Unusually, this is a story that starts with retirement.
At the age of 49, having worked extensively in commercial property and run a big public company, Andy Lewis-Pratt decided he hated what he was doing, resigned and headed to the Algarve with his wife and daughter.
“I had no intention of doing any kind of work ever again,” he said.
“I burnt all my suits and it was one of the most cathartic moments of my life.”
But after five years of Yoga, tennis and golf, boredom was setting in.
Coupled with a desire to see their daughter educated more effectively than ex-pat life allowed, the family decided to return to the UK.
“Being retired in your 50s in Portugal is great because you find people like yourself – the average age of retirees like me out there was 42 and we had lots of fun,” said Andy.
“But it’s not fine in the UK – I was bored out of my skull, so I started googling some ideas about what I might do before we left.
“Then one of my friends asked if I’d been to this market hall in Lisbon. It was in an old fruit market and it was fantastic.
“There were lots of different restaurants – all kinds of food from all over the world – and communal seating.
“You could get what you wanted, when you wanted it and there were bars too that were full of life. I just loved it.
“Then, about five years ago, I’d travelled to the UK for an ‘old farts’ reunion where I saw an old friend who was CEO of a big property agency and I asked how many market halls there were in London.
“He told me that, while there was street food, there wasn’t anything like the one in Lisbon.”
Market Hall Canary Wharf will be based in the Cargo building
From those seeds of an idea, Andy swung into action and put a team together, researching the business in Europe and New York.
Convinced this was no passing fad, he raised finance and launched Market Halls with its first location in Fulham in the old ticket office next to the station.
“People loved it, we made lots of mistakes of course, but then we opened our second site at Victoria which was in an old ticket hall that had become a nightclub on two floors,” said Andy.
“I was nervous of that because my old retail background said don’t put anything on the first floor.
“But it had a big roof and so we created a roof terrace and it was an unbelievable success, almost from the moment we opened its doors, it was full all of the time.”
The venue will have two bars and eight food traders
A third site at Oxford Street also proved successful but, at twice the size of Victoria, proved unwieldy and has now been altered to fit the latter’s template.
The original site in Fulham has also closed, more a recognition that to reach its best, the business is dependent on office workers.
Which brings us to Market Hall Canary Wharf – set to officially open on the ground floor of Cargo, off Adams Plaza, on April 7.
“If I’m honest I was reluctant to come here,” said Andy. “I was a bit reticent as to how traditional City suit types would take to my cool venture with independent traders.
“But my colleagues had told me the area had changed. I read up on it and I had to learn that my impression was wrong.
“I spent time on the Wharf and realised it was ready for Market Halls – that’s why we took the lease on the space four months before lockdown.”
Wharf favourite Black Bear Burger will be returning to the estate
So, having overcome the “interesting journey” to get to the point of opening and with the pandemic receding, what can Wharfers expect from the latest hospitality venue to hit the estate?
“Market Hall Canary Wharf is a slightly more premium offering than our sites at Oxford Street and Victoria, but the concept is the same,” said Andy.
“We have eight independent traders that serve bloody good food and that’s their only job.
“As a business, we do everything else – we provide standardised kitchens – so the cost of entry is very low for them.
“There’s no deposit and they don’t have to worry about paying a quarter’s rent up front – we just take a percentage of their turnover every week.
“We look after the clearing of the tables, the dishwashing, the promotion of the venue and we operate the bars.
“They just do what they’re good at, which is making great food with all the hassles taken away.
“We have a long list of people who want to be in our venues but they need to show their quality and that they can serve food fast and consistently.
“In Canary Wharf, the lunchtime trade will be big and that’s 45 minutes. If you can’t cook your food in seven minutes, you’re probably not going to have many customers coming back.”
Diners can expect Mexican cuisine from DF Tacos
Visitors to Market Hall Canary Wharf will be free to order from any of the traders and bars, with buzzers given out so diners know when their food is ready.
The opening line-up of eight restaurants includes Le Bab’s modern gourmet kebabs, Baoziinn’s dim sum and Chinese dishes, Mexican cuisine from DF Tacos, Malaysian roti canai from Gopals, fried chicken from Chick Chick Crew and Italian food from Pasta Evangelists.
There will also be Japanese flavours from Inamo Sukoshi and a welcome return to the Wharf by Black Bear Burger, which used to serve up fine patties at Giant Robot before its closure due to the pandemic.
Andy said: “This is a starting place for some with us and growth ground for others, so I’m particularly excited about opening up here.
“People ask me why I do it. I’m not young any more, but I go to the gym and I feel 30, even when I’m not.
The Canary Wharf venue will have dim sum by Baoziin
“I’m not a foodie, but I love seeing people having fun – joy is the word we keep using – I like to see people having a bloody great time, and that’s why I do this.
“I get real enjoyment in seeing people smiling, laughing and having a blast.
“The great thing about Market Halls as a concept is that you can come here by yourself, in pairs, in a group of 10, 15 or 20 – it doesn’t matter.
“You can arrive any time, eat what you want to eat and there’s no grumbling about who’s going to pay the bill because mostly everyone has paid for themselves.
“You can come and choose what you like, when you like and then just concentrate on enjoying yourself.”
And here’s a little music, appropriate for stepping into the hall of the food court king…
The scheme, now in its fifth year, is open to candidates who would not otherwise be able to afford an independent education and covers up to 100% of school fees for one place at Faraday Prep School at Trinity Buoy Wharf in Leamouth.
Funded by the Fishmongers’ Livery Company, the award may also contribute to the cost of after school clubs, the school bus and school trips. The current scheme will support a place for a child to attend Faraday from September 2022.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to join a growing and exciting prep school for those who might not otherwise be able to attend,” said head Lucas Motion.
“We want the children who receive it over the years to reap the benefits of what we offer here at Faraday.
“We’re a small, independent school, with just over 100 children. All of our systems are geared around individual attention so that we can really nurture, inspire and give children more support when they need it, and provide some stretch and challenge where they need that.
“We have small class sizes, with an average of 14 children.
“From Reception all the way up to Year 3, we have a teacher and a teaching assistant in each class, so we have a high ratio of adults to children to support that ethos.
Faraday Prep School head Lucas Motion with two of his pupils
“We put a lot of emphasis on high-quality interaction between staff and children, and having smaller class sizes really helps us to move them along.
“In terms of our vision and our values, they are all around nurturing children and delivering a good value education.
“I would also mention our broad and creative curriculum, which sets us apart and is certainly unique to Faraday.
“We teach much of the National Curriculum alongside a core knowledge curriculum and we have five specialist subjects, which are taught from Reception all the way up to Year 6 – French, music, dance, drama and sport.
“For example, we have a dedicated specialist sports teacher who is with the children all through their time at the school so they have the benefit of that – it’s a great model to help inspire them.
