News

The Streets is an arts and culture urban regeneration project with a multitude of ambitions, contributing to the national agenda to revitalise Britain’s high streets. Keep up to date with all project-specific news as well as these broader discussions on our news feed below:

Discover Your High Street Project Celebration Event

On the 10th April 2017 we held an event in the London Living Room at City Hall, where we invited Heritage Partners, volunteers and representatives from arts and cultural organisations to join us to celebrate and reflect upon the Heritage Lottery Funded element of The Streets project: Discover Your High Street.

Hosted by Jumoké Fashula, (BBC Radio London) we heard from a multitude of speakers who each shared unique insights into the project and its extraordinary impact.

We were privileged to be joined by Stuart Hobley, the Head of Heritage Lottery Fund London who spoke about the importance of projects such as Discover Your High Street project and thanked National Lottery Players for the impact of their purchases.  Following this, our Keynote Speaker, Robert Elms (BBC Radio London) shared his own fascinating experiences of London’s heritage, through fond childhood memories in the city, encouraging the audience to use the project as a catalyst to “go out and discover”.  

After hearing a detailed overview of the project from the Discover Your High Street team, representatives from Blue Orange, Redbridge College spoke of their involvement with Discover Your High Street through taking part in a photography project to contribute to our publication.

Later on, Chenine Bhathena, Senior Cultural Strategy Officer from the Greater London Authority, expanded on the contribution projects such as The Streets and Discover Your High Street make to the Mayor of London’s Cultural Strategy.  Finally, Director of Serious, Claire Whitaker, OBE, gave an insight into the relationship between The Streets and Discover Your High Street.

Each delegate also received a project ‘toolkit’ which included case studies detailing working on cross borough arts and heritage projects. We also gave information on working with volunteers and heritage partners to share our learnings with the wider sector.

A question and answer session to conclude the afternoon certainly demonstrated an appetite for further collaborative events and projects of this nature in the future.

During this event, we launched our project publication which thematically explores the shared heritage of our seven outer London boroughs. The publication includes images, maps and text to illustrate the rich history of the areas and is currently being distributed across the boroughs to schools, libraries, museums and local businesses free of charge with thanks to the generous support of the Heritage Lottery Fund. 

We are recruiting an experienced and creative graphic designer for our Discover Your High Street Publication

We are are seeking an experienced graphic designer help form our Discover Your High Street publication, to be released in the coming months. 

For more information please view our role description.

If you think you’d fit the bill for this creative challenge, please send a short statement outlining your prior experience and a sample of your portfolio to date to Grace Lindley, Heritage Project Assistant: grace.lindley@serious.org.uk, by the 23rd January 2017.

Our Discover Your High Street Exhibition is on tour again!

Following the fantastic reception of our Discover Your High Street Exhibition during The Streets events in November, we have kicked off the new year by touring the exhibition around each of our seven boroughs once more. 

The tour commences again this week with the exhibition popping up until the 23rd January at the Guildhall in Kingston, Central Library and Museum in Redbridge and Leyton Library in Waltham Forrest. 

Do take a look and pick up a heritage trail of the corresponding area! 

Following this, the exhibition will proceed to our four other outer London boroughs.

We are recruiting for Exhibition Steward Volunteers!

As our Discover Your High Street project progresses, we are searching for Exhibition Steward Volunteers to assist with monitoring our touring exhibition on event days: 

Friday 11th November: Woolwich and Ilford.
Saturday 12th November: Woolwich, Ilford, Leyton and Kingston. 
Saturday 19th November: Twickenham and Tooting.
Sunday 20th November: Twickenham, Tooting and South Norwood.

This is an excellent opportunity for volunteers to gain experience in a public-facing role, within an exciting and influential London-wide arts project. 

As an Exhibition Steward Volunteer you will:
- Spend a minimum of half a day stewarding your designated borough’s exhibition.
- Assist with set-up or pack-down of the exhibition.
- Monitor the space to ensure that visitors are safe.
- Provide further information if prompted by the public. 
- Encourage and assist with participation in our memory sharing engagement activity. 
- Distribute our local heritage trails and encourage attendance to our heritage talks. 
- Be given opportunities to assist film crew with the filming across the events. 

