WALTHAM’S “LITTLE FOREST”.

Clustered telegraph poles invite framed, theatrical progress through staged gaps. Activists’ prop-armatures “branch” out, animating people and coloured stages. Carving, painting, hanging objects is not prohibited. Shadows, appendages and folk cast alignments. Urbanites freshly experience themselves and the elements -guided up and out, from within clearings in this maze forest stage.

WALTHAM’S LITTLE FOREST

An enchanted clustering of 250 telegraph poles; with differing degrees of density, allows visitors to progress through theatrical gaps between them, into the “wood”. The smaller the visitor the easier they’ll access clearings. These framing poles will be set into the ground with metal casings to protect the timber at its base. At various heights of these poles, timber rods will be knocked through drilled holes- to form armatures that “branch” to hold a canvas flag/pennant and activists’ stuff. These “props”, animate the space. The coloured areas on the ground shall be “stages” of painted shingle and pebbles; when wet, these also come to life. Carving these timber poles will not be prohibited, nor shall hanging objects from them, nor “tagging” them, nor performance. But they will be left as exposed timber to create a more natural feel- not fully painted. Shadows cast and situations acted in line with seasons and day times- will demarcate alignments. There will be several moveable seats of cut stouter poles- variously gathered for the viewers of this theatre. There will be solid timber benches fixed at key areas. Additional appendages will be fixed onto the poles in the future as extra props accumulate– lighting, plant pots, bird houses, padlocks, plant pots, pictures or screens; when budgets allow. Here the urban dweller experiences the city as theatre and the sky and clouds afresh as eyes are guided upwards towards the flags and beyond expansively from the clearings within this little maze-like forest stage set.

EXPERIENCE

Mark Titman runs an architecture and design studio, within which he realises the Design, Planning, Building Regs and Contract stages of builds for new houses and extensions up to building completion- average budget £100,000 extensions and £450,000 new houses. Mark has established joint initiatives amongst developers and clients and liaised with companies establishing sponsorship opportunities, including with various landscape architects, engineers and architects, Cutty Sark Whiskey and Canaray Wharf. He has also been involved with various organisations such as Tiffany’s & Co, Jim Henson’s The Creatureshop, Greenwich Pleasance Community Group, The Building Centre and Greenwich University and London students generally- getting exhibitions and installations designed and built to limited budgets. He has taught graduate and undergraduate students for more than twenty years and is an effective organiser of co-operative liaisons, builds and installations. (www.marktitman.com)

Viktor Catanovs, is a Waltham Forest resident and an assistant in a London Architects practice. Victor graduated from the University of East London in 2016. His university work included building a Catalan Vault to form a community meeting point and rain shelter at an allotment garden in East London. Having worked in London architectural practices as an assistant for the past 3 years, Victor’s been involved in various cultural projects, including: workshops, museum tours for kids, presentations for Architecture in Schools 2019 and also volunteered for the Open House London 2018.

CHOICE OF SITE

This site was chosen as it has a clear start and end and offers a progression from an open space to the East towards an enclosed natural concave space at the West. This makes the journey into and through the woods a sequential opportunity. The screening of the poles will also transform an exposed roadside location into something of a haven.

ENGAGEMENT

It is envisaged that we will introduce the idea or commission an engagement officer to approach schools and business to see if teachers would like their pupils to work with older pensioners to stitch and learn to stitch flags. To ask teachers and boy scout leaders if there are children who would enjoy banging rods into holes. The flags will be an opportunity for both individuals and services to show their emblem, name or logo. The engaging nature of the space will offer the urbanite respite and a degree of quietude in the city. The elemental character and the containment of the clearings are things, which will make one look up, will connect the visitor with the sky, pebbles, timber and sun and shadows and will remind locals of the seasons. All something needed by those in towns and cities. The opportunities to display tokens and add to the poles, also offers local engagements.

WORKS

The off site works will include the painting of pebbles and shingle, the stitching of flags and the cutting of rods. This can be done either in a local school or by a handy man on an hourly basis. On site is where most of the work will occur. The holes will be dug manually for the poles which are lifted by two people into the ground and back filled with rubble and spoil. The rest of the site (except where there are coloured pebbles) shall be retained as hard standing tarmac. On site there will also be the drilling of the poles and the hammering into holes the rods for flag armatures. The flags will be attached on site. The ground works that will be needed include the clearing of hard standing and laying of a dpm, insertion of stainless steel edges and infilling with coloured pebbles.

RESPONSIBILITY

It is envisaged that a contractor will mange the site works and a community engagements officer will engage with the local community groups (inc. Boy Scouts), secondary schools, creative businesses and BT.

SPONSORSHIP

We would like to be able to approach BT’s marketing depart with the understanding that they not only have the skills and materials in stock en mass but also would benefit from having their name associated with telegraph poles and community home working showcasing. We also envisage the flags as being opportunities for local businesses and services to be promoted with sponsored flags.

BUDGET

200 second hand poles @ £100 each (some cut in half increasing numbers) = £20,000

Volunteers drilling, knocking of rods into holes in poles/stitching and fixing flags = £0

Digging pits installing poles = £2,000

Setting perimeters into ground for coloured pebbles= £1,000

Painting pebbles = £500

Rough Hewn Benches of timber = £1,500

Temporary Storage secured onsite? £1,000

Community engagement? £1,000

Fees £8,000

Maintenance £4,000

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Total £39,000

DESIGN LIFE

We envisage the life of the project to be based on the hardy nature of the materials; namely the telegraph poles, which are made to be robust and as they are usually treated and tend to last ten years. As they are not painted they will breath like timber does and similarly the benches, which are timber too. Depending on the type of canvas that the flags are made of, these may need replacing every two or three years with new replacements; which would actually be an engaging ritual change over; like a new annual display for new school years, for example. The addition of new appendages offer a continuation of changing functions and display. Giving future opportunities to the forest- well beyond its initial construction.

“The forest is a peculiar organism of unlimited kindness and benevolence that … affords protection to all beings, offering shade (and engagement).”
- Paraphrased from Gautama Buddha

Art Installation

Walthams “Little Forest”