Library’s makeover generates arty buzz
IF you’ve travelled through Ladbroke Grove this week you may have noticed a swarm of colourful creepy-crawlies plastered over North Kensington Library.
It’s not a scene out of Eight Legged Freaks for any concerned readers, but the artistic handiwork of Kensington locals.
24 Hearts, a community organisation birthed out of the Grenfell Fire, annually leads the community in creating art pieces to reflect the unity of the West London community.
Lockdown drastically changed their plans this year, but they managed to find an elaborate workaround, 24 Hearts director, Sophie Lodge told MyLondon.
“This project started off with a load of paper bags in my flat,” the 44-year-old said.
“We usually do an annual project across carnival where we’d do it in a park for five weeks across the summer but because of lockdown it’s all been done through online tutorials.
“It’s quite uplifting, that’s a lot of the feedback we’ve had. It brings colour to the street, it shows there’s a community here that works together.”
The project involved families across the Kensington community designing the paper bees and butterflies in their own homes due to the cancellation of Notting Hill Carnival.
Through unprecedented circumstances, over 150 art pieces were installed across North Kensington Library in the heart of Ladbroke Grove.
Families have used the butterflies to represent different countries close to their hearts, with many of the bees are inspired by iconic historical figures such as Shakespeare.
Since launching in 2017 following the Grenfell fire, 24 Hearts has partnered with several community groups, using art to remember the lives of fellow community members lost in the fire and also foster deeper community bonds. The 24 hearts represent the 24 floors of Grenfell Tower.
Sophie said incidents like Grenfell gave the Kensington community a “head start” on community togetherness which kept some of the most vulnerable families afloat during the most challenging weeks of lockdown.
The borough, specifically North Kensington, saw thousands of meals distributed to families impacted by the strain of the pandemic.
“We’ve shown that this kind of thing can work. We want to show other communities that they can do the same,” Sophie said.
On possible future redecoration’s, the iconic Trellick Tower in North Kensington is on the cards Sophie told MyLondon, but warned that it pose a significant challenge to install.