SME Partner

Emily Druiff, Peckham Platform

Academic Partner

Dr Sophie Hope, Birkbeck, University of London

Project Title

Social Art Map

Project Description

Social Art Map aims to draw parallels between commissioning models across those engaged with social arts practice in London. This project was central to Peckham Platform’s business plan and status as a new National Portfolio Organisation to become a hub for commissioning and promoting meaningful and accessible social arts practice.The project involved five visual arts organisations that commission social arts practice, including Peckham Platform.

Meetings were initially held with the curator in each of the organisations to discuss the Social Art Map and identify a recent project they wanted to revisit. The project team then carried out 2-3 hour workshops with each organization to create a collective timeline of the project. Contributors to each workshop were the curators, artists, community partner and/or participants.

The selected projects were: a play commissioned by Chisenhale Gallery and Create called Between You and Me, a mural commissioned by Create titled This Used to be Fields, a community darkroom organised by Showroom, This is for you, a dance commission by AIR, and Money Distribution Machine and Other Useful Contraptions by Peckham Platform.

The next stage of the project was to collate the information gathered and create an illustrated map and working paper for digital distribution. The team also held a focus group with the five curators (Emily Druiff, Anna Hart, Laura Wilson, Mareijke Steedman and Louise Shelly) at Birkbeck at which they presented the material and discuss next steps. This was followed by a public event that further highlighted the project and widened the discussion and network.