“An emphasis on high-quality English and Maths is always essential, and I think that, for that reason in primary, sometimes, the more creative subjects can take more of a back seat, but we’re committed to keeping them in the timetable throughout.”
Average class sizes at Faraday Prep School are 14 pupils
Lucas, who was born in Hackney and now lives in Leytonstone, arrived at Faraday in January this year, having previously held the post of deputy head at its sister institution – Maple Walk Prep School in Harlesden.
He said: “I came across when the previous head, Claire Murdoch, became head at Maple Walk, so essentially we swapped over. That’s made the transition quite smooth and natural because the values and ethos of the two schools are the same.
“Faraday is in an unusual situation – our playground is on a bend of the River Lea – but a real highlight in my first term here has been reaching out to the community at Trinity Buoy Wharf – it’s such a collaborative and creative place.
“I want to continue the work Claire has done here, because she’s done an amazing job. I want to build on that.
“We’re currently a one form entry school except in our current Reception class, where we have two – we’re on a journey of growth – and I feel really excited about where that might lead.”
Selection for the award will be based on interview and references.
Children will be asked to provide their most recent school report and will be asked to undertake a range of activities and assessments.
Appointments to visit the school before applications are made can be arranged. Help with filling out the means testing element of the application is also available.
Those who would like more information can call the school on 020 8965 7374
The school is based at Trinity Buoy Wharf in Leamouth
Canary Wharf’s architecture can seem impersonal – impenetrable edifices of glass and steel, containers for businesses and institutions rather than buildings on a human scale.
But it’s important to remember those vast floorplates are populated by people – individuals with needs, desires, ideas, frustrations and aspirations.
The word ‘company’, after all, can be defined as a commercial firm, or as simply being with others.
In recent years, there’s been an increasing realisation among large organisations that it would both be wise and morally right for them to populate themselves with a much more diverse range of individuals.
The idea is that both they and wider society will benefit from the fresh ideas that brings, while the prosperity delivered by their activities will spread to communities and areas it never reached before.
Such sentiments are at the root of JP Morgan’s partnership with The Sutton Trust to offer Opportunity Bursaries to students for at least the next decade.
The first cohort of 51 students from low income backgrounds recently received awards of between £3,500 and £5,000 – cash that will be put towards facilitating a wide range of experiences and projects aimed at boosting their life skills alongside their studies and improving their long-term job prospects.
They also have the option to work with a mentor from JP Morgan as part of the scheme.
The bursaries are awarded annually to applicants in the UK with the aim of assisting 350 over the first decade.
Around 60% will go to black and minority ethnic students to reflect the additional barriers they face in society.
“We truly believe that we need to create a more inclusive and diverse community,” said Cecil Peters, head of advancing black pathways, EMEA, at JP Morgan.
“Not a lot of people from under-represented communities would think they could get to an organisation like JP Morgan, because they just don’t aspire to do the things that other people do.
“When I was 17 or 18, I never thought I could be with JP Morgan in a role like this.
“But through experiences I’ve got to learn what exists. We think it’s important to give people exposure and experiences that enable them to compete in a world where they might not have seen the opportunity or had the ability to take it.”
Without doubt, JP Morgan would be delighted if some of the recipients wound up working for the bank in future, but it’s not doing this for itself.
“Some of the students may be interested in banking and want to work in our sector, but for a lot of them it’s about how we can help them get to where they want to go in their careers and their lives,” said Jess Ferguson, head of international employee engagement and volunteering, global philanthropy, who jointly oversees the project with Cecil.
“Out of the 51 in the first cohort, there’s one doing film studies, lots of people doing law and psychology – a whole range of different disciplines. They all have varied ambitions for what they want to achieve in their lives. One wants to work in humanitarian law and we heard from someone else who wants to be the next Sir David Attenborough.”
Jess Ferguson of JP Morgan
In February 2021, the Sutton Trust launched some research into how university students needed to have essential life skills as well as their academic qualifications, recognising that those skills were really important to employers.
“It found that some students were not accessing opportunities to enable them to get those essential life skills.
“It identified a gap between individuals from affluent backgrounds and those from more socially disadvantaged, working class backgrounds in terms of things like participation in societies, work experience placements and study abroad trips.
“So, as partners with the trust, we started discussing with them how we could help address those issues.”
JP Morgan intends to finance as many bursaries as the fund’s growth allows.
“Every person you can give an opportunity to is now able to compare themselves with and compete with someone from a more affluent background, said Cecil.
“It means that when they go looking for a job they can talk about experiences they’ve had beyond their studies, that they worked with the UN or went trekking abroad to do research.
“The bursaries are also an opportunity to create a perception within each student’s community about what can be achieved, hopefully elevating the aspirations of those around them.
“If you’re the first person in your family to go to university, and you do really well, you’re going to pull other people with you. That’s what we’re trying to do.
“Without money it’s hard to access those extra experiences, tough to commit to going half way round the world to do something.
“These kids are smart – I was talking to a young woman at the launch event and she was homeless when she did her A-Levels. She got into Cambridge to do law. These people are the cream of the crop and they have had to fight to get where they are.
“The one thing they don’t have is money, so instead of giving them access to courses, for example, we wanted to give them what they’re missing to help level the playing field.
“It’s about creating equity. Everyone has different needs.
“Black and minority ethnic communities are just as under-served as poor white communities, but they also have the obstacles of racism to deal with.
“So for JP Morgan it was important for us to make sure there was space so they can get those opportunities as well.
“It’s a learning curve and a jump into the unknown for both us and The Sutton Trust. There are no measurable targets – we gave the money freely and willingly and invested it for them to make this work.
“Sometimes you have to do things that way – we give these students lived experiences, but there’s no way of knowing what the impact will be until they’ve lived them.
“The return for us is to hear their stories, not just next year, but in 10 or 15 years. We want to know where they’ve got to career-wise, because they’re just at the start.”
“I feel very proud of what we get to do, because we’re changing people’s lives for the better, and that is exciting,” added Jess.
“One of the ways we’ll stay in touch with them is through the mentoring scheme. We made it optional, but at least 34 of the 51 students have taken up the offer and we’ve had some more who have expressed an interest in it.
“It’s one-to-one matching with a volunteer from JP Morgan – some have come to us and said they’d like someone who works in cyber security or communications, for example.
“What we hope is that the mentor is able to help the young person think about their goals and ambitions for the future – what steps they may be able to take to get there.
“They can also help with things like articulating and reflecting on the skills they’ve got through the experiences funded by the bursaries and how to articulate that to future employers or to themselves. Mentors provide that impartial sounding board.
“It’s the first year, we’ll learn a lot and we will listen to the students’ feedback, but we’ve seen the benefits in our other mentoring programmes.”
