Voices of the
Measuring the unmeasurable through the stories of the Canning Town Caravanserai
Social Impact Report Helen Sears and Anna Back August 2014
Illustrations by Jonathan Dixon With thanks to all Caravanserai members who participated in the study.
London is a thriving centre of revival and regeneration. While developers frolic in this urban playground, the social repercussions for the seemingly unproductive, forgotten and displaced members of regenerated communities remain unknown; the reality of which should not be eclipsed by social cohesion propaganda the government has been so keen to publicly promote. A formally industrial area, Canning Town, is predominantly residential and one of the most recent targets for redevelopment. One of the few remaining affordable London boroughs, it is set to be reinvented, propelled into the future by a £3.7 billion regeneration scheme. The project is already underway - the first phase, a new £600 million town centre, is currently under construction. Branded a ‘regeneration’ project, there are serious concerns locally that the scheme has a distinct air of gentrification about it, some taking this further, circulating sceptical whispers of social cleansing. Frustration at the top-down approach to the recent development has been widely shared. Resident Betty O’Connell of The London Tenants Org., criticises the planner’s and council’s disengagement with the community; ‘Initially residents (tenants, leaseholders and freeholders) worked with the council to put together a ‘residents’ charter’ but that’s been thrown out.’ While the government attempts to enforce its most recent initiative ‘place-making’, it seems this intention has been considerably misplaced in reality, becoming more a popular buzzword than a serious commitment. Born in 2012, the Canning Town Caravanserai is an alternative interpretation of the Government’s localism agenda. Created by Ash Sakula architects, the Caravanserai is a pilot study that aims to show how interim uses can stimulate regeneration by releasing creative energy, shaping its future, and bringing in investment. The Caravanserai, a community-led regeneration project, experiments with a concept of space made by the community, for the community, embodying the creative, energetic, and financially prudent efforts of grassroots projects that have seen opportunity in crisis. Leila, Newham Council’s community engagement officer reiterates this objective, identifying that “a project has to be led by the community in order for it to be sustainable”. As the Canning Town Caravanserai draws to an end – its closure looming in October 2015 – we reflect on both the benefits and limitations of the project. On one hand, the Caravanserai has harnessed creative ideas of place, sourced and used local resources innovatively, and secured the voluntary time of local organisations, students, and professionals to drive forward development. On the other hand, ethnographic research among the Canning Town community suggests a lack of knowledge about the Caravanserai and its multi-use space within the surrounding local area. Despite its role as an important vessel for creative uses, does this ‘popup’ landscape reach the community, and can it sustain an enduring message?
Like the Caravanserai, this social impact report takes an experimental approach. In a four-part structure, we attempt to capture the four guilds of the Caravanserai – Growing, Making, Performing, Trading – as told through the voices of the Caravanserai community. Not only do the guilds engender the Caravanserai’s ambitions, but they distinguish it from other similar projects. The diversity of the project, reflected by the guilds, ultimately serves to ignite unexpected interests; enabling individuals to build their skill sets, connect in a wider social network, and create potential routes into work for the unemployed. Rather than a passive study, we present a live, active report that explores the ways in which the guilds of the Caravanserai have shaped, and continue to shape people’s lives. Governmental and academic assessments of impact are too often reliant on datasets and quantitative techniques, altogether neglecting the value of human experience.1 Stripped of personal intentions and emotions, such a quantitative approach provides lifeless numerical descriptions rather than a rich, detailed narrative. Addressing these limitations, we have adopted an ethnographic approach to our research in order to delve into the deep “human” impacts of the Caravanserai, better understand the reality of an area in dramatic flux, and assess the implications that a community-led project such as the Caravanserai may have. We aim to question more broadly, how might alternative spaces like the Caravanserai enable the community to generate self-initiating and self-organizing projects? Ultimately, this reflective piece will be of benefit to public agencies, governmental organizations, built environment professionals and academics, other community-led regeneration projects, and in particular, the new Caravanserai as the site moves location.
1. For example; Melville, R., Rodenhurst, K., Campbell, P. and Morgan, B., (2010), Neighbourhood Impacts; A longitudinal research study into the impact of the Liverpool European Capital of Culture on local residents, Impacts 08, [Online], Available from: http://www.liv.ac.uk/impacts08/Publications/Neighbourhood_Impacts.pdf.
