Mountford Community Hall

Mountford Community Hall

_{Mountford Growing Community, 2021 - Current}

The Mountford Community Hall project is an ongoing initiative developed in collaboration with Mountford Growing Community and artist Rose Gibbs. This project specifically targets underrepresented young people within the built environment, including those from global majority and working-class backgrounds.

We conducted a summer school and autumn school, each lasting five days, back in 2021. Through observing the workshops with young people and conducting community consultations with residents, we developed a design. These workshops took place on-site at the Mountford Community Hall, providing a hands-on experience for participants.

Following these activities, we have developed a publication, which is soon to be released, and written a report for the Greater London Authority (GLA). The project has been funded through crowdsourcing and the Mayor of London’s Spacehive scheme.

As an artist and designer, I see the pressing need to rethink how we use space. In London, we are currently experiencing a housing crisis, with homes being unaffordable for many. While the government and developers focus on building new housing, these efforts often overlook the need for community provisions that support these new residences. Our project critiques this approach and highlights the importance of creating spaces like community halls.

Community halls can act as living rooms for the public shared spaces where people can gather, host events, participate in programs, and socialise. These spaces are essential for activities like after school clubs, exercise classes, study areas, coffee mornings for older people, and more. They offer a place for interaction beyond the confines of small living rooms, extending the domestic space into the public realm. Our goal is to ensure that the new Mountford Community Hall provides a high-quality, inclusive space for all community members, addressing the broader need for community infrastructure alongside housing.