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LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

Poplar DLR Community Fund Covid 19 art project

SPLASH and SPLASHArts have adopted Poplar DLR station.

Can you believe it?

Underneath the platforms there exists a huge concourse or void. SPLASH, in Partnership with Keolis Amey Docklands, with funding from the Community Fund and with our future sponsors 

 Canary Wharf Plc, are busily creating ideas for the space. The three favourite ideas include 2 posters, a long train like mural depicting various aspects of historical and current events in Poplar and making a community art gallery on the vast walls. See pictures. Many thanks for starting us off; Community Fund!

Adopt a Station with SPLASH: About

DURING COVID 19

The Community Fund has funded three main components of the project so far. Starting in December 2020 these activities were heavily influenced by the Covid 19 lock down rules and latterly by the gradual easing of those rules.

About Component A - Online art for children in Complete lockdown. This ran for 25 weeks and involved a one hour TEAMS session each week with artist Veronica Rowlands with recruitment and encouragement from Muna Mohamed. We worked with children from far afield but the predominant take up came from the small estate from which SPLASHArts works. Over 30 children received Emergency Art Packs with all the materials they needed for the class and more. Although this Online Activity has finished we will start up an actual art club in our new Community Hall as soon as the Government rules and our Landlord sanctions it. We are hoping to start after July 19.

Component B - Consisted of working with the children of local Key Workers during the school holidays during the past year.

These sessions were part of a larger provision but SPLASHArts provided just the art activities. Please see the pictures. The attending children drew and coloured pictures of holidays they might have in better times using journeys on the DLR railway. Some spectacular images were produced. My favourite is a journey on the DLR train through a futuristic Canary Wharf with elements of Dubai in it.

Another activity used a die cut machine to cut shapes of the DLR trains and other things like animals - see picture bellow. This introduced the children to digital art and the applied use of die cut machines. In this case a Brother Scan and Cut. Other topics included a series of historical events we want to feature in our proposed mural in the Station.

Component C - our third aspect was started when restrictions were eased to a lower level and included working with older residents (60 - 92 year olds) in our neighbourhood.

While adhering to Covid 19 restrictions we are able to accommodate 7 students in our specially adapted community hall in Saltwell Street E14. As the ladies really like painting flowers we have concentrated on pictures pictures of flowers and landscapes including exotic birds.

In order to introduce variety we have offered the students iPads to produce their works of art on. the results have been amazing. Nobody was instructed use the iPads. Traditional paper and paints were also supplied. However even the most staunch rebels have ended up embracing the technology with all its other benefits. The idea is that the students design a garden for the station area. This can be seen emerging in some of the designs.

Adopt a Station with SPLASH: Text
Adopt a Station with SPLASH: Pro Gallery
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