FÅGULHUS around Croydon
To encourage the nesting of Swifts in Croydon, we have produced a series of Swift Boxes which will be placed within a number of loved, sentimental and contested buildings under threat of closure, privatisation and the prospective transformation into luxury flats. All buildings serve a community function and are public assets, top-down decisions motivated by economics have rendered these community facilities vulnerable to being sold. Given that Swifts are Red List species with a number of legal protections, the purpose of the birdboxes is to irritate, stall and disrupt any future large-scale planning applications by laying the conditions for a web of red tape, delays and negative PR. In the context of species decline, shortages of affordable housing and community centres being replaced by luxury flats, the FÅGELHUS mobilises a cross species coalition of care and disruption. Under the protection of British Law, the nesting of endangered birds can stall, irritate and activate a web of red-tape in the eyes of planning; FÅGELHUS is a tool of resistance against those who are determining our current and future urban environments.
Waterside Centre (Norwood Sports Club, South Norwood Grounds Cricket Ground) - Currently hosts a range of activities including resident meetings, community events and, sports and leisure activities.
Soulfood Gardens is a guerilla community garden created by local residents on a disused brownfield site. The garden grows vegetables, which are then distributed throughout the community and serves as a social space for locals to gather.
Norbury Tennis Club - a local tennis and social club with a clubhouse and nursery space which is frequently rented out for events and celebrations.
Crosfield Nursary - We collaborated closely with the group Our Nursery Schools Matter, which aimed to block council plans to close two of the borough's five state-funded nurseries and to sell all of the buildings. We put two up here, which were both painted by the children.