Growing Measuring the unmeasurable through the stories of The Canning Town Caravanserai community
One of the four guilds of the Canning Town Caravanserai, ‘Growing,’ is an integral aspect of the project’s ethos. Providing a space for agriculture within an urban environment continues to be one of the primary roles of the site. The gardens found at the Caravanserai have much greater significance than pure horticultural value however. Growing has enabled a multitude of secondary benefits including improving health and combatting local issues such as social exclusion and loneliness. The social impacts of the growing projects at the Caravanserai have been some of the most significant of the entire scheme. Not only is this a result of the visible success that can be observed at the Caravanserai, but the impacts can also be appreciated through the continuation of both the gardening club and Ability Grows, which will be supported for another year into 2015. Here, the story of a member of the Caravanserai’s growing community is told.
Jade Jade is a resident of Stratford. Despite her physical challenges, in 2013 she kick-started Ability Grows - a weekly gardening club for disabled and able-bodied residents of the borough of Newham. While guiding us through her elaborate maize of home-grown fruits and vegetables, Jade explains her motives behind the project; “I noticed that disabled people are so lost in the life pattern and I want to integrate people more”. With an underlying social mission to tackle the exclusion of disabled people left stranded on the margins of society, Jade tells us “I wanted to find something that disabled people can do, something tactile that they can see results from”.
“This project has given me the ability and
strength to say look we can, look we will, if only you will give us the opportunity.”
According to Jade, the Caravanserai has provided both a physical and emotional platform from which to develop her passion - a project in which “disabled people are paramount, needed and wanted”. “Everyone is so welcome!” - Jade exclaims. The project has been fully integrated into the daily routine of the Caravanserai volunteers, a core group of whom attend to the building, maintenance, and watering of the 18 accessible raised allotment beds daily. Despite the future closure of the Caravanserai, Jade explains “I want to use the Caravanserai as a model for what this has achieved and shown other people”. Though she has been in talks with other gardening projects,
so far she has been unable to secure a permanent site for Ability Grows. However, she feels passionately that “this project has given me the ability and strength to say look we can, look we will, if only you will give us the possibility”.
The Caravanserai can be recognised as part of an emerging movement of urban agriculture. The utilisation of ordinary, slack spaces for horticultural initiatives has proven to be socially beneficial; targeting exclusion, loneliness and health problems. The Caravanserai has been an opportunity space in which local people are given a platform to utilise and build their interests and skills, whilst the project has simultaneously harnessed local expertise from volunteers for the benefit of the wider community. Community members have been able to gain and improve personal skills, additionally providing a service to the community and participating in a project that has the potential to improve the local area permanently. Although the success of the growing projects at the Caravanserai have not been predominatly agricultural - a demonstration of the challenges of small-scale, temporary, urban enviroments - the growing initiative undertaken has been a key example of the mutual community benefit that the Caravanserai has enabled. Growing has been the facilitator through which local issues of social exclusion have been challenged at the Caravanserai. Projects at the site, such as Ability Grows, have taken advantage of environmental actions to initiate wider forms of social change (Milbourne, 2012). It has been an opportunity for discriminatory conceptions to be broken down, reaffirming supposedly marginal members of the community as valuable contributors to the area, individuals that in some cases make an above-average, even remarkable social contribution (Bates and Davis, 2004). Canning Town Caravanserai is a space in which the value of every contributor has been made visible. The social impacts of the growing projects have produced emotional benefits including feelings of achievement and pride, clearly identified by Jade. As she articulated, growing is accessible and allows people to witness the results of the time and effort that they invest in something. The rewards are tangible and measurable, reaping a considerable feeling of shared achievement when realised through a combined group effort. Researchers are recognising these peripheral motivations for urban agriculture, suggesting that ‘it need not be exclusively concerned, nor indeed concerned at all, with growing food or animal husbandry. In a community garden context, the activities that take place have a linking theme of community involvement and participation’ (Holland, 2004). Such shared emotions of success are key factors in strengthening communities and promoting a sense of ownership and pride in the local area, ‘mobilising different local groups into taking back control of local space’6. Recent academic research on social efficacy and community engagement has shifted to recognise the importance of the everyday experience and the way in which this impacts upon feelings of engagement and empowerment. Urban community gardens enable an everyday, ordinary experience of grass-roots development, the impacts of which should not be underestimated. The Caravanserai has been an effective example of the social benefits of urban horticultural community projects. While the projects have obvious agricultural value, the social impacts are far more wide ranging and arguably more significant. Although interim projects such as the Caravanserai are temporary by definition, the community groups created have the potential to be sustained and become permanent, something that is necessary to the overall success of the Caravanserai.