In return you will:
- Be given an introduction and overview of our project. 
- Be given an information pack with relevant further information on local history. 
- Have opportunities to attend training and events relevant to the project.
- Have necessary travel and refreshment expenses reimbursed. 
- Gain an insight into the running of arts, heritage and music events.
- Have a great experience to put on your CV!

It would be great if you:
- Have an interest in local history. 
- Enjoy interacting with the public. 
- Have a can-do attitude and a willingness to learn.

It would be beneficial if you were available for a short training session during the afternoon of 10th November 2016.

If this sounds like something you’d enjoy, please contact Grace Lindley, Heritage Project Assistant on grace.lindley@serious.org.uk, giving a brief overview of your interests and experience relevant to the role. Please also state your availability on event days listed above. We would love to hear from you!

One Month To Go!

With just one month to go until The Streets, and the new HLF component: Discover Your High Street takes to the stage of our town centres, we thought we'd look back on the highlights from Summer 2016 to give you a taste of what is to come in November. 


July 2016 saw The Streets return for another series of high street takeovers, presenting a mammoth programme of over 130 performances in the most unusual locations of seven outer-London boroughs. 

Londoners were treated to three weekends of free events in the form of major vocal extravaganzas, with pop-up performances, workshops and parades taking place in train stations, cafés, libraries, shops and open spaces, as well main stages being erected to present a central celebration of music in each area. Click here for the event gallery.

A diverse and exciting range of artists travelled across the capital, from south west to north east, for events with a strong focus on singing that featured international artists alongside community choirs, street performers and local musicians, all utilising the communal space of the high street as their stage.

Keep checking back for more information on the Autumn line up!


Heritage Lottery Fund support for The Streets: Discover your High Street

Vision Redbridge Culture & Leisure and a consortium of six other outer London boroughs has received £76,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for an exciting new project, The Streets: Discover your High Street.

The project will take place in seven outer London boroughs: Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Waltham Forest, Greenwich, Wandsworth, Croydon and Kingston upon Thames

The project aims to encourage local communities and visitors to discover the heritage of outer London Borough high streets through a programme of research, outreach and engagement activities and community-led events taking place between August and November 2016.

Discover your High Street will explore unified themes including architecture, industrial development, transport, immigration and regeneration in each of the seven London boroughs, to tell a story about the last 100 years of town centre high streets and how they have changed. 

Volunteers, community groups and heritage partners will come together to research forgotten histories, uncover new stories and interpret the history of outer London borough high streets all of which will brought together in a public series of events, a pop-up touring exhibition in each of the high streets in November, book and dissemination event. 

It is a crucial time for British high streets and this project will support the change and regeneration that is taking place across many outer London town centres. There is demand from outer London boroughs for more heritage and community projects to help highlight and celebrate the potential of high streets and town centres.

Cllr Ross Hatfull, Cabinet Member for Civic Pride, said, “Redbridge is delighted that Vision RCL and the consortium of partners have secured this funding. Local residents will have a fantastic opportunity to explore and record the local heritage of Ilford town centre using the resources of Redbridge Museum & Heritage Service and Vision’s Culture team. We look forward to seeing the exhibition, events and other resources which will be created as a long-term legacy of the project.”  

Stuart Hobley, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund London, said: “The Discover your High Street project will bring seven outer London Boroughs together to discover the heritage of their area. Thanks to National Lottery players, the public will be able to take part in an exciting programme of events which will map out the history of London’s high streets and how they have changed over time.” 

We're recruiting for research volunteers

The Streets: Discover Your High Street
Research Volunteer Role Description


General Background
Discover Your High Street is a project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund which aims to explore the history of seven outer London high streets. The project is delivered by Serious Events Ltd in partnership with a consortium of seven outer London Boroughs: Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston upon Thames, Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Waltham Forest and Wandsworth. Discover Your High Street is part of a wider project, The Streets; an ambitious and dynamic programme which brings music and performance to local high streets with the aim of showcasing the local streetscape and unlocking its potential.

