Translocation

Camden Council is creating a new type of building where local organisations, businesses, and residents can come together to take action, test new ways of doing things and shape their local neighbourhood. The aim is that these ‘Neighbourhood Spaces’ will be bustling hives of imagination and activity, governed by the community and self-funded through enterprise that supports local people. 

The Council has sought funding to retrofit the former cinema at 2 Prince of Wales Road to create the borough’s first Neighbourhood Space. The site will respond to local needs and voices with a bespoke brief created in partnership with the community to generate a sustainable, creative space that enables social action and an equitable green transition.

On our journey to create this new Neighbourhood Space, the Council is planning to re-open part of the building in partnership with Hypha Studios to create free artist studio space and a ‘Civic Action Lab’ test space.

The Lab will be a space for the local community to test and develop new ideas and initiatives that could feature in the final Neighbourhood Space, it will be used to support and inform the final design of the building whilst nurturing the vital community connections required to create a thriving collaborative hub. The temporary space aims to be a lively environment, building relationships across disciplines and traditional boundaries to develop innovative ways of working and new opportunities for everyone.

The artists based in the space are invited to respond to this context and forge new relationships with local people, asking how art and creativity can encourage new voices to participate in social action and enable a fair transition.