On the 7th March 7 boys from the Core Commissiong Group, plus their Art Teacher Ms McEvoy, plus the project support artist Josie Dick and I, visited the Bishopsgate Institute near Liverpool Street Station in the East End for a truly illuminating workshop with archivist and educationalist Michelle Johansen from the Institute. The Institute itself is a beautiful building built in 1895 in the arts & crafts style as a centre for culture and learning for the inhabitants of the city. It’s current vision is:
Michelle Johansen, Bishopsgate Institute
“Dedicated to opening minds, challenging perceptions and enriching lives. Since 1895 we have been a home for ideas and debate, learning and enquiry; a place where culture, heritage and learning meet, and where independent thought is cherished.”
That certainly suited us just fine! The Institute holds an amazing array of archive material from organisations and movements active in East London over the last 200 years plus. They have world-renowned collections on London history, labour and socialist history, freethought and humanism, co-operation, protest and campaigning. Some of this material was used in our workshop, led by Michelle, which explored local history and identity, looking at a range of materials from the archives including historic London guide books and maps, protest materials, and items from the Muriel Lester archive (Kingsley Hall – including Gandhi photos). The workshop was called ‘This is London’ and was extremely visual: taking in tools and methods of graphic communication, symbols, logos and branding.
We could actually handle the archives!
Old newspapers from the area
Chronologically organising old guide/map books of London
We finished off the day with the boys working collaboratively in 2 groups to produce their own poster. They were given a choice to create a poster that voiced their opposition to something in the East End or a poster that voiced how/what they wanted in the East End. Interestingly they both chose the latter option, creating visually arresting images that attested to their positive and inclusive vision of how society should both organise itself and live.
Multicultural Bow
Green Bow
We had a brilliant day, enormously interesting, the boys really enjoyed themselves and the creative thread of this project is really beginning to unfold. Many thanks to Michelle and the Bishopsgate Institute!
B Creative 