Making Measuring the unmeasurable through the stories of The Canning Town Caravanserai community
The second guild ‘Making’, encapsulates the core function of the Caravanserai. Not only does it reflect the Caravanserai as a space in which people can freely participate in the exchange of diverse skill-sets, but volunteers on-site have benefitted from the hands on experience in construction and building. A dominant emphasis on ‘Making’ has aided a diverse set of volunteers. Primarily attracting architectural students, the Caravanserai has provided these volunteers a platform from which to gain unique experience in design, allowing them to exercise their building skills and escape from behind the computer. It has also benefitted local volunteers, such as John, who was able to explore a passion he hadn’t touched upon since Design Technology lessons in Secondary School.
Jonathan and Gemma Jonathan graduated with a BA in architecture from Cardiff University and is currently volunteering at the Caravanserai before returning to continue further studies in Cardiff. Gemma graduated with a BA in architecture from Manchester University last July. After trying her hand at retail management, she hopes to return to the world of architecture after gaining further experience at the Caravanserai. “The Caravanserai lends itself to the kind of thing I’m interested in – my final project revolved around Occupy movements, upcycling materials, and community projects”. They both volunteer on site 3-5 days a week.
What is your role on the site? Gemma: “We do the making, and maintenance generally alongside local people. I guess because we’re here so much you don’t end up doing one thing, you’re always doing different roles” Jon: “Yeah, I’ve added on bits, designed bits, mended bits… That’s the way the project works…” [Gemma points to a newly made vertical garden created out of bicycle wheels] “Here you can plan things as much as you want and it won’t make a difference, sometimes you just have to drill it” Jon: “It’s never as simple as just designing something and building it, especially on this site given the lack of materials… it’s a little trial and error” Gemma interjects: “…and accepting it is never going to look how you want it to, which is not necessarily a bad thing” Jon: “Maybe someone after us will make it better, knock it down, or add something, who knows”
What will you take away from the project? Jon: “For me, I’ve learnt quite a bit about working with people. I didn’t think it’d be the main thing I would learn, but because of the nature of the site and the amount of people involved in different ways, it has been interesting and challenging to work with all different types of people with different ideas and schedules” Gemma: “I’ve definitely learnt a lot… It’s nice to get away from the computer. It has exposed us to the building side of architecture, being involved in projects and project managing. No one’s going to spoon feed you here, you need to get on with it and do it. Not being as precious with things, going forward with projects and being proactive”
Despite enthusiasm for the project, few volunteers are able to commit to the project long term given financial limitations. How does this affect you?
Gemma: “If circumstances change I would like to help out more. It would be different if the role was paid because I’m aware I need to get something else… there’s only so much you can give time to”
What are some of the key challenges of the project?
Jon: “Because of the nature of the area around here, it’s changing so much, in general, people move in and out quite a lot… the challenge is having to go out and meet everyone again because everyone is in transit, moving all the time. So I guess building and sustaining relationships” Gemma: “It’s hard because that’s a criticism and that’s the nature of the Caravanserai itself – it is something that people wander in and out of. Whenever people ask what it is, I say it’s up to you. It’s what you make of it, it’s not supposed to be someones” Jon: “At the end of the day, it’s an experiment”
“It has been interesting and challenging
to work with all different types of people with different ideas and schedules.”
John In June 2013, John helped construct ‘Flitched’; the winning concept for an architectural competition run by Ash Sakula Architects, designed by Formed Architects & Designers and engineer Roberto Mirabella. The structure is used as a shelter from rain and provides a cheerful, purposeful, additional making space at the Caravanserai. “It was like a derelict site at the time”, John remembers, “but gradually throughout the summer, we managed to clear the space and Flitched went up”. Having been made redundant in 2013, John used the opportunity to “get involved in something completely new to me”. For John, “it was good to experience something from start to finish” and “it was unusual to find such an inclusive project”. Within his role, John “covered all sorts of areas from construction, digging, to plastic paneling, measuring, cutting, and mixing concrete”. For John, “working outdoors I learnt a lot, it was a very good way to learn about tools and construction without the pressure of being on a real building site”. “It is a good way of developing skills, doing things one probably hasn’t done since school and using them”, he tells us. John takes away from the project “It is a good way of developing “a spirit of getting to do things, people doing things together… it was a very democratic, nonskills, doing things one probably hierarchical basis so it gave you experience of working autonohasn’t done since school and mously without a leader, and that is something that is very unusual these days”. using them.” The Caravanserai, John tells us, is “something for the community, and for the people that work there… it is a real talking point among people and a point of interest”. Talking from personal experience, John says “it gives people the chance to get out of a rut and do all sorts of unusual and interesting things”. John speculates that “nowadays, most urban redevelopment involves large amounts of money and big schemes, we seem to be suspicious of local individuals and small organizations taking hold of property… if this could be encouraged more often, it would be a positive change”.
