7 minute read
HeART of the matter
Barking and Dagenham is working hard to preserve its impressive heritage while building a creative future to be proud of. Jane Thynne finds out more
Barking and Dagenham has a proud cultural heritage: from the ruins of the 7th century Barking Abbey to its former Assembly Hall (now Broadway Theatre) where Neil Young recorded his classic album Harvest, as the birthplace of such seminal performers as Billy Bragg and U2 legend The Edge, to the site of St Margaret’s Church where adventurer Captain Cook got married. Whichever way you look at it, the borough has certainly made its mark.
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In 2017, the council published its ambitious Culture Everywhere document, outlining a five-year strategy designed to promote arts and culture in the borough, not just in terms of economic growth but also to stimulate a sense of civic pride, wellbeing and community inclusion. Organisations such as Studio 3 Arts, Create London and A New Direction have flourished under the banner, while heritage schemes at Barking Abbey and East Street, are benefitting from more than a little TLC.
“We really see art and culture as future key growth areas,” says David Harley, head of regeneration at Be First, the council’s regeneration arm. “There is a real chance to create real opportunities. We have a lot of talented people and it’s important to unlock that talent.” While much of the planned activity is focused on the new, it certainly doesn’t mean the borough has forgotten about its past. “We cherish our rich heritage,” says Harley. “We want to make sure our history and sense of place are reflected in our future projects.” being built. Yes, we have got a lot of redevelopment going on but we want to make sure our heritage is protected and enhanced for future generations.”
One of the cornerstones of the future plans for the borough is the creation of Dagenham film studios.
London’s largest film studios to be built for 25 years, it will be situated on the former Sanofi site in Dagenham East. A planning application for the 18-acre studio site was submitted in March.
“We will be working with schools, colleges and the universities to maximise the opportunities for local people,” explains Harley. “We want to make sure they have the right skills to meet the demand – from hair and make-up to carpenters and caterers – there is a whole range of jobs and that’s before you consider actors and crew.”
Planning for the 20-acre plot is due to be submitted this spring, but a section of the site has already played its part in the film industry as a base for immersive theatre company Secret Cinema, which staged a showing of Casino Royale in Dagenham last year. The business, which offers audiences the chance to become part of the film’s story via ‘top secret’ means, attracted an audience of over 120,000 during the autumn run of the James Bond classic. According to Anna Wilson, Secret Cinema’s community engagement manager, it was drawn to Dagenham because of its reputation as a culturally forward-thinking borough.
“Dagenham had everything we were looking for,” says Wilson. “We were welcomed with open arms by the council. As a local authority it is really receptive towards arts and culture and it is prepared to help, encourage and support those who want to bring something to the borough.” And Secret Cinema brought lots. Aside from employing local people, mostly through Job Centre back to work schemes, the company also ran workshops and careers sessions for pupils and college students. It offered a work shadowing programme for those aged 18-25, held a three-week intensive film course, and hosted a National Citizen Service (NCS) summer volunteering programme.
Immersive theatre company Secret Cinema staged a showing of James Bond film Casino Royale in Dagenham last year.
“The area is a really good fit for us,” says Wilson. “And we are already seeing the legacy elements as we have been able to offer paid employment to some of last year’s graduates.”
Barking town centre is also set to get a culture makeover thanks to a series of collaborations and partnerships. Be First has recently signed a lease with Bow Arts, a social enterprise offering affordable creative services, to open inexpensive workspace on Abbey Road and the development of ThreeSixty – a new arts destination on the ground floor of Barking 360 – a landmark build of 195 apartments housed in four cylindrical towers on Cambridge Road.
ThreeSixty is putting art, makers and creators at the very core of the scheme which will feature a central atrium performance area surrounded by workspaces, offices and a gallery. The project is being designed by Turner Prizewinning team Assemble and is due to open this summer. Karen West-Whylie, chief executive at Barking Enterprise Centres, which is behind the ThreeSixty project, explains: “We are also working with Create London to ensure ThreeSixty has the right cultural and artistic blend. It is being built for the creative industries and it can house around 85 businesses.” The development is just metres from Barking and Dagenham’s revolutionary build, A House for Artists – which aims to offer affordable accommodation for those in the sector who have been forced out of central London owing to high rents. Backed by artist, sculptor and broadcaster Grayson Perry, who is ambassador to the project, the first occupants are due to take up residency in 2021. Barking has also had a surge in artistic activity with pop-ups appearing in empty retail space in the town centre and railway station. “We have been able to take space in the Vicarage Field shopping centre which gives us a much more immediate presence in the area,” explains Liza Vallance, artistic director at Studio 3 Arts, a non-profit organisation that seeks to remove barriers to art for local communities. “By allowing us to lease this empty space we are reaching a lot more people, different people who may not have come to a theatre or a gallery.”
Studio 3 Arts is currently conducting a £1.6 million refurbishment of its Boundary Road venue where it is creating a mixed-model offer to appeal to past, present and future residents. Recent successes run by the charity have included an open mic night, a dance battle featuring local crews and spoken word events, run in partnership with restaurant Relish@BLC. The Vicarage Field space is also flourishing and is now home to an intergenerational singing collective, as well as a samba drumming band.
Meanwhile, over at Barking Station, West-Whylie has been working with creative collectives and initiatives such as Every One Every Day to turn a vacant retail unit in the station secured by Be First into pop-up gallery space.
“We have had some wonderful art and artists in the station,” says West-Whylie. “Last December a shop called Rock, Paper, Scissors was run for people to sell their home-made goods and now we have an entrepreneurial scheme based there called Young Hustlers. The feedback has been great. Residents and businesses want more of this – it encourages footfall and gives the place a bit of a buzz.”
According to Be First’s Harley, the borough’s aim is to “fuse” the areas of heritage, culture and economic opportunity. It’s about improving the quality of life. Our regeneration is about people – as our slogan says, it’s about putting art at the heart.”
FABULOUS FABRICS
Barking resident and designer Georgia Leslie, 25, is one of the creatives who took retail space in the Rock, Paper, Scissors outlet in Barking Station with her business Coconut Palm – which sees her upcycling preloved fabrics into a range of clothing and accessories.
Georgia is part of the borough’s Every One Every Day project, which is a local network aiming to make life better in the borough via design, creativity and economic opportunity.
Georgia says: “Being a part of Every One Every Day’s ‘Design, Make, Sell’ project really helped me with the commercial side of the business. I knew what I was producing was good but I didn’t have a route to market. I didn’t know where to start. Making sales in the shop really gave me confidence. It made me trust my brand and now I feel ready to get more products out there.”
