The Building Exploratory

Our View 2012

2012-01-23T15:16:00.001Z

What a difference a year makes... It is just over a year since redevelopment of the site opposite our office began. During 2011 not just one, but 2 development projects have taken shape on the site opposite us, with another 2 projects a little way further down this stretch of canal and a couple more in the pipe line.

Back in January 2011

Summer 2011

January 2012

It has been fascinating (and pretty noisy). We look forward to waving to our new neighbours later in 2012...

Workshops for 2012

2012-01-04T11:27:00.001Z

It is a big year for London and the Olympics are creeping closer and closer! Our new package of Olympic Spirit workshops proved very popular last term and we are filling up fast for this term and next.

In October we worked with students from Berger Primary School in Hackney in our 'On your Marks' workshop down on the Greenway. Pupils got to grips with the geography and sustainability of the park and looked at the architecture and engineering of the fantastic new buildings.

In November students from Wellington Primary in Bow took part in our 'Mapping Spaces, Shaping Spaces: The Olympic Park' workshop, where they explored our collection of maps and photos and learnt about the history of the Olympic Park site and how the 2012 Games is affecting the East End.

If you would be interested in booking an Olympic Spirit workshop for your school, please give us a call on 020 7729 2011.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-19T10:42:00.002Z

Honorary membership of the RIBA for TBE Chief Exec Nicole Crockett

2011-12-07T14:53:00.001Z

The Royal Institute of British Architects' (RIBA) Council this week approved 14 new RIBA Honorary Fellowships tor 2012.

We are delighted that our Chief Executive Nicole Crockett is to be awarded this honour at a ceremony in February.

RIBA Honorary Fellowships are awarded annually to people who have made a particular contribution to architecture – in the broadest sense. This includes its promotion, administration and outreach; and its role in building more sustainable communities and in the education of future generations.

Speaking earlier this week, RIBA President Angela Brady said:

'Each of this year's Honorary Fellows has made an enormous contribution to architecture, whether as a practitioner, designer, curator, writer or policy maker. The RIBA values everything that they have brought – in their very different ways – to the knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the world of architecture. I look forward to presenting them with their Honorary Fellowships in February.'

Other recipients for 2012 include artists Ai Weiwei and Mayor of London Boris Johnson.

For more information please visit the RIBA website.

Additional Funding from Arts Council England

2011-11-28T12:34:00.001Z

The Building Exploratory has been awarded a £5,000 grant from the Arts Council to further develop creative arts practice with older people. The grant will allow us to create a pool of artists who are trained to work with older people with reduced mobility, hearing or visual impairments and mental health issues.

During this project we will commission the artists to develop and deliver creative activities to enable these more vulnerable older people to explore and engage with buildings and public spaces. The project will act as a test bed for developing stimulating and multi-sensory creative experiences which will allow older people who may otherwise face difficulties in participating, to take part and engage creatively with architecture.

We are currently looking for artists to get involved in the programme. For more information please email karen@buildingexploratory.org.uk

Research Volunteers Needed

2011-11-21T12:43:00.001Z

Investigate the Historyand Development of High Street 2012

The Building Exploratory is offering a fantastic research training anddevelopment opportunity for new volunteers as part of our new Peoples PanoramaProject.

The Peoples Panorama Project aims to work with a group of committed volunteersto discover the history and hidden stories of the buildings along High Street2012 – the 6km road that links the City of London to Stratford and the OlympicPark.

Volunteers will use a range of resources as well as their experiences of visiting‘High Street 2012’, to compile a detailed history of the development of thisimportant high street, from its Roman origins to the present day. This researchwill be combined with a photographic panorama of the entire road, to form amajor online resource.

Volunteers will receive comprehensive training in the skills they need toundertake their tasks, as well as full support and regular meetings from theBuilding Exploratory’s learning team.

If you would like to volunteer for the Peoples Panorama Project, please emailLizzie Edwards at projects@buildingexploratory.org.uk, for an application form and more details about theproject.

Architecture workshops: OMA at the Barbican

2011-10-12T10:38:00.000+01:00

'This autumn Barbican Art Gallery is transformed by an exhibition on OMA, one of the most influential architecture practices working today. Celebrated asmuch for their daring and unconventional ideas as their inventive buildings,the work of OMA and its think tank AMO anticipates the architectural,engineering and cultural ideas transforming our material world.'

