CORPORATISM is closing on Hackney, especially in the southern districts, yet the weirdness is still around.

This weekend the DIG collective presents Hole Story, writers and artists performing in a hole dug in the garden of the old rectory of St John at Hackney E8, a property soon to be demolished for redevelopment.

The press release talks about an “8sq metre cubic hole”. A square cubic hole: more than weird. The aim is to celebrate the written word in Hackney and to send up the aspirations of property investment.

Open Dalston founder Bill Parry-Davies will be one of the holed-up.

He tells Loving Dalston: “I will be reading and accompanying myself on saxophone as I perform Jon’s Scooters, about place, loss, burial and imitation.

“The rest of the band won’t fit in the hole so I’ll be improvising their parts as well.”

Jon’s Scooters is one of the shops affected by Hackney council’s failure to restore the Georgian terrace in Dalston Lane. Open Dalston has been vigorously campaigning for its conservation.

The Hole event starts with a public viewing tomorrow Saturday. Beer  and snacks will be sold.

David Altheer 190914 

* Hole Stories, at E8 1HR, behind St John at Hackney E5 0PD, Sat 20 Sep 2014, noon-4pm and  Sun 21 Sep 2014, 4pm-7pm. Free, although booking is required.

* Main picture shows writer David Dawkins speaking from the ground and, right, St Augustine’s tower, near the old rectory. 

* Emboldened underscored words in most cases indicate a hyperlink, a reader service rare among websites. If a link does not work, it is probably because the site to which the URL refers has not been maintained.