ella monnerat

last summer in vienna & cornwall

called my sister from the living room

At When They Meet, we hope to foster a relaxed environment where creative people can learn from each other. Inspired by the Bengali concept of adda—the kind of long, meandering conversations that unfold among friends—we hope to create space for meaningful connections and collective resource-sharing. Whether you’re an artist, writer, performer, or simply someone with a curiosity for creative exchange, When They Meet offers a space to share and grow. Designed and prepared by chef Lou McCarthy, our menus celebrate seasonal ingredients and aim to provide a communal dining experience that encourages connection. Each dinner is accompanied by a rotating program of performances, screenings, and workshops, shaping an evening that unfolds organically between structured moments and free-flowing discussion. In an era of fast-paced instant gratification, we aim to practice slowness, kindness and empathy. While many of our guests enjoy a drink, we maintain a sober-friendly atmosphere. The goal is a space where people feel present and engaged. Poster by @koenzegwu

three nights in paris

thank you so much for coming to When They Meet, Chapter 7 — Blind Dates! couldn’t make it? we hope to see you at Chapter 8 on Sunday, 20 July at @strongroom.venue with performances by @alex.haydn @_awo_world_ @conradrayner020 (not blind dates!) 📷 @elisha_tawe

WMN* is back on Friday 18th July at @referencepoint180 with ‘Intimacy & Care’ 🫂🗓️ The evening will showcase the work of dancers, filmmaker, intimacy coordinator, and visual artists whose practices are shaped by ongoing research into intimacy, vulnerability, censorship, and safety. The event will start with a dance performance by @salomepressac and artwork presentation by @yolandaliou @ambrosiafortuna and @susankellaway.studio . Followed by a panel conversation, moderated by @ellamonnerat , reflecting on the challenges and nuances of portraying intimacy in creative work, from navigating safety on and off set to negotiating the boundaries between visibility, vulnerability, and censorship. Joining the conversation will be filmmaker Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor, intimacy coordinator @el__wood , dancers @salomepressac and @papayadelmaya , and visual artists @yolandaliou , @ambrosiafortuna and @susankellaway.studio After the panel stick around for a DJ set by @nina_signorina & mixer❤️‍🔥 🗓️ Friday 18th July ⏰7pm 🔗 Tickets link in bio 📍Referenfe Point 180 @referencepoint180 Poster design by @asya.demidova #londonevents #paneldiscussion #intimacycoordinator #choreographers #filmmaker #intimacy #care #danceperformance #photography #painting

We’re going two for two with our matchmaking and you’re all invited! Have a bite and meet the potential love of your life or at worst the night. We’ll be @strongroom.venue this time and we’ve laid out the house rules for you: For each course you will be matched with a different person In the workshops and breaks you will have the opportunity to connect with people you weren’t matched with Any questions please dm @when.they.meet or email us at [email protected] - we get that blind dating can be a bit intimidating so we’re here if you need to talk through it before getting a ticket.

Standing at the precipice: Artist Precious Opara transforms the tension between practicality and passion into art that blurs the boundaries between human form and fantastical landscapes. From painting to sculpture and glassblowing, Opara’s interdisciplinary practice brings abstract emotions into vivid, tangible existence. Read our conversation about her journey to finding her artistic voice, and the instinct to leap into the unknown on molamag.com. Link in bio. ✍️ Words @ellamonnerat 📷Photography @gessicahage

what was that? (a lot of @quanch )

In conversation: We spoke with artist @laisulhoque  on tracing his Bangladeshi roots, vulnerability, and self-exposure in London’s art scene. Read the full interview now on @molaeditions  Substack. 
Link in bio. Portraits photography @eliseleonmorales Words @ellamonnerat

i am on substack again… more times in the past month than in the year before that. this is ‘thread’ An earlier version of this piece was published in Zine Vol. 1 (Silence) by @theelegistscollective in 2023. This version was first performed at @home.sick.collective ’s ‘Do You Think Of Yourself As?’ exhibition on the 15th of March 2025. In memory of Beatriz Garcia Da Costa Monnerat (☆1926 — ✝︎2025) SAUDADE images from my family archives + ‘Brasil! Brasil! The Birth of Modernism’ exhibition at @royalacademyarts quotes from the Substack post + Oswald de Andrade’s ‘Cannibalist Manifesto’ (1928)

a shopping list of references