THE CHALLENGE OF MOVING THE DIAL ON SOCIAL MOBILITY
Social mobility in the UK isn’t in a good place. There’s much debate about where the nation actually sits in the developed world, but we’re either vying with the USA as the least socially mobile country or squarely in the bottom half of the rankings.
“The Sutton Trust was set up 25 years ago by Sir Peter Lampi with the aim that every young person should have the same chances to get on in life no matter what school they go to or where they live,” said James Turner, the charity’s CEO.
“We work with almost 10,000 young people every year to help them get into university, onto the best apprenticeships and get jobs in some of the most competitive sectors.
“We also work to shed light on social mobility and make sure it remains at the top of the agenda, whether that’s with employers, universities, schools or the Government.
“We’ve known for a long time that barriers to social mobility don’t end at 18.
“Getting into university is a great start but poorer people may not go on to have the same success in their careers as their better-off counterparts.
“We know from employers that education is necessary but not sufficient, so we’d been thinking about ways to address that when we had the conversation with JP Morgan, an organisation that has a deep commitment to social mobility.
“The idea was that we would use these bursaries to support students to do extra things – taking part in clubs, societies, internships, years abroad – to help them develop their skills and confidence, so putting them in a better position in the job market.
“The applicants had to put forward a case – what they would do with the money, why it was important to their employability, their academic work and why they wouldn’t be able to do what they wanted to without it.
“We had 400 applications, which we reviewed alongside JP Morgan and we interviewed the most promising ones – it was a very difficult process to get it down to 51 because of the high quality of applicants.
“The projects students applied for were a real mix – some were about travel, some for training courses, to boost their skills, and others looking to become social entrepreneurs in the UK.
“We really hope this first group will come back and talk to the next cohort to help shape future applications.
“As a project this is the first time we’ve been able to give bursaries like this and it really moves on what we’re doing in a substantial way because of the varied activities they are funding.”
CASE STUDY: HEATHER FERGUSON
In every respect, this is the most important part of this article.
Heather Ferguson – no relation to Jess – is one of the 51 successful applicants for a bursary.
She is 19 and from the small town of Wigton in Cumbria, just north of the Lake District and is currently studying psychology at Durham University.
A qualified gymnastics coach, she recently coached children at a summer school at the university. This is what the money means to her.
“I want to be a researcher – my interest is to explore how we can make children happier in schools via their physical wellbeing, as a way of improving their mental health,” said Heather.
“I didn’t have the best time in primary school, so, instead of feeling sorry for myself, I wondered what I could do to fix the problem.
“Of course, it wasn’t just me that experienced that – a lot of children go through a lot worse.
“But a school is meant to be a safe place. Children spend five, six or even seven hours a day, five days a week there and I feel we have this time where we can really make a difference and shape their lives.
“I’m a young carer myself. When I was at home, I’d have to look after my disabled mother and that’s still the case now.
“When we have kids in school, we have time to help them and make a difference.
“Physical activity is a lot more than just becoming the next Usain Bolt or Jessica Ennis – it’s more about keeping ourselves active and how we can introduce children to different types of physical activity in a fun way that will also improve their mental and physical health.
“In 2018 I applied for The Sutton Trust summer school, which they offer each year, and I got onto that and went to Durham University for a week.
“That’s how I wound up studying there.
“I was in the trust’s alumni network and that’s how I heard about the Opportunity Bursary. At the time, I’d just applied for the MITACS Globalink Research Internship.
“It’s a competitive research post in Canada, and they run it each year, and they take high-achieving undergraduates.
“It’s a great experience to get onto, but I realised that if I did, I would need a little money to support me and to buy a suitcase and things like that.
“So I applied for the bursary to cover things like travel costs, was selected for interview and got accepted.
“Going for the internship was already a great experience because you had to write a CV and an application, which will be very helpful when I apply for a masters and a PhD.
“I’ve been matched with Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, which is a U15 university – a bit like the Russell Group in the UK.
“I’ll be looking at how children regulate their positive and negative emotions, a perfect project for me, working for three months over the summer.
“I can see from chats I’ve already had with the professor there that there will be other opportunities opening up too including the chance to work alongside a PhD student.
“It’s an opportunity to develop so many research skills along the way.
“I’m just so grateful to have been awarded this bursary and to the Sutton Trust for helping me get into Durham.
“I wouldn’t be able to go to Canada without it. If there is an emergency with my mum, I might have to go home and I don’t have money lying around for a plane ticket.
“This takes the worry out of that – it provides me with the extra security I need to go there and take part.
“I come from a low income background, my siblings and I were on free school meals for a time.
“I’m not looking to be in a job where I just make as much money as possible – I’ve always thought that if you have a roof over your head and you can have the odd holiday here and there, then that’s enough.
“I want to be in a job that makes a difference. Research is the area that will do that for me, helping children in schools. That will pay me more than money ever could.”
“I call it an urban resort,” said Doug Acton, head of sales and marketing at Berkeley Group and the man responsible for driving the success of its Poplar Riverside development.
“It’s close to nature and it has facilities such as a gym, a pool, a spa, a cinema room, shops, bars and restaurants.
“It could almost be a self-contained little town, but it’s open to everyone – somewhere to get away from the hustle and bustle of Canary Wharf.”
To describe Poplar Riverside as ‘tucked away’ is both accurate and somehow inappropriate.
Officially launched in June last year, the development covers a 20-acre site, will take around two decades to build and will see about 2,800 homes delivered in the East End.
This is major regeneration by Berkeley division St William – a project that will also provide a new 2.5-acre public park, a couple of bridges across the Rvier Lea, 500m of riverside walkway, 90,000sq ft of commercial space. The list goes on and on.
But take the 20-minute stroll over to the site from Canary Wharf to the soft tranquillity of Leven Road on a sunny day and you’ll find it’s something of an oasis, albeit one where the concrete superstructures of its first phase have quietly risen.
The waters of the Lea flow lazily past as cranes perform their slow-motion ballet. There’s something happening here and it’s only just begun.
Head of sales and marketing at Berkeley Group, Doug Acton
“When people come here, they’re really excited about the regeneration story – they can see it’s a part of this massive growth corridor that’s happening along the river,” said Doug.
“They can see the potential with our investment in things like the bridges – how that improves the connectivity to Canning Town station.
“The challenge for us is getting more people to come here. Once they see it, they know it really is a transformation, that it’s a step change.”
And “step” is the right word, because Poplar Riverside is a scheme of many levels.
There are the public parks and walkways themselves and, of course, the river, all framing the buildings.
Then there are raised podium gardens for residents, underground parking and private balconies lining the pointed elevations of the brick-clad blocks.
It’s partly the attraction of these features that have seen buyers purchase about 100 of the 156 homes at the first building in the first phase of Poplar Riverside – Calico House.
The next to go on sale will be Porter House, which is right on the river and is expected to hit the market in July.
That will be followed by Bowline House and Sisal House, which all together complete the first phase with 643 properties.
