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Fieldwork Facility helps to create the Museum of Us to bring a London community together

London studio Fieldwork Facility has collaborated with New London Architecture to create the Museum of Us, a project designed to bring a local community together.

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Fieldwork Facility's Museum of Us exhibition posters featuring colourful circular stickers and community portraits displayed on a weathered wall

Piloted in the Old Kent Road area for Southwark Council, the campaign, exhibition, project space and programme of events were designed to get local residents talking with local businesses, community organisations and action groups.

The epicentre of the project was a refurbished shop on Old Kent Road which Fieldwork Facility transformed into a "positive and democratic space to enable conversations and engagement on the long-term plans for the area".

"Projects like these often come with scepticism over how a council spends its money," says Robin Howie, founder and creative director of Fieldwork Facility. "In our research, we discovered a fantastic array of diverse industry in the Old Kent Road area. We decided wherever we could we would use local manufacturers for the exhibition. I'm proud to say that we kept 67.5% of our production expenditure (for the exhibitions build and print) within the local economy."

The project‘s identity manifested as a simple sticker that was used to make communications feel like a celebration of inclusivity. Fieldwork Facility also commissioned Suki Dhanda to shoot portraits that unequivocally said "us" to all people around Old Kent Road.

Two people stand outdoors in front of urban buildings, surrounded by colourful "Museum of Us" stickers from the Old Kent Road community project
Young person wearing a dark blue hijab and navy blazer with badges and pins, surrounded by colourful "Museum of Us" stickers on brick background
Bearded man wearing a white beanie and red sweatshirt standing in front of a window, surrounded by colourful stickers reading "Museum of Us Old Kent Road
Man wearing black jacket standing in front of striped blue and white fabric with wooden poles, surrounded by coloured Museum of Us stickers
Woman walks past hoarding displaying Museum of Us portraits and colourful circular graphics on Old Kent Road, with metal structure and traffic light visible behind
Storefront of the Museum of Us at 231 Old Kent Road, featuring a black facade with colourful circular plates displayed in the window and signage for the community engagement project
Museum of Us storefront on Old Kent Road with yellow and white circular stickers on the window promoting the community project
Museum of Us exhibition space with yellow and blue perforated display panels featuring colourful stickers and text, designed by Fieldwork Facility for the Old Kent Road community project
Poster displayed on wooden rail showing coloured circles representing community, transport, facilities and shops, with decorative tape below featuring the same circular pattern
Seven printed sheets hung from clips on wooden rails, each titled "The Future of Old Kent Road looks like this" and filled with colourful handwritten notes and sketches mapping community ideas
Visitor in black jacket with orange scarf pointing at coloured circles on an interactive display asking "Where should it be easier to get to?
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