldtendencies.com