Construction of the first phase of Poplar Riverside
“With Porter House we’ll be launching three-bedroom homes for the first time to go alongside the studios, one and two-bedroom homes available,” said Doug.
“It’s right next to the Lea so many will overlook the river and enjoy views across the London skyline.
“They will also benefit from the Leven Banks park, which includes a children’s playground, so it’s an exciting block to release.
“One of the things we’re really good at as a company, having learnt from projects like Royal Arsenal Riverside in Woolwich and Kidbrooke Village in Greenwich, is that you would never know, as a resident, that construction is going on.
“We commit to the landscape nice and early, not as an afterthought, so people moving in can enjoy it.
A range of properties are available at the development
“We’re also constantly speaking to our residents to get feedback and find out what they want and what they don’t.
“One of the things we’re creating at this development is the Riverside Club – 16,000sq ft of facilities that will help foster community here.”
Laid out over two floors that includes a co-working space, a cinema room, meeting rooms and a games room as well as a residents’ lounge, a spa, steam room, sauna, salt room and a 20m swimming pool.
“We also have The Great Room,” said Doug, who was recruited by Berkeley from the luxury hotel industry to help it deliver the kinds of facilities normally found at such resorts at its residential property developments.
“It’s somewhere to work, play and meet just so people can have that strong sense of community.
“We’re really keen to create that feeling of togetherness and that goes for families as well – it’s not just for adults.”
All apartments at Poplar Riverside feature outdoor space
The homes themselves feature floor-to-ceiling windows, underfloor heating, Bosch appliances in the kitchens and Italian terrazzo worktops.
All have some form of outdoor space and the two-bedroom show home features a jack and jill main bathroom, effectively offering both bedrooms en suite facilities.
“There’s mood lighting in the bathrooms and good storage comes as standard,” said Doug.
“There’s even a nod to the golden age of industry with the taps and that’s a theme we’ve carried throughout the properties.
“The principal bedroom has built-in wardrobes and there’s an option to have those in the second bedroom too.
“We know storage is really important, so we’ve also put full-height cupboards in the kitchens to maximise the use of space.”
Properties currently on sale at Poplar Riverside start at £410,000. The earliest completions are expected in the second half of this year.
The Poplar Riverside sales and marketing suite, which includes a two-bedroom show apartment, is open for viewings.
An artist’s impression of open space at Poplar Riverside
Black swan” is the image that comes to mind when trying to sum up Jonathan Fren.
That’s because the entrepreneur appears calm on the surface but there’s a sense he’s working busily beneath.
The founder of Canning Town co-working space Keyboards & Dreams, is something of an anomaly.
When we sit down to chat, the mellow-voiced hipster seems exactly the sort of person who would own an easygoing office complex in Caxton Works, where members are surrounded by plants and stripped back decor.
He said it all came about “by accident” but I’m not sure that’s the right word.
“I randomly came across the development about three years ago and was interested,” said Jonathan. “I liked the vibe of what they were doing with independent businesses and I liked the architecture of the space.
“I thought it would be a cool place to have a community. It’s a very residential area and, with Keyboards & Dreams, I wanted to create a living room that people could go to when they’re not working from home.”
This is not the first business the 32-year-old has owned. It isn’t even the second or third.
Jonathan has never totted up the companies he’s run, but I have. It’s 11.
The first, Magivend, he started when he was 10 after seeing some sweet machines for sale at Exchange & Mart.
“My parents were always entrepreneurs, and supported me,” said the Northampton native. “I bought three machines and put them in our local health club — they paid for themselves in a month, so I kept buying more and putting them around town.”
By the age of 12, he had 32. By 13 he was “bored” and bought tyre sealant franchise Nopunctures.
Part of the workspace at Caxton Works
Despite its success, nine months later he gave it up as “the need to be face-to-face with businesses as a 13-year-old was difficult”.
There was no stopping him now though – at 14 he left school with no formal qualifications and became the youngest person to attend the Open University, studying robotics under a special arrangement with the council.
“I wasn’t allowed to ever meet my tutors as staff weren’t vetted for working with under-18s,” said Jonathan.
“And I only spent two weeks actually preparing for the exams as I was too busy learning about the internet.”
He started taking apart websites and learning how they worked, building CaribGo, a revolutionary webmail client but said he was beaten to the punch by Gmail.
At 16, he moved to Barbados to run a watersports business, but within months realised his passion lay in cyberspace.
“I’d gained some great contacts online, and spent the next few years travelling and building things for clients like Barclays Bank, General Motors, and Oxfam,” he said.
“None of them knew my age – it was my most closely guarded secret. But of course I’d have told them if they’d ever asked.”
The rest of his CV includes co-founding identity management service ProfileBuilder, face-to-face networking platform PowerMeeter, fashion designer finder Osmoda and magazine It’s Rude To Stare.
Some only lasted months but by 2016 he seemed to have found a more secure footing in Clerkenwell, spending four years running tech company Rebel Minds.
Exhausted yet? So was Jonathan.
Keyboards And Dreams is located at Caxton Works in Canning Town
“By then I was 25 and I was finding it all really stressful,” he said.
“The company I had created had become something so different from what I started.
“I ended up with 20 employees in central London doing things I just didn’t believe in. We ended up being an agency just making websites for clients.
“I wanted to do super awesome things and have products that I really believed in. I tried to pivot it first, but I was in this really bad place and ultimately decided to shut it down.”
He said making all his staff redundant was “the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my working life”.
The phoenix from the flames was his office block nestled among the jewellers in Hatton Garden.
During the five years the tech company existed, Jonathan had acquired more floors of the building and the first Keyboards & Dreams evolved naturally.
The site can cater for up to 95 members
“We had a really cool space and I’d always had lots of friends interested in it,” said Jonathan.
“Initially I just rented it to them for their tech companies and then to more and more people and eventually it became this great co-working space.”
He managed the building remotely for a few years while travelling through Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin and San Francisco and had no intention of launching a second site. But then he discovered Canning Town.
“I didn’t know much about the history of the area when I started, but now I can see that in three or four years it is going to really go up,” said Jonathan.
“At the moment we are a little bit in sleepy mode, but so much has happened just in the year we have been at Caxton Works.”
These days Jonathan lives in Poland with his Yoga instructor girlfriend, but moved back to the capital to get the unit ready for launch in November 2020.
He said: “We had a waiting list of about 60 people but then Covid rules changed and we ended up with 10 members. It was a lot less people than I expected, but I didn’t want it to be an empty building, I wanted it to be used.”
Today, the site has about 25 members and space for another 95.
“The concept is to create a really modular space that is not just about working but enabling people to do whatever they’re doing,” he said.
“We have podcast spaces, private desks, open-plan spaces, storage, meeting rooms, a photography area, lots of different spaces to enable people to do lots of different things. I’m super optimistic.