The Role
We are seeking volunteers to assist in the research aspects of the project, which will culminate in a touring exhibition, publication and heritage trail. This is an exciting opportunity to shape the Discover Your High Street project, and to help encourage local communities to engage with the history of their local area.

As a Research Volunteer you will:
● Travel across your dedicated borough to visit local archives, museums and libraries to gather information about the local high street in the last 100 years
● Make contact and meet with local businesses who are interested in sharing their history in connection with the project
● Identify images, documents and other archival records which can be used in exhibition and publication
● Share your research with the Heritage Coordinator using Word or Excel
● Attend regular meetings and maintain regular contact with the Heritage Coordinator
● Spend at least approximately the equivalent of 1 day per week on your research (research period will run up until December)

In return you will:
● Be given an opportunity to attend relevant training and events in connection with the project
● Be given an opportunity to develop and deliver community talks or events in November 2016
● Gain additional research experience and an understanding of how historical research can contribute to community heritage projects
● Contribute to an exciting new community heritage project
● Be compensated for your travel costs upon agreement with the Heritage Coordinator

Desirable qualities and experience:
● An interest in history, heritage and research
● Experience using libraries and archives for research purposes
● Good written English
● An ability to volunteer the equivalent of at least 1 day per week for a month or more

For more information please contact Daniella Hadley at daniellahadley@gmail.com or telephone 07891 129 891. Please include in your email a short statement explaining why you are interested in the Research Volunteer role.

The Streets Press Release July 2016

THE STREETS
Over 200 performances on high streets as part of a pan-London celebration of culture

This July saw The Streets return for another series of high street takeovers, presenting a mammoth programme of over 130 performances in the most unusual locations of seven outer-London boroughs. 

Londoners were treated to three weekends of free events in the form of major vocal extravaganzas, with pop-up performances, workshops and parades taking place in train stations, cafes, libraries, shops and open spaces, as well main stages being erected to present a central celebration of music in each area. 

A whopping 50 vocal groups participated throughout July, travelling between boroughs and offering world-class performances on outer London high streets. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, visited The Streets final event in Tooting in the same week that he announced to the world that #LondonIsOpen, hailing the diversity and talent of the capital’s international and home-grown artists as part of International Busking Day. Of his experience of The Streets, The Mayor commented:

“London’s cultural riches are not just limited to the city centre. Wherever you live, there’s a treasure trove of theatres, restaurants, museums and events right on your doorstep, and festivals like The Streets are doing excellent work to highlight some of the capital’s local gems. I had a fantastic time at the Tooting event listening to live music, sampling some great food and celebrating what makes my local area unique. All these events show that London is truly open to new talent, new business, and to people from all over the world making the most of what this fantastic city has to offer.”

Now in its second year, The Streets is an ambitious programme showcasing the local streetscapes of outer London, using live music to revitalise the high street for local communities and businesses. 

A diverse and exciting range of artists travelled across the capital, from south west to north east for events with a strong focus on singing that featured international artists alongside community choirs, street performers and local musicians and hosted by BBC Radio London presenter Jumoke Fashola.

Live music and event producer, Serious, has been working with the Great London Authority and a consortium of boroughs since the launch of The Streets last year – Waltham Forest, Redbridge, Croydon, Wandsworth, Richmond, Greenwich and Kingston-upon-Thames – to reignite the full potential of the high street, aligning cultural activity with commercial priorities. The aim is to celebrate local high streets, giving residents and visitors the chance to see and take part in something new and exciting, using their communal space as its stage.

The Streets will return to each borough in November 2016 as part of the EFG London Jazz Festival high street takeover.


THE STREETS RETURNS

Three weekends packed with performances, parades + pop-up events

 
“One of the best things about London is how much is going on around every corner, and in each and every community. Festivals like The Streets are doing excellent work to highlight some of the capital’s local gems. As Mayor, I want to celebrate the fact that our wealth of cultural riches are not just limited to central London. That’s why I’m planning a new London Borough of Culture competition so that each year a different borough is the focus of an ambitious arts and culture programme.”   Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London)
 
This summer The Streets returns to the cafes, bars, high streets and open spaces of seven outer-London boroughs with three weekends packed with performances, workshops, parades and pop-up events in July.
 