Making is inherent to the aim of the Caravanserai. The site has been painstakingly constructed primarily from donated and salvaged materials, acting as an impressive example of what can be created from materials of little apparent value. The emerging sector of temporary sites use ‘innovative, temporary approaches that mobilize limited resources to bring land back to productive use,’1 the Caravanserai being an excellent example of this. The importance of making is a product of the architectural backgrounds of the organisers and a large majority of the volunteers. The project has aimed to create something useful; aesthetics, although always in mind, were not necessarily the priority. Despite this, the structures are surprisingly well-constructed and beautiful. While interns such as Gemma and Jon openly accept that the low tech nature of the Caravanserai means that the making projects will never quite be what was originally envisioned, much of the value is found in the process of making rather than solely the end result. This sentiment has been reinforced in academic works on the value of temporary architecture and upcycling. Jason Novisk, who has written on the value of upcycling suggests that the movement is a ‘comment on how we live our lives.’ Producing something ‘rich in efficiency and beauty’ from ‘mundane materials’ reflects the opinion that upcycling is ‘equally about the message as it is the finished project.’ There has been an emphasis on localism, an increasingly popular stance within architectural practise. Use of such materials may appear to have been bred out of necessity however it was simultaneously a conscious decision. This experimentation with salvaged materials, techniques and design, promotes the Caravanserai as a model for similar future projects, practically and theoretically. The architects that have designed and constructed the site are clearly a valuable and integral addition to the Caravanserai community; their skills and expertise a fundamental part of the Caravanserai’s success. Many of the volunteers are interim students, part-taking in work experience, summer internships or year-long placements. As a result the volunteer base is transient, thus projects can easily lend themselves to becoming overly ambitious given the limitations of the inevitable time restrictions. Aside from the smaller, short term projects that continue day to day at the Caravanserai, there have been several large scale projects undertaken at the site. The ‘Flitched’ competition, attracting industry professionals, has created wider interest in the site and further promotion of the project. It recognises the Caravanserai as an architectural experiment. In this sense, the greatest social impact within the making guild is the academic and educational value; the interest in the architectural challenge, the experience gained by interns and the promotion of upcycled materials as legitimate building tools. The volunteers have gained excellent experience in design, construction and project management. Further to this, the making of the site has connected students with wider social causes, engaging with the concept of localism, encouraging the architects of tomorrow to be mindful of their environmental and social responsibilities. Although not an immediately local benefit, this impact should not be undervalued or ignored. It is providing an opportunity for experience in a saturated employment market, at a project that can greatly benefit from the enthusiasm, knowledge and innovation of the volunteers. While local residents have not been necessarily active in the creation of the Caravanserai, their role has come later in the form of activators of the space. ‘Localism needs design professionals to succeed, but the quality of the places created by this new process will be dependent on their ability to appropriately engage with local people and local issues, right from the beginning, designing ‘with’ rather than ‘for’ communities’7. Through this an indirect social impact can be explored. Although the majority of residents have not benefitted from participation in the design or construction of the site, they are able to enjoy the rewards of such a process; a vastly improved aesthetic space for the local area in a location that would otherwise remain derelict and unused. Without the structures, few of the activities would be able to take place and much of the atmosphere and character of the Caravanserai would be lost.
Performing Measuring the unmeasurable through the stories of The Canning Town Caravanserai community
The benefits of ‘Performing’ reach beyond the material, audible and theatrical show. As told through local musician and actor, Felix and Gbemi, the value of ‘Performance’ lies in its unique ability to allow members of the community to address their struggles, empower their sense of self, and to celebrate their strengths through the process of developing a musical or theatrical piece. Workshops and events run by organizations such as Arch1 and Brick Box, demonstrate the suitability and efficacy of the Caravanserai as a space from which to promote individual and community empowerment through musical and theatrical performance.
