Improving public spaces together

Beckton, East Ham, Forest Gate, Green Street, Little Ilford, Manor Park, Maryland and Plaistow.

If you are an artist or a creative practitioners with an interest in working in the public realm, please send us your portfolio. We don’t want you to spend time working up a proposal for free so please send us just 3 projects examples of yours that could be used to transform any public realm site. These could be previously commissioned projects, or simply a feasibility study for a similar site. Don’t forget there is a 10 page limit to your submission.

Shape Newham will work with artists, prioritising those who live or work in Newham. We welcome proposals from individuals, groups, organisations and partnerships and applicants should have experience in delivering public realm and public art works, preferably with experience in community design. The project team will support you if you are an artist during the commissioning process.

For more information please download the infopack (link to info pack). Deadline for submission is 21 October 2019.

We have designed these events to be fun and to make sure that anyone can take part.

 As part of the local community, you are invited to these 3 initial events. They will be asking 3 initial questions:

Assembly 1) What is important to you?

You will discuss what the priorities for your town centres should be. You will also suggest other people who you think should take part, and sites for projects.

Assembly 2) Which sites do you find the most inspiring?

In this assembly you will decide where you think a project will be the most useful for your neighbourhood.

Assembly 3) What are the options and opportunities?

This will be an event where you meet the appointed artists and designers. They will have been given your brief made up of the decisions from  assembly 1 and 2 and talking about their ideas in response! It is your chance to have the first say!

Please see Events for dates!

As part of the project it is important that we hear the many voices of the local community. To help us we will provide training in radio interviewing so that residents can record their stories. This will ensure that a diverse range of voices can contribute to the process and inspire the designers and artists. The final podcasts will be shared on this website as a shared statement of intent for the project. Please see the Newham Radio tab for live updates and more!

This vital contribution to the process will help to inspire the designers and local artists working on the projects. We will encourage local people to record their own stories and those of others by providing training in radio interviewing and recording skills. These recordings will be edited and woven together to make a series of community podcasts that will be shared on this website and at a community listening event.

Further submission requirements

Online submission deadline: day before your areas Assembly 1

Availability

East: 4 October 2019 at 5–8pm at East Ham Library

West: 17 October 2019 at 6–9pm at Applecart Arts

North: 23 October2019 at 5–7.45pm at The Gate

Site location:

Site description and any supporting information about local issues regarding the site (max 150 words):

Optional

 Ownership details if known

Availability

East: Thursday 7 November at 1–6pm

West: Thursday 14 November at 1–6pm

North: Thursday 21 November at 1–6pm

In January/February 2020 once the project sites have been chosen and the assemblies have approved artist’s concepts, members of the design committee will meet to help refine the artist’s proposal with workshops in January and February. This will shape the final design of the selected artists.

Applicants can apply at the first three assemblies or apply online using the below form. The members of the committee will be selected at the third Shape Newham assembly.

Further submission requirements 

Availability

West: 13, 27 January and 10 February (Monday evenings from 6–8pm)

East: 14, 28 January and 11 February (Tuesday evenings from 6–8pm)

North: 15, 29 January and 12 February (Monday evenings from 6–8pm)

The project team have been researching Newham’s rich history and have compiled a list of current makers and material suppliers. We hope that the majority of projects can be made by local suppliers and craftspeople in line with the council’s Community Wealth Building agenda. Artists and designers will be required to make local connections to deliver their works trying to ensure every aspect of the project is created and made in Newham. If you are not on the list and would like to be, this is your chance to put yourself forwards!

Further submission requirements 

Name of initiative/business:

Cause/ambition/product (1 sentence):

Address of existing group meetings/existing business:

Other contact details e.g. website/email/telephone

Optional submission: photograph of business

Part of the co-production process will also be training local community initiatives to contribute to the actual making of some of the projects. There will be an opportunity to take part in a community workshop placement. Submissions can be made at Shape Newham assemblies or here on the website. Those selected for workshops will be announced in Event 7 on the 25th February, with names drawn from a ballot box.

 Workshops will train attendees in the prototyping and production of 1 of the 3 following media:

1. Ceramics

2. Printmaking/Painting

3. Casting