close search

The Cornerstone - A Community Landmark

Funded on Spacehive 27 August 2019 Delivered 4 December 2020

Impact data and claims within this report are provided by the project creator and have not been independently verified by Spacehive.

The Cornerstone - A Community Landmark

BermondseyStreet.London By BermondseyStreet.London

To construct and install a monumental landmark stone sculpture in Bermondsey using 100+ stone carvings by public participants of open community engagement workshops achieving a living art heritage.

Southwark Delivery stage

205
backers
£86,081
raised
funded icon
This project was funded on 27 Aug 2019!

The Cornerstone is a public collaboration art piece led by artist Austin Emery, which will solidify connections across the local community, London and beyond. Through this challenging time in history marked by divisive political and cultural happenings, we are bringing people together using art-making (stone carving) as a tool to enhance social cohesion, having fun and be creatively productive together! Pieces of stone, hand-carved by children and adult participants from Whites Grounds Estate, Bermondsey Street and the wider community during open public workshops, will be permanently assembled into this totemic monument along side stone fragments of historic London including Southwark Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament and even bones from the River Thames. Together this will form a living art heritage, connecting people across time, social and geographical boundaries. The work of yesterday’s stone masons will exist along side the contemporary work of today’s community.

What we'll deliver:

  • A landmark sculptural monument
  • Collective empowerment to the community in the broadest sense
  • Enhanced social cohesion
  • Ownership and pride over public space
  • A collective sense of belonging and purpose
  • The unique opportunity to create personal sense of heritage through stone carving
  • Improved public space
  • Equal opportunity for artistic engagement
  • Removal of a boundary barrier fence and replace it with artwork
  • Enriched connection to the culture, heritage and history of London

Why it's a great idea:

The Cornerstone brings people together through public artistic engagement, providing a sense of belonging and ownership. People form strong connections to each other, their neighbours and the wider community whilst making a major physical change to a public space. Our project helps overcome the challenges of gentrification and the ever increasing wealth gap within inner city multi-cultural areas. By celebrating our diversity and creating opportunity for life-long established Londoners to work along side immigrant new-comers, we form bonds based on equality, mutual respect and positive partnerships. The resulting empowerment improves the well-being and self-worth of the individuals and community as a whole. This sculpture will exist through time beyond our lives into the future. The opportunity to feel connected to the creation and realisation of this heritage gives participants and pledge supporters a rare and profound chance to truly make their mark on London, 'set in stone'.

Steps to get it done:

  • Assemblage of Sculpture to include all 100+ participant stone carvings! (Summer 2019)
  • Site preparation including laying of foundation for Sculpture (September 2019)
  • Transporting the Sculpture to location (September 2019)
  • Installation of Sculpture on new foundation (September 2019)
  • Integration of existing railing into Sculpture (September 2019)
  • New railing detail integrating into existing railing (September 2019)
  • Finishing details of Sculpture and fixing connection stones in-situ (October 2019)
  • Fabricate & install plaque -project info & credits (October 2019)
  • Unveiling the sculpture (October 2019 with official celebration September 2020)

This project follows the success of The Shared (2014), an award-winning sculpture which was created through a similar process by local artist/stone mason, Austin Emery, who has lived and worked closely with this community over the past 10 years. Working with the 'social fabric' of people, materials and space to create public art, telling stories stitched together with stone, which is often reclaimed and recycled, reinvigorating history and creating fresh heritage. The Cornerstone is about the empowerment of people coming together to create a focal point right in the heart of the Bermondsey Street community... 'Working together, making a stone landmark, transforming the material, the space, ourselves and eachother... our physical and social reality.' (Lead artist, Austin Emery)

Location Southwark

About the space

Corner of Whites Grounds Estate and Bermondsey Street

Council

London Borough of Southwark

How will the money be spent?Total £85,352

Installation of Sculpture - £40,970 (48%)
Construction and production of Sculpture - £29,400 (34%)
Contingency - £3,900 (5%)
Community engagement - £2,750 (3%)
Project management - £1,680 (2%)
Public consultation - £1,250 (1%)
Office & Administration - £320 (0%)
Other - £5,082 (6%)

Costs Breakdown

This shows how money raised for the project will be spent. These costs have been confirmed by the project's Delivery Manager and verified.

48%
Installation of Sculpture
£40,970
34%
Construction and production of Sculpture
£29,400
5%
Contingency
£3,900
3%
Community engagement
£2,750
2%
Project management
£1,680
1%
Public consultation
£1,250
0%
Office & Administration
£320
6%
Other Read More
£5,082
  • Spacehive fees
    £4,014
  • VAT
    £803
  • Transaction Fees
    £266

Overfunding

This project is enabled for overfunding. If the project hits its funding goal before the end of the campaign period, any extra funds raised will be spent (in order of priority) on:

  • As this project grows so do the ideas... and we are looking more and more into the development of the micro-ecosystem that we can create surrounding the Cornerstone following its installation through the planting we will do... creating a surrounding mini wildlife garden, working with local community gardeners to create an ecosystem which is naturally propagating, sustainable, aromatic, medicinal (flowering herbs!!) and also to work with our local bee keepers Bermondsey Street Bees to enhance the environment for the local bee population who quite literally provide us with the only true taste of Bermondsey Street!

Total £85,352

Our Volunteer List

We're currently looking for people to offer skills and time to develop our project! Check out the list of what we need below and then use the 'Volunteer' button to the right to get involved.

Want to help?

Do you have stuff or skills to contribute to this project? Use this tool to offer something to the project creator.

Volunteer
{{comment.UserName}} Creator Backer
{{comment.Comment}}
{{comment.Comment}}
{{reply.UserName}} Creator Backer
{{reply.Comment}}
{{reply.Comment}}