Roots and Routes – Setting the Scene in Croydon

Join us for a creative workshop combining photography, AI and ceramics to test out ideas to improve Croydon’s build environment.

Led by the local artist and photographer Lina Ivanova, this series builds on work Lina has been doing over the past 6 months working with local businesses and incoming / migrant communities.

We’ll focus in on routes through West Croydon and London Road down to Wandle park to test ideas of how we could create a cleaner, greener, safer and more welcoming environment in these areas of Croydon Town Centre.

What we’ll do:

Starting at the Croydon Urban Room, we’ll take a walk together through these areas, documenting the key spaces through guided photography, exploring:

• How can the example projects shown on the project cards work in Croydon, what local problems could they address, what aspects are most important?
• Which parts of the ‘big moves’ shown in the diagrams are the most important?

We’ll then regroup at the Croydon Urban Room, using AI and Photoshop to manipulate our photographs taken on site and the project cards, adding elements that reflect our collective vision for a better community, with urban design specialists on hand to help us shape plans which are realistic.

• How can we make these spaces cleaner, greener and safer to inhabit and travel through?
• How can we retain a sense of community and belonging?
• How do they match what the community wants?

We will then move to a hands-on approach, imagining our final approaches in a clay model of the Wandle Park to West Croydon area which will be finished, fired and glazed by Lina & Turf.

Free and open to all; please click through to the Eventbrite page to book a free space so we know how many people to expect!

Croydon Council is creating a new strategy to underpin the regeneration being planned for the town centre. A series of creative activities provide opportunities for the community, businesses and partners to get involved. This workshop is facilitated by local arts charity Turf Projects who are part of a multi-disciplinary team led by We Made That, working with Croydon Council in partnership with the GLA. The engagement is taking place from November 2023 into Autumn 2024.

Find out more about the Strategy using the Easy Read available in print at the Urban Room, or online here

Sign up to the Urban Room Newsletter for future updates, and you can also email us any queries or comments at info@croydonurbanroom.com.

ABOUT LINA IVANOVA

Lina is a process-led artist who uses photography, sculpture, and multimedia installations to explore themes of place, migration, and identity. Her work is informed by her own experiences of migration, creating narratives around displacement, family, and heritage.

KEY ACCESS INFO:

• To help us support you best, please let us know if you have any access needs when booking.
• This workshop will involve some reading and writing. If you need support, just let us know.
• For access info about getting to Turf and the Turf space, click here.

WORKSHOP CODE:

Turf aims to be a space where all are welcomed & respected. We ask all attendees to align with this spirit when booking and support us in creating a welcoming & collaborative atmosphere together. We ask that everyone is;

• Kind and respectful in our language and behaviour towards others. Turf is a space which is anti racism, sexism, homophobia and ableism.
• Considerate of others’ time; allowing others room to speak & engage.
• Respectful of the space itself as belonging to many people, treating the space & objects with care.
• Attend wherever possible: In 2023, around 30% of people booking free tickets didn’t turn up!  Our free tickets are limited and in high demand. Every person who doesn’t turn up means someone else can’t attend, so please let us know if you can’t make it to free up a space. If you don’t attend twice or more without letting us know, you may be restricted from booking again.