TYPE OF WORKS
Public art, theatre backdrops, festival banners, street puppets, murals, sculpture, art and health promotion.

TARGET GROUPS
Intergenerational public art projects with young people from diverse cultural backgrounds. The focus for the public artwork has included conflict resolution, environment, health promotion, minority races, multicultural communities, asylum seekers, urban regeneration, urban culture, enterprise, education and training.

GEOGRAPHICAL CONTEXT
UK

COMPANY POLICY
To build design and creative skills in young people and to develop integration across cultural boundaries by mentoring young people to conceptualise, brainstorm, plan and carry out projects. The company gives presentations and documents the work through the website and the creation of visual diaries.  Clients include public sector bodies in health, government and education, and private sector companies in retail and media.  ACD training is delivered to artists and performance organisations, and to regeneration and health organisations and churches.

SCALE OF PROJECTS
Number of practitioners: 20
Number of participants: 20-200
Preparation time: 2-4 hours
Contact time: 2-4 hours/week

PERMANENT STAFF: 9
Frank Creber, Creative Director
Nick Coughlin, Enterprise Manager
Tracey Barker, Artist
Chris Warmington, Artist
Billy Weston, Artist
Dan Hopewell, Mural Artist
Lucky Nessa, Artist

Street Lamp Banners on the Local Streets (UK, 2000)
Young people made culturally specific images and were encouraged to talk about the issues of conflict and cultural difference during the planning and completion of the banners. The local area has some of the highest indices of social deprivation in the country.

Health Exhibition (UK, 2001)
Large papier-mache pieces representing medical equipment were made for the local health centre on consultation with local people and health professionals including doctors.  They also included anti-smoking messages. The group included young people form families seeking asylum and their involvement was significant.  

Community consultation project (UK, 2002)
Focused on a local roundabout, a dominant local eyesore about to be regenerated through public art. The group gave presentations, held a planning workshop for other local young people and the wider community and even flew over the site in a light aircraft (which then took them over central London) in order to take photographs. The group involves parents and guardians of the young people and other local people who are on a further education course in public art at the centre. In this way projects are being realised which benefit several members of the family.

Young people also have the opportunity to be mentored in particular skills such as website design.  The sessions are educational: they often begin or end with discussions led by members of the community or artists about topics relating to themes the company is working on. There are also discussions about how the young people are running the group.  This covers behaviour, and resolves conflicts. The company has been running for three years and the core group now have strong relationships and drive the project forward.

Installation and video: about democracy, based on drama workshops in response to an artist’s film about Afghanistan (London, UK, 2003)

Art and Asthma participatory workshops: for young people with asthma leading to an exhibition.  Bromley By Bow health centre (London, UK, 2003)

Graffiti mural: with young offenders and local police (London, UK, 2003)

Summer festival: multicultural games and banners (Bromley By Bow, London, UK, 2003)

Frank Creber
Signs of Life
The Bromley By Bow Centre
St Leonard’s Street
Bow
London E3 3BT

T +44 (0)20 8709 9721
F +44 (0)20 8880 6608

E f.creber@can-online.org.uk
W www.signs-of-life-art.com

“The area felt safer and the banners helped us to celebrate the millennium.”
Local people’s comments on Street Lamp Banners project (UK, 2000)

“Since the medical exhibition has gone up this morning I have had several patients coming in talking about giving up smoking.”
Local doctor, Health Exhibition project (UK, 2001)

“It has been a very positive process, ensuring that the community consultation is real and the presentations and quality of ideas are of the highest standard.”
Regeneration company director, Community consultation project (UK, 2002)

Return to top