Gbemi
“The Den”, a new theatre production created by Gbemi, artistic Director of FAITH Drama Productions, in association with The Barbican, is set to be shared with the public on November 14th at the Caravanserai. Formally a resident on the very street of the Caravanserai, Gbemi recollects “I must’ve gone back there to see what happened to the area in 2012” and “it was when I came back at a later date after the Caravanserai had been launched that I got engaged further, because I was interested in what was happening”. “I saw that space and was inspired to do something site-specific… “The Den”, the idea of it, only evolved through that space”. Excitedly, Gbemi explains, “this is something new for theatre – work to be informed by space – and it is really thrilling for young actors to be a part of this movement, it adds another string to their bow.” “The Den” is a site-specific theatre production, molded to the Caravanserai site, combining architecture and theatre design to realize the space in an innovative way. The play sees the transformation of space into a dystopian 21st century world where children from working class backgrounds are smuggled into “The Den”. Integrating elements of parkour, Gbemi explains “within this dark comedy, loosely based around the 2011
“It is specifically exciting
at the Caravanserai because it’s such an inclusive space; organic and unique.”
London riots, a cold war is brewing between adults and young people”. Describing the value of performance of this kind, Gbemi tells us, “I think for us, arts, theatre, and film are used as a tool to empower young people”. Inspired by the collaboration with the Caravanserai, Gbemi goes on, “it is specifically exciting at the Caravanserai because it’s such an inclusive space, organic and unique. For me, I think being based in Newham, it is an exciting space as a potential for the local community to engage with something living, live, organic, and growing.” In particular, “in this project, the audience are the kids smuggled in. Throughout the play, the audience will be referred to as the “Freshies” – the people who have been smuggled in from the adult world”. Enthusiastically, Gbemi claims that the project has the “potential to excite people – and we can push the boundaries within this”. However, Gbemi warns “because the Caravanserai is not one thing, it is many things, there lies challenges in terms of marketing, because the space is so vast”. Gbemi urges, “so each event and project needs to be marketed uniquely as that specific thing, so people locally, can engage.”
Felix Felix, Director of Newham Steel Band, is a Trinidadian resident of Newham, whom runs a weekly beginners steel pan class at the Caravanserai for a small fee of £5 per class. Sharing with us the continuous struggle of finding new sites for the storage of the Steel Band’s equipment, Felix explains, “though the steel band has never been homeless in the borough, for the last ten years we have had to continuously move locations as equipment takes up a huge amount of room”. At the moment, Felix tells us “we are working on a piece of land based in Newham as a permanent place for people to practice and perform, but I hope the Caravanserai site stays open so we can stay for many years”. For Felix, “the value of Newham Steel Band is providing a service in the borough, keeping young people off the streets”. Equally, “for people over 60, it is something for them to do instead of being stuck in the house watching TV, it gets people out… the more music in the borough, the better it is for everybody”. However, Felix expresses that “the site attracts people from all over, but local people do not attend the site because a lot of people don’t know about it, often people ask where it is… it is not advertised properly”. With a capacity of up to 70 participants in the steel pan workshop, Felix says “I’d like to see it advertised more and get more local people involved”.
“For people over 60, it is
On one hand, Felix tells us the advantages of the Caravanserai’s locasomething for them to do tion - “the location is useful because it is right opposite the station. It’s so instead of being stuck in the accessible for people to get to”. On the other hand, the flipside of the accessibility of this location is the house watching TV.” problem of security – “one worry is security, we’ve lost equipment here already”. Ultimately, Felix aims to increase security, as well as fulfill his vision to use workshops as “a way to generate funds and in return, give the site a commission from further classes in the future”.