Take part in this practicalworkshop led by the Building Exploratory. Learn about the creative processesbehind architecture and design and gain a better understanding of the buildingsand spaces that surround us.

Saturday 29October, 12November, 3 December and 18 February

2-4pm

Tickets Tickets include same dayentry to the exhibition

£12if booked on-line through http://www.barbican.org.uk

Ticketson the door £14, subject to availability

Thisevent takes place in Barbican Art Gallery Events Space.

The People's Favourite Project

2011-09-30T12:08:00.000+01:00

The People’s Archive project aims to create a resource for the people who live, work and play around Bow Road. We are gathering the reminiscences, stories and opinions of local people in order to create an archive of this remarkable part of east London. Bow Road forms part of ‘High Street 2012’, the 6km route from the City of London to the Olympic Park.

You can follow our progress here on the People's Favourite blog, and get involved by voting for your favourite building on High Street 2012 on the People’s Favourite Buildings website.

Open House London: 17th September

2011-09-08T11:08:00.001+01:00

The Building Exploratory will be open to the public as part of Open House London, on the 17th September, from 10am till 3pm.

Come and find out what we have been up to this year and take the opportunity to explore our wonderfulcollection of maps, photos and resources related to the history of the builtenvironment in the local area.

A Building Exploratory tour of the Commonwealth Institute for the Design Museum

2011-08-11T15:29:00.005+01:00

The former Commonwealth Institute on Kensington High Street, which once welcomed over 500 school children to its exhibitions per day, has been closed to the public for nine years. The Design Museum will be taking over the building and opening it to the public as the site of their new home in 2014.

In the mean time, we are delighted to have been given the task of creating a tour that makes the design and engineering behind the wonderful and complex structure of the Commonwealth Institute building accessible and engaging to the public.

The impressive hyperbolic parabola roof that sweeps away from you wherever you stand, was designed by Robert Matthew Johnson-Marshall and Partners and represents the experimentation characteristic of 1950s and 60s engineering and architecture.

The Commonwealth Institute will be opened up over the Open House weekend, 17th-18th September. To see the amazing roof and learn more about the building, you cab book a place on one of the tours during the Open House weekend.

The Open House weekend is the last chance to see this incredible building, in its original internal configuration. Book your by visiting www.designmuseum.org

Our changing view..

2011-07-29T15:06:00.002+01:00

From this...

... to this in 6 months.

The view from our office, across the Regent's canal, has changed dramatically in the last 6 months. We miss the nice multi-coloured wall... It is seriously noisy with all this going on!

Canal Sounds

2011-07-22T14:49:00.004+01:00

On Saturday 16th July we held our first ‘Imagine Hackney’ workshop for young people as part of the Shoreditch Festival. Working with the theme of this year’s festival which was all about Regents Canal, we decided to run a workshop titled ‘Canal Sounds’ in which participants would create a Soundscape of the canal. During the workshop, the participants first learnt about the history of Regents Canal and of soundscapes. Recording soundscapes was part of a movement started in the 1970s by the World Soundscape Project who advocated that recording the sounds made by the built environment is equally important to recording the built environment via photos or drawings. Armed with this knowledge, the participants set out along Regents Canal to record occurring and found sounds. These sounds will later be organised into a composition, which will appear on our website soon.

Canal Sounds: Event for young people

2011-07-21T15:49:00.001+01:00

On Saturday 16th July we are holding our first ‘Imagine Hackney’ event for young people to explore the built environment.

Canal Sounds is a workshop where you will explore the life and history of the Regent’s Canal and think about how it is used today through creating a soundscape. During the workshop you’ll learn about music production and how to use digital sound recording equipment, as well as learning about the history of Regent’s canal. All of this knowledge will enable you to make recordings that will be used to create the soundscape. So you’ll be learning new skills and exploring the world around you in a creative way, all at the same time!

Canal Sounds takes place at the Building Exploratory (and along Regents Canal) from 2pm-4pm on Saturday 16th July. If you can make it and would like to book a place, please contact us by email (mail@buildingexploratory.org.uk), or by phone on 02077292011.

