An often used phrase we hear at artsdepot is ‘I never even knew you were here’, even though we’ve been here for 20 years! Our exterior resembles an office block and our entrance is down a side street, making us merge into the surroundings. As the place for culture in Barnet this is obviously a drawback, so with the help of Edgy Collective, Barnet Council and LFA we took the provocation of the LFA2024 Call to Action and set aside a day to ask our community what we should do to enliven the outside.
We are a creative home for everyone and we put our vision to the test. We were inspired by the call to action and research work done previously as part of LFA around the Museums and making the road a public space. Using the LFA as a stimulus for engagement and ideas is a great way to build public engagement and try new things. Over 200 people came to paint on our windows and create hats in the shape of artsdepot that could inspire our landlords and us to brighten up the concrete. Symbols, drawings and nature made with chalk paint were all strongly represented on the three metre by 2.5 meter glass which has immediately brightened up the window and draws the eye across to it.
The project didn't end in June however. We’ve left it up to inspire people to contribute to the installation in our café, which is collecting ideas from our community in the next 6 months. This will be the basis of our ask for grant funding to make artsdepot’s exterior reflect what happens inside. And hopefully starting a shift to us hearing ‘I had to come in and see what this place is’...
"Bland Designs was one of our key LFA2024 Cultural Partner collaborations – a select series of events, conversations and projects which are crucial to future of our industry, city and world. With a hyper local focus, this project formed part of our LFA2024 Barnet destination programme, which included an engaging programme of activity and an exemplar built project, both of which celebrate local heritage, community voices and culture. The second year working with many individuals and organisations in the area, we’ve been able to see how the Festival can be used to bring people together to celebrate the people and places in the area as well as help inform the longer-term vision for places and spaces across the borough."
- Eliza Grosvenor (Head of Programme, LFA)
Want to get involved in the Call to Action for LFA2025, keep your eyes posted for our theme and CTA announcement in Autumn 2024. In the meantime, why not listen to our LFA2024 On Location podcast to learn more about the LFA2024 programme in Barnet.
