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Priority 2: Culture and Creativity

We will:

  • offer a range of events and activities for individuals to connect & express themselves creatively through music, visual arts, literature, and performance
  • ensure our spaces are accessible, flexible and can accommodate many uses, such as quiet study areas, and space for activities and events
  • work with our partners to increase participation and engagement with arts, cultural and creative activities
  • use culture and creativity as a vehicle to improve the health and wellbeing outcomes of adults, children and families
  • work with volunteers to facilitate creative activities in our spaces

 

Case study: The Creative Knowledge Project

Children attending an event at The Nest library
The Creative Knowledge Project was launched in 2018 with funding from Arts Council England to produce a sculpture for the new Thamesmead Library, part of the Southmere redevelopment by Peabody Housing.

The Library Service collaborated with Bow Arts to appoint residential artist Dunya Kalantery who worked with the community and local children to research and document life in the area, collaborating directly with local art studio Rima & McRae who fabricated the sculpture itself.

The sculpture, named ‘The Brightness of Juju’, takes the form of eleven suspended columns comprised of a series of stacked disks, each cast from a clay model made by a local pupil at one of several school workshops run by Bow Arts, Dunya and Rima Patel from Rima & McRae. The disks are made from a translucent resin coloured to match items collected from around Southmere Lake by the schoolchildren and processed using chromatography.

Other works produced as part of the project include a series of local radio shows, podcasts and a book, also named ‘The Brightness of Juju’ - this was produced by Dunya and Rima with content written by local primary schools who took part in the workshops.