Open House: Saturday 23rd July

2011-07-20T11:19:00.004+01:00

This saturday we will be open to the public between 1pm and 5pm. As part of the Shoreditch Festival, this is a chance to come and visit our bespoke designed space, over looking thecanal at 8 Orsman Road - A great opportunity to explore our wonderfulcollection of maps, photos and resources related to the history of the builtenvironment along the canal and in the local area.

Canal Sounds - Saturday 16th July. An event for young people.

2011-07-12T17:04:00.005+01:00

On Saturday 16th July we are holding our first ‘Imagine Hackney’ event for young people to explore the built environment.

Canal Sounds is a workshop where you will explore the life and history of the Regent’s Canal and think about how it is used today through creating a soundscape. During the workshop you’ll learn about music production and how to use digital sound recording equipment, as well as learning about the history of Regent’s canal. All of this knowledge will enable you to make recordings that will be used to create the soundscape. So you’ll be learning new skills and exploring the world around you in a creative way, all at the same time!

Canal Sounds takes place at the Building Exploratory (and along Regents Canal) from 2pm-4pm on Saturday 16th July. If you can make it and would like to book a place, please contact us by email mail@buildingexploratory.org.uk, or by phone on 02077292011.

Folly for a Flyover

2011-07-07T15:31:00.004+01:00

Last Saturday, Nicole and our volunteers Sarah Khalaf and Esin Gumus, took part in the structures week of Folly for A Flyover, a temporary structure that is hosting creative activities for 6 weeks underneath the A12 flyover.

Working with a wide range of enthusiastic local people they built a giant tetrahedron out of smaller newspaper triangles. The weather stayed really bright and it turned out to be a fantastic day exploring structures in this exciting creative space.

TBE at The Big Bang

2011-06-23T16:27:00.002+01:00

Janet, Aimée and our lovely volunteer Sarah, spent a day at the Science Museum on Wednesday talking to students, teachers, parents and STEM ambassadors about the Building Exploratory and what we do.

Throughout the day we welcomed budding engineers and designers to help us build a tower from rolled newspaper based on a structure of 3 sided pyramids. With so many eager hands, the tower took on an impressively abstract design and was taller than our stand by the end of the day!

The event was a free celebration of science and engineering for young people across the region that aimed to showcase the diversity and potential of careers in STEM (Science, technology, engineering and maths).

Find out more about STEM at http://www.stemnet.org.uk/

The Building Exploratory is awarded a Quality Badge by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom

2011-06-10T10:15:00.002+01:00

We are really pleased to have been awarded a Quality Badge for Learning Outside the Classroom. This award is recognition of all the hard work we put into our workshops and visits to give both teachers and pupils the best learning experience we can.

The Quality Badge is a nationally recognised indicator of good quality educational provision which combines the essential elements of provision - learning and safety - into one easily recognisable and trusted accreditation scheme.

‘The LOtC Quality Badge reduces the red tape associated with learning outside the classroom, making it easier for teachers and other education providers to incorporate LOtC into the everyday curriculum. This increases the likelihood of children having the opportunity to have wider educational experiences which directly benefit their educational attainment and social and emotional development’.

Refurbish: the life and times of a tower block

2011-05-23T10:16:00.002+01:00

To celebrate Lifelong Learning Week the Building Exploratory ran a special event for a group of 25 adults - 'Refurbish: the life and times of a tower block'.

The event began with a talk exploring the history of towers and the evolution through time of their use and design, before focusing on the architectural development of post war tower blocks in the UK.

The group then went over to Grange Court, originally one of four tower blocks on the Holly Street Estate, where we met with Ken Gilmour, from the the Grange Court Tenants Management Organisation. Ken talked us through the re-development of Holly Street and answered questions about the management of Grange Court (the tower was refurbished as a block specifically for older people) . The event ended on a high with a very special opportunity to go up to the top of Grange Court from where the group enjoyed fantastic views (and many towers) across the whole of London.

Dalston Square Time Capsule

2011-05-13T15:52:00.001+01:00

On Thursday 12th May students from Holy Trinity and Colvestone Primary Schools, along with councillors and representatives from Barratt Homes, gathered to bury the Dalston Square Time Capsule.

The time capsule itself contains a wonderful collage of pictures of the children and the casts they made back in march.

