Call to creatives - design our heritage mural

Plans for a heritage mural in Short Blue Place, Barking were given a boost today when the council’s regeneration organisation, Be First, joined forces with The National Lottery Heritage Fund, to offer a £20,000 commission to local artists.

The plans to commemorate Barking’s forgotten history were hatched by local heritage volunteers who have been researching the area’s lost history. They have unearthed information about the development of the town since the earliest times, through the town’s emergence as a centre for fishing and farming and the building of the famous Abbey in AD666, up to modern times. On the way, they have examined the history of many of the buildings that have been demolished, such as the Windmill, the Tudor Leet (court) House and, more recently the workhouse and Bascule Bridge.

Heritage group coordinator, Simone Panayi, of Be First, explains: “Our heritage volunteers have helped to reveal just how rich and varied Barking’s history is, and we want to create a permanent reminder for everyone to enjoy, and that will attract visitors to the town centre.

“We’ve surveyed local residents, to see what they are most interested in, and now we want someone with creative flair to create a stunning mural or similar artwork, incorporating this’Lost Heritage’ theme at Short Blue Place.

“So, we’re delighted that we have backing of The National Lottery Heritage Fund to offer a commission to our very talented artistic community”.

The successful artist, or artists, will be expected to design, create, and install the heritage wall and linked interpretation, potentially including an art trail, to a professional standard.

Further details of the brief for the Heritage Wall commission are available at: https://yourcall.befirst.london/2270/widgets/17451/documents/7068.

For the Heritage Wall dimensions see: https://yourcall.befirst.london/2270/widgets/17451/documents/7228

Applications must be received by 30 November 2020.