In Conversation with Izzie Malinowski: Ticket Inspector Collective
Founded by two friends who met in GCSE science class forever ago, the Ticket Inspector Collective launch party promises to be an evening of innovation, where artworks are enriched by conversations with their creators, live music, and an audience of fellow creatives. As co-founder Izzie Malinowski puts it: “just all my favourite things in one place.” Alongside photographer Sophie Myles, a long-time friend who studies politics at York University, she has curated a space that champions the work of student creatives all over London, highlighting work from “lots of different backgrounds, not just one group of people.”
For the sake of journalistic integrity, I’ll clarify that this is far from my first meeting with Izzie, a friend from the ripe age of 11. Today, however, is different. We sit on her bed, as we have countless times before, but this time our chats are recorded. Under the warm glow of her lamps, her face lights up as she tells me how Ticket Inspector Collective came to be.
When I question her about the name, Izzie starts to giggle. “Sophie and I were discussing things that would relate to our audience which was… you know… a bunch of broke, struggling students in London. It made us think about all the times that we've sat on the train with maybe not the appropriate ticket in our possession… and that huge fear of the jangle of the keys of a ticket inspector coming down the corridor.” I hear a note of pride as she relays this, which is sure to resonate with many.
The theme ‘Stories of Adulthood’ is an apt title for a group of late teens and early twenty somethings on the cusp of maturity. When asked to describe how this will be reflected in the space, Izzie’s unbridled passion becomes apparent; she is positively beaming.
“When we were selecting the work that we would put up, we wanted to focus on pieces that kind of had a narrative… A lot of the pieces are quite personal, quite vulnerable - there's a lot to do with the human body. A lot of people interpreted it as the way they see themselves and their body, whereas other people were more looking outwards or to experiences that they have had in adulthood, shown through photography, prints, illustration… that kind of thing.”
Finding a venue in which to host such an eclectic showcase can’t have been easy, something that Izzie is quick to confirm. “I was very stubborn on the fact that I really wanted proper live music alongside the art” she states, “but it's incredibly difficult to find a venue that has sound equipment, a stage, good wall space, will let you put stuff on the walls and will let you have live music until the end.” Izzie says the process of finding a venue was “not a fun one” but ultimately, “was really, really exciting.” “It was once I realised that a lot of creative spaces don't really have websites, only Instagram accounts, is when I really started finding some interesting spots. I would just go on a deep dive of ‘Oh, this account is a venue and here's all the suggested follows from there.’ I would just go further down the Instagram spiral until I found a bunch of interesting ones, which led us to Avalon Cafe where we are hosting.”
Despite going to UAL, an arts-focussed university, Izzie studies Public Relations. Though she credits her degree with demystifying the process, she admits the project has been even more helpful for her course: “really working on the PR for something that you actually have to achieve results from, not just as a practice concept with no actual stakes, has definitely been really interesting. It's made me more engaged with my course because of that.” A strong understanding of the PR world is certainly evident in her promotion of the collective, with a striking poster and dreamy photoshoot to accompany it. The promo images present young people in their natural habitat, with headphones, a Penguin Classic edition of ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ and an electric guitar punctuating the scenes. “We definitely wanted a group scene because when I think of adulthood, I always think of the people that you spend it with — your friends.” The shoot itself was “just a really fun hangout”, courtesy of her friend Alle and his flatmates Pola, Monica and Nadia. Izzie saw another shoot they had done “just for entertainment” and asked if they’d be willing to do another one. The goal was to make it “as natural as possible”, something that was certainly accomplished. “It was just in their flat. We had good music, they wore their own clothes, and we styled it with props that were in the space already.” This casual, creative atmosphere is exactly the spirit that the Ticket Inspector Collective embodies.
There is a diverse range of contributors to the event, something that is very much intended. “Young people don't really get many opportunities to highlight themselves, especially if they don't come from an affluent background, especially if you're a minority. London is a hugely multicultural place; I really wanted to highlight all of us through this.” On the night itself, we will be offered the rare treat of interacting with the creators themselves, in addition to other attendees, of course. “Everyone's incredibly friendly so it's not a space where you only have to talk to the friend that you bring, you can really just talk to anyone.” Later in the evening, live music takes over. Izzie suggests an itinerary for the night — “Get a drink, stand by the stage and cheer… then have a smoke break.” It sounds like a rather ideal evening to me, certainly not one to be missed.
Purchase tickets to the launch party here: https://ra.co/promoters/149455
Instagram: ticket.inspector.collective
Edited by Harry Anstey-Walsh
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