Progress in Geography

2011-04-18T11:31:00.003+01:00

On Friday Head of Learning Janet Clark joined the Architecture Centre Network’s Head of Learning, Cara Courage, to speak at ‘Progress in Geography’, the Geographical Association’s Annual Conference and Exhibition at the University of Surrey.

Around 70 geography teachers listened to Cara talk about the Network’s national offer to teachers and schools and Janet talk about the Building Exploratory's work with secondary school Geography Departments.

Using Hackney as a case study, Janet encouraged teachers to use their local urban built environment and demonstrated how maps, photography, buildings and creative practice can be used to inspire and engage young people studying geography at all Key Stages.

Find out more about out our school workshops at www.buildingexploratory.org.uk/schools

2011-04-13T12:19:00.000+01:00

A big thank you goes to Alan Ledger of Durkan Estates, for stepping in at short notice on Friday morning to speak to the Senior Bees about some of the redevelopment work taking place just across the canal from our office.

Having met previously with architects, designers and planners, the Senior Bees appreciated hearing about this redevelopment from the contractors perspective. It was really interesting to hear about Alan's role at Durkan and it was a real eye-opener to have an insight into the complexities of managing large scale developments.

We hope to welcome Alan back to give another talk once the scheme has been completed.

The work over the canal has really picked up over the last few weeks with a forest of cranes springing up and the building on the Durkan site starting to take shape.

Getting involved at the Building Exploratory

2011-04-08T15:05:00.000+01:00

Over the last couple of weeks we have held three really busy and very successful open evenings for people who want to get involved in our work.

At the end of March we welcomed 12 potential new volunteers into our office for tea and biscuits and to learn about what we do and the experience they can gain from helping us to develop our learning programmes.

Last Monday 15 artist attended an open evening, which we organised to increase our pool of freelance artists who would like to work with us on up-coming creative projects. The artists' practise ranged from painting, illustration and printing to sculpting, ceramics and installations. The artists' were also all very keen to take up our offer of professional development, which will enable the to gain experience and skills to engage with a variety of audiences they may not have worked with before.

On Thursday evening 8 young people from our local area, along with some of their parents, visited us to help us with our plans to develop an Arts Award accredited programme about local sporting architecture. The group, aged 13-15 were all excited about the project, during which they will have the opportunity to visit a range of historic and contemporary sports venues, including swimming baths, boxing clubs, football stadiums, and of course, some of the magnificent buildings on the Olympic site. We hope to begin this programme in September.

We have been really overwhelmed by the all this enthusiasm for our work and can't wait to work with all these fantastic people!

Arts Council Funding Announcments

2011-03-31T15:16:00.000+01:00

Responding to the news yesterday that the Building Exploratory will no longer receive regular funding from the the Arts Council, chief Executive Nicole Crockett said:

“We are disappointed that Arts Council England has taken the decision not to continue funding the Building Exploratory. We are overwhelmed by demand from schools and local education authorities who recognise the value of our programmes. Our emphasis on creative learning, alongside our focus on developing a sense of place with some of the most diverse and disadvantaged communities in the UK, has made us one of the pioneers of the Big Society.

Our extensive programme of engagement has consistently delivered real results, promoting local partnerships between schools, community groups and artists, and helping to nurture a shared appreciation of the local environment. The Building Exploratory has created an important model for many other organisations, demonstrating how to effectively engage with children and young people.

It is essential that significant progress is made to ensure that local people are involved in shaping sustainable communities in areas, like East London, that are undergoing radical change. We will continue to seek new partnerships and new sources of funding in order to continue developing and extending this important work.”

Refurbish: The life and times of a tower block

2011-03-24T15:51:00.000Z

14th May 2011, 10.30 - 12.30 at The Building Exploratory

Learn more about the history of tower blocks, see our own refurbished model, and then go on a guided tour of the Holly Street Estate. FREE. Book by calling 020 7729 2011 or emailing mail@buildingexploratory.org.uk

This event is part of Discover Hackney's Adult Learners Week

Dalston Square Time Capsule

2011-03-16T14:28:00.002Z

This month we are delighted to be working on a project commissioned by hackney Council Cultural Services Department working with Holy Trinity and Convestone Primary Schools on a time capsule project for Dalston Square.

