Work to create a mural telling the story of Broomfield House and Park began on Monday and should be completed this week. On Saturday 12th April members of the public will have an opportunity to play a part at a "paint jam".
Preparing the hoarding surfaces ahead of creation of the murals
The new community mural which will decorate the hoardings surrounding the remains of Broomfield House is being created by artists belonging to the Matchbox Collective, working in conjunction with Enfield Council, Friends of Broomfield Park and the Broomfield House Trust.
The sheer extent of the hoarding around the ruined house is evident from this aerial photograph
Celebrating the history of Broomfield Park and House, the mural's five artist zones will incorporate design elements which have been developed in conjunction with art students from Laurel Park School (formerly Broomfield School). To help spark their imagination, Colin Younger from the Broomfield House Trust and Victoria Black, the Broomfield Park head gardener, gave presentations to the aspiring artists at two workshops held at the school.
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The outlines of the pictures in one of the mural zones have been marked out ahead of painting
In addition to the ongoing work on the new mural, five new panels with information about the Unlocking Broomfield Park for the Community project have been installed on the hoardings.
The side of the hoarding facing east, round the back of Broomfield House (the nearest part of the hoarding in the aerial photograph above), will be left undecorated this week. The general public will have an opportunity to help create the art for this section at two further workshops and a public "paint jam" on Saturday 12th April.
The first public event of Enfield Council's Lottery-funded project "Unlocking Broomfield Park" will take place on Saturday 12th April.
The Palmers Green Paint Jam is a celebration of the new public mural which will decorate the hoarding around Broomfield House and share the history of the building.
Come along to the park and watch leading street artists and muralists live as they create original artwork on the hoardings around Broomfield House.
The event will be at the rear of Broomfield House by the construction site hoardings - on the grassy area south-east of the house and close to the playground.
There are limited spaces for early arrivals to create their own street art.
Spray paint workshop
There will be an opportunity to participate in a spray paint workshop. Open from 11:00 drop-in sessions, last arrivals 15:00. There may be a wait at busy times
Not suitable for children under seven.
John Cole, Enfield Council's community engagement officer for the Unlocking Broomfield for the Community project, said:
"Someone said to me this week, while standing with me by the remains of Broomfield House, ‘Things are happening!’, and I thought it really summed up the start of the painting of the Broomfield Mural, a declaration of intent by the community to get things moving again with removing the relic and its scaffolding and restoring harmony to the park.
"The mural will be followed in April by the announcement of the name of the design team funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund who will involve the community in sympathetically improving the grounds and lakes around the house and creating a new space where the house once stood."
The Unlocking Broomfield Park for the Community project is currently in the development phase, during which the council is working with the local community to co-develop a "vision" for dismantling the shell of Broomfield House which will "reconnect the house and park through memorialisation, interpretation and landscaping".
The delivery phase, during which the ruined house will be dismantled and "memorialised" and improvements will be made to the park, including restoration of some historic features, will require a further grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund amounting to more than £3.5 million.
Further events during the development phase will include an archeological excavation next month.
Links
What does 'Unlocking Broomfield Park for the Community' actually mean? (Palmers Green Community 21 October 2024)
