Viability: SEE3 & Sydenham Art Animal Safari

[Joanne]

I’m concerned and currently close to concluding: what is the point in making any attempt to be involved in the development of the High Street. SEE3 do not bother to get back to us at the Forum.

It’s my opinion that they just seem to think they know best.

SEE3 have already spent £235,965. That is a phenomenal amount of money – where are the benefits? There has never been anything original. Louise Brooks who managed all the Pop Ups has now set up her own shop https://www.facebook.com/TSRMarketplace?fref=ts

But the whole aesthetics is poor, there is literally no concept too. Offers a few loaves of bread, cake, pieces of cheese, when can get in, flowers and workshops for children. There are retailers close by who do so many of these aspects well. So why try to compete? In Lower Sydenham too which has nearly no natural shopper footfall.

But my main point is, Louise (SEE3) has been key to the Pop Ups in SE26. She does not understand retail. There is not a diplomatic way of me describing this. Chris Best – she has no retail experience too. Neither of them have an arts background either, yet are now advising on more public art.

We have already endured graffiti because they thought it was ‘cool’ I suppose.

Is it possible to discuss their recent bid in more detail please? Here’s the link to explain more and a summary below: https://spacehive.com/see3suburbansafari. It will cost: £44,551 and cost breakdown is here: https://spacehive.com/see3suburbansafari#Costs

An interactive public art project creating a trail of original animal-themed art in the SEE3 area: Forest Hill, Kirkdale and Sydenham together with regular performance events, High Street Happenings.
Artists will create a ‘suburban safari’ of animal-themed artworks in the high streets. Students will also be encouraged to take part and work with artists to create the artwork as part of their curriculum. Art will be installed in places agreed by the community and by the artist including ‘pocket parks’, suitable nooks and crannies, doorways, shops and public buildings. The public, especially children and young people, will be encouraged to find the animals and take their own ‘safari selfies’ to upload to social media. At the end of the commission the artworks will belong to the community. Some will remain on permanent display (typically sculptures and installations) or might be sold off and the proceeds used to commission new items or maintain the permanent ones. SEE3 and Sydenham Arts will stage regular free ‘High Street Happenings’ - live music, dance and drama performances including a large-scale 4th of July Street Celebration to launch Sydenham Arts Summer Festival 2015.

My questions & thoughts include:

• Considering the expense, why would an animal safari improve the High Street? Michael explained in another thread that these link to the dinosaurs at Crystal Palace and more. But those are there for historical reasons and have meaning. Graffiti can have meaning too, but not when a ‘team’ decides and a councillor backs it, also when only weeks before she had been getting a team together to remove it. A piano? Everything is copied.

• If the animal safari did go ahead, Michael explains that this would increase footfall. It would not. Therefore would not create any benefit to local retailers too. This does not increase revenue.

• Further, I assume SEE3 and SydArts would select the artists and commission them to produce these animal sculptures. They don’t have any professional background in selecting artworks and certainly not for the public

• They say the animal sculptures can be re sold. Who to? There needs to be a reality check here at least

• If they look cheap and even if they don’t could attract vandalism. Or would graffiti be okay here? SEE3 commission that too?

• When should there be any consent for a small core team, with no retail experience to change the profile of the High Street? They vote for themselves – that’s what happens. That’s just how SEE3 started

• There’s a sense of infantilism - that might be extreme, but nothing grown up about it. The pitch, approach is extremely naïve

I don’t know what the alternative is but the Sydenham Centre just by the Post Office seems like the best place to use. It has great window frontage and is central.

It could be an art gallery for local artists. Have theatre performances - which I don’t think should take us constantly back in time to the World War days. Why?

Sydenham offers a place to do something quite unique.

All the time the very small core team copy others, it does not.

I think that they are foolish because they make decisions by themselves. And I’ve pretty much lost any interest.

[safdirector]

Jonathan Kaufman, executive director of Sydenham Arts here. I was going to refrain from posting a reply to your frankly vicious rant. But I really do feel strongly that you have strayed away from the realm of 'fair comment' and have made here several defamatory statements. I am therefore requesting that Admin either remove your post or request you to retract or remove it yourself.

[Joanne]

Jonathan
I understand why you have this view – my post does read quite negative, particularly when I refer to Louise’s new shop.

Not very well I know, but what I was trying to do though was to provide some context to my views.

I didn’t feel that the selection of products for the various Pop Up’s were good choices for the area. And overall thought that there was poor execution. Some good projects but others were definitely not.

And TSR Marketplace is a further example – Louise selected and managed the Pop Ups. They did not work, if they did then the traders would have continued. Not one became sustainable in SE26. That really was not surprising.

I do wish that I had found a better way of saying this. It singles Louise out which is unfair but the fact is though she was in charge too.

However you’re upset because I have shown no support for your animal safari. I don’t think it’s a good idea at all!
I have tried to outline my reasons. In summary, I think its naïve, quite amateur and a waste of even more public money.

The pitch has more to do with supporting, promoting your own personal projects. Why not just say that? Animal sculptures will not help.

[Tim Lund]

Jonathan Kaufman, executive director of Sydenham Arts here. I was going to refrain from posting a reply to your frankly vicious rant. But I really do feel strongly that you have strayed away from the realm of 'fair comment' and have made here several defamatory statements. I am therefore requesting that Admin either remove your post or request you to retract or remove it yourself.

I'm not going to start wearing a "Je suis Joanne" badge, but you can get over it, Jonathan.

[admin]

I have deleted posts which posted private correspondence. This should never be done without the sender's consent. Otherwise it is a breach of confidentiality.

I am also locking this thread. Town Hall is not a place for personal arguments or vendettas. Do this done offline if you need to do it at all. Public brawling seldom does anyone any good. I shall be enforcing a moratorium on SEE3 & Animal Safari till things calm down.

Admin