Pupils from the schools will work with artists, a photographer and a poet to record the redevelopment of Dalston Square, creating plaster casts, images and text which will go into the time capsule which will be buried in Dalston Square in May.

Hertford Road Development

2011-03-04T15:49:00.000Z

More drilling, more digging and some piling.

Transformers Grant

2011-02-14T16:38:00.001Z

The Building Exploratory has been awarded a Transformers grant, funded by National Lottery Funding through the Olympic Lottery Distributor and managed by ELBA.

The Transformers grant programme is directing nearly £1 million of funding to communities in the five Olympic Host Boroughs over the next two years. The grants are awarded to projects that really make a difference in people’s lives, particularly by those communities most affected by their proximity to the Olympic venues.

For Transformers we are creating an intergenerational project based in Bromley by Bow, with a focus on the rich heritage of the route from Aldgate to the Olympic Park. Keep an eye out for more details coming soon via our website.

Architecture Centre Network: Knowledge Exchange Tour 2011

2011-02-02T12:51:00.003Z

Later this month the Architecture Centre Network is leading a delegation of its members' built environment education (BEE) professionals on a knowledge exchange tour of Japan, hosted by Hokkaido University and supported by the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation.

Our Head of Education, Janet Clark, will join colleagues from Bristol Architecture Centre, The Solent Centre for Architecture and Design and the Architecture Centre Network in representing the pinnacle of BEE professionalism and innovative practice in the UK.

Hosted by Dr Sakai, of Hokkaido University, the visit will be based in Tokyo with travel to architectural education centres across Japan.

The UK delegation will present its BEE pedagogy and activities to Japanese educationists and thought-leaders from across the BEE sector; will visit a variety of architectural and built environment organisations and education providers; and will engage in knowledge exchange workshops, seminars and lectures with the same.

You can also follow Janet's Japan trip blog at http://tbejapantrip2011.blogspot.com

Hertford Road Development

2011-02-02T11:25:00.001Z

The demolition and work preparation of the site opposite our offices continues... Over the course of January they have drilled up the concrete foundations, put the big bits through a concrete crusher and moved around some huge piles of rubble. You can also start to see them digging the foundations for the site at the other end of the basin.

Arts Award Welcome

2011-01-25T11:03:00.000Z

The Building Exploratory has just become Arts Award Welcome, which means we can support young people working towards their Arts Awards by offering relevant opportunities.

If you are interested in working with us to achieve an award please visit the 'Young People' page of our website or contact us to find out more.

Arts Award is a qualification that rewards young people with a widely recognised certificate at three levels (bronze, silver and gold), accredited by Trinity College London. For more information please visit the Arts Award website.

Shoreditch Youth Forum visits TBE

2011-01-10T11:04:00.000Z

On Sunday 9th February Shoreditch Youth Forum visited the Building Exploratory to carry out some research and make a film for their 'Heroes' project. Our Head of Education Janet used the exhibition pieces to explain to the young people how Hackney's built environment has developed from prehistoric times and why it looks like it does today.

Janet said 'We had some stimulating discussion - the youth forum were very well informed!'. The young people also shared their fascinating Hackney-based family histories and used some of the Building Exploratory maps and photos to carry out further research.

The groups resulting work will be on show to the public at The Bridge Academy on 27th January, 4:30-7:30pm.

Going, going, gone

2011-01-04T10:58:00.000Z

In early December work began on the site across the canal from our office, giving us front row seats to the demolition process. Returning today after the Christmas break our view has significantly changed!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-15T13:05:00.001Z

We hope you have a lovely Christmas and we look forward to seeing you in 2011

The Lord Mayor's Show 2010

2010-11-15T15:03:00.001Z

On Saturday 13th November, pupils from Christchurch Primary School, staff from the City Bridge Trust, the Senior Bee's and the BE team came together to accompany our bridge design float through the streets of the City in the Lord Mayor's Show.

The show was the culmination of months of hard work. Project coordinator Lizzie Edward said "this has been such a great project to work on. The children, the Bee's and all of the team have been fantastic and it's amazing to see it all come together today for the show!"