“Throughout Covid we have had lots of people drop out, but also people joined. Clerkenwell has been used throughout the pandemic.
“With Canning Town we have had nowhere near the number of people walk through the doors I expected, but I think that’s part of being a new place in a new area.”
So was this really all by accident? Like the black swan, it seems more like effort rewarded.
Professionally he rose to prominence as an expert tiler and mosaic artist working at the very top of the interiors profession.
That culminated in Grace Of London, which creates decorative baths inlaid with precious metals, Swarovski crystals and the like, for those whose luxury bathing habits far exceed the means of most – think up to £100k a tub. With me so far? Good.
Robert met photographer and artist Anne-Marie Bickerton when she came to shoot one of his baths with a ballerina in it. Inspired, she created a painting based on the images she’d taken, then came up with the idea of cutting it into pieces to share the art.
In collaboration with Robert, they decided to take that idea – calling it Sentiment – and involve other artists, creating the nucleus of what’s become the Bickerton-Grace Gallery.
Its physical space, based at Stirling Eco on The Highway, has an ever-evolving display of work by the 100 artists in the Sentiment project, including Anne-Marie herself.
From March 25-April 8, however, it will host a joint exhibition of work by painter Lisa Izquierdo and some of Robert’s baths.
Robert and Lisa will display their work together – image Matt Grayson
Anne-Marie said: “With the Sentiment collection, an artist sends us a work, which we divide into 1,000 pieces, mount on 24-carat gold leaf and stitch a gold thread through – that’s all about connection.
“They can then be purchased, potentially connecting 100,000 people with this installation. We also invite the artists to exhibit in our space and it’s an incredibly diverse group – we have classical artists, street art, acrylic painters, pretty much everything.
“Then you have all the collaborations I do with Robert and the pieces in the Sentiment collection themselves.”
The electric bikes aren’t just a backdrop. Stirling Eco prides itself on offering artistic makeovers for its rides, some in collaboration with Sentiment artists.
Much of the space, which is free to visit, is adorned with artworks large and small.
Anne-Marie, for example, uses the walls to create vanishing pieces that are painted over shortly after creation, with digital versions deleted and only limited edition prints surviving.
It’s an environment that feels less about selling two-wheelers and more about unbridled creativity.
“Running a gallery is really interesting,” said Anne-Marie. “I get so inspired by the other artists that are on board and it’s a bit of a love project really, because I get connected to every one of them.
“Art is an emotional response – it grabs you or it doesn’t, and it’s very personal.
“It’s like a fire in your tummy – I really like that but I can’t explain it, like a buzz of energy – it’s a nice feeling.
“The idea of Sentiment is that if you see a piece by an artist but can’t afford it, you can still buy a piece of something they’ve created.
“With Lisa, her pieces are very dramatic, beautiful big oil paintings, and they tie in really nicely with what Robert makes – they complement each other without clashing and that’s why we’ve brought these two artists together.
“Visitors will see their work together, but also work by other artists as well.”
“I did an apprenticeship as a ceramic floor tiler and I’ve always had an artistic background, which set me aside from my peers,” said Robert.
“I pretty much won every award that was available as a City and Guilds apprentice, and by the age of 25 I was abroad fixing mosaic domes in palaces.
“I’d worked for pretty much all the royal families in the world.
“Towards the end of my tiling career, I was getting older and I was trying to think how I might use my brain rather than my brawn.
“The idea to create the baths came when a client asked me what colour she should paint her bath – it was in a £60,000 bathroom and I just thought I could create something that would turn the interior from a stunning one to a spectacular place.
The exhibition will take place at Stirling Eco – image Matt Grayson
“She painted her bath in the end, but I went back to my workshop and thought about creating some samples.
“Then, with the the help of top refurbishment firm Grangewood, I launched them with a week-long exhibition.
“They cost from about £50,000 but the customer is getting 35 years of experience and something that’s unique and hand-cut. I’ve made some for more than £100,000. The last one I did had over 40,000 pieces of glass.
“The bathtubs are a good match with Lisa’s art because her work is astonishing, really beautiful and also the kind of piece you could include as part of an interior design.
“It’s subtle, the colours are well-chosen and the textures are beautiful.
“I’ve worked with some of the finest interior designers in the world and, to be really good in that world, you have to understand how light falls, shapes and colours what’s in a room.
“One of the most important things is to understand how to place and decorate with pieces of art themselves.
“I’ve always been artistic and creative and this is an extension of that.”
Robert will show three baths at Bickerton-Grace Gallery as part of the exhibition, including the black and white Harlequin
Lisa, pictured with one of her paintings – image Matt Grayson
Lili – The words of Lisa Izquierdo
“The pieces I’ll be showing at the exhibition will be the from my Essence Of Woman collection,” said Lisa, who lives and works near Manchester.
“There are no faces, it’s more about texture, movement and dynamic. I’ve always had an interest in art. When I was very young – aged six – I would draw these elfin-like, elongated silhouettes with wings.
“I think I was inspired by strong women in my life who brought me up, like my mum and my sister.
“I have six collections, all on different subjects, but painting these images was a real way to escape when I was struggling – painting is meditative, a lovely, expressive way to cocoon myself in my little studio and put it all on canvas.
“Everyone goes through bad times and you wouldn’t appreciate the good without that.
“It was tough in my 20s, I started modelling when I was 13 and at 15 I went to Madrid on a contract and then Tokyo for a year. On the one hand I got to travel the world and it taught me a lot of lessons in life.
Lisa will be showing pieces from her Essence Of Woman series – image Matt Grayson
“But I was in an environment at a very young age that was horrible and it scarred me. That’s why I don’t paint faces, because it’s drilled into you that you need to be a certain way.
“There were eating disorders, drug addictions – you see it all – it was exploitation of very young girls. Even now at 46, I have to be OK with eating.
“Those experiences are part of what makes me the artist I am today.
“For me art is the release. I get really lost in painting. Sometimes I can be in the studio until four or five in the morning.
“I’ll go home, sleep and go back to the studio and discover what I’ve created, whether it’s an abstract piece or a painting of a man or a woman.
“I hope people feel uplifted when they see my work. I want it to be thought-provoking too and to feel some positive energy – it’s a bit hippy, but then that’s what I am.”
Lisa, who signs her work Lili, will show a selection of her oil paintings at the exhibition.
When I was a young child, my parents gave me an old typewriter to play with. I loved hitting the keys, hearing that distinctive, hypnotic clacking sound, twisting the knob that made the roller revolve.
But I couldn’t really comprehend what it was for. Even though this was the 1980s, by the time I came of age to make marks on paper, computer keyboards had already replaced the old mechanical machines with their inky ribbons and staccato rhythms. Fun for a kid – a relic of a bygone age, perhaps – but nothing more.
