Somewhere in Hackney - ACE100.2

Kingsland High Street, Rio Cinema frontage. Rooftops. People crossing road. Silkscreen tuition. VO "Community arts? Oh, I don’t understand anything about community arts." People in street. Making stencil. VO "The whole art game is a joke anyway. I think it’s a waste of money." People in street. Street theatre group. VO "Community arts gives people the confidence to do things they haven’t done before." Street scenes. More street theatre. VO "I don’t get involved in them. I don’t mind watching, them but I don’t get involved in them." Street scenes. Housing estate. Children gathered round a huge circular "mosaic" with members of Freeform; adults watching from a distance. VO talks about Freeform Arts Trust, in Hackney since 1973; the group of artists wants to make their art "accessible to communities", and want people to get involved. Silkscreen printing instruction in playground. Women talk about Freeform as trying to involve people at all levels, though it may take time to bring in some of the adults, offering a structure for people to bring about change and "to have voices". Children drawing murals on concrete wall round derelict site. VO talking about using mural work and landscaping to enable people "to achieve a physical change, to create a physical image for the places they live in". Woman working with girl on a mosaic on the wall of Caribbean House; VO explains how Freeform became involved in helping the owners illustrate its work through the appearance of its building, and adds that the organisation tries to help people "have a voice" and realise that they can make changes. The outside of the building. Festival site near Caribbean House: marquees, painting and erecting stands, etc. VO says that Freeform, as a national organisation based in Hackney, has set up a full-time team for the borough; VO talks about having "a mobile resource unit" which can go to different communities, and facilitate larger-scale projects and develop new ideas for the future. Festival preparations: float going out into the street; VO says their activities are political because they involve asking people to "look at what’s going on around them" which is "challenging".