AOC are architects who specialise in working with communities and are part of the GLA Architecture Design and Urbanism Panel. They are leading the rest of the project design team to ensure this project is representative of all the residents, businesses and students of Newham. 

AOC particularly enjoy having lunchtime design meetings in Chawalla on Green Street followed by some afternoon research in Plaistow Library.

www.theaoc.co.uk

CarverHaggard is a research and design practice. They work to create public space and public benefit, supporting local communities and the local economy. For Shape Newham, they will be focussing on the East region with the people of Beckton and East Ham.

They love the diversity of Newham and the way the busy markets and high streets are balanced by outdoor space; from the expanses of Central Park to East Ham nature reserve with its 12th Century Church.

www.carverhaggard.com

Europa is a graphic design studio who work with a diverse set of cultural institutions on projects including graphic identities, books, publications, exhibition design, signage, art direction and websites.

Europa has a particular interest in architecture, urbanism and the role that graphic design can play in a place’s identity. Europa looks for moments when graphic design and architecture overlap, and create opportunities for our work to play a more supportive and less top-down role in framing a place. 

Their favourite graphics in Newham is George’s Fish Bar and A Hole in the Wall Autos Garage in Plaistow; Seahorse on East Street and Teddy’s Tyres in Maryland.

www.europaeuropa.co.uk

Local Works Studio is a design and making practice, who explore site-based resources to plan, make and repair.

In Newham, Local Works Studio will share skills and knowledge about making processes – working with local residents and community groups to make art works for their neighbourhoods, through a series of workshops.

They love the creativity of the window displays in Newham's independent shops and the bustle of the local high streets.

www.localworksstudio.com

Office S&M is an architecture practice that specialises in designs which elicit a reaction. The practice delivers urban realm and art projects that celebrate the everyday use of spaces, by using narrative, material, and colour, in unexpected ways. They are one of the vitality designers as part of Shape Newham, and in particular are engaging with the Northern areas of Maryland, Forest Gate, Manor Park, and Little Ilford.

Hugh, one of the partners at Office S&M, is a Newham resident and lives in Stratford. His favourite hidden gem in the borough is the City of London Cemetery in Manor Park, which contains 200 acres of Grade 1 listed monuments, and many historic figures from the local area, including Bobby Moore.

https://www.officesandm.com

Social Broadcasts combine community engagement, oral history recording and radio production to capture and broadcast voices that are often underrepresented in mainstream media. Using the magic of audio to retell and reimagine personal stories and social conversations, for a fresh transmission of the contemporary narratives that matter most.

Lucia Scazzocchio, founder of Social Broadcasts,  assisted by Mae-Li Evans has been recording interviews with local residents all over Newham. This has meant a lot of cycling around the borough and stopping off  to fill up her bike basket with fruit and veg from Queens market on the way home. 

www.socialbroadcasts.co.uk

Anne Harlid is a Danish artist who lives in East Ham. She likes to explore the urban environment and visual language of a place; and works in the mediums of sculpture, drawing and animation. She is working on a Shape Newham project for Manor Park.

As a local resident, Anne has enjoyed having the opportunity to contribute to the area where she lives and to learn about the rich history, heritage and architecture of Newham. Anne told us "attending the community meetings was a great experience and I very much enjoyed the process of designing the artwork in response to the voices of the local community. This gave me an insight into the space itself and what kind of work might exist there, both in terms of function and aesthetic. It also provided a vehicle for me to hone into the details in the surrounding area, the architectural language that is present there. I feel very lucky to have had the chance to work in this way and am really grateful for the consistent and helpful support I have been given by both the council team and the community committees and assemblies."

www.anneharild.com

Dis/Order is an experimental collective founded by Karin Andersson and Johanna Bratel, who are landscape architects from Sweden. They work on a range of projects, from large-scale strategic urban development to temporary artistic installations – always focusing on people and public spaces! They are working on a Shape Newham project for Plaistow.

Dis/Order’s projects are always developed through local participation, and they have enjoyed designing their project through workshops with young people from Rights & Equalities in Newham and Lister Community School.

www.disorder.nu

Ed Crooks is a trained architect based in London. He now runs his own design studio making large scale, playful public installations. He works primarily for councils and public bodies, with a particular focus on local processes of making, for which Newham is rich with brilliant opportunities! He is working on a Shape Newham project for Green Street.