The project was made possible by the City Bridge Trust, whose grants support community projects in London. The float was designed by Freshwest to reflect the City Bridge Trust's concept of 'linking London communities'. The project itself also had this idea at its heart with intergenerational sessions between the school children and the Bee's playing a key part.

Senior Bee's Building Bridges

2010-11-04T11:30:00.002Z

With the preparations for the Lord Mayor's Show on Saturday the 13th November in full swing, the Senior Bee's got involved in the fun through a fantastic talk and a bridge building challenge with project leader Lizzie Edwards.

Lizzie gave a wonderful talk on bridges and talked the group through the float design, explaining the process the Christchurch primary students and the designers went through to come up with the end product. The Bee's then took part in the same bridge building challenge that the students tried at the beginning of the project. Much laughter, friendly competition and team work saw the Bees' rise to the challenge and put what they had learnt about bridges into practice.

Now everyone is getting excited about the show and we look forward to some of the Bee's joining the students and our team as we accompany the float through the streets of the city next Saturday.

Kilburn Grange Adventure Playground wins international Children's Making Space Award

2010-10-11T12:28:00.002+01:00

We are delighted that Kilburn Grange adventure Playground has won this international award, given every 5 years. We are especially pleased because it is awarded by children - the very people the project was conceived with and for.

More soon on the judging process and hopefully a link to the film the children's jury made about the selection process, which outlines their criteria for a successful project for young people.

For more pictures of Kilburn Grange please see our Exploring adventure Flickr feed on the right of this page

Lord Mayor's Show 2010

2010-10-05T15:18:00.004+01:00

Following the success of the show last year, the City Bridge Trust has again asked the Building Exploratory to commission a float for the 2010 Lord Mayor's Show. This years float will be designed by innovative furniture designers Freshwest.

In addition, year 5 and 6 students from Christchurch CE Primary School on Brick Lane recently began a programme of exciting and inspiring learning activities, which will culminate in a specially choreographed dance to accompany the float through the streets of the City of London. Through model making with Freshwest, learning Circus Skills with Circus Space, creating dance moves with Akademi Dance Company and a trip along the river Thames, the children will learn about the history, design and construction of the city's bridges.

The Big Draw and The Story of London @ the Geffrye Museum

2010-10-01T13:00:00.020+01:00

On Saturday the 2nd October children of all ages and their families celebrated The Big Draw and The Story of London with a series of workshops at the Geffrye Museum. Families flocked to the artist-led Fantastical Houses workshops, in which participants experimented with unusual drawing techniques to create futuristic eco-homes.

In a separate activity for teenagers, young people created 3D models of environmentally freindly buildings inspired by Hackney's unique built environment.

Open House 2010

2010-09-29T14:41:00.004+01:00

On Saturday 18th September the Building Exploratory welcomed over 90 members of the public for Open City's Open House event. Besides exploring our beautiful bespoke space at 8 Orsman Road, created by Voluntary Design and build, visitors had the opportunity to meet the team and learn more about the history of market gardens in the local area through examining historic maps and creating their own cress gardens.

Shoe-box Hackney

2010-08-17T16:14:00.002+01:00

In August the building Exploratory has been working with photographers and artists Laura Braun and Jane Maxwell-Hyslop to deliver workshops at summer play-schemes in and around Hackney.

During the workshops participants created their own Hackney shoe-boxes using photos of local buildings and landmarks and pictures of themselves to collage onto and into shoe-boxes transforming them into buildings with windows and doors to look into.

Exploring Adventure: Kilburn Grange Adventure Playground

2010-08-17T16:13:00.001+01:00

To help realise the best possible design for Kilburn Grange Park Adventure Playground in Camden, the Building Exploratory has worked with erect architecture to devise an ambitious engagement and learning programme to involve the local community.

Following the completion of this pioneering project in Kilburn Grange Park, work has begun on developing a learning resource for local play workers. Over the summer the design and engagement processes followed will be reproduced in a digital resource to be hosted on our website. The legacy will present the creative processes that informed the final design of this unique play space and aims to celebrate and promote the engagement of communities in the redevelopment of public spaces. The resource will consist of a series of creative adventures for play workers and teachers to use with young people and a “Manifesto for Adventure”.

Please see the photo stream on the right hand side for pictures of the new playground.

