Tower Hamlets has a deep community spirit, but over the past year opportunities for people to celebrate & share that spirit together have disappeared. Our project will build on the success of Sundial Community Centre’s (SCC) oversubscribed art classes to create space for more community engagement workshops, teaching art activities to up to 30 participants plus carers including drawing, painting, & pattern design over 15 weeks. We’ve seen first-hand how these workshops create confidence, excitement, & connection – to our neighbours & the world around us! We will train staff, volunteers, & local family members to help deliver these creative techniques. The result will be a collaboration & co-creation of a large unique mural design that celebrates the character of & will rejuvenate the area. The community’s design will be professionally painted on Sundial Community Centre’s wall for everyone to enjoy – residents, visitors, staff, & the local council.

What we'll deliver:

• Princess Anne will unveil the mural in Oct 2021 (if COVID 19 allows) to mark the 20th Anniversary of the SCC
• Create a large (up to 20m Long x 8.2m high) unique mural in Sundial Community Centre rejuvenating their public space
• Design & deliver a series (approx. 12) of FREE creative, community engaged workshops online and/or person.
• Train the staff, volunteers, & family members to help deliver these creative techniques.
• Provide up to 30 participants art materials they can keep for future art activities.
• Bring our collaborative piece into the public sphere accessible to everyone in this very diverse community

Why it's a great idea:

Creating & viewing art has been shown to be key to our wellbeing & proven to increase empathy, calmness, & feelings of inclusion. The arts are an essential part of a healthy community strengthening us socially, educationally, & economically; benefits that persist even in hard times like these. The workshops will promote relaxation & connection. They’ll improve mental health, & participants’ spatial awareness, & help people to learn art activities they can apply in the future. Our collaboration has partnered with some fab groups listed below. The co-designed mural will re-invigorate the area for everyone to enjoy. Together we’ll create a more pleasant, welcoming, both calming, & stimulating environment, which the community will feel it owns, which reflects our needs, & creates local pride for years to come. It’ll become a focal point & a destination to visit making it a cultural attraction that draws visitors to the area & inspires community spirit, cleanliness, & inclusiveness.

Steps to get it done:

• Week 1 Select the participants & conduct wellbeing questionnaire
• Week 1 Agree the process & timings of the course
• Week 1 Curate & create 12 hours of specialist content for community engagement workshops
• Week 3 Train the staff, volunteers, & family members to help deliver these creative techniques.
• Week 3 Deliver 12-hours of community engagement workshops online &/ or in person.
• Week 15 Develop new ideas locally
• Week 18 Turn ideas into mural designs & mock up artwork
• Week 1, week 10, week 18, week 22 Evaluate project throughout & share our learning with other community groups
• Week 20 Sign off mural designs with communications team, manager, & trustees of the Sundial Community Centre
• Analysis of site: permissions, risk assessments & logistics (completed)
• Week 21 Procurement of materials
• Week 22 Marking the wall with the designs
• Week 22 Painting mural
• Week 26 Public launch event at the Sundial Community Centre with Princess Anne
• Week 30 Final evaluation

Once the project is measured as a success it’ll be rolled out to the other spaces within the Peabody Trust throughout the UK starting with Darwin Court South London – further spotlighting the local community spirit & leadership of people in Tower Hamlets & creating media opportunities. To collaborate on the workshops we have partnered with: • Daycare: residents with dementia • Downright Excellent (DEx) a charity for children & young people with Down syndrome • LinkAge plus • Columbia Road primary school • East London Cares Local residents & communities including a wide range of ages, ethnicities, & underrepresented groups will take part & feel the opportunity to be seen, heard & valued. We’ll bring everyone together after months of isolation to collaborate with groups that don't usually connect, creating lasting social bonds that’ll help support everyone's mental health – resulting in improved outdoor space to help our neighbourhood recover from COVID 19.