Is that a footballer holding a CCTV camera? Here at Weavers Fields stands a peculiar sculpture named Weaving Identities. Tower Hamlets council commissioned this artwork back in 2003. They wanted something to replace a tall pole that already had CCTV cameras, and artist Peter Dunn certainly delivered. The sculpture cost a hefty £70,000. What’s fascinating about Weaving Identities is that it involved local school children. It wasn’t just about plonking a fancy sculpture in the park. Dunn worked with the children to understand what the area meant to them. You can see their ideas reflected in the design, which focuses more on sports than the area’s history of Huguenot silkweavers. Look closely at the base. The brickwork is laid out in an offset pattern. It’s designed to look like woven threads, a subtle nod to those silkweavers. The children also got to carve their own art into the top layer of bricks. It’s a shame people mainly associate it with surveillance rather than its artistic merit and community involvement.
Southfields Methodist Church
Curiosity stirred within the heart of Southfields as a new chapter began. Southfields Methodist Church held its first public service