It’s fortunate James Cook didn’t have that experience.
While studying A-Level art in 2014, he developed an interest in inventive ways to make marks, drawn to David Hockney’s iPad paintings.
“Then I came across Paul Smith, who had used typewriters,” said James. “What really caught my attention was his story.
“Born in 1921, he suffered with cerebral palsy his whole life. At the age of 11, his parents gave him a typewriter because he couldn’t hold a pencil.
“But, instead of writing, he ended up creating drawings, which was his passion. He only learnt to speak and walk as an adult, but at the age of 11 he was already creating these amazing pictures – drawings of the Mona Lisa and it fascinated me that it was even possible to do such a thing.
“Immediately after I had read about him, I started trawling around charity shops trying to find a typewriter – at first without much success.
“Then an elderly couple in one of the shops overheard that I was looking for a typewriter and told me that they had one belonging to the man’s late mother.
“It had been sitting in the attic for about 40 years, not being used, and they suggested that I could come round and collect it.”
After a few squirts of WD40, James got the mid 1950s Oliver Courier going and began to experiment.
“I was lucky I picked that typewriter up and that I didn’t give up straight away,” he said. “As time has gone on, I’ve discovered that there are some models that just don’t work for this kind of work.
“But what I had was a very expensive, very mechanically precise machine. If this hadn’t been the case I might not have stuck with it.”
They include landscapes and portraits
Perseverance paid off however and James now makes his living generating work on his collection of 40 typewriters, painstakingly using them to tap out artwork, either from life or photographs.
It’s exacting work, with drawings typically taking between a week and a month to complete.
“Usually the typewriters have 44 keys, so I have those parameters to work within and choosing the characters to use is one of the most interesting parts of making these drawings,” said James.
“I’ve been doing this for about seven years now, mostly part-time, and more recently full-time, and I’ve learnt by trial and error which particular character works.
“If I’m drawing a portrait, and I need to recreate someone’s skin complexion, most people want to be seen in the best light, so even skin tones require a character that has a large surface area, like the ‘@’ symbol.
“That’s also good for shading, which can be achieved by hitting the key more softly.
“If someone has dimples or freckles, then I might use some asterisks, because it’s a much sharper mark, whereas the underscore is a perfect shape for drawing horizontal lines in an architectural drawing, like the bottom of a window sill, or doing brickwork.
“Achieving curves is very difficult, especially if you’re working across multiple sheets, because they all have to line up.
“Typewriters inherently want to go from left to right so they’re great for straight lines, but not so good for verticals and curves.
“So what I’m doing is using my left hand to ever so slightly twist the paragraph lever by a minuscule amount while I’m typing to create a curve, like the roof of The O2, for example.
“I can’t think of any other way of drawing that requires you to use both hands in this way. Your right hand is on the keys and your left hand is responsible for making sure you stamp that mark on a very precise point.
“Once it’s been made that’s it, there’s no way of undoing it – I won’t use Tippex so mistakes become part of the drawing.
Every drawing is made by painstakingly typing to make marks
From April 1-10, the largest ever exhibition of James’ work ever gathered together is set to be held at Trinity Buoy Wharf, with many of the pieces created at the east London location in Leamouth. Entry is free.
“Visitors will see the biggest collection of my work to date,” said James.
“It’s mostly pieces from London locations, usually drawn on site with views of places like Greenwich Park, the Thames Path and Trinity Buoy Wharf itself.
“What’s also important for the work is to add a second layer of information, so the drawings are not just about piecing together various characters, they also contain concealed messages or hidden lines of text.
“I’ve often done that more recently when I’ve been working on location and I’ve spotted something, or when a thought pops into my head, especially if it’s the middle of winter.
“I did some of the drawings in January and it was pretty cold outside, so a lot of the messages are me complaining how cold it was.”
James draws many of his pieces on location
Every weekday during the exhibition, James will be hosting free workshops for those who’d like to try creating their own typewriter art.
He said: “When people look at my art, usually it’s not enough, they want to know how it’s made.
“The idea is these groups of about five will get to sit in front of a typewriter and have a go.
“It won’t be creating finished masterpieces, but hopefully we’ll have some fun and it will be a start.
“They can bring along pictures to inspire their typing or I can provide them for reference.”
Deptford Market Yard’s arches are typically filled with magic. It might be the ramshackle ephemera of Little Nan’s, the slick seafood of Sharkbait ‘N’ Swim or the wholesome cafe cuisine of Dirty Apron.
All of theses businesses pulse and buzz with the passions of the people behind them. It’s why the area draws ever increasing numbers of people seeking independent places to hang out.
It’s also why Bluethroat’s owners thought their idea could work.
Brothers Landi and Ari Mucaj had been talking about starting a business together since 2013.
“I’ve lived in Deptford since 1997 and I’ve worked in many central London bars,” said Ari.
“I started working as a kitchen porter and then got a job as a chef, which I did for about three years.
“I’d finish work about 10.30pm and then go behind the bar and wash glasses for fun. I fell in love with being behind the bar and that’s what I’ve done ever since.
“I’ve worked mostly in central London in places like the Cuckoo Club and Chinawhite and I ran the bar at Maddox for about six years.
“Every time Landi would come to see me in central London he would always say: ‘We should do this ourselves’.
“That was really my plan all along, at least for the last 10 years, trying to save up and do it.”
In 2018 Ari quit his job and teamed up with Landi, who had been in Deptford himself since 2001, to look for premises.
Guests at Bluethroat in Deptford Market Yard
“We were searching and then we thought, what better place than Deptford?” said Landi.
“We’d seen a lot of changes in the area over the years, so when we saw an opportunity here, we thought it would be the best place to build something.”
The brothers took one of the larger brick arches at Deptford Market Yard, more or less next to the train station itself, and set about doing just that.
“Instead of doing it somewhere else, we thought it’s just around the corner, we can walk home and it’s the perfect place,” said Ari.
“We found this fantastic space here – it was a shell when we got it and we’ve built it from scratch.
“It took about a year to build it – we didn’t know anything about doing that so the fact we have this location and that we’ve created it from scratch is crazy, but it feels amazing.”
Landi added: “I fell in love with it really – the whole experience of setting up a business. It’s had its ups and downs and it probably took us longer to open than most other places, but we learned a lot in the process.”
Unfortunately things didn’t go quite to plan. Just days after Bluethroat opened its doors, the first national lockdown came into force and they slammed shut.
Like many hospitality businesses, the brothers have since been riding a rollercoaster of uncertainty, most recently closing at Christmas as the responsible thing to do, despite the lack of official government direction to do so.
With restrictions lifted, however, both Ari and Landi can’t wait to run their cocktail-focused establishment unfettered.
“This is the first chance we’ve had to run in a normal market, there’s been a lot of opening and closing,” said Landi.
“Our plan remains very much the same and it’s about refining our formula.