Arts and cultural initiatives have been implemented as part of urban social regeneration programs for some decades now (Newman, Curtis, Stephens, 2003). The positive benefits of performing arts projects are difficult to argue, however some sceptics still question the extent of the effect that such schemes have, particularly in underprivileged neighbourhoods. The Caravanserai has been a facilitator through which a variety of arts initiatives have been able to take place; from steel pan drumming, to children’s theatre, music festivals and workshops, the space has allowed for a variety of performancebased projects to exist. One of the key social impacts of art projects is the increase in social capital; this relates to the networks created through and from the interchange of human capital, particularly within communities. This is encouraged by performance initiatives which ‘attempt to use the arts as a tool for human or material development’ (Costello, 1998). The networks of relationships created through such community projects hold subsequent value for individuals and communities through the resources that are made available as a result of these new connections (Balatti and Falk, 2002). The creation of personal networks is one of the key motives of the Caravanserai; promoting a more inclusive, integrated community and connecting people that may be able to provide mutual benefits to each other. These networks can be especially beneficial when made between community members of different age groups. Arts programs that include people of varying ages allow a greater sense of social cohesion, replacing negative stereotypes of youths with positive representations of the contribution that they can make to the community (Zeldin, 2004). Projects such as Felix’s steel pan drumming classes exemplify this attempt at social inclusion; he purposefully chooses to include drummers of all ages and abilities in one class, suggesting that this provides a richer experience for all involved. Equally, Gbemi’s production of “The Den” will bring together young actors from different backgrounds to empower participants, provide an opportunity for performance, and promote intergenerational cross-cultural relations. One important aspect of age integration through arts projects is the mentoring that young people receive from positive role models. Role models can be especially important for at-risk youths who live in neighbourhoods that offer few opportunities. ‘The very foundation of mentoring is the idea that if caring, concerned adults are available to young people, youth will be more likely to become successful adults themselves (Jekielek et, 2002). Both Faith Drama and The Newham Steel Band aim to inspire young people, providing them not only with new skills but also a positive, creative environment in which to achieve. The Caravanserai offers a readymade venue for these types of activities, and the subsequent community impacts, to take place. This might be otherwise challenging whereby potential projects are restricted by the rental costs and availability of events spaces. Community members are able to utilise the space free of charge, promoting a greater sense of inclusion as well as allowing a greater profit to be made. However, as with other elements of the project, one of the main challenges of performance at the Caravanserai has been turn out. For example, although the recent summer music festivals, run by Arch1, were successful to some extent, audience numbers were not as high as hoped. Felix suggests this to be a result of poor marketing, whereby local people are not made aware of upcoming events and projects. This is a particular challenge in Canning Town as many of the residents are elderly and without access to the internet. This means that advertising must be predominantly through word of mouth or material leaflets and posters; both of which are challenging due to financial and time constraints on the project.
Trading Measuring the unmeasurable through the stories of The Canning Town Caravanserai community
One of the original aims of the Canning Town Caravanserai was to provide an alternative ‘Trading’ space, adding economic value to the local area and distinguishing the Caravanserai from similar projects that have a purely horticultural or cultural objective. Through firsthand experience, Marina and Fatima recall how the kiosks at the site – specifically designed to allow for several businesses to trade simultaneously – create a market-street atmosphere, whilst promoting each trader as an independent and individual enterprise.
Marina Marina, director and founder of Twist Partnership – a not-for-profit leadership development organization – brought several clients to the Caravanserai to sell their products, promote their own businesses, and run workshops on June 21st 2014. As Marina explains, “we work across different groups of people including schools, young people, and in this specific project, we were working with the unemployed”. In order to help them get back to paid work, Marina tells us, it “often involves going down a self-employment route”. Thus, several clients were able to benefit from the Caravanserai on this day, as a platform to gain valuable experience in trading. Spanning a huge range of startup business ideas, from handmade cards, to art workshops and children’s events, Marina tells us, “I can say wholeheartedly and genuinely that the people who I work with, many of whom suffer extreme challenges in terms of their health, “The people who I mental and otherwise, were really able to benefit from the Caravanserai, grow in confidence, and provide a stepping stone from which to work with were really develop their careers further”.
able to benefit from the Though Marina reports the turnout wasn’t as high as expected, “I do think it really helped, as for all my clients, there were about 8 takCaravanserai, [and] ing part, this was the first time they had done something that wasn’t to friends, or to us, they had gone out and sold something or prepared grow in something to complete strangers for money”. Helping overcome confidence issues, “it was a really important first step”. However, Marina confidence...” comments, “when you’re staffed by volunteers, it’s a bit tricky” to advertise effectively and encourage more stalls. Though “the potential could be huge”, Marina suggests, “find out what people in the local community want to buy, what days they are likely to visit a marketplace, and what they’d like to see in it”.
From Marina’s personal perspective, “I think its’ fantastic, it’s great, who could knock that… I’m getting a free platform and space, and I’ve used it for other meetings too… it’s very useful to me”. However, she recognizes that “it has a potential which perhaps hasn’t been exploited yet, but there is a huge potential there”.
