Streatham Festival Blue Hoarding Project

The Streatham Festival Committee is keen to create a fantastic artistic mural working co-creatively with local schools and artists. This year, the organisers have the opportunity to paint a large mural on a hoarding on the corners of Penistone Road and Kempshott Road in Streatham, opposite Baldry Gardens. Our intention is to brighten up these street corners and welcome all who pass along Europe’s longest high street to visit our vibrant neighbourhood.

We are grateful to Access Storage and Precis Management Services Limited for enabling Streatham Festival to create this project.

Blue Hoarding Project Community Celebration

Saturday 16 November 2019 12.00 pm – 12.30 pm

Corner of Penistone Road outside City Plumbing UK’s Norbury Branch
524-525 Streatham High Road, Streatham, London SW16 3QF

Join us as we gather to celebrate the completion of the Blue Hoarding Project!
It’s your chance to admire the designs inspired by local school pupils, meet our splendid volunteers and the talented creatives behind the striking design concepts – Art Clubbers and Art4Space.
Come and have a chat about the Streatham Festival, community art, and tell us what you’d like to see more of in your area.Interactive drawing quiz for kids and photo opportunities for all.

Afterwards we will host an informal gathering at The Bull’s Rustic Retreat (from 12:30 onwards). We would love to see you there!

THE BIG PICTURE

Streatham Festival and Art Clubbers recruited a young, emerging artist for our large mural on the Streatham High Road. Hannah O’Brien recently graduated (illustration / animation) from Kingston University. It’s her first commissioned public art work. Hannah has demonstrated her ability to work on a gigantic scale with a group of volunteers, and the distractions of a building site and the A23 going on either side of her.

Hannah explains how her she developed her design ideas into a mural for the Hoarding:

‘.. I talked with members of the Streatham Festival Committee, and created a design that they felt represented Streatham community. I used drawings produced by children of all ages from local schools to influence the design, so that young people are truly a part of the design process. I took inspiration from their drawings and created a design that visually represented a part of Streatham community; Kites on the Common! Since being commissioned, I have been painting up the design onto the Blue Hoarding along with some incredible, helpful volunteers.’

sponsors and contributors

The Blue Hoarding Project is a community arts initiative of the Streatham Festival, in collaboration with local schools, Art Clubbers CIC and Art4Space.Thank you to our participating schools for contributing their artwork and ideas: Bishop Thomas Grant Secondary School, Dunraven Secondary School, St Andrew’s Primary School, Immanuel & St Andrew’s Primary School.

Thank you to Access Storage Ltd, Harmonix Construction, Leyland SDM, City Plumbing Norbury, and Streatham Action, who have made this project possible through their generous sponsorship and support.

60 second Interviews

Project Manager

Your Name: Helen Bird.

Your Involvement: I’m leading the Blue Hoarding Project, and I’m a Volunteer with Streatham Festival.

What are you doing in the Blue Hoarding Project? I’m working with participating schools, community groups, artists, volunteers and local businesses, to pull all the parts of the Project together and keep everything on track. The Project has been growing and evolving since its initial concept; this is one of the reasons I enjoy running projects. We now have another project that has come about as a result – a Streatham Schools’ Art Exhibition – see below.

What does Streatham and the Blue Hoarding Project mean to you? I feel The Blue Hoarding Project is important for our community – particularly pupils attending local schools. I’ve been lucky to have a sneaky peek at their art work! It’s a fascinating insight into what it is that they enjoy about life in Streatham. Through the Project, I hope our young artists will see how their original images can evolve into something bigger than perhaps they had imagined. Some of them will be passing it on their way to and from school, and watching it develop over the course of the next few weeks.

Any hair-raising moments so far? Not yet – but I’m wondering what the weather will be like during the Festival. I hope it isn’t going to be windy and rainy all the time. It might be quite cold! That will make painting the High Road hoarding a real challenge for our mural artist, Hannah. I’ll be making sure she and our volunteers get regular cups of tea and our information gazebo doesn’t blow away!

What are you looking forward to? Supporting the Project day-to-day, getting my hands dirty, and getting the reactions of visitors to the Schools’ Art Exhibition and those of people passing by the Blue Hoarding. I’ll be setting up our information gazebo outside City Plumbing’s Streatham showroom for the installation and celebration events in late October.

Is it too late to get involved? No! We will announce half-term events taking place at site very shortly – all are welcome to attend.

MURAL ARTIST

Mural Artist 60 Second Interview

Your name: Hannah O’Brien

Your Involvement: I designed the mural along Streatham High Road. With the help of brilliant, local volunteers, we are able to collaboratively paint the design up on the Blue Hoarding along Streatham High Road!

What’s your role in the Blue Hoarding Project? As the artist, I talked with members of the Streatham Festival Committee, and created a design that they felt represented Streatham community. I used drawings produced by children of all ages from local schools to influence the design, so that young people are truly a part of the design process. I took inspiration from their drawings and created a design that visually represented a part of Streatham community; Kites on the common! Since being commissioned, I have been painting up the design onto the Blue Hoarding along with some incredible, helpful volunteers.

What does Streatham and the Blue Hoarding Project mean to you? The Blue Hoarding Project is my first mural project. It marks a significant point in my work as an artist, as murals are something I would like to continue to do. It has been so amazing to spend time in Streatham and get to know people in the community. The volunteers have been wonderful, and everyone who walks past has been supportive and appreciative of the design.

Any hair-raising moments? Ordering paint for the mural was a confusing process! As it is my first mural I have painted it was hard to estimate how many litres of paint would be needed, as well as what kind of paint to use! After a lot of discussion, and back and forth emailing, the paint arrived just in time to start painting!

