Celebrating women living in Shoreditch and Hoxton from different cultures through song, and bringing residents together on Hackney estates to explore the subject of tea are some of the inspirations to be awarded funding as part of a continued Council drive to share the benefits of economic growth through the planning process.
The projects have been funded through the Shoreditch and Hoxton Art Fund – an investment into arts and cultural projects using levies placed on new developments, called Section 106 contributions – with priority given to those that bring residents, businesses and visitors together and build better connections between communities.
In round three of the art fund, nearly £75,000 will be split between six arts and cultural organisations’ projects, which also include engaging young people in learning how to illuminate landmark buildings, the expansion of a community orchestra project and transforming community space on Hoxton Street to create an ‘escape room’ experience.
The £300,000 fund builds on Council ambitions to ensure a fair recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic for all and to promote and support activities in town centres and neighbourhoods that help to keep people connected to opportunities in a rapidly changing borough.
Cllr Guy Nicholson, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Planning, Culture and Inclusive Economy, said: “The quality of ideas which came forward as part of the latest round of allocations for the Shoreditch and Hoxton Art Fund is tremendous and we are hugely excited to see these projects realised over the coming year. The Shoreditch and Hoxton Art Fund is a groundbreaking use of planning gain and provided the wherewithal for artists and creative practitioners to become the bridge between residents and the changing neighbourhood brought about by new development in this successful and rapidly growing local economy. The fund has been designed to help build the bridge between the creative and creative tech business community clustered in and around Shoreditch and Hoxton and the community of local residents.”
Winners include:
Counterpoints Arts: a national organisation supporting arts and cultural projects produced by migrant and refugee communities, will deliver a musical installation, One Song, at the Museum of the Home in Hoxton, featuring recordings of women from local migrant communities singing songs they have carried with them from the places they were born.
Grand Union Orchestra: an independent music theatre company will expand the Shoreditch and Hoxton Community Orchestra(initially funded by Round 2 of the Shoreditch and Hoxton Art Fund) to include young musicians and another series of musical events, which will culminate in festive performances in and around Hoxton Street and in Shoreditch Town Hall in 2022.
Ministry of Stories: a creative writing and mentoring charity which helps young people develop their storytelling and creative skills will transform its workshop on Hoxton Street to create an “escape room” experience behind Hoxton Street Monster Supplies.
Museum of the Home: the museum will launch the What’s Your Cup of Tea? project in March 2022, which will engage residents in Hoxton through workshops over a cup of tea, where participants will listen to talks and take part in discussions about how tea plays a part in their collective histories, dealing with themes such as politeness, behaviour and colonisation.
Shoreditch Town Hall: a training programme for local young people to learn the technical and creative skills needed to illuminate public buildings through projection mapping, including Shoreditch Town Hall itself and local landmarks in Shoreditch and Hoxton.
Hackney has long been the creative heart of London, and Shoreditch and Hoxton have a rich cultural heritage from fine art and live performance to architecture and fashion to digital media and creative tech. These areas have experienced great change in recent years as new developments and new businesses arrive in the area.
The Council is determined to use all of its powers, land and influence to ensure that these changes create opportunities for all of the area’s residents and businesses. Including the latest round of grants, the project has supported 16 new projects with a quarter of a million pounds of funding.