Fatima When Fatima, a local resident, passed by the Caravanserai a few months ago, she asked a volunteer on site “can I sell my ginger beer here?” Since, Fatima has sold her homemade ginger beer and food on three occasions at the Caravanserai. She values the fact “it is a spontaneous place… Anyone can come in who is not sure about what they’re doing and can try things out – it is a test run”. Despite her day job as a professional in health and social care, “cooking is the one thing I’m passionate about. No matter how tired I am, when I’m cooking I feel like a different person – happy and light”. When asked why she hesitates to sell her food, Fatima answers, “I’m just too scared – that’s what’s holding me back”. But, over the Caravanserai’s August Bank Holiday Music Festival, she exclaims “I really surprised myself – I was able to make a days pay and connect with people who want to sell my food at different events”. At the Caravanserai Music Festival, Fatima sold jollof rice – a traditional type of Sierra Leonean rice cooked on special occasions – that had people queuing for second helpings. As Fatima explains, “the Caravanserai is a lovely space. I have a masters “Anyone can come in who degree in sustainable development so I can appreciate the space more”. Sharing her personal ambitions, Fatima tells us “when I is not sure about what retire and return to Sierra Leone, I want to set up a similar space… A skills exchange where older generations can teach they’re doing and can try place younger generations and students may run workshops”. “The Caravanserai is very inspiring and makes me feel like it’s doable”, things out - it is a test Fatima says.
run.”
However, she points out that “no one locally knows about it”. Fatima suggests advertising on notice boards outside housing estates and making the entrance more welcoming to the public as, “it will benefit locals, like me, helping me improve my social income”. Given that “the area has dramatically changed over the past 5-10 years, the neighbourhood is extremely mixed, so the challenge becomes integrating people more, and this space offers that opportunity”.
The trading aspect of the Canning Town Caravanserai was hoped to be promoted during the project’s primary summer, exploiting the increased visitor numbers to the area as a result of the London 2012 Olympic Games just a few miles away in Stratford. However, footfall was disappointingly not as high as expected thus restricting the success of the initiative. This has been a continuous challenge at the Caravanserai and while trading has still been a focus of the project, the effectiveness of the site as a trading space and the social impact achieved through enterprise should be critically examined. The potential of the site is its greatest asset; socially, culturally and economically. The Caravanserai is an opportunity space for business and enterprise to occur - both Fatima and Marina were attracted to the site due to its flexibility and inclusivity. A lack of safe, affordable and available space has been recognised as one of the fundamental challenges to hopeful entrepreneurs (Williams and Williams, 2011), particularly in deprived locations. The Caravanserai directly relieves this problem for local residents hoping to launch a business, as Fatima suggested, it allows people to try things out without having to invest too much. This has clearly been beneficial to those that have seized the opportunities the Caravanserai offers, however the scale of success is in question. While the site offers a solution for one barrier to enterprise, many others still remain, including access to finance, a lack of business skills and mentoring support (Slack, 2005). Despite its challenges, enterprise in general has been hailed as a constructive solution to neighbourhood deprivation, encouraging ‘innovation, competition and growth’, while simultaneously acting as ‘a vehicle for personal development and [to] harness social cohesion’ (Blackburn and Ram, 2006). For those that have used the Caravanserai as a trading space, it has certainly been beneficial, either financially such as in Fatima’s experience, or personally, promoting confidence and experience, shown through the examples given by Marina. This social impact is not necessarily as vast as might have been initially hoped when the Caravanserai was launched, however it should be recognised none the less. Sites such as the Caravanserai that aid potential entrepreneurs even in a small way, are valuable, especially considering that ‘business start-ups in deprived areas run at around one third of the national average’ (Slack, 2005). What the Caravanserai has failed to do however, is appeal to the retail needs of the local area. While there are many artists in the area, demand for the arguably niche products produced by artisans does not necessarily exist locally. This causes questions to arise over the viability and sustainability of enterprises at the site. Overall it seems that the Caravanserai has provided a valuable site for experimental enterprise, allowing entrepreneurs to test-run their business ideas in a secure, inclusive and accessible location. What is less clear however, is the subsequent long-term impact this will have on such individuals, and the social perception of entrepreneurialism in the neighbourhood. Looking forward, trading is likely to be more beneficial at a similar site if trade coincides more closely with local demand. [It would be interesting to investigate different forms of trade at the site, such as carboot sales or food markets that run more frequently, creating consistent trade at the project rather than the spontaneous trading that has been seen.]
