This document outlines why each artist was brought in to share their project, taking the community on a journey of possibilities for a public realm commission being run by Ideas Test.

Rebecca Strickson

  • Project: A collaboration with Arts by Ramsgate
    1. What they do: Rebecca Strickson is an illustrator and designer who often works with vibrant, symbolic, and community-focused themes. She has extensive experience in large-scale murals, embroidered banners, and facilitating creative workshops with community groups.
    2. The project they discussed: The “Arts by Margate” project was a collaboration with Arts by Ramsgate, a community group. The project involved 12 sessions exploring the concept of “HOPE” with a diverse group of participants, including individuals with learning difficulties and those in assisted living. The work culminated in a public exhibition, a community meal, and a public-facing sign.
    3. The potential it demonstrated to our community: This project showed how art can be used as a powerful tool for social engagement and to explore abstract, meaningful concepts like “HOPE.” It demonstrated that a public commission can be a deep, collaborative process that gives a voice to a wide range of community members, including those who are often marginalised.

Core Landscapes

  • Project: Community-driven green interventions
    1. What they do: Core Landscapes is a project of the mental health charity Core Arts. They transform underused urban land into vibrant community green spaces through horticulture, design, workshops, and training. Their work focuses on promoting positive mental health, community pride, and increasing biodiversity.
    2. The project they discussed: Nemone Mercer, the project director, presented on Core Landscapes’ history and their current five sites in Hackney. She highlighted how they consult with and support the community to get involved, showcasing a range of scales and budgets for their greening initiatives.
    3. The potential it demonstrated to our community: This presentation opened up the possibility of a commission that is not just a static art piece, but a living, breathing, and evolving green space. It showed how a public realm project can directly impact the physical environment and be used as a tool for improving mental and physical well-being, fostering social connection, and empowering residents with new skills.

Future Foundry 

  • Project: Youth initiatives
    1. What they do: Future Foundry is a social enterprise that helps young people get into the creative industries. They work to remove barriers and provide a range of services, including co-working spaces, curatorial programming, and skills development.
    2. The project they discussed: They spoke about their work developing youth markets and craft/skills development programmes, culminating in the Dover Youth Festival. These initiatives were created in direct response to what young people said they wanted.
    3. The potential it demonstrated to our community: Future Foundry’s work highlighted the immense value of a public commission that is specifically focused on and co-created with young people. It showed how a project could not only be a piece of public art but also a catalyst for youth engagement, skills development, and the creation of new opportunities for the next generation.

Kaleider

  • Project: “The Money”
    1. What they do: Kaleider is an international production studio that creates interactive artworks and games. Their work often combines installation, live performance, and digital elements to explore social and human-centred themes.
    2. The project they discussed: They introduced “The Money,” an immersive game where a group of “Players” have one hour to unanimously decide how to spend a real pot of money. “Silent Witnesses” watch on, with the option to buy their way into the game.
    3. The potential it demonstrated to our community: Kaleider was brought in to introduce a playful and interactive element to the concept of the commission. “The Money” demonstrated how a public realm project can be a form of social experiment or game, engaging the community in a direct, democratic, and often tense conversation about shared values and resources. It showed that the process of deciding on a public commission can be as powerful as the outcome itself.

Aswarm

  • Project: “Voice Park”
    1. What they do: Aswarm is a public arts company led by Thor McIntyre-Burnie. They specialise in site-specific and immersive works, often using sound and sculptural elements to transform public spaces.
    2. The project they discussed: Thor showcased “Voice Park,” a project that involved collecting people’s voices from across a city and then creating an immersive installation where the collective voice could be heard and interacted with.
    3. The potential it demonstrated to our community: “Voice Park” was brought in to highlight the potential for a commission to be an auditory and immersive experience. It demonstrated a powerful way of platforming and amplifying community voices through public art, making the invisible and intangible a visible and tangible part of the public realm.

Murmuration

  • Project: A Lullaby for…
    1. What they do: Marion from Murmuration creates and produces projects that transform community stories into artistic experiences. Their work often focuses on deeply personal themes and uses sound installations to share them publicly.
    2. The project they discussed: Marion discussed a project for pre- and postnatal women where they worked with mothers to transform their stories into lullabies, which were then sung by a professional opera singer. These lullabies were presented in a sound installation in a public park, often in a moon-like structure.
    3. The potential it demonstrated to our community: This project brought a specific gender focus to the discussion. It showed how a public commission could be a deeply intimate and personal project, celebrating the stories and experiences of women, mothers, and caregivers. It demonstrated that public art can be a form of care and a way to create beautiful, resonant moments in shared spaces.

Zoie Golding from Zoie Logic Dance

  • Project: Engaging men through dance
    1. What they do: Zoie Golding is a dance pioneer and artistic director who leads Zoie Logic Dance Theatre. She specialises in breaking down barriers and using dance to connect people, particularly those who might not typically engage with the arts.
    2. The project they discussed: Zoie shared her extensive experience in encouraging men to engage in dance and using movement to improve mental health and foster connection.
    3. The potential it demonstrated to our community: This artist demonstrated the possibility of a commission focused on physical activity and social connection, specifically targeting a demographic—men—who can be difficult to reach with traditional art projects. It showed how a public commission could be a powerful tool for bringing men together, improving their well-being, and challenging perceptions about what public art can be.