“Firstly, we’re really passionate about our drinks, delivered with great service. We’re also a very good restaurant.
“We are a place where people can come and chill out and have some really good cocktails.”
Bluethroat also serves food
Walk into Bluethroat and that focus is unmistakeable. The bar’s shelves are laden with spirits, ready to be whipped into a multitude of alcoholic concoctions.
“This is where my brother’s experience comes in,” said Landi. “We have about 11 drinks on our menu, all of which we’ve created for Bluethroat.
“There are boozy ones and lighter drinks, some that are bitter, fruity, bitter, sweet and sour – something for every taste.
“We are constantly working on the list and evolving it, but we really enjoy asking customers what they like and then building something for them.”
Bluethroat – named for a small member of the thrush family with a distinctive blue collar and a powerful song – also develops seasonal drinks, with two of its four spring specials already in hand.
“Customers will always find something new,” said Landi. “We’re getting ready to launch one made with Haku Vodka from Japan.
“We just love the taste of this spirit, made completely from rice, and we mix that with a bergamot liqueur and blackcurrant to make a sweet drink with a hint of spiciness. We think people are really going to like it.
“The second cocktail we’ve created for our spring menu is based on whisky with a fig liqueur and mulberry syrup.
“We make pretty much all our own syrups in the bar using a range of techniques such as sous vide and hot and cold infusion.
“The drink has a creamy taste and we also infuse the whisky with violet leaf to give it a beautiful aroma when you’re drinking it.”
Ari added: “When we opened, I gave Landi a crash course and now he’s a genius behind the bar. One of our challenges since opening has been finding bartenders with experience.
“But I think local bars are taking over in terms of quality – you can find cocktails that are as good here or in places like Hackney, as you will get in Mayfair.
“I worked in central London for 20 years and the quality here is no different.
“You are seeing people who are going out locally to get this, instead of making the journey in.”
Bluethroat is locate in Deptford Market Yard
While its extensive collection of bottles, rich brown hues and speakeasy vibe mark Bluethroat out as a haven for drinkers, the brothers hope that its food offering will be a welcome surprise for those ordering.
“We change the dishes all the time, but we serve Mediterranean and modern European food,” said Landi.
“There’s always something new, but we love seafood. There are a lot of Italian influences because our chefs are from Italy.”
Ari added: “We serve a lot of fish – black cod, king prawns and salmon – and we do specials every week.
“I think people are a bit shocked that the food is as good as it is because of the way the bar looks.
“We started off serving smaller plates, but we’ve extended the menu because people wanted more food.”
The primary focus remains the liquid though, and, having worked widely on the city’s bar scene, Ari is keen to build the bar’s reputation in the capital.
He said: “Ultimately we want to be known as one of the best cocktail bars in London. That’s our ambition.
“We’re taking things slowly and we haven’t really promoted ourselves yet. We wanted to grow organically and for people to find out about us that way.”
Bluethroat is open Weds-Sun. Cocktails typically cost between £10 and £11. Small plates are £6-£11 and bigger dishes around £14.
“I got shouted at, I burnt my hand and I started work there the next day,” said James Goodchild, recalling his first experience of working in a professional kitchen.
“I’d finished school in Essex, where I lived, without many qualifications – I was a having a year out and my mum forced me to get some job interviews.
“So I went for a role as a barman because I thought it would be a nice easy one with plenty of money.
“That had gone, but they asked me if I wanted to do a shift in the kitchen, which I did to keep my mum off my back.
“But I absolutely loved it – and that’s where my career started. Now my mum is my biggest fan.”
It was the start of a journey that eventually led him to the role of head chef at rooftop members club Upstairs At The Department Store in Brixton.
Then a fresh opportunity presented itself. His colleague at the south London venue – Emilie Parker-Burrell – was leaving to become general manager of The Pearson Room in Canada Square in preparation for its post-pandemic reopening last month.
“I knew she was going to Canary Wharf anyway and I was looking to do something else,” said James.
“So I came over to see the venue – it was a blank canvas, which was very appealing, so I thought I’d give it a go.
“I’d loved working with Emilie at Upstairs and I think we work really well together.
“I’d never had a job in this part of London before or really visited it – it’s very new to me – so I was quite surprised by the number and quality of the bars and restaurants on the estate.
“The Pearson Room is owned by Third Space and we had a briefing from them, to make sure we have dishes that work for what they’re doing on the health side of things, but we’ve had pretty much free rein to do what we want in the kitchen, which is great.
“We’ve created a menu that’s a little bit more casual than some of the other venues around here, food that’s a bit more laid back, but we’ll see, over the coming months, what Canary Wharf wants from us and we’ll adapt what we do.”
Pan-roasted cod with white bean, tomato, mussel and prawn stew
Guests will find the familiar warm browns of the venue filled with the scents and flavours of James’ creativity, ranging from healthier options to more decadent temptations.
Starters (£7-£14) can all be served as mains and include the likes of seared tuna with watermelon, sesame and ginger; quinoa, mint and spring vegetable salad; and poke bowl wakame with daikon and shiso.
Larger plates (£16-£21) include dishes such as roast chicken with carrot salad and whipped Feta, foraged mushroom risotto and pan-roasted cod with white bean, tomato, mussel and prawn stew.
“Flavour is the number one thing we look at here,” said James. “It’s the reason to go out for dinner – to be hit with great big flavours – and that’s what we do throughout our menu.
“I really like simple food. When I was younger, everyone had ambitions to win Michelin stars, but the older I get, the cooking and the food become more relaxed and I think that’s a much better direction to go in.
“I want people who eat my food to be full, content and happy having experienced some bold flavours. A full restaurant, with happy customers, is success in my eyes.
“Staff play a huge role in that. The team of people I have around me is absolutely phenomenal.
“I have great faith in my colleagues. They are all outstanding chefs and we’re all on the same page in the kitchen – everyone can work on every section.
James’ poke bowl wakame with daikon and shiso
“We discuss the whole menu at the end of every session and, if we need to tweak, we do, and so it carries on.
“We never sit still – we’re always looking to be better, and hopefully that will show on the plate.
“We did an incredible number of tastings before we opened and I love the banana tarte tatin because I have a sweet tooth, but my favourite dish is the cod.
“I’ve always loved eating cassoulet – it’s a chef thing to try and get a huge amount of flavour out of it and this recipe started off as a dish we used to have for lunch in the kitchen.
“There are lots of fresh herbs in it, and lemon at the end, which is very French.
“With mussels being in season at the same time as cod, and the prawns adding a bit of luxury – we use the shells for the sauce – it’s great that it’s become a restaurant dish.
“One thing I hate is to change the whole menu on one day – it’s a recipe for chaos and disaster.
“After we’ve been open for a couple of months, then we’ll start introducing new dishes when ingredients are in season.
