Museum of Us

Southwark Council

Collaborating with New London Architecture we set out to reimagine community consultation.

Fieldwork Facility collaborated with New London Architecture to reimagine community consultation. Together we created the Museum of Us which was piloted in the Old Kent Road area for Southwark Council.

The Museum of Us was a campaign, exhibition, project space and programme of events designed to bring together members of the local community (residents, industry, community groups and local action groups).

The epicentre of the project was a refurbished shop on Old Kent Road which we transformed into a positive and democratic space to enable conversations and engagement on the long-term plans for the area. The space was a platform for local people to share their ideas and opinions on what is truly important in their community.

  • communication: Strategy / Identity / Campaigns / Posters / Applied Graphics / Wayfinding / Environments
  • experience: Exhibition design / Placemaking / Programming / Interventions / Location specific communication
The project‘s identity manifested as a simple sticker that was used to make communications feel like a celebration of inclusivity
The story of a place is the story of its people. Critically our project needed to engage underrepresented voices in the area, to maximise engagement we commissioned Suki Dhanda to shoot portraits of local people that unequivocally said ‘us’ to all people around Old Kent Road.
The campaign featured portraits of local people photographed around the Old Kent Road
The campaign was flypostered on Old Kent Road
All residents in the area received our maildrop, we also distributed posters to local shops and libraries and plotted digital ads

Our approach to the exhibition design was to use the identity’s ‘sticker logo’ as a nudge for participation. Display panels where designed to feel like used-up sticker sheets.

Visitors were immediately welcomed into the space and asked to say ‘we are here’ by placing stickers where they live, work and where they enjoy spending their time. From there the exhibition invited people to contribute their opinions on what matters in the area.

Revolving provocations asked visitors to get involved by simply placing stickers
The bulk of the production for the exhibition was sourced in the immediate Old Kent Road area, keeping council expenditure in the local economy
Content for the exhibition was contributed by local people. Alongside the exhibition a series of workshops and events took place that were led by locals.
A wall filled with portraits of local people welcomed visitors to the space
A large proportion of the exhibition was left open for visitors to respond to a set of revolving provocations around what they value in the area and what they would like to see change
The exhibition crowdsourced ideas for what the shop space could be used for next, along with the future of the Old Kent Road
To further our reach we made a mini-travelling exhibit which was placed in barbershops and salons where local people already assembled and discussed local issues

Credits:

The Museum of Us was a collaboration with the NLA for Southwark Council.
Creative Director: Robin Howie
Designers: Robin Howie, Katy Needham
NLA Project Director: Amy Till
Campaign Photography: Suki Dhanda
Exhibition fabrication: Weber Industries
Powder coating: Purpose
Exhibition print: Copytech

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Special thanks to all project contributors:

Andrew Eke, Tustin Estate / Bayo Adelaya, Local resident / Bellenden Signs / Bermondsey Tonic Water / Brian Frampton , Local resident / Bright Vitalis Okwara , Local resident / Create 180 / C. Muscat, W Bunting Butchers / David Adesanya, Research assistant / David Freeman, Charter School East Dulwich / Daniel Nicholls, Local resident / Demola, GB Ice Cream Parlour / Delroy, Local resident / Diana Cochrane, Designer-Researcher / Dougal Sadler, Weber Industries / Folaile Ibiyemi, Just A Favour Food Services / Gavin Weber, Weber Industries / Hugh Balfour, Christ Church Peckham / Ibrahim Adewusi, Roberto’s Café / In the Right Light Photography / Joe Banfield, Local resident / James Glancy Design / Janene Rowe, Ledbury Estate / Jason Green, Southwark Pensioners / JayB’s Network Ltd / Jensens Gin / Jeremy Leach, Walworth Society / Jeremy Walls, Purpose Powdercoating / Jessica Cargill Thompson / John Hinds, John Hinds Framing / Johnny Batten, Makecreate / Joshua Malby, Local resident / Judy Aitken / Lisa Wilson, Old Kent Road resident / Mark Brearley, Kaymet / Martin Sandler, Leathams / Martin Schabel, Local resident / Michelle Agyei, Local resident / Millwall Football club / Nathan, Enat Guada / Nicolleta Trifiro, Local resident / Nicholas Okwulu, Pempeople / Old Kent Road Brewery / Partizan / Planarama / RCCG Mount Zion / Suhaila Amanour, Local resident / Small Beer Brew Co. / Southwark Young Advisors / Stanbury Building Services / Shelene Byer, Local resident / Susan Crisp, Friends of Burgess Park / Timi Merriman-Johnson, Local resident / Thompson & Son Ltd / Tom Cooper, Local resident / Ulrike Steven, What If / Wibbly Wobbly Website / William Austin, Southwark Studios / William Say & Co