The Senior Building Explorers at Cubitt

2010-08-17T15:53:00.006+01:00

With the support of Arts Council England’s Arts and Older People Development Fund, the Senior Bees have been taking part in a project designed to develop their creative skills. The project takes the form of a collaboration between the Building Exploratory and Cubitt, a gallery and studios based at the Angel in Islington.

Inspired by Cubitt’s approach to encouraging older people to take part in participatory arts we have worked together to develop sessions that nurture the creative skills and confidence of the Senior Bees. The Senior Bees have visited Cubitt and taken part in a session which introduced them to the idea of using creative media such as photography, sketching, poetry and so on, as a way of expressing and capturing thoughts, feelings, perceptions and observations of the world around them.

The project has been designed as a skills exchange, so the next phase will see Cubitt’s older people’s art group, Inside Art, taking part in Senior Bee inspired explorations of the built environment. We plan to go on a walking tour around Finsbury to inspire them to open their eyes to the significant buildings and architecture of the area.

If you would like to learn more about the Building Exploratory's work with older people, keep and eye out for our new publication which will be launched in September to celebrate and promote our work with the Senior Bee's.

TBE at the summer festivals

2010-07-25T11:22:00.001+01:00

This summer we have been out and about delivering free activities at our local festivals. On the 10th July, we enjoyed the best of the summer sunshine at the De Beuavoir Party in the Park, where we helped party goers make paper trees for a miniature De Beauvoir Square.

At the Shoreditch Festival on the 17th July we spilled out of the Discover Hackney Marquee to help children (and enthusiastic adults) build an impressive trapezium based structure from rolled newspaper.

At both festivals we were delighted to meet lots of enthusiastic families and adults and look forward to seeing them again at future events. If you would like to hear more about forthcoming events or be added to our events mailing list please drop us a line via our website.

Lord Mayors Show 2009

2009-12-01T14:10:00.000Z

The Building Exploratory, Sebright Primary School, Heatherwick Studios and City Bridge Trust, braved gales and rain storms to take part in the Lord Mayor’s Show this year. Our float, a scale model of a 100 metre long opening bridge designed by one of the UK’s leading designers, Thomas Heatherwick, was part of the parade that travelled through the City of London. Made from a laser-cut aluminium and timber, the float consisted of 40 moving segments which rolled and unrolled dozens of times during the procession, and which celebrated the 800th anniversary of the first stone crossing over the Thames. Wearing themed T-shirts, we performed a routine echoing the movement of the bridge choreographed by contemporary dance company Candoco. A great time was had by all despite the drizzle!

The Changing Face of Hackney

2009-11-30T14:04:00.002Z

The Building Exploratory held its first ‘Pecha Kucha’ style evening on 26th November to the delight of all. The session was fully booked within hours, participants being attracted to the format and the impressive range of speakers. Seven local artists, designers and architects explored the theme “The Changing Face of Hackney” using 20 images, each of which were shown for 20 seconds. Speakers including Brownsierra, Aranzazu Fernandez Rangel, Andrew Merritt, Alison Barnes, Fugitive Images and Waugh Thistleton embraced the format with enthusiasm, adapting in their own way to the restrictions it creates. Following the presentations, a lively discussion focused on the rapid transformation of Dalston, the growing demand for housing and alternative proposals for derelict sites and public spaces. Small Fry Films were present to capture the event for a documentary on East London commissioned by Transport for London. Similar evenings in partnership with Architecture Centre Network will take place early in 2010 - “Artists Working in Regeneration” in February and “Temporary Use of Building Space” in March.

Arts Council England

2009-11-30T14:00:00.002Z

The Building Exploratory is delighted to have received one of seven awards made by Arts Council England, London, for developing work with older people. In partnership with Cubitt Gallery and Studios, the Building Exploratory will undertake an action research project to facilitate a skills exchange to benefit our older audiences. The Building Exploratory's established group of over 55s, the Senior Bees (Building Exploratory Explorers), currently participate in an active programme focussing on the local built environment, its heritage, architecture and public spaces. The funding from Arts Council England will allow the Building Exploratory to develop the participation of the group more actively in arts activities, building upon their current interest in the arts as observers and audience members. The project will take place during 2010 across both venues and out in the the local built environment of Hackney and Islington.