Demise of Pangea Project mourned

Innovative community-based art project the Pangea Project ended in July, after owners Rosanna Schura and her husband Selim Goksel called it a day for personal and contractual reasons.

Named after a super-continent that made up the bulk of the Earth’s landmass prior to tectonic splits, Pangea brought together diverse genres and sub-cultures. Starting as a jazz venue, the renovated bar on 72 Stamford Hill morphed into a comedy and cabaret club, a restaurant, a community meeting place and a music school.

“They just gave so many people a platform, welcomed with open arms all kinds of things there which you just wouldn’t see anywhere else,” said Stamford Hill-based hip-hop musician Will Pattenden, AKA DJ Slepton, who was closely involved in Pangea from the start.

“Customers said the reason they returned was because you never knew what you were going to get – a medieval performance or some naked comedian,” he added. “[Rosie and Selim] brought people beyond [Stoke Newington] Church Street. In a way they brought something to this area of Stamford Hill.”

Slepton said the venue was a real cultural hub, bringing artists together and giving him and others the confidence to take the next step. He is now recording with a musician he met at Pangea. This view is echoed by comedian Tom Webb, who ran a weekly openmic stand-up night at Pangea from August 2008. He said: “The sense of community was what made the Pangea Project so special for me, and it will be very much missed.”

The venue was open every day, with most of the events being free. Given the adventurousness of the programme, however, only some nights made a profit. Noise complaints from residents also forced the owners to do away with large sound and dub systems. Asked why the owners didn’t adjust the booking policy to make more money, Slepton said: “They were never gonna do that… It was a project, and for a while it looked like it would succeed. It was a dream that nearly came true.”

Mrs Schura, who is a music teacher, said Pangea’s closure was a “huge loss” for her and her husband but declined to comment, saying the reasons were personal. Yet the want for live music is still there, and Hackney venues continue to re-invent themselves to adjust to changing demand.

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