News

St Johns Sculpture Gardens

The summer of 2007 saw our studios branch out into sculpture. The gardens of the church where we are based have been designated London’s first Sculpture Gardens. We want to work on several projects with local residents and have already completed a memorial to the rough sleepers who have lived and died in the gardens at St John’s and in the vicinity.

Archbishop makes "Dove of Peace" Mosaic

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has helped to make a “Dove of Peace” mosaic with the artists of Southbank Mosaics. Although the Archbishop had never made a mosaic before, he was able to work with artists David Tootill and Zahir Shaikh laying tiles on craft paper, which were then installed into cement in Archbishop’s Park. There are photos of this event in our 'Gallery'.

The “Dove of Peace” is part of a larger mosaic which has been made with many local volunteers depicting a “Tree of Life” (an Oak Tree) with several symbols of Lambeth within it. For example there are Lambs at the foot of the Oak Tree, in respect of the origins of the name Lambeth, as the berth where lambs were brought to be bought and sold to supply Londoners. There are also pineapples in the Oak Tree, because Lambeth resident John Tradescant grew the first pineapple in England.

Local Youth Groups from children at Coin Street Neighbourhood Centre and the Archbishop Davidson’s Institute have helped make the mosaic, as well as casting a dozen paving stones, which will all be installed into the children’s play area in Archbishop’s Park. The Archbishop said,

• “I was grateful to David and his colleagues for sharing their expert skills on mosaic making. I hadn’t made a mosaic before, but am very pleased that I have been able to contribute to what is an excellent piece of artwork. The creative process has already brought many different parts of the community together and it will be a landmark for Lambeth residents – as well as Archbishops – to enjoy for many generations to come.”

The mosaic should last for hundreds of years. Funding for the project came from Waterloo Community Regeneration Trust. The artists and volunteers used the “indirect method” to make the mosaics, so that the design could be made in the studio, and then turned over into cement when installed. The young people who made these mosaics will be able to return with their own children and grandchildren and show them the work they did when they were young.

New Ceramics Studio

Southbank Mosaics CIC has expanded and opened up a new ceramics studio where workshops are being run and ceramics produced. The equipping of the ceramics studio was supported by Awards for All, and by The Foundation for Sports and The Arts.

More than 50 mosaics and ceramics made by the artists and volunteers of Southbank Mosaics have already been installed into public space around the Southbank area. Look out for them!

6 Mosaic Portraits of the Black Prince (Black Prince Road)
5 Mosaic Portraits of Salamanca and one of Wellington (Salamanca Street)
14 Ceramics inspired by Doulton's Lambeth Wares (Black Prince Rd & Salamanca St)
9 Mosaics of William Blakes works (Carlisle Lane South & Waterloo station)
Bus & Train signs at Waterloo station Signage outside the Creative Crypt (St Johns Church, Waterloo) Signage along the South Bank promenade (for Waterloo Book Market and Gabriel's Wharf) Sculptural mosaics in St Johns Garden, Waterloo

Southbank Mosaics an example of Good Practice

A Government Report on Offender Management in London, by HM Inspectorate of Probation June 2008

SHARING GOOD PRACTICE Below are examples of good practice we found in London:

Unpaid work placements

OMI Criterion: 2.4 Ensuring containment and promoting compliance Southbank Mosaics was a charitable organisation providing innovative unpaid work placements. The project was funded through Skillsweb, which was supported by ESF, led by Kensington and Chelsea College and managed by Lewisham College. Offenders attended for up to two days a week and worked on designing and making mosaics that were used as paving stones, pictures on walls and bridges and monuments in the Borough of Southwark. The work helped them to develop a range of technical, creative and research skills and work towards a qualification at Level 1. Accreditation in literacy and numeracy was also linked to the work on the project. Offenders worked on individual and group projects which involved research into local history and art techniques, agreeing the overall design and making the mosaic. One offender said, .I am learning a very marketable skill of tiling. I have developed a better understanding of colour and design; I know who Gaudi, Seurat and others are, and I am making something that contributes to the local community.