01/07/12
Centre of the Month (July): The Building Exploratory
Launched in 1996 and based in Hackney, East London, the Building Exploratory helps people discover the secrets of their local area and is devoted to helping people gain a better understanding and engage with the buildings and spaces that surround them.
The Building Exploratory writes: "We work with thousands of people a year; we have a vibrant learning programme, a strong reputation for community engagement and a commitment to providing high quality services which enable people to actively participate in shaping the future of our built environment."
< Initiatives:- Panorama High Street 2012: The People’s Panorama is an ambitious project to create a community heritage resource recording and documenting the six-kilometre stretch of road from Aldgate to Stratford in East London. The project will celebrate the High Street at this historic point in its development and act as a record of the route from central London to the 2012 Olympic Park.
- Arts Council England - Taking Part 2: The Building Exploratory has received a second grant from ACE to allow them to further develop and embed creative arts practice into their work with older people. Taking Part established the value of using arts practice to enhance older people’s exploration of buildings and public spaces. With this second tranche of funding, The Building Exploratory will build on this work by creating a pool of artists who are trained to work with vulnerable older people to explore architecture and public spaces.
- My Haggerston: Hackney Heritage and Built Environment Partnership commissioned The Building Exploratory to develop and deliver the volunteer training for ‘My Haggerston’ – an in-depth community research project into the ward’s rich heritage. The project will be delivered by members of the HHBEP, and has received funding from HLF.
- Olympics Workshops for Schools: a programme of cross-curricular workshops designed for schools in the five Olympic Boroughs, giving students an opportunity to learn more about the design, structures and sustainability of the Olympic park.
- The People’s Archive: this project aims to create a resource for the people who live, work and play around Bow Road. The Building Exploratory are gathering the reminiscences, stories and opinions of local people in order to create an archive of this remarkable part of east London.
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The Building Exploratory
