Southwark Council x London College of Communication
Graduates from UAL undergraduate and postgraduate courses, including London College of Communication’s MA Graphic Branding and Identity, collaborated with Southwark Council as part of their Southwark Stands Together programme.
Established in response to the Black Lives Matter movement and the tragic death of George Floyd, the programme aims to tackle the entrenched racial inequalities within the borough and to provide a platform for the diverse community to have their voices and opinions heard.
In order to diversify the public realm, the graduates devised a public consultancy campaign that encouraged people to express their thoughts and feeling surrounding public art. This would assist in establishing the new Public Art Policy to ensure that all public art in Southwark is reflective of its inhabitants, history and visitors.
Councillor Alice Macdonald, Southwark Council Cabinet Member for Equalities, Neighbourhoods and Leisure noted the importance of working with local creatives on projects like this,
“We’ve got so much creativity and talent in Southwark, which is why it is so great to partner with UAL students and to put them at the heart of this project.”
The designers attended a series of open-space conversations with the community to better understand people’s needs and to ensure the campaign spoke directly to those impacted by the inequalities. The campaign used the graduates graphic design, communication and copywriting skills across digital and print with the campaign appearing in 15 bus stop locations throughout the borough.
As a result of the outcomes almost 1000 people participated in the online survey which will directly inform the new Policy.
Inês Segadães, from MA Graphic Branding and Identity expressed,
“As part of our roles are designers, I believe that we should be involved with projects that can create a positive impact, and I really believe that this one will.”
