The latest art installation in Newham Council’s £1.5m public spaces town centre improvement has been completed in Plaistow Park.
The Place of Play Mural in Plaistow Park was completed at a recent Newham Unlocked Festival community painting day. Local residents and park visitors put the finishing touches to the work, whose creation was managed by Wood Street Walls.
It was co-designed with young people from Lister Community School in Plaistow and REIN (Rights & Equalities in Newham) and reflects their thoughts and views on living in Plaistow.
Place of Play was developed by Disorder using the voice of the young people of Plaistow. The aim of the mural is to explore the identity of Plaistow and what it means to those who live there through a set of motifs which reflect a place and its identity.
The installation of two more projects has also begun. Mr Blue Sky is a creative uplift to the canopy of Plaistow Broadway shopping parade with a cloud-based design. The theme was selected by the resident design committee in tribute to Luke Howard (1772-1864), a resident of Plaistow who was the first person to classify the different types of clouds.
The second project being installed is called PlayGrown, which will be a garden at the base of Henniker Point, Maryland. This has been designed by Forest Gate artist Irene Astrain using patterns developed at workshops with Maryland Primary School. When completed, it will be a colourful play oasis for children.
The Mayor of Newham, Rokhsana Fiaz, said: “These Shape Newham projects will provide a wonderful lift to their surroundings. As creative works of art, they symbolise the important work being carried out all over the brought to bring public art and joy to our neighbourhoods. I’m delighted that so many members of the community have been actively involved in their creation.”