“We will have an ever-changing menu so when people come there will always be something new.
“It keeps the chefs on their toes as well and gives them a chance to develop their own dishes, get these on the menu and get a bit of recognition.”
A Hoist The Colours cocktail with rum and coconut
The Pearson Room’s bar has also been refreshed with a new cocktail list including beverages such as Fraisier (East London Dry gin with Fraise liquor, lemon and raspberries) and Hoist The Colours (a showstopping combination of Discarded Banana Rum, coconut syrup, pineapple juice, lime juice and kiwi).
James said while there were plenty of healthy options on the menu for those visiting Third Space, The Pearson Room was very much a separate entity.
Plans for the future include creating more dishes inspired by the venue’s wine list, bringing in a dry-ageing cabinet so guests can see the meat they will be eating and setting up an oyster bar to pair with the English fizz on offer.
The Pearson Room is now open Monday-Friday from 10am for lunch and dinner. The venue is also available to hire for events with an extensive range of food and drink options available.
James said: “You have to be approachable – we’re always happy to work with people so they get what they want.”
How do organisations best support and encourage the arts?
Having long brought art into its buildings, the natural step for Brookfield Properties was to recognise makers’ achievements with an annual prize.
The company, which co-owns Canary Wharf Group and is based at One Canada Square, teamed up with the Crafts Council to do just that, recently naming its latest winner.
“We came up with the Brookfield Properties Craft Award in 2020,” said Saff Williams, curatorial director at Brookfield.
“It came out of a collaboration with the Crafts Council. We’ve always hosted free exhibitions in our buildings – it’s part of the Brookfield experience where you have all sorts of things such as art shows, events and wellness seminars.
“I needed work for those exhibitions and people were asking why I was putting pieces in these spaces and what the decision making process was.
“I’d been having an ongoing conversation with the Crafts Council about collaborating and renting pieces from their private collection to show.
“They told me about Collect craft fair, which showcases the best works from makers in this country and internationally. So we developed the concept of a prize to be awarded to an exhibitor at the show.
“Brookfield would then acquire the winner’s works, show them in a free public exhibition and gift them back to the council’s public collection so they can be shown elsewhere.
“So that’s how it started and it’s accidentally become one of the biggest craft prizes in the UK.”
The prize is for £60,000, split between the maker and their gallery, which in Christian’s case is IntoArt – a visual arts charity based in Peckham that works with people who have learning disabilities.
“We work collaboratively with the Crafts Council to decide the winner,” said Saff. “Their curator – Annabelle Campbell – shortlists hundreds of makers at Collect – the top artists they want to add to their collection.
“Then we come up with a shortlist of five, based on work Brookfield would like to show and, after the winner is announced, we buy the work and build an exhibition.
“This year we were lucky enough to be able to go to the studios, see the artists in their space and speak to them about how they make their work, so that helped us identify a winner.
“It’s also a chance for us to talk to them about their story and define who we think has the best work from our perspective of adding to the collection.
“All of our shortlisted artists would have made incredible shows, but with Christian’s work there was such a kind of joi-de-vivre about the light and his colour – a new way of exploring screen-printing in ink.
“I remember when we went to IntoArt, we were blown away by the colour. His work is so beautiful, and he is so prolific in his desire to articulate his work in different media, in silks and also in his drawings.
“It was exciting and I got caught up in it – I thought it was exactly the kind work we should show – the kind our community and tenants would really respond to.
“Art is subjective in so many ways, but Annabelle and I thought Christian’s work was so moving and very exciting.
Christian at work at IntoArt in Peckham
“Because he does his screen-printing on silk, his pieces have this kind of movement about them.
“A lot of them are figurative works, inspired by the Ballets Russes and a lot of research he’s done at the V&A.
“There’s something about the nature of his brushstrokes, that made them feel like figures dancing.
“Even in his drawings of flowers, for example, the petals were almost falling off.
“There is something very gestural about his work. I feel so many artists try to achieve that, but he seems to do it naturally.”
Alongside Christian, makers Anthony Amoako-Attah, Dawn Bendick, Cecilia Charlton and Irina Razumovskaya were shortlisted for the 2022 award.
“What we do is often quite bold and colourful,” said Saff. “If you’ve got 9,000 or 3,000 people coming to work in a building on a particular day, then not everyone is going to like everything, but it’s so important to get art into these environments.
“In the wake of the pandemic, people’s expectations when they go to the office are so much greater now.
“At the beginning people thought it was great to work from home, but now they want to go into work because they can see friends or drop in on a pop-up exhibition opening and have a drink.
“When people hadn’t been into their offices for months and months and saw a show with work by our 2021 winner Anna Ray – so bright and vibrant – people emailed saying that seeing her pieces really helped them.”
As part of the award, Christian’s work will be shown by Brookfield Properties at 99 Bishopsgate in the City during the summer.
Ella Ritchie with Christian Ovonlen
BECOMING AN AMBASSADOR FOR EQUITY IN THE ARTS AND FOR CHARITY INTOART
Brookfield Properties Craft Award winner 2022 Christian Ovonlen makes his work in Peckham with charity IntoArt.
Director Ella Ritchie said: “I co-founded the charity with Sam Jones when we left art school. Based on our experience of volunteering with people who have learning disabilities, we really wanted to make a change because there was no resource for those people to have access to art education as adults.
“We are ultimately an alternative art school that has the same rigour you would find at an art school.
“We introduce people to materials, techniques and opportunities. Our vision really is about equity in terms of access, learning and ambition in the arts.”
Christian joined the collective in 2013 and has been developing his practice for the last nine years.
Ella said: “Most people start with us on a foundation course so they’re learning lots of different techniques, they may never have done much art – it’s very much about exploration and opportunity.
“Over this last three years Christian has taken his drawing practice into this really unique language of textiles, which I think is what has excited people.
“They’re very large scale silks that hang as though they are the drapes of theatre backdrops.
“The series he made for Collect is inspired by the Ballets Russes – the performers, the scenography and the costumes.
One of Christian’s drawings
“He starts with drawings and silk screen prints them onto silks using a very delicate dye technique.
“The resulting textiles are very light and really float in their settings.
“Everything is made by hand including the dyes he uses – he controls the vibrancy and strength of the colours and how that is translated onto the fabric.”
Ella said the prize clearly recognised Christian’s work as on a level with other makers at Collect
She said: “Winning just blew him away. It gave him a direct relationship with the other makers and galleries at Collect – he went round to talk to them as a fellow practitioner and that comes back to that equity.
“Christian is an internationally recognised maker and an ambassador for all of us and our mission to challenge the notion of who can be an artist, maker or designer.
“For me personally, I feel that’s been a long time coming. I’ve always known this work is amazing and the people we work with have such potential.
“I think when people see it, they get it and what’s great about this award is that Christian’s exhibition will be so public and so open to people.”