Ed is a keen cyclist and loves to cycle the Greenway as it gives an amazing cross-section through the borough. 

www.edwardcrooks.co.uk

Irene Astrain is an architect from Spain who is now based in Newham. She currently works on public realm projects, garden pavilions, school interventions and house extensions. She is working on a Shape Newham project for Maryland (in the ward of Stratford and New Town). For this project she envisages her proposal as street furniture pieces that celebrate the local materiality and greenery; and has developed the design using participatory workshops with Maryland Primary School.

Irene lives between Forest Gate and Manor Park.

Irene said "Shape Newham has allowed me to work with the young people of Maryland at Maryland Primary School and their fantastic staff. The creativity and excitement the pupils showed towards the project at our engagement workshops were brilliant and I can’t wait to keep working with them until the completion of the project. I have also really enjoyed getting to know other architects and artists living and/or working in the area. There is a huge amount of talent in Newham and it has been great to find out about their work and make connections."

www.astrainstudio.com

Matt Ponting is an illustrator from Newham, based in Beckton. Matt’s work is characterized by its bold use of colour and distinct drawing style. He currently works on community based projects using his love of nature and urban environments to inform his illustrative drawings. He is working on the Shape Newham project for East Ham in the Nature Reserve located on Norman Road. For this project, he is developing a number of small & medium creative interventions to transform the look and feel of the site, welcome more visitors and enable them to navigate the site better.

Matt is a member of Bow Arts and regularly delivers community workshops. In addition, he is a volunteer National City Park Ranger and recently helped plant the new Biomatrix Floating Garden in the Royal Docks.

 doodlingaround.co.uk

Sabba Kahn studied architecture and has spent the past 10 years as an architectural designer. Recently, she has transitioned toward comics and sequential art, with her debut graphic novel to be published in 2021. She is working on a Shape Newham project for East Ham where she will combine both her skill-sets for an artistic installation that tells the lived experiences of the community.

Sabba’s early years were spent in Plaistow, before moving to Green Street, where she has been living ever since. Sabbah said "Shape Newham is an exciting initiative - it begins to pave the way for more community-led, co-creation work. I believe this is the beginnings of the local council team working closer with Newham residents. I would love to see more projects like this one that celebrates Newham and offers a more cultural and artistic lense to view ourselves with. I would also like to see more creative ways with which to engage members of our community who may often not find a space for themselves in council-led discussions."

www.sabbakhan.com

Small Change is a partnership between Liz Clough and Sophie Rigg. Both artists live in Newham and are currently based out of Red Door Studios in East Ham. They are working on a Shape Newham project for Manor Park.

Both Liz and Sophie are socially engaged artists, choosing to centre their practice in the community where they live. They are interested in the stories of people and places, and how shared experiences can be wound together to cultivate a sense of community. They hosted a workshop at Manor Park Library to facilitate community participation in creating their Shape Newham project and have enjoyed working on this project so far. 

Sophie and Elizabeth participate in community activities and wanted the work they create to be deeply rooted in the most positive aspects of the area: community and collaboration. They said "It has been a pleasure to work with residents to design something that builds upon their, and our, understanding of the area and which will inspire a new perspective of Manor Park."

www.throughthereddoor.org/elizabethclough

Sophie Percival has a background in both fine art and architecture. She currently has a studio in Bromley-by-Bow and works as a photographer making images of architectural models, sculptures, food etc. She is working on a Shape Newham project for Green Street.

Sophie plans to work with a speciality cooking group in the Green Street area.

www.percival.studio

Trapped in Zone One is a BAME led London based arts collective. They engage with community groups and organisations through creative practises to help and improve the well-being of London’s diverse communities. They host workshops, exhibitions, and curate public murals in England and across Europe. They are working on a Shape Newham project for Forest Gate, where they are collaborating with Forest Gate Youth Zone to design a mural.

Trapped in Zone One are active in Newham. They have worked on a permanent community art project with Westfield Stratford and were selected to be part of the Newham Word Festival.

www.trappedinzoneone.com

Van Dang has worked as a designer for nearly 20 years. In 2005 she moved from Vietnam to England. She is working on a Shape Newham project for Beckton, where she is collaborating with Beckton Youth Zone to design a mural.

Recently Van started a project called Free Art for Refugee Children and discovered what she enjoys doing the most is getting people involved in art and design. She was commissioned to create large street murals and involved local residents young and old in the whole process. Van’s art style is to share with other people - to express the attitudes and values that we stand for.

www.studiotiger.co.uk