Rob, Luka and Amani are trio of party professors who have formed Fresh Junk, a collective that groove, skate and host immersive art exhibtions. Do you want to lose yourself in the riddim, explore movement and have a good time? Fresh Junk gon’ give it to ya.
Fresh Junk blossomed from like-minded friends with a shared vision to exhibit art and dance in a fun creative space. Their recurring immersive event, Bodies in Motion, celebrates photography, videography, fine art, music, performance and the art of partying. With no frills, snobbery, or judgement, the collective take pride in being inclusive and light-hearted. As Amani explains, this is an attempt to depart from an elitist tradition: “It expresses something quite novel about performance and dance, bringing performances down to a level which is unpretentious and accessible.” Fresh Junk create a veritable safe space for expression and acceptance, with this ethos being summarised perfectly in their tagline for their last event: “Wiggle your body! Bust a move! All styles, your styles, my styles, no styles… anything goes!”
“The nice thing about Leeds is that it’s small enough for there to be a sense of community, but big enough for things to happen.”
Fresh Junk have a notable appreciation for Leeds, particularly its varied and friendly community and how it helped shape them: “The community that we have is the only reason why Bodies in Motion could exist, we call on so many favours.” Luka is quick to acknowledges the help and inspiration they’ve received from communities such as: “Sable Radio, Northern Dance, the breaking community, the green community, Green Action, Rainbow Junktion, Cosmic Slop, the party scene, Dman and Friends…”. An environment where creativity can thrive, Rob sums up Leeds well: “The nice thing about Leeds is that it’s small enough for there to be a sense of community, but big enough for things to happen.”
By attending a Fresh Junk event, you won’t only be feeling good but doing good too; all profits from Bodies in Motion go to charity. Their first event raised money for MAP, the wonderful music and arts charity providing young people who no longer have access to mainstream schooling with creative qualifications. Their second was for Rainbow Junktion, a community café that works to reduce food waste by turning food that would otherwise go to waste into nutritious pay-as-you-feel meals for the community.
The sky is the limit for this trio of self-proclaimed ‘silly guys’. Their final imparting pearl of wisdom is: “If you have an idea and some friends to help you – just freaking do it!”. Fresh Junk’s DIY approach is inspiring and demonstrates their genuine enthusiasm for art, dance, partying and all things fun and intriguing. Keep your ears to the ground for their next event, which is set for January.
Want to get involved and showcase your art? Contact Rob, Luka and Amani at freshjunkarts@gmail.com (deadline for submission is 10th January).
Claire Hamilton