Posted 18/06/2021

Community Driven Art Project at Blackwall Reach

Swan Housing Association has commissioned make:good and Bow Arts to work with the communities who live and work in the Blackwall Reach regeneration area to create a series of meaningful and collaborative pieces of artwork. When complete the artwork will be permanently displayed in the Millennium Green public park at the centre of the scheme.

The Taxonomy of Joy project invites the community to share joyful memories and moments through a series of interactive pop-up events. This collection of joy – from multi-generational family memories of the area to everyday moments that make us smile – will be used to inspire the creation of series of public art pieces.

Swan Housing Association said: “Swan wants to deliver a regeneration that has a genuine connection to the local community. The Taxonomy of Joy project will help to deliver this by creating a series of collaborative artworks inspired by the collective joyful experiences of community in which they are displayed.

We would like to encourage everyone who lives or works in the area to help shape this creative and collaborative process.”

Make:good said: “We are ecstatic to be working with the community of Blackwall Reach to co-design meaningful public artworks. We believe in powerful processes of local participation, bringing people together to collaborate on the future of an area and its built environment. You’ll likely see us around the site with our big sign, come and say hello and tell us - what brings you joy!"

Bow Arts said: “When public artwork is co-created with residents, the outcome can be transformational in new residential spaces. We’ve been in Tower Hamlets for 25 years so it’s wonderful to be part of creating meaningful public art in a big new development that’s just down the road from us.

You can tell us ‘what brings you joy’ by taking part at the pop-up events happening on 4, 11 and 18 June, at the online workshops and online. The project will continue across the summer and, following design plans and materials testing, will hopefully be installed sometime in 2022. More information can be found here.