What are you looking forward to? I am looking forward to seeing the design up for an extended period of time, and witnessing reactions from local people. It will be great to see the design up on the hoarding each time I walk through Streatham, and know that I was able to take lead in such a huge and collaborative project.

How will you celebrate completing the mural? I will probably either have a pint in the pub, or curl up in bed with a cup of tea, depending on how tired out I’m feeling!

Volunteer

Your Name: Amelia Rubra.

Your Involvement: I have been helping to paint the background colours and the designs for the mural

Work / Student / other: I am a Music student, and I work in my free time.

What are you doing in the Blue Hoarding Project? I saw an advert on Instagram and thought it would be fun to help paint. I’ve been painting, drawing designs and filling them in.

What does Streatham and the Blue Hoarding Project mean to you? I think it’s impactful, as it not only brightens up Streatham and creates a more colourful and appealing environment, but also improves people’s days – those who may have been struggling. For me, this project means creating positivity wherever possible; if I were to see this mural while walking down the street it would make me stop and smile. It’s my aim to do that for as many people as I can.

What do you think the project will mean to other people? I think it could range from something as simple as putting a smile on someone’s face, to completely turning around their day. It will definitely mean a lot to the children who drew the original artworks, as they will feel a sense of accomplishment and pride – seeing their own individual creativity being showcased.

What has been your best experience so far? Seeing the style in which children draw really reminded me of how fun and effortless being a young child is. I felt so happy just to be able to draw in their simple way instead of always seeking to draw better and do better. It’s refreshing to be able to almost go back in time.

Why did you decide to volunteer? How did you learn about this opportunity? I saw an advert for the project on Instagram, and decided it would be fun and give me something to do, instead of just sitting at home watching TV.

What are you planning to do after this project? I’m planning on continuing my college course, working at Domino’s, and staying in touch with the people I have met doing this project, so I can volunteer for them in the future, or help with anything they need help with.

Project Partner - School

Project Partner (School) 60 second interview

Your Name: Maria Smith.

Your Involvement: I work at St Andrew’s Catholic Primary and have engaged Year 5 and Year 6 pupils with the Blue Hoarding Project.

What’s your role in the Blue Hoarding Project? I have submitted my pupils’ artwork to be shortlisted for the project.

What does Streatham and the Blue Hoarding Project mean to you? It means a great deal to have the privilege and opportunity to work with children on this local art project. It’s where they can see their own creations come to life, and be enjoyed by everyone in the community – and those who visit Streatham. It gives meaning to their work and a certain pride about where we live.

Any insights into your teaching practice and arts education that you’d like to share with us? I am passionate about creating and sharing art with the children I work with. We learn from each other, and that is why art is so important. It is an organic dialogue which grows with every creative endeavour: spreading new ideas, increasing well-being and stimulating problem-solving skills.

What are you looking forward to? I am so looking forward to the coming weeks when the children’s artwork becomes a public piece of art to be enjoyed by all. I can’t wait to show the children what they are capable of and to see their faces!

How will you celebrate completing the mural? I think a colourful celebration will be in order once we see the completed mural. I think perhaps a visit with the children and a quick sprint back to art class to produce some more wonderful masterpieces!

Volunteer

Q: Your Name: Emma Cufflin

Q: What is your role in the Blue Hoarding Project? Volunteer painting the Blue Hoarding

Q: What does Streatham and the Blue Hoarding Project mean to you? My family and I pass the hoarding every day. When we see the art in other neighbourhoods, such as Dulwich, Herne Hill, Croydon, Shoreditch, we see the positive impact – it can really inspire. We want that for our own neighbourhood. We want to see local artists get a platform to showcase their talents.

Q: What do you think the project will mean to other people? It will vary according to the individuals within the community. In just one day I had the following reactions said to me –

‘I’m going to come along and tag all over it once it’s done’

‘What’s the point in doing that?’

‘Can’t you paint something nice for us to look at?’

Some will embrace it and appreciate it. How they appreciate the art may draw on their own personal circumstances and how they interpret it.

Q: What has been your best experience so far? It was satisfying to meet a bunch of young people who genuinely wanted to direct their input into making the community look better.

For them to come forward and volunteer deserves great acknowledgement and gratitude.

Q: Why did you decide to volunteer? How did you learn about this opportunity? I heard about it on Twitter, it was close to my home and I was available.

Q: What are you planning to do after this project? I would like to stay in touch with the team and help them build on this for future projects.

Volunteer

Volunteer 60 second interview

Your Name: Creos Small.

Your Involvement: I’m a Volunteer on the Blue Hoarding Project.

Work / Student / other: I’m a recent graduate.

What are you doing in the Blue Hoarding Project? Repainting school children’s designs based on life in Streatham.

What does Streatham and the Blue Hoarding Project mean to you? To travel, explore – and experience the Blue Hoarding Project.

What do you think the project will mean to other people? The Blue board designs are very colourful and appealing to the eye, which would make other people want to come and visit Streatham.

What has been your best experience so far? I thoroughly enjoyed meeting and working with a new team. Above all, I enjoyed assisting with bringing the children’s designs to life, onto the panels as well as on the Blue Hoarding.

How did you learn about this opportunity? I heard of this opportunity from Action Space. I decided to volunteer because I have extensive experience in various artistic skills. I have used these creative skills through volunteering with children and work experience within the community. I previously volunteered on the Cricklewood Improvement Programme, drawing images around Cricklewood. This project was set up by the Mayor of London to improve the image of the area.

What are you planning to do after this project? I would like to continue working in the community. I also want to continue working with young people. I would enjoy employment as an Art Assistant, helping new up-and-coming school art students. In my spare time I would like to continue marketing my own art work at auction houses, galleries and online.

GET INVOLVED

If you have any questions please do contact us, and please also share this with anybody else that you think might be interested.