1 Welcome to the 8th edition of the Quarter. A special edition focusing on the Wood Green CONTENTS Cultural Quarter. With all the regeneration and development currently being discussed for the area, it is an opportune moment to look at the successes, new and exciting developments, hear from our ward councillors about Wood Green and what is being planned. 3 Councillors Interview The 20th Open Studios will take place in November 2016 where visitors will be invited 6 Open Studios to discover what is new in the Wood Green Cultural Quarter: Chocolate Factory 3, the 7 Talent Match Green Rooms, in addition to Chocolate Factory 1, Chocolate Factory 2 and Karamel. We hope you will join in and celebrate 20 years of Open Studios. Please send your 8 Wonderworks comments about this issue, the Open Studios, what you liked, and what you think should be in the Wood Green Cultural Quarter to [email protected]. 10 Ben and Max Editorial Team Design and Illustrations Contributors 11 Haringey Literature Live Manoj Ambasna Rosie Chomet George Jackson Preeti Dasgupta Eleanor Harding 12 Green Rooms Kate Pemberton 14 Karamel Promoters Chris Sheehan 16 Far From the Western Front Collage Arts TheChocFactory N22openstudios www.collage-arts.org ROSE For any comments or enquiries, or to suggest an article: [email protected] Created and distributed by Collage Arts Quarter | Issue 8 | Chocolate Factory Artists | Collage Arts 2 COUNCILLORS INTERVIEW Interview by George Jackson Stephen Mann and Alan Strickland are councillors for the Noel Park Ward in here and how to approach it. Some of these Haringey Council, an area that covers both sides of the Wood Green High Road people do it because it is their hobby but for including the Chocolate Factory. There are few people with more influence lots of people it is their living as well so it very Contributors on the future of the area than these two men, and we sat down with them to important to get that wider audience and take George Jackson discuss what the next few decades might have in store... the Chocolate Factory out into Wood Green and Eleanor Harding North London. Kate Pemberton Chris Sheehan Could I begin by asking you about your relationship with Collage Arts and the Chocolate Factory? One of the things we do as councillors is knock on doors a lot, and I remember last September SM: I’m Councillor Stephen Mann, a councillor for Noel Park Ward with my colleague going along Alexandra Road which is very here Alan. That covers all of the area around the Wood Green High Road: both sides. close to here. Someone asked us, ‘what are you When I became a councillor last year I was asked to sit on outside bodies, and Collage doing for the creative arts?’ She said that she Arts had a vacancy. I knew quite a bit about what was happening at the Chocolate was an actor and was interested. I mentioned Factory: the fantastic artists and creative people who have been attracted here, and the Chocolate Factory and she knew nothing I jumped at the chance of being on the board. I’ve been in that role since September about it. I mentioned the theatre school and she and in that time I’ve met some wonderful people, and seen some of the terrific knew nothing about it. So literally there seems to be a divide between the buildings here. difficulties that some of the people are having here in terms of their concerns about People need to know that they can get through to the facilities here. I want people to see the future of their studio given the uncertainty over what is going to happen with the vast array of work that goes on here, from painting and sculpture to making ballet the building because the landlord potentially putting up rents. So the work that shoes, and see that Wood Green is the cultural centre of North London. Manoj and the board have done to secure reasonable rents for a large part of the Chocolate Factory has given a far more positive future for people, and those who AS: I agree with all of that and only thing I’d add is that it is very important in the creative have had to move out have been found space just across the road. sector to make it accessible. What you see in Wood Green and in Tottenham also where there is lots of similar studio space is that you don’t necessarily find that local residents That’s a building newly passed over from the council? have studios there, and you don’t necessarily find that young people feel that it is realistic to be a sculptor or a painter or an actor or a digital designer or whatever it might be. SM: Yes. For example, Collective 306, who are a charity helping people with mental What I’d like to see, and I hope the new Mayor with his Deputy Mayor for Culture picks health issues through their creativity: making jewellery, making pottery, making this up as well, is looking at ways to make arts jobs more accessible to local people and fabrics, that is really a good example of the work I’ve seen in the Chocolate Factory local schools. Too often young people don’t see it as an accessible sector. It can be seen that is supported by Collage Arts, and it is the sort of work as a councillor that I want as a sector where you need money to get in. Breaking down some of those barriers is very to see not only protected but expand and reaching more people. in. important. AS: I’m Alan Strickland and I’m also a councillor for Noel Park. I’ve lived in Wood Green since 2007, when I moved from the North East to work in London. I haven’t So it is about awareness? been as involved in Collage Arts as Steve but my involvement has been partly as a local resident going to the Open Studios weekend, and buying slightly too many AS: In the future it’d be nice to have cultural scholarships that say to kids you don’t need things. I’ve been keen to get local people engaged with the Chocolate Factory to be a wealthy person with five degrees to be an artist, you don’t need amazing contacts because too often you meet local residents who didn’t know it was here or are to be a sculptor. If you have got the talent then there is a space for you in the Chocolate unsure what it is. In my role leading on planning and regeneration we are doing the Factory and there is a scholarship to support you: practical steps that make young people big planning work for the future of Wood Green. We are keen that as part of that, say ‘I want to do that.’ of course we want some new housing, but we want to keep jobs and work space in Wood Green. We want to ensure Wood Green keeps some of its character: because here and also in Hornsey there has been this rich cultural history. We’ve had artists, piano factories and music studios and of course Hornsey College of Art was nearby. “I want people to see to see the vast The Chocolate Factory is the last main outpost of that in this area and I think that is array of work that goes on here, from really worth protecting. Doing that isn’t a sentimental thing: people here are part of businesses, it is creative industry and that is really important. There are jobs here, and painting and sculpture to making for that reason we want to grow it. What we are finding is that creative businesses are knocking on the door of the council, of course Hackney has had a creative revolution ballet shoes, and see that Wood Green over the last ten years but the prices there have been rising and businesses are is the cultural centre of north London.” keen to move into Tottenham and Wood Green. There is an opportunity to grow the Creative Quarter around here and that is something we are really passionate about. What is your relationship with the creative sector in this area? It has grown a lot Through the schools possibly? in the last twenty years, and where do you see it going in the next twenty? AS: Partly yes, but it is also to do with aspiration. Do advisors and teachers feel SM: Alan mentioned the Open weekend that happened in the Chocolate Factory last comfortable if they have someone talented saying ‘you should be an artist.’ If they are year. For a lot of people, including myself, who thought they knew a lot about what really good at drawing or design do they say ‘you should be an architect.’ My worry is in goes on here, as we went through the maze of studios the vast range of creative this borough all too often they probably don’t. people here became apparent: the painters, the sculptors, the people making toys, such an incredibly wide range. What I want to see is more people knowing what goes Collage Arts | Chocolate Factory Artists | Issue 8 | Quarter 3 Around a third of the GDP in the area is contributed by the creative sector. How Where do you see the creative sector and the Chocolate Factory going in the long do you as councillors grow that and exploit that and use it to drive the economy term? of the area? AS: We want the Chocolate Factory to be at the centre of a much bigger creative cluster AS: Firstly, I think that it is important to stress that we as a council support the sector with all sorts of jobs and creative industries here.