Light Lime Tree Walk

Commissioned by internationally acclaimed lighting designers, Greenaway and Greenaway, Artillery devised and delivered an inclusive workshop programme for local residents to inform the design of a permanent lighting intervention for Lime Tree Walk in the heart of Walthamstow.

We invited biodiversity specialists and artist-educators Poppy Flint and Michael Holland to create a pop-up nature classroom and field study experience. Six resident groups participated in these workshops using mediums from clay to charcoal created from the fallen twigs of the trees to natural inks to wax to explore the creative and graphic potential of this urban landscape.

Inclusive co-creation for urban lighting scheme

Activities included up-close-and-personal creative interactions with the trees, studies

of insects and other animals that inhabit the trees, replication of textures from bark and leaves, creation of stamps and clay tiles. Participants created triptych artworks based on their own inspiration “mini stories” such as life cycles, macro to micro, food chains and textures.

31 children and adults took part. The resulting creative outputs informed the five possible concepts pitched by Greenaway and Greenaway for final selection by Waltham Forest Council for installation in Lime Tree Walk. Participants artworks were exhibited in Walthamstow Central Library together with information panels created by Greenaway and Greenaway during the E17 Art Trail 2024.

We have been waiting with interest to see the lighting scheme be launched. The lighting equipment has now been installed. We will announce the switch on date when we hear.

Lime Tree Walk is a high footfall, poorly lit pedestrian walkway flanked by mature Lime Trees. It is one of the remaining tree lined avenues from Selborne Park and it is a major link between the bus and train stations and Walthanstow High Street. The participating groups included the local residents association, Twinning Association, and support groups for young people, adults and families with additional access needs, bringing diverse perspectives about designing for public spaces.

Our role and our partners

This was a great role for Artillery as we have a track record:

> delivering projects highlighting urban ecosystems,

> devising and delivering creative consultations,

> working collaboratively across disciplines and specialisms, especially the intersection of art and science,

> delivering creative projects in the public realm in Walthamstow’s High Street and Selborne

Park.

Drawing on our trusted reputation locally, as the Light Lime Tree Walk’s co-creation producers our primary contributions were to:

− Prepare a brief for facilitating artists with the concept of a pop-up nature classroom and field

study experience.

− Identify artists who brought expertise in devising creative investigations with diverse residents

and specialist knowledge of urban ecology.

− Recruit and host diverse residents to participate in the creative design process.

− Support participation by families and residents with additional needs.

− Handle all administration, publicity and RAMS.

To ensure diverse and local contributions to the project we partnered with:

✴ The Together Space: inclusive support group for local families raising neurodivergent and/or

disabled children and young people

✴ Waltham Forest, Antigua & Barbuda and Dominica Twinning Association: inter-generational

group celebrating Caribbean heritage and culture in Waltham Forest;

✴ NBAM: specialise in supporting marginalised residents experiencing long term health

conditions and poor mental health with sessions happening at The Mill & Crate St James;

✴ Cleveland Park Residents Association: residents association located very close to Lime Tree

Walk;

✴ Some Kind of Hack Space: young people participating in Artillery’s initiative for neuro-divergent and autistic young people.

✴ Waltham Forest Creatives: WhatsApp group for local artists and creative convened by Artillery.

Key Stats

2

Workshops

16

Day exhibition of participants work

4

Artists

13

Themes surfaced

31

Participants

5

Concepts proposed

6

Community groups

Project Partners

Light Lime Tree Walk is a commission by Waltham Forest Council. It builds on Greenaway & Greenaway's current work co-designing lighting interventions as wayfinding devices to key cultural destinations in and around Hoe Street from Walthamstow Central Station.