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Discovering Trinity Buoy Wharf and Bow Creek
Introduction:
A 2 year pilot programme initiated by Lower Lea Project and Urban Space Management working in partnership with the local Groundwork Trust to enable the local community to discover, learn about, enjoy and value their local waterway heritage at Trinity Buoy Wharf and Bow Creek, East London.
The project will run in 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 but the project will create infra structure, partnerships and activities which can form the basis of a sustainable programme for the future.
The project will contribute to the regeneration of the Bow Creek area of East London by engaging the local community, creating community activity and building working partnerships between organizations with a stake in the area. Bow Creek is at the heart of the Thames Gateway and the southern tip of the Lea Valley both are areas identified as major areas of regeneration in London.
Partners:
Lower Lea Project, Urban Space Management, Groundwork, Environment Agency, Thames 21, Port of London Authority, take pART partners (Lower Lea Project, Lee Valley Park and British Waterways), Royal Institution, Association of Lighthouse Keepers, Trinity House.
Potential partners:
Trinity Buoy Wharf Trust, Thames Explorer Trust, Lee Valley Park, Pura Foods, Heritage Lottery Fund, BRESS, Copus, Education Business Partnerships, SATRO, Tour East London, Councils (including Tourism Officers) in Tower Hamlets, Newham and Greenwich.
Aim:
The aim of the project is to help the local community in Tower Hamlets, Newham and Greenwich and visitors discover, understand, enjoy and value the heritage (both natural, man made and cultural)of Trinity Buoy Wharf and Bow Creek.
Objectives:
- raise awareness and understanding of the heritage of Trinity Buoy Wharf and Bow Creek
- encourage people to value the environment of Trinity Buoy Wharf and Bow Creek
- encourage community consultation and engagement in Trinity Buoy Wharf and Bow Creek
- involve new audiences in creating and enjoying art
- raise awareness of waterway safety
- provide high quality educational activities for young people linked to the National Curriculum (especially Science, History, Geography and Art)· Provide high quality activities for young people to develop personal skills eg self esteem
- increase numbers of visitors to Trinity Buoy Wharf and Bow Creek
- raise awareness of the litter problem on Thames and Bow Creek and
- engage the public in river clean ups
Outline of project for 2001 - 2003:
East India Dock to be developed as educational resource
1. Provision of a new community education space - USM will provide rent free a space to be adapted for community education activities. The Groundwork organisation will provide funding for fitting out the space through its SRB2 'Vital Centres and Green Links' programme. The space will be managed by USM and LLP. Activities for local school groups will be run by Lower Lea Project (see 3 below) and the space also made available to other organisations such as Thames 21, Thames Explorer Trust and Lee Valley Park. The Summer holiday workshops funded by the Trinity Buoy Wharf Trust will benefit from the improved space.
2. Education activities for local schools - Lower Lea Project will run a programme of education activities for pre booked groups from local schools. The first activities to be developed will be:
- Teacher professional development course - a 1 day course for teachers to explore the potential of TRINITY BUOY WHARF & BOW CREEK as an educational resource.
- Michael Faraday - for Key Stage 2 - a living history performance with Michael Faraday (see below) in London's only lighthouse and a workshop exploring electrical circuits.
- Discovering the River Lee - for Key Stage 2 - discovering our local river and its environment.
- Understanding regeneration - for KS 4 - TRINITY BUOY WHARF & BOW CREEK Case Study.
One of the art pieces from this years take pART programme
3. take pART art project - a programme of art iniatives run as a partnership by Lower Lea Project, Lee Valley Park and British Waterways. Each art project to involve 2 community groups working with an artist and supported by take pART co-ordinator in creating a piece of art for TRINITY BUOY WHARF / BOW CREEK. One initiative will be run each year. In 2001-2002 the initiative will be 'Tide Marks' by artist Stephen Turner who will use the tide and riverbed to create canvasses. Go to top |
The lighthouse at Trinity Buoy Wharf at night
The initiative involving local people will also collect information and memories about Bow Creek and Trinity Buoy Wharf to be recorded in a book. The canvasses will be installed and exhibited in one of the historic buildings at Trinity Buoy Wharf. The exhibition will be open to the public for 1 month. Workshops based on Tide Marks will be run for 5 local schools from Tower Hamlets and Newham.
4. 'Michael Faraday' living history performance - Michael Faraday worked for a time for Trinity House at Trinity Buoy Wharf. The living history performance will be developed on behalf of Lower Lea Project by Clio's Company. The performance will interpret part of the history of TRINITY BUOY WHARF, Trinity House and involve the unique TRINITY BUOY WHARF lighthouse, the only lighthouse in London! Performances will be available to prebooked adult / family groups.
5. Improved interpretation - we will develop a mobile display, 2 interpretation panels and a leaflet interpreting the heritage of TRINITY BUOY WHARF & BOW CREEK. All to be developed as projects with community or school groups involved in the research & design.
6. 'Discover Trinity Buoy Wharf and Bow Creek' community event . The 1 day event will coincide in 2001-2002 with Open House weekend and with All on the Wharf in 2002-2003. The event is inspired by the festival held annually at Coin Street on the South Bank of the Thames. We intend that the event will grow over several years. The core of activities at the event will be as follows:
Background information:
Trinity Buoy Wharf itself is a wonderful and dramatic site at the mouth of the River Lee where it joins the River Thames. It is opposite the Millenium Dome. The site was the maintenance base for Trinity House who operate lighthouses, lightships and other navigational aids. Urban Space Management currently manage the site mainly for artists studios.
Bow Creek is the name given to the tidal part of the River Lea from Three Mills to the mouth of the river where it joins the River Thames. The river is navigable but little used. It is a wonderful resource both in terms of its natural and man made heritage. Because much of the land o either side of the river has been used for industry for most of the 19th and 20th century the riverbank is at present only accessible to the public in a few limited stretches and many local people and visitors are unaware of it. The full potential of this part of the river for wildlife, the economy, leisure and education has not been fully developed.
Groundwork Hackney is part of a federation of Trusts in in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, each working to improve the quality of the local environment, the lives of local people and the profitability of local businesses.
Lower Lea Project is an environmental charity working in East London and the Lea Valley. LLP Waterway Discovery Team runs a comprehensive programme of discovery activities for all ages in and about the waterway environment.
Urban Space Management is a management organisation with over 25 years experience in urban regeneration initiatives. It specialises in the renewal of run down or under utilised space for retail, workshop and community uses, in imaginative and cost effective ways, including the interim use of land pending development. Urban Space Management acts as a consultant, developer, manager and investor, working with Central and Local Government and many major construction and development organisations throughout the UK. Urban Space management brings a fresh and resourceful approach to problem sites, creating successful opportunities on a strictly practical, cost-conscious, community - sensitive basis. There are currently over 12 million visitors per year to sites for which Urban Space management has been responsible. Urban Space Management is a hands on company, managing its own projects with a team of skilled and highly motivated people on each site, backed by a central London office.
Clio's Company have developed and run a wide range of theatre in education projects especially in the City of London and East London boroughs, including work for The National Trust and English Heritage. They have developed two living history performances for Lower Lea Project.
The Royal Institution is one of Britain's premier scientific institutions. It was the base for much of Faraday's career and is the home of the Christmas lectures for young people.
Trinity House operates lighthouses, lightships and other navigational aids. |