Concluding Thoughts... The study of social impact has a dangerous tendency to be dictated by a statistics-led research culture, determined to ‘prove’ that schemes have been effective through pounds and percentages. Challenging this trend, we adopt an alternative position that regards the true value of society to be in the lives of the individuals that contribute to it, lives that are complex and rich, irreducible to a numerical value. Throughout this study, we have collected powerful data based on human experience that captures the subtleties, complexities and often contradictory twists of real life. This research framework has enabled us to pursue a proactive methodology, and explore the social impact of the Caravanserai on the ground, as told by the stories of the Caravanserai community itself. By nature, this quest has been an experiment, mirroring the experimental nature of the Caravanserai itself. It should be noted that such an experimental character is adopted by necessity, as a result of scarcity, in terms of both resources and human energy. Given such limitations, the project has inevitably failed on occasion. However, it is this failure that motivates volunteers and community members alike to try again, continuously pushing boundaries and testing what is achievable. It is this element of resilience that we have witnessed throughout our time at the Caravanserai, reflected in personal accounts from the Exit Reports of volunteers Antoine Carrier, Haleema Malik and Phillip Morris. In this sense, the Caravanserai has proved an undeniable success for volunteers whom have gained valuable work experience for their future studies and careers. This has been a significant aspect of the overall social impact of the Caravanserai. Aside from establishing new skills it has also connected students and builtenvironment professionals with a diverse range of local residents, creating a rich exchange of talents and experiences. The Caravanserai as a space has enabled this mixity, its inclusive and diverse character making urban interaction possible, an anomaly at a time when urbanists are bemoaning ‘the loss of public life, of faceto-face interaction among strangers in public places’ (Southworth, 2013). Further to this, many members of the Caravanserai community, such as Fatima and John, agree they have gained invaluable confidence through their participation in the project. Whether as a result of performing at the Flying Carpet Theatre, maintaining an allotment bed, or simply engaging in conversation and enjoying a cup of tea with a stranger on site, the value of these experiences should not be underestimated. Fear of failure, lack of confidence and courage repeatedly present themselves as key barriers to employment (Williams & Williams, 2011), thus the Caravanserai acts as a significant platform to help unemployed community members return to the workplace. Empowerment of the community at large has been a common impact across all four guilds. Jeremy Nemeth (2011) sites the temporary nature of such projects to be a facilitator of empowerment, ‘instilling in [communities] a sense of
participation in the creation of “place”.’ Given the local backdrop of current governmental redevelopment schemes, encouraging the community to sustain engagement in their neighbourhood is key to maintaining a cohesive community in the future. Harnessing the achievements gained through events and projects at the site, many of the community members we spoke to, including Felix and Jade, were determined to continue activities undertaken in the space. This will ensure that the community’s character will endure despite the inevitable changes taking place in the surrounding neighbourhood. The Canning Town Caravanserai has been a pilot study; some elements have been successful, others have been challenging. There is much that can be learnt from this initial project and taken forward into new spaces. Engagement with the community needs to be implemented sooner, targeting key residents that will encourage others to participate. Newham’s community engagement officer Leila, terms these people “community champions.” She explains that in any community there are figures that have a significant influence, people that are respected and trusted. Through “cultivating these community ambassadors” the project has the greatest opportunity for success. Our research has suggested these characters to be inspirational and greatly beneficial to the project and the community as a whole. Engaging these central community members is one method of engagement, however in general, marketing needs to be focused on more heavily. Although social media is an excellent outlet for academic and media promotion, traditional forms of advertising, flyering and face to face contact, need to be made a priority. Many of the local residents are either house bound or have limited access to the internet, putting them at risk of being overlooked if marketing strategies are focused online. Conversations at the local coffee morning highlighted another issue; that community members were unsure if they were ‘allowed’ to enter the Caravanserai. The boundaries seem unwelcoming and although they are a necessary security measure, greater steps need to be taken in order to encourage foot-fall at the site. While the impacts we have presented are of a personal and local nature, the concept the Caravanserai embodies is much greater than the project itself. Changing the perception of urban design and the way in which people understand space has the potential to reinvigorate communities lost in the whirlwind of top-down development. This relates not only to London, but all over the country. The initiative could be implemented nationwide – though perhaps on a different scale to Canning Town – as a productive utilisation of slack space tailored to specific neighbourhoods. This would allow residents to reinstate themselves as community members, to gain a sense of ownership of their local area, and above all, to provide people with potential routes back into employment. Fundamentally, the social impact of the Canning Town Caravanserai is beyond the investigation of statistics, percentages and figures. The real value has been uncovered in the lives of community members who continue to utilize the space. As the site moves location, the structures will be removed, the land will be sold on. The only remnants of the project will be intangible effects. Will the value of the Caravanserai thus be lost? Will its legacy rapidly fade? We argue no. While only time will dictate the longevity of its effects, the Caravanserai has had real and varying impacts on the lives of local residents and beyond. That much is certain.
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