Kennington Cross ARTS-LAV

ARTSLAV: A Community Arts & Heritage Exhibition & Events Venue

A heritage restoration, education, employment and community development project initiated and developed by the Friends of Kennington Cross (FOKX) with the support of local residents and businesses, community groups and charities, arts and crafts organisations, practitioners and educators, to create a newtogether with complementary social enterprises, in the Grade ll listed Victorian Gentlemen's Underground Lavatories at Kennington Cross SE11.

A Flower Stall Enterprise at the Kennington Cross Artslav site and other social enterprises to be managed by national specialist charity Tomorrow's People will provide training and employment opportunities for marginalised people.

THE ARTS-LAV VISION & PROJECT OBJECTIVES:

To restore and revive this 1898 locally manufactured, Grade ll listed historic landmark structure at the heart and hub of the Kennington conservation area. To adapt and refurbish the underground structure in accordance with the listed building planning permissions granted 26 April 2005 in order to:

Improve environment, investment, opportunities, and enable this rare original space to be:

• open for public viewing, research and study, schools, heritage and tourist visits;
• hired for location shoots, small parties, celebrations, local initiative and project launches;
• used by local people, charities, community and ‘Friends’ groups to meet, network, share ideas, promote their activities, and gain support for their initiatives and projects;
• developed to create an arts and heritage, exhibition and events venue for use and hire to local arts/crafts organisations, colleges and schools, individual practitioners and educators, to show, share, promote and sell work, to teach skills, inspire, involve and encourage others.
• used for practical/live projects providing a mentoring link between arts/crafts/media practitioners and all education levels from primary to University to encourage aspiration in local youth;
• used as a catalyst to foster small, new creative enterprises and self-employment;
• developed as a social enterprise in its own right to provide training and employment skills and opportunities for local people especially to assist those furthest from the employment market

Friends of Kennington Cross/ArtsLav funding/support since 2001: donations large and small, of funds, time, resources, gifts-in-kind by local people, shops and businesses, members of Friends of Kennington Cross and ArtsLav supporters including an anonymous bequest in 2008; Lambeth Council: North Lambeth Town Centre grant 2005 part-funding Architect's drawings for the successful lease bid and planning/change of use/listed building works permissions, and Princes Ward Purse funds for capital works 2009.

For further information on the 'Friends of Kennington Cross' and 'Kennington Cross Artslav' contact artslav@fokx.org.uk

To donate to 'Friends of Kennington Cross and the Artslav project please go to www.artslav.com

For further information on the Kennington Cross FlowerStall contact Jan Tomlinson at flowers@tomorrows-people.co.uk