History of our projects

Brief background of Burgess Park

Burgess Park was planned fifty years ago as a "green lung" for South London. Land has been recovered and all buildings demolished except the Grade Two listed almshouses at Chumleigh Gardens and a complex of old factory sheds including our studios. In the process of regeneration thousands of people left, but many were rehoused nearby on the Aylesbury Estate.

Our aim

We aim to bring back to what is now a vast park many different communities and to encourage them to participate in its development by kindling their interest in the natural environment. As artists we are inspired by the sight of people interacting in a wide open space with things they find out of doors: from ice on the pond to tracks in the mud, kites to bikes, lake water birds to ants, buds to seedpods, tools to toys.

Community Projects are led by artists trained in the disciplines of sculpture, printmaking, dance, film, video and painting. A very important and additional role is taken by volunteers and placement students who frequently find new work with us.

How do Community projects come about?

Organically. People have a great interest in the making of new places and bring memories as well as skills to the collaborative process. In 1997 we drafted an Artists Charter for Burgess Park which generated a number of commissioned community projects with our neighbours Groundwork Southwark. These include 'Where Once was Water', a tile scheme mapping the Grand Union Canal ( filled in thirty years ago), ' Circle of Life', a ring of bronze to celebrate the Millennium and paving at the Lime Kiln, the last relic of industry on the canal wharf.

On similar lines in 1998/9, we started a (small) Children's Charter for Play in the Park, funded by London Arts. Alongside three and four year olds we explored their games in the park and school play areas and helped them to invent new landscapes in the studio and to describe their findings. We await an opportunity to apply this research to the creation of dedicated play places for the very young in Burgess Park. Let's hope it happens soon...