The Streets, which is now in its second year, is an ambitious programme showcasing the local streetscapes of outer London, engaging and surprising residents with unexpected performances aiming to revitalise the high street for local communities and businesses.
 
A diverse and exciting range of artists and events are programmed this summer, with a strong focus on singing from a variety of genres, featuring established artists alongside community choirs, street performers and local musicians and hosted by BBC radio presenters Jumoke Fashola and Lopa Kothari.
 
Choir Clock will take place across the boroughs - a performance on the hour every hour - featuring a stunning selection of singers:  House Gospel Choir, Stratford East Singers, London Vocal Project, The Tootsie Rollers, Blossom Street, The Beatbox Collective, Silk Street, London Gay Men Chorus, The Swingles, The Spinettes, alongside local community choirs.
 
Woolwich – Fri 8th & Sat 9th July :  General Gordon Square will be animated with performances and workshops, teaming up with the Royal Greenwich and Blackheath Halls Choir and laughter yoga company Happily Clappily.  Choir Clock will feature Blossom Street, House Gospel Choir and The Spinettes.
 
South Norwood – Sat 9th & Sun 10th July:  local resident Captain Sensible will celebrate the high street alongside a 25-piece choir from the Brit School and Mind Charity, performing many songs (including Happy Talk) in the community-created Sensible Garden.  Acclaimed soprano Amanda Forbes will take opera to the streets with a mix of work by South Norwood composer Samuel Coleridge Taylor, arias from famous operas and songs by Amy Winehouse and other iconic contemporary artists.  This 2-day event will include street stalls, food markets and many local artists and performers.
 
Kingston-upon-Thames – Sat 9th & Sun 10th July:   Choir Clock will pop up around Kingston over both days, hosted by cafes, bars and shops all over town with a grand carnival finale in the Market Place on the Sunday. In collaboration with the annual International Youth Arts Festival (IYAF).

Ilford – Sat 16th & Sun 17th July:  will feature appearances by vintage singing group, The Spinettes, a large Salvation Army choir and an impressive young choir from Fullwood Primary School. 
 
Twickenham – Sat 23rd & Sun 24th July: an evening of al fresco dining (part of Twickenham Festival) will light up Church Street on the Saturday, followed by a day of performances in Diamond Jubilee Gardens, including the incredible Rosie Whitney-Fish and Boundless Dance.  Don’t forget your picnic.

Tooting – Sat 23rd & Sun 24th July –  featuring Choir Clock, House Gospel Choir, Blossom Street, The Great Gustos, young beatbox brothers Maverick + Malachi with a performance from the World  Heartbeat Music Academy, as a result of a residency with House Gospel Choir.  The weekend will culminate in a spectacular street party on Cowick Road. 
 
Leyton – Sat 23rd July – a day of performances and workshops in Coronation Gardens including a food festival, a roller skating area and featuring the House Gospel Choir, Walthamstow Acoustic Massive, the Beat Box Collective, Natural Voices and X7eaven.  
 
Live music and event producer, Serious, has been working with a consortium of boroughs since the launch of The Streets last year – Waltham Forest, Redbridge, Croydon, Wandsworth, Richmond, Greenwich and Kingston-upon-Thames – to reignite the full potential of the high street, aligning cultural activity with commercial priorities.  The aim is to animate local streets, giving residents and visitors the chance to see and take part in something new and exciting, using their communal space as its stage.
Press contact:  Sally Reeves 01223 864710 / 07790 518756 sallyreeves@btinternet.com 

Join us as a volunteer for ‘The Streets’

Essential Information If you are interested in applying to volunteer, please send a CV and brief Covering Letter explaining why you would like to volunteer, along with your availability, to harryforshaw51@gmail.com. Please note that we do not expect our volunteers to be available across all of the dates! The closing date for applications is 27th May 2016.

Interviews will take place on the 2nd and 3rd of June at the Serious office (51 Kingsway Place, Sans Walk, Clerkenwell, London EC1R 0LU).

£15 per day will